http://www.primalpetfoods.com/
I use the formulas for Audrey. I like that the meats are antibiotic and hormone free, and the produce is certified organic.

Cathy
when she first came home

what the brand name is?

and I plan on variety also, just as soon as I get Audrey's face cleared up.

Cathy
when she first came home

chicken is the cheapest meat and goes for about 50 cents a lb on sale.....so my wilson is 52 lbs as and gets between 1 to 1 1.2 lbs a day....not that expensive....chicken hearts and livers are not expensive either....
for one dog you can feed raw for 80 bucks a month. less if you can find a co op in your area...go to craigs list.... their are alot of options....you would be surprised at ow many people are out their....get a group going....i feed a variety of meat...pheasant,buffloa,deer and of course chicken.lamb beef....

to maintain current weight the guideline is to feed 2.5% of their bodyweight. It is just a guideline, and is based on an average activity level. Audrey is 43 pounds so she gets 18 ounces per day. It is going to cost me around $90 a month if I stick with this brand. This one comes in 8oz patties, and 1oz nuggets. Audrey gets one patty and one nugget per meal. There are other brands that cost less, but the store owner recommended starting with this one for a dog that is having issues. She did say that she would recommend switching her between a few because variety is important, but to get her issues resolved first. There are a few options besides the pre-mixed formulas, like meat only you can add your own veggies to, alternating between frozen raw, canned, and dry, etc. I am not putting Audrey back on dry food. I don't want the preservatives, and they have to put SOMETHING in it to keep it from getting spoiled. I may try a canned/raw combo, but not yet.

Cathy
when she first came home

I am still intrigued, how much does it cost to feed just Audrey? I presume it is based upon weight? Josie weighs 50-55 lbs, and I spend about $75 a month on food for her. I am happy with her Atopica so far, but I dont want my dog on drugs the rest of her life. The food you buy is it frozen and portioned? Thanks for the info, Tamsen

look at your bag of kibble under ingredients and read the contents....you will see things like dicalcium phosphate, and others things that help preserve the shelf life of your food....this is what i call additives i should say ingredients.....
now here is one for you when you go to grocery store and your going to buy your chicken....you need to read the label....you need to get range free chickens not chickens that are called enchanced... these chickens enhanced are fed growth hormones,antibotics,you want ones that have no salt added ect,,,, have not been raidated.....
even us as people need to watch what we eat.....i refuse milk from cows that have been given hormones....i buy local and i buy as fresh as possible.....
stay away from any label with meal in it......meal inclues cancerous tumors....,beaks,feathers ect anything not fit for human consumption...but we put it in our compaion animals food shame on the dog food companies.....and shame on us for letting them

what do you mean about the additives in Nature's Variety vs Primal? When I read the info on each one (lamb formula) it seems the Nature's Variety has more meat,less veggies than Primal. What are the additives? I want to understand how to read labels better...

Primal Lamb:
http://www.primalpetfoods.com/product/detail/c/7/id/4

Nature's Variety lamb
http://www.naturesvariety.com/raw_products_lamb

Cathy
when she first came home

is better....i think natures variety has to many additives..the few i know who buy pre made use
primal if their to far for thrive.....
what your doing is 100% the right thing.....pre made vs kibble their is no choice.....maybe once a week your other dogs can do raw...once a week is better than nothing....
keep going.......

I will be feeding Audrey Nature's Variety raw too, and most likely the other brands the store offers. I plan on alternating between brands and flavors just as soon as her face clears up. She's already stopped itching, so I am just waiting to see if the stains clear up and her ears stay clean of infection also. I can't really remember why the store owner recommended Primal over Nature's Variety, I think maybe it was because the meat/veggie ratio would be less of a total and abrupt change to her system than the Nature's Variety would have been.

Cathy
when she first came home

I hope it works for your girl! Those pics you showed of her before you got her are heartbreaking, it would be so nice for her to have clear healthy skin with no long term meds.

Cathy
when she first came home

my reading abilities are very poor today. well i think you have me sold. i am gonna give it a whirl. I have to go see santa today, we missed our photo shoot yesterday so i am gonna do it. thanks cathy, you have been a big help. J & T

then take it out for about 30 minutes before I feed it to her. It is still cold when she eats it and she doesn't mind a bit. I wouldn't cook it but you can. If you want to add your own veggies then it would be better to get one of their grinds or mixes, because the formulas already have veggies and you would be giving less meat/more veggies to add more to it.

Cathy
when she first came home

it is sold at my favorite local store. so you give it to her at room temp or do you warm it some? can you cook it and add your own green beans for example?