Dr. Marty Nature’s Blend

BUYER BEWARE.

I wasn’t sure if my 2 senior dogs could eat this food, especially when one is diabetic so I sent in a question to Dr. Marty’s email and I also asked if they had a lower cost for senior citizens or for disabled because the cost of this food is out there! But I wanted my picky babies to try it. I waited a few days and their answer was "ask your vet" and "no we do not have a lower cost for Senior citizens or the disabled." (That was a lot of help.) Next, I did ask my vet and she said the ingredients look good but we’d have to try it out. So I ordered it. I wanted 1 bag to start with but got caught up in the frequent pop-up offers of "get 3 more bags for $74.85" and "Get it now this is a 1-time offer." Well, after the constant pop-up I said, well, I'll get it...maybe the boys will love it.

I'm telling you, DON’T do it! If your fur babies like it and you sign up for updates, you’ll get offers via email for discounts.

Days went by...I emailed asking where my order was (my credit card was charged right away but no info on the food!). I finally got the order. Went to read instructions which stated mix with water and how much, but it didn’t say you have to wait x amount of minutes before serving. I was wondering about that because somewhere on the website (which needs A LOT OF WORK BTW!), I either read or heard on a video to wait 3 minutes but was looking for those instructions which were NOT ON THE BAG! (Don’t you think that’s important?)

Sorry to say after 4-5 tries, my 2 dogs DID NOT LIKE IT! So I looked up the process of sending it back...WELL, don't think you'll get all your money back...YOU WON’T!

I saw on the reviews (should have look at these beforehand) how many people were complaining about getting their money back or that they send the food back and were not getting their refund. So I called, explained the situation requested a refund.

Was informed of the amount I was getting back does not include the shipping I initially paid for! What?? (What was I thinking? Clearly this was not Amazon where you request a return…they email the box label for the return, you DO NOT PAY SHIPPING, you get your refund right away and you can even have UPS pick it up at your house.)

Not only was I not getting the shipping I paid for, but in addition, I would have to pay for the return shipping at my expense (more money lost!). And to top it off, they DO NOT EVEN EMAIL YOU A SHIPPING LABEL as a convenience. I was told in a tone I did not appreciate, "well, you have to write the address on your own, we do not send labels." By this time I was mad, not getting a refund on what I totally paid, then I have to pay to send the food back and no labels provided.

BUT GET THIS - I was offered only 40% back as a refund if I wanted to keep the food. All I said was NO! I can do the math on that and will lose more! 40%? What are they thinking?

BEWARE.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I have two doggies less than 10 lbs, and this dog food made both of them vomit after feeding a small amount. They did not like the dog food and it made them sick. This is a waste of money and I had to pay to send the food back.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Yes, my fur baby, Abby, really loves your food. I have trouble keeping weight on her. I found Taste of Wild that she will eat ok, she always eats with your food. But I am a senior and I'm on a fixed budget. When I got my first shipment I was horrified that this would not feed my Abby for a month. So I supplemented her feeding with half and half and that was great. But then I started getting emails from you that were very condescending since I didn't reorder your food.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I mix a half cup of Marty's with a half cup of water or broth, as suggested on my packages. That about halves the cost for my wife's small dog. Why do so many seem unaware of that?

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I ordered the dog food on April 27th. Received an email stating I could cancel anytime. I called May 1st to cancel. She told me she could offer me two things! 40% of my money back and keep the dog food, or she could send me a shipping label and I pay the return shipping. I told her I have not received the food and she said it had been shipped. So I asked when I would receive the food, she said it’s coming in the mailbox. I asked where is it coming from. She acted like she did not know. Then after a long pause, she said California. I am very disappointed in the company that had such a great review on the internet. I would not recommend this company. I am still trying to get in touch with the company.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

I have only had my dog "mostly" on this for two weeks. He was not wild about adopting it, and I still mix in some of whatever meat or cooked eggs etc. that I am eating in order to provide him incentive to dig in. I like that Dr. Marty's uses a variety of meat proteins, including organ meats. I wish the salmon were "wild caught" as the farmed stuff can be loaded with secondary compounds. The turkey, beef, duck, etc. are also likely from feedlot-type operations as they do not state otherwise. Also not sure how high on the list of good fillers I would place "pea flour" and the relative proportions of other vegetables and fruits are unknown except for the listed order of ingredients (which theoretically is by percentage weight).

I am also dabbling with TruDog brand freeze-dried which is fairly comparably priced and made from all beef "real U.S. meat, vital organs, and meaty bone." My dog likes this better and the color and texture are certainly red burger-like without any additives. My reservation on that one is that all the beef is Midwest sourced which pretty much translates to 'feedlot fattened' giant cattle operations that are not known for good animal health or humane care.

More background on my case: I have a 70lb, 11-year-old golden retriever/collie who is the "Dog of My Life" and has been grain free since I got him at 18 weeks and noticed his fur falling out in patches on Iam's. He did well on the wild-caught fish flavor of Orijen (a dry, grain free, complete but expensive ration) for most of his life, mixed with table scraps and the occasional string cheese or bowl of milk as this dog "does well on dairy" and loves it. That said, as he has aged he has gotten more finicky and less enthusiastic about any dry dog food and most wet (canned) foods including the Newman's Own Organic line - hence trying freeze dried and supplementing with as much other healthy meat, egg, dairy protein as possible. I do like the convenience of freeze-dried to at least have on hand as a backup, in spite of cost, so if you know of an even better or more affordable good option, please post.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

The ingredients in this freeze-dried food are of the highest quality and arrived promptly. If we had one toy breed dog to feed, I would definitely use this diet. It is a convenient, nutritious, safe alternative to a raw diet. Given that we have an Alaskan Malamute, a West Highland Terrier, and a Manchester Terrier x Daschund x Chihuahua mix, the cost would be prohibitive. I think most dogs would love the flavor and would benefit from the quality ingredients. If you have one small dog, it is definitely a diet to consider. We used a bit of the food as a topping and all three loved it. The company responds quickly and politely to inquiries. I did not request a refund since my dogs liked the food and I used the three bags as toppers. When I called to say that while I was pleased with the quality of the product, I could not afford it for my dogs, they were quite understanding.

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I have finally hit on a food that my 14 lb senior pup, Gracie, will gobble down, "unadorned" by sprinkled treats, white meat chicken pieces, broth, and any other favorite temptation! I slowly eliminated both dry and wet food and delicacies over a period of two weeks and kept holding my breath to see when she would recognize the absence of additions and changes. It never happened! Now, feeding time takes 5 minutes of prep time instead of 20, and she licks the bowl clean and wants more! I LOVE this food!

The only caveat, it's a BIG monthly expense increase for me. Hoping Dr. M will try to lower the price if the product takes off!

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Though my dog enjoyed Dr. Marty's, they have terrible customer service and delivery takes so long - your dog might die waiting for it to arrive. My first order was ok - a bit of a wait. My second order never came, they reordered it, half of it came and I am still waiting for the other half to arrive. My order was placed on November 3 and I am still waiting for the second half of my order. I am sure Dr. Marty already got his money (and yes it is costly) but my doggies are still waiting for their treats. Also, the second order of dog food did not seem similar to the first and my dog does not like it as much. I will not be ordering from Dr. Marty once the rest of my order arrives.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

We have two doggies that average 100 lbs each. So following guidelines one would need a bag every two days the other a bag a day. That is around $90 per day. Frankly, this is just ridiculous and I know it's a free country and I don't have to buy it if I don't want to buy...

At the very least economies of scale would make it a no-brainer to package this food in 50 lbs bags to lower the cost or just come right and say if you're dog weighs more than 5 lbs this is not an option. $60 per pound — you have got to be kidding me!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

It would cost us a minimum of $900 a month to feed Asphalt and Daisy, our two dogs. That is crazy. We don't spend that much buying groceries for my wife and I, and eat out rarely.

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend