Freeze dried the same as raw?

Yes.  According to the rep when I went to their presentation freeze dried is raw with no moisture.

Paula

I love the Nature's Variety pre-made raw.  I have also had great success with their freeze dried product until they recently made a formula change to the freeze dried recipe.  Up until a few months ago, the freeze dried formula was identical to the raw formula, and Oscar did great on it.  They have since added pumpkin seed as one of the main ingredients to the freeze dried--as a result, I had started to see mucousy stools filled with pumpkin seeds--Yuck.  So, needless to say, I have not continued to feed their freeze dried product.  I have great results with the regular raw line, though, as they do not add pumpkin seed.
 
If you are interested in freeze dried, you may want to check out Stella And Chewy's
[linkhttp://www.stellaandchewys.com/]http://www.stellaandchewys.com/[/link]
I love this product, but it's a bit expensive--I do use it for when we travel--the formula is nice and simple--very convenient. Also their Carnivore Crunch treats are a HUGE hit with Oscar.
 
 
 

I haven't tried the freeze dried but I really recommend the raw medallions.  We started adding this to the rotation and so far it is working out very well.  It is sooo easy, I simply take two medallions out of the freezer and put them in a sandwich bag in the fridge.  They are thawed the next day and I just plop them in her bowl, mash it up a little, and that's it!  This way, I know she's getting something fresh at least a few times a week that is meat based, with great ingredients and it is balanced.

So, does that mean that freeze dried liver treats are the same as using regular liver in a homecooked recipe? 

  Luvnzus, Jessie doesn't have a cast iron stomach and has had an upset stomach on occasion from scarfing up wierd things like cat poop when I walk her but she handles the NV raw frozen medallions just fine. The freeze drying process kills bacteria and I have tried the freeze dried medallions but when they're rehydrated they really don't resemble fresh food. If the raw medallions are frozen at or below 10 degress farenheit that will kill toxoplasmosis cysts which are in  8% of beef and 20% of pork and lamb;  [linkhttp://www.crvetcenter.com/images/Newsletters/crvcnewsletterDec02p1.pdf]http://www.crvetcenter.com/images/Newsletters/crvcnewsletterDec02p1.pdf[/link].  Freezing at o degrees  temperature  kills other parasites except trichina but does not kill bacteria;   [linkhttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#3]http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp#3[/link].
 
  Concerning home cooked recipes; Here's some of the ingredients from Monica Segal's cooked diet recipes booklet for a 20 pound dog; I'm not including all ingredients or amounts because it's copywrited material;
 
                    lean ground beef
                    beef heart
                    beef liver
                    eggs
                    ground turkey
                    acorn squash
 
       There is a carb and some easily found supplements also; you will need a scale that measures in ounces. I wasn't sure if I was going to cook for Jessie when I first looked at the recipes but after she's finished the elimination diet she's on and I've determined if she has any new food allergies I'm going to try the recipe for her weight class provided she isn't allergic to beef. She also has a booklet about supplementing a commercial diet in which a third of the diet is home cooked and two thirds is kibble; the ingredients used are much simpler; may be another option for you.

Paula--
I didn't see you reply earlier when I posted.  Nature's Variety has changed the formula on the freeze dried--It is NOT the same as their regular raw medallions.  It used to be the same up until about a month or two ago.  They have also updated their website as to the change.
 
I have contacted customer service twice in the past month to inquire about the change.  Have yet to receive a reply.
 
 
 

I really like the NV raw and usually add a little veggies. The freeze dried is too expensive for my three large dogs. We sometimes use Honest Kitchen freeze dried. Dried liver treats is a good way to get liver into a diet without getting grossed out.

ORIGINAL: tzu_mom

Paula--
I didn't see you reply earlier when I posted.  Nature's Variety has changed the formula on the freeze dried--It is NOT the same as their regular raw medallions.  It used to be the same up until about a month or two ago.  They have also updated their website as to the change.

I have contacted customer service twice in the past month to inquire about the change.  Have yet to receive a reply.

Thanks for the update. I wasn't aware of the formula change, I was answering the question of whether it was still raw (as in uncooked).  I should have been clearer in my answer.

Paula

Paula -
I suppose I read more into your answer than I should have---You are correct, It is still raw, with the moisture removed.
 
I guess my concern was that my guy does so well on the raw, not so great on the freeze dried since the formula change---those darn pumpkin seeds!
 
I am still curious as to why they changed the formula though.  Any thoughts?

ORIGINAL: tzu_mom

Paula -
I suppose I read more into your answer than I should have---You are correct, It is still raw, with the moisture removed.

I guess my concern was that my guy does so well on the raw, not so great on the freeze dried since the formula change---those darn pumpkin seeds!

I am still curious as to why they changed the formula though.  Any thoughts?

No idea. I've only been to one NV seminar and didn't know enough about the brand to even be aware of a formula change. And you say only the freeze dried has changed? How odd that they would go through the pains of freeze drying the raw only to change the ingredients of the freezedried. If I see the NV rep again I'll ask her.



Paula

I am still curious as to why they changed the formula though. Any thoughts

 
Pressure to conform to specific consumer market?
 

They were trying to save money by adding a bunch of fiber.  I stopped buying Nature's Variety for this reason. 
I really like the Wysong Archetype burgers:
[linkroduct_Code=ARCHBURG&Category_Code=CD&roduct_Count=8]http://www.wysong.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WOTTPWS&roduct_Code=ARCHBURG&Category_Code=CD&roduct_Count=8[/link]>http://www.wysong.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WOTTPWS&roduct_Code=ARCHBURG&Category_Code=CD&roduct_Count=8]http://www.wysong.net/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WOTTPWS&roduct_Code=ARCHBURG&Category_Code=CD&roduct_Count=8[/link]
 
And Steve's has decent ingredients, too:
[linkhttp://www.stevesrealfood.com/products/fd.html]http://www.stevesrealfood.com/products/fd.html[/link]

Jessiesmom- Thanks for the great info on cysts and bacteria and how cold the temperatures have to be to kill them by freezing. The only thing is, do regular freezers get that cold? [8|]

Tzumom- Thanks for the link to Stella and Chewy's. I've never heard of it before and the ingredients do look awesome! I'm pretty sure I'd have to order it, so I think I would only use the dehydrated for traveling. It's good to have that option available because I wasn't sure how raw or homecooked would work when we're on the road.

So from what I've read, it sounds like everyone has had really good experiences with Nature's Variety raw (aside from the dehydrated with pumpkin seeds- thank you by the way, I'll steer clear of those!).

Paula--Yes, it seems weird, but only the freeze dried formula has changed.
Here are the ingredients for Chicken/Turkey Raw:
 
Chicken+Turkey Diet
Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Diet for Dogs and Cats

• 95% Meat, 5% fruits & vegetables
  
• Grain-free
  
• Made with human grade ingredients
  
• Antibiotic-free, hormone-free chicken and turkey
  
• Complete and balanced for all life stages

Fresh & Healthy Ingredients
Chicken, Ground Chicken Bone, Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Hearts, Apples, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Chicken Eggs, Montmorillonite Clay, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Inulin, Rosemary Extract, Sage, Clove, Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid

Here are the ingredients for Chicken/Turkey Freeze Dried:
 
Chicken+Turkey
Nature's Variety Freeze Dried Medallions
for Dogs and Cats


Ingredients
Chicken, Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Hearts, Pumpkinseeds, Ground Chicken Bone, Apples, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseeds, Chicken Eggs, Montmorillonite Clay, Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Kelp, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Parsley, Honey, Blueberries, Alfalfa Sprouts, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Persimmons, Olive Oil, Duck Eggs, Pheasant Eggs, Quail Eggs, Inulin, Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid, Sage, Clove

It looks like they are skimping on the ground bone and replacing it with the pumkinseed.  Probably not a big deal for most, but it sure gave my guy a nasty bout of mucousy stools filled with pumkinseed. 
 
Either way, he still does great on the regular raw formula.
 
Luvntzus---Yes, I really like Stella and Chewy's a lot, but no one near me carries it. I do order the freeze dried .