Sorry, but this post is going to be long. I have a lot to say.
I fed my 2 PMR for a while. The reason I stopped is because I just got a new puppy & I honestly don't trust myself to make sure she gets all of the nutrients she needs. I know that's sort of a contradiction when it comes to the theory behind PMR. But I wasn't feeding raw because I'm a big believer in a raw diet. I have an extremely finicky eater & I tried every diet imaginable. I must admit, my Yoshi LOVES raw. I've never seen him eat anything with as much gusto - consistently - as he did PMR. I felt really guilty making the change back to kibble. His stools were perfect & he had a lot more energy. He just seemed happier overall. I'm also totally anal about their nutrition, so I stayed in close contact with my vet during the transition. Both of mine were healthy & their teeth had no tartar whatsoever.
I do understand the concept behind raw & I think that with the exception of a few companies, premade raw sort of goes against that concept. I do believe that feeding fresh is better than something from a bag that's been processed. I found a raw food co-op near me & was able to get my meat, offal & RMB straight from the farm. It was a raw feeders dream! I also supplemented their diet with occaisional egg, yogurt, and a few veggies like frozen peas & green beans (fun for them to chew
).
With regard to premade raw, I really like Vital Essentials. My pups still eat the frozen nibblets occasionally. They love it. They also love their freeze-dried nuggets, which I can free feed. I like the company a lot because of the ingredients, of course. The source of meat is important to me & if you research the company, you'll see that their meat comes from free-range, open-grazing animals. I don't eat meat from inhumanely treated animals. So I really try not feed it to my dogs either. I've had a lot of interaction with the company & their customer service is top notch. I also like the fact that they put more money into their product than their marketing.
Another company I like is Darwin's. Their food comes from excellent sources as well. I've had looong telephone conversations with their customer service & I haven't had a better experience with any other company - food or any other product. The reason I stopped feeding Darwin's is because it's by mail only. It just got inconvenient for me.
I would definitely consider going back to PMR one of these days. It's just that right now, I'm more comfortable with seeing a list of ingredients/nutritional information in print, on a bag. When making the switch back to kibble, I looked for a food from a company I could trust. I'm feeding Royal Canin now & although my pups don't enjoy eating it as much as they did raw, I will say that they're definitely healthy & they're doing really well. Good stools, shiny coats, happy puppies
Plus, with years of research and nutrionists on staff, I do feel confident that Royal Canin will give my growing puppy what she needs during her critical developmental phase.
Anyway, I hope that answers some of your questions. Personally, I prefer PMR over pre-made because I know exactly where my pup's food is coming from, I have more control over what they eat & they get a lot more variety in their diet. I think pre-made is good in a pinch, or if you're too busy to commit to PMR.
Good luck with whatever you decide! I think you're doing a great thing for your pups.