Sooo, Ralphie went raw...YAY
 

It was the best decision I think I have ever made for him :bravo:. He LOVES it so much and I just rest easier knowing that he is healthier. I have started him on the Natures Variety chicken and he literally devours it.

I haven't been on YT for a little while but I am back and we just wanted to share our news about going raw. Who knew I could be so excited about my dogs diet :p:p

Any advice or information that you guys have to share would be awesome :D

Woo hoo! So glad to hear he took to it so well, that's great! Go Ralphie! :D

I know, very exciting, thanks for the encouragement!! He is prancing around like he is hot stuff right now :p

How often do you all switch flavors? Every time you finish a bag?

And, do you use any NV dry as well? I have just been giving him strictly raw.

I WISH I could switch flavors even weekly (have 2 bags open at a time) - Wylie will eat anything, Marcel is Mr. PickyPants. Since you only have one fella, you'll probably want to rotate 1 bag at a time (per freshness). He may not like *all* the flavors, but he might - like my Wylie. I don't use any dry, but I know some folks do.

I'm totally picturing him prancing, all proud of his new food!!! :D

Okay, glad to hear you just use raw too.

I haven't tried any other NV flavors with him yet. They gave me a sample of a Stella & Chewy raw lamb patty. He wasn't as crazy about it as the NV. I know more about the NV so I was more comfortable going with that anyway.

I actually have started my 15 year old Papillon on it too. I wasn't going to at first but she just started going crazy for it when I fed Ralphie so who am I to deprive an old girl of a raw diet?? :D She LOVES it too and I swear it is like the elixir of life for her. Already she has more pep in her step and she jumps around at meal time. The first time I ever heard Ralphie growl at her was when she came near him while he was eating...usually she is the one growling at him.

Congrats on going raw!! All 5 of mine have been on raw since May and they love it!!

Awwwww, I'm so happy to hear about your 15 yr. old too, what a sweet 'lil story! It really does "perk up" many dogs. Aw, I just love it.

Wait till you see how tiny their poos get, another benefit! :)

It really is sweet watching Molly act like a little puppy. It is the first time in a year that she doesn't spend almost ALL day sleeping.

Smaller poopie...Yippee!! I have already noticed a difference there and it is much appreciated since Ralphie is an inside dog. I also started sprinkling some probiotic powder in with his meals and that has really helped.

Where do you get it?

Can you get samples to try?

Can you mix raw with regular dry food (Nutro Lamb and Rice)?

Thanks!

I went to Natures Variety website and searched my zip code with their store locator. I found a place that delivers it for free and they had samples to try. I am not sure about mixing it though. Good luck:D

Here is the NV website: Nature's Variety

That's awesome! I'm glad to hear that he likes it so much!! :)

If you don't mind me asking, is a raw diet a ton more expensive than a dry food diet?

Gosh, I feel really behind the times here.... I really don't know anything about the raw diets. Could someone give me the 411 on it?


Thanks!;)

I just started Keoki on raw- primal and he LOVES IT!!! About how long did it take for you to integrate the switch?? It's been about a week for me and I am weening him off his dry but his stools are still a little loose- but he is crazy about it!!!! Glad to hear your babies are too... Whats the probiotic???

Wow!

I'm so thrilled to have found this thread. How wonderful. I too have started my baby, Cassie, on raw (NV) and she eats it like gang busters. I am so totally shocked as she is soooo picky, and I was home cooking before. I NEVER thought she would go for it. I cannot tell you how totally thrilled AND SHOCKED I am that she is going raw. I was having the hardest time feeding her a balanced diet, because although she got home cooking, and lots of meat, fruit and veggies, she would not take supplements, and I am told they are not optional if you home feed, you HAVE to supplement. It was such a struggle, I cannot tell you how tough it was. She absolutely REFUSED to eat anything with supplement in it and would starve herself. And for a 2 lb adult, that's not good.

So now with raw, she is getting all her vitamins and minerals and meat, etc etc etc, and I am so relieved that she is eating so healthy. What a JOY!!!

THANK you ANN FOR HEADING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I'M SOOO GRATEFUL!!!!! WOOO WOOO!!!!!!!!

yay for going raw!! I switch flavor after I finish a bag. I rotate between Lamb, chicken and Venison. My girls love all three meats so thank god. I use NV instinct Kibbles when we travel and stuff because it makes it easier to pack..lol

I gues it depends on what you have been feeding when you switch. Ralphie was on Royal Canin and I don't even remeber how much a bag was. The bag of the NV raw chicken medallions was like $13.00 and I think it will last me about a week since I have both my dogs on it. I think it might end up being a little more $ but the benefits are so worth it that it really isn's an issue.

I hope this helps, I have only been on raw since Saturday so I have not really had time to see how much it will cost in the long run.

I tried to type out a good explanation for you but ended up erasing it since I am new to this as well and want it to be explained you you perfectly :D. Here is a quote from Natures Variety website: (there are other really good brands to try as well, I am just only familiar with this one)

Raw diets provide nutrition the way nature intended. Nature’s Variety Raw Frozen Diets are formulated like the ancestral diet with 95% meat, organs, and raw ground bone, and with wholesome fruits and vegetables. Dogs and cats are meat eaters by nature. A diet consisting primarily of raw meat, organ meats, bone, and fat reflects what your pet would eat in its natural habitat. Since dogs and cats are carnivores by nature, they thrive on a diet rich in nutritious meat.

The Gold Standard – Real, Fresh, and 100% Natural
Proper nutrition can help pets attain – and maintain – a healthy body and a happy life. Many of the benefits of optimal nutrition include a lush & glossy coat, healthy skin, lean muscle tone, a robust immune system, strong bones and teeth, a healthy heart, proper digestion, and increased energy & vitality.

At Nature's Variety, we believe natural is best – and a raw (uncooked) diet is as natural as you can get! Since raw diets provide nutrition the way nature intended, they are truly "the gold standard" of nutrition for your special pets. Cooking food causes proteins to denature, and many become distorted or damaged, essentially destroying their biochemical identity. We believe raw diets are superior to cooked diets because the proteins, vitamins, and minerals are more intact and more bio-available, meaning they are available for your pet to utilize and benefit from. Additionally, raw meat is about 60-70% moisture, and is an excellent source of dietary water. Adequate water intake is considered by many veterinarians to be the first line of defense against kidney and urinary disease.

When we say 100% natural, we mean just that! Our raw diets are not pasteurized, and we do not use synthetic vitamins or minerals. Every ingredient is real, fresh, and thoughtfully included to create a complete and balanced diet. Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Diets are available in a variety of unique proteins, including chicken, rabbit, venison, beef, lamb, and organic chicken – nourishing pets with the delicious, natural tastes as nature intended for them. Our Raw Frozen Diets are also available in a variety of convenient sizes, making them quick and easy to serve.

Yay for Keoki!!:bravo::bravo::bravo:

I have to be honest and say that I just switched him over right away :eek: I know that is a bad thing but he really did so good on it that I just couldn't stand giving him his old food. He has never had a problem when I switch his food before though so I am sure others would need to introduce it slowly if there baby has problems with that.

Okay, so a little about probiotics. Ralphie has had magor problems with several intestinal parasites in the past (coccidia and giardia). All of the antibiotics that he was on over the months (they were very stubborn) stripped his intestines of all the good bacteria. This little guy has had "poopy" issues since I have had him. It is always way too soft and messy and I can tell that his tummy bothers him even though we got rid of the parasites a while ago. Probiotics help support a healthy digestive tract using live naturally occurring micro-organisms. I finally found one in a powder form and I just sprinkle it over every meal.

Just since Saturday his poopy is really tiny and hard and it doesn't smell bad. And let me tell ya, he used to have some serious stinkers :shocked7q:shocked7q:shocked7q

It really is exciting isn't it?? I can't beleive that I am just now learning about this. The benefits are just unreal. I am soo glad to hear your story.

GO RAW !!:cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer:

Thank you!

I don't have any advice, I just wanted to say how much I love the name Ralphie! lol Makes me think of the kids in "A Christmas Story"!! Haha!

Ha Ha...I'm so glad that you thought of "A Christmas Story"!! That is exactly who I named him after!!!

Thank you for noticing :p:p