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01-03-2009, 10:23 PM | #1 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: here :)
Posts: 1,182
| Natures Variety (Prarie ) ...opinions needed PLEASE I went to the big doggy training facility nearby today to check out the grooming shop they have. While I was there I looked at the brands of dog food they sell. They had Natures Variety Raw and NV prairie dry kibble. They didn't have the NV instinct kibble or any canned foods , although they can order it. The lady was very nice and said I could take a sample home and she gave me a 5 lb. bag to take home and try. (big sample !) When I read the ingredients I noticed the first listed were... Chicken meal Brown Rice Barley Oatmeal It also contains it also contains alfalfa meal and flax seed. I thought those ( except maybe oatmeal ) were considered bad ?? I know Chicken meal isn't exactly bad , but I thought a true protein ( like deboned chicken or turkey etc.) should be first , no? She raved about this food , but I'm not sure if I should let them try it.. I had wanted to try the NV rotation with kibble /canned / raw but was leaning towards the instinct not Prairie ...but she told me this would be much better seeing as how my Yorkie isn't a working dog? I thought NV was considered a premium food...Would you consider this a good or bad food . Thanks
__________________ Chloe & Sydney |
Welcome Guest! | |
01-03-2009, 11:20 PM | #2 |
I ♥ Franklin & Maggie Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 2,068
| Nature's Variety is a GREAT company and while I prefer to feed only grain free, Prairie would definitely be on my list if we didn't. We are planning on switching to Instinct, soon. All of the ingredients listed are fine, actually wonderful, ingredients. Here is a better explanation of each one, from their website: Chicken Meal Chicken meal is the clean combination of the flesh and skin of chicken with the moisture removed. Our high-quality chicken meal is an excellent source of highly digestible, lean meat protein, which never contains added growth hormones. High quality, protein specific meals are simply a dried and more concentrated form of the meat, poultry or fish protein. It is important to make sure the meal is protein specific (Beef Meal, Lamb Meal), and not generic like Meat Meal or By-Product Meal which by definition can contain any species of animal. Brown Rice Whole brown rice is unmilled – or partly milled – rice. Brown Rice is a nutritionally intact whole grain, and is rich in fiber, dietary minerals (including manganese, phosphorus), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E). Barley Barley is a hearty cereal grain, and is a member of the grass family Poaceae. Whole barley is a nutritionally intact whole grain, and is rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E). Alfalfa Meal Alfalfa is a member of the legume (bean) family. Alfalfa meal is the above ground portion of the alfalfa plant, which has been cut and dried naturally in the sun. It is then finely ground into a meal. Alfalfa is known for its excellent source of phytochemicals and phytoestrogens and their antioxidant effect stimulates the immune system. Alfalfa is also a good source of vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, vitamin K, niacin and pantothenic acid, calcium and iron. Alfalfa contains beneficial saponins that may have cardio-protective and immune-enhancing properties. Flaxseed Flaxseed is the whole seed of the flax plant (genus Linum). Flaxseed is an outstanding source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Together these fibers aid in digestion and help to prevent constipation. Flaxseed is also an excellent source of amino acids, Omega-6, and more importantly Omega-3 essential fatty acids. When in the proper ratio with Omega-6 fatty acids, Omega-3 fatty acids regulate and control inflammatory reactions. The richest source of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) is found in flaxseed. Nature’s Variety selects only the highest quality whole flaxseed grown in cool Canadian climates.
__________________ Diana , Mommy to Franklin, Maggie, Oliver, and Millie - RIP Piper Last edited by PrincessDiana; 01-03-2009 at 11:21 PM. |
01-03-2009, 11:33 PM | #3 |
Senior Yorkie Talker | NV I have only used the RAW NV. The lamb or Venison. I had great yorkies. I couldnt use there kibble because there where things in there that my Dexter cant have because of allergies. But it is a great food. I now feed Natural Balance Duck & Potato. |
01-04-2009, 12:45 AM | #4 |
Donating YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Redmond, Washington
Posts: 427
| I really like Prairie-- I've been feeding it to one of my pets for a couple of years, and he's just gorgeous. He didn't do well on EVO (he was vomiting and some of his kidney values came back escalated on his bloodwork) so I switched him to Prairie because of the slightly lower protein content, and he's just thrived on it. I think it is a great food. Grains aren't necessarily bad. Some animals do better on a grain-free diet, but some others do just fine with them and even run into issues if their diet is too high in protein. It's kind of a matter of trial and error until you find the best food for your individual pet.
__________________ Penny: Bane of Moles! Terror Among Terriers! Really Gosh Darn Cute! Penny @ Dogster: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/583831 |
01-04-2009, 01:50 PM | #6 | |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: here :)
Posts: 1,182
| Quote:
Thanks It seems the more I read the more confused I became about the different grains and the possible allergy reactions they could cause , I was lumping all grains in the same category. I was worried because my older dog Sydney has always licked at her paws ,rubbed her face , and itched at her fur ...but I just assumed that's what dogs did ( she was my first) I never even considered allergies to something in her food and I never brought it up to her vet because I thought it was just normal.. Considering her food was awful ( beneful) and filled with every bad ingredient on the list , I just want to make it better for her and not worse.So I stay up and read all night and confuse myself by morning Chloe also seemed a little itchy on her old food , but nothing extreme. That's why I started with Wilderness. My dh is against raw so I thought I could ease him into it...They haven't been on it long enough to tell a difference yet, but they don't seem to "gobble" it up and they have been having BIG poo's , but I will wait and see. If they are still itchy on grain free I will have to look for other reasons. And considering Syd has has so much of the bad food , it could have made her sensitive to just about anything. I was also way off on the Chicken meal ( I was thinking 'animal' meal and confusing the two) I swear in my everyday life I can figure out most anything , but give me a list of dog foods and I become dumbfounded by a simple list of ingredients !Life was much simpler when I was oblivious and feeding bad food I will continue to hunt for the perfect food for my girls ...thanks again for the answers and opinions ....keep them coming I know I can be annoying with sooo many questions , but I just want to really learn as much as I can
__________________ Chloe & Sydney | |
01-04-2009, 02:18 PM | #7 |
Lovin' my Girlies!! Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orange County, CALIFORNIA
Posts: 3,609
| Instinct is their GRAIN-FREE kibble.. (which we leave down, just in case the girls get hungry) but we primarily feed NV raw medallions, instinct canned, ziwi peak cuisine & canned, the honest kitchen, & rotate other RAW foods, randomly, as well! Nature's Variety is a good food.. and if you are wanting to feed a kibble that does have grains, i would feel comfortable with their prarie line! either NV prarie or Innova. now if you want a grain-free kibble, you should look into the NV instinct kibble: Instinct: Grain-Free Kibble Diets for Dogs | Nature's Variety i have also heard good things about Orijen.
__________________ Meg & my baby girls Avie & Gemma |
01-04-2009, 02:39 PM | #8 | ||
Lovin' my Girlies!! Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Orange County, CALIFORNIA
Posts: 3,609
| Quote:
Also.. i like the Nature's Variety Instinct Canned food..(we feed primarily the Venison!) Instinct: Grain-Free Canned Diets for Dogs | Nature's Variety i was NEVER a canned food person & would not feed just ANY canned food to the girls.. but i really like NV instinct canned & Ziwi Peak, as well! Quote:
another thing.. once you get the hang of it.. you will find that it isn't too confusing anymore... the main thing is finding out WHAT works for YOUR baby!! grains, certain protein sources, fat %, etc. can all have an effect on certain babies & none on another! keep doing your research and i promise you will get the hang of it.. the frusterating part is all the recalls, etc!! that is why my girls do not eat kibble as their primary diet.. the ONLY reason i leave ANY kibble out is because of Gemma's size.. i want something available, at all times.. even if they don't eat much of it! but ultimately, i plan on doing away with kibble, all together! GOOD LUCK!
__________________ Meg & my baby girls Avie & Gemma | ||
01-04-2009, 08:30 PM | #9 | |
Lovin' my R & R Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Middleton, Idaho
Posts: 2,152
| Quote:
__________________ Amanda 's Ranger & Ryder | |
01-04-2009, 08:54 PM | #10 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: here :)
Posts: 1,182
| I did look into The Honest Kitchen and I think it looks like a great product. I liked the idea of it still being raw , but in a more manageable and less messy form . My dh thought I had lost my mind when I suggested feeding raw . He loves the girls but thinks I have been putting way to much thought into this. I'm also wondering if mine would eat it? Looking at the video online it looked similar in consistency to oatmeal so I'm not sure how they would react to that. I have never feed canned or soft foods,always kibble, so I wonder how they would react? I do like the idea of making it fresh each time though. Amandawash...Do you plan on adding things to the food or just feeding it as is? Also may I ask how big your dogs that would be eating it are ? I have a 2.5 lb and a ( about) 11 lb. dog so I wasn't sure how much I would have to order. I may have been miscalculating but it seemed I would have to order a lot ! For now we are going to finish the bag of Wilderness and see how they do..Maybe all will go well. If not we will try the NV sample I have ( I really like the idea of rotation which is why I was leaning away from Wilderness...no variety really) and go on from there if that doesn't work...I guess it's all trial an error. Dh is right I do tend to over analyze everything. But hey , It's what I do
__________________ Chloe & Sydney Last edited by chloesMama; 01-04-2009 at 08:58 PM. |
01-04-2009, 09:11 PM | #11 | |
Lovin' my R & R Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Middleton, Idaho
Posts: 2,152
| You totally crack me up!! I have been following your recent threads about food- I totally admire the time your spending on this!!! Don't worry, I am totally OCD about this subject, so I totally relate!! Quote:
__________________ Amanda 's Ranger & Ryder | |
01-04-2009, 09:41 PM | #12 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: here :)
Posts: 1,182
| Thank you. My dh was fine with all the time and energy spent looking here ...until he felt like I forgot all about him ( well , I kinda did ) ...big baby So now I have to split my time watching football and acting like I am not dying to get back on YT and search for food topics till all hours of the morning. But he does pretend to listen as I rattle on , so its give and take I think I will let dh look at my choices and see what he thinks ( without letting on which ones are raw) to see what he would chose. They both seem fine on Wilderness so far, but we just started not long ago so Sydney has alot of junk to clear out of her system from Beneful! I was thinking about the others because I can give more variety , which I think they would enjoy. I think after all this is decided I will take a vacation and let someone else worry about feeding me for a while ! Man , doggies are a lot more work when you care about what they eat , what they do , and what they wear
__________________ Chloe & Sydney Last edited by chloesMama; 01-04-2009 at 09:42 PM. |
01-05-2009, 02:15 AM | #13 | |
No Longer a Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Long Beach, CA / Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 282
| The best food ever!!!!!!!! Quote:
Note: I read somewhere that raw diets were not for every dog. It works for my dogs great (I have jack russell, pomeranian, and a yorkie), but make sure you research ahead of time. Good Luck!!! | |
01-05-2009, 07:31 AM | #14 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| NV is just not in my list of top foods. Not that it is bad...I'm just not convinced it is "that good". I'm with you husband on the raw. Doesn't some of the NV kibble contain a sort of clay? It is edible but I wouldn't be giving it... Some say dogs can't digest grains while others say it is fine. I imagine it is like anything else. Some dogs will do well with it and some won't. There are four or five major allergens in dogs. I don't think that means they should all be avoided unless the dog has a problem. Alfalfa and flax seed are possible allergens but that doesn't mean they should always be avoided...
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
01-05-2009, 01:24 PM | #15 | |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: here :)
Posts: 1,182
| Quote:
I know Sydney had issues with something in her old food . I didn't know her symptoms ( itching , biting , scratching eyes...etc.) could be a reaction or allergy to an ingredient in her food , so I never checked it out. When I did I saw her her old food contained just about all the bads...corn , wheat, by products , gluten's , unspecified meal , soy , sugar , menadione, colorings I don't know how it can even be considered food , really. I have no idea which one or more of those could have caused the problems. I started on the Wilderness to try and get off all grains and etc. so I can start from scratch kind of and see what effects her and what works. I wanted a raw because I thought that would be best for her . But DH was more than a little put off by it. I don't think he would mind the honest Kitchen , because it doesn't look raw and then when I spoke to the lady at the training facility , she recommended NV raw and kibble and since I had been considering it and reading good things, I thought I would take a bag and see how she does on it . But I don't want to start it yet. I am monitoring both their weight. I don't want them to put on excess on an all protein diet , so I will watch that also.
__________________ Chloe & Sydney | |
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