# Ziwipeak Canned = Raw?



## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Does anyone know if the Ziwi canned is technically considered raw? I know that they say the dried stuff is, but I couldn't really find much on the canned variety. I ordered some for my crew to try out.


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Well, I'd initially thought it was better than the dry. BUT upon talking with the lady at our pet store the canned food (ANY canned food) has to be processed at high temps. I couldn't find anything from ZP about this so I'm really not sure how true it is. Saying that...I used to add this in here & there (and probably still will). But at the moment I'm not loving it as much as I once did. Like the girl at the pet store said...it's a great food...but not one you want to feed by itself. 

I'll be very curious to hear what anyone else finds on this. Because I was pretty excited to think it was just about as good as raw (where it has a higher moisture content) & was so disappointed when I talked to the gal at the store....


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

MChis said:


> Well, I'd initially thought it was better than the dry. BUT upon talking with the lady at our pet store the canned food (ANY canned food) has to be processed at high temps. I couldn't find anything from ZP about this so I'm really not sure how true it is. Saying that...I used to add this in here & there (and probably still will). But at the moment I'm not loving it as much as I once did. Like the girl at the pet store said...it's a great food...but not one you want to feed by itself.
> 
> I'll be very curious to hear what anyone else finds on this. Because I was pretty excited to think it was just about as good as raw (where it has a higher moisture content) & was so disappointed when I talked to the gal at the store....


That's what I'm wondering too...I figure its a good easy meal here and there but probably won't be what I'd consider a staple.


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## jan896 (Dec 9, 2009)

I would like to feed Chico Raw but just cant see myself serving raw chicken/meat on the floor/rug.... I didnt' realize that Ziwi dried was considered RAW.... I might be able to accomplish that.......


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

Jan, this is why a lot of us raw feeders have ZiwiPeak on hand...it's a quick easy meal when we don't have time or forget to take something out of the freezer. We actually did ZP for about a month & the pups did wonderfully on it. You get all the same benefits of raw (with the exception of the dental benefits).  If you can swing it (and it won't be that much for one Chi!) than it's definitely worth it! I think I figured it would cost approx $25 every 5-6 weeks for an average sized Chi. If you were able to find the 11lb bag it would be less since you get a bit extra buying it in bulk. You'd just have to freeze what you're not using so it will stay fresh.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Yeah, the dried is great -- still get the nice teeny tiny hard poopies. 3 of mine like it but my picky one looks up at me like I've given her cardboard when I feed it...so I mix a small spoonful of baby food in to get her going.


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

also wouldnt canned food have to have preservatives?


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

angelbaby said:


> also wouldnt canned food have to have preservatives?


Reading the ingredients, it doesn't seem to...


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Jan, ZiwiPeak would be a great option for Chico!! It's dehydrated raw (or air dried, I think they call it) and possibly the best processed food on the market. It's just excellent. Take a look at the ingredients - I can't say enough good things about it. And there are different flavors to rotate through as well. Brody likes the venison and the lamb. He doesn't like the fish, but some dogs do. It comes in a bag just like kibble and is tiny little jerky squares. Brody doesn't like it if I accidentally leave the bag open and it dries out so I keep it in baggies in the freezer and take out a baggy when I need it.

The Ziwi cans have to be cooked. You can't can raw meat. I don't think anyone has figured out how to do that. I recently added it as a "topper" for some of the meals that Brody is a little picky over. He loves it. I don't feed it by itself as a meal though.


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## ExoticChis (Jun 20, 2010)

flippedstars said:


> Reading the ingredients, it doesn't seem to...


hmm that seems odd, I thought all canned food had it.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

angelbaby said:


> hmm that seems odd, I thought all canned food had it.


Here's the ingredients from the lamb recipe...

Ingredients
Lamb Meat, Lamb Liver, Lamb Tripe, Lamb Heart and Kidney, New Zealand Green Mussel, Carrageenan, Guar Gum, Flaxseed Oil, Vitamins and Minerals 

???


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Maybe the vitamin E is the preservative?


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Yes, the higher premium canned foods are naturally preserved. 

As for canning processes. Canning requires cooking. So it would be similar to you cooking food at home. Or canning at home. Fresh/Raw is best, dehydrated would be next, and canned would fall after that. Canned has way more nutrients in it than kibble. So if you can’t go further up the food chain for whatever reason, canned is the way to go.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I think you will still get the tiny, hard, white crumbly stools with the ZP canned. My pups have the same poops as raw fed pups and we use canned.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Wanted to add that all canning requires cooking at high temps.


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## N*T*M*4U (Nov 10, 2008)

We are feeding Ziwipeak dried and canned....TucTuc eats mostly canned and his poop is tiny and hard just like the dried.......I love Ziwi for the chis...


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

TLI said:


> Wanted to add that all canning requires cooking at high temps.


It sounds like Ziwi might process it differently? Their website says this...

"*Each can of ZiwiPeak 'Daily-Dog' Cuisine is retort cooked (low temperature pressure-cooking that maximizes the nutritive quality of the raw ingredients) in its own sterile container.* Each serving contains a high percentage of nutritional New Zealand muscle meat and internal organs in a highly digestible form for peak animal health. ZiwiPeak 'Daily-Dog' Cuisine is formulated to reflect the diet that dogs would subsist on hunting in the wild - it's the diet that nature intended. The Natural Real Meat philosophy that is at the core of all ZiwiPeak products promotes proper digestion, general well-being, and low stool volume. It also boosts vitality, supports a healthy coat and supports a healthy coat and skin, and is suitable for feeding at all life stages. Energize your pets with a complete balanced diet packed with ranch-raised, hormone- and anti-biotic free green tripe, muscle meat, internal organs, Hoki fish and all-natural ingredients. "

So I wonder if it is different than standard dog food canning methods...?


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Yep, looks like it is.  Even better.


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## MChis (Oct 13, 2009)

That's interesting Kristi...looks like it's better than the gal at the store said. Then again I had to inform her that Thrive Honest Kitchen isn't infact grain free--or at least the company doesn't label is grain free. I can see her argument that quinoa is a seed & not a grain (still don't see where a seed ISN'T a grain...). But then again Force (labeled grain free) has quite a bit of flaxseed. I'm still trying to figure that out. :lol:

Anyway, thanks for finding that info out. Now I won't feel so bad adding it in here & there. 


**edit to add--she's not just "any girl in the store"--it's the owner of the store that researches & approves or disproves the foods they may possibly carry. So she does know her stuff. LOL Thought I'd mention that.


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