# Cooking Raw Food - response from NV



## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Hi all:

After my experience with Cash getting sick- I wrote Nature's Variety to see if any one else had reported problems with a batch of their raw food (we don't really think that the raw food made Cash sick, it is just one of the possible causes) I also wanted to get the companies opinion about the safety of cooking the medallions. I wish it were otherwise, but medallions are all I can get them to eat-- and after Cash's illness (happened after I had fed them raw for just a few days) -- I just can't feed it to them raw anymore as irrational as it is.

Here is what they wrote-- they pretty much said what my Vet did- but it was good to here it from them. I feel pretty good about their response-- Although I wish there was a name and phone number.



> Dear Ms. Frederick,
> 
> Thank you again for taking the time to contact us at Nature's Variety with your recent experience with the Raw Frozen Diets.
> 
> ...


I am not taking them up on looking at Cash's records, as I feel he has seen some pretty great doctors--- But I think it was a nice gesture. But I did take them up on some Vouchers... LOL.


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## Me&2Girls (May 11, 2007)

Hey Missy - that's great that you can cook them without a big problem. It was very nice of them to offer to look at Cash's records. Sounds like a pretty good company and it seems like they responded very quickly.


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Hi Missy,

Pretty good response from NV. What 'meat' were you feeding anyhow? Chicken?
Did you send them the lot # and all that? Just out of curiosity, when does your bag expire?

Wonder how I can hit them up for some vouchers... 

Ryan


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Missy,
What a great response from NV. I am so glad to learn that we can cook them because now maybe my 2 will eat them. I am going to try it tonight. What do you think, a little salmon oil in a small frying pan? microwave? 
I'll let you know how they respond.
Oh, did you know they also have freeze dried? I haven't tried it yet.
Thanks for the info.
Carole
xxoox


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Ryan, it was beef- I couldn't find the lot # but the expiration 1/09. Here's an article I found that made me think it was possibly the food -- but since Jasper was fine it is unlikely- unless Cash has a compromised immune system. I would just compliment them and ask them if they have coupons.

http://www.naturalholistic.com/handouts/neospora.htm

Carole, I admit to nuking them. but I think frying them up in a little salmon or olive oil would probably taste better. Let me know how it goes over with your gang.


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Missy,
Beef is actually Beamers least favorite flavour... At one time I thought he might be even alergic to it... who knows..
Have you tried the other flavours?

Ryan


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Ryan, We use primarily the Chicken and the Beef- Jasper prefers beef and Cash Chicken (of course they can't make it easy on me.) Jasper pretty much grew up on the Rabbit- but I stopped using that when I found out they sourced the rabbit from outside of the US including China (you would think there would be plenty of rabbit in North America don't you?) Tried the lamb-- Jassy was OK with it- Cash wouldn't touch it. haven't tried the venison yet. Oh and they don't care much for the freeze dried but it is quite a bit more expensive too. 

It's funny, but Jassy my finicky boy has become quite a good eater (he'll even eat kibble every now and then.) Cash on the other hand who was a chow hound has decided (since he was sick) that if it doesn't come from my hand it can't be worth eating. Do you think he knows he's milking our sympathy?


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## BeverlyA (Oct 29, 2006)

Hi Missy,

I don't have a name for you, but the plant is just a mile down the road from me. If you'd like, I can get you a phone number for them. I've called them before and you get a phone tree, but eventually can speak to a human. It's actually a very small plant, so I can't imagine there are that many employees there. The company also makes food for zoo's I believe.

Beverly


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Missy,
I fried about 8 little lamb medallions in a little salmon oil and they couldn't eat it fast enough! When it was raw Vinny would try to push his dish under something to hide it......it discussed him and he even went 3 days without eating and then ate a little cause he was starving. It even smelled great. I cut them into little pieces before cooking and cooked it what I would call medium/rare. 
To be honest with you I was feeling so bad that the dogs were trying to eat what they obviously hated. It discussed me to look at it. Now that I know they can get the same benefit by cooking it they are happy and so am I.
eace::whoo:


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Missy, good to know as I've been wondering about the whole 'cooking the raw food' thing. I will pass the info on to my boss who owns the health food store as he believed it would be unwise to cook the medallions. There might be some loss of nutrients, but it's good to know it's not enough to no longer cook them should I feel like it.

you wrote: *"It's funny, but Jassy my finicky boy has become quite a good eater (he'll even eat kibble every now and then.) Cash on the other hand who was a chow hound has decided (since he was sick) that if it doesn't come from my hand it can't be worth eating. Do you think he knows he's milking our sympathy?"*

I have to LOL at that. Sooooooo what else is new, eh? 

I think thier vet wouldn't even say it was the food causing Cash's problems anyway. Nice of them to offer, but it wouldn't be very objective. As you said, though, your vets were more than qualified for the job.


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## JanB (Oct 26, 2007)

Missy thanks for the info. I give the NV medallions to Tessa for one meal a day. I haven't seen the beef but she loves the chicken/turkey, the venison and the lamb. I alternate them. I nuke them just to thaw and sometimes a tiny bit gets cooked. Usually I hand feed it (with a food service glove on) so her face doesn't get gross. It's a good time to work on commands and make her work for her food. She loves it so much she often goes to the basement door and whines as we keep it in our basement freezer 

It was a nice response from the company but I know what you mean. It's like when we get sick after eating a food. Even if the food wasn't the cause we can't ever eat it again!


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Beverly, I would love the name of the small plant down the street from you...

Carole, I may try frying them up. I actually have the opposite problem, now that the have tasted it raw they are just sniffing the cooked and walking away (uh will it ever end with these two?)

Marj, yes I am laughing big time as I try to force feed my pudge Cash, who is no longer a pudge--he's lost 2 lbs since he got sick-- he's still not thin but I do worry about him. The other thing to consider about NV's comment about cooking--- although I hate to be so cynical-- they know I am customer who cooks and is afraid of raw-- would they really tell me not to cook their food? 
I suppose they would if it posed a real danger. I do plan on supplimenting my cooked raw(if they start eating it) with a suppliment however.

this is one a friend reccomended-- she used the horse version for her horses

http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/88/2


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Carole, I just fried up the boys medallions tonight in a little spray of olive oil. while they cooled In their bowls I tossed some green beans and potato in the pan juices and added a dash of sardine oil. Let me say the only time I have seen Jasper eat faster and with more intent was for a marrow bone. Cash was still a little hesitant but did eventually eat them- which is more than he has been doing since his bout with what ever it was. I think the antibiotics are still doing a number on him. 

But thank you for telling me that you did it. It really is almost as easy as microwaving them and they sure do smell a lot better!!!


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Missy, that is great. It even sounds delicious. I wasn't as lucky tonight because I cooked up the vennison medalions and they wouldn't taste them. I am going to cook some lamb now, like last night, and see if the story is the same. If they don't like the lamb they loved last night I think I'll just cook up Vinny and Lulu........I guess that's not even funny......ya just gotta love them ....

OK, I'm back on edit. They gobbled the lamb again. I even followed your lead and added a little potato and sweet peas. I think I'll go buy some chicken and beef and try them too.
Carole
xxoox


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Carole, I remember the one time I tried Venison Medallions when I only had Jasper (bravo not NV) I thought he would go wild because- the CANZ Venison real meat treats are his favorites...But he approached his bowl like it was a alive-- very tentatively, kept his body as far back as possible and just stretched his neck to get a smell and then he kind of circled it and proceeded to rub himself on the floor furiously, lots of snorts and grunts... But never went back to eat it. I guess that told me. 

But yeah, I understand wanting to cook the pooches-- or at least throw up your hands and give them cheez whiz-- (I doubt my boys would eat it.) I know we play into their finickyness by doing what we do --- but I am not sure what else I could do.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

Missy, this is 3 nights in a row now that they have happily eaten their fried lamb. I'm so glad you mentioned the potatoes, etc. Now they have their own little stir-fry. It seems to go a little better when I defrost the medallions first with a one minute nuke and then fry it. I was going to go out and get some chicken and beef but my DH says that we finally found something they both like so why rock the boat.
It is so funny how you describe Jasper stretching out to get a little sniff of the venison because that is exactly what Vinny did. Then he walked away repulsed.
How are your guys doing? 
Carole
xxoox


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Carole - I feed Lola the NV freeze dried medallions, chopped up with NV kibble, and moistened. Both are raw with some sort of coating that keeps them stable. The freeze dried are great for travel and seem pretty yummy. I rotate through all the flavors. But Lola would eat anything, so the finicky eater advice is non-existant at my house.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Carole, I agree with your DH on this. I long to have both boys eating again. And if you just bought chicken and beef etc, you would have to start worrying about suppliments. Glad your fur babies are enjoying it. I know this sounds crazy-- but I am a little grossed out using the same pan I use to scramble eggs for us-- I may have to go out abd buy the boys their own pan (any excuse to shop--LOL)


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Missy.. I hear ya on that.. lol,.. 
But then again, its only meat, right? meat is meat??? It's funny though.. all these raw food and bones say *'human grade'* but also have the message *'not intended for human consumption'*... lol
weird eh?

Ryan


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Ryan, I had that explained to me when I was questioning NV about where their rabbit was sourced from (everywhere and anywhere) and if the chicken and beef was USDA/human grade. They said yes it was sourced from the US and the same product that human grade proteins come from-- but that we don't eat the muscle, bone, heart, lungs etc. So that it can not be USDA. 

You know what's even crazier--- do we do this much research on what WE eat?

My next novel (not that i have written a novel) is going to be called "the Princes of Winter Lane"


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## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Missy,
Sine you are back on the raw thing.. or semi raw thing...
You migth want to try the raw pork bones... Wow.. Beamer LOVES them so much.. way more than he likes the beek neck bones.. good times.. good times.. lol

Ryan


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## Jazi (Oct 13, 2010)

*Raw food*

I put the raw food in a small glass dish and warm it for 12 seconds. I heard you are not suppose to feed the food very cold.


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