Well, it doesn't seem like California Natural from Natura Pet (same company as Innova) get's much P.R. around here . . . . not sure why that is, but after searching for a while for a food that doesn't contain Barley, we came across the Lamb & Rice puppy mix.
First reactions . . . I love the Natura Pet line . . . Winston was on Innova and loved it but due to runny stool's and itching we started searching for something else. That took us to Nature's Variety Beef & Barley mix. Loved the taste, but almost overnight the itching increased 10 fold, and eye's began oozing to the point his face was crusty, and it wasn't due to beef because he's eaten lost of hamburger, and sirloin tips without trouble. Enter the Barely suspicion.
Next we tried Eagle Pack Holisitc Chicken and Rice . . . Winston wouldn't eat this to save his life I don't think. We had to doctor it up with broth, yogurt, ground meats, salmon, etc. and he was STILL leaving close to half in his bowl. I was determined to leave him on it though to rule out the barely allergy. The good news is that the ithcing and redness had seriously declined. The bad news is he began losing weight becuase he simply wasn't eating enough.
Enter California Natural Lamb and Rice . . . . instant hit. From day one he has gobbled up all he can find without additons. Its now been several weeks and no redness, no eye boogers, some itching but I suspect its just normal dog itching.
Energy is through the roof . . . 4+ hours of doggy daycare isn't even enough to tire him out.
At most 2 stool's a day . . . well formed, small, and firm (clean up is quite easy now a days)
His coat looks great, soft and shiny, but he's shedding right now due to seasonal changes.
He's also beginning to put back on some weight which is probably due to the absurd kCal content of CA Natural . . . . 591 kCal's per cup!! Which means I need to keep a very close eye on portion control. I've read that a lot of people use this food to bulk up dogs, and I can see why. I just plan to keep a close eye on how much he's eating.
All in all, I am very happy with this food so far . . . barring some drastic change to what I'm seeing now this will be a regular rotation kibble.