The no salt added is the best; that brine has a lot of salt for a little dog.
I am pretty wary of raw beef as there have been documented deaths of dogs from eating it. I feed raw chicken however -- mostly as necks so they get the bones. I nearly had one of mine end up in the emergency room due to a wing sitting in two sharp pieces, in his belly for over 8 hours and I will tell you -- the bones do NOT just digest right down as a lot of raw advocates inists. They were just as sharp and pointy as when they went in which really was an eye-opener; so I don't feed wings unless cut into pieces. But necks have much softer crunchy bones and those seem to go through fine. I like them having some raw bones in their diet.
I think raw is fine as long as people know how to handle raw meats and round out all the nutrients but I just felt it was too bothersome to feed a raw-only diet. And to be honest I have not seen any difference at all from when I fed only or primarily raw -- and I do think there are risks in feeding this diet (which many feel are outweighed by benefits). I believe more in feeding real food as opposed to processed kibble which has to have added nutrients to make up for all that is lost in processing. But I find kibble very handy and know that by feeding some meals mixed with kibble, the dogs get the range of nutrients they need too.
Those are all my opinions based on a lot of reading, talking to people, and experimenting! I think we all make choices based on what suits us and we feel suits our dogs. I'd always encourage discussion and also, considering all the evidence and all ideas equally; but I really hate the 'food nazi' approach where people are told all they feed is wrong or their opinions are wrong or every study that disputes a point of view is wrong. I grew up with a beautiful, show-quality Great Pyrenees from one of the great US breeders of this breed (the Rhodes in California)and she was fed -- as were all dogs in the 60s/70s -- supermarket canned and dry food with lots of table scraps plus raw knuckle bones now and then! She looked glorious (more than once my folks were stopped on the street by pyr people who asked if she was being shown as she was such an excellent breed example), never went to the vet for a SINGLE illness, and lived to 13, which if you think is old by cavalier standards is ANCIENT for a giant breed. She only got a bit stiff in her last year or two; you'd have though she was a young dog til then.
I wouldn't feed such a 'junk diet' now (but I'd keep the scraps and bones in the diet! :lol
simply because I believe in more wholesome food for people and animals
but I also think people see what they want to see in a lot of the faddish diets. Just be sensible and don;t listen to those who make you feel you MUST feed this or that or you are mistreating your dogs. I like breeder Laura Lang's approach -- she changes around kibble and feeds a wide range of fresh food and sometimes raw, which means if you get one of her dogs -- as my parents will be taking one of her retired girls -- they can eat everything and aren't fussy. One of the weird recommendations I often see is DON'T feed your dog a range of foods or they become demanding. I would think it is the other way around! Mine are happy with just about anything in a dish because I too feed them a really wide range of foods -- this makes it really easy for Margaret who boards them (but she insists on cooking them up bits of chicken and mince anyway! :lol
. And means I don't have to drive in search of food if the ONE thing they eat isn't in the house. And mine have never been ill in 2.5 years (Leo has SM but that is genetic).
Ooops I didn't intend that as an essay but food discussions often get that way it seems! I think there are few topics dog owners get more worked up about. And few topics that can be used to make dog owners feel as manipulated and guilty. Go with what suits you, ask lots of questions, try new things, see what your dog likes. icon_thumbsup