The topic of feeding raw deserves a discussion, actually several.  For now I’m only going to acknowledge that some animal-lovers are pro-raw and some are against it, and many aren’t sure what to think yet.  For those of you who are looking for more info on raw in general, come see us in either store, or email me.  In future posts we’ll discuss pros and cons.

This month, we’re featuring Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Diets as our featured food of the month.  That means you can buy it at 10% off through February 29th, and we’ll be giving out samples and coupons while supplies last.  Or, you can go online and print a coupon for $3 off.  Yes, we’ll give you the coupon value AND the 10% off…..

My impression of Nature’s Variety is that they are truly committed to making high quality products, and they are committed to education.  They have a Nutrition Council of pet experts as advisors.  They have knowledgeable reps in the field who can actually answer questions.  They provide information via webinars that are available to the public.  They stand by their products with 100% guarantee.  They are a relatively small, independently-held and -run company in Nebraska.  I like what’s in the bag:  meat, ground bone, organ, berries, kelp, leafy & orange vegetables, EFAs, montmorillonite clay.   Their chicken is either organic or antibiotic-free, their bison and lamb are free-range, and there are no grains or grain fragments in their  Instinct line (their Prairie line does use grains, but only sources them from the US).   And I like that you can read about their ingredients in detail on their website.

One more thing:  Nature’s Variety recommends rotating your pets through a variety of foods.  It’s a good sign when a company advises you to rotate.  Why?  It means they are more integrity-driven than marketing-driven.  Brands that tell you to find one food that seems to work, and stick with it, are simply trying to lock you into a regular buying pattern that is better for them, but not better for your animal, or for you.  There’s enough variety to rotate completely within their brand (they’ve got a lot of choice: kibble, can, freeze-dried raw, frozen raw, and frozen raw bones too), but you can always rotate in other foods.  I like a broad rotation among high-quality brands so you can observe which foods your individual animal seems to do best with, and so that you can benefit from sales.

A few more quick points I’d like to make:

– it performs very well, especially with sensitive dogs and cats

– it’s available in novel proteins (bison, venison, rabbit)

– it’s feeds well (meaning the pets really like it, and it doesn’t disintegrate into mush before you can get it in the bowl)

– the backyard bonus/litter box luxury factor…what comes out is compact and isn’t as smelly