Frequently Asked Questions

What are the primary benefits of feeding K9 Natural?

Dogs fed on a balanced diet of fresh whole foods benefit from improved access to the protein sources and essential fatty acids found in raw, uncooked meats, as well as the benefits gained from the naturally-occurring vitamins and minerals found in the fruit, vegetables, eggs and garlic contained in every mouthful of K9 Natural. K9 Natural provides your dog with variety and taste in a diet that mimics nature. Problems he or she may have faced may simply disappear once on a steady diet of K9 Natural. K9 natural will never say there food is perfect, they firmly believe nature provides the perfect food for its dogs. So they strive to achieve the closest possible replica of nature's ultimate diet.

What are the kinds of things I'd notice if I started feeding my dog K9 Natural?

One of the first things you'll notice is a change in your dog's stools - they'll be smaller, firmer and drier and won't smell as much - creating less waste, of a kind that is much easier to collect. Why? Because K9 Natural does not contain the usual fillers found in pet food so your dog can digest its food, which is in reality exactly the way it should be. Your dog's breath will also improve and he/she will consume less water because of the natural moisture content from the ingredients such as blood (this is particularly noticeable if your dog has previously eaten a dry food diet, which requires a lot of water to rehydrate and digest). Again nature provides moisture to its animals in the food that it provides for them, so at K9 we do the same. After a few days/weeks you'll begin to see a noticeable change in your dog's appearance: its coat will be shinier, eyes brighter and its body will look leaner, with clearly-evident muscle definition. Nature makes food for athletes, as they need to be able to catch their meals on the hoof.

I heard that if I feed my dogs K9 Natural I wouldn't need to worm them. Why is that?

Worms thrive in the immature immune systems of puppies (their stomachs are full of mucus from birth) and in adult animals in a compromised or run-down condition. The intestinal tract of an infested animal is usually clogged with mucus and breakdown products from certain diets and toxic overload, the worms simply take advantage of the animal's impaired state (worms thrive in mucus and wastes).   A key ingredient in K9 Natural is bone. Mucus gives worms a place to flourish, and when it is removed by the bone namely the stomach remains a less mucus laden environment, the worms become vulnerable. Rather than killing them all, bone simply makes your animal an unattractive place for the worms to live.   If your pet is heavily infested with internal parasites and clinically sick, see your veterinarian for advice, then maintain your dog on K9 Natural, to keep them as free as possible of these parasites.

From what I've read and seen, it sounds like K9 Natural food is quite moist. Does it follow the phrase 'what goes in must come out'?

If a dog's food is easily digested, very little comes out as waste and that waste shouldn't smell bad. One of the many benefits of feeding your dog K9 Natural is that it is easily digestible, resulting in stools that are small, firm, dry and a lot less smelly than those you might be used to picking up (or hosing away...). This is good for your dog - because you know it's getting so much nutritional value from what it's consuming - but it's also good for you!

Are there behavioural differences I would notice if I fed my dog K9 Natural?

Yes. As with humans, if we alter our diets to a more natural option we enhance our sense of well-being - a dog is no different. If we give them a diet of inappropriate food on a daily basis, then change them to a food they would eat naturally, you will almost certainly notice changes in their behaviour, demeanour and appearance. Check out our customer feedback. On a balanced, 100% natural diet like K9 Natural, you can expect your dog to be more alert, more energetic, more playful and less tired.   By regularly providing your dog's K9 Natural diet with raw meaty bones, you're adding another dimension with great benefits. Chewing on a bone is an instinctual and stimulating activity for a dog. It keeps them amused while you're absent and can stop them from chewing on things you'd rather they didn't - such as furniture, remote controls, books, shoes etc. Chewing also releases endorphins which create a feeling of well-being.

What is the benefit of the blood? Why do you put that in K9?

The nutritional content of raw blood is extremely high each nutrient required for the nutrition of every cell in the body is found in blood...so carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, salts, fats, iron, glucose, calcium and phosphorus to name a few are found in whole raw blood. There is about 150g of haemoglobin per litre, which translates to about 600 Calories per litre of blood from protein content, and about 160 mg/L of iron. Blood is the bodies transport system for these nutrients hence we add it back at K9, it is the most nutrient rich part of the K9 Natural Diet so why do others throw it away?

Is it safe to feed my dog some K9 Natural and some kibble?

At K9 we say you must feed either one or the other do not mix, your dog's stomach naturally has an acidity level of PH1, so highly acidic, if you feed cooked kibble you reduce this level to PH 4 or 5 this means your dog will struggle to digest raw food and raw meaty bones...hence if you feed bones to a dog on a kibble diet they get the runs.....they do not get the runs with a raw bone if they are eating a raw diet a sure sign the 2 do not mix.

Do you have to put water with it? What exactly does the water do?

When nature made food for its animals it made it with 80% moisture so if we follow nature and at K9 we certainly try to then we must also feed food to our animals at that moisture content. So we say yes please add the moisture back to the food. In the case of K9 Natural the moisture content is blood, so by adding back the water found in blood ( blood is 95% H2O) you end up with reconstituted blood and all its goodness. Perhaps now you understand your dog’s reaction when you feed it warm, food that bleeds!

Can I feed it dry?

Answer above......

How long do you have to wait after adding the water to the freeze dried? Why add warm water?

After you have added the warm water back to the freeze dried food you can feed it straight away, K9 natural does not swell or expand as it is not dehydrated or cooked. It still feels moist these are the essential fatty acids...again they are still present due to no heat being applied to our food. You can also leave it to absorb some more moisture however your dog will not want to wait.....the fluid really is the blood so they will be waiting in anticipation.....the reason we say add it back at body temperature is nature provides food that is warm, covered in fur and running past the dogs nose....yes I am afraid that is a rabbit...but that is perfect. So at K9 we try to emulate perfect.... hence please make the food bleed at the same temperature as they would eat it....it also aids digestion we know that food that is warm (98.6F) is easier to digest.

If I feed this to my dog will it behave like a wolf?

This is a common thought, however the opposite is true, ask yourself do farm dogs that are generally fed raw meat eat the sheep they herd? No, why? Because they are getting the food they need and desire....if you are feeding a raw diet. The reason they try to chase, catch and eat will be diminished as they are getting what they seek from you. They will still chase things; those are natural instincts however the killing and eating has no benefit for them. They will defend K9 food though, as do dogs you feed bones, why because at last they are receiving a food that is worth defending, so the one they would choose given the chance.

Remember leave them to eat it, how would you feel if the waiter who served you your meal walked past 1 minute later and started to eat your meal...would you let them? So why do we do that to our dogs....please educate your children your dog will behave like a dog...just as you will behave like a human.

What is the transition period like?

It is perfectly safe to stop feeding your dog’s food one day and introduce K9 Natural the next. A gradual introduction (i.e. feeding some of your dog’s previous food as well as some K9 Natural), is not recommended, especially if you've previously fed your dog a dry diet. A gradual introduction, while continuing to feed some of your dog's previous diet makes it difficult to gauge the correct amount of food that your dog should have and will cause stomach upsets. Wolves tend to eat at dawn and dusk, so we suggest feeding K9 Natural, plus raw meaty bones, at these times (for example, you could feed your dog's recommended amount of K9 Natural in the evening and its raw meaty bone in the morning, or vice versa). Please see the page on feeding for further advice.

Do you add any vitamin or mineral supplements to this? Does it have everything my dog needs?

The simple answer is no we do not add anything other than what is listed on the ingredients panel i.e. on the lamb these are INGREDIENTS: Fresh lamb (85% derived from animals deemed fit for human consumption), ground bone, blood, fresh broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, silver beet, cabbage, other seasonal vegetables, whole eggs, fruit (apples, pears and other seasonal fruit), green tripe, heart, liver, kidney, garlic and now green lipped mussel.

If we eat the right food we have no need to take supplements, the same is true for our dogs, K9 natural contains the right vitamins and minerals naturally, again because it is not cooked they remain intact and available so there is no need to add them. The simple, logical answer is K9 does contain everything your dog needs and again they can choose if they need it.

What is the shelf life?

K9 natural frozen is 18 months the freeze dried will not go off until the moisture content gets above the point where bacteria will grow; at that point it will decay just like fresh food. So in the unopened bag K9 Natural Freeze dried will remain stable and dormant, once the bag is opened and oxygen can get in the food will begin to oxidise. The unopened bag has a best before date of 3 years....the food once opened will last up to 3 months in the zip lock bag in a humid climate and up to 6 months in a temperate climate.

Why does the freeze dried cost more than the frozen?

K9 does not look at price when it sources its food we do look at its quality and the ingredients nutrient values...in life you get what you pay for. That saying is completely true....if you want quality then you have to pay more. K9 natural sources its ingredients from New Zealand...not China or anywhere else around the world, so our food costs more to produce. In New Zealand the animals are all grass fed, hormone free, free range and export quality. K9 will not compromise on the quality of its ingredients, hence you the consumer has to choose on that criteria what you feed your dog. The freeze dried has undergone another procedure so the cost increases for the product, you therefore have to pay more for the convenience of freeze dried over frozen.

How can I be sure it is safe and doesn’t contain bacteria or salmonella?

Please read this section on quality assurance from our website

Will it clean my dog’s teeth?

No, unfortunately K9 natural is not designed for cleaning teeth, there is only one substance made by nature that is designed to clean teeth and that is raw bone. Bone is the only substance that is hard enough to clear plague but soft enough not to damage teeth (in most if not all cases). Humans need dentists with stainless steel instruments as we have stopped eating raw bones, your dogs need the dentist because we have chosen to stop feeding a food that cleans their teeth naturally....K9 always tell you to feed raw meaty bones with its diets for this reason.

My dog is pretty fussy; I have tried lots of food, why will he eat this?

At K9 Natural we have never met a fussy dog and we believe they do not exist....they are dogs that are telling you the owner to change their food. If you are feeling unwell would you like to face a food that made you feel that way? Perhaps that is what your dog is saying....we find almost all dogs never refuse K9 Natural.....the reason is simple if you place 4 bowls in front of your dog now, one with corn in, one with rice in, one with grass in and one with a warm bleeding steak in which one do you think it would choose.....trust your dog they know what they should eat.

Feeding FAQs