Natures Menu frozen raw food.

[Scarlett]

We have an 7/8 month boxer x staffy pup that we got through a rescue 2 weeks ago. He has damage to his upper jaw which could be either a birth defect or as the result of a kick/trauma, either way the vet has told us to make sure his wet food is fed in large chunks to reduce the chances of him inhaling it, or feed him a diet of just dry food which I don't want to do.

We currently feed him and our other dog Skinners hypoallergenic dry food and Forthglade trays of meat - other dog is super food sensitive and has thrived on this - however I've always been curious when it came to raw diet and have bought a bag of the Natures Menu cubes to try. The dogs love them and I do like the convenience, plus they are slowing the pup down while he eats.

Are they as good as they seem, or would we do better feeding actual raw meat rather than food that has been already prepared? Does anyone feed their dog completely on this or is it fed alongside another foodstuff?

 

[Leo Walker]

They arent the best raw food, and are quite expensive if I remember the prices correctly. Have a look at Durham Animal Feeds and Manifold Valley Meats for some comparisons in cost. They are both much better quality

Edited to add: Natures Menu is a complete food, so you would have to take a bit more care balancing the bone and offal etc content if you went with a different brand

 

[Teaselmeg]

Would an anti gulp bowl be any use ? Then you could feed something like Nutriment raw food.

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/search_adv.asp?sp=Anti-Gulp-Dog-Bowl

 

[Scarlett]

Thanks for the link - the vet did mention that type of bowl, it was next on my list of things to Google. The one you linked to is spot on and reasonably priced. Cheers!

 

[cremedemonthe]

Of you don't mind mixing your own I use http://landywoods.co.uk/ for my raw food, they deliver to my part of Surrey once a month, Oz

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I make up my dogs' raw diet from basic ingredients (Dog Food Company) but I'm not sure what the vet means about inhaling. Does he gulp? Or is it because of the damaged jaw? Would minces therefore not be better? One of mine gulps his food then throws up later unless it's the mince or a tray of wet food.

It would certainly be cheaper for you to source from a supplier than to use the frozen cubes. You could try using stuff from the supermarket that's reduced, but you do need to aim for the ratios mentioned.

Here's a list of raw suppliers in the UK: http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-and-nutrition/197702-raw-food-supplier-list.html

 

[dollyanna]

I am in a raw group on fb, there are many people who just use the nuggets, especially the country hunter ones - you do need to be a little careful because they are not all equal, some have rice, some have no bone (which is an important part of raw), some are truly "complete" as a mince. There may be better quality, but it isn't that awful, sometimes they defrost to be quite sloppy which I think people don't like but this might help slow a speedy feeder down!! They are a good introduction to raw, to see if you and the dogs suit it, and then when you are happy you can start researching how to do it cheaper by buying in bulk etc. Some don't have the space to buy in bulk, and find the convenience worth more to them than the slight added expense. I use them to add variety alongside diy, as well as Nutriment (which is usually considered better complete).

 

[Equi]

I have a raw feed expert in my friends list, her website is http://www.naturalbullies.co.uk/ she makes and sells treats as well as gives advice if you email her. She has an am bull and a staffy x so knows the best diet for bulls.

 

[Scarlett]

Thanks for the replies folks.

Basically the pup has what is best described as a cleft palate so there is an opening in his lip at the front and a small gap in his palate at his nostril, he's also had a section of jaw and some top teeth removed. He cant have anything too soft as there is a slight chance he could breathe it in, hence the need for food we can give him in chunks. His greediness is partly the fact he hasn't been very well treated and he is getting loads better and becoming a lot less anxious which has slowed him down a little.

I shall do some more reading - I need to get some food today so will pick up some more of the cubes and continue introducing raw to their diets while I investigate other options.

 

[Scarlett]

This gives you an idea of the damage to his wee face.

 

[Equi]

Bless him. Glad he has s good home x

 

[dollyanna]

Oh I see, you don't want the mince, you want the chunks - in that case, yes NM might suit you quite well, certainly initially.You would have to feed it frozen though, or mostly frozen - they disintegrate when defrosted. You might want to try moving on to solid chunks of meat and soft bones at some point for his mental well being if he doesn't have any trouble chewing, but you would have to monitor whether he is better with frozen chunks that make him chew or defrosted that he could well swallow in large pieces but might not be a problem for him.
Bless his soul, what a little cutie!! Good luck, hope he likes his chunks!

 

[Scarlett]

Thanks again.

He's doing really, really well even just with the change to Skinners/Forthglade combo but I'll keep up with some of the chunks every day for his breakfast whilst I look at all the other options. Theres just so much to read and learn about raw feeding - we just want to get it right.

He is really good with chews and certainly isn't compromised that way, I might look at introducing him to some bones in the next couple of weeks.

 

[dollyanna]

If you are on fb I highly recommend Rawfeeding Rebels - really friendly group, accepting of any variation of raw feeding from complete prepared to complete kill-it-yourself and everything in between!! So much info available.