Natures Variety

Does anyone feed this? Do I need to supplement? I just got a 16 oz trial size from the feed store and my cats and dog LOVE it! Should I transition slowly as I would when changing food normally?

No need to supplement. It is a complete food. Feed it just like you would a can of processed food except you will probably need less of the raw. 4-6 oz a day for an avg size adult is common.

I used to feed NV. It is one of the better pre-mades IMO. It doesn't have an excessive amount of fruits and veggies although it does have some.

You may need to transition slowly as their systems may need to get used to processing raw. Are you thinking about going all raw?

If they took to the NV right away, you might see if the kitties will gnaw on chicken necks or wings. Whole, bone in pieces like that is good for their dental health. A couple of necks or wings a week should do it. I'm sure they would be good for your dog too, I just don't know anything about raw feeding dogs.

The puppy is a little Chihuahus so I am scared to give her bones, I thought the were dangerous? So I just put down a raw chicken wing? I would love to go all raw.

I used thighs instead of wings

Originally Posted by AMYSCRAZY

The puppy is a little Chihuahus so I am scared to give her bones, I thought the were dangerous?

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Like I said, I don't know about dogs. Raw feeders commonly give meaty, raw bones to their cats.

So I just put down a raw chicken wing? I would love to go all raw.

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Yup. It doesn't have to be a wing. That's just a common "starter" piece to get them used to eating bones because the bones are small. Chicken necks are even smaller and you can easily smash them with something like a hammer to make them even easier to eat.

If you're thinking about going all raw, be sure you do lots of research and understand what it entails. It isn't difficult but you need to understand how it is different from feeding processed foods. If you only use pre-made, complete raw foods like NV it's quite simple.

Originally Posted by AMYSCRAZY

The puppy is a little Chihuahus so I am scared to give her bones, I thought the were dangerous? So I just put down a raw chicken wing? I would love to go all raw.

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Cooked bones are dangerous, they splinter. Raw bones are fine--although the sound of the cats/dogs crunching them can be a bit nerve racking at first--because your mind keeps telling you, bones are bad.

I wouldnt' just put down a whole raw chicken wing--my boys are still frightened by something that large with bone in it and we're about 4 months in--and they took to raw eazy peezy.

I started with chicken ribs very small bones.

Leslie

I'm feeding my kitties wet and dry and although intrigued by raw feeding, I'm not quite ready to do so. I do however want to give my girls chicken neckbones for their dental health. Should I just place the bones, whole, on a plate for them? Is the expectation that the cats will eat the meat, skin and bones? Or is just gnawing on the bones enough? Plus, if it's straight from the fridge won't the bones be too cold for the cats' taste?

Well, the cats aren't thrilled with it, they will eat a little bit but that is it. The puppy on the other hand almost doesn't chew, just inhales. She spent 2 nights in the doggy hospital backed up really bad. They think that her intestines are just to small to handle the bones and stuff that are ground up. On her x-ray you could see what looked like fiberous material in her intestines. It looked a lot like the medallions when I break them up. The vet said this is why she isn't a fan of the raw diet. I know that she probably isn't trained in this field so I am not totally turned off. I just don't dare try the Natures Variety again for now.

Originally Posted by AMYSCRAZY

Well, the cats aren't thrilled with it, they will eat a little bit but that is it. The puppy on the other hand almost doesn't chew, just inhales. She spent 2 nights in the doggy hospital backed up really bad. They think that her intestines are just to small to handle the bones and stuff that are ground up. On her x-ray you could see what looked like fiberous material in her intestines. It looked a lot like the medallions when I break them up. The vet said this is why she isn't a fan of the raw diet. I know that she probably isn't trained in this field so I am not totally turned off. I just don't dare try the Natures Variety again for now.

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WOW - I am so sorry! Is she ok now?? That is so scary! Amyscrazy - you surely had your share of bad luck this year! Vibe for no more incidents!

Thank you. She is fine now and I am hoping for no more big vet bills this year This has not been my year for sure!

Originally Posted by AMYSCRAZY

Well, the cats aren't thrilled with it, they will eat a little bit but that is it. The puppy on the other hand almost doesn't chew, just inhales. She spent 2 nights in the doggy hospital backed up really bad. They think that her intestines are just to small to handle the bones and stuff that are ground up. On her x-ray you could see what looked like fiberous material in her intestines. It looked a lot like the medallions when I break them up. The vet said this is why she isn't a fan of the raw diet. I know that she probably isn't trained in this field so I am not totally turned off. I just don't dare try the Natures Variety again for now.

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I take it you decided to not transition them slowly? When making a big change in their diet it's really a good idea to go slowly to give their systems a chance to adjust.

I did start the transition slowly but most of the time ended up pulling the food because the cats wouldn't eat it. The dog did very well and we were up to 2 medallions a day before her blockage.

Originally Posted by AMYSCRAZY

I did start the transition slowly but most of the time ended up pulling the food because the cats wouldn't eat it. The dog did very well and we were up to 2 medallions a day before her blockage.

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I've heard some have had trouble with constipation when first switching to raw. You might want to check with a dog oriented site to find out how to prevent it if you want to try again. With cats and ground raw they suggest added psyllium to the mix during the transition period.

Poor doggie. I bet that wasn't fun.