I have been trying with little success to find any consumer reviews on Healthwise foods by Natura (makers of Innova & California Naturals.) So I decided take the plunge and to post here how it's going after about a month.
[link
http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=product-detail&pxsl=%2F%2Fproduct%5B%40id%3D%27548%27%5D]HealthWise Weight Control Details[/link]
We went with the Weight Control formula. Mainly because Blackhawk has issues with Colitis flaring up on higher fat foods (like Canidae) and because Lucy is getting just a touch of exrta padding now that camping season is over and we aren't as active. The 7% fat and 20% protein seemed like a nice compromise for an older, less-active dog and a active but prone-to-weight-gain younger dog. I've been getting it from a online company that ships free in my area. It's $29 for 40 lbs delivered to my door. My first order was on my steps within 24 hours!
Taste: They snarf it right up. But they also snarf up kitty litter, so I don't put much emphasis on the delicacy of their palates!
Feeding quantity: about 2 to 2 1/2 cups per day (depending on any additional goodies) for each 50 lb dog. The feeding recommendations on the bag are for 3 cups for inactive dogs and that would be way too much for us.
Poop: Of course, can't talk about food without bringing up the poop! Poops, unfortunately, have been larger and softer. I understand the larger - it is a less calorie-dense food. They eat about 25% more than the Canidae, and poop about 25%-30% more (guesstimate here - I'm not out in the yard with a scale!) I've given a few weeks for poops to firm up and they have - but not consistently. There are no probiotics in this food, so I started adding a spoonful of plain yogurt and that helped quite a bit. Never any pudding poop at least.
Coat: Just great, still shiny with little shedding. Lucy's feet still smell like Fritos, though - which is better than the awful doggy odor she had from the shelter.
Energy: Same to slightly less. Could be the season though. We all seem to slow down this time of year.
Overall: Very happy with the convenience and price. We'll stick with it longer to see if the poops get better. Poop is not a huge sticking point with me. I'm more concerned with overall health and, of course, affordability. I loved Canidae, but it made my older doogs colitis act up. The Canidae Platinunum was great, but pretty pricey and also extremely inconvenient to purchase. The only store that carried it was almost an hour round-trip at in a college campus/pedestrian mall area. Talk about a parking nightmare! And carrying 40 lbs of of dog food through a mall parking garage with two kids is NOT my idea of a good time!