Stella & Chewys question

[jolie0216]

So a couple months ago, I had emailed S&C about potentially getting a sample shipped to me.  They replied back saying they don't have a sample program anymore, but yesterday out of nowhere, I got a sample pack from them in the mail!

Unfortunately for me & the gang, they sent a sample pack of the "Super Beef meal mixers for dogs":

https://www.stellaandchewys.com/products/dog-mixers/stellas-super-beef/

I looked at the ingredients and didn't see anything like onion/garlic that would be bad for cats - is it OK to try & feed them this, even though it is made for dogs?

 

[LTS3]

The dog freeze dried raw is fine to feed as a treat

 

[jolie0216]

Thanks!  Just wanted to be sure 

My guys really like Primal freeze-dried - I crumble a couple nuggets over their canned food & mix in extra water.   I was hoping they might like the S&C also, so they don't get tired of the Primal all the time  & burn out on it...... beef isn't their favorite meat though, I wish they had sent me an assortment of flavors instead of all 4 packs of  beef.   But beggars can't be choosers - and they were free samples  that I wasn't even expecting to get haha!

 

[jolie0216]

I just opened one of the packs and split them up between my 4 cats - everyone loved them!  I just gave it to them dry, like a treat, and they ate it all!  That's a good sign that they will like the actual cat food from Stella & Chewys!   I really like the Primal brand - do you guys think S&C is on par with Primal as far as the quality, etc?

 

[missmimz]

 
I just opened one of the packs and split them up between my 4 cats - everyone loved them!  I just gave it to them dry, like a treat, and they ate it all!  That's a good sign that they will like the actual cat food from Stella & Chewys!   I really like the Primal brand - do you guys think S&C is on par with Primal as far as the quality, etc?

I think S&C is better than Primal in some ways because they have less veggies in them. But my cats don't like Primal or S&C. 

 

[lisamarie12]

 
   I really like the Primal brand - do you guys think S&C is on par with Primal as far as the quality, etc?

As far as quality, both S&C's and Primal use human grade, hormone, antibiotic and steroid free meats.  Primal uses food based supplements (certified organic) which is why their food is higher in vegetable / fruit matter; S&C's uses synthetic vitamins and minerals and only pumpkin vs the higher veg / fruits of Primal.

Primal offers full transparency of their ingredient sourcing to customers, S&C's does not nor will they even provide typical nutrient analysis for their products (different from the guaranteed analysis).

That being said, both are high quality foods, there is no reason to sacrifice one for the other, you can alternate between the two.

 

[sophie1]

Both are good companies.  My cats dislike Primal, probably because of the 10% fruits and veggies.  Ditto for Bravo's complete diets.  They like S&C, especially as a treat.

The main problem I have with freeze dried options is that they are insanely expensive and thus not suitable as diet base, unless you manage to win that $1.5 billion powerball lottery or have one really tiny cat.  They're great as emergency backups or for cat sitter feeding, so giving them to your cats occasionally so they will eat it when needed is probably not a bad idea.  Also, be aware that the meat they use is almost exclusively poultry backs, necks, hearts, and gizzards, i.e. the leftover pieces.

I'm also leery of relying on these companies after the recent supply disruptions.  Your main two options, really, are either canned food or some form of homemade raw or cooked - both fed with enough variety so that the cats won't become fixated on a single product.  Raw is more work when it comes to food preparation and serving, but less work when it comes to the litter box (no smell!) also cheaper.  

 

[lisamarie12]

Originally Posted by sophie1  

Also, be aware that the meat they use is almost exclusively poultry backs, necks, hearts, and gizzards, i.e. the leftover pieces.

True, very good point!  My problem is with the necks and backs, higher bone content.

 

[lisahe]

Originally Posted by sophie1  

 
Both are good companies.  My cats dislike Primal, probably because of the 10% fruits and veggies.  Ditto for Bravo's complete diets.  They like S&C, especially as a treat.

The main problem I have with freeze dried options is that they are insanely expensive and thus not suitable as diet base, unless you manage to win that $1.5 billion powerball lottery or have one really tiny cat.  They're great as emergency backups or for cat sitter feeding, so giving them to your cats occasionally so they will eat it when needed is probably not a bad idea.  Also, be aware that the meat they use is almost exclusively poultry backs, necks, hearts, and gizzards, i.e. the leftover pieces.

I'm also leery of relying on these companies after the recent supply disruptions.  Your main two options, really, are either canned food or some form of homemade raw or cooked - both fed with enough variety so that the cats won't become fixated on a single product.  Raw is more work when it comes to food preparation and serving, but less work when it comes to the litter box (no smell!) also cheaper.  

For our cats, Primal's freeze-dried works out to be about the same price per serving as canned food in the medium-to-high price range, which I guess I'd define as around $2.00 a large can. The cats love Primal and seem to fill up nicely on it, better than canned. But of course cats -- and food prices! -- differ a lot. I like that Primal's site is informative (lots of data!) and that they also answer questions quickly and in detail.

I don't like that Stella & Chewy's doesn't do that, though my biggest problem with Stella & Chewy's food is that it appears to have super-high phosphorous. I called them a year or two ago for numbers and the dry matter worked out to somewhere around 5%! I checked and rechecked my math and even compared the raw (sorry) data they gave me to the same kind of numbers from other companies' foods. Even the raw data figures were very high in comparison; and yes, I'd repeated everything back over the phone and asked about moisture assumptions/content. That said, I've always wondered if that was a mistake or if what @LisaMarie12 says about disclosure might be behind that: the woman I spoke with told me the numbers were the same for all their foods, freeze-dried and frozen, which I found very, very strange indeed. We use two or three nuggets of S&C freeze-dried in each Primal meal so the cats don't get very much of it but I can tell it's very, very bony... which makes me think maybe that 5% figure is true after all!

All of which is to say I'm glad the cats like Primal, Rad Cat, and lots of canned foods so they have a large menu of options for their picky palates!

 

[lisamarie12]

Originally Posted by sophie1 

For our cats, Primal's freeze-dried works out to be about the same price per serving as canned food in the medium-to-high price range, which I guess I'd define as around $2.00 a large can. The cats love Primal and seem to fill up nicely on it, better than canned. But of course cats -- and food prices! -- differ a lot. I like that Primal's site is informative (lots of data!) and that they also answer questions quickly and in detail.

I don't like that Stella & Chewy's doesn't do that, though my biggest problem with Stella & Chewy's food is that it appears to have super-high phosphorous. I called them a year or two ago for numbers and the dry matter worked out to somewhere around 5%! I checked and rechecked my math and even compared the raw (sorry) data they gave me to the same kind of numbers from other companies' foods. Even the raw data figures were very high in comparison; and yes, I'd repeated everything back over the phone and asked about moisture assumptions/content. That said, I've always wondered if that was a mistake or if what @LisaMarie12
says about disclosure might be behind that: the woman I spoke with told me the numbers were the same for all their foods, freeze-dried and frozen, which I found very, very strange indeed. We use two or three nuggets of S&C freeze-dried in each Primal meal so the cats don't get very much of it but I can tell it's very, very bony... which makes me think maybe that 5% figure is true after all!

All of which is to say I'm glad the cats like Primal, Rad Cat, and lots of canned foods so they have a large menu of options for their picky palates!

Wow, well that is very odd indeed, how can all the percentages be the same for their FD poultry and fish products?!
I definitely trust that you checked and rechecked your math, thank you for doing that and following up.
I was giving my Molly a little FD SC just to add a little raw to her diet, however, the vet suspects she may possibly have some beginning kidney issues, no way am I purchasing SC's again with that whopping high phosphorus.
And remember they had that supply issue last year or late 2014, not offering much of an explanation to customers.
Thanks again for this info.

 

[lisahe]

Wow, well that is very odd indeed, how can all the percentages be the same for their FD poultry and fish products?!
I definitely trust that you checked and rechecked your math, thank you for doing that and following up.
I was giving my Molly a little FD SC just to add a little raw to her diet, however, the vet suspects she may possibly have some beginning kidney issues, no way am I purchasing SC's again with that whopping high phosphorus.
And remember they had that supply issue last year or late 2014, not offering much of an explanation to customers.
Thanks again for this info.

Yes, the supply issue didn't inspire confidence, either! I do, however, doubt the veracity of those figures they gave me over the phone long ago. It seems inconceivable, like you said, that all their foods could be t.he same... I even questioned that when she told me but she insisted! I should really call again to ask though I don't think our cats' little systems want the extra bone, if you know what I mean!

 

[jolie0216]

Thanks for all this in-depth info you guys - this is why I love asking questions here 

I didn't want to do away with the Primal - just wanted to give them more options as far as the freeze-dried raw go.   I currently have my guys on a wide rotation of various canned food brands - with most brands having had recalls at some point or another, I don't feel comfortable having them eat one brand of food all the time.   At least now if one brand has an issue, since they get so many brands to eat, even if they ate one "tainted" can, hopefully the negative effects would be mitigated from all the other kinds of food they eat.     I'd like to start making homemade for them, one day when money & time isn't so tight......even so, I still get them the best "premium" grain-free wet food.   Rather spend it now on food versus spending money & grief at the vet's later!  I read that truthaboutpetfood site pretty often and I know that S&C wouldn't provide the transparency pledge they requested - but Primal did.......that's really the main reason I went with Primal in the first place - they seem to be a good company that answers consumer questions.  My guys even eat their frozen raw - they won't eat any other brand of frozen raw.   But even still, I'd like to start incorporating other raw brands, and S&C is the only thing I could pick up locally at a store for them to try - I'd have to order other brands online & just hope for the best that my cats would eat them!   Thanks again you guys 

 

 

[lisamarie12]

 I read that truthaboutpetfood site pretty often and I know that S&C wouldn't provide the transparency pledge they requested - but Primal did.......that's really the main reason I went with Primal in the first place - they seem to be a good company that answers consumer questions. 

The list of pledges is helpful, I agree.

Although Bravo is not on the list of pledges (it doesn't look like the pledge page hasn't been updated since April 2015), Bravo also provides country of origin data via links for products on their site.