Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Darwin’s Pet Food. I am being compensated to share my experience with their food. Life With Mutts only shares products that we believe in and use ourselves. Darwin’s is not responsible for the content of this review. All thoughts and opinions are based on my true experience with the product.
New Year, New Dog
Every year, people make ambitious New Year’s resolutions. Most of them involve trying to get into better shape… eating better, working out, giving up sweets, etc. While we’re all setting goals for the new year and taking a good look at our own food and exercise habits, let’s take a minute to do the same for our pets! Diet and exercise are key components to giving your dog a long, happy life. That’s why I’m always looking for better, healthier food options for the mutts, and why I’m SO excited to tell you all about our experience with Darwin’s Natural Pet Food.
You Shouldn’t Have to Choose Between Convenience and Quality
We made the switch to Darwin’s back in November. It was a huge hit from day one. The dogs love the taste. I love the variety of protein options, the ingredients, and also the convenience. Before Darwin’s, I did one of two things. On a good week, I would spend way too much time running around to multiple grocery stores PLUS the butcher shop, trying to round up a good variety of different meats, organs, etc to make my own raw meals for the pack. On a bad week, I spent way too much money on an expensive bag of kibble and then feel bad about it, knowing that it was a far inferior option.
And if I’m being honest, all too often it was the latter. Especially since Parker made his arrival on the scene. As much as I hate to admit it, little man is a huge time suck. An adorable, amazing, sweet little time suck that I love with every fiber of my being, but a time suck. I just don’t have enough hours in a day to give him and the dogs enough attention, enrichment and exercise they need, plus drive all over God’s green earth buying raw meat. Thanks to Darwin’s, I can now spend that time playing, instead of driving and prepping, and balanced, healthy meals just show up at my doorstep.
Why We Love Darwin’s
Darwin’s is THE best dog food delivery service that we have found to date. There are a lot of dog food companies out there, even a lot that offer home delivery, but none compare to Darwin’s. While the convenience factor is huge, it’s what’s inside the convenient packaging that makes me confident feeding Darwin’s to my dogs.
Darwin’s is a RAW dog food brand. As a pet parent, you have a lot of food options to choose from for your beloved pets in the form of kibble, cooked, or raw. I’ve done a lot of research over the years and I’ve seen the immense benefits of a raw diet with my own two eyes. I know that a raw diet is what’s best for my dogs and I love that I finally found a pre-packaged raw food brand that fits our needs in Darwin’s!
Darwin’s Natural Selections
We’ve been feeding our dogs from Darwin’s Natural Selections line, which is their premium line of dog food. It’s made with free-range meats and organic veggies that you can feel good about. All the Turkey, Chicken, Duck, Beef, or Lamb used to produce Darwin’s Natural Selections™ are free-roaming (cage free), or pasture raised. They’re also grass fed, free of steroids, antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. Darwin’s meals are also gluten free, grain free, and only use USDA certified human grade ingredients sourced from the US and Australia. They’re made fresh, vacuum sealed and frozen to preserve all the vital nutrients that your dog needs to truly thrive.
Thrive is one of my favorite words to use when talking about dog diets. Sure, your dog can survive on garbage grocery store dog food. They may even live a decently long life. But are they thriving?? Are you setting them up for success? Do you know exactly what goes into their food? With Darwin’s, you can rest assured that they will.
Nowadays, so many pet food brands out there are trying to use creative wording to make their food sounds “healthier” and more “natural”, while they’re full of chicken meal, fillers, and by-products. Darwin’s, on the other hand, is proud of what they put in their food and makes the ingredients readily available right on their website.
The Transformations
It’s now been 3 months since we switched the dogs over to Darwin’s and the results have been nothing short of amazing! Before the switch, I was feeding them a combination of home made raw meals (when time allowed) and a premium kibble. They weren’t in bad shape, but they definitely weren’t at their best either (the littles especially). Kind of like it happens with us humans, I didn’t even realize that they were slowly getting pudgier, their muscles were becoming less defined, their coats were losing their luster. That is, until I started seeing them bounce back!
The change was FAST and it was significant. I did weigh-ins for each dog before we started them on Darwin’s and again just before I started writing this post. I knew that I should expect to see a change, but I was not expecting it to be so drastic. Ringo and Roxie especially had put on some extra weight and they look SOO much healthier now! Here are the dogs’ before and after numbers.
Weigh-ins, Before & After:
I almost didn’t even want to share this because it made me feel like a pretty crummy dog mom, showing me just how much I had been slacking. BUT… I think it’s important info to share. Darwin’s really helped us get back on track and I know it can help you and your pets too if you give it a try.
Boomer:
Pre-Transition Weight: 71.9 lbs
After 3 Months on Darwin’s: 67.8 lbs
Total Weight Change: – 4.1 lbs
Helo:
Pre-Transition Weight: 55 lbs
After 3 Months on Darwin’s: 51.4 lbs
Total Weight Change: -3.6 lbs
Ringo:
Pre-Transition Weight: 30.1 lbs
After 3 Months on Darwin’s: 26.4 lbs
Total Weight Change: -3.7 lbs
Roxie:
Pre-Transition Weight: 18.9 lbs
After 3 Months on Darwin’s: 15 lbs
Total Weight Change: -3.9 lbs
I am amazed at how much of a difference a few short months on Darwin’s made for my dogs. They look SO much better, are more active, and I am SO happy to announce that Helo, Ringo, & Roxie are pretty much at their ideal weights now! Boomer still has a few pounds to go, but most of that is due to her aging and getting REALLY lazy when we’re at home. All the more reason to keep her on the best diet possible!
Eat Good, Feel Good
And the dogs are’t just trimmer, thanks to their awesome new diets. You can see it in the way they move, their energy levels. When you eat good, you feel good, and these dogs are feeling pretty stellar right about now! Their coats look amazing, their teeth look better, they even gained significant lean muscle mass.
Allergies Soothed
Perhaps the most impactful changes though were seen in Ringo and Roxie. Ringo has seasonal and food allergies. He’s allergic to grass, potatoes, I don’t even know what else. It’s been a constant struggle and years of irritated skin, special baths, and lots of scratching. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that his skin looks better than it has in YEARS. Yes, YEARS! He has zero signs of irritation, no redness, no scratches all over his chest and belly. I’m so happy I could cry!
Mobility Improved
Roxie was diagnosed with a luxating patella that bothers her on and off. It presents with a limp and pain after physical activity. We give her supplements and do strengthening exercises. Since the switch to Darwin’s, her mobility has become significantly better. She’s not limping anymore, she doesn’t lie down to take a break after playing. You would never know that there was anything wrong with her leg.
In the 3 months she’s been on Darwin’s, she’s lost a good deal of weight, therefore putting less strain on her leg. Her muscles are stronger, giving her joint more support and stability. She’s getting the best nutrition I can give her and she’s in amazing shape. She’s back to her happy, active self and I am so grateful!
My dogs are in better shape than I ever thought possible. They are simply thriving thanks to Darwin’s Raw Dog Food!
And that’s just the things you can see. What you can’t see are all the scientifically proven long term benefits of a raw diet. Things like stronger immune systems, decreased pain and inflammation, and LONGER LIFE SPANS. I want these beautiful beings to stay in my life as long as possible. I’m sure you feel the same way about your pets as well. So, why not give them the fuel to make it happen?
So What Now?
I would genuinely love nothing more than to keep my pack on Darwin’s for the rest of their lives. I’ve NEVER thought that about any commercial dog food. The only reason why I can’t, sadly, is that it’s a bit out of our budget with 4 active dogs. You definitely get what you pay for and Darwin’s is worth EVERY penny. It’s just not feasible for us to do full time. But, we will be ordering a shipment from Darwin’s whenever we can. We’ll be feeding a 100% raw diet from here on out, making the time to prep raw meals when I am able, and keeping some Darwin’s on hand for when I need it.
Try It For Yourself
I can go on and on about why Darwin’s is our new favorite food, or you can just try it for yourself. I honestly cannot recommend it enough, for every dog (and cat too), young, old, active, fit, overweight. I truly believe that all dogs can thrive on Darwin’s!
For more info about Darwin’s or to check out their special introductory offer, visit their website.
Thanks for reading!
Debbie & The Mutts
Questions? Comments? Please feel free to leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear from you!
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13 Comments
Love the picture of the dogs…they’re so adorable!! There’s definitely something to be said for having a great quality food delivered to your door. It can be so confusing trying to decipher labels and determining what is really in the food we feed our pets. My dog eats a good quality canned food and I add raw to it and surprisingly he loves it. I can’t get that brand here but it does sound great.
Wow! What a difference after feeding your dogs Darwins. I’ve wondered about switching mine to something like it. I’ve gone through so much with Luke’s digestive issues.
The cost is a real consideration and I appreciate your honesty on that aspect. However, I’ll definitely keep this food on my radar in case I need to make a change again.
Your dogs are too cute! I’ve heard of Darwin’s but never tried it for my own dogs. My oldest boy has a lot of food allergies/sensitivities so finding commercial foods that work well for him and that he can actually eat can be hard. I feed homemade raw since it allows me to really cater to my boys food limitations. It looks like Darwin’s is working well for your pups though, which is awesome!
Great photos and cute dogs. Unfortunately, I can’t do raw. But delivery of the prescription dog and cat food I buy would be great…
Wow, it sounds like Darwins is a great food product for dogs! My dog is finicky and has a sensitive stomach, and raw diest doesn’t sit well for her. I cook for her a lot, but it is always nice to learn about other options.
I love hearing other’s raw fed stories. Your dogs look great and are clearly thriving. I’m not a fan of Darwin’s cat line but the dog line seems great and your dogs are great testimonials for the product.
I have read and heard so much about their food, but as I have found the perfect balance food allergy wise for Layla I am sticking to what she gets. Your pups are adorable and am happy they are getting such a great food
The dogs look so healthy with a glowing coat! I think I might just look for Darwins in our local pet store to see if Babu can get some in his diet too. Right now he eats semi raw and although we are happy with it, it does not hurt to explore a new diet that looks good.
LOL I love the image with all your dogs waiting for their food! And I’m happy to hear after a few month they are thriving on a raw diet. Woo hoo! Do what’s best for you and your family and budget. Buying online for a big family is not feasible for many! Most do the best they can , just like you. Most important is your family is happy and healthy.
We don’t get Darwin’s up here but we do have several great local companies we buy from.
I find the issue is not always convenience v.s quality but price. I know people jump up and down and say “Oh you MUST’ feed this, or that, or the other”. Then someone on a budget will look at the price and take step back and this is the issue.
The multi-million dollar pet industry needs to work at making healthy raw foods less of a premium concept. It needs to be accessible to more people through education and fabulous blogs like this.
Your dogs look great! It is wonderful to find a food that you feel good about giving them. I love the convenience of a dog food subscription!
It’s great that you’ve not only found a food that really works for the pups – they look fantastic – but you can still feed raw with a small child ! What a convenient way to do it.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv us and We Luv Them