# Natures Variety Raw



## BrooklynBonnie (Jan 16, 2015)

I am sorry I can't help with your main question (though does the bag say to give that amount to him?) but thought I'd add my experience in case it does help a bit.

I have a 6month old (today she turns 24 weeks!) mini who I feed Nature's Variety. At night when it's time to go in her crate, she gets a small helping of the NV Raw bites, which she scarfs as she loves it. However, in the morning, she gets a scoop of NV's Instinct Raw Boost Puppy kibble. That's the one with the freeze-dried raw pieces mixed in. 

I used to mix in NV Instinct canned food with the puppy kibble but weaned her off that for various reasons, mostly due to cost and laziness. She wouldn't touch it all day at first but would pick out the freeze-dried raw pieces only! It took about a week but she finally started eating the kibble in her bowl around dinner time each day and now starts eating some around lunch and finishes the rest around dinner time.

In the end I had to pick out all the freeze-dried pieces myself (I save them for training treats) and she seems to realize that is her food and all she gets, so will eat all the kibble in her dish each day by the end of the day now.

Basically, my point is I think I spoiled my pup by giving her the awesome canned food as she seemed to go on an eating strike when I stopped offering it. But she got hungry enough and eventually ate the kibble. Even now, almost a month later, she still doesn't eat her kibble in the morning most days. She ignores it like it will magically turn into canned or raw if she waits long enough. But hunger wins out. Good luck!


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## LEUllman (Feb 1, 2010)

You appear to have one of those mythical "picky eaters" I've read about on the forum. Beau is the opposite -- he's a "chow hound," and will scarf down anything you put in front of him, lick the bowl clean, and come looking for more.

We fed Beau Nature's Variety frozen patties for about a year or so. He loved it, but then he loves everything! The only problem is, NV is very rich, and to keep his weight under control, we had to limit his portions to the point where it just wasn't enough food. In the end we switched him back to a high-quality kibble after he began to have loose stools, which seems to be a common development with NV.


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## tubby3pug (Apr 7, 2014)

The bag gives a huge range for how much to feed from 4 to 8 patties for his size. I don't mind the cost as he is so small. I tried mixing the kibble in but he literally licked the NV off the kibble. He's only been hear a few days but to be honest I think NV is healthier the kibble anyway. My only disappointment is Id hope he'd be willing to be lured into a sit for it but no go. Im just glad he's eating and happy.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Gee, I don't know if they are equivalent size, but my girls eat the Stella and Chewy's freeze dried raw patties and get 1 1/2 - 2 a day, depending upon what else they eat treat-wise, so 4-8 sounds like a lot to me.
But the best thing to do is to go by "feel" - I try to give them just enough to grow lean and muscular, as it is really difficult to loose that extra body fat once they put it on. I gradually increased Timi's feeding by feeling her every day, and increasing the food the second that I thought that her bones felt too prominent, and she turned out beautifully!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

LEUllman said:


> You appear to have one of those mythical "picky eaters" I've read about on the forum. Beau is the opposite -- he's a "chow hound," and will scarf down anything you put in front of him, lick the bowl clean, and come looking for more.
> 
> We fed Beau Nature's Variety frozen patties for about a year or so. He loved it, but then he loves everything! The only problem is, NV is very rich, and to keep his weight under control, we had to limit his portions to the point where it just wasn't enough food. In the end we switched him back to a high-quality kibble after he began to have loose stools, which seems to be a common development with NV.



Oh if loose stools is a common problem with that food, try the Stella and Chewy's - it has quite the opposite effect!


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## tubby3pug (Apr 7, 2014)

I feed my pugs the freeze dried as a kibble topper and Tuvok wouldn't touch it. The Bravo patties do look bigger then the NV Im going to go with 5 when he's a pup ad reduce to 4 when he's older but he's certainly not fat. If anything hess skinny


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