When you feed your pet a raw food diet, they will require less food then if you were to feed them a kibble/grain based diet.  There are a few factors that will effect the recommended amount to feed your pet such as; age, activity level and weight goals.  We use the body weight percentage rule which states that the amount you feed your pet each day (in lbs) is a percentage of their body weight.

For example; if you have a 50 pound adult Australian Shepperd, then you would want to feed them 2.5% of their body weight which is 1.25lbs (daily).

50lbs x 2.5% = 1.25 lbs

Body Weight Percentage Recommendation:  We suggest to feed your pet the following percentages based on their activity and weight goals.

• 1.5% – Overweight
• 2.0% – Low Activity (little outdoor time/2 or fewer walks a day)
• 2.5% – Average Activity (a few hours of outdoor time per day)
• 3.0% – Average Activity with Weight Gain Goals
• 3.5 % – High Activity or Weight Gain Goals (Working Dogs)
• 4%+ – Kittens, Puppies and Nursing or Pregnant Pets

This feeding chart is based on a 2.5% recommendation:

Transitioning

You want to transition your pet to raw food slowly to prevent stomach aches and loose stools.  Start by mixing 1 part Steve’s with 4 parts of the food you are currently feeding.  Slowly increase the amount of Steve’s reducing their previous food over the course of 1 to 2 weeks.  Monitor their temperament and stools to ensure they are transitioning well.  More transitioning tips are on our “Starting on Raw Food” page.

Safe Handling

Steve’s Real Food uses only 100% natural, human quality ingredients and you may find that natural colors, smells and textures may vary as abnormal weather and seasonal changes can affect fruit and vegetable harvests.

Please be assured that all products are made under strict quality control and although the products may look slightly different the benefits to feeding a whole natural diet along with our quality throughout manufacturing will always be consistent.

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.  It is best to feed in a stainless steal bowl and wash between each meal, or searve on a paper plate that can be thrown away when they are done.

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.

You can feed your dog the food frozen.  Many dogs like it frozen sense they get to chew it a bit more.

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

The Benefit of The Smaller Sized Nugget

Many pet owners report back to us that because our frozen nuggets are smaller then other brands, their dogs are able to eat it before is is fully defrosted.  Steve’s Real Food created the nuggets so that you can pour and serve.  Most dogs like the  to eat the product frozen because it has a bit of a crunch and allows them to chew it.  Therefore if the food does not have a chance to fully defrost you are less susceptible to contamination.