Planet Paws Media LLC Recipe FAQs
These recipes were created out of sheer love of fresh feeding and our desire to help you nourish your pet better. They are not intended to replace nutritional advice or medical care from your vet. All questions about your pet’s diet should be directed to your vet or healthcare practitioner who can partner directly with you to ensure you’re tailoring your pet’s nutritional needs around your pet’s age, breed, health and metabolic status.
How can I learn more about each recipe? Click on the button associated with each recipe to get more details; there are lots of recipe variations (including low fat recipes, whole food recipes, keto recipes, novel protein/limited ingredient, recipes for cats). The thumbnail picture associated with each recipe provides a general overview.
Why are oysters and mussels (and green lipped mussel powder) frequently used? These foods are high in zinc and other hard-to-come-by minerals, so they are often used to reduce the number of supplements in recipes.
Why are herbs and spices (such as oregano, ginger and cinnamon) used? These ingredients contain micronutrients that would otherwise be lacking in the recipe, such as manganese, and the addition of these spices makes up those deficiencies. Omitting the spices listed will result in omission of these nutrients, so we recommend following recipes exactly as written.
Recipes for health conditions are formulated for targeted nutrition geared toward addressing a specific health concern and therefore may not meet all AAFCO minimum nutrient requirements. As with all home feeding regimes, we recommend feeding these recipes under the supervision of a veterinarian.
What does “marine oil” mean? Pets need a large amount of omega 3 fatty acids that come primarily from ocean (non-plant) sources, including but not limited to salmon and krill oil. Cod liver oil is added as source of vitamin A and D. We lump these all together and call them “marine oils.”.
Why are there small amounts of plant oils or seeds included in some of the recipes? To balance fats. Some recipes need additional alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid added for optimal fatty acid balance, and while many commercially available recipes don’t focus on the appropriate balance of healthy fats, we believe this is a critical part of species-appropriate nutrition.
What if I feed a recipe labeled to be cooked as raw or conversely, I cook a recipe that is labelled as raw? The result may be an unbalanced recipe. The nutritional analysis of the recipe was calculated using cooked or raw ingredients, as listed, so the nutritional values provided in the printout will not be accurate if you cook a raw recipe or feed a cooked recipe as raw. This is especially true with raw recipes that contain bones, which must be ground and fed raw.
Limited Ingredient/novel protein recipes are designed for pets with food sensitivities or medical issues that require unique proteins or minimal ingredients. These recipes are formulated with these goals in mind and the nutrition profiles of these recipes reflect these goals. It is not recommended to feed a pet a limited ingredient diet or novel protein unless directed by your veterinarian.
General feeding guidelines are included with each recipe, but the exact amount of food to feed is based on your pet’s age, activity and metabolism. Your veterinarian can help you decide how much to feed your pet, if you are unsure.
We recommend freezing protein ingredients for 3 weeks prior to preparation (especially salmon and pork) to eliminate potential parasites. Feeding raw proteins can carry innate risks. By downloading raw food recipes, you acknowledge and agree to these risks.
If your pet has not consumed homemade diets before we recommend transitioning to any new food slowly, at a pace your pet’s GI tract can handle. Ask your vet if you have any questions regarding the transition to a new food.
Are recipes labeled Growth/Puppy suitable for all-life stages? Yes. Recipes labeled for Growth/Puppy means these recipes have been formulated to meet nutritional requirements for growing puppies, lactating and adult dogs.
Should I feed adult recipes to growing puppies? No. We recommend feeding growth formulas to growing dogs and adult formulas to adult dogs for optimal nutrition intake.
All recipes are formulated to exceed the most current (AAFCO 2017) nutritional requirements of dogs and cats, except where indicated (recipes for health conditions).
Why are the recipes so cheap and where does the money go? Our dream is that every pet in the world has access to nutritionally balanced, fresh food meals; these recipes are our contribution to this goal. We want pet parents to have access to a variety of recipes for far less than the cost of a cookbook and since all sales are final we wanted the recipes to be at a price point that people would not feel compelled to seek refund. Most pet parent will feel awesome knowing they are helping Planet Paws and the donation that will be made, in part, to support Rodney’s non-profit, Paws For Change.
Looking for recipes with ingredients you didn’t find? We’re always in the process of adding more, feel free to email us your suggestions by clicking here.
How can I learn more about each recipe? Click on the button associated with each recipe to get more details; there are lots of recipe variations (including low fat recipes, whole food recipes, keto recipes, novel protein/limited ingredient, recipes for cats). The thumbnail picture associated with each recipe provides a general overview.
Why are oysters and mussels (and green lipped mussel powder) frequently used? These foods are high in zinc and other hard-to-come-by minerals, so they are often used to reduce the number of supplements in recipes.
Why are herbs and spices (such as oregano, ginger and cinnamon) used? These ingredients contain micronutrients that would otherwise be lacking in the recipe, such as manganese, and the addition of these spices makes up those deficiencies. Omitting the spices listed will result in omission of these nutrients, so we recommend following recipes exactly as written.
Recipes for health conditions are formulated for targeted nutrition geared toward addressing a specific health concern and therefore may not meet all AAFCO minimum nutrient requirements. As with all home feeding regimes, we recommend feeding these recipes under the supervision of a veterinarian.
What does “marine oil” mean? Pets need a large amount of omega 3 fatty acids that come primarily from ocean (non-plant) sources, including but not limited to salmon and krill oil. Cod liver oil is added as source of vitamin A and D. We lump these all together and call them “marine oils.”.
Why are there small amounts of plant oils or seeds included in some of the recipes? To balance fats. Some recipes need additional alpha-linolenic and linoleic acid added for optimal fatty acid balance, and while many commercially available recipes don’t focus on the appropriate balance of healthy fats, we believe this is a critical part of species-appropriate nutrition.
What if I feed a recipe labeled to be cooked as raw or conversely, I cook a recipe that is labelled as raw? The result may be an unbalanced recipe. The nutritional analysis of the recipe was calculated using cooked or raw ingredients, as listed, so the nutritional values provided in the printout will not be accurate if you cook a raw recipe or feed a cooked recipe as raw. This is especially true with raw recipes that contain bones, which must be ground and fed raw.
Limited Ingredient/novel protein recipes are designed for pets with food sensitivities or medical issues that require unique proteins or minimal ingredients. These recipes are formulated with these goals in mind and the nutrition profiles of these recipes reflect these goals. It is not recommended to feed a pet a limited ingredient diet or novel protein unless directed by your veterinarian.
General feeding guidelines are included with each recipe, but the exact amount of food to feed is based on your pet’s age, activity and metabolism. Your veterinarian can help you decide how much to feed your pet, if you are unsure.
We recommend freezing protein ingredients for 3 weeks prior to preparation (especially salmon and pork) to eliminate potential parasites. Feeding raw proteins can carry innate risks. By downloading raw food recipes, you acknowledge and agree to these risks.
If your pet has not consumed homemade diets before we recommend transitioning to any new food slowly, at a pace your pet’s GI tract can handle. Ask your vet if you have any questions regarding the transition to a new food.
Are recipes labeled Growth/Puppy suitable for all-life stages? Yes. Recipes labeled for Growth/Puppy means these recipes have been formulated to meet nutritional requirements for growing puppies, lactating and adult dogs.
Should I feed adult recipes to growing puppies? No. We recommend feeding growth formulas to growing dogs and adult formulas to adult dogs for optimal nutrition intake.
All recipes are formulated to exceed the most current (AAFCO 2017) nutritional requirements of dogs and cats, except where indicated (recipes for health conditions).
Why are the recipes so cheap and where does the money go? Our dream is that every pet in the world has access to nutritionally balanced, fresh food meals; these recipes are our contribution to this goal. We want pet parents to have access to a variety of recipes for far less than the cost of a cookbook and since all sales are final we wanted the recipes to be at a price point that people would not feel compelled to seek refund. Most pet parent will feel awesome knowing they are helping Planet Paws and the donation that will be made, in part, to support Rodney’s non-profit, Paws For Change.
Looking for recipes with ingredients you didn’t find? We’re always in the process of adding more, feel free to email us your suggestions by clicking here.