Who feeds Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Diet?
 

I am extremely interested in starting Hootie & Hobbs on Raw. Anyone else feel Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Diet? I would really like some input. :)

http://www.naturesvariety.com/conten...4690NsS3F6A7B6

I tried this raw food and it seems she loves it. She finish half medallion in no time. We got samples from nearby petstore. Since most of the ingredients are digestable, she poops less. So I give half medallion in the morning and canidae mixed with a spoon of merrick for dinner. Make sure she finishes the raw food and clean the bowl immediately. Do not mixed raw food and kibbles or other food.

Thank you for your input. Anyone else feed this?

Bump! I'd be interested in knowing this as well!

I've been feeding the NV raw for almost a year and half now.... No problems so far.

I just started Bella on raw. The prey model or raw meaty bones. Here is the link to the web group. It is full of information. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/r...guid=297957154
She loves it!! She wouldn't eat kibble and was getting constipated and itchy on other food. I researched it for about a month before starting. She took to it right away. If you want any more info about how I feed pm me. I know it is hard for some to get used to the idea of raw feeding.

Is that the ONLY thing you feed or do you feed kibble as well?

Do you buy your own meats and stuff or do you use NV??

I buy my own. I started her on chicken thighs. Not too much bone like the legs. I remove the skin because it's too much fat for her. Believe it or not I just put a towel down and throw her the thigh. I put cuts along it so she can eat it easier. Then she eats the bone. It's a hoot to watch. I have been only giving her about 2/3 of a thigh at a time because they are large. After some time on chicken I will mix up her diet with other meats (beef, lamb, fish, etc)

No kibble! She wouldn't eat it anyway. The whole idea of RMB or raw meaty bones is to rid the diet of kibble.
Sorry...I just realized you weren't asking me.

I just started my boyz on NV frozen medallions about 2 1/2 weeks ago...it's easy and they love it.

I use NV raw. The girls get it at their evening meal and get kibbles in the morning. They love the NV. They also gobble up their kibble, too. They are also on dietary supplements.

I'm very new to this raw thing...
so you give them raw food-like raw chicken and beef? isnt there a chance of spreading salmonella or ecoli type sicknesses???
My little Lucy gets everything in her beard and I'd be hesitant to give her kisses thinking about it touching her face....
or am I just old school???
:)

The Nature's Variety diet is ground up and frozen into little patties that look like a small, thick burger. You thaw them in the fridge over night and feed them cold in the morning. My boyz love it...nothing gets stuck in their beards, no bad breath or stinky poops and their teeth are bright white. You can also feed a raw diet that you make yourself but I thought I'd try NV to start with to see if they even like raw and they like it so well I can't see changing to anything else now.

It's funny because that was the very thing I was most afraid of. Because I love my kisses! I was her face with a wash cloth with a little soap on it (vinigar works also) and I haven't had a problem. The people on the site I belong to have never had a problem either. Just wash up like you would if you cooked chicken for dinner. A half/half water vinigar solution works.
Baby wipes also take care of it.

Thank you so much! I just joined the group. I'm excited to learn all I can about Raw!

Your welcome and let me know how it goes for you. I was nervous the first feeding. I took the thigh out of the freezer and let her lick it a little the night before just to see how she would react. She took to it right away and the next morning ate it with no problems. Of course the bone was another concern, but she crunched it with her little jaws no porblem (she is 4lbs).Her stools were a little runny, but she had been constipated for some time on cooked chicken.
She is munching away on a half a thigh right now!

Here is another site for you to look at
http://rawfed.com/myths/

Thanks again! Do you feed anything besdies raw meat? Raw veggies or anything?

Only as a treat. I don't feed it for the meal. I'm looking into making some liver treats..but until her stool really firms up I don't want to give her organ meat. It's rich and will make their stool more runny if they aren't used to it.
Like any feeding plan their is some trial and error. There are other Yorkie owners on the site I suggested that feed raw..even little tiny ches. And I know Lamar would love it too. Some breeders feed raw from pups.

A ton of people on the lab board I am a member of feed raw. That is what originally got me curious about it. I'm still contemplating. I think if it was just Hootie and Hobbs, I would get the NV and feed them that. But Lamar is a different story. He eats SOO much and I think the NV for him would be too expensive and I don't think I'm ready to take the plunge and prepare the meat myself for him. We'll see.......

It's easier for me with just Bella. I buy a pack of thighs (or whatever) separate them, take this skin off and freeze.
You should just keep reading and ask questions of the people on the site. Allot of them have large dogs and little dogs. I'm not sure how they do it. I know it seems easier with the larger dogs, they just throw them a whole chicken, or a half, depending on size and let them eat. No prep except separating the meat when you get home from the store.
I'm not sure what is in the NV. I think there are other things besides meat in them. I have never looked into those. I will check, it would be a good idea from trips, although they can get expensive.
Feeding raw is just so against everything we were raised to think, so it takes some getting used to.

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. :)

I don't mind answering your questions at all:p Most of the info I am giving you comes from the sites i belong to because this is fairly new to this too.
There are different types of raw feeding. There is the BARF diet which includes veg. and I believe some grain. Then there is the RMB (raw meaty bones)or prey model diet (which I feed). I dont' think dogs need veggies, although I am not opposed to giving her some occasionally. Usually she doesn't want them. Bella would NEVER eat kibble, which is what started me on the quest for a new diet. She would eat cooked chicken (and I was always fighting constipation) and some vegs if she was really hungry, but usually left them. I just kind of knew she would like eating raw. She loves to crunch on her flossies and bully sticks, so I knew she could handle real bones.

In the prey model diet bones are necessary along with meat and organ meat. This rounds the diet. I supplement with Omega 3&6 because I have not started feeding her fish. When I do, and if she likes it, I will quit supplementing.

That is all there is to it. Bones about 10-15%, organ meat about 10%, and the rest meat. If the stools are soft-more bone, too white or hard-more meat or fat (skin) etc.
Here is another link
http://www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm
Now your sick of me;)

NOOOOO! I'm not sick of you at all, sillY!!!!!!! :p :p :p I'm going to continue to research and contemplate. It might be awhile before I decide to take the leap, if i decide at all. I'll keep you updated! Thank you again!!!!!! :D

This looks interesting. Gingers got allergies, Kirby's got chronic ear problems, and I'd love to reduce the amount of poo!

How expensive is it? I currently buy premium dry, so am used to spending some $ on food, but am curious if this is a lot more. With three dogs 48 medallions would go really quick.

(My yorkies are each about 12 lbs, and Kirby's 25, I used the calculator and would need to feed 15 medallions a day. That 48 med quantity would only last for 3 days!!!

Thanks!

You can order it from here and it shows prices:

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...ts/131069.aspx

thanks!

Chloe has been really wierd about eating for this whole past week. I picked up a bag of the chicken and turkey. She ate one medallion one evening, then the next morning only picked at one, then she only sniffed at one later then next time and walked away. So we went back to kibble.

When everyone else switched to the raw/nv, did it take a "breaking in" period, or were they eager for it every time?

The fact that it can't sit there for a long time until she decides to eat it is a problem too.

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. ;)