Member

Posts: 585
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 10-23-2003 10:09 PM         

---

Today I decided to go ahead and try a raw diet for my cat and my Poodle Darby. They both have had struvite crystals and they both seem to suffer from allergies. I have not wanted to try this in the past because I felt I didn't know enough about what they needed nutritionally, thought it would be messy and expensive and just generally not as easy as kibble. I have been trying samples on the cat and he is just soooo picky! he has turned his nose up at every new food I have offered him. The other day I posted a link for Natures Variety-Prairie products. The place I normally buy food from carries this and today she showed me the options and how to feed it. I bought a tub of one variety thats for cats or dogs so I could see if they like it. They all went nuts for it! I still don't know alot about feeding raw so I am going on her knowledge and the fact that I know several people through flyball who feed it, two of which also have dogs with urinary issues that disappeared after going on the raw diets.
I wanted to ask if anyone uses this product? What have your experiences been with it? and...Is this the same as BARF or is it different? Are these raw diets as good as preparing them from scratch at home? Is it safer for me to feed a prepared raw food because I don't know what I am doing yet?
Jas....I got the feeling you do your own rather than buying already prepared, is there a reason for that? Am I missing something important?

Here is the link again to the product I chose. http://www.naturesvariety.com/

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 217
From:Los Angeles, Ca.
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 10-24-2003 10:50 PM         

---

hey Maisey,

I've also been looking into NV a little bit. About 2 weeks ago, i purchased my 1st NV product, but it's their food supplement. They actually have 2 under "Prarie". The one i bought was NV's Prarie Whole Food Blend. It works very-good. Your suppose to sprinkle this on top of your normal kibble, but i just get a tsp-full and pour it on top of my dogs toungs. They love it. I kinda give it to them as a treat (instead of actuall treats), after they eat. Especially b4 & after our hikes & running days. I've been trying to find a local place that carries their whole line of products (specifically their raw frozen bones, & their dry roasted treats), because everywhere i've seen NV on the shelves, i only see their kibble-line. NV does have "variety", thats what i also think is good about them... I've been thinking about adding their dry kibble diets to my dogs rotation feeding. There was somthing about an ingredient(s) that was lacking in it that stopped me into looking into it more. Not that it's not a good choice of foods, but i think there was something missing that i was needing for my dogs. If i remember right it could possibly be... ummmm, i 4got. I'll still be considering NV though.

I don't have personal experiance in doing the home-cooked meal thing but...
Making your own home cooked meals, i think is better especially if your dogs have certain allergies to foods that your not quite sure of yet. Especially if your trying to do the whole "elimination/trial & error" thing, to find out what ingredient(s) your dog is allergic to.
The important thing to remember is that your giving all the daily nutritional requirments that a "ready-made" raw diet does. There are plenty of books that you could rent-out in your local public library i'm sure on all kinds of recipies for home-cook meals for doggies. I've checked out some just to check them out, and if you like to cook, you'll cook. It seems like alotta fun. I think it's a wholier way. Wait, i know it is. The recipies made me want to start cooking. Seriously, who/what the hell would want processed food, daily. Nothing beats freashness!! It's just a matter of time & $$$. I'd do it! Regardless of the best-if-purchased-by-date on a dry food kibble bag, i can tell if i got a freash bag or not. It could be 1&1/2 years to it's experation date, it could be 1 month till (although my limit is 6-8 months) i could tell if it's freash & that the bag was well taking care of. But, i'm still considering the whole "raw", or home-cook meals route.

IP: Logged

Member

Posts: 20
From:Sask. Canada
Registered: Oct 2003