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Nature's Variety - Worry free, affordable raw?

post #1 of 32
9/6/11 at 8:41am
Thread Starter 
I knew they had completed AAFCO feeding trials, I didn't know that somewhere along the way they had implemented a pasteurization process for their raw products:

http://www.naturesvariety.com/learning/raw/QandA

Quote:
Your pet was biologically designed to eat raw food – it’s the diet that he or she will thrive on. Dogs and cats have unique physiochemical adaptations that reduce the chance of developing food-borne bacterial disease.

That said, Nature's Variety takes extra care to ensure that our Instinct Raw Frozen Diets are free of pathogenic bacteria. We utilize a state-of-the-art manufacturing process called High Pressure Pasteurization (HPP). In essence, HPP uses water pressure to kill harmful bacteria. In addition to this safety step, our manufacturing facility utilizes many other quality and safety protocols to ensure that our foods are nothing short of superior – from farm to bowl. We even enforce a strict "test and hold" protocol to ensure that all Raw Diets leaving our facilities are free of harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E Coli. Click here to learn more about HPP and our food safety protocols.
The "click here link":
http://http://www.naturesvariety.com...ng/raw/quality

So, certified complete and balanced and free of harmful bacteria.The price has always been pretty good. A little more than homemade but not grossly so like so many premade raw products are.

I used NV raw some time ago. The kitties liked it but I decided I didn't want even the small amount of fruits and veggies it contains. I've since come to understand the benefits of those fruits and veggies. I might have to give NV another try.
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post #2 of 32
9/6/11 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mschauer View Post
I used NV raw some time ago. The kitties liked it but I decided I didn't want even the small amount of fruits and veggies it contains. I've since come to understand the benefits of those fruits and veggies. I might have to give NV another try.
What benefits? Cats can't properly digest fruits and veggies.

Not to try to sway you from feeding NV because it is a great food, I'd just like to know where you heard that fruits and veggies are beneficial?
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post #3 of 32
9/6/11 at 12:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
What benefits? Cats can't properly digest fruits and veggies.

Not to try to sway you from feeding NV because it is a great food, I'd just like to know where you heard that fruits and veggies are beneficial?
Cats have *limited* not non-existent ability to metabolize fruits and vegetables. Light cooking (blanching) makes them much more digestible. That makes them a valuable natural source of minerals and vitamins.
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post #4 of 32
9/6/11 at 2:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mschauer View Post
Cats have *limited* not non-existent ability to metabolize fruits and vegetables. Light cooking (blanching) makes them much more digestible. That makes them a valuable natural source of minerals and vitamins.
How so? In my understanding, there's nothing a cat could possibly get from any fruit or vegetable that isn't more readily obtained in a more easily and thoroughly digestible form in meat.

Historically, I've pretty much ignored any discussion around cooking for cats because it didn't (and doesn't) make a lick of sense to me... however, I've begun investigating it recently and I'm rather amazed at how many proponents there are of both cooking meat and feeding fruits and vegetables, and I would like to understand the rationale behind the thinking, if I can.

Which is why I'm interested in your thoughts, Mschauer (although, from what I can see, NV doesn't cook the fruits and vegetables they use in their formulas).

Thanks!

AC

P.S. A lot of what I see on NV's site is fairly impressive. I love this blurb on their raw feeding page:

At Nature's Variety, we believe natural is best – and a raw (uncooked) diet is as natural as you can get! Since raw diets provide nutrition the way nature intended, they are truly "the gold standard" of nutrition for your special pets. Cooking food causes proteins to denature, and many become distorted or damaged, essentially destroying their biochemical identity. We believe raw diets are superior to cooked diets because the proteins, vitamins, and minerals are more intact and more bio-available, meaning they are available for your pet to utilize and benefit from. Additionally, raw meat is about 60-70% moisture, and is an excellent source of dietary water. Adequate water intake is considered by many veterinarians to be the first line of defense against kidney and urinary disease.

And this, if true, would be a big selling point if I were a commercial feeder:

When we say 100% natural, we mean just that! We do not use synthetic vitamins or minerals in our Raw Frozen Diets. Every ingredient is real, fresh, and thoughtfully included to create a complete and balanced diet.

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post #5 of 32
9/6/11 at 4:44pm
Thread Starter 
Whether cats derive benefit from eating fruits and vegetables has absolutely nothing to do with the point of this thread which was to inform that there is a commercial raw food available that has none of the common "negatives" associated with feeding a raw diet. That is, it is certified complete and balanced and it has been pastuerized to kill harmful bacteria.

As to the other, when I have time I'll start another thread for discussion.

OK?
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post #6 of 32
9/6/11 at 6:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mschauer View Post
Cats have *limited* not non-existent ability to metabolize fruits and vegetables. Light cooking (blanching) makes them much more digestible. That makes them a valuable natural source of minerals and vitamins.
I never said it was non-existant. I said they couldn't do it properly because they lack the right enzymes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mschauer View Post
Whether cats derive benefit from eating fruits and vegetables has absolutely nothing to do with the point of this thread which was to inform that there is a commercial raw food available that has none of the common "negatives" associated with feeding a raw diet. That is, it is certified complete and balanced and it has been pastuerized to kill harmful bacteria.

As to the other, when I have time I'll start another thread for discussion.

OK?
If you didn't want to talk about the relationship between veggies and cats, you shouldn't have brought it up here:
Quote:
Originally Posted by mschauer View Post
I used NV raw some time ago. The kitties liked it but I decided I didn't want even the small amount of fruits and veggies it contains. I've since come to understand the benefits of those fruits and veggies. I might have to give NV another try.



I think NV is a great choice for commercial raw, and if they are trying a new way to ensure their food is bacteria free, then good on 'em.
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post #7 of 32
9/8/11 at 12:11pm
How much is NV usually? I steer clear of commercial raw for most part because it is really expensive, especially if I were ordering in frozen! I order some freeze dried raw stella and chewies for my ferrets to get them some variety I can't otherwise and while they like it quite a bit re-hydrated or plain the cat isn't a fan, I had to mix in large amounts of canned to get her to eat it. Tried afs and ziwipeak as well. Not sure if she would go for frozen but would be a better option than the occasional canned I feed.
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post #8 of 32
9/8/11 at 6:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoingPostal View Post
How much is NV usually? I steer clear of commercial raw for most part because it is really expensive, especially if I were ordering in frozen! I order some freeze dried raw stella and chewies for my ferrets to get them some variety I can't otherwise and while they like it quite a bit re-hydrated or plain the cat isn't a fan, I had to mix in large amounts of canned to get her to eat it. Tried afs and ziwipeak as well. Not sure if she would go for frozen but would be a better option than the occasional canned I feed.
Where I would get it :

chick & turkey: $3.77/lb
beef 3.93
lamb 4.13
venison 4.13
organic chick 4.83
rabbit 5.33

I should probably add that I can buy it locally. NV is probably the most widely distributed of the commercial raw products. You have a good chance of finding it locally. I'm pretty sure their web site has a store locator.
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post #9 of 32
9/8/11 at 7:10pm
Did they start the pasteurization after last year's recall?

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm203612.htm
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post #10 of 32
9/9/11 at 6:01am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Did they start the pasteurization after last year's recall?

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm203612.htm
From that link (my added bold):

Quote:
Nature's Variety now uses High Pressure Pasteurization on their Raw Frozen Diets as a unique process to kill pathogenic bacteria through high-pressure, water-based technology. Having incorporated this state-of-the-art technology on a portion of their raw product offerings in late 2009, Nature's Variety was able to confidently implement the process universally on all Raw Frozen Diets after the 2/11/10 recall in order to enhance food safety. Nature's Variety also utilizes a test and hold protocol to ensure that all High Pressure Pasteurized Raw Frozen Diets test negative for harmful bacteria before being released for sale.

"Nature's Variety believes replacing all raw frozen chicken products on the market with new raw frozen chicken products that use High Pressure Pasteurization is an important and responsible step in order to reinforce consumer confidence and trust," stated Reed Howlett, CEO of Nature's Variety. "By recalling all raw frozen chicken products with ‘Best If Used By' dates on or before 2/5/11, we can provide our pet parents with new raw frozen chicken products that have been processed through High Pressure Pasteurization. Adopting High Pressure Pasteurization is an important step to ensure that our products meet the strictest quality and food safety standards."
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post #11 of 32
9/9/11 at 11:01am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minka View Post
If you didn't want to talk about the relationship between veggies and cats, you shouldn't have brought it up here:
Sorry if I sounded snippy. I'm pretty tired of the endless debating associated with raw feeding. Considering how few solid, meaningful facts there are to base such debates on it is really pretty pointless.

I'll just leave it at this: There is much with regards to conventional wisdom (ie, internet chatter) in the raw feeding community that I disagree with. In fact, I disagree with conventional wisdom with regards to many feline nutrition issues. Over the years I have developed my own standards and practices that make me comfortable with the hows and whys of feeding raw to my cats but I really have no interest in trying to convince others to accept those standards and practices.
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post #12 of 32
9/9/11 at 11:36am
It's crazy how misunderstood is feline nutrition / digestive physiology.

I've been exploring the manufacturing practices of the pet food industry and what those practices mean in terms of the identity, source, and quality of the ingredients that make up commercial pet foods. In the process, I've come across a whole slew of folks whose knowledge of the pet food industry I respect, but who quite clearly haven't done their due diligence when it comes to feline nutrition and what it means to be an "obligate" carnivore.

If even those who spend their lives trying to make changes in the pet food industry that'll result in healthier foods for our cats can't understand what "obligate" means, why in heaven's name anyone could expect the industry itself to understand is beyond me.

And that this confusion among "the experts" has resulted in confusion among those who home-prepare their cat's food is nothing but a natural and completely understandable progression.

Hopefully, this will begin to change when the Feline Nutrition Education Society kicks off their Feline Nutrition Certification program.

AC
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post #13 of 32
9/11/11 at 8:19am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy View Post
And that this confusion among "the experts" has resulted in confusion among those who home-prepare their cat's food is nothing but a natural and completely understandable progression.
AC
I assure you I am not the least bit "confused".
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post #14 of 32
9/21/11 at 9:54am
Um, back to what this topic was about.
I'm new here and have been looking at NV for my kitten, I actually ordered it through amazon for a good price. I ordered the canned instinct.
I think raw meat makes a lot of sense. They say they add vegetables to increase fiber, by the way.

I know canned probably isn't as good as fresh, but I'm vegan, and really want to keep handling meat to a minimum.
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post #15 of 32
9/21/11 at 10:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by misssara View Post
Um, back to what this topic was about.
I'm new here and have been looking at NV for my kitten, I actually ordered it through amazon for a good price. I ordered the canned instinct.
I think raw meat makes a lot of sense. They say they add vegetables to increase fiber, by the way.

I know canned probably isn't as good as fresh, but I'm vegan, and really want to keep handling meat to a minimum.
I think their canned products are pretty good but this thread is actually about the raw products.

I hope your kitties like the canned! Mine aren't too fond of it but every kitty is different.
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post #16 of 32
9/21/11 at 10:05am
so the canned food is cooked?
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post #17 of 32
9/21/11 at 10:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by misssara View Post
so the canned food is cooked?
Yup. Canned is always cooked and otherwise heavily processed. Raw is only available in frozen or freeze dried form.
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post #18 of 32
9/21/11 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mschauer View Post
Yup. Canned is always cooked and otherwise heavily processed. Raw is only available in frozen or freeze dried form.
damn.
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post #19 of 32
9/21/11 at 10:14am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by misssara View Post
damn.
Well, on the up side, their processed foods are generally considered to be some of the better ones!
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post #20 of 32
9/26/11 at 3:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mschauer View Post
Where I would get it :

chick & turkey: $3.77/lb
beef 3.93
lamb 4.13
venison 4.13
organic chick 4.83
rabbit 5.33

I should probably add that I can buy it locally. NV is probably the most widely distributed of the commercial raw products. You have a good chance of finding it locally. I'm pretty sure their web site has a store locator.
What???????????????? Are you sure about these prices? I was at a chain store in my area last night (Pet Food Express in San Francisco) and a 6 pound bag of NV Instinct Chicken patties (dog/cat food) was $35, which is $5.83/lb, which I thought was ridiculously high for a commercial brand at a chain compared with prices I've seen for some local brands (including some that make their's fresh daily!). I am trying to adopt out some foster kittens I have that had diarrhea for MONTHS until they started on raw food...if I could find $3.77/lb raw chicken feed I might even keep em myself, and I'd definitely have a much easier time trying to convince others.
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post #21 of 32
9/26/11 at 5:34am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by runtellthat View Post
What???????????????? Are you sure about these prices? I was at a chain store in my area last night (Pet Food Express in San Francisco) and a 6 pound bag of NV Instinct Chicken patties (dog/cat food) was $35, which is $5.83/lb, which I thought was ridiculously high for a commercial brand at a chain compared with prices I've seen for some local brands (including some that make their's fresh daily!). I am trying to adopt out some foster kittens I have that had diarrhea for MONTHS until they started on raw food...if I could find $3.77/lb raw chicken feed I might even keep em myself, and I'd definitely have a much easier time trying to convince others.
Yup. Here is where I buy it:

http://www.healthypetboutique.com/se...egory=BOUTIQUE

They're located near my house so I don't have to pay shipping. I've seen comparable prices elsewhere locally. Shop around. Hopefully you can find a better price than what Pet Food Express has. I'm pretty sure NV has a store locator feature on their web site.
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post #22 of 32
9/29/11 at 11:04am
Mschauer

Great info... I will pass along to a few who are borderline raw may make the decision easier... I have never had one who like NV but mine are picky ...
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post #23 of 32
10/13/11 at 12:24pm
Ritz loves the NV raw beef. She was at first in love with Primal Quail, but seems to have grown bored with it. I add water to both before giving it to her (she needs the water), and I can tell you that I need to add more water to NV than I do to Primal to get it to a consistency I'm comforable with.
What I'd really like to find is a commercial raw that has ONLY: meat/poultry, organs, bones, and required supplements. No produce, no grains. Any ideas? Thanks.
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post #24 of 32
10/13/11 at 12:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ritz View Post
Ritz loves the NV raw beef. She was at first in love with Primal Quail, but seems to have grown bored with it. I add water to both before giving it to her (she needs the water), and I can tell you that I need to add more water to NV than I do to Primal to get it to a consistency I'm comforable with.
What I'd really like to find is a commercial raw that has ONLY: meat/poultry, organs, bones, and required supplements. No produce, no grains. Any ideas? Thanks.
Mine *love* Feline's Pride and Rad Cat but they are quite expensive. It was looking at the simple ingredient lists of these that made me realize that it really wouldn't be all that difficult to make my own.

The NV is nice because it is relatively inexpensive. There really is no need to be concerned about the small amount of non-animal ingredients it has. Even my food sensitive cat that has diarrhea or at least very soft stools after eating any processed food handles a small amount of veggies in raw food just fine.
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post #25 of 32
10/13/11 at 12:48pm
Thanks for the reassurance. I can get RadCat locally. I too am thinking maybe I could do Frankenprey, but would, I'm afraid, worry excessively about whether Ritz was getting the right quantities of the right stuff. I have access to a decent variety of organ meats, but not muscle meat.
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post #26 of 32
10/13/11 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ritz View Post
Thanks for the reassurance. I can get RadCat locally. I too am thinking maybe I could do Frankenprey, but would, I'm afraid, worry excessively about whether Ritz was getting the right quantities of the right stuff. I have access to a decent variety of organ meats, but not muscle meat.
Access to organ meats is usually the problem for most people considering making their own. Surely you have access to chicken, turkey, beef and pork for muscle meat?
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post #27 of 32
10/13/11 at 12:57pm
Yeah, I do; but Ritz gets bored really quickly. So wanted access to rabbit and goat and....
Note to self: don't sweat the details...
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post #28 of 32
10/13/11 at 12:58pm
Thread Starter 
You might look into Feline's Pride. Shipping to your area might not be too bad. Shipping costs to Houston for it are pretty high.
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post #29 of 32
10/15/11 at 8:27am
Well to answer the question posed in the OP, I don't think any commercially prepared food is worry free. I worry more about what is in commercially prepared pet foods than the whole meat pieces I buy to feed my animals. That would include commercially prepared raw foods ( which I don't buy or feed).

Of course I still read packaging of anything I buy. But I don't buy ground meats even for myself. We grind at home if we are having burgers or meatloaf for example. The only times I've fed ground meats to my animals was the puppy when we first transitioned her to raw and we ground that ourselves.
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post #30 of 32
10/15/11 at 11:23am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Melesine View Post
Well to answer the question posed in the OP, I don't think any commercially prepared food is worry free. I worry more about what is in commercially prepared pet foods than the whole meat pieces I buy to feed my animals. That would include commercially prepared raw foods ( which I don't buy or feed).

Of course I still read packaging of anything I buy. But I don't buy ground meats even for myself. We grind at home if we are having burgers or meatloaf for example. The only times I've fed ground meats to my animals was the puppy when we first transitioned her to raw and we ground that ourselves.
What exactly concerns you about what is in the Nature's Variety products other than perhaps the fruits and veggies which have already been discussed?
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