FAQ's
How do I start my pet on a raw diet?
Transition should be gradual. It is understandable to want to get your animal switched to the best possible diet as quickly as possible. However, animals that have been eating kibble or canned food have adjusted to digesting those foods. You have to switch slowly, introducing the raw food in small meals separate from the processed diet. You will gradually increase the size of the raw meal while decreasing the size of the other meals, eventually replacing the processed food meals, one at a time, with raw food meals, then eliminating the extra meal.
Will my family or I get sick from feeding my pet raw?
Raw feeding is no different than cooking for yourself and family within your own home. Standard sanitary habits should be practiced when handling raw meat such as cleaning your area thoroughly after prepping, washing hands after touching raw meat, sanitizing utensils once they have been used on raw meat, etc.
How should I thaw it?
It’s best to thaw it in the refrigerator, in a pan or bowl. This will take 2-4 days to thaw completely. If you need to give that a head start, you can leave it on your counter for up to 2 hours, and then move it to the fridge.
Can I microwave it?
Microwaving can destroy the natural enzymes, cook the bone that should remain raw, and create hot spots that could burn your pet. And there are metal clips on the end of each chub.
A much better way is a water bath. Put the chub in a pan or bucket of cool water. Change the water every 10 minutes and it will thaw quickly.
How long does it last after thawing?
About 3 days.
Can I repackage and refreeze it?
Absolutely! You may want to portion it out. Just partially or fully thaw it, portion it, and refreeze it in a timely manner. If it’s been thawed for more than 3 days it should be used that day or thrown out. Freezing old food does not make it fresher.
What does the term B.A.R.F mean?
The acronym stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. This denotes a complete and optimally nutrious pet food, in which none of the ingredients’ benefits have been lost in processes like cooking or pasteurization. Albright’s Raw Dog Food comprises of mostly quality muscle meat, with some offal and bone, and a small complement of produce such as, eggs, fruit and vegetables, sunflower oil and kelp to give your dog full nutrition. Our complete and balanced recipes follow the biologically appropriate style of feeding.
What exactly does ‘complete and balanced’ mean?
Complete and balanced are official Association of Animal Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) terms. "Complete" means that the food contains ALL the nutrients a dog requires. "Balanced" means that these nutrients are in the correct proportions. These terms are applied to a specific life stage of the dog, meaning the food is complete and balanced for a pup of a certain age.
What does Prey Model Raw (PMR), or "80/10/10" feeding - mean?
The Prey Model Raw (PMR) feeding philosophy states that the following ratios should be used when feeding a dog: Muscle meat 80%, organ meat 10%, bone 10%. 10% organ meat is typically divided between 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ. This ratio breakdown is meant to mimic the ratios found in typical prey animals.
Albright's recognizes that not all pet parents want fruit/veg in their raw food. That's why we now offer a full line of PMR products.
Why do your complete and balanced recipes contain fruit and vegetables?
In the wild, a predator usually consumes most of the prey animal. That includes the contents of the stomach and intestines of the herbivores they eat. The intestines and the stomach of these prey animals contain the fruits and vegetables (and more importantly the nutrients) that those animals ate.
Additionally, wolves have been observed eating fruits and vegetables in the wild; most likely to obtain the nutrients that those food sources provide.
We include kale, cranberries, kelp powder, and sunflower oil to make our food complete.
Why do you use sunflower oil as an ingredient?
We use sunflower oil as an ingredient because of the nutritional vitamin E, but also because of the healthy fat content.
Albright's uses ONLY cold-pressed, high-oleic sunflower oil, which helps us manage the Omega 6:3 ratio and helps ensure our recipes are AAFCO compliant.
Where do you source your proteins?
All proteins are sourced from the US and Canada from USDA-certified facilities. We NEVER use 3D or 4D meats... and NEVER will. Most proteins are sourced from Indiana and the MidWest, but on occasion, are sourced from Western states or Canada.
Where's all the poop?
This is a great benefit, isn't it? The dog's stool is usually smaller and firmer on a raw diet. Instead of eating a lot of filler that just passes through the dog, more of the food is used and digested. If the dog is maintaining the proper weight, less poop is just fine. Also, it smells less. Weird, but true. Not that we suggest you do a comparison sniff test...
Is he constipated on raw? He seems to be straining to go.
Again, because there's less filler, less will come out. There will not be a large loose pile, but smaller and firmer poop. And yes, they may have to push a bit more, but that's a good thing. It helps evacuate the anal glands, so you won't have to pay your groomer to do that.
However, if the dog really does seem to be constipated, give them a spoonful or two of canned pumpkin. If it seems to be a regular thing for your dog, just add a spoonful to your dog's food daily. Some dogs just need a bit more fiber. The pumpkin is low in calories, good for them, and they love it.