Who feeds Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Diet?

[Yorkiedaze]

Sorry, I didn't mean to say "diet" I meant to say "died". I think I'll go eat breakfast since my brain is starving.

[my2boyz]

My boyz love their food each time it's put down but I feed the beef...maybe Chloe doesn't like chicken? I would try the beef before I gave up...it's so much better for them to eat this way.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by RLC12345678

I asked the Lab board what they thought of the NV and all of them said it was EXCELLENT quality....just expensive for a big dog who eats alot, but would be ideal for a little dog. It's 95% meat and 5% veggies. No bones. Are bones essential to a good Raw diet or can you forgo the bones? Sorry if I'm bugging you with questions! I should just get on the yahoo group and ask them. I checked out that group and it is always a challenge for me to get used to the format of a new board, you know? So I thought I'd just ask you since I know for sure you have a yorkie.

The NV does contain ground up bones...I've found a few pea sized pieces in the medallions. If they seem big enough to get stuck I take them out, otherwise they eat them unnoticed. The bones provide needed calcium.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

My friends dog diet from eating raw chicken, and another gal a Vet. told me about had a dog who died from the sharp splintering of a "raw" bone. If you gals still want to continue feeding raw, I'd suggest free range meat. No hormones or chemicals. Personally I'll stick cooked meat and the healthy powder I make, which has bone meal in it anyway.

Thats what I worry about giving raw chicken. I have started cooking for mine more though

[ARCHIE]

When Buddy was sick two years ago I thought it was the food, I tried several brands and the diahrea would not go away. Turned out to be
the rawhides hes was chewing. My neighbor told me about the raw diet so I bought the medallions
for Buddy. I was really nervous about feeding him raw meat so I
called the vet. He told me to do what I wanted however he would
never feed his dog a raw diet. There is a chance, maybe slim,
of semolia.(?) I threw it in the garbabge!
I would never feed my dog raw chicken with bones
Yes, wild dogs eat what ever they can kill bones and all but our
dogs are domesticated. I have heard several dogs dying from small
bones being lodged in their throats over the years. To me it just
is not worth the risk.

Carol & Buddy

[chachi]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

The NV does contain ground up bones...I've found a few pea sized pieces in the medallions. If they seem big enough to get stuck I take them out, otherwise they eat them unnoticed. The bones provide needed calcium.

One can of our Evanger food had little bones in it too. My Husband threw it out. I know it is supposed to be okay for them we just dont want our dogs eating bones

[mistyinca]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

My boyz love their food each time it's put down but I feed the beef...maybe Chloe doesn't like chicken? I would try the beef before I gave up...it's so much better for them to eat this way.

I thought of that. The place I got it only regularly stocks the chicken/turkey one, and will only special order the other flavors. I'll look around and see if another place has the beef.

I honestly don't care what she eats (well, I do...you know what I mean) I just want her to eat and eat consistently. It makes me so nervous when she won't eat anything.

This past week, we tried homemade, 3 different kinds of kibble, canned, and the nv raw.

I don't know what got into her all of a sudden. She was eating regularly for quite some time, then all of a sudden she wouldn't eat anymore. She's eating now, but still not regularly. We're back on her royal canin for now, since she's eating it, but I'll look and see if I can find the beef.

[BlondieGirl87]

Originally Posted by ARCHIE

When Buddy was sick two years ago I thought it was the food, I tried several brands and the diahrea would not go away. Turned out to be
the rawhides hes was chewing. My neighbor told me about the raw diet so I bought the medallions
for Buddy. I was really nervous about feeding him raw meat so I
called the vet. He told me to do what I wanted however he would
never feed his dog a raw diet. There is a chance, maybe slim,
of semolia.(?) I threw it in the garbabge!
I would never feed my dog raw chicken with bones
Yes, wild dogs eat what ever they can kill bones and all but our
dogs are domesticated. I have heard several dogs dying from small
bones being lodged in their throats over the years. To me it just
is not worth the risk.

Carol & Buddy

I agree, I looked into it and for me personally I didn't think that the risks outweighed the benefits for my two.

[mistyinca]

Yesterday, I picked up a bag of the beef and a Try me bag of the lamb. I also switched today to a two feeding schedule, so she would be more hungry at each meal time. So I just gave her a medallion of the lamb today, and she wolfed it down. So I gave her another 1/2, which she wolfed, and the the other 1/2 for a total of two medallions. She won't eat again until 6 pm tonight, and we'll start with 1 medallion then. The calculator on the site said 2.4 medallions a day, so I figure for now since she needs to fatten back up, I'll give her as much as she'll eat, then level off.

But I'm encouraged. She ate it really well. It was so nice to see her wolf it down and not do the sniff, lick, and walk away.

Maybe I'll try giving her missing link with it too. Was it you, Chachi, who uses the missing link on the medallions?

[SONYSW]

OK. I fed chelsea with this raw food. She refuses to eat the kibbles and look at me wierd if I gave her kibbles. I guess if you decide to change to raw food, it will be really hard to change it back to kibble. The pet shop owner told me that you should starve her and she will eventually eat the kibbles again. But believe me, it will be really hard. She has not eaten well for the past 4 days since I changed back to kibbles.

[Doggy Bear]

I just started last saturday feeding N'Stein with raw food. It's what the supplier calls "chicken p?t?". it's with vegetables, fish oil, herbs, and a lots of others good things.

He just adored that. I will add to that eventually real chucks of beef and people accustomed to feed theirs dogs with raw are telling for the teeth to give him also chicken's necks.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by Doggy Bear

I just started last saturday feeding N'Stein with raw food. It's what the supplier calls "chicken p?t?". it's with vegetables, fish oil, herbs, and a lots of others good things.

He just adored that. I will add to that eventually real chucks of beef and people accustomed to feed theirs dogs with raw are telling for the teeth to give him also chicken's necks.

I would do some double checking on the chicken neck info...I'm not sure you're supposed to feed them the neck...too many small bones. I give my boys baby carrots, apple bites and veggies like green beans for snacks and that also helps clean their teeth.

[bellaismybaby]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

I would do some double checking on the chicken neck info...I'm not sure you're supposed to feed them the neck...too many small bones. I give my boys baby carrots, apple bites and veggies like green beans for snacks and that also helps clean their teeth.

I feed my baby necks..but I hold them to make sure she eats them slow. They are bony so they need to chew them good.

[KellyV]

Chicken necks are okay as long as they don't swallow them whole. If they chew them up nicely they should be fine.... If they are gulpers try turkey necks. Because they're longer it forces the dog to chew 'em instead of just inhaling 'em in one big breath.

[joannec]

I have a doggie deli near me that is USDA approved to distribute raw, fresh meat for dogs. The owner is very passionate, and what convinced me is when he told me that regular dog food we have all been trained to think is healthy for our pets contains not only say, chicken meat, but feathers, beaks, feces, and all products "not fit for human consuption" INCLUDING cancerous animal parts!!! Scary!!! He wonders why 3 out of 5 dogs get cancer?! That is when I switched. I am lucky because he has the ground meat and bone, little chunks of meat, and dehydrated treats, but not exposed to so much heat (400 degrees for regular dog food) that is kills all of the probiotics essential for animal intestines. I was trying to feed Piper yogurt with probiotics, and the owner was like, that was meant for humans, not animals, duh! I was like, oh shoot, that makes sense. He also says that because the diet has exactly what a dog needs, sometimes he won't be as hungry like usual (because he is using what he is eating, not just pooping it out) so he might skip a meal. It is very interesting, and it seems ok for Piper. He is a picky stinker, and he eats it, so I am happy!