# Switching to BRAVO partially for now.



## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

I am going to feed 1/2 kibble and 1/2 Bravo for now and I may switch to 100% Bravo but I want to try it first.

So my question is this, how much of each should I feed him?

He gets 6 cups of kibble a day (in 2 meals) now.
I did the calculation online and it says he should get 2lbs of the Bravo a day. So should I feed him 3 cups in morning and 1lb of Bravo at night?


I know ideally that 100% raw is the way to go but I am not ready for that yet so thanks for advice in advance!


----------



## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

That would be the ideal way to start on the 50/50 diet. You might need to tweak a little more or less later as you see how he adapts to the change.


----------



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Yeah, when I do 50/50 I literally do 50% of the dogs daily kibble intact and 50% of the dogs daily raw intact. Let us know how your group does on Bravo!


----------



## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I would look at the calories as 3 cups kibble calories may or may not equal the 1# of bravo you would replace it with. Say the kibble is 400 calories a cup and you want to subtract 3 cups or 1200 calories. How much Bravo equals 1200 calories?


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

The 50/50 ratio should work just fine. 

What kind of kibble are you feeding that your dog gets 6 cups a day?????


----------



## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: BowWowMeowThe 50/50 ratio should work just fine.
> 
> What kind of kibble are you feeding that your dog gets 6 cups a day?????


He eats FROMM Whitefish & Potato.

I will look at the calories and figure it out from there. I am trying to find a place to order the Bravo for me locally.


----------



## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

Do I need to add supplements to Bravo? On the website it says I should add supplements? Maybe Primal is better? Any ideas?


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: DozerDo I need to add supplements to Bravo? On the website it says I should add supplements? Maybe Primal is better? Any ideas?


Primal is more expensive and doesn't come in the 10 lb. chubs. When I was doing half and half I was feeding Primal but that was before I knew the Bravo 10 pounders existed. 

Can you post the link to where it says you should add supplements? 

Rafi gets joint supplements, Ester C, Bug Off Garlic & Honest Kitchen's Perfect Form but no vitamins or anything.


----------



## Woodreb (Oct 27, 2008)

From the Bravo website:

Basic Formula - Chicken
Vegetable-free formulas of premium meat and ground bones - or meat, bone and organ meat combinations – in a wide variety of protein types that let you create a custom raw diet. *Simply add the supplements and other ingredients you want to feed your pet.* Bravo! Basic Formula Chicken is available in 2 and 5 pound frozen tubes.

Original Formula - Chicken
Bravo! Original Formula Blends offer the convenience of pre-made blends of pure premium grade meats, organ meats, ground bones and vegetables. *All you need to add are a few supplements*. Bravo! Original Formula Chicken is also available as pre-frozen 8 oz. burgers for a convenient, quick, portion controlled way to store and prepare a meal.

They have the Bravo Balance and don't say anything about adding supplements of any kind.

So I guess the answer depends on which one of the products you end up using.

I 'm not saying this is the right answer, but as pure speculation, if you're still feeding kibble along with the Bravo, you may not really need supplements right now. If you start to change to all raw and keep using the Bravo, then you may need to add supplements (e.g fish oil for omega fatty acids, etc (or feed some fish?))


----------



## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

http://www.bravorawdiet.com/supplements.html

This is the link I read it on which made me scratch my head b/c I thought I had done pretty good research. It never ends with dog nutrition. LOL.


----------



## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

presumably, then, the Bravo Balance is supposed to be completely balanced, while the Bravo Blend is cheaper (but doesnt have the vitamins, etc..), as you can get 10 lb tubes for about $17-$18. i would think with the bravo blend, one could feed a single dog for close to what a premium kibble would run. well, you'd have to factor in the supplements. im not sure you could get away with 1/2 kibble and 1/2 bravo blend with no supplements??


----------



## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I followed your link and in short they state that you need the following

1)Essential Fatty Acids, 2)A high quality vitamin/mineral supplement

and they recommend the following

3)Digestive enzymes, 4)Probiotics, 5)Vitamin E

And here's what I think regarding the above

1)Good, I use them, important to get high quality, not detrimental if you do not use

2)With the blends it seems that they have just put together a variety of foods and want the vitamin/mineral to cover any shortcomings their food might have. I would be concerned though with overages, not just the shortcomings. 

It's been recommended to me that when supplementing a commercial diet to supplement no more than 30% of the diets calories or you risk unbalancing the diet. So I am not sure how your 50/50 fits with what I've learned about 70/30 vs the need for supplements. . .I'd have to think about that some more. . .

3)I wouldn't use them unless your dog has trouble digesting their food

4)I wouldn't use them unless my dog had digestive troubles or had been on antibiotics, but if you want them for good measure they are good and won't hurt

5)I do use as it goes hand in hand with the fish oils and the high fat of the raw meats creates excess free radicals which the vitamin e fights


----------

