[ProudChiDad]

...from my specialty pet food store. I am going to transition Milo onto 1/2 premade medallions (chicken to start) and 1/2 Ziwipeak. I think I am sold on Stella and Chewy's. BUT they also have Nature's Variety, Bravo! and Primal.

Am I right that most here prefer Stella and Chewy's over the other mentioned premades?

 

[Brodysmom]

I like Stella and Chewys but there's no reason why you can't rotate through the other foods as well. Bravo is good as is Primal! Sounds like your store knows what they are doing. Your dogs would do well on any of those foods. I think that some of the Primal and Bravo grounds are made without veggies, so check those out.

Personally I would put Nature's Variety last, but many think it's fine. They do use denatured meats (denatured with charcoal so that it renders it inedible for humans). As far as I know, S&C does not use denatured meats. NV also imports their rabbit from China, so I stay away from them for that reason as well.

 

[ProudChiDad]

Thanks Brodysmom,

I love this store - they have every premium dog food I have heard of I think....I've slowly made my way up the premium kibble chain and now making the jump to premade raw and Ziwipeak. I guess I will look at Bravo and Primal as well ...don't really need the veggies...right? Thanks for the advice.

 

[ProudChiDad]

Maybe I'll get small trials of each?

 

[Brodysmom]

No, they don't need the veggies. But they aren't a huge deal breaker for me. If the food is a good one (and Primal, Bravo, and S&C are), then a few veggies aren't going to hurt anything. Especially if you are using the premades as a supplement in addition to the ZiwiPeak. You really are feeding the best of the best! So proud of you!

And yes, you could buy a small bag of each and see which one Milo prefers. Or just rotate through the different ones for variety.

 

[ProudChiDad]

Well just got home. Decided to just get the 3 pound bag of S&C Chicken patties. The Primal didn't have small trial packs and the trial for the Bravo line had chicken, beef and Lamb.... and I had read to start out on Chicken first so I figured I couldn't go wrong with S&C.

Also they had one other brand that looked interesting. I searched the forum and couldn't find any info on them - probably because their name is too generic. "Answers Raw Pet Food" (google that for their website). They sell a line called "Straight" that is just meat, organ meat and ground bone. No added vitamins or veggies. The ingredients on the Chicken pkg are: Chicken, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, ground chicken bone. Doesn't get more basic than that. They also have a line called "Detailed" that adds eggs, vegetables, fish oil, montmorillonite, kombucha, and natural trace minerals. I may have to ask in a new thread but any thoughts? Anybody heard of that brand? Haven't seen it mentioned but I am relatively new to the forum.

 

[Daisy Mae]

Hmm, let us know how Milo does.. I may try this as well. Tracy, we didnt do so well on raw. Daisy threw up raw chicken on the bed (on my husband's side) and he said enough is enough.. So, we are on Orijen fish.

 

[Brodysmom]

Daisy - bummer!! I sure wouldn't want to wake up to vomit on the bed. EWWW! Well, I hope the pre-made works better. Sometimes a little GI upset is normal though, and that can occur when switching between kibbles too. Some dogs just have a more sensitive stomach than others.

Milo's dad - yes, starting out on chicken is best because it is bland. But after about 2 weeks on chicken, you can branch out to other proteins. Try to keep the diet at about 70% red meat as red meats are more nutrient dense than poultry. But yes, it's good to start out on chicken as it's mild and the transition is usually very easy and seamless. Keep us posted!!

 

[ProudChiDad]

BrodysMom - thank you so much for all your help!

 

[Brodysmom]

BrodysMom - thank you so much for all your help!

You are so welcome! I'm excited for you. Let us know if you have questions and we'll help you.