Flint River Ranch-has it happend?-NVR-Dog Food Related
Dave- for months I've been keeping in the back of my mind what you said about the son taking over and I think it's happend. We feed the lamb and millet. My allergy dog has been doing GREAT on it..her seasonals were bad, but so were mine, but they were controlled.
Fast forward to November..just placed an order w/ them, recieved my shipment. Food color was way different..eek! Call them they tell me sometimes the color varies due to length of baking, the person running oven may have baked it less time but as long as it's crunchy it's ok. It smelled and felt fine, the dogs seemed to think it was fine.
Brazen, my allergy girl within DAYS busts out in the nastiest ear infection she's had in years. She also starts chewing her feet like they are a tasty ham hock. Poor thing has 3 lick granulomas on her back feet.I discussed it w/ my husband, and he's like your nuts just give it a few weeks its the weather. OK OK..well it's gotten so bad he's even said to me you need to change foods (and he thinks i'm nuts about dog foods). I also have 2 friends who recently at my recommendation switched to FRR Lamb and Millet...both people's dogs broke out in major hot spots (and these dogs aren't allergic to anything) and one dog was drinking exorbitant amounts of water...
So I researched foods available in my area, and I think I'm going to try Solid Gold brand. I can get it at (choke) Petco, nice part is I get the 10th bag free which when feeding 3 large dogs really makes a difference... I really don't have much "choice" available to me left around here, as most of the readily avail foods have brewer's yeast in them which she's also allergic to. I think I'm going to try her on their grain free formula to detox her and put the boys on Wolf King, and possibly ease Brazen into Wolf King.
Has anyone heard anything bad about Solid Gold brand?
Well...WOW Majicka,
Speak of the devil....I just opened a bag of FRR Lamb and Millet for my dogs this very morning! I'll have to call the "ex" and see if she has had anyone else complaining of the same thing.
I'll let you know what she has to say.
Solid Gold is a GREAT FOOD and from time to time I feed that to my dogs as well. I'm still kind of partial to feeding mostly all of the Nature's Variety foods. From their Raw, Instinct Kibble, and Instinct canned foods. I've never hd a problem with any of their products and I've been using them for years now with good results (er...not on ME...on them)... ::)
I'll get back to you later once I have a chance to ask her about the FRR...
Thanks for letting me know...
-d
I've seen the Nature's Variety and have been very intrigued by it, but the shipping on it would break me.. I'm very limited on places to buy dog food, there is one local pet store that sells some great brands but he sells small animals and doesn't treat them very well..i wouldn't shop there if he was the last store on earth.
I have to call my local Agway to find out what they are carrying now, last I heard they had Merricks, but that food is too rich for Brazey (the boys can handle anything pretty much). Maybe they are carrying something else now too.
I'm really disappointed..my crew was doing FANTASTIC on the FRR and I honestly couldn't be happier about it..in fact I've been singing their praises for the last year to everyone who would listen...but the truth is, it's November and it's cold out and my allergy dog is a mess...nevermind that the price of their food has soared in the past year (I was paying $46.99 per 40lbs in Feb, it's up to $55 now).
Goto their website: http://www.naturesvariety.com/where.lasso?r=0919283 and punch in your zipcode....maybe there is SOMEPLACE close enough for you to buy it from.....
-And BTW....GOOD for you for not giving your $$$ to a place that "SELLS" animals! ;)
all the places are 40 mins-1 hr from home, which wouldn't be bad if I often went in that direction but I dont.. so Im gonna pick up the grain free solid gold tonite and start her on it..I'm also going to pick up the wolf king for the boys and mix it w/ the FRR until it's gone (boys seem fine on the FRR).
I feel soooo bad for Brazey..she is a MESS. It took me 20 mins to clean her ears this morning and she's just so red and itchy. I gave her a double dose of benedryl so now she's all dopey, but better dopey than itchy I guess.
The Veep of FRR got a little testy when my rep forwarded him my email, sending her back people's testimonials saying how great the food was and basically saying im narrow minded to immediately think it's the food...then he back pedals in another email saying that sometimes not all foods are right for all dogs... :-\
I basically emailed him back and told him I'm not gettign into a pissing match with them. The food isn't working for us. If I try something else and she's still having these problems then apparently it's something else.
The Veep of FRR got a little testy when my rep forwarded him my email, sending her back people's testimonials saying how great the food was and basically saying im narrow minded to immediately think it's the food...then he back pedals in another email saying that sometimes not all foods are right for all dogs... :-\
I basically emailed him back and told him I'm not gettign into a pissing match with them. The food isn't working for us. If I try something else and she's still having these problems then apparently it's something else.
Wow, interesting that they are so defensive. Did you tell them that you had been feeding your dogs that for a long time and they had never had a problem? Because the "not all foods are right for all dogs" thing doesn't make sense then, because that food WAS right for your dogs up 'til now...
well my allergy dog does have a history of being fine on something and them bam, developing an intolerance to something over time, so while the food could have been fine since last Feb, now it's not..i've had that happen with several foods.
He got VERY defensive when I suggested maybe something changed in the formula....I called him on several not-niceties in his emails and I think it was a matter of mis-reading several things on his part, as well as being a bit too defensive...his last email to me was actually very apologetic..they are even going to go as far as to test my last batch of food (i have to mail a small sample) to make sure it didn't get cross contaminated, or ingredientes that weren't supposed to be added were. I think they are upset that they are losing a customer, and if I were my rep I would be too..I bought 80lbs of food per month, like clockwork and often recommended people to her.
It IS a good food..it's just not for my dog...My other 2 will probably continue to be OK on it, but if I'm going to drive to the petfood store, I might as well take advantage of the 10th bag free program.
Hey Majicka,
I did speak to Mrs. Ex Davedrum.....she told me that she has not had anyone come back to her store complaining about FRR recently. A few things she brought up (which I knew but wanted to share). FRR is made for them by Breeder's Choice (same makers of Avoderm and a few other "high end" pet foods). Jim Flynt...well...now his son in law Jay P. have several distributorships and warehouses around the country. The closest one to you (and one of the biggest they own) is in Pittsburgh. So even though FRR says that it's made in Roswell, GA...it's really made out in CA. There could have just been a "bad batch" that made it to the PA warehouse.
She (and I) are not that surprised that someone was rude to your rep. or to you. When you called FRR you were probably calling the office in GA. They hire the "cheapest" people they can find instead of the best and brightest. I do believe that in the end.....that train of thought...is going to one day "bite them on the ass"..... They need to learn that there are many many high end premium foods out there now. More entering the market every day. If they continue with poor customer service.....they will find themselves sinking....which to me....it seems they already are.
Lot of good choices these days....why bother with a company that does not bend over backwards for your business or...in the very least.....answer your questions and look into the problem which you addressed to them.
It was Jay P himself who I spoke w/ via email , I had emailed my rep first (who is very nice) and she in turn emailed Jay who then cc'd both of us back.
We left it at that Im sending him in a sample. Jay was VERY quick to deny any changes to the ingredients/process etc.
I went to Petco tonite and picked up the Barking at the Moon for Brazey and the Wolf King for the boys..man were they excited about dinner... I'm going to give her the Barking for a few weeks and then ease her into the Wolf King, if that doesn't work I'm going to have to go back to Natural Balance w/ her, it was the last food she did well on.
Funny...
He's a jerk (Jay P.)...no wonder he was rude...can't wait to tell the ex. She'll get a kick out of hearing about it. She goes out of her way to never even deal with him any longer. Sad....but he really runs the company these days. Jim Flynt is in his 80's and for the most part is not very involved any longer. I wonder how long Jay P. will take to sink the ship he's inherited.
Glad they liked the Solid Gold....good choice. ;)
Wanted to add....I'm AMAZED that he did not offer you several large bags of food or coupons (maybe not THAT amazed)... ::)
What's he going to do with the samples? Analyze them? The food not even made there...it's just offices...and his background is from the Military.....guess he'll just" fire a few rounds" into the food and see what it does..... ;)
Well he told me to make sure I send it to him personally. I guarantee you he's going to toss them in garbage email me and tell me "everythign is fine", there's nothing wrong with it.
Oh he got really pissy that I mentioned the food was a different color..he roundaboutly calldd me stupid , informing me that "the product isn't identical in each and every batch because they bake it and different times of year the color will change due to crop availability bullshit bullshit bullshit " which I once again called him out on the floor about... He was going to "send me samples" of the fish and chips food which I told him thanks but no thanks, she's got problems with brewer's yeast. Then he decided to play nice with me and tell me about his Berner who had allergies and that he understands how some dogs can't tolerate some foods and blah blah..
Again, the Solid Gold is readily available, and Petco has the 10th bag free dealio which makes a nice difference with feeding 3 large dogs, who can't use an extra $40 in their pocket every few months?
Thanks for looking into it for me.