Our Free Range Lamb & Oats Formula uses Grass Fed Lamb from Australia without added hormones or antibiotics as the single protein and only two wholesome grains. The Grain Friendly™ category is free of corn, wheat, soy, potato and peas making it optimum for daily feeding or sensitivities. The chicken fat used in FirstMate Pet Foods is processed free of protein, eliminating the risk of allergies derived from chicken.
Family Owned & Operated Since 1989
Complete production control
Potato and Pea Free
Free Range, Grass Fed Lamb Without Added Hormones or Antibiotics
Veterinarian Formulated
A –
I have my mastiffs and pitty on this food and they do amazing on it! I love that it’s nutrient dense and they require less on it than other brands but are still getting the nutrition they need!
Thank you!!
Madeline Maloney-Park –
Rating 4/5 stars for two reasons, otherwise it would be 5/5. My dog in the first few days acted VERY hungry because we went from 2/3 a cup a day to 1/3 a day with this food. He is now used to the portions so that is not as much an issue anymore (I increased his ration to 1/2 cup a day on this food). Lastly, his poops seem to be extremely dry, as if he needs to double his water intake for normal poops again; ofcourse we cant just tell our dogs to drink more!
Otherwise this food is amazing 🙂 My dog gets VERY picky and only has a few bites, then picks at his food for over a day (even on acana, boreal, etc). This food he eats in one sitting within 5 minutes! AMAZING!
Heather Foster –
I have been using this food for about 4 years now. My 90 Lab requires only 2 cups per day of this food. Prior to using this food, he had very runny poops. We tried everything – grain free, limited ingredients, all different brands – this is the only food that keeps him “normal”. I agree with the comment that dogs need a lot of water with this food, but that is fine! Great food.
Jamie Davis –
We tested this flavor FirstMate, Acana lamb, Open Nature lamb, and Earthborn Holistics and our dog chose this one everytime. He still liked the others, but definitely chose this one.
Geri Garrett –
My Jack Russell loves this food! He was having lots of bowel issues, so the vet had him on prescription gastroenteritis canned food, but it wasn’t helping. Gradually switched him over to Firstmate Lamb and Oats and saw improvement from the very first day! It’s been months now and not one episode of diarrhea. Not sure I agree with the feeding guidelines though. He eats double what the chart shows and maintains his weight perfectly.
Kim MacAulay –
After hearing all the news that a grain free diet was suspected of causing cardiomyopathy I had my golden retriever tested for his taurine levels. He was on a grain free Acana formula and his levels came back critically low with no obvious outward symptoms. His heart tested fine so it was caught in time but we had to change his food and add in a taurine supplement. it was almost impossible to find a food that does not have the suspected ingredients of peas and legumes and he’s also allergic to chicken so I was so glad to find this food that was a quality formula and met all these needs! We are still waiting for final taurine results but expect with the supplement plus the food which has it in it he should be back to normal!
Brooke –
Warning: this review talks about poop…for those who are squeamish and don’t check their pooches poo it might be a bit gross.
Our family adopted a border collie/blue heeler mix at six weeks old. His mother had abandoned him, which is why we took him in so early. He is now an 8 week busy fluff ball who has been suffering from loose to watery stools since we brought him home. Our vet suggested trying different foods, but none of those worked. She then had us put him on a chicken and rice diet. Even that didn’t help. I finally went to our local feed store to ask their advise. They gave me several sample bags of this food and told me to come back if that didn’t work, as they have several others that might work. The person at the store thought it might the type of grain and/or the chicken that was causing the issue. Well, I’m happy to say we finally had pudding texture the first day and normal poops the second! He’s now on a set potty schedule since his food isn’t running through him at the speed of light!
He is just under 4lbs and seems to do best at a bit over 3/4c, which is the recommendation for a 5lb pup his age. I think he may need a higher amount since he’s still pretty think from the bowel issues. I’m so glad I went there and so very grateful they recommend this food! It’s been a life saver for our whole family. We will definitely be feeding him this brand for life!
Lily –
3/5 (SO FAR) I have a senior (~12 ish) yellow lab named Cheyenne that we have had for a couple of years. We wanted to switch her food from Nutro because we noticed that they do not ethically source their ingredients. We have slowly incorporated this food into her diet for about a week with some canned pumpkin and her poop is SO SOFT and has not firmed up. She is pooping constantly so we will be looking into finding out how else we can remedy this. I hope that this food works out because it is nutrient dense and far cheaper than the Nutro but we need her poops to be regular.
Woof Mom –
My vet has recently suggested that his clients switch to dog food with grain. However, given that most manufacturers are currently selling “grain free” recipes WITH potatoes/peas/legumes, it’s not easy to find. My local Pet Food Express actually recommended this particular brand. All three of my dogs love both the lamb and chicken formulas – but they probably love the lamb one the most. Since the fat content is on the low side, people might consider adding some salmon oil for additional omega 3.
lori.munn (verified owner) –
One 65 lb Chow Chow and 2 eight pound chihuahuas LOVE the FREE RANGE LAMB and small bite also. They cannot wait to eat it and run to their food like no other. LOVE IT.
Kate –
My dog is the PICKIEST eater on the planet. I’ve gone through 3-4 other brands and he will take about 6 hours to eat his breakfast even if he was hungry and usually didn’t finish his dinner. My dog had been on this food for about 2 months now and every single time he eats it all in one sitting and looks for more. I’m also super happy with the level of quality of the food and it’s done wonder for his poops (they used to be rather soft even with pumpkin) and his fur has gotten noticeably softer. The one downside to this food is he does seem to be hungrier than he used to be because I have to feed him the absolute minimum for his weight range because he was getting a little chunky. He went from a cup and a half twice a day on Pro Plan to a half cup twice a day. Other than that I would recommend this food to everybody.
Erika Daudlin –
After 3 years of searching for the solution to my terriers digestive issues I found first mate , started with the grain free line but switched to grain friendly after a vet expressed concern. Her bowel movements have gone from up to 8 per day to 2-3. No vomiting, allergies and normal stool!!!! Five stars all the way.
Izzy Russell (verified owner) –
The food is excellent and the delivery was prompt. The only minor issue is the packing; a resealable velcro closure would be more user friendly.
Lynn McAloon –
First Mate is first rate!
I never write product reviews but felt compelled to write this one. My 13 y/o lab had been on Wellness products her whole life. As she got older she started to experience stomach problems. Vomiting occasionally, acid reflux, flatulence, etc. I started doing research about dog foods and was disappointed to find that Wellness uses (field) peas in their recipe. These and other legumes when fed in high doses, particularly in grain free foods are being investigated as to whether they contribute to a condition called DCM or dilated cardio myopathy in dogs. I decided to switch her to First Mate lamb and oatmeal food. The difference had been astounding! No more belly aches, vomiting, reflux, and surprisingly no more flatulence, which makes long car rides with her so much more pleasant! This food is single source, made in Canada, and comes in multiple flavors. Thank you First Mate! We’ll be sailing with you from now on.
Kathleen W. –
I have a 23 month old whippet who has had digestive issues most of his life. Mushy poops 4-5 times per day. He’s very active, happy and aside from the poop issues, he’s healthy. He was tested for leaky gut, any and all bacteria and parasites and nothing. I determined it had to be the Acana Wholesome Grains Lamb and Oats he had been eating for some time. My son told me to switch him to your Friendly Grains Lamb and Oatmeal and a miracle happened right before our eyes in a 2 day period!!! He finally had normal poop and it has been that way since he started the FirstMate 2 months ago. I thank you so much for making such an excellent food for dogs with yummy issues.
I have now incorporated your lamb “cookies” into his diet and you have never seen a happier pooch.
We will both be your first mates for life!!!
jacquerivas517 (verified owner) –
I have a picky eater who doesn’t like chicken or fish kibble, I found a brand with a rabbit flavor that he would mostly eat. Then my vet recommended that we switch foods due to the pea-legume-heart problem. After reading many articles I found a little snippet for FirstMate!
I never realized how much the other food was affecting my pups tummy until I noticed it wasn’t gurgling anymore or being gassy or constantly eating grass.
He’s been eating it for about a year now and we’ve not had any problems! It is a bit dry but I add some beef bone broth and he gobbles it all up, every night!
We love the price! The small bag size is perfect and lasts my 20-lb pup about a month. So glad I found this food!
Andrew Souder –
I’ve had our 110lbs on the free range lamb and oatmeal for his 6 years of life. He absolutely loves his food, never seems to upset his digestion and never gets bored of it. Big fan of the quailty control and care that goes into his food. I will never switch to another brand.
Lizzie –
Love First Mate!! This has been a game changer for my Australian Shepherd! No more upset belly and digestive issues. She gobbles her meals right up! I highly recommend this food/ First Mate brand to everyone who has and loves their dog!
Patt Wexler –
My 7 year old German Shepherd/Golden Retriever (rescued 2 yrs ago) eats this kibble with no
resistance! She was gaining weight at first when we were feeding her another brand so we
changed to First Mate Lamb & Oat on recommendation of our local Pet Food Express.
She weighed 107 lbs when we got her but is now 98. She is larger than most GS dogs. I like best that the feeding instructions have 3 age levels and many weight levels to get the feeding correct.
This high protein food does not require as large feedings as other brands we’ve tried and consequently not feeding her so much as other brands suggest 25 lb bags last for 6 weeks. We have been feeding 3/4 cup a.m. and 3/4 cup p.m. mixed with a little water and heaping TBS of their wet food.