? about raw frozen diets

911TurboS · 03-01-2007, 01:13 PM

I was looking at Nature's Variety's website and came across their raw frozen diets. Do you feed it like regular dry dog food? Are you supposed to use it as a supplement to dry kibble, or would it be fine to only feed the raw food? Is it worth the extra money?

thanks

luv4gsds · 03-01-2007, 01:27 PM

If it was me I would pass but your not me so its up to you. You can feed it by its self.

911TurboS · 03-01-2007, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv4gsds

If it was me I would pass but your not me so its up to you. You can feed it by its self.

That doesn't really help me, why would you pass it up?

Nagem · 03-01-2007, 03:12 PM

If you're looking to switch your dog to a raw diet than I would suggest not buying it. It is easier just to pick up meat at the grocery store and costs far less money.
You are not supposed to mix raw with kibble. They digest at different rates (I believe kibble takes longer to digest). You can, however, feed kibble in the morning and raw in the evening. If you do switch to a raw diet, there isn't really any need to feed kibble as, if you are doing it correctly, your dog is getting all the nutrition it needs already.
I feed my dog raw and I have to say that it really agrees with him. Prior to going raw he had terrible gas and generally did not seem to do well no matter what kind of kibble I put him on. Since going raw not only has the gas stopped, but his teeth are incredibly clean and he seems much happier all around.

luv4gsds · 03-01-2007, 04:42 PM

Well if you really want to know the reason I would pass. It's because most of those premade raw diets have way to much organ meat in them, you don't know what the calcium/phosphorus ratio is and they cost more then a real raw diet.

911TurboS · 03-01-2007, 06:05 PM

This will be for my future golden retreiver puppy. I just figured a dog would rather have raw meat over dry kibble.

Chikadee · 03-01-2007, 06:29 PM

I too would pass on it. If you want to feed raw get some books on it and research it first and like another poster said, buy the meat from the grocery store. That premade stuff will cost you an arm and a leg when its easier and cheaper to do it yourself. Make sure you do some research first, a raw diet done wrong can have some disasterous consequences.

luv4gsds · 03-01-2007, 06:35 PM

If you want to feed raw I say go for it but stay away from the premade ones. Do your research on raw feeding before jumping into it. I too feed raw.

Wimble Woof · 03-01-2007, 06:41 PM

Raw is the way to go IMHO... But i would never spend the money on premade, it works out to be much more expensive. Shopping meat sales, talking to butchers and making their meals yourself is much better.
That way you know what they are eating EXACTLY

Heres my favorite links, if you are interested in researching raw a bit more
http://www.dogforums.com/5-dog-food-...html#post30330 (Thinking about feeding raw?)

all4thedogs · 03-01-2007, 08:44 PM

If you are going to feed raw I would do it from meat you purchase, not a premade diet.

Every premade diet has ingredient that I either dont like, dont know what they are, or not the amount I want. They are also WAY over priced.

If you purchase all you meat, you know exactly what your dog is getting, and in what amount.

911TurboS · 03-01-2007, 09:17 PM

It doesn't apear to be anymore expensive then dry kibble. 30lbs for $40. Feeding guidelines recommend about 20oz a day for a 70lb dog, comes out to $1.17 a day.

I'm surprised that so many people are against premade raw food. This website puts Nature's Variety in the 6 Star Premium food, right up there with Innova and Wellness. I think people take dog diets way too serious. I work at PetSmart and a guy comes in and buys Pro Plan all the time, his doberman is incredible looking, by far the best looking dog that I have ever seen. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

merrow · 03-02-2007, 05:06 AM

i keep 2 of these in my frezza just in case i forget to get my stuff pout as they defrost really quick

u can feed as a meal in its self or u can add it to dry food its up to u
there are better brands than others i no there are some really good one here in the uk, my lhasa dosnt really like them that much as they can be a bit watery when defrosted but i sometimes bye tripe like this as a litle treat

i woluld do a bit more reserch and find a really good brand where it tells u the amount and the the ingredents as ome have fruit and veg in and others dont. and it isnt really expensive as most places u can bulk bye it so it makes it a bit cheaper as well

but of corse a real barf diet is the bes way to go but his would be better than a poor brand of kibble

xxx

all4thedogs · 03-02-2007, 07:22 AM

$40 for 30lbs is more expensive the just buying the meat. When I was feeding raw, most of the meat I bought was between $.29-$.70/pound, but NEVER over $.99 lbs.

If you dont have time to prepare a raw diet, or arent comfortable doing so, then you can go for premade, I just dont like it as much as a fresh raw diet. Like I said, if Im going to feed raw, I want to know exactly what my dog is eating, and how much of it. There is nothing wrong with the premade diet. And it is as good or better then most premium kibbles, its just not as good as a fresh diet IMO.

luv4gsds · 03-02-2007, 08:16 AM

Hey! You ask me why I would pass on the premade diet so I told you. It is up to you when it comes to feeding your own pets. I get my poultry and meat for thirty-three to fourty cent a pound, they come in fourty pound boxes.

This a list of organ meat that is in the Organic Chicken Diet.
Organic Chicken Liver, Organic Chicken Heart, Organic Chicken Gizzard.

That is way to much organ meat to be feeding everyday. While liver contains myriad nutritional components, a daily diet of liver can cause diarrhea or vitamin A and D toxicity. Organ meats should be fed once a week.

This is a list of ingredients in Chicken+Turkey Diet.
Chicken, Ground Chicken Bone, Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Hearts, Apples, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Chicken Eggs, Montmorillonite Clay, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Inulin, Rosemary Extract, Sage, Clove, Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid.

To me that has way to much veggies and fruit. But it is up to you when it comes to you and your pets.

Wimble Woof · 03-02-2007, 08:21 AM

Where I feed MINIMAL fruits and veggies to my dogs.
They get their sweet potatoe treats( slices of sweet potatoe raw.) But their food has no grains or veggies at all in it. ( Prey model raw) Not saying every day is like this, sometimes I add some in there to balance it out a bit more, it depends from owner to owner.

Ginny01OT · 03-03-2007, 07:02 PM

I feed my dog the nature's variety raw patties and it is the best thing I ever did. First off, if you read the ingredients in their food, it is amazing, all the good things (95% meat but 5% other really good things such as apple cider vinegar, ground flaxseed, salmon oil, etc.). Because I have a large dog and it can be rather costly, I feed him about 80% raw and 20% kibble (Innova Large breed puppy but I will be switching to Innova Evo when he is about a year old. My dog is now 8 months old. When I got him in August at 7 weeks he was on Iams---he had persistent ear infections which cleared up within a few weeks of me switching him to the raw, his coat is beautiful and people always comment on how white his teeth are!! You could do a raw food diet yourself but then you would need to be sure that your dog is getting all the nutrients necessary and you would probably have to add supplements. Nature's Variety patties alleviate that problem--plus it is AAFCO (or whatever the initials are, not sure off the top of my head) approved for all life stages. Nature's Variety has a good website and also a "How Much to Feed" tool which is really helpful. Good luck!

Wimble Woof · 03-03-2007, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginny01OT

You could do a raw food diet yourself but then you would need to be sure that your dog is getting all the nutrients necessary and you would probably have to add supplements.

I dont suppliment with anything, they are doing just fine. Its not hard to feed a balanced raw meal on your own. It seems intimidating at first, but your dogs let you know if your doing it right.

mistyinca · 03-03-2007, 07:35 PM

We just started feeding the Nature's Variety raw. I might eventually move to "real" meat from the store, but for now, this is a very easy way to go about it. I too have found the price to be very close to what it pays to feed kibble. You can also get it cheaper by using the b1g1 coupon here http://www.naturesvariety.com/tryit. Chloe did not care for the chicken and turkey flavor so much, but she does seem to like the lamb. I'll try the chicken one on her again later when she's more into it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911TurboS

It doesn't apear to be anymore expensive then dry kibble. 30lbs for $40. Feeding guidelines recommend about 20oz a day for a 70lb dog, comes out to $1.17 a day.

I'm surprised that so many people are against premade raw food. This website puts Nature's Variety in the 6 Star Premium food, right up there with Innova and Wellness. I think people take dog diets way too serious. I work at PetSmart and a guy comes in and buys Pro Plan all the time, his doberman is incredible looking, by far the best looking dog that I have ever seen. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

frogguruami · 03-04-2007, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nagem

Prior to going raw he had terrible gas and generally did not seem to do well no matter what kind of kibble I put him on. Since going raw not only has the gas stopped, but his teeth are incredibly clean and he seems much happier all around.

A little OT but I was just coming to ask if switching to raw may have cured my dogs gas problem!!! You just answered my question.

AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911TurboS

It doesn't apear to be anymore expensive then dry kibble. 30lbs for $40. Feeding guidelines recommend about 20oz a day for a 70lb dog, comes out to $1.17 a day.

But a homemade raw diet can run you $20 a month. Or less depending on sales and freezer space.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911TurboS

I'm surprised that so many people are against premade raw food. This website puts Nature's Variety in the 6 Star Premium food, right up there with Innova and Wellness. I think people take dog diets way too serious. I work at PetSmart and a guy comes in and buys Pro Plan all the time, his doberman is incredible looking, by far the best looking dog that I have ever seen. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I think it has more to do with people wanting more control over what their dogs eat. I do take what my dog eats very seriously. Just like I take what I and my human children eat. I spend as much energy and thought on their food as I do my dog. I would not choose to buy premade food for my family for OUR regular everyday meals, either. I also think that people, once they start doing raw, realize how cheap it really is and can't see paying for premade stuff. However, I am glad that the premade stuff is available because I think it is a better option than kibble and if there is ever a time in my life that I am unable to do homemade raw I would look into premade. Honestly, though, homemade doesn't really take that long. Maybe an hour every two weeks. (That is if you are anal about weighing and measuring everything like I am!)

Nagem · 03-05-2007, 01:06 AM

Like frogguruami mentioned, the beauty of the raw diet is the control you have and the ability to tailor it to your dogs needs.
If I give my dog a little too much organ meat and he gets the runs, I can immediately adjust his diet so that it doesn't happen again. If his stool looks chalky, I can cut back on the bones. With a premade diet I would be out of luck.
Also, if it is packaged like that, does this mean that the bone has been crushed? If so, for me this would also be another reason why I would prefer raw. As I mentioned before, my dogs teeth have become incredibly clean since I switched to raw. I can directly attribute this to the bones he is chewing.
Of course it is completely up to you what you choose to feed your dog, and I do feel that this is better than most kibbles (although I don't see why they put flaxseed in there as I was under the impression that dogs did not really benefit from flaxseed), but I can honestly say that feeding my dog raw is probably the best choice I have ever made for him.