Our dogs are a very important part of our family and as they age their health and nutrition needs change. We saw that with our boy Jack, who has now passed, and we are now seeing it with our senior boy Dapper.

Dapper has a lot of skin issues and allergies and this summer he really was having difficulty even resting because of his itchy skin. Our vet recommended a few things, including medication which included a round of steroids, antibiotics, and topical Cortisone in a spray bottle, as well as trying grain free dog food.We don’t know Dapper’s full health history as we adopted him just a couple of years ago, but he is at least 15 years old and we believe he is a cattle dog mix. He’s a great boy, but as dogs age their immune systems weak (just like humans) and they can become even more susceptible to allergies or other issues such as infections.

Growing up on a farm we always fed our dogs whatever dog food was on sale, but now that I have my own dogs I realize that their nutrition needs are just as important as ours! This fall we have slowly introduced Dapper to Rachael Ray Nutrish Zero Grain Beef with Bison Dry Dog Food. He loves the beef, potato, and bison recipe! There are no glutens, fillers, poultry by-product meals, artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors in Rachael Ray’s Nutrish dog food line.

Any time you change your pet’s regular food you need to do it properly so they can transition with minimal difficulty (check with your vet but the general rule is to slowly mix in new food to your usual food over 5 to 10 days so that your dog’s digestive system). We mixed in the Rachael Ray Nutrish dry food with Dapper’s old food over time after receiving a great starter package from Rachael Ray Nutrish. The true test was feeding the new food to Dapper. He LOVED it (as did our other dogs), but I really wanted to switch his food out first due to his elder dog issues.

Our starter package also included some great human treats to use in our kitchen. (I LOVE the Rachael Ray cutting board and knives.) The dogs also loved their toy “steak,” as well as the epic squeaky toy factor.

I didn’t realize the benefits of using bison in dog food but is a very lean and easily digestible protein that is very easy on a dog’s tummy. Being a big fan of animal rescue organizations and adopting shelter pets, I also love that Rachael’s personal proceeds go to Rachael’s Rescue, a charity created to help shelter pets in need. So far more than $9 million has been donated to help purchase food, medical supplies and treatments for shelter pets.

Rachael Ray’s Nutrish line is also the first premium pet food brand available in grocery/mass retailers that you probably already frequent, such as Target, Walmart and Amazon. So you don’t have to go out of your way to feed your dogs high-quality food.

Want to try Rachael Ray Nutrish at your house for your own fur babies? Here is a link to a $3 coupon!