Is Natures Menu Good Dog Food? Find Out Now!

So, folks kept asking me, or maybe I just kept seeing it around, you know, Natures Menu. Is it any good? That question popped into my head quite a bit, especially seeing all the different types they have out there.

My dog, Buster, he's not the fussiest eater, but sometimes he gets a bit... bored? Yeah, bored sounds right. He'd sniff his usual kibble and just walk away. Plus, I'd been reading bits here and there about raw feeding or more 'natural' stuff, whatever that really means. Honestly, it felt like everyone was trying something new, so I thought, why not give this Natures Menu a shot?

Getting Started with It

First thing I did was actually go look at the stuff in the pet shop. Didn't do much online digging, preferred to see it myself. They have these frozen nuggets, pouches, cans... quite the selection. I stood there for a good ten minutes just looking at the different options. Seemed straightforward enough. Decided to grab a few different types to see what Buster might actually like. Started with some of their cooked pouches, seemed like an easy first step away from just dry food.

Got home, unpacked the shopping. The pouches felt substantial, not just watery gravy. When I opened the first one – I think it was chicken and something – the smell was pretty different from his usual dry stuff. Smelled more like, well, actual food. Not amazing to me, but definitely meaty.

The Actual Trial Run

Alright, dinner time for Buster. I mixed a little bit of the Natures Menu pouch in with his regular kibble. Didn't want to switch him over too fast, you know? Heard that can cause tummy upsets. So, just a spoonful mixed in.

• First Reaction: He went straight for it. Like, ignored the kibble at first and licked up all the pouch food. Okay, point one for Natures Menu.
• Next Few Days: I gradually increased the amount of the new food and decreased the old stuff. Kept a close eye on him. Was he scratching more? Was his energy okay? Most importantly, how were his poops?

Honestly, things seemed pretty decent. His energy levels were normal, maybe even a bit perkier? Hard to say for sure, could have just been the novelty. The biggest thing I checked, maybe a bit gross to mention, was his toilet situation. Everything looked… solid. No weirdness there, which was my main concern switching foods. That was a big relief.

So, Was It Good? My Takeaway

We used Natures Menu for a few months, mostly the pouches and sometimes the canned food. Buster definitely seemed to enjoy meal times more. He was always eager to eat, finished his bowl clean most days. That was a big plus for me.

What I liked:

• Buster clearly enjoyed the taste and texture.
• His digestion seemed fine with it. No upset stomach.
• Felt like I was giving him something a bit different, maybe better? Who knows.

Things to consider though:

• It cost more than his old dry food. Noticeably more, especially feeding it every day.
• The pouches create more waste than a big bag of kibble. Something I felt a bit bad about.
• Needed to remember to buy it more often, couldn't just stock up a massive bag for months.

In the end, did I think Natures Menu was "good dog food"? For Buster, at that time, yeah, it worked out pretty well. He liked it, and it didn't cause any problems I could see. We eventually switched things up again later, trying something else just to give variety and manage costs, but my experience with it was positive. It just depends on your dog and what you're looking for, I guess. It did the job for us when we tried it.