# Freshpet Vital Questions



## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

I've decide I just HAVE to switch Lucy's food around a little--like maybe different foods am and pm. I thought she adored Wellness Simple, and after a few days...not so much. So I bought a 2 lb. (all they had)
roll of Freshpet Vital—the whitefish and salmon recipe. I have 2 questions for those who use it:
Has anybody tried freezing it? They say online (and just now on the phone) that it’s OK to freeze, but the package says not to “for best results.”
How much do you feed at a meal? I’m going to start out with just a little bit mixed in with her other food, but if it works out, I’m thinking maybe 1/8 of a pound per meal? Lucy is not a big eater. She eats LESS than ¼ cup dry mixed with a couple of Tablespoons of canned food per meal. She only finishes a meal about ½ the time. She weighs just over 10 pounds. I’m thinking of giving her JUST the Freshpet for breakfast with no dry and then mixing her canned food with dry in the evening.
Any advice on this? I’ve never had such a picky eater dog. She has sometimes gone a full day without eating either meal. She does eat her treats—Natural Balance duck and potato roll cubed up in tiny pieces. I give her that when I put her in her crate or xpen and she gets 2 slices of the small trial-sized roll a day.


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

Lucky is on it. I do freeze it, and it gets a bit moist and mushy when it is thawed. As far as Lucky behaves toward it thawed, it doesn't seem to affect it in other ways. I give him a half cup in the morning and a half cup with whatever vegies I am having at night. He is a finicky eater and after about 3 weeks, he is getting tired of it. At first he scarfed it up. Now I need to hand feed him. I need to find what our next food will be. Hope that helps.


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

wkomorow said:


> Lucky is on it. I do freeze it, and it gets a bit moist and mushy when it is thawed. As far as Lucky behaves toward it thawed, it doesn't seem to affect it in other ways. I give him a half cup in the morning and a half cup with whatever vegies I am having at night. He is a finicky eater and after about 3 weeks, he is getting tired of it. At first he scarfed it up. Now I need to hand feed him. I need to find what our next food will be. Hope that helps.


Yes it helps. Lucky sounds like Lucy. She was eating the Wellness Simple VERY enthusiastically. For a week. I need to give the girl variety for sure!


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## nwyant1946 (Jan 2, 2013)

*Mia also tires of food very quickly. I haven't tried Fresh Pet yet, but I'm leaning towards it. I too, end up hand feeding her dinner now. Breakfast she scarfs up, but dinner has been a pain lately. So it seems to be a Malt thing...*


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

nwyant1946 said:


> *Mia also tires of food very quickly. I haven't tried Fresh Pet yet, but I'm leaning towards it. I too, end up hand feeding her dinner now. Breakfast she scarfs up, but dinner has been a pain lately. So it seems to be a Malt thing...*


I really don't want to hand feed, (although I do a little bit sometimes to get her interested). Sometimes I take a little bit of her duck and potato roll and powder it up over her food. That will occasionally get her going. I've also tried a little parmesan cheese sprinkled on top--that worked once or twice. Everybody tells me, "if she's hungry, she'll eat." But, #1, she's already on the slender side; and #2 I like to see her enjoy her food. "Regular" people just don't get it. :huh:


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## ann4280 (Jan 28, 2013)

Daisy and Sadie eat Fresh Pet Vital Complete in the resealable bags. I can get it at PETCO. They have been on it for about 6 months now and both come running into the kitchen when they hear the bag come out of the refrigerator.

They were both picky eaters and had some GI issues, but they have not had a problem with Fresh Pet.


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

nwyant1946 said:


> *Mia also tires of food very quickly. I haven't tried Fresh Pet yet, but I'm leaning towards it. I too, end up hand feeding her dinner now. Breakfast she scarfs up, but dinner has been a pain lately. So it seems to be a Malt thing...*


Give it a try, I noticed Luck has a lot of energy on it, no digestive issues, and I like the ingredients. Let us know how mia likes it.

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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Sweetness and Tessa also use the salmon and whitefish rolls - they can't use Complete because it has chicken.

I feed each fluff 1/8 pound in the evening and use Fromm salmon tunalini in the morning because I don't want two high protein meals. I do freeze the FreshPet - I slice it and freeze it in a Rubbermaid contained. They don't seem to mind it.


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## nwyant1946 (Jan 2, 2013)

wkomorow said:


> Give it a try, I noticed Luck has a lot of energy on it, no digestive issues, and I like the ingredients. Let us know how mia likes it.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


*That's the food that comes in the rolls and is refrigerated, right? Our walmart carries it.*


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

He actually likes the one in the recloseable bag, in the refrigerator section, rather than the roll.

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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

I xhould have added the bag lasts us about a week.

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## Lacie's Mom (Oct 11, 2006)

I feed it often -- not necessarily every day, and usually for only 1 meal per day. I haven't tried freezing it but, Walter, I'm glad to know I can. As Maggie said, I feed about 1/8 to Lacie and to Tilly and about 1/16 to Secret.

Tilly and Secret never seem to get tired of it, but Lacie gets bored with food very easily. She used to love when she got the FreshPet, but 2 days ago, she looked at me with that "not this again" expression when I put her bowl down, but she did go ahead and eat it, but very slowly. So I know I will be having to think up something else for her soon.

We like the Salmon and also the Bison recipes. We don't do the chicken either.


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

I will try this when I am US soon for the 10 days we are there as I usually home cook the PM meal. 
I don't understand pups that don't eat---IF they are healthy. I only have pigs so it makes it difficult for me to process. Mine would eat sawdust, honestly.


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## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

nwyant1946 said:


> *That's the food that comes in the rolls and is refrigerated, right? Our walmart carries it.*


There are actually several varieties, from Select which is carried in mass market grocery and Walmart to Natures' Fresh which is carried by Whole Foods. Vital isn't available at Walmart but is at specialty stores.


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## wkomorow (Aug 26, 2011)

maggieh said:


> There are actually several varieties, from Select which is carried in mass market grocery and Walmart to Natures' Fresh which is carried by Whole Foods. Vital isn't available at Walmart but is at specialty stores.


Vital is what he eats. Chicken, Beef, Salmon & Egg With Cranberries & Spinach Dog Food Recipe | Freshpet It is available at petco. Luck doesn't have issues with allergies, and this has bits of chicken in it. Those are the bits he pulls out and eats first.


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## LoveLucy (Mar 18, 2012)

Yes, it is Vital that I got. Petco carries it here. Only vital and natures fresh have non chicken varieties. I've given her a little bit (very little) twice and so far no "bad" poops...


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

So eats about 1/4 cup each of this and rx kibble. He's put on 3/10 lb since we started, so I'm pretty pleased.


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