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Old December 5th, 2006, 08:32 PM
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Nature's Variety

What do you think of this food?

www.naturesvariety.com
  #2  
Old December 5th, 2006, 11:00 PM
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I only looked at the Chicken Meal and Brown Rice formula. It has three grains and only one protein source. I don't like citric acid because of the bloat concern and I have large dogs. I don't like menhaden fish meal because it's usually preserved with ethoxyquin before it's sold to the pet food company. They don't say if the Vitamin K is K1 or K3. If it's K3 then it is menadione sodium bisulfite complex which is not safe IMO.


Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Medley
Nature's Variety Prairie Canine Dry Diet

High in meat protein
Whole grains
Exclusive freeze dried raw meat Bio-Coating
Naturally formulated for rotation feeding
Complete and balanced for all life stages

Healthy, Natural Ingredients
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Montmorillonite Clay, Flaxseed Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Alfalfa Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Niacin Supplement, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Folic Acid), Sea Salt, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite), Chicken Liver, Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Apples, Carrots, Peas, Cottage Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver, Freeze Dried Turkey Hearts, Pumpkinseeds, Ground Chicken Bone, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Rosemary Extract, Sage, Clove

Prairie Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Medley is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile for All Life Stages.

Feeding Guide and Instructions
Sudden changes in diet can sometimes result in digestive disturbances. Do not overfeed regardless of the pet’s acceptance and eagerness. Overfeeding is the most common cause of digestive upset. Always introduce any new diet over a period of days, mixing with the present diet. Keep fresh water available at all times and offer plenty of exercise.

For more detailed feeding information based on your pet's weight and activity level, please visit our Interactive Feeding Guideline.

Sizes Available
5 lb (2.27 kg)
15 lb (6.81 kg)
30 lb (13.62 kg)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min) 26.0%
Crude Fat (min) 14.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.4%
Moisture (max) 10.0%

Calories
391 per cup

Other Nutritional Data
Calcium (min): 1.41%
Phosphorus (min): 0.90%
Vitamin E (min): 128.4 IU/kg
Vitamin C* (min): 50 mg/kg
Omega 6 Fatty Acids* (min): 2.12%
Omega 3 Fatty Acids* (min): 0.56%
*Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles.

Vitamins
Carotene: 5.63 mg/kg
Vitamin A: 19220 IU/kg
Vitamin D: 2433 IU/kg
Vitamin E: 128.4 IU/kg
Vitamin K: 0.75 mg/kg
Ascorbic Acid: 50 mg/kg
Thiamine: 12.28 mg/kg
Riboflavin: 8.88 mg/kg
Pantothenic Acid: 19.63 mg/kg
Biotin: 0.45 mg/kg
Folic Acid: 0.36 mg/kg
Choline: 3379 mg/kg
Vitamin B12 0.12 mg/kg
Vitamin B6 4.4 mg/kg
Niacin: 58.79 mg/kg
Iodine: 3 mg/kg

Minerals
Sodium: 0.41%
Potassium: 0.65%
Chloride: 0.79%
Magnesium: 0.12%
Sulfur: 0.23%
Manganese: 29.78 mg/kg
Iron: 272.90 mg/kg
Copper: 24.80 mg/kg
Zinc: 244.10 mg/kg
Selenium: 0.41 mg/kg

Amino Acids
Methionine-Cystine: 0.96%
Methionine: 0.55%
Cystine: 0.41%
Lysine: 1.77%
Tryptophan: 0.30%
Threonine: 1.251%
Isoleucine: 1.17%
Histidine: 0.67%
Valine: 1.38%
Leucine: 2.37%
Arginine: 1.59%
Phenylalanine-Tyrosine: 1.20%
  #3  
Old December 5th, 2006, 11:21 PM
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Yeah, there's no menadione in it anymore. The newer bags don't have it.

Personally, after having so many allergy dogs, I just think this is a recipe for disaster as pertaining to allergies. For dogs who aren't prone to anything, great! But it would be so hard to figure out the allergy for the more sensitive ones...
  #4  
Old December 5th, 2006, 11:27 PM
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Queen Picky didn't like it. Even on day one didn't like it. The chicken one. She pouted through the entire bag.
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Old December 5th, 2006, 11:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Prin
Yeah, there's no menadione in it anymore. The newer bags don't have it.
Well, that's good news.
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Old December 6th, 2006, 09:34 AM
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dakotah loved all the varieties and did as well on them as on any other holistic kibble (which is not very good, LOL). when they first introduced their venison dry, it had much better ingredients, more meat & protein, but then they downgraded what a turnoff.

their raw instinct kibble is pretty good, and their raw foods look promising
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Old December 6th, 2006, 09:46 AM
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Harley uses their raw food. very tastey from his point of view. Never tried the kibble. Seems the only one he does well with is DVP. so we stick to their raw
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Old December 9th, 2006, 09:13 AM
gonementally2da gonementally2da is offline
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can't say much about Nature's cause between those who have used it and those who haven't i've never noticed a difference. personally my favorite of all foods and the one dogs really show well on is Diamond (a little harder to find though petco has started carrying some varieties, but most feed stores carry it) within a month your dogs coat shines and is healthier, it is great for development and health and THEY LOVE IT!!) I also notice few dogs have allergies from it!
  #9  
Old December 9th, 2006, 10:14 AM
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When I was feeding RAW I used their raw patties and medallions. The dogs LOVED it, but the price was way too much. So then I moved onto the prey model raw, now we are back to kibble lol. I'm not sure about their kibble, I don't know anywhere that sells it... just their raw stuff.
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Old December 9th, 2006, 10:22 PM
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Diamond pet food? Hhhhmmmm.........There was a huge scare recently about Diamond & they had to recall tons of bags of food
  #11  
Old December 9th, 2006, 10:24 PM
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Not sure diamond is better than Nature's Variety, personally...
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Old December 9th, 2006, 10:27 PM
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Thats a lot of different protein sources.
  #13  
Old December 9th, 2006, 10:28 PM
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Yeah, a lot of things to possibly aggravate an allergy.
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Old December 9th, 2006, 10:30 PM
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Definitely,it is a real trend that I am not a fan of
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Old December 9th, 2006, 11:44 PM
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diamond dog food is VERY middle-grade. Nature's variety is high-grade holistic. nothing to wonder about when deciding which is better quality
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Old December 10th, 2006, 12:44 PM
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it was only a small style of diamond that was recalled. and that can happen to any product heck lettuce has been recalled!! as for the allergies i've NEVER seen any dog show allergies on it and i' know MANY people who have used it regularly. it's a personal choice on dog food and even though aparently some may feel it's "middle grade" I (and many people i know) look at nature's choice as being the "middle grade".
i was simply trying to help.
  #17  
Old December 10th, 2006, 01:17 PM
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Quote:
even though aparently some may feel it's "middle grade" I (and many people i know) look at nature's choice as being the "middle grade".
we are not talking about "nature's choice" here, but "nature's variety" - please check out their website for more info on their products: http://www.naturesvariety.com/.

And it's not about "feeling" if a food is middle-grade or not, it's about looking at the ingredients on the bag, understanding what they mean, where the ingredients come from, and arriving at a FACT. and the FACT is that no food by the Diamond brand is as high-grade as Nature's Variety, ingredient-wise. that's all. You may want to surf the Food forum to get more info on how to grade a dog food, or cruise http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ for a list of good vs bad ingredients to look out for. it's a very eye-opening experience. Also, not because you don't personally know anyone whose dog does poorly on the Diamond brand does this mean that's the case for all dogs. think about it
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Old December 10th, 2006, 01:27 PM
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That is not a fact,it is an opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by technodoll View Post

And it's not about "feeling" if a food is middle-grade or not, it's about looking at the ingredients on the bag, understanding what they mean, where the ingredients come from, and arriving at a FACT. and the FACT is that no food by the Diamond brand is as high-grade as Nature's Variety, ingredient-wise. that's all. . think about it
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Old December 10th, 2006, 04:58 PM
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Let's see.

Diamond Maintenance Formula for dogs (dry):

Quote:
Quote:
Ingredients
Chicken by-product meal, wheat flour, whole grain ground corn, rice bran, whole grain brown rice, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), beet pulp, egg product, fish meal, flaxseed, natural chicken flavor. Vitamins, minerals and chelated minerals
Nature's Variety Chicken Meal & Brown Rice Medley (dry):

Quote:
Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, Oatmeal, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Montmorillonite Clay, Flaxseed Meal, Natural Chicken Flavor, Alfalfa Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, vitamins & minerals, Chicken Liver, Inulin, Flaxseed Oil, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Apples, Carrots, Peas, Cottage Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Freeze Dried Chicken, Freeze Dried Turkey, Freeze Dried Turkey Liver, Freeze Dried Turkey Hearts, Pumpkinseeds, Ground Chicken Bone, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Rosemary Extract, Sage, Clove
LL1, if you think Diamond is an inferior food "by opinion only" and not by FACT, you need to head on over to the food forum and get some edumacation on what is a good food vs a bad one!
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  #20  
Old December 10th, 2006, 05:18 PM
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Been studying dog foods for about 7 years,no need for edumacatin here.They both look middle of the road to me,and I would not use either.

Quote:
Originally Posted by technodoll View Post
LL1, if you think Diamond is an inferior food "by opinion only" and not by FACT, you need to head on over to the food forum and get some edumacation on what is a good food vs a bad one!
  #21  
Old December 10th, 2006, 05:19 PM
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[QUOTE=technodoll;333330]we are not talking about "nature's choice" here, but "nature's variety" -

that was a mistake in my typing


and thank you to the senior contributor who said it was an "opinion not a fact" i appreciate someone correcting that. again i was expressing my personal view on what i feel is a great dog food, and i never said NO ONE has ever had a reaction to diamond, just that i have never met anyone who has had ANYTHING bad to say about Diamond. i also don't believe i ever said it was better than natures variety (lol got it right i think that time) i can't say anything about that one since i have never chosen to try it (why change when what i use works GREAT) i just said it was an alternative to try if the original starter of thread was having issues. it was simply an OPTION, i didn't expect to feel attacked for my opinion. hope you all have a great day!!!
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Old December 10th, 2006, 05:20 PM
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Old December 10th, 2006, 05:23 PM
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nobody was attacking your opinion... just setting some facts straight, was all. the fact is that any dog food containing by-products, wheat, corn, unidentified protein sources and human food-chain rejects (egg product, beet pulp, etc) is not a good food by any means. and that is a fact, not an opinion so please stop spreading false information around because it can only confuse less-educated people. we fight hard here to set the FACTS straight to educate folks who care to learn, and i will defend this position no matter what you say. good day to you too!
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Old December 10th, 2006, 05:37 PM
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Who is spreading false info?

And you are using your opinion,lets be honest here.As posted earlier by Prin, for dogs with allergies this can be a recipe for disaster.Fishmeal contains ethoxyquin which is a carcinogen and is not human grade.Citric acid has been indicated as a factor with bloat.Can you explain your opinion on why this food is better when it contains those ingredients?Bearing in mind opinions are like belly buttons etc


Quote:
Originally Posted by technodoll View Post
nobody was attacking your opinion... just setting some facts straight, was all. the fact is that any dog food containing by-products, wheat, corn, unidentified protein sources and human food-chain rejects (egg product, beet pulp, etc) is not a good food by any means. and that is a fact, not an opinion so please stop spreading false information around because it can only confuse less-educated people. we fight hard here to set the FACTS straight to educate folks who care to learn, and i will defend this position no matter what you say. good day to you too!
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Old December 10th, 2006, 05:46 PM
gonementally2da gonementally2da is offline
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Arrow what would you recommend?

i believe you said you've studied dog food for 7 years? (i am curious as to why, most people wouldn't get that into it, but i know you had to have your reasons and am curious if you had a bad experience that would be a warning to not watching more carefully) so from someone who always tries to do best but honestly has more experience in the medical side and the training side, i would appreciate your opinion on some really good brands that still have the benefit of beautiful coat, healthy big dog (i have a rott and boxer), etc?
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Old December 10th, 2006, 05:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LL1
Bearing in mind opinions are like belly buttons etc
LOL! always the clever one, you are as if i'm going to waste my breath arguing with you on anything. not a chance hun

Gonementally2da, there are many educated members on this forum who are qualified to give you food recommendations. do some searches on previous threads for lots of great advice & food resources, you'll be pleasantly surprised! since you are new to the forum, better to get to know the members before jumping to conclusions based on this thread alone. just some friendly advice.
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Last edited by technodoll; December 10th, 2006 at 05:51 PM.
  #27  
Old December 10th, 2006, 05:57 PM
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Over the last few years I have had several dogs,in my home and in my rescue,that had some serious health issues so I have been looking for years to try and make the best possible choices for my furry friends.I also am very interested in nutrition for humans so it is a bit of a hobby,when I have time of course!

Where are you located?Have you thought about a home prepared diet,either cooked or raw(home made or store bought)?Or would you prefer a kibble or canned diet for your dogs?I can suggest some books to read too if you like?
Quote:
Originally Posted by gonementally2da View Post
i believe you said you've studied dog food for 7 years? (i am curious as to why, most people wouldn't get that into it, but i know you had to have your reasons and am curious if you had a bad experience that would be a warning to not watching more carefully) so from someone who always tries to do best but honestly has more experience in the medical side and the training side, i would appreciate your opinion on some really good brands that still have the benefit of beautiful coat, healthy big dog (i have a rott and boxer), etc?
  #28  
Old December 10th, 2006, 07:59 PM
gonementally2da gonementally2da is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LL1 View Post
Where are you located?Have you thought about a home prepared diet,either cooked or raw(home made or store bought)?Or would you prefer a kibble or canned diet for your dogs?I can suggest some books to read too if you like?
home prepared isn't workable for me, two big dogs, two children, husband and job! i'd be running even more than usual. i don't like canned(it causes too many dental problems. so i guess kibble.oh yeah, my area is kansas city. i'm always willing to check into options. thanks!
  #29  
Old December 10th, 2006, 08:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LL1 View Post
Been studying dog foods for about 7 years
REALLY??? wow, impressive...

so after 7 years you still think that a food with a by-product as a first ingredient is as good as a food with a named MEAT meal as a first ingredient?
interesting....learn something new here everyday

Thanks for sharing your opinion on the matter
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Old December 10th, 2006, 08:12 PM
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Gonementally2da --> Here's a website that I've found VERY usefull in my quest to find a food that my Buster can digest.

http://www.boxerworld.com/feeding/

The lady who made it has been studying dog food for more than 7 years It basically gives you the basics in understanding the ingredients on your dog food label.

Quote:
home prepared isn't workable for me
I HEAR ya on that!! There are some really great food out there though, it's just a matter of reading the ingredients thouroughly.

Good luck!
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