[satobrinn]

From their Shipping Info page (http://reelrawdog.com/pages/free-shipping):

HOW MANY DAYS NOTICE DO I NEED TO GIVE FOR NEW ORDERS?
10 – 14 days for shipments. Depending on product availability it may take longer to fulfill orders.

[satobrinn]

They send you an email when the order is ready and it ships the next day (can take up to 2 weeks to prepare depending on the order). I initially ordered in bulk – ground with tripe as you plan on doing – and measured it out myself. I decided I’d see what the pre-measured is like, and I ended up really liking the variety and convenience….but with 3 dogs I would probably order in bulk! I started off with the combo and the tripe and she loved it! It’s all frozen when it arrives.

[satobrinn]

I have nothing to compare it to but I’ve been really pleased with their service, and with how responsive they are to questions and concerns. They include rabbit and pork in the list of items for the premium pre-measured service, and my dog wouldn’t touch either of them – they suggested I swap those out for items that she likes, which I really appreciated. We have an order arriving today. If you try them you’ll have to let me know what you think as someone who has experience with another service.

[satobrinn]

Hi – I was initially just looking for green tripe, and fell in love with ReelRaw (http://reelrawdog.com/), which has several different options for ordering raw food. I’m on the North Shore in MA. They recently relocated from Texas, lucky us!

[satobrinn]

Just when I thought I was doing the right thing! I use a company in ME that will pre-measure a variety of meats using the prey model, and they offer the option of raw meaty bones with each meal or a bone-in option. She isn’t a super gulper, but I’m still worried about her choking on a bone and thought I would switch to the bone-in option. This is an interesting point which leaves me wondering what I should do. I also use salmon oil and some say that too should be avoided. I would consider rotating oils, but I wouldn’t want to cut out salmon oil entirely.

[satobrinn]

Hi wantthebest4myk9:

I wanted to post this last night but I became too busy…..this is a nice starting point for a dog’s home cooked diet that can be tweaked to a dog’s specific needs. I wouldn’t hesitate to consult with either a vet or dog nutritionist if you have concerns about deficiencies or too much protein. I’m not as familiar with the dietary requirements of a toy dog other than the reality of having to feed them more often to make sure they get an adequate amount of food for proper nutrition. Carbs in general aren’t considered necessary for a healthy canine diet, but again, each dog’s needs are different. Hopefully this can be a helpful starting point and you can feel good about what you feed your dog (other supplements are optional and best discussed with your vet):

Sample daily cooked diet:
8 to 12 ounces lean muscle meat/heart/fish/leftovers
1 to 2 ounces liver or kidney (daily or every other day)
1 to 2 eggs (daily or every other day)
1 to 4 ounces yogurt, kefir or cottage cheese
2 to 8 ounces cooked grains, pasta, or starchy veggies (no more than half the diet, max)
Any amount of green or other non-starchy vegetables
1000 mg calcium (for example, 1/2 tsp ground eggshell, or 1 tsp Animal Essentials Natural Calcium, or 1 tsp bone meal that has 1000 mg calcium per teaspoon)

[satobrinn]

@ Hound Dog Mom – you must have really happy pups, that sounds great! I have a hound mix myself, very high energy and she thrives on high protein as well as higher fat than some dogs.

[satobrinn]

While dogs with specific medical issues may be affected by too much protein, by and large recent research suggests that the notion of having too much protein is a myth both for senior dogs as well as for puppies. Dogs thrive on quality protein and it should makes up at least half of your dog’s diet, the remaining ingredients falling into place at various ratios. One of the most important aspects of a dog’s diet is variety. Healthy humans typically follow the same basic idea, and we benefit from rotating the sources of our nutrients by having different meals every day. By following general guidelines about fat intake and activity level we can stay lean and healthy while getting the nutrients we need. I think the biggest mistake we make when feeding our dogs is getting stuck in a pattern of feeding the same foods repeatedly. Vets don’t always have a great handle on nutrition, but speaking to your vet about your dog’s overall health and lifestyle is a good place to start if you’re really concerned about too much protein. Providing all the minerals and vitamins is more of a challenge in home cooking than determining the protein amount, and then you have to decide if you want to use synthetic sources or natural sources. Find a pyramid that makes sense for your dog and switch it up.

[satobrinn]

For people feeding raw it may not an issue at all, but the premix ‘Preference’ version of THK that requires a protein is also specifically made for both raw and cooked diets. While Dr. Harvey’s has been reviewed, it hasn’t been reviewed by DogFoodAdvisor that I’ve seen and I like knowing that THK has been rated well, is grain free, has a variety where I can add my own protein, and is balanced in such a way that the other varieties can still have extras added without throwing off the ratios. I think food rotation is so important for a balanced diet and there’s no stomach upset with a food that isn’t so heavily processed. It just happens to be my favorite option and my dog loves it, so for anyone looking for an alternative to Dr. Harvey’s I think this is a good choice. Whichever option is best for you, there’s no doubt that a diet with less processed food helps with overall health such as food intolerances, improved stools, and higher energy to name a few.

[satobrinn]

I like adding my own protein to my dog’s food, and at first I tried Dr. Harveys but learned it may not have enough calcium, so I tried The Honest Kitchen, which has several varieties, and I’m much happier using a grain free, dehydrated food that’s more complete: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food

DogFoodAdvisor has reviewed this brand and 3 of the varieties earned 5 stars. Preference requires that you add a protein so you can prepare quality meats and add it to the food for a complete meal. On days I don’t have meat on hand I use one of the varieties that has meat, and I sprinkle a boiled egg or some other goodie. I love it, and it’s not processed so I feel much better about it.
/dog-food-reviews/honest-kitchen-dog-food/

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