Based on 1731 reviews
90%
(1551)
5%
(81)
2%
(42)
1%
(14)
2%
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Viva Raw
R.Z. (Gainesville, US)
RZ

We have fed raw for many years and love it. But two of my 5 fur babies wouldn’t eat the guinea food, one cat and one dog. Just an FYI. I fed the guinea/duck to the other three 😉

I
Viva Raw
I.v. (Santa Ana, US)
Wonderful

my dogs are usually picky eaters when it comes to raw food, but they totally loved viva. They always leave there bowls clean.

M
Viva Raw
M.M. (Houston, US)
Having trouble transitioning.

My 5 yo cat ate it for couple of days, got an upset tummy and now won’t touch it. My kitten loves it, but it upset her stomach as well and gave her liquid diarrhea. I followed the suggested transition plan but didn’t work for us. I may try cooking it some for them at a later date snd see how that works.

I’ve used raw cat food with previous pets and never had any issues. I know the benefits from it. Disappointed we’re having a rough time with it.

L
Viva Raw
L.C. (Arlington, US)
A good switch; plan for delivery time.

I'm switching from BJs Raw Cat food; so my cats are already used to a raw diet. This made the transition seamless.

My critiques are this:
1. Unique proteins are stupid expensive everywhere; for an animal that reproduces as quickly as rabbits do, you would think the cost would be less. My cats will probably only eat chicken in future purchases with rabbit being a treat. (not so much a critique as an observation.)

2. Delivery takes time. It took a little over a week to reach me here on the east coast. That being said, The packaging was enviromentally friendly (finally I don't have to "recycle" a pound of insulated poly styrene each month) & the food arrived completely frozen (as it should.) I was sacred I would run out of their old food before it arrived.

3. The chicken is pretty sticky. I use a metal Tbsp scoop to measure their meals and the chicken formula sticks to the spoon A LOT. The mix I was getting from BJs was less finely ground so that the muscle, tendon & bone could help "clean" their teeth. I'm honestly glad this formula is so easy to work with in many ways...but it probably doesn't need to be THAT finely ground.

4. Do your portion research. This can be a really expensive path to take for your pets nutrition. If you follow the guidelines on the site, you may find yourself paying out the nose. I use a kcal calculator on an independent (read unsponsered) veterinary website (bc a lot of vets get a paycheck bonus for "recommending" food that's not necessarily good for your pet - its a whole thing you learn when working for a vet & tangental to this review) to calculate food volume by calorie content. Just, give it a go. I could save you money and your pets joints to do that little bit of extra research...and let's face it, a company wants to sell you more food for their profit...they probably are fudging portions sizes to that end.

Pros:
1. Variety of options that include essential supplements not found in other raw foods at the same price point.
2. Lower costs overall compared to previous company. Shipping & handling seems reasonable for the distance being covered. (Would still love to understand what makes rabbit more expensive than chicken tho🫠.)
3. Active involvement in supporting charities (that's actually what brought this company to my attention.)

I know it sounds like I blasted Viva to all hell, but I do genuinely feel the experience was positive. Reading other people's reviews, I probably won't do subscriptions to avoid any customer service fiascos. I'm disabled & it would probably take a huge toll to try & iron out any issues that might arise.

H
Viva Raw
H.S. (Lincoln, US)
Picky eater approved!

My little beagle cross fur baby is the pickiest eater I’ve ever seen. I’ve tried dozens of different kinds of high quality foods for her with no luck. I’ve read a lot about feeding a raw diet and thought I’d give it a try. The first time I fed her Viva she absolutely loved it! I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

C
Viva Raw
C.S.
Cooked

Our pup won’t eat it raw but likes it cooked with cheese sprinkled on top. We just discovered he hates traditional bowls but likes food spread out on a tray. We will keep buying if we can find good coupons but can’t afford otherwise.

A
Viva Raw
A.H. (Waldwick, US)
My 3 dogs and 3 cats love this food - customer service was great

My 3 dogs and 3 cats love this food - customer service was great! I ordered pure instead of complete by accident and they quickly fixed my order for me!

C
Viva Raw
C. (San Pablo, US)
Best raw food ever

All my fur babies love this food. They all have different ones that work best for their individual tummies, and the subscription keeps it all organized for me so I don't even have to think about it. When I do need to make changes, the customer service is stellar every time. Thank you Viva!

M
Viva Raw
M.J.P. (Menomonee Falls, US)
Loki loves Viva

There was zero convincing him to eat it. He walks us to his dish, that’s how much he loves it. Right now he’s getting the beef recipe, but after a month we will give him options!

c
Viva Raw
c.c. (Myrtle Beach, US)
My Cats- One it's a hell no, the other is just starting to eat it.

I ordered a trail sample of 2 pounds of each food no shipping charges. I did everything I could think of doing to get them to eat this, *Slow Introduction * Mixing this with their regular food * Slightly warming by adding warm broth * Adding toppers * Sitting with them * After a all day fast. It ended up being a waste of time effort and money. The possums outside enjoyed it. I had Rabbit and Duck left and thought I would try again after months of not. With success Cairo ate it and it has been about a week now. Phoenix still won't touch it. I alternate raw with other food to keep her interested and because I am on my last pack. I wish there was an option to receive another sample with no shipping charges so I can continue to really try this before I sign up for a subscription.

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Viva Raw
R.D. (Pittsburgh, US)
Riley's Fantastic

I know this sounds cliche but my mini-pincher is like a new dog after only 4weeks on Viva. He is 11 going on puppy! Just magic, truly.

M
Viva Raw
M.F. (Denver, US)
Great food! Great service

I have a dog with digestive issues and VIVA has been the best thing for him. Customer service is always exceptional when I need them.

K
Viva Raw
K.S. (Port Orange, US)
Sensitive Cat

My cat is very sensitive to food and has only successfully eaten prescription rabbit food. We feed her small amounts about every 2 1/2 hours to keep her from regurgitating.

We had another cat that did well on raw but could eat any meat. When I discovered rabbit was available I was curios to see if my cat could handle it...and hopefully heal enough to be able to eat larger amounts without regurgitating.

She has been on this diet for two weeks now and is 3/4 raw 1/4 prescription and we still have to feed her small amounts but she is able to go longer times between meals. I believe the raw is satiating her appetite.

There was a challenging start. She is hyper sensitive to smells. Every day when I come home she has to smell where I've been so she can record new smells. She refused even the tiniest raw mixed in her food. I eventually found success by sprinkling a small amount of prebiotic on top. By the fourth feeding she gad accepted it and by the sixth, she was looking forward to it.

She has all the positive signs of a cat eating raw. When she is ready to eat she wants ut NOW and us quite vocal and impatient about it. I love the progress that she has made and hope she eventually will have a more regular eating schedule.

M
Viva Raw
M.D. (Montgomery, US)
SICK TO DEATH of TECHNOLOGY!

Let me SPEAK TO A FREAKING HUMAN!! I want EVERYTHING cancelled! I can't figure out how to work this f'ed up system, and you WON'T LET ME SPEAK TO A HUMAN, SO I'M O U T !!!

I'm sorry that you are feeling frustrated with us! We are always happy to chat with you! We have several ways of reaching us, some are a bit quicker than others for us to respond to you. We offer a text message option, a chat feature on our website, & email. If you prefer a call just leave us a voicemail and we'll get back to you as soon as possible! We did just try to give you a call a little bit ago and left you a voicemail; I've also emailed you if you would like to follow up with me there.

L
Viva Raw
L.A. (Euless, US)
Great food

My cat loves this food and empties the plate every single time. She’s much better off since I choose to give her Viva raw chicken. It’s expensive but worth it

E
Viva Raw
E.R. (Alvaton, US)
Four paws up!

I have two Goldens who are picky! Very picky and they clean their plates with this raw food.

I
Viva Raw
I.A. (Las Vegas, US)
Not Happy

Yes, I ordered the Viva, instead of The Pure, got $36.00 for my next order. Teo is already on OC raw, which he eats, has Kelp, that he is sensitive too. Viva has kelp, like so many other good dog food. Viva pure has just meat, that can be cooked. Well I tryed feeding it to him, raw, cooked, he took a sniff and took off. I think it has too much liver that he does not like. Anyway more money down the drain, will not reorder. I don't understand why you have to buy so much the first time, not knowing if your dog will eat it. Companies should allow you to buy one package at a time.

We have a minimum order requirement to ensure that the packages arrive to you in good condition. With that being said, we do offer a 30-Day Clean Bowl Guarantee on first time orders. You had reached out to us prior to this and we had let you know that we were not be able to honor the Guarantee for your order with us as you had stated that you were not able to feed the recipes purchased and ordered them in error since Teo is allergic to kelp. We have our ingredients listed on our website for each product so that if your pet has a sensitivity to anything you would be able to double check on that prior to ordering. With that we did offer a courtesy credit for you to re-order the Pure Beef as you had intended. I have emailed you a follow up to this as well if you would like to chat more!

K
Viva Raw
K.P. (San Francisco, US)
My cat doesn't like it

Delivery quite take time.
My cat doesn't like it. He can not finish it
Also, food turning blue easily for about 2 days, then my cat does not eat it. I need to throw it away cuz it is fresh, I need to go back to Darwin

I'm sorry to hear that your kitty isn't liking Viva! We know that kitties can be picky so we've gathered all of our best tips and tricks to help with the transition, I have emailed those over to you. If they don't end up working out, we offer our 30-Day Clean Bowl Guarantee on your first order with us! As far as our delivery schedule goes, we ship orders on Monday through Wednesday and the transit time varies based on your location between 1-3 days from the day of shipment. Orders placed between Wednesday and Sunday are shipped the following week. In the email with the tips and tricks, I have asked some more questions in regards to the food turning blue as that is not something we have heard of before and would like to gather more details!

T
Viva Raw
T.P. (Pagosa Springs, US)
I chose Raw Viva because Susan Thixler gave such a high rating

Been feeding Raw Viva for quite some time.
My dog stopped, enjoying the raw, and I called them and they said gently gently cook it ! not hot . not high heat!
That solved the problem!
My dog runs warm in the stomach, so I feed her duck rabbit and beef combination and it seems to be perfect
Viva always gets it right!
Perfectly packaged always frozen!
No hiccups ever. Thank you so much, Raw Viva

K
Viva Raw
K.M. (Gloucester, US)
Product and customer service

The ingredients are the best and the email customer service was very helpful. My dog loves the rabbit diet

S
Viva Raw
S.E.
Viva Raw

I am beyond relieved and thankful for finding Viva! I have 2 of the absolute pickiest eating pups, I’m certain has ever lived. They are both owner surrender rescues from my local pound, and I’m uncertain of what they were fed prior to my adopting them. But whatever it was made it literally impossible to keep them nourished the way they need to be. I am not exaggerating in the least when I say I tried every brand and every type of food I could possibly think of with no success. Until I saw a YouTube video of a gal giving her picky cat, Viva. She explained her cat was picky and was lightly cooking it to get her cat to eat it. Considering my 2 would only eat cooked meat, and very few other things…. and only on occasion…. I decided to give it a shot with Viva. To my absolute shock and JOY they both devoured the lightly cooked beef. My baby girl prefers it over the chicken and Turkey… but my boy loves them all 3. We are trying duck next to give her more of a variety. Regardless… Viva has been an absolute Godsend and I’m so thankful for the company and their products!! My only regret is that I didn’t discover Viva much sooner!! This fur momma breathes easier with Viva in my freezer!!

B
Viva Raw
B.K. (Holtsville, US)
My cats love it.

I've got two cats and they love Viva. They love it and it keeps them full longer. They're happy and their fur is glowing. They don't smell. Their litter boxes, especially, don't smell. Their fur is soft and fluffy. They're happy with Viva raw and if they're happy, I'm happy. If you can afford feeding your cats raw, you should do it without hesitation. It's worth it, as long as your kitties are healthy and don't have dietary restrictions.

T
Viva Raw
T.K. (Kirkland, US)
Loved Viva until recipe change. Adding probiotics = losing customers

I loved Viva especially Rabbit for dogs, Rabbit for cats, and Rabbit pure. I convinced 4 other friends to become Viva customers. We liked Viva because it did not have synthetic supplements like most pet foods. Now all 5 of us are leaving Viva because they started adding probiotics.

Probiotics can cause bowel issues, increased heart rate. Probiotics can also cause infections in the heart's inner lining or heart valves. University studies have shown gut health returns to normal faster with no probiotics than those who took probiotics.

All 5 of us plan to have pets for the next 20 years so Viva is losing 5 loyal customers x 20 years of business by adding probiotics. Jen if you are reading this please reconsider the across the board adding of probiotics. Some of us in the group of 5 that are leaving are medical doctors who know the potential problems/dangers of adding probiotics to daily food. If you decide to go back to your previous recipe with no probiotics please let me know. At this point there is not a Viva option without probiotics so we will be switching to a frozen raw company that does not add probiotics.

Would you consider selling a batch without probiotics? We collectively could place an order for several thousand dollars- buy out an entire run of rabbit and freeze a years supply. Wishing you the best! Sincerely, Tim

Hi Tim,
We appreciate you reaching out and sharing your concerns. Here at Viva, we believe in making each batch of our food better than the last, which means we’re always looking at the latest research & discoveries to evolve our approach to food safety and provide higher-quality products for your pets. We have not seen any data linking probiotics to any negative health impacts and many studies show positive health effects with probiotic use! That’s why we believe the probiotics in our food are unlikely to negatively affect your pet’s gut health even with long term use. We would love to learn more about the information you have found regarding probiotics and their negative impact with daily use as well as their link to bowel issues and heart health concerns. Can you share those studies with us? You can reply to the email that I sent following up with you on this! We don't have an option as of now for product without the added probiotics as it is now part of our robust pathogen control procedures to ensure food safety.

D
Viva Raw
D.L. (Houston, US)

We have several cats so I wasn’t sure if they'd all be on board, cats are very cautious eaters, but nope, they all loved it.
Their plates were clean !

C
Viva Raw
C.A.O. (Flower Mound, US)
Excellent Delivery Service

My first time ordering... my package for cat and dog foods arrived on time, well-packaged and frozen as it should be. I do, however, wish the serving sizes were smaller portions to avoid waste. Unfortunately, I can't get my Australian Shephard, my 5-month old kitten or my 10 year old cat to go for it. It seems like such a great product and highly recommended but, even with the light searing as suggested, they just won't eat it. I'm wondering what they smell that they don't like because the dog and the kitten will already eat raw hamburger and beef cuts and that's why I thought they'd love it.

But I'll keep trying with maybe some steaming to lightly cook it because I had to throw out 2 packages already (over the 3-day fridge freshness time) and I'd like to use it if I can.