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FAQ's
What is the amount of meats and vegetables in your foods?
What are the benefits of feeding raw food to my pet?
Can problems arise from feeding raw food?
What to Expect When Feeding Raw Food
What about risks such as Toxoplasmosis, E. coli and Salmonella?
Can I cook your raw foods?
How do I start my pet on a raw diet?
Can I mix your food with dry food?
How Do I Feed Raw Food While Traveling?
I've always heard that dogs and cats shouldn't eat human food...
Will raw food stop my dog from eating its stools?
Will raw food help my pet's allergies?
My pet won't eat raw food....
My pet has kidney disease; can I feed him/her your raw diets?
Why do you recommend supplements in addition to what’s in your food?
How many times a day should I feed my pet?
Why do you charge more for cat food than dog food?
Why do you add a vitamin and mineral mix to your diets?
What is the amount of meats and vegetables in your foods?
Our dog foods are 25% vegetables, 75% meat/bone (includes organs and fat)
Our cat foods are 15% vegetables, 85% meat/bone (includes organs and fat)
What are the benefits of feeding raw food to my pet?
Caregivers of dogs and cats who have switched their pets to raw food diets have noticed many positive results. This list is just a sampling:
- Overweight pets often loose weight as the carbohydrates are removed from the diet; thin pets gain muscle mass given the high quality protein and fat.
- Pets often stop having painful allergic reactions, which manifest through the skin and GI tract, and become more comfortable and symptom free.
- Hyper pets can become calmer, as many behavioral problems related to allergies can be dramatically reduced or eliminated with species appropriate nutrition.
- Lethargic pets often gain much more energy and personality due to the nutrient dense food and enjoyment they get from eating it.
- Pets with body odor and bad breath often become fresh and clean smelling as their entire body chemistry changes with the introduction of fresh raw food.
- Pets with dull, dry and course coats will often become more shiny, lustrous and soft to the touch; along with that, their skin becomes more supple.
- Many pets experience a strengthening of their immune system, which seems to reduce or eliminate symptoms of chronic ailments such as arthritic and joint stiffness, and digestive problems such as inflammatory diseases of the bowel.
- Your pet will experience a better quality of life with a variety of food in its bowl each day just, as you and I can get joy and comfort in our many choices of fresh foods.
Can problems arise from feeding raw food?
Some dogs and cats, especially ones who are middle aged, inactive, overweight or have been fed a dry grain-based food for several years, will need time to adjust to the Chicken, Turkey and Duck varieties which contain ground raw bones. Though rare, in some animals feeding only the poultry varieties several days in a row results in a bout of constipation. It is important that you watch your pet’s stools every day, as it is always a good indicator of health in any animal. Feed our Beef Variety on a rotation, along with the poultry varieties, in order to keep the stools from becoming too dry.
If you see your animal struggling to pass a stool after a couple meals of the poultry, feed only the beef variety until the stools pass easily, then gradually reintroduce the poultry. It is also very helpful and important to give a digestive enzyme to your pet before feeding raw food, and for the duration of the pet's life, to aid in digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals from the ingredients of the food.
Some animals (many of whom may also fit the description above), have a predisposition to suffer a pancreatic attack since pancreatitis can occur suddenly if the pancreas is already inflamed and fat or garbage is ingested. That is why “counter surfing” and “garbage raids” can be especially dangerous. Give animals small amounts of raw food over a period of a few weeks and gradually build into 2 full raw meals per day if you suspect your pet isn’t in optimal health.
If your animal has already experienced pancreatitis, a fibrous food such as pureed, canned pumpkin, (not pumpkin pie filling with sugar and other additives), pulped vegetables such as leafy greens, squash and green beans can help with the transition to a raw diet. Use a food processor or blender and enough water for processing to a pulp. Mix in a ratio of one part raw pet food to one part pumpkin and/or vegetables. Again, a digestive enzyme is also very important for these animals.
What to Expect When Feeding Raw Food
Dogs and cats may go through a period of detoxification when starting a new raw diet, especially if the animal is over two years old and has been eating a lower quality dry food. It is sometimes referred to as a ‘healing crisis’ when the body must dump toxins it has stored in the cells of tissue and in organs such as the liver and skin. The bodies of humans and animals are constantly trying to rid themselves of toxins accumulating from non-nutritive ingredients in food, pollution in the air, and chemicals in water. When toxins are no longer being introduced with the food, the body has more of a chance to rid the built-up waste. There can be symptoms such as waxy build up in the ears, intermittent diarrhea and/or vomiting, lethargy, mild fever, bad breath and skin irritations. This doesn’t last very long and it is actually a good sign to see some detox symptoms. Some younger animals or those that have been on higher quality foods may not have symptoms.
When your pet has been eating a raw food diet for a period of time there will also be a change in stool color and consistency. Stools will become lighter in color, often covered with a white chalky powder. This is the digested bone that is ground into the poultry varieties of our foods. This is an excellent sign that your pet is digesting raw bone and getting the calcium and other minerals that it needs. An added benefit from this new diet is that the stools will also have less odor, become smaller with less volume, and become consistently solid and easier to clean up.
What about risks such as Toxoplasmosis, E. coli and Salmonella?
Risks are almost non-existent to healthy adult animals. These risks mainly affect a pet which is already severely ill, severely stressed, has a compromised immune system due to an immune disorder, or is taking immuno-suppressive drugs such as steroids. We recommend these animals be fed cooked, home-prepared foods until they are drug-free and measures have been taken to boost the immune system using supporting herbs and supplements. Once there are visible signs that health has improved, raw food may be introduced.
Dogs and Cats have digestive systems designed to handle and destroy many bacteria that are harmful to humans, such as Salmonella and E. coli. They have a short, harsh digestive tract, which easily digests raw animal protein, fat and bones, stomach contents of pray animals, feces of other species, and partially decomposed carcasses.
Our foods contain only human grade meats and are frozen solid in order to ensure any Toxoplasma Gondii (Protozoan Coccidium) that may exist are destroyed. To read an article written by Larry Bernstein, DVM, on the risks of Toxoplasmosis in Raw Meat Diets, see the following web address: http://www.naturalholistic.com/handouts/neospora.htm
Companion Natural Pet Food is a raw meat product and should be handled as such. Always wash dishes, utensils, surfaces and hands with hot soapy water and allow time to dry thoroughly. Keep away from children. Keep our foods frozen solid until thawing to feed.
We recommend that every pet be given a digestive enzyme and probiotics prior to and during transition to a raw food diet. This will help friendly bacteria colonize in the intestines of your pet and help build a stronger immune system. Visit our web site for many supplemental products such as enzymes, which include probiotics for dogs or cats. Ultimately, the use of enzymes and probiotics should be continued for the duration of a pet's life regardless of what food it eats. These supplements are crucial to overall health, healing and immune support.
Cooking is not recommended. Cooking destroys the enzymes and some nutrients in raw food, defeating the purpose of feeding a raw diet. The Chicken and Turkey Varieties have finely ground bone in them, which is easily digestible in its raw form but cooked bone is not easily digested and may pose health risks. Microwaving to defrost is also not recommended due to the uneven nature of microwave heating. Some of the food gets cooked when defrosting in the microwave.
If you forget to take the food out to thaw, our suggestion for a quick defrost is to place the container in a dish of warm water in your sink. That will speed up the thawing process. In general, you should plan ahead to remove our food from your freezer and allow it to defrost in your refrigerator as you would with your own food.
How do I start my pet on a raw diet?
You should cut back on the portion size of its usual food by the same amount of raw food you are adding. Gradually increase the amount of raw food each day while decreasing the amount of the other food until they are eating all raw. Another option to help your pet begin to enjoy raw food is to mix a little hot water with the food to bring out the aroma of the meat. Just enough hot water to warm the food will make it smell as though it is slightly cooked and bring out the savory smells of the food.
You can also buy something your pet really likes, such as canned mackerel or sardines, and mix with the raw food a little at a time to add a fishy aroma. The transition process could take between one and two weeks depending on your pet. Cats may take slightly longer. Also, cats should never be forced to go without food in order to change their diets. While dogs can fast for a day or two, cats need consistent meals.
Can I mix your food with dry food?
We do not recommend mixing but some people have reported doing so without problems in their pets. Raw food and dry food digest at different rates. Raw food takes about 4-6 hours to move through your pet's system while dry food takes 10-12 hours. Each animal is an individual. Some will experience gastric upset from mixing raw and cooked foods. Also, please remember no matter what food your pet eats, it should never be encouraged to participate in vigorous play or exercise for at least one hour after eating.
How Do I Feed Raw Food While Traveling?
Most kennels will accommodate raw or home-prepared food if they have a refrigerator/freezer on hand, just call and ask. If you are taking your pets on a trip, check your yellow pages for dry ice, which can usually be purchased in small chunks. Use a cooler to keep the food at refrigerated temperatures with dry or regular ice. If you are traveling for more than a week you may need to supplement with a quality, canned food or dry kibble. See the Whole Dog Journal's top 10 list of the best quality canned and dry foods at www.whole-dog-journal.com.
I've always heard that dogs and cats shouldn't eat human food...
This is a common myth that the commercial pet food industry would like you to believe. Our grandparents and great grandparents fed their companion animals with raw scraps from their own meals because, at the time, there was no such thing as bagged kibble and canned pet food. However, pets should NEVER be given cooked bones from leftover meals from their human companions. While raw bones are easily digested and utilized for important calcium and minerals, cooked bones are dangerous and can cause blockage and/or bowel perforation.
Dogs and cats are carnivores and have the jaw structure to rip tear and swallow prey animals. They do not have flat molars like humans meant for chewing things like grains and whole vegetables. Their digestive tracts are short and manufacture very harsh gastric juices meant to digest whole raw meat and bone and move it through their system very quickly. So, in reality, feeding your pet our raw food is feeding them a species appropriate diet, close to what they would get when eating a prey animal.
Will raw food stop my dog from eating its stools?
We believe it will. Two things likely cause coprophagy, which is the consumption of fecal matter. There is some thought that coprophagy manifests in certain animals due to an underlying nutrient deficiency. Much of today's commercial dry food goes undigested due to its high grain content. The sweet smell of undigested grain can attract some dogs to eat their own stool, or the stools of other dogs and cats. Raw food is usually completely digested.
Will raw food help my pet's allergies?
Most likely, a switch to raw food will alleviate allergic symptoms your pet may be having. Many pets are allergic to protein in grains. These allergies can be seen in symptoms of chronic yeast infections, skin rashes and stiff joints or arthritic conditions. Long-term exposure to large amounts of grains, for these animals, can be a precursor to more serious and permanent illness over time. But, it is never too late to switch to a raw natural diet. Pets of any age can be given a new diet and benefit from it very quickly.
Some pets, especially older ones, can be set in their ways. This means you may need to wean your pet onto a raw food diet. See “How do I Start my Pet on a Raw Diet” above. Once this takes place, your pet will eat each meal with enthusiasm. Another option to help your pet begin to enjoy raw food is to mix a little hot water with the food to bring out the aroma of the meat. Just enough hot water to warm the food will make it smell as though it is slightly cooked and bring out the savory smells of the food.
Some people feed canned fish packed in water and mix the raw food in. However, canned fish alone is not an appropriate long-term diet for pets. Gradually increase the amount of raw food each day while decreasing the amount of the fish until they are eating all raw. This process could take between one and two weeks depending on your pet.
My pet has kidney disease; can I feed him/her your raw diets?
Yes. The most recent research on the effects of protein on the kidneys is showing that the quality of protein makes a difference and dietary protein is not detrimental to kidney function. On the contrary, protein restriction can result in impaired wound healing, diminished immune function, lowered enzyme activities and cellular turnover.1 Animals with kidney failure should be provided a diet of high quality protein, highly digestible protein, fat as a preferential fuel source, a nutrient dense diet in small volume, moderately fermentable fiber and an optimum ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids for nutritional management of inflammation.2
1 Overview of the Aging Process: Fortify the Food Bowl of the Aging Canine - Part 3, authors Susan Thorpe-Vargas, Ph.D. and John C. Cargill, M.A., M.B.A., M.S., originally printed for DOGworld Magazine in May of 1999)
2 Dietary Management of Clinical Disorders in Dogs, by Dr. R. Kadirvel, Printed in the JOURNAL OF INDIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION, KERALA, Volume 5, Issue 2, http://www.jivaonline.com)
Why do you recommend supplements in addition to what’s in your food?
For extra nutritional healing and support, we recommend that a few quality supplements be added to your pet’s diet. First, we recommend the use of a digestive enzyme to help your pet get as much nutrition from its food as possible. Next, a probiotic (some digestive enzyme products come with a probiotic included), such as acidophilous, will help maintain a consistent level of healthy bacteria in the intestines. Additionally, adding a quality essential fatty acid supplement, such as fish oil, is important as these are difficult to obtain through diet and should be added separately. Enzymes, probiotics, and essential fatty acids are all destroyed by exposure to heat, light, and air.
How many times a day should I feed my pet?
We recommend feeding your pet twice daily. Just divide its daily food requirement into two equal portions, one to be fed in the morning and one in the evening. This will keep your pet from becoming too hungry from one meal to the next. Feeding smaller meals through out the day can be beneficial to some pets.
Why do you charge more for cat food than dog food?
Cats require more meat and fewer vegetables to meet their nutritional requirements. Our cat food varieties are more expensive to make, so cost a little more than the dog food varieties.
Why do you add a vitamin and mineral mix to your diets?
There is much controversy over the actual nutrition in food these days, due to factory farming practices which, may be causing soils to be deficient in valuable nutrients that food grown in the United States once contained. The average chicken raised in one region on a certain feed regimen isn’t going to have the same nutrients as another chicken raised somewhere else and fed different feed grown in different soils. It is impossible to guarantee that each batch of food is exactly equal in nutrients and therefore we add a very small amount of a vitamin and mineral premix so we can honestly stand by the statement that our diets are complete and balanced. Most of the nutrition in our food is derived directly from the food ingredients themselves. We believe pet food manufacturers who do not add even a small amount of vitamin and mineral premix to their diets, yet claim they are complete and balanced, would have to conduct physical analysis tests to prove each batch is nutritionally balanced which, for any company, would be cost prohibitive.
