[Max'sHuman]

Boy this is my week for food threads!

So I was in the pet store today getting Max a RMB and while we were waiting we noticed they are selling pre-made raw diets. We are just now in the process of switching Max to Innova red meat small bites but I have to admit I am really intrigued by this premade raw. I have always wanted to switch Max to raw but don't have the freezer space to really stock up on a variety of meats. These medallions seem doable.

Have any of y'all fed these? Why do the protein levels on the guaranteed analysis for these diets seem so low? I thought they would be high like Orijen or Wellness CORE or Innova EVO but they are lower? Are they appropriate for lower to moderate energy dogs? I mean the companies seem to think it's OK but of course they would say that? Are the medallions or the patties better in your experience? Primal or NV better? I know it's more expensive but the Primal sounds good because it sounds like he could eat more on it and he would get pretty little per day on the NV. Are the medallions as tiny as they sound?

That's a lot of questions I realize but I would really appreciate the input. Thanks!

 

[Kathyy]

Well the raw food has all the water in it, that is why the protein seems low. My Max's food is about 65% water, 17% protein and 15% fat by weight. Kibbles have 10% water usually.

 

[PureMutt]

Both Primal and Nature's Variety are excellent alternatives to feeding RMB's, especially if you don't have the freezer space. I think RMB is probably the best, but the second best would be these pre-made raw diets. Primal is technically better, because it has mostly organic ingredients, but it is rather expensive. NV is a little less expensive, plus if you go to http://www.naturesvariety.com/tryit/ you can sign up to receive a buy one get one free coupon, also if you call or email NV, they will send you a coupon for a FREE bag of NV raw or kibble, small bag of course. Good luck!

 

[Max'sHuman]

When you say as an alternative to feeding RMBs do you mean it's not sufficient to meet all a dog's nutritional needs? Like do you have to supplement it with something?

Surprisingly at the store where I shop, except for the Venison and Quail flavors which are ridiculously high, the Primal is cheaper by the pound. Also they gave us a free Primal starter pack, there was some manufacturer coupon for one that they had there. So now it's sitting in the freezer waiting for us to get up the guts to try it. You know I always wanted to feed him raw and now that I may be able to I'm nervous about it. I want to feed him the healthiest I can you know and I anticipate getting crap from the vet about it. He seems to be doing OK on his kibble and I want to see if it would be healthier this way but I'm afraid to rock the boat or something. Also on the Primal website they said the change over to raw can manifest in some unsettling side-effects at first as the dog "detoxifies" and I just wonder about that. It sounds like it can get nasty...how do you know if it's just detoxifying or if your dog is having a bad reaction? Where do you cross the line?

How would you say this kind of diet compares to a traditional kibble diet?

 

[Max'sHuman]

Anyone please have some input?

 

[Sunshyne]

Chloe eats NV raw medallions for her a.m. meal. She gets 3, and Innova small bites kibble at night. I chose the medallions vs. patties as they were cheaper and easier to divide. She would only need 1/3 - 1/2 of a patty and I didn't want to have to eyeball the diffrence!

Chloe is 18 months old, breed standard for weight, with a moderate energy level. Though some days she is a crazy puppy and we do 4-5 walks, she is ok with just 2. She gets daily training time and when the weather is nice, she gets 2 mile walks on the beach.

The venison and lamb are the most expensive; chicken being the cheapest. I rotate, and the only one she wouldn't eat is the beef flavor. I found that they sometimes sell trial bags, with 16 medallions in them for $4.99. That was a great way to see if she would eat it.

Her coat is shiny and soft, stools solid and normal and twice a day (very scheduled on this diet since I started being strict with feeding times), no gas, teeth fine. I supplement with raw marrow and beef bones a few times a week.

I don't know too much about the scientific aspects of it and protein levels, I just know she loves it and it's the only food she will eat all at once in one sitting. She is small, so I really don't mind the expense. A bag of 48 medallions lasts me 3 weeks, and it also makes her kibble last 6-8 weeks. So when I pay $15 for the bag of Innova, I really don't care.

I signed up on NV's website for their email list and got a coupon for a buy one get one free bag.

As far as Primal goes, I don't know that much about it, just that Chloe wouldn't touch it. And when I rationed out the feedings, it was a lot more expensive and went quicker than NV.

Edit to add: I switched her to the NV just one day for her morning meal. No adverse side effects, and I also have never seen her eat so fast.

Good luck.