Cool Vet Feedback on Feeding Raw - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Wylie's Mom · 11-07-2007, 06:59 AM

I've recently added Natures Variety to my feeding regimen and was just perusing their customer feedback/testimonials - and found this, from a customer who is also a vet:

Quote:

Originally Posted by client

Dog: Isabelle

I found Nature's Variety 4 years ago. My dog had severe allergies that started at 10 months of age. Being a veterinarian, I did not want to treat her with steroids. Isabelle used to receive allergy shots weekly and anti-histamines twice a day. After I started using Nature’s Variety, I slowly realized that I didn’t need to use the oral medication very often, and her allergy shots were becoming more spread out. After 6 months, she was off all medication. Isabelle is now 5 1/2 years old and in great health. Now everyone always comments on her soft, glossy coat.

Given my experience I raised my most recent puppy on Nature's Variety from the day I got her. I opened my own veterinary practice and Nature's Variety is the non-prescription line of food we carry.

Thank you!
Christina
Lake Villa, IL

Love it.

lara2913 · 11-07-2007, 07:01 AM

Fab

Patti · 11-07-2007, 07:51 AM

Can you feed a mix of raw and regular? Cali has such bad allergies and we can't find out the cause. I have her on supplements and enzymes but keep thinking about a raw diet.

ARCHIE · 11-07-2007, 07:56 AM

My neighbor uses it and loves it.
I bought a bag two years ago for Buddy and called the vet
before using it, I got nervous.
He told me to do what I wanted but he would not advise it!
Nor would he feed it to his dogs. Needless to say I threw it
away.

lara2913 · 11-07-2007, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patti

Can you feed a mix of raw and regular? Cali has such bad allergies and we can't find out the cause. I have her on supplements and enzymes but keep thinking about a raw diet.

Some people do yes, I would advise waiting around 5 hours after raw before giving kibble though. However, as your doing because of allergies it might be worthwhile just taking the plunge and switching completely to raw. I know its daunting.

lara2913 · 11-07-2007, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

My neighbor uses it and loves it.
I bought a bag two years ago for Buddy and called the vet
before using it, I got nervous.
He told me to do what I wanted but he would not advise it!
Nor would he feed it to his dogs. Needless to say I threw it
away.

Would you feed science diet? Most vets would. Just something to think about.

More and more vets are discovering raw diets, and beginning to promote them. But it takes a brave vet because they would loose their kickbacks from the kibble companies.

Wylie's Mom · 11-07-2007, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patti

Can you feed a mix of raw and regular? Cali has such bad allergies and we can't find out the cause. I have her on supplements and enzymes but keep thinking about a raw diet.

Lara and me have been PM-ing about this very subject. I was asking Lara bc Marcel's nutritionist (Susan) says that it's 100% myth that you can't feed raw and non-raw together. As I thought about it, it makes sense - I mean the tummy doesn't know/care whether the food is raw, steamed or cooked - all it knows is whether it's a carb/protein/fat or toxin. The body doesn't care if one takes longer to digest than the other. Fiber, in humans, takes longer - and our bodies don't care, right?

Susan actually does rec. raw even for some of her liver/kidney patients - and the way she "tones down" the % of protein is through adding rice or even sometimes kibble. She doesn't just do this "anecdotally" - she and the vet have measured blood levels etc. to make sure they are staying within the acceptable limits (and they do). They have seen incredible results using raw, even in these patients.

NOW, I'm not saying Susan is the end-all-be-all of knowledge - but she is extremely careful in prescribing diets, and she doesn't prescribe diets just on "theory" - she uses evidence based practices. She fed her own dog, Ariel, a combo of kibble and raw.

I guess the bottom line (for me) is: perhaps use CAUTION in feeding kibble/raw together in case your dog, for some reason, is sensitive to it. Otherwise, if it goes well, there is no concrete reason one probably can't feed raw and non-raw together. It would be like us humans saying we can't eat sushi, GASP!!!!

MyFairLacy · 11-07-2007, 10:21 AM

Lacy's done great on Nature's Variety! I'm in the Veterinary Holisitic club at school and we had a nature's variety rep come and speak at our meeting on Monday about feeding raw. I also told her I'd be interested in being a student rep if Nature's Variety arranged it through the Dean's office at the vet school. Purina, Hills, Iams, and Natura (along what other non-food companies) have student reps so I think it would be great to have a Nature's variety one as well. Maybe we can at least get some info about raw diets out to vet students so they don't ONLY hear about Hills and Purina.

And technically vets could still make a good bit of money off of selling Nature's variety. They may not get as much free stuff since Nature's Variety is in no way as large as Hills, Purina, etc. but based on the wholesale price of Nature's Variety to the retail price, it actually has a higher markup than most pet foods. I know at the store I used to work at, there was only like a $1-$2 markup on Wellness dog food, but with nature's Variety there is like a $3-$4 markup so the retailer makes more money by selling a Nature's variety product than they do a lot of other dog food products.

lara2913 · 11-07-2007, 10:23 AM

Yes its certainly an interesting subject, since pm'ing with Ann I have spoken to a few of my raw feeding peers and got a mix of opinions on it. I would agree with the simply airing caution doing it, see how it goes. I guess its one of the only areas of raw feeding that I have not put a huge amount of thought into as since switching to raw I really have no desire to feed kibble in any way shape or form to my dogs lol.

MyFairLacy · 11-07-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lara2913

Yes its certainly an interesting subject, since pm'ing with Ann I have spoken to a few of my raw feeding peers and got a mix of opinions on it. I would agree with the simply airing caution doing it, see how it goes. I guess its one of the only areas of raw feeding that I have not put a huge amount of thought into as since switching to raw I really have no desire to feed kibble in any way shape or form to my dogs lol.

You know, the Nature's Variety rep was telling us that when we switch to raw to switch slowly. And that you could mix it into kibble as you switch. Those two things were the only part of her presentation that I had issues with. All the research I read about raw said to switch cold turkey...not gradually. I did this with Lacy with no problems. Obviously, there are dogs out there who get get upset tummies with this fast switch, but I think just as many dogs could get sick from the gradual switch. I also don't agree with mixing raw and kibble together. It's one thing to feed one in the morning and one in the evening, spaced apart, but I wouldn't want to risk my dog getting sick from mixing them. Also, I don't see the point in continueing to feed kibble if you decide to switch to raw. If I was going to feed something else besides just raw, it would be a high quality, grain-free canned food. This is actually what I do with my cats - they get half grain-free canned and half raw...fed at separate meals. Lacy eats raw only though

lara2913 · 11-07-2007, 10:35 AM

Yeah thats how I switched our cat to raw, by mixing it with a grain free wet food, which I gradually reduced until there was none left. He looked at me like I was mad at first but loves it now.

Yorkiedaze · 11-07-2007, 11:09 AM

I looked at their web page for the listings of dry dog food and found each one of them listed the first three ingredients as nothing but fillers. I couldn't find any "real" meat and don't have a clue what most of the many, many ingredients really are. It just doesn't seem like real food to me at all. Dogs need just a basic food group. There are way too many ingredients that are not necessary, even if they are telling the truth about what all goes into the food. Remember........it isn't government regulated and they can and do say what ever they want.
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...od/131001.aspx

I think Innova has a better dog food.........as far as dog foods go anyway!
http://www.innovapet.com/products/default.asp?id=1

lara2913 · 11-07-2007, 11:21 AM

Yorkiedaze, as you know I do not feed pre-made, I do it myself. However they were talking about the raw natures variety, not the dry.

http://www.naturesvariety.com/conten...042Cpwpm53A834

Wylie's Mom · 11-07-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

I looked at their web page for the listings of dry dog food and found each one of them listed the first three ingredients as nothing but fillers. I couldn't find any "real" meat and don't have a clue what most of the many, many ingredients really are. It just doesn't seem like real food to me at all. Dogs need just a basic food group. There are way too many ingredients that are not necessary, even if they are telling the truth about what all goes into the food. Remember........it isn't government regulated and they can and do say what ever they want.
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...od/131001.aspx

I think Innova has a better dog food.........as far as dog foods go anyway!
http://www.innovapet.com/products/default.asp?id=1

We were talking about their RAW, not their dry food. I'm not sure of the intent of your above post, but speaking of unnecessary ingredients, most homecookers - INCLUDING YOU AND I - feed a plethora of "unnecessary" ingredients.....so it's kinda the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?

And, just bc "food" is "government regulated", it does not mean that there are things in our food that we don't know about.

I'm sorry - but I'm having a really difficult time w/ your posts the last few months bc it feels like you attack anyone who doesn't feed like you feed. And it makes me uncomfortable.

Yorkiedaze · 11-07-2007, 01:02 PM

It's ok to fee that way. I'm just trying to turn the coin over. I'd hate to read about another recall with thousands of pets dieing.
I don't care if anyone feeds the way I do, but I would like them to research dog food before feeding. I still stand by "real" food 100%. I was reading the ingredients on the raw venison. I feed my girls free range beef, lamb apples, carrots, eggs, broccoli, parsley, blueberries and other things as well. Their healthy powder is made with kelp, bone meal, vitamin C, nutritional yeast flakes, lecithin granules to sprinkle over their food. I'm quite sure I don't spend half as much on their food as I would the Natures Variety raw. I started my dogs out with one ingredient at a time lasting for three to four days until I knew they were not allergic. If a dog is allergic to a store bought dog food it would be nearly impossible to find the ingredient causing the problem.
Also if a dog food manfacturer had nothing to hide, and stood by their product 100%, the why don't they let anyone see how the product is made? Why all the secrets?
I do have a right to express what and how I feel about anything, as much as anyone else, and if it helps just one little dog, then having rude comments such as yours will be well worth it!

11-07-2007, 07:01 AM	#2
lara2913 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,920	Fab __________________ Indy, Benjamin and Malachi There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face- Ben Williams

11-07-2007, 07:51 AM	#3
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	Can you feed a mix of raw and regular? Cali has such bad allergies and we can't find out the cause. I have her on supplements and enzymes but keep thinking about a raw diet. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

11-07-2007, 10:21 AM	#8
MyFairLacy Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 11,003	Lacy's done great on Nature's Variety! I'm in the Veterinary Holisitic club at school and we had a nature's variety rep come and speak at our meeting on Monday about feeding raw. I also told her I'd be interested in being a student rep if Nature's Variety arranged it through the Dean's office at the vet school. Purina, Hills, Iams, and Natura (along what other non-food companies) have student reps so I think it would be great to have a Nature's variety one as well. Maybe we can at least get some info about raw diets out to vet students so they don't ONLY hear about Hills and Purina. And technically vets could still make a good bit of money off of selling Nature's variety. They may not get as much free stuff since Nature's Variety is in no way as large as Hills, Purina, etc. but based on the wholesale price of Nature's Variety to the retail price, it actually has a higher markup than most pet foods. I know at the store I used to work at, there was only like a $1-$2 markup on Wellness dog food, but with nature's Variety there is like a $3-$4 markup so the retailer makes more money by selling a Nature's variety product than they do a lot of other dog food products. __________________ ~Magnifique Yorkies~ Purchasing from backyard breeders, pet shops, and puppymills perpetuates the suffering of other dogs. Educate yourself and buy from reputable breeders or rescue.

11-07-2007, 10:23 AM	#9
lara2913 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,920	Yes its certainly an interesting subject, since pm'ing with Ann I have spoken to a few of my raw feeding peers and got a mix of opinions on it. I would agree with the simply airing caution doing it, see how it goes. I guess its one of the only areas of raw feeding that I have not put a huge amount of thought into as since switching to raw I really have no desire to feed kibble in any way shape or form to my dogs lol. __________________ Indy, Benjamin and Malachi There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face- Ben Williams Last edited by lara2913; 11-07-2007 at 10:25 AM.

11-07-2007, 10:35 AM	#11
lara2913 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,920	Yeah thats how I switched our cat to raw, by mixing it with a grain free wet food, which I gradually reduced until there was none left. He looked at me like I was mad at first but loves it now. __________________ Indy, Benjamin and Malachi There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face- Ben Williams

11-07-2007, 07:56 AM	#4
ARCHIE No Longer A Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 16,218	My neighbor uses it and loves it. I bought a bag two years ago for Buddy and called the vet before using it, I got nervous. He told me to do what I wanted but he would not advise it! Nor would he feed it to his dogs. Needless to say I threw it away.

11-07-2007, 11:09 AM	#12
Yorkiedaze My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca. Posts: 12,228	I looked at their web page for the listings of dry dog food and found each one of them listed the first three ingredients as nothing but fillers. I couldn't find any "real" meat and don't have a clue what most of the many, many ingredients really are. It just doesn't seem like real food to me at all. Dogs need just a basic food group. There are way too many ingredients that are not necessary, even if they are telling the truth about what all goes into the food. Remember........it isn't government regulated and they can and do say what ever they want. http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...od/131001.aspx I think Innova has a better dog food.........as far as dog foods go anyway! http://www.innovapet.com/products/default.asp?id=1

11-07-2007, 11:21 AM	#13
lara2913 Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: UK Posts: 1,920	Yorkiedaze, as you know I do not feed pre-made, I do it myself. However they were talking about the raw natures variety, not the dry. http://www.naturesvariety.com/conten...042Cpwpm53A834 __________________ Indy, Benjamin and Malachi There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face- Ben Williams

11-07-2007, 01:02 PM	#15
Yorkiedaze My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca. Posts: 12,228	It's ok to fee that way. I'm just trying to turn the coin over. I'd hate to read about another recall with thousands of pets dieing. I don't care if anyone feeds the way I do, but I would like them to research dog food before feeding. I still stand by "real" food 100%. I was reading the ingredients on the raw venison. I feed my girls free range beef, lamb apples, carrots, eggs, broccoli, parsley, blueberries and other things as well. Their healthy powder is made with kelp, bone meal, vitamin C, nutritional yeast flakes, lecithin granules to sprinkle over their food. I'm quite sure I don't spend half as much on their food as I would the Natures Variety raw. I started my dogs out with one ingredient at a time lasting for three to four days until I knew they were not allergic. If a dog is allergic to a store bought dog food it would be nearly impossible to find the ingredient causing the problem. Also if a dog food manfacturer had nothing to hide, and stood by their product 100%, the why don't they let anyone see how the product is made? Why all the secrets? I do have a right to express what and how I feel about anything, as much as anyone else, and if it helps just one little dog, then having rude comments such as yours will be well worth it!