REVIEW: Rachael Ray Nutrish for Pets

Rachael Ray Nutrish for Pets
Where to Find: Rachael Ray

A few weeks ago we received a big box of the brand new dog food and treats, Rachael Ray Nutrish for Pets. I was very excited when I learned that Rachael (love her!) was launching a pet food line and even more excited to learn that it is charity driven! A portion of the proceeds from every bag sold will go to Rachael's Rescue and help pets in need.

As you might guess, this review box arrived to a very eager crowd just waiting to test it out. Here we have 2 of the infamous Lapdog Creations staffers, Lola and Teutul checking out the goods...

The dog food comes in two varities, Beef & Brown Rice and Chicken & Veggies. While the quality is not as high as I would like to see (especially with Rachael's name on it), it is not awful either. For a supermarket store variety, this is probably one of the better ones available. Meat is the first ingredient in both varities, which is great to see, however both also contain corn and soy which are not so good. Corn meal is near the top of the ingredient list and corn is commonly associated to allergies in dogs, plus many dogs often have difficulty digesting it. Soybean meal is also near the top and is used as a grain filler (despite Rachael's website boasting "no fillers"), whereas higher quality foods do not use soy products. Animal fat is also near the top and throws up yet another red flag. When I looked this up on Dog Food Project, I found this disturbning statement: "Note that the animal source is not specified and is not required to originate from "slaughtered" animals. The rendered animals can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on." Doesn't sound very appetizing, does it?

However, as stated when compared to other supermarket dog foods, this is definitely an above average kibble. For those who don't read the ingredients or shop for a higher end kibble for their pets, this would certainly be a step up.

Isaboo's Booscotti (Peanut Butter & Bacon flavors) and Isaboo's Grill Bites (Bacony Burger & Beefy Burger flavors) are both typical of many treats found in Petco and the like. They are not all natural or organic, as many of the new treats are these days, and do include ingredients such as corn, soy and high fructose corn syrup. Since they're only an occassional treat, I can live with giving my dogs some here and there. All 4 Lapdog testers have tried them and seemed to enjoy the taste. I would like to see the Booscotti come in a larger size though, as I was surprised at the small round shape given the name!

I love Rachael and love what she is trying to do to raise awareness and funds for homeless pets, as well as to educate the public on the Pit Bull breed - love Isaboo! While I personally wish she made a higher quality food such as Chicken Soup for the Dog or Wellness, I understand the mass marketing ability of Nutrish for Pets. While it will not be the kibble of choice for myself and my dogs, it is not awful either.

The winner of the Lapdog Creations Pampered Paw Gift Basket from a previous review was drawn via random number generator... Congratulations Paula! Will you please email me your snail mail addy? For those of you who did not win, you can still order your special LC gift here. Enter coupon code LDCG073108 and not only will you get the basket for the special $22 price, but you will save an additional 5% discount as well!