What is the proper way to rotate through flavors without causing digestive upsets? Or is that not a concern with your product?Thursday, October 15, 2009

Just out of curiosity, why do you not recommend mixing protein sources for one meal?Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Simply put, it helps with the digestion process for your animal. While we do have a select few dual-protein diets (feline Beef & Salmon, feline Chicken & Salmon, and canine Turkey & Sardine), the secondary protein is much less than the primary protein source. Ultimately we want the best results for your animal's digestion and that's why we don't recommend mixing.Friday, October 30, 2009

Lynne, once your animal has successfully transitioned to a raw foods diet, you can begin to freely rotate through any of our protein sources that we have available at a pace that works for you and your pet. Changing varieties once transitioned to a raw foods diet is generally not a concern regarding digestive upset.

You can rotate after every bag or after every meal. Usually freezer space dictates the pace of rotation as most consumers do not have the freezer space to accommodate more than 2 or 3 bags at a time. We do recommend only one variety per meal as to maximize the digestion process to get the most out of a raw foods diet.

My cat won't eat the Primal raw. Can I try giving it to him cooked or will that take away the valuable nutrients?Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Thanks for your question Jean. As far as cooking the food, we don't recommend that as it does take away many of the nutrients and benefits of a raw foods diet.

Your pet's disinterest in raw foods may just be in the transition period. I would suggest trying a longer transition period where you mix the pet's previous food with Primal raw. You can start with as little as 1/4 Primal to 3/4 of the previous food. Over the course of 1 to 3 weeks, you can gradually reduce the amount of the previous food and increase the amount of Primal raw. This should give your pet enough time to adapt his/her palate to a raw foods diet as well as allowing his/her digestive system to get used to this type of diet.

If eating cold food is the issue, you can warm the food by placing it in a zip-seal back and placing it in lukewarm water. This will slowly raise the temperature of the raw product. Be careful not to use water that is too hot as this will potentially cook the raw food. This technique can also be used during the transition period to allow your pet to transition to a raw foods diet more easily.

Jean, I had the same issue at first. I mixed it half and half for a week and warmed it as instructed. Then I gradually day by day made it more cold out of the fridge. After a week or so I just fed straight warm Primal formula then I realized they liked it so much they didn't care if it were cold! I think they would eat the stuff frozen if I let them, haha. Now if we go out for the day, I can take a frozen patty, thaw it and they will just eat it off anything! (I take a paper plate) Once they get used to it, you won't ever go back! It's so easy :-)Thursday, November 05, 2009

Other raw diet companies recommend rotating a raw and dry diet. Do you recommend the same? If so, what dry food would you recommend?Monday, November 30, 2009

Laina, thank you for your inquiry. Primal recommends feeding a diet of 100% raw foods as these foods are species appropriate for both canines and felines. Some consumers do integrate kibble and/or canned food along with raw into their pet's feeding regimen. Our philosophy and recommendation is to feed raw foods only as these foods offer your pet the optimum form of high quality nutrition in a 100% digestible format. Please let us know if you have any further questions/comments on this topic.Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Hi all -- I've had great success with rotating proteins simply after every bag is done. But where did the Buffalo version go?

And I'd like to hear more about allergies & their determination. Maybe through a separate blog post with some data & personal stories.

Thank you,

Steve, we're glad to hear about your successful rotation regimen. Switching protein sources after each bag is the easiest way to rotate.

As for the Buffalo, we have never offered a Buffalo Formula. We do, however, have a Buffalo Grind and Buffalo Mix. These products are not complete diets and are meant for supplemental feeding. They are designed for those pet owners who prefer to tailor their pets' individual supplemental needs.

I'm treating my cat Jack, who has Feline LPGS, with raw diet and supplements. Six months of changed diet seems to have allowed Jack to heal most of his inflammation on his own. I would be interested in hearing from other cat owners who are treating LPGS with raw diet and supplements. Would you recommend changing protein sources in this case? I've been feeding Feline Beef and Salmon and Jack looks so good that I've been reluctant to make ANY changes in his diet. Once you've seen the effects of LPGS, you don't want to ever see it again.Monday, February 01, 2010

my little yorkie has always been on honest kitchen force. Her vet talked me into trying a dry kibble innova for her gums and teeth. She ended up in the hospital with enlarge liver, inflammed intestines and pancreatitis. He wants her on Hill i/d diet which has corn as the 2nd ingredient! NEVER!!! He said the fat content was to high in the force. Would your nuggets be good for her digestion?Tuesday, February 02, 2010

CAN I MIX THE NUGGETS WITH THE GRIND? CAN YOUR FOODS BE ORDER DIRECT FROM YOU?Thursday, February 04, 2010

Teri, Thank you for your post. I believe that you have spoken to Matt Koss regarding this issue. Please let us know if you have any further questions/comments. Thanks. Monday, February 08, 2010

Victoria, Thank you for your post. If you are feeding our Nuggets as a full time diet, you can incorporate our Mixes and Grinds into the feeding regimen. We would recommend feeding up to 5 meals per week in the Mixes or Grinds in conjunction with the Formula Nuggets. All of our products are sold through local pet food and natural grocery retail outlets. Please let us know if you have any additional questions. Thanks! Monday, February 08, 2010

What types and quantities of friut, vegetables, essential fatty acids and other supplements need to be added to the grinds to make them complete and balanced for dogs? Can I defrost, add the necessary ingredients and re-freeze?Monday, March 15, 2010

My cat loves the beef and salmon, disliked the chicken and the turkey. Haven't tried the pheasant or quail yet. What is the best way to rotate in the latter two? Also, occasionally she will vomit right after eating and I am wondering if she is eating too fast, if it's the cold of the food or something else. Any thoughts? Also, I do not want to add a snack that is a grain. Any suggestions for an occasional treat? Thanks so much for your suggestions!Thursday, April 22, 2010

Hello Sheree, thank you for your post. You may add any produce items to the Grinds that your dog enjoys. The ratio of produce added will depend upon the specific nutritional needs of your dog. Our ratios on our Formulas range from 15%-40% fruits and vegetables. Supplements can be added as needed for your dog. We would recommend purchasing an organic supplement in powder form.

Re-freezing after complete thawing is not recommended to ensure product safety. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hello Paula, thank you for your post. When transitioning from one protein to a new protein for the first time, simply mix a small quantity of the newly introduced protein to the food being fed currently. Once your cat has been fed 2 meals with the new protein, you can adjust to feeding the newly introduced protein as a complete meal.

As for the occasional vomiting, this could be due to temperature of the food, eating too fast or that the food is too rich for her to digest. Warming the food prior to feeding and feeding in smaller quantities are possible solutions to this occasional issue.

As for treats, we have a full line of 100% human grade meat treats. This would be our recommendation for the occasional snack. http://www.primalpetfoods.com/product/list/c/12

Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.Saturday, April 24, 2010

My dog has severe food allergies and can only eat the venison type (there are ingredients she has allergies to in all the other types). Will one food type give her enough nutrition?Monday, May 03, 2010

Absolutely, Annette. Each one of our formulas are complete and balanced diets that can stand on their own without anything added.

We recommend rotating diets when appropriate to maximize different ingredients from which your animal will get protein and food based vitamins. Formula rotation isn't mandatory and should only be done if appropriate for your animal.

There are many benefits to rotation that would have to be weighed against other issues such as food allergies to make a decision if rotation works for you. In your case, rotation is not an option, but you can still feel confident that your pet is receiving the proper nutrition on only one of our formulas.

Which formula would you recommend for our recently adopted adult mini Schnauzer who began having mild seizures a week and a half ago? We have ruled out heart and thyroid as causing the seizures, and we're hoping diet may make a difference. He has been eating raw and kibble (another brand) for the past 4-5 months, but we'd like to switch completely to raw. He also licks/chews on his paws...allergies?Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Emily, seizures can be caused by the consumption of grains/gluten in the diet. A gluten intolerance is referred to as celiac disease and seizures can be a symptom. Thus, we recommend removing all grains/gluten from your dog's diet and feed a human grade, high protein diet with complex carbohydrates. Any of our Canine Formulas meet these nutritional standards. If you are aware of any protein allergies that your dog may have, you should avoid those proteins and feed alternative protein sources. If you have further questions, concerns, please feel free to contact our customer support at (866) 566-4652. Monday, May 17, 2010

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