A Look at Ol' Roy Dog Food by Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart's In-store Dog Foods Are as Good as Pedigree, but Without a "blue Ribbon" Price Tag

Until her untimely passing in April of 2003, Mary Joe, my Labrador retriever, hardly ever ate canned dog food. She started out by eating Purina Puppy Chow until she stopped liking it, then moved on to Iams Puppy Formula, then - with the exception of a few instances when she had to eat special vet-approved canned food during her illness - she ate Eukanuba Lamb and Rice Formula almost exclusively. We preferred to give her dry food for various reasons: it is sometimes healthier, especially for a dog's teeth, and it's less unpleasant to serve, since many canned dog foods have a strong odor and a somewhat icky consistency.

As an occasional pet-sitter, however, I have had to feed my canine charges the food their owners buy for them. More often than not it's dry food, but every so often there's some canned food thrown in the mix, so to speak.

Currently (May 2006), I am taking care of my neighbor Elena's Labrador-husky mix Laika while her owner is away on a Mediterranean cruise. One of her son's co-workers was supposed to go in the mornings to feed Laika and a handful of stray cats Elena has "adopted," but from what I see, I'm the one who's taking on all the food-related duties. So not only do I make sure Laika isn't lonely and that she gets walked, petted, and brought over to my house for at least six or seven hours, but I have to make sure all the food bowls have something for the small menagerie.

Although Elena has several cans of "wet" dog food from Pedigree, she left more than six cans of the cheaper but equally nutritional Ol' Roy brand from WalMart, including a can of Ol' Roy Hearty Cuts In Gravy Country Stew Flavor.

Named after the late Sam Walton's bird dog (whose portrait graces the label), Ol' Roy Hearty Cuts In Gravy Country Stew Flavor is just one of several flavors in this more affordable (at 41 cents a can) brand of dog food.