# Thoughts on this company?



## Colorado (Nov 25, 2007)

For years I've been adding a bit of raw food to the kibble of my GSD-Norwegian Elkhound mix. She is not that big (55lbs) so doesn't eat that much. I've been able to use a frozen, packaged raw food like Primal with great success and while expensive it doesn't break the bank.

In a couple of weeks I will be adding a GSD puppy to the mix. I want to do the same thing--supplement his kibble with raw. The owner of one of the pet food stores I go to suggested this company:

https://rawdogfoodandco.com/

It's local to Colorado and a "farm to bowl" food company. I've checked and they do not deliver to my zip code because it is too rural but they do drive through Colorado Springs and you can meet them at designated times in parking lots to pick up your order. Two questions:

(1) Does this seem like a safe source of raw food? The pet food store owner actually uses this company herself--despite owning a pet food store--because it is more economical. That seemed like a good sign to me but wondering if anyone sees any red flags.

(2) Assuming the answer to (1) is yes, do any of their products stand out as something you would pick for your dog(s)?


----------



## Heartandsoul (Jan 5, 2012)

I like what I read and love all the good and thorough info, charts etc. Big plus is that the wife/coowner is a nutritionist. Who they source from etc. I didn't dig really deep but based on what I saw, I would read do more looking into the site then place an order, particularly tripe, testes. Didn't really look at the pricing but there are some organs that I have a hard time finding so even though some things seemed really high priced,I would still purchase.

Fwiw, it looks like they put a lot of high quality work into their site. No red flags.

I've been raw feeding my guy for 4 yrs now. Non commercial, do my own shopping around and always on the look out for sources. 

I was hoping they shipped nationally.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

How are they providing nutrients such as iodine and zinc?


----------



## Colorado (Nov 25, 2007)

Jax08 said:


> How are they providing nutrients such as iodine and zinc?


I'm new to locally sourced or homemade raw food so I don't know if the answer they have to this question is sufficient or not. That said, on this page:

https://rawdogfoodandco.com/transition-raw-dog-food/

there is a "Vitamin and Minerals" section. It lists a lot of different vitamins and minerals and their sources. Specifically for the two you mentioned:



> IODINE
> Needed in trace amounts for a healthy thyroid gland , and to help metabolize excess fat.
> Protein Sources: Salmon, haddock, Hake seafood, egg
> 
> ...


Notably they don't have any quantification of how much is in each blend they offer. I am not sure if that is a warning sign or not.

I also want to add they specifically say not to have a kibble and raw diet. For them it is either kibble only or raw only. I've heard that elsewhere but I've also heard it is OK to do both. Personally I am leaning to doing both. One because my current dog has done well with that and two it is just more manageable.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

You can mix kibble and raw. I often do it in one meal. Think about this. If you feed whole bone and raw meat, they digest at different rates. So the whole no kibble and raw lacks logic.

I feed all those foods and I still have to add iodine and zinc. I would request proof that they meet at least AAFCO guidelines. Preferably NRC guidelines.


----------

