What is the Steve’s Real Food difference?

Aside from being the first nationally distributed complete and balance Raw Dog Food, Steve’s Real Food stands out from the competition because:

• Convenient Packaging – Easy To Open – Easy To Serve
• Our ingredient value is 20% greater than any other high quality raw food
• Calories are mostly from protein not fat
• Balanced And Complete – Easy for raw diet newbies
• Affordable price
• Backed by Years of Research and Development

Why are raw pet foods healthier?

One simple reason, only raw food contains ALL the nutrients food has to offer.  Fruits and vegetables are not included as fillers, they are natural sources of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and much more.  They help to make our formulas complete and balanced, naturally.  Any cooking at all destroys a huge number of known and unknown micronutrients.  These micronutrients, such as enzymes, phytochemicals, complete families of antioxidants and flavonoids, vitamins and minerals simply cannot be replaced (not with additives and not with supplements).

Natural, Whole, Raw… The Way Nature Intended!

This is vitally important because, while studies have proven that fruit and vegetable-rich diets can lower cancer incidents and other diet related aliments they can not pinpoint the particular nutrients that provide these benefits.  As we said above, to get all the nutrition food has to offer, it must be raw!

What ailments can be improved on from a raw food diet?

A properly prepared raw diet like Steve’s Real Food for Pets has been shown to be effective (in some case elimination) in cases of allergies, arthritis, bloat, hip dysphasia, hot spots (cysts), diarrhea, kidney and liver dysfunction, urinary crystals,  reduction of fleas, whiter teeth, better breath and a shiny coat.  These are just some of the aliments that decrease when feeding raw foods, you can find more information at Success Stories Pets with Health Problems. Most pet owners use the term “profound changes” when describing the benefits of feeding real food.

Are raw foods safe for all dogs, even puppies and kittens?

The answer is yes, Steve’s Real Food for Pets is made for all ages and stages of your pets life.  Steve’s is great for puppies, kittens, young and older dogs or cats.  If your pet has never had raw foods before mix Steve’s with your current pet food.  Start slowly with just a couple nuggets.  Then gradually increase the amount of Steve’s while decreasing the amount of other pet food.  This allows for a smooth transition and easy digestion!

Why is Steve’s more than just meat?

Canine and feline nutritional requirements reflect the evolutionary experience extending hundreds of thousands of years.  Until recently, pets always ate a diet based upon real raw foods.  Scientists are learning the values of phytochemicals, antioxidents, bioflavonoids, enzymes and essential fatty acids (especially Omega-3).  New research is focusing on the cancer fighting properties of phytochemicals and enzymes.  Tens of thousands of phytochemicals occur naturally in fruits and vegetables along with thousands of enzymes in raw foods.

The next key point is balance. Just giving your dog or cat a portion of raw meat is not appropriate. A true raw diet is balanced with specific portions of meat, fruit and vegetables. In the case of Real Food For Pets, the diet is based on a dog or cat’s “evolutionary diet.” In other words, it replicates what a dog or cat would eat in the wild—in its natural state. When these animals hunted prey, they not only ate the meat and the bones but the digested food of the prey as well. This contained fruits and vegetables. In round figures, the ratio is 80% meat, 20% fruit and vegetables for the dog food, and for cats, true carnivores, about 90% meat and 10% fruit and vegetables. These are the ratios used by Real Food For Pets.

What about E.coli, Salmonella and other microbes?

Steve’s Real Food uses only the highest quality (100% human-quality) ingredients, but this is a very legitimate concern, and is often the first question pet owners have. It is also an easy question to answer. Properly prepared raw meat-based diets are very safe for dogs and cats. Always be sure to use safe handling procedures including washing hands, bowls, counter tops & utensils used for raw feeding.

We regularly test our foods for our guaranteed analysis, Salmonella, E.coli 0157-H7, & Campylobacter (click here for our latest test results) to ensure our products safety.  We also test our foods for hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides (our food sources are of such high quality that residues are very unlikely, but we love our pets too much to take any chances).

We then instant flash freeze (-50 degrees ) our foods to eliminate the possibility of parasites.  This also locks in the freshness of the vital nutrients raw foods have to offer.

What is your normal PH level of your food, is it good for dogs and cats with kidney, urinary and other issues?

Yes, a balanced raw pet food like Steve’s Real Food for Pets can help support and maintain your pets nutritional needs naturally. Steve’s is great for both dogs and cats with stones, crystals or other issues associated with internal dysfunction.  Our target PH for our foods are a normal acid level of 6.2 – 6.4.

Are your ingredients organic?

Steve’s Real Food uses only Human Grade, 100% certified USDA inspected raw meats, fruits and vegetables.  We do not just buy meat off the open market, we want assurance that our ingredients are only grown or produced in the USA.  We use certified natural whole foods.  All our ingredients are 100% natural without hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and other chemicals etc.  Our EcoDiet formula is our Organic line that has all natural meats and organic fruits and vegies.

Why don’t you use organic meats?

It is our mission to provide you with an affordable product.  We use all natural, free range, grass fed meats.  We do not use organic because this would put the product as a price point that is much higher then we want and we believe that a antibiotic/hormone free, all natural option is sufficient.

What about toxoplasmosis? Can cats contract it from eating raw meat?

All Steve’s Real Food for Pets products are frozen & kept frozen in a manner that eliminates any latent Toxoplasma gondii in our raw ingredients.

What about mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases? What has Steve’s done to counter the risk from feeding beef products?

When we say “Select beef” is used for our Steve’s Real Food Beef dinner for dogs it is 100% natural, free range, grass fed, 100% hormone free & 100% antibiotic free. We purchase our beef from local farms and slaughterhouses. Cattle from this region have never shown symptoms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (e.g. mad cow disease) and are not currently suffering foot-and-mouth disease. Note that foot-and-mouth disease is not transmissible to dogs or cats. Furthermore, we do not use at-risk meat or organs from the cattle such as brains, spinal tissues, or eyes, which harbor transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in infected cattle.

How do I start my dog on Steve’s Real Food for Dogs?

Do not cook the Steve’s Real Food, this defeats the purpose of feeding raw foods.  Steve’s formulas have a more balanced meat to vegie ratio, therefore it is common to switch directly to steves without any adverse effects.  However, it is best to gradually mix Steve’s Real Food with your present pet food (canned or kibble), increasing the amount of Steve’s fed daily. You may want to first use Steve’s as a treat (remember to wash your hands afterwards), giving one or two nuggets the first day.  If you see that your dogs stools are runny, then slow down the transition process.  If should only take 2 weeks to fully transition your pet.

How do I mix Steve’s with other foods?

Many of our customers mix Steve’s with a premium grain-based food. There are two general theories on mixing:

Some people believe that you should not mix meat with grain because they are digested differently. These people feed Steve’s one day, and a premium grain-based food the next day.

Others believe that the dog or cat should receive some of the thousands of enzymes, phytochemicals and antioxidants that are only in properly prepared raw meat-based diets everyday. These people will mix from 25% to 75% Steve’s in with the kibble daily.

We think both points-of-view make sense. We’ve also seen wonderful results either way. Our advice is to use whichever system works for you.

Where is the, “best if used by” or “production date” on the bag?

Frozen Steve’s Real Food has best if used by dates located on the bag closure clips of each varieties and size bag of food.  Production dates are also labeled on the outside of each frozen variety 20lb and 30lb case.

Our production date for Steve’s Real Food freeze-dried varieties is located on back side, gold foil rim, and usually on the right hand side. The first two numbers are the year, the next two/three numbers are the day it was produced in that year. Mine reads 04166D KLC this means it was produced on the 166 day of 2004 (around May 15, 2004).

What is the shelf life of Steve’s Real Food?

The fresher any food is, the better tasting and more nutritious it is. Individual quick freezing (flash freezing) and keeping the food frozen is the best way to preserve nutrition and taste.

Steve’s Real Food frozen food, as long as it remains frozen, can remain in your freezer for a year. (Please check our best if used by date). Once defrosted, Steve’s Real Food should be used within four days.

Our freeze-dried products are packaged in high-barrier bags with an oxygen absorbing package. If kept in a cool, dry location, unopened, the shelf life is eighteen months. Once opened if the products are sealed and kept in a refrigerator they will be will be good for up to 14 days, and up to a month in the freezer.

What’s the caloric content of Steve’s Real Food for Dogs?

Our dog food has 1100 kilocalories per kilogram on average.  This is about 125 kcal per cup.

What’s the caloric content of Steve’s Real Food for Cats?

Our cat food has about 1800 kilocalories per kilogram.  This is about 200 kcal per cup.

Can I use Steve’s food while traveling?

Yes, of course.  Steve’s frozen food can be kept in a thermal ice-filled cooler or in your motel room mini-fridge for about 3 to 4 days.  Also, when you are camping or traveling we suggest you use our Steve’s Real Food freeze-dried varieties.   They are exactly the same nuggets, they are easy to use and will stay in an opened bag for about 2 weeks.

We’re having problems introducing Steve’s to our cat.  Any suggestions?

Cats sometimes react negatively to new foods.  We’ve had great results by slowly working the raw food into their diet, one step at a time.  Start slowly try mixing one nugget (or less) with their normal meal.  It can take about 7 – 14 days to gradually increase the amount to 100% Steve’s while decreasing the amount of cooked pet food per meal.  Find more Transitioning Tips Here.

Can I feed Steve’s frozen? Can I warm it up?

Steve’s Real Food for Pets can be fed frozen, defrosted or slightly warm. Try not to heat it above 118° F so that you don’t destroy the enzymes. Some dogs like the food best slightly warm, some like it frozen.

What are some proper handling tips?

Our frozen foods should be kept in the freezer until you’re ready to feed your pet. For cats and smaller dogs, we suggest that at each meal, you simply pour the number of nuggets you will feed into a separate bowl and defrost in the refrigerator. For large and multiple-dog families, you can defrost the entire bag in the refrigerator. The food stays wholesome for about four days in the refrigerator.

Keep the freeze-dried products in a cool, dry location until opening. After opening, refrigerate or freeze.

My dog likes to lick my child’s face. Is this OK? Can’t my child get sick from the bacteria in the dog’s mouth?

Face licking and kissing is definitely not OK from both a behavioral and microbiological standpoint, regardless of whether the dog’s diet is raw or cooked. Behaviorally, face licking begins in puppyhood as a food begging mechanism between the puppy and his/her mother. Reinforcing this mechanism by allowing licking among humans invites behavioral problems in adulthood.

Furthermore, from a purely medical standpoint, doctors and veterinarians have recommended for years that animal-child contact be limited and/or strictly supervised and controlled. A literature review from 1978 reports that up to 30% of domestic dogs shed salmonella varieties in their feces; this predates the popularity of raw diets by about 15 years. Canine predilections towards coprophagy and oral-rectal contact make licking behavior dangerous even if the dog is being fed a traditional cooked ration. Again, this represents a long-standing opinion of the veterinary/pediatric community that predates the advent of raw feeding.

What is the shelf life of both frozen and freeze-dried products?

The fresher any food is, the better tasting and more nutritious it is. Individual quick freezing (flash freezing) and keeping the food frozen is the best way to preserve nutrition and taste. Steve’s Real Food frozen varieties, as long as it remains frozen, can remain in your freezer for a year. (Please check our best if used by date). Once the raw food has defrosted in the refrigerator it will last for about 3 – 4 days and given in a bowl at feeding time, it should be fed within four hours.

Our freeze-dried products are packaged in a high-barrier foil bags with an oxygen absorbing package. If kept in a cool, dry location and unopened, the shelf life is eighteen months. Once the freeze-dried bag has been opened, if the products are sealed and kept in the pantry or cabinet they will be good for about 14 days, in the refrigerator 21 days and in the freezer for about 30 days.

What is this freezer burn and how to prevent it?

Freezer burn (frost) is a dehydration of the outer layer of a food product after it has been exposed to cold conditions. It’s often accompanied by frost over the affected region of the food. It has no effect on the nutritional quality of a product, but often diminishes the appearance of a food to the point where it is not appealing to the consumer.

Frost is caused by poor air circulation, and often, by the periodic thawing and freezing of frost-free freezers, when they are opened and closed during the day. Ensuring proper air flow and rotating your bags in the freezer will help decrease the amount of frost to accumulate in each bag.

Frost is not completely unavoidable when putting fresh or frozen foods in the freezer, but we are always looking to improve our products. April of 2005 we introduced new 2.5lb zip lock, heavy poly packaging already in stores now, to reduce frost and help ensure freshness.

What about toxoplasmosis? Can cats contract it from eating raw meat?

All Steve’s Real Food for Pets products are frozen & kept frozen in a manner that eliminates any latent Toxoplasma gondii in our raw ingredients.

What about mad cow and foot-and-mouth diseases? What has Steve’s done to counter the risk from feeding beef products?

When we say “Select beef” is used for our Steve’s Real Food Beef dinner for dogs it is 100% natural, free range, grass fed, 100% hormone free & 100% antibiotic free. We purchase our beef from local farms and slaughterhouses. Cattle from this region have never shown symptoms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (e.g. mad cow disease) and are not currently suffering foot-and-mouth disease. Note that foot-and-mouth disease is not transmissible to dogs or cats. Furthermore, we do not use at-risk meat or organs from the cattle such as brains, spinal tissues, or eyes, which harbor transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in infected cattle. We use beef bonemeal in our beef dog food and in our cat food as a calcium supplement. Our supplier makes it using bones from domestic cattle (who have never shown mad cow symptoms) and does not use at-risk bones such as the skull or spine.

The guaranteed analysis shows Steve’s at aprox. 10% protein, why is that so low?

On a dry matter basis, Steve’s Real Food for Dogs is 45% protein, and Steve’s Real Food for Cats is 48% protein.

On the package of all pet foods, one can find a guaranteed analysis. The guaranteed analysis refers to the amount of the product by weight that is protein, fat, fiber and water. Steve’s Real Food for Dogs is 10% protein by weight.

The natural diets of dogs and cats contain a lot of water, as does Steve’s. Almost all natural ingredients have a high water content: Meat is 60 to 80% water, vegetables and fruits are 90% or more water. The natural method for dogs, and especially cats, to get their water is through their foods.

Water does not add calories. Therefore the proper way to look at protein is on a dry matter (DM) basis. Remove the water, and look at the percentage of the food that is protein. On our label, we list the percentage of the product that is protein. With natural diets the two percentages are quite different.

For example, let’s compare Steve’s Real Food (listed as 10% protein and 78% water) to a premium kibble (listed as 28% protein and 10% water). Divide the listed protein percentage by 1 minus the percent water. Examples:

Steve’s chicken, Protein (DM) = .10/(1-.78) = 45% protein.

A premium kibble, Protein (DM) = .25/(1-.10) = 28%.Like all natural diets, Steve’s Real Food is a high protein food. In contrast, all kibbles are much lower in protein than the ancestral diet of dogs and cats. Even vegetables on a dry matter basis are more than 30% protein. In addition, with kibble much of the protein comes from grain, which is not a natural or complete source of protein for dogs and cats. There is a considerable difference in the quality between the protein in real, raw meats and the protein from extruded grain-based foods.