Recommendations for raw complete dog food

[charliebbarkin]

I don't have experience with HK, Sojo's or ZiwiPeak, but one of my Labs is on a raw diet (Bravo Blend) and is doing very, very well. It is pre-made and has a balance of meat, organ, bone and vegetable. Not sure what kind of allergies your Lab has, but it comes in a few different formulas (chicken, turkey, lamb, beef....and I feel like there is one more I'm forgetting) and is super easy to portion and feed. Only downside is when we go away! I'm slowly transitioning my other two over as well, and once I feel comfortable and have more raw experience I plan to make everything at home. (Well, make in the sense that I won't be feeding pre-packaged....I'll mix meat, organ, bone and veggies on my own.)

FYI
Bravo just had a recall.

[BogeyBaby]

I feed Primal raw. It's highly rated. You can get it in chubs, bars, nuggets or something that looks like kibble. (Each one takes less time to thaw.) Also they have freeze dried which you have to reconstitute. It's a complete food (meat, organs, bones as well as vegetables).

I had bought a bunch of chubs of 100% meat from Hare Today Gone Tomorrow (Betty's recommendation) but found it difficult and rather messy to partially thaw the chubs, cut, repackage and refreeze. A lot of work.

So I went with Primal in the bricks (thaw overnight or during the day in the fridge). That went well but the price is rather high. I order from Chewy with free shipping but they don't do frozen. I had ordered from PetFoodDirect but the overnight charge to send 50 pounds of food was outrageous. Now I order the freeze dried from Chewy with no shipping charges. They like it a lot.

[SCDoug]

Thanks for all of the ideas.

[SCDoug]

I thought I'd check in with an update. We've had Lola on Canine Caviar duck formula for 3 weeks. It's the only Canine Caviar formula that meets all of her allergy issues. and so far it's been great. She loves the food, stools have been the best ever, and she seems to be gaining a few ounces of weight.

We also introduced a frozen raw food to Lola's diet made by a company called Small Batch. It's expensive, so we're feeding that twice a week.

So far so good, so we're planning on introducing some home cooked meals to her diet next. We're also going to give the Primal freeze dried a try, as it meets all of Lola's needs.

[Georgia]

That's good news. I'm glad you found something that works!

[charliebbarkin]

Great! Thanks for the update, I am really happy to hear you have found something that is working! We have used small batch before for Charlie, though not often.

keep us posted on the other stuff you try! There are so many great options for raw food now, especially in your area.

[SCDoug]

Quick update. We've added Primal turkey and sardine freeze dried nuggets to our rotation (a big hit with Lola) . So now, we rotate between Canine Caviar (most days), Primal or Small batch once a week, and home cooked once a week.

These foods cost an arm and a leg, but it sure beats vet bills.

[Berna]

Just want to add: beware of the "complete" label on pre-made raw foods (or home-cooked for that matter). It's not kibble, so no vitamins/mineras added. Make sure you feed a variety of meats and organs (and veggies if they are added), and you will get balance over time. Balancing one meal is impossible and unnecessary.

[Laura]

I know you are looking for convenience and a complete meal. When I was a raw feeder, I fed whole prey model and it was easy and not expensive. When we vacationed, I would package up meals individually and label when they were to be fed. I wouldn't want the responsibility of figuring out if a meal was too bony and what should be fed next to fall on a sitter. Anyhow, I have never had a dog sitter/friend/family member balk at feeding the meals I prepared.
Another option, if you want to make it really easy for them is to pre-grind the meals for them and bag them up separately. I think you miss out on the lovely crunching benefits, but they still get the nutrients they need. I had to grind for Harley when he developed his esophageal stricture (poor surgical outcome) and used an electric grinder by Northern Tool.