Nature's Variety Raw Medallions

[Kate and Maci]

Nature's Vareity Medallion Question.

I currently have Maci on the Nature's Variety Raw Medallions.  We do a lot of road trips by car. Here is my dilemma - if we go for a week or more, I usually take just enough for the road trip there and once we are were we are staying for the week (normally a house or condo with a full size frig/freezer), I usually buy a bag there. On our upcoming trip I cannot find a store in close proximity to where we are staying that carries Nature's Variety.

So my first question is - once the medallions defrost, can they be refrozen?

If not, any ideas on how I could keep them frozen on the road until we get to our actual destination?

My next thought process was to try their freeze dried raw - any one have any experience with it?

Thanks!!!

[Lynn Stoops]

Could you use dry ice and keep them frozen?  How long is the drive?

[Kate and Maci]

Someone else suggested that - something I'll have to look into but after buying some of the freeze dried and Maci "inhaling" it - she's so dang picky I may just go that route.  My problem is that I am leaving Wednesday and will not get to my final destination until late Friday night and the hotel that I am staying in on Wednesday and Thursday has not refrigerator/freezer.  Thanks for your helpl

[Kim]

How long is your drive? Whenever we go on trips where we need to bring something frozen, I just put it a cooler with lots of ice.  They also sell those thermal bags at grocery stores (usually in the freezer section).

[Kate and Maci]

Hi Kim - it will be a full three days before I reach my final destination - I'm leaving early on a Wednesday morning and will not get to my final destination until late Friday night and the hotel I am in on Wednesday and Thursday doesn't have a refrigerator/freezer.  I do have one of those thermal coolers that you plug into your car, which also has an electric outlet cord but I know it won't keep it frozen that whole time.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

We're cautious about the NV raw products because of the many recalls they have had. Stella & Chewy's has a freeze-dried raw patty that's irresistible to dogs, and I feel more comfortable with their products. You might try those.

If you want to stay with the NV brand, I think a freeze-dried raw product would be your best bet.

Do not ever refreeze raw meat products that have thawed...it's not a safe practice, for yourself, or your dogs.

[Richard Crowe]

I also feed Holly NV raw food.  I believe that the recalls have been for their chicken products.  I feed Holly beef patties.  Buying the NV Raw Food in patties is a bit less expensive than buying medallions for the same amount of food.  We travel in our motorhome and have a limited amount of freezer space and this sometimes poses a problem since Holly eats two patties a day. We usually start a trip with one package (12 patties) in our refrigerator and another package of twelve patties in our freezer.  This provides enough food for Holly to go about twelve days without supplementing the NV by buying any new food.  Luckily we mostly vacation in California and Utah where NV distributors are fairly plentiful but, we had a problem last year when traveling through Louisisna and Western Mississippi where the distributors are not as common.

 

When I used to travel down into Baja California, Mexico, years ago; i would carry frozen food in an ice chest dedicated to that food.  I would pack the ice chest with the frozen food and dry ice.  I would then tape the chest shut with duct tape.  The food would be kept frozen for quite a few days, even in Baja's heat, until I opened it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kate and Maci]

I'll have to check into the dry ice idea.  I do have a thermo cooler and I wonder if between that and dry ice it would keep is frozen.  Thanks for your input - it's appreciated.

[Kate and Maci]

Karen, OMG - Maci has to be the pickest eater in the world, whether it be kibble, canned, raw.  So I bought some of the Stella & Chewy's freeze dried (Duck/goose).  She "inhaled" it.  I only bought a small bag to try because I have spent so much money on different foods that she doesn't like.  So off to get some more - I may just make it her usual food.  And I agree about the NV - every time I bought a bag, I was nervous.

 

Kind of strange, I get an email every day from teh K9 Nutrition site, and someone had asked a similar question about refreezing and some of the people were telling the person it was okay for dogs, but not humans, but my thought process is, if it's not good for me, it's not good for my doodle. 

 

Thanks for your input!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Maci has some competition in the picky eater department...Jackdoodle is the champion of the picky eaters. He won't even eat peanut butter, yogurt, bananas, or even most cheeses, among other things dogs supposedly like. There are almost no dog treats he'll touch.

I took him to a high-end pet boutique for his birthday and the proprietor gave him half of a Stella & Chewy's patty. OMG! Not only did he inhale it, but then he tried to get behind the counter to find the rest of the bag! He was like a dog possessed!

I looked at the package and saw that the feeding guidelines only go up to a 30-lb dog. I asked why, and they told me that it would be cost prohibitive to feed those as the main diet to a bigger dog. JD weighs 85 lbs.

Guess the S & C patties will have to be a "special" treat only, lol! He'll have to make do with his cheap old Orijen. ;)

[Jennifer and Jack]

I am going to have to try to get some as a treat for him. He won't take any treats either really, but he will eat peanut butter and cheese so I guess I don' t have it that bad

 

[Kate and Maci]

Maci is really only picky when it comes to dog food - treats - no problem.  She would live on chicken legs if I let her.

[Kate and Maci]

Kind of funny - it I put something down for Maci to eat, i.e. treat or something I may be eating and she doesn't eat it, the minute Abbey (the cat) goes by it, Maci will run over and eat it.

 

It seem like the S&C are like doggie crack (LOL).  I was reading the bag tonight and I saw that about the 30 pounds.  I think I could still do it because Maci (she weighs 32 pounds) would only get that as one meal and a RAW meaty bone for dinner.   You could always crushed it up and sprinkle some of it on his food.

 

BTW Orijen isn't all that cheap :)