California Natural vs. Fromm

by **Misskiwi67** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:31 pm

Hey Everyone,

I've decided to try to find something different for my dogs now that the FDA reports are showing the Diamond plants were negligent. I understand chocolate happens and even tomatoes get contaminated now and then, but I'm not willing to support a grossly negligent company.

I've narrowed it down to two options in my area, California Natural which I have fed before, and Fromm, which is available through a local mom and pop store. I also considered Blue Buffalo, but the chicken-free formulas are either too high in calories or too expensive for my budget.

I'm not really picky about grain-free, but need to find a food free of beef and chicken ingredients for my food allergic dog. I also need to find something relatively low in calories because one of my dogs has the metabolism of a snail.

I'm probably going to end up trying out both foods, but thought I'd see if anyone has any personal recommendations. There was a recent article in the AAHA news magazine on foods that stated one of the best ways to pick a food with quality ingredients is to base it on the reputation of the company since there are few qualitative ways to gauge foods.

I'm also up for suggestions of foods that would meet the above criteria and are in the $50 per 30 pound range. I have access to just about everything in my area through either the mom and pop store or my work.

by **AmberD** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:43 pm

I just switched my boys to Fromm (low activity/mature). Just this week, so I can't give it glowing reviews or anything, but I've heard nothing but good things about them. I wrote to them for info, and they sent me a packet with info and coupons.

I don't have any experience with California Naturals, although it was something I considered before Nutra was purchased by P&G.

by **starrlamia** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:53 pm

I've used fromm puppy before and had good results

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by **Timas Mom** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:40 pm

California Natural is a Natura product and since it was bought out by P&G I have had some people notice changes and palatability issues which may mean they are changing ingredient sources ect.

Fromm dry is made in their own plant and are really good quality foods...I am expanding and considering them for my store.
They don't have many foods that are both chicken and beef free though...everything has eggs, and almost all have chicken.
Whitefish and pot and Salmon and veg are the only Four Star golds with No egg, chicken or beef.

Id vote Fromm

by **MarMar** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:49 pm

I get that many people have concerns since Natura was bought out and I don't think they're completely unfounded. Having said that, my Shepherd mix has been eating CalNat Lamb and Rice for years. She had chronic diarrhea as a puppy while on vet food and CalNat was my "gateway" food into the world of "natural" diets. It really saved us during a really tricky time. She did poorly on a grain free food also. Anyways, I would understand if you go with Fromm because of the P&G issue, but I think CalNat is not a bad choice as long as you keep an eye on the ingredients for changes. The Lamb and Rice ingredients are still (so far) the same as they used to be.

by **dogs4jen** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 8:05 pm

I was having trouble deciding what to get when I went to get dog food the other day too, the feed store where I usually go didn't have a couple of the brands I was thinking of trying, so I just got Wellness.
I've fed the dogs California Natural quite often to rotate foods, and the dogs have always done well on it, but I have heard some negative stuff too since p & g bought them. I don't think I'd want to feed them the regular kind with the rice long term, since it's a bit low on meat content. I haven't tried Fromm, but I think I'd go with that of the two options you mention.

by **Mya&theSiebenDackels** » Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:04 pm

I currently feed my dogs Fromm Four Star(I have for two years) and they have done wonderful on it. Firm poops, shiny coats, and all around very healthy. It is the only food Charlotte(she has skin and digestive issues) does well on. I can not really think of anything bad about.

by **Misskiwi67** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:35 am

Timas Mom wrote:California Natural is a Natura product and since it was bought out by P&G I have had some people notice changes and palatability issues which may mean they are changing ingredient sources ect.

Fromm dry is made in their own plant and are really good quality foods...I am expanding and considering them for my store.
They don't have many foods that are both chicken and beef free though...everything has eggs, and almost all have chicken.
Whitefish and pot and Salmon and veg are the only Four Star golds with No egg, chicken or beef.

Id vote Fromm

My dogs won't have issues with palatability, and only the purists are concerned with the P&G purchase. I'm far from a purist. So far my only concern is the kibble size is HUGE, making it difficult to give my "always on the verge of chubby" dog a level scoop.

I'm very happy to hear all the great reviews on the Fromm. I will probably try it too.

by **Misskiwi67** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 10:25 am

I also have access to Holistic Select, Before Grain, and Earthborn Holistic (and others outside my price range) through the supply company my work uses.

by **AmberD** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 3:44 pm

Misskiwi67 wrote:I also have access to Holistic Select, Before Grain, and Earthborn Holistic (and others outside my price range) through the supply company my work uses.

My two girls are on Earthborn. The pug was, too, but I took him off grain free and put him on the low activity Fromm so maybe I could feed him a tiny bit more volume. The Earthborn, at least the grain free, produced small, hard, dark poop. On the Fromm, it's lighter and a bit bigger... but so is the kibble. So far, Earthborn seems great and very reasonable in price.

Oh and Earthborn kibble is pretty small. The dog kibble is small but reasonable, but the cat kibble is so small it could almost be considered crumbles I think. Unfortunately, it puzzles my cats, and I may have to switch them to something else.

by **Odnarb** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:39 pm

I'm planning on switching to Earthborn. It's a lot higher in calories than TOTW, though. It will be good for my dogs, but maybe not your dog with a slow metabolism.

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by **julie64** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 4:10 am

I switched to Earthborn and all 3 of my dogs are doing well on it.

by **Mooresmajestic** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 7:23 pm

All my girls and cats have been on Fromm for about a year now, and I have to say I am very pleased with their food quality and consistency. My dogs and cats have great coats too. The product has been exactly as I expect it to be every single time. They are also one of the few companies that will tell you their food sources, I called and asked them before I switched. They also do extensive quality control testing. The kibble size is small for all but the Whitefish formula but even that isn't too large. My 5# Chi mix has no issues with it. Also, Fromm offers (through the company, not just individual stores) a "buy 12 get 1 free" and doesn't require the purchase of the same size or type every time. The free bag is the size and type purchased the most out of the 12. They also have a lot of freebe coupons offered through their e-mailing list.

I don't know anything about California Naturals, so I'm neither for or against it.

by **TrainTrax** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:27 am

I was feeding California Natural before it was bought by P&G. I absolutely loved it! Good quality food for a decent enough price. Then it was purchased by P&G. I was returning bags for a funky smells and even found a plastic bag of sorts within the food. So I gave up at that point. It sucked because my dogs loved the food and did so well on it.

I haven't fed my dogs Fromm but we sold it at the dog daycare I use to wok at. People consistently raved about it and the dogs on it always seemed to be in awesome health with fantastic coats.

Im also feeding Diamond at the moment and looking to switch after this fiasco. I haven't had to return any bags yet but the store I purchase Diamond from has had slim pickings lately. I actually had to pick up a bag of senior Diamond kibble. Only one of the dogs in the house is a senior lol

.

I may end up giving Fromm a go.

by **Jazzy** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 4:36 am

I used to feed California Natural but switched to Fromm when CN was bought out.

V. has been on Fromm...for at least over a year...and does very well on it.

As far as I know, the company has never been involved in any recalls.

I use the 4 star nutritionals line and switch between the various flavors.