Only Natural Pet Rawnibs

[LadyLondonderry]

Has anyone tried this freeze-dried raw food? It's billed as "a nutritious topper or complete meal." I'm looking at various freeze-dried raw foods since Sylvie seems to be doing so well on Feline Natural Lamb & King Salmon, and this one caught my eye. I'm particularly intrigued by the Free Range Venison & Liver variety, which is for both cats and dogs, as is the Beef & Tripe. There are also cat-only varieties, Cage Free Chicken (one with Liver and one without) and Wild Caught Salmon & Cod.

I submitted a question to Chewy.com about whether it meets the taurine requirement for cats, because the ingredient list doesn't mention a taurine supplement and the nutritional analysis doesn't provide information on taurine content. I gather that foods that are mostly meat or poultry may provide enough taurine without any supplementation, but I want to confirm that before I consider buying this one. I couldn't help but wonder, especially since two of the varieties are geared to dogs as well as cats. I'll share Chewy's reply when they get back to me.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Not that chewy won't get back to you, but you could also contact Only Natural Pet directly - they're a few miles north of me and I'll admit I do get really fast shipping, but in all honesty I think they're fast shippers no matter where.
All Natural Pet Products | Homeopathic Remedies for Cats | Only Natural Pet

In any case, I haven't tried that food you're referring to.

I have always wondered how much it matters when I'm feeding the Big Guy his regular complete foods, that some treats or toppers don't have taurine.

 

[LadyLondonderry]

Yes, it would make sense to go right to the source!

I would be using it as a meal rather than as a topper or treat, so the taurine content is of interest. But after reading the reviews, I'm doubtful that this food would work for Sylvie; it sounds like the nibs are quite hard to chew even after being rehydrated, so not the best choice for a dentally challenged cat. It might be a good option for cats who have all their teeth, though, especially if one is trying to switch them from crunchy dry food to raw.

 

[lisamarie12]

Since ONP is for both dogs and cats, I would inquire about the bone percentage as well as the calcium/phos ratio.

I ran the guaranteed analysis numbers for the venison food through the fnae.org carb calculator for cats, estimating the ash around 2%, the venison comes out to 18.5% carbs, too high for cats although maybe ONP can provide you with more accurate numbers vs Chewy (both of which are owned by Pet Smart, btw).

The nibs sound similar to Vital Essentials in that they hydrate poorly - easily remedied, however, if you just mash up the nibs with a mortar and pestle, hydrate and serve mashed up like a pate.

 

[LadyLondonderry]

As promised, here's Chewy's response to my question:

"This product is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Nutrient Profiles for all life stages of cats and dogs."