nature's variety frozen raw food medalion - YorkieTalk.com Forums

ally173 · 10-01-2009, 06:29 PM

i was recommended to switch to nature's variety frozen medalion.
i currently feed my dog the honest kitchen force formula; my dog has a history of severe gastritis and was last at the hospital mid august with an episode of vomiting blood; she had previous episode last september.
so that's why i am concerned about switching to a new food; eventhough many people recommend raw and say it's best for the dog.
so i am looking for positive and negative feedback about the frozen raw medalion. i would like to know people's experience with the food; how long they have been using it, how their dogs are on it, and if you can add propiotic and any supplementation needed to the food.
most important to me if this is safe for a dog with gastritis and very sensitive digestive system; and if there is a chance of getting worms from the raw meat in the food; and lastly which flavor or type do you recommend. chicken, beef, lamb, venision or rabbit (not sure about that one! )
thanks much for all your help

TXGirl · 10-01-2009, 06:58 PM

I don't know if I can be of much help to you because I don't have any experience with gastritis or a sensitive stomach, but we just started our Gracie on NV medallions this past Sunday, and she LOVES it. She really has never acted so excited over food. I know it hasn't been long, but she has had absolutely no problems so far. I haven't been supplementing either. I did a lot of reading about raw food before we made the switch, and it led me to the conclusion that raw is the way to go.

Oh, and she has only had the chicken so far. We'll see what she thinks about beef this weekend.

I know there are others on here with way more experience than me, and I'm sure they'll chime in. Good luck with whatever you decide, but it just might be the best move for your little one.

Take care,

nana911 · 10-01-2009, 07:16 PM

mine didn't care for it until I nuked it for 10 seconds...they don't like it cold...LOL I mix a medallion with some of the NV kibble and they LOVE it. actually whine for it. I can't speak to sensitive tummy issues but I've been really lucky in that they've never had food issues, I just wanted to make sure that they have really good quality food.

They were on Royal Canin and they liked it, but I did a lot of research and decided to go raw. NV has everything they need, nothing needs to be added. I have found that you cannot free feed the NV kibble. The fat content is too high and will cause diarrhea. They don't need anything other than the two feedings. They still get their snacks of green beans and carrots for treats but nothing else.

On the RC they pooped several times a day. On the NV they now poop about 1-2 times per day. Less waste means they are utilizing more of what they are taking in. That is a good thing.

Just take out tomorrow's medallions the day before to thaw in the fridge and then at meal time, nuke for 10 seconds, mash up with or without a little kibble and serve up. I feed them at 8a and 8p.... at 2 1/2 lbs they were getting 1/2 medallion each meal, now they are closer to 3 1/2 lbs and they are getting 1 medallion each meal.\

oh yeah, they rotate, lamb, venison or is that bison?, beef and chicken...not as much chicken as the rest

Hope some of this makes sense. I'm typing during commercials..

RemydeHaviland · 10-02-2009, 04:54 AM

Remy has been on NV Raw for about a month

Would recommend it highly. He was homecooked prior to the Raw diet. My schedule became very crazy and I did not have the time to continue homecooking. He was never a good kibble eater and I did not like the moist options. Based on lots of research, decided to try Raw.

He absolutely loves it. Easy conversion, did not "phase it in". And he had no stomach issues when we converted. His bathroom habits definitely changed, so be aware that you may need to change your schedule a bit... we had a few accidents in the beginning. He now poops twice in the AM, immediately when getting up, and within an hour or so of eating.

We have tried beef and lamb, both of which he really likes. I do not supplement. Occasionally he will get a homecooked dinner of fresh salmon and veggies but that is it. His only treats are yogurt drops.

It could not be easier - as an earlier reply stated - each night you take the next days food portion out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. By morning it is pretty much thawed and ready to be served. So simple.

ally173 · 10-02-2009, 05:18 AM

thank you all for your reply; so far i understand that no need for portion control for conversion; i can just give her one or 2 medallions at a time (she's 9 lbs)
i emailed NV because i want to clarify few questions; if anyone at YT has any answers to the below please don't hesitate to submit. thanks
1- where do you get your source of meat
2- is the food fresh and human grade
3- does your facility get inspected; if so by whom
4- can the medalion be cooked for few minutes without loosing the nutritional value
5- can i add supplments to the medalion; such as probiotic, vitamin, enzymes....

ally173 · 10-02-2009, 05:28 AM

by the way NV sent me this link to get a coupon for buy one bag get one free http://www.naturesvariety.com/tryit; thought i would share with you

BonBon · 10-02-2009, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ally173

thank you all for your reply; so far i understand that no need for portion control for conversion; i can just give her one or 2 medallions at a time (she's 9 lbs)
i emailed NV because i want to clarify few questions; if anyone at YT has any answers to the below please don't hesitate to submit. thanks
1- where do you get your source of meat
2- is the food fresh and human grade
3- does your facility get inspected; if so by whom
4- can the medalion be cooked for few minutes without loosing the nutritional value
5- can i add supplments to the medalion; such as probiotic, vitamin, enzymes....

Excellent questions. I think the I've seen the answer to the first to on the FAQ area of their website.

The answer to 4 is definitely NO. Zapping for a few seconds to warm up may be ok, but mine love the NV raw so much they don't care if it's cold. I've never had to warm mind.

For number 5, yes you can add these if you need to. NV raw is already well balanced but since yours has special health issues I can see why you may want to add them. I've sprinkle probiotic powder into my medallions many times.

As to your original question about gastritis. I have no experience with this. I would suggest you start with one of the NV sample packs of medallions (I think they're about $4 a bag) and see how he does before you buy more. I don't know if raw is returnable the way a lot of kibble is.

My guys LOVE the NV raw - it's great stuff. I wish you the best of luck with it!

ally173 · 10-02-2009, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonbon

Excellent questions. I think the I've seen the answer to the first to on the FAQ area of their website.

The answer to 4 is definitely NO. Zapping for a few seconds to warm up may be ok, but mine love the NV raw so much they don't care if it's cold. I've never had to warm mind.

For number 5, yes you can add these if you need to. NV raw is already well balanced but since yours has special health issues I can see why you may want to add them. I've sprinkle probiotic powder into my medallions many times.

As to your original question about gastritis. I have no experience with this. I would suggest you start with one of the NV sample packs of medallions (I think they're about $4 a bag) and see how he does before you buy more. I don't know if raw is returnable the way a lot of kibble is.

My guys LOVE the NV raw - it's great stuff. I wish you the best of luck with it!

thank you so much for the info; how long have you been using NV raw? i did buy the sample bag for Raw lamb and i will be trying tonight for dinner (fingers crossed

) i asked if they can be cooked; because i am freaking out thinking about giving raw meat; i can't get myself to even think about it

thanks again

BonBon · 10-02-2009, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ally173

thank you so much for the info; how long have you been using NV raw? i did buy the sample bag for Raw lamb and i will be trying tonight for dinner (fingers crossed

) i asked if they can be cooked; because i am freaking out thinking about giving raw meat; i can't get myself to even think about it

thanks again

It gets easier to handle the idea. The NV medallions are so great because they're just neat little patties. I don't even think about them as raw meat anymore (except for sanitary concerns).

I think I started them on it just before the first of the year. But, I have 5 & I can't afford to feed all raw. So, mine get raw for breakfast and I free feed a grain-free kibble the rest of the day.

A caution about the lamb - I've heard of many that don't really like it but will love the other flavors. None of my guys like lamb of any kind so I wasn't surprised when they turned their noses up at it. But, there are many whose babies love it, too.

Cooking the medallions for any length of time defeats the purpose of feeding raw. The heat will kill all the natural enzymes and other good things that make raw so great.

ally173 · 10-02-2009, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonbon

It gets easier to handle the idea. The NV medallions are so great because they're just neat little patties. I don't even think about them as raw meat anymore (except for sanitary concerns).

I think I started them on it just before the first of the year. But, I have 5 & I can't afford to feed all raw. So, mine get raw for breakfast and I free feed a grain-free kibble the rest of the day.

A caution about the lamb - I've heard of many that don't really like it but will love the other flavors. None of my guys like lamb of any kind so I wasn't surprised when they turned their noses up at it. But, there are many whose babies love it, too.

Cooking the medallions for any length of time defeats the purpose of feeding raw. The heat will kill all the natural enzymes and other good things that make raw so great.

i will try the lamb today; if she doesnt like it ; i will buy a sample bag of chicken; eventhough thei idea of raw chicken makes me nausious

i also wanted to check if i can feed raw for breakfast but the honest kitchen dehydrate raw for dinner; do you think it will be too much for her stomach to handle different foods?
thanks again

BonBon · 10-02-2009, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ally173

i will try the lamb today; if she doesnt like it ; i will buy a sample bag of chicken; eventhough thei idea of raw chicken makes me nausious

i also wanted to check if i can feed raw for breakfast but the honest kitchen dehydrate raw for dinner; do you think it will be too much for her stomach to handle different foods?
thanks again

That really depends on the dog. My guys have pretty steady tummies so a diet like that probably wouldn't bother them, but for yours I just don't know. You'd have to try it and see.

There are lots of ways people store and serve their raw medallions. I've found what works best for me is to divide out the whole bag at one time. I put one day's serving in a sandwich baggie, then I put all the sandwich baggies into a gallon size ziploc freezer bag. I'll take out two - three baggies at a time & put them in the fridge to thaw. When it's time to feed I just take the baggie out of the fridge, pass out breaksfast, toss the baggie and wash my hands thoroughly. I thought I'd mention this because this way you'd only have to touch the medallions once - when you were dividing out the original bag (& you could even wear gloves when you are doing this). The rest of the time you could just hold the baggie and deposit the food without touching it. I think this way is cleaner and much less work than always trying to keep dishes cleaned & sterilized.

ally173 · 10-02-2009, 07:23 AM

while i was doing some more research on the raw frozen food; i came accross Primal canine raw frozen food. i was reading about it and it's very similar to NV raw frozen ; however primal is USDA human grade food; while NV raw is not claimed to be human grade. so now i am confused; which one is best for my Ava?
anyone used primal raw before?

Sweet Apple · 10-02-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonbon

That really depends on the dog. My guys have pretty steady tummies so a diet like that probably wouldn't bother them, but for yours I just don't know. You'd have to try it and see.

There are lots of ways people store and serve their raw medallions. I've found what works best for me is to divide out the whole bag at one time. I put one day's serving in a sandwich baggie, then I put all the sandwich baggies into a gallon size ziploc freezer bag. I'll take out two - three baggies at a time & put them in the fridge to thaw. When it's time to feed I just take the baggie out of the fridge, pass out breaksfast, toss the baggie and wash my hands thoroughly. I thought I'd mention this because this way you'd only have to touch the medallions once - when you were dividing out the original bag (& you could even wear gloves when you are doing this). The rest of the time you could just hold the baggie and deposit the food without touching it. I think this way is cleaner and much less work than always trying to keep dishes cleaned & sterilized.

I love the way you store your raw med's...I'm not sure I could do that, since, right now, I'm serving one chicken for one meal and one beef for another, and I wouldn't want to store the two different proteins in the same bag...I guess I could just use up one whole bag, first, then go to the second bag...As you suggested, I also put the frozen medallion in a baggie, the night before, and I don't touch it from the original bag to the baggie...Just kinda let it drop into the baggie...Apple only gets 2 med's. a day, so she will be on one whole bag for 24 days, if I do the separate baggie thing...Hmmm, new dilemma lol...

BonBon · 10-02-2009, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweet Apple

I love the way you store your raw med's...I'm not sure I could do that, since, right now, I'm serving one chicken for one meal and one beef for another, and I wouldn't want to store the two different proteins in the same bag...I guess I could just use up one whole bag, first, then go to the second bag...As you suggested, I also put the frozen medallion in a baggie, the night before, and I don't touch it from the original bag to the baggie...Just kinda let it drop into the baggie...Apple only gets 2 med's. a day, so she will be on one whole bag for 24 days, if I do the separate baggie thing...Hmmm, new dilemma lol...

I feed one protein at a time. I'll open a bag, finish it off, then open the next. It goes fast enough, and they love the raw enough, that they don't get tired of it before I make a switch.

Sweet Apple · 10-02-2009, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonbon

I feed one protein at a time. I'll open a bag, finish it off, then open the next. It goes fast enough, and they love the raw enough, that they don't get tired of it before I make a switch.

I'm going to do that...because, opening those bags, everyday, just exposes air to the product...it won't hurt it, but I think the food will lose a little of it's flavor...In fact, I'm getting ready to put 24 baggies in the freezer, to get really cold, then I'll do the dividing up thing...I do need to go the store and get those gallon freezer bags, so the little baggies won't get freezer burned...Man, I love this site...Just an endless source of good information Glad you posted this thread Ally

10-01-2009, 06:29 PM	#1
ally173 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: cliffside park, nj, usa Posts: 1,170	nature's variety frozen raw food medalion i was recommended to switch to nature's variety frozen medalion. i currently feed my dog the honest kitchen force formula; my dog has a history of severe gastritis and was last at the hospital mid august with an episode of vomiting blood; she had previous episode last september. so that's why i am concerned about switching to a new food; eventhough many people recommend raw and say it's best for the dog. so i am looking for positive and negative feedback about the frozen raw medalion. i would like to know people's experience with the food; how long they have been using it, how their dogs are on it, and if you can add propiotic and any supplementation needed to the food. most important to me if this is safe for a dog with gastritis and very sensitive digestive system; and if there is a chance of getting worms from the raw meat in the food; and lastly which flavor or type do you recommend. chicken, beef, lamb, venision or rabbit (not sure about that one! ) thanks much for all your help __________________ Ava's mom

10-01-2009, 06:58 PM	#2
TXGirl Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: McKinney, TX Posts: 166	I don't know if I can be of much help to you because I don't have any experience with gastritis or a sensitive stomach, but we just started our Gracie on NV medallions this past Sunday, and she LOVES it. She really has never acted so excited over food. I know it hasn't been long, but she has had absolutely no problems so far. I haven't been supplementing either. I did a lot of reading about raw food before we made the switch, and it led me to the conclusion that raw is the way to go. Oh, and she has only had the chicken so far. We'll see what she thinks about beef this weekend. I know there are others on here with way more experience than me, and I'm sure they'll chime in. Good luck with whatever you decide, but it just might be the best move for your little one. Take care, __________________ Phyllis ( Gracie's and Toby's Mommie)

10-01-2009, 07:16 PM	#3
nana911 threadkillin' 6 pack Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,242	NV raw mine didn't care for it until I nuked it for 10 seconds...they don't like it cold...LOL I mix a medallion with some of the NV kibble and they LOVE it. actually whine for it. I can't speak to sensitive tummy issues but I've been really lucky in that they've never had food issues, I just wanted to make sure that they have really good quality food. They were on Royal Canin and they liked it, but I did a lot of research and decided to go raw. NV has everything they need, nothing needs to be added. I have found that you cannot free feed the NV kibble. The fat content is too high and will cause diarrhea. They don't need anything other than the two feedings. They still get their snacks of green beans and carrots for treats but nothing else. On the RC they pooped several times a day. On the NV they now poop about 1-2 times per day. Less waste means they are utilizing more of what they are taking in. That is a good thing. Just take out tomorrow's medallions the day before to thaw in the fridge and then at meal time, nuke for 10 seconds, mash up with or without a little kibble and serve up. I feed them at 8a and 8p.... at 2 1/2 lbs they were getting 1/2 medallion each meal, now they are closer to 3 1/2 lbs and they are getting 1 medallion each meal.\ oh yeah, they rotate, lamb, venison or is that bison?, beef and chicken...not as much chicken as the rest Hope some of this makes sense. I'm typing during commercials.. __________________ lorelei, wife to gerry , momma to bear , baxter ,baby and bug Last edited by nana911; 10-01-2009 at 07:20 PM. Reason: to add flavors

10-02-2009, 04:54 AM	#4
RemydeHaviland Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire Posts: 640	Remy has been on NV Raw for about a month Would recommend it highly. He was homecooked prior to the Raw diet. My schedule became very crazy and I did not have the time to continue homecooking. He was never a good kibble eater and I did not like the moist options. Based on lots of research, decided to try Raw. He absolutely loves it. Easy conversion, did not "phase it in". And he had no stomach issues when we converted. His bathroom habits definitely changed, so be aware that you may need to change your schedule a bit... we had a few accidents in the beginning. He now poops twice in the AM, immediately when getting up, and within an hour or so of eating. We have tried beef and lamb, both of which he really likes. I do not supplement. Occasionally he will get a homecooked dinner of fresh salmon and veggies but that is it. His only treats are yogurt drops. It could not be easier - as an earlier reply stated - each night you take the next days food portion out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. By morning it is pretty much thawed and ready to be served. So simple. __________________ Susanne and Remy

10-02-2009, 05:18 AM	#5
ally173 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: cliffside park, nj, usa Posts: 1,170	thank you all for your reply; so far i understand that no need for portion control for conversion; i can just give her one or 2 medallions at a time (she's 9 lbs) i emailed NV because i want to clarify few questions; if anyone at YT has any answers to the below please don't hesitate to submit. thanks 1- where do you get your source of meat 2- is the food fresh and human grade 3- does your facility get inspected; if so by whom 4- can the medalion be cooked for few minutes without loosing the nutritional value 5- can i add supplments to the medalion; such as probiotic, vitamin, enzymes.... __________________ Ava's mom

10-02-2009, 05:28 AM	#6
ally173 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: cliffside park, nj, usa Posts: 1,170	by the way NV sent me this link to get a coupon for buy one bag get one free http://www.naturesvariety.com/tryit; thought i would share with you __________________ Ava's mom

10-02-2009, 07:23 AM	#12
ally173 YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: cliffside park, nj, usa Posts: 1,170	while i was doing some more research on the raw frozen food; i came accross Primal canine raw frozen food. i was reading about it and it's very similar to NV raw frozen ; however primal is USDA human grade food; while NV raw is not claimed to be human grade. so now i am confused; which one is best for my Ava? anyone used primal raw before? __________________ Ava's mom