Honest Sprout dog food reviews: Is this popular dog food brand really worth all the hype?

My Dog Food Journey: Trying Out Sprout

Okay, so let me walk you through what happened when I decided to give Sprout dog food a try for my buddy, Max. For a while, he just wasn't himself, you know? His old kibble... well, he'd just sniff it and walk away half the time. Plus, his coat seemed a bit dull. I figured, maybe it's time for a change.

I started looking around, reading stuff online, talking to folks at the park. Heard the name 'Sprout' pop up a couple of times. People seemed to like the idea behind it – more natural ingredients, less junk. Sounded good on paper, right? So, I decided, let's do this. Went out and bought a bag. Wasn't the cheapest, mind you, but hey, if it works, it works.

First thing I noticed when I opened the bag? The smell. It didn't have that super strong, artificial smell some dog foods have. Smelled more... earthy? Anyway, the kibble size looked okay, not too big or small. Max seemed interested right away, which was a good sign. He actually sniffed the bag quite a bit.

Now, you can't just switch dog food cold turkey. Learned that the hard way years ago. So, I started mixing it in with his old food.

• Day 1-3: Just a little Sprout, mostly the old stuff.
• Day 4-6: About half and half.
• Day 7 onwards: Mostly Sprout, phasing out the old completely.

He didn't have any immediate tummy upset during the switch, which was a relief. No sudden messes to clean up.

We stuck with it for a good month, maybe a bit longer, just to give it a fair shot. Here’s what I saw:

Max definitely ate the Sprout food more eagerly than his old stuff. He'd finish his bowl most days. That was a plus. His energy levels seemed pretty consistent, maybe a little bit peppier on our walks, but nothing super dramatic. His coat? Hmm. Maybe slightly shinier? It's hard to say for sure if it was just the food or other factors, but it definitely didn't get worse.

The real test, though? Poop patrol. Let's be honest, it matters. They were... okay. Pretty consistent, maybe a bit smaller than before, which some people say is a good sign they're absorbing more nutrients. No major issues there, thankfully.

So, my final thoughts? It seemed like a decent food. Did it blow me away? Not exactly, but it didn't cause any problems either. Max liked eating it, and his digestion was fine. It felt like a solid, middle-of-the-road option that leans towards better ingredients. Would I buy it again? Yeah, probably. It's one of the contenders now. It's always a journey finding the perfect food, isn't it? You try one, see how it goes, maybe try another later. That's just how it is keeping these furry guys happy and healthy.