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| Author | Topic: Nature's Variety |
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Jamiya Member  Posts: 1392 |
posted 12-03-2003 04:46 PM
 
Maisey, the Nature's Variety medallions say to feed the dog 1.5-2% of their body weight per day - but it doesn't say what each medallion weighs! Can you help me? I am going to feed Nala a combination of the medallions and Healthwise. If she does well, I think I will phase out the Healthwise and go with the Nature's Variety kibble (plus medallions). I have been pleased with the Healthwise, actually. Her stools are less stinky and she goes much less often and less volume. I like the idea of raw food, though, so we will see what happens.
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Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 |
posted 12-04-2003 04:20 AM
And why is the protien so much lower in the frozen raw medallions, as opposed to a kibble?
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Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 |
posted 12-04-2003 11:38 AM
bump IP: Logged |
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 12-04-2003 12:52 PM
Sorry Jimaya, I have not been able to post for a while...it keeps telling me that my IP has been banned, then I have to shut down my computer and re-start. Sometimes it does it again and I get p*ssed and don't bother. Frustrating! Anyhow, As far as the medallions go...there should be a chart on the bag that tells you how many medallions for her body weight. 2-3 medallions for a 10 pound dog, 5-6 medallions for 20 pound dog, 8 medallions for a 30 pound dog, 16 medallions for a 60 pound dog. Dooley weighs 45.5 pounds so I would feed him 12 per day(note the amount is PER DAY). I would split it up into two feedings so 6 in the morning and 6 at night. I don't know which would be better...mixing the kibble and raw in each feeding or doing it like I have been...I feed them the Canidae kibble four days a week, and three days of the week they get the raw. I alternate days for the most part. Darby gets it everyday and so do the cats...it's just my big boys that I alternate with. For them I buy the patties instead of the medallions. You also need to take into account Nala is a puppy and still growing so she may want or need a bit more. Warning though...they aren't as quick to quit when they are full with this food as with kibble. Only one of my cats will walk away from this food when she has had enough, the rest of them love it and want more. Remember that with the raw food...you are feeding FOOD, not fillers and all that other crap, so thats why it seems like so much less. If the big boys try to convince me that they are still in need of food I offer them kibble, they always look at me like "MOM!" and they may take a kibble or two but then they walk away. For your last question, about the protein, I'm not sure I can explain it correctly, but I am going into the shop today anyways, so I will ask Renee to explain it to me and then I will post an answer for you later. I don't want to post incorrect info. I do know that one of my struggles has been that the recommended amount of protein in a food is debated, my vet said that right now the AVMA is debating that issue. I have read different things on different sites as well. It is my understanding that people think your dog gets energy from protein and that in actuality they get it from carbs. There was (and maybe still is) a trend going that said if your dog is in sports or active it should have a high protein diet...my vet said that the majority of dogs do not work hard enough to need 34% protein type diets. Again...I'm not sure but I actually think too much protein can cause health problems, not to mention mess up growing puppies in a big way. So anyhow, I'll get an answer for you and post later on that. IP: Logged |
nern Moderator Posts: 1591 |
posted 12-04-2003 04:29 PM
quote: It appears that way because of the moisture content. If you compare the protein levels on a dry matter basis you will find that the protein in the frozen raw is actually much higher than most kibbles. Think of canned foods...they are high in moisture and often have much lower protein percentages (in the guaranteed analysis) compared to low moisture kibble. IP: Logged |
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nern Moderator Posts: 1591 |
posted 12-04-2003 04:43 PM
quote: Maisey, Im having the same problem. Very frustrating. I can still post as long as I come in through internet explorer. Maybe you can try that? [This message has been edited by nern (edited 12-04-2003).] IP: Logged |
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Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 |
posted 12-04-2003 10:03 PM
I hope you don't think I was being impatient, Maisey. I bumped it because there were so many posts I figured it would fall off the page by the time you were able to read the boards!  Didn't you tell me your cat has urinary problems and is doing well on the raw diet? I have decided to bring my 13-year-old cats in for a check-up tomorrow. I am going to ask her about their food. They eat Purina CNM UR Formula, and have for the past 10 years. My male does not get UTI's since he has been on it. My female throws up fairly frequently, though. And now the male is getting hairballs, probably from the stress of Nala being in the house. This vet is the one that seemed amenable to trying new foods, rather than just saying "they have to be on Prescription Diet without a doubt". I am bringing her my samples and literature. I wonder if I should have gone with the holistic vet. I still haven't had time to contact her and find out what she is like. Ugh! I hate second-guessing myself. I am stressed out already at the prospect of taking my cats in. They have not been out of our house since we moved in 10 years ago. They are going to be scared to death, especially my male. I am so worried about him.
[This message has been edited by Jamiya (edited 12-04-2003).] IP: Logged |
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 12-05-2003 12:51 PM
Naw I didn't think you were being impatient, just frustrates the heck out of me to keep getting told my IP is banned! Thank you nern, thats basically what Rene told me, she said comparing the two though is like comparing apples and oranges. I am glad nern explained it because I am feeling pretty much like an air head the last couple of days..I think I am coming down with the virus everyone else has. When Rene was explaining it I felt as if she were speaking German. She was showing me the proper way to use a prong collar and working with Witt to see if she thought I needed to try this training aid with him. I have had no luck trying other methods to get him to stop pulling on me. He does it when he is excited or walking with other dogs, especially if they are in front. She spent a good hour and a half working with Witt and I...I can't believe how generous she is. I am not thrilled about the prong collar as a rule, but I have been reading and I thought if I could find someone who was using it CORRECTLY and would show me, I may try it. When I put the haltee on Witt he does resist, he hates the thing and it doesn't stop him from pulling in the leaste. It did in the beginning, but he found ways around it and it became frustrating. After reading Suzanne Clothiers articles on both I decided there was no sense in using somethig he resisted so much and that wasn't working. Rene said she would be willing to show me how it works, so I did. Witt did not resist it at all, even after using it for a while taking it off and putting it back on. I never once had to pull or jerk, just used finger pulses. Only twice when I switched directions abruptly did he go against the collar a bit after that he watched my legs very carefully to see which direction I was going. I told her I didn't want to use this for anything other than a temporary training aid, she said thats what it is meant for and told me to put it on him when we went for walks, start out with the leash on his flat collar and when he starts pulling, switch to the prong until he stops, then switch back. I'll try it and see how it goes. She agreed that Witt is very sensitive, she also said it wouldn't take long, she marveled at how quick he picks things up. This is the woman who said Witt's breeding makes for the kind of dog who can be very dangerous, and she again commented on how much she likes him despite her thoughts about that. I'm not sure I totally agree with her on her thoughts about the breeding, but in any case it's a compliment from her that she thinks I have done a good job with him so far. IP: Logged |
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Maisey Member Posts: 1387 |
posted 12-05-2003 12:56 PM
PS... yes both my cat and my Poodle have issues with struvite crystals and allergies. They have both stopped licking chewing and pulling their hair out. Darby is still pulling the hair and licking at one front foot, but the vet said that it's a hard thing to diagnose and that given he stopped doing it to the rest of his body he would tend to suspect...ok I forget what it is called now, but it's something neurological. He thinks that perhaps the allergy part of what he was doing has cleared but this one behavior may be something else. Anyhow, both are much more active and playful, they look better and Darby's PH tests continue to come up normal. I haven't been able to test the cat yet. IP: Logged |
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Jamiya Member Posts: 1392 |
posted 12-05-2003 04:00 PM
At first the vet said NO WAY on the raw food. Then she read the literature and pointed out the care instructions and said most people would not do it correctly, but if you keep it frozen until time to use it, thaw it correctly, and wash the bowl out it looked really good. Of course I do all of that! She also said Tesla, my female cat, looks like she has allergy issues. She has a bunch of fur gone on her tummy. I can't believe I didn't notice. She said Patches, my male cat, has a heart murmur. I have to go research that now. She drew blood on him and is going to run their "big" chemistry panel. It was horribly expensive - like $90 or so - which seems really out of line to me. Although I guess that stuff is more expensive when you are dealing in low volumes, as opposed to human labs who do large volumes of the same tests and therefore get the reagents cheaper. Anyway, she said the next step is an echocardiogram and referred me to a specialist. I need to research and figure out what to do. He's my baby!! In the meantime, I guess I am going to wait a little bit longer on the cat food issue until I get the results of the bloodwork and can afford tests for the other cat as well. She recommended seeing what their kidneys and livers are like before messing with their food. The cats yowled all the way there and back. I feel like I have been run over by a truck.
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