I think Nature's Variety is a good company. I am only concerned for my dogs who are large with deep chests that there is fat in the first four ingredients and it is preserved with citric acid. A Purdue study has shown these to be risk factors in bloat. However, I add fish oil to my food so I am sure fat would be high on the ingredients list anyway. Maybe it is time to give it a try...

Abstract of Purdue study: http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/dissertations/AAI3099198/

Article from Tufts Canine and Feline Breeding and Genetics Seminar referring to Purdue study: http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=TUFTSBG2003&PID=5091&O=Generic

Opposing arguments from a "Canine Nutrition Consultant": http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/on_my_soap_box_purdue_bloat_study.htm

Highlights of Purdue Study: http://www.moonstruckmeadows.com/Bloat%20%28GDV%29%20Study.htm

FWIW, Nature's Variety imports rabbit from China.

I saw that as well. I am also not sure if they are making their product at their own plant anymore. I believe they used to, but I can't find anything saying that for sure. I have an email in to Petcurean, they make Go Natural Grain Free. I will let you know if they make their foods in their own plant when I find out.

Keith, thanks for those links. It is always good to read new info or re-read it to stay fresh with any new info.

While I don't feed kibble, I do like to have on hand a canned food for times when I run out of their frozen meats to have with their RMB's.

I did not know that NV sources their rabbit from China, so thanks for that heads up!

When traveling, I have used the pre-made raw before for convenience.
Overall, it appears to be a good food, and a solid company, that I can tell.
Again, I appreciate this forum so much because of the collaborative info shared here. Thanks Keith!

You are welcome!!

Here is the response I got from Nature's Variety about where their foods are manufactured, they are manufactured by a different xompany and with the fact of them sourcing rabbit from China, I will not be using their foods:

Dear Keith,
Thank you for emailing!  For proprietary reasons we don't disclose specific details on our partners.  However, we can tell you that it is all manufactured here in the U.S. - kibble in Texas, canned in Kansas and raw in Nebraska.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Customer Service
Nature's Variety
http://www.naturesvariety.com

See Natura's response to my question about them being bought by P&G. I sent a follow up, see below:

Keith,

Thank you for taking the time to contact Natura with your concerns about our
products and the future acquisition of Natura by P&G which is expected to occur
sometime in June 2010.

We want to reassure you that Natura is changing ownership but not its philosophy
or commitment to quality and nutrition.

By joining the P&G family of brands, our intent is that we will have more
resources to raise awareness for the benefits of natural and holistic pet foods.
Our hope is even more pets will then experience the benefits of Natura’s
high-quality, super-premium brands.

We have genuinely appreciated your support in the past and we hope we can count
you among our valued customers in the future.

Sincerely,

Colin
Natura Representative



Follow up:
Colin,
Will you still be manufacturing your products in your own plant? Also, will you start importing ingredients from China?

Keith thank you for all the posts and updates. This is the reply from where I purchase my dog stuff...

"Sadly, I'm going to have to discontinue carrying their products. P&G still practice cruel animal testing ... can't carry their stuff in my store ."

So in this business owners perspective it is not only the quality and origin of the product...

I got the same canned response. Didn't really expect much else though.

"Colin"'s job will soon be outsourced to Bombay anyway. The Natura brands will become just another Cookies'n'Corn Chips recipe.

It will be interesting to see how quickly Natura's ingredient analyzer gets trashed. It didn't offer much praise for the other P&G brands.

 Quote:

Colin"'s job will soon be outsourced to Bombay anyway. The Natura brands will become just another Cookies'n'Corn Chips recipe.

Makes me so bummed!

Charlie, what are you feeding now? I presume you have fed one the the Natura brands?
Any comments about the brand called Addiction? It was rated high from Whole Dog Journal.
http://www.addictionfoods.com/usa/index.php?rememberSel=true

Went raw a few years ago.

Probably one of the reasons Dallas stayed with me for so long. Even when she passed at 16 1/2, she looked many years younger. As does Chance -- at 10 1/2 his muzzle is still jet black.

Nikki was raised on raw and has been the picture of healthy.

I had fed Innova for several years. Before that, Chance and Dallas were on Eukanuba -- it was recommended as a good food. When Dallas was about 9, she was starting to have problems coming up the stairs, had sores on her lips and belly. Chance's breath stank. Both dogs had un-ending problems with ears.

One morning, Chance jumped up on the bed and I got a blast of Eukanuba breath. I decided anything that made a dog's breath smell that bad couldn't be good for him.

So, the remainder of the bag went in the trash and I started looking around. Innova quickly came to the top of the list. I switched him cold turkey and endured about three days of really stinky poop. After that, the bad breath went away as did the ear problems.

When Dallas came down to visit, she would bat Chance away from his bowl of Innova and eat it in preferance to her bowl of Eukanuba. So, to minimize the diet disruptions as the dogs went back and forth, Dallas was changed to Innova also.

The results were soon appararent. The sores went away, her ears cleared up and her teeth became several shades whiter. In a month or so, she was charging up the stairs again and leaping up on the high, soft places again.

The quality of food does make a huge difference.