We've noticed that a lot of people have the same questions, which goes to show that informed, educated pet owners are smart enough to ask important stuff! In order to help us answer your questions a bit more efficiently, we have put together this page. The questions are in random order but grouped into categories. If you do not see your question answered here, please email it to us and we will do our best to answer you promptly. Questions about Home Made 4 Life® Pet Food Q. Where do you get your meat? Do you use "4D" meat? What about germs in raw meat? A. Check out our Meat Info page. Q. Are your ingredients organic? A. All of our meats and poultries are from animals that are free-range, grass-fed, humanely raised and killed, non-medicated (no growth hormones or antibiotics), USDA inspected and graded for human consumption. See our Meat Info page for more details. Our non-meat ingredients come from small, local, eco-friendly farms. Not every single one of our ingredients is necessarily "certified" to be organic, but the farmers are following all the rules even if they have not yet achieved certified status under current USDA and NOS regulations. Q. I know where Temple Hills is, can I come pick up my order to save money? A. No. We are a manufacturing facility; we are neither equipped nor insured for walk-in traffic. We have several local retailers who can help you out. See our retailer page to find the closest one. Q. How can you ship a frozen food without it thawing? A. Very carefully and with fingers crossed! Nothing in life is guaranteed. For complete details regarding cost and methods of shipping, please visit our Home Made 4 Life® page. Q. Your packaging is great! Can I send back my empty containers to be recycled? How about the shipping carton? A. Thanks, we looked long and hard to find the perfect containers for our product! Unfortunately, we are not able to accept returned "empties" for recycling. To do so would mean extra work for us to sterilize them before they could be reused. Furthermore, the postage cost to mail them back to us would negate any "discount" we could offer. However, they are quite handy around the house and garage for a variety of uses, and are fully recyclable once you run out of other uses. One great suggestion we got from a customer was to save them up and donate them to a preschool or elementary school, where they can be used for a variety of projects (like making Easter baskets!). Shipping cartons are accepted if they are in good condition and you choose to spend the money on postage to send them back to us. We will reuse them for another order. Be advised, we do not offer any discounts for having returned the box to us, just our thanks for helping the environment! Q. How much does this food cost? A. For current pricing, see the Home Made 4 Life® page. Please note that the prices charged by our retailers are not under our control, and will vary from one location to another. Q. The product sounds terrific, but I have 6 large dogs and I can't afford it. Is there any way to get the food cheaper? A. Yes! We are pleased to offer our Value Package, designed for customers with high volume needs. Please visit our Value Package page for complete details. Q. How much food will my dog or cat eat in a day? a month? A. Please check out our Feeding Chart Guideline. Q. What do I have to add to your food? A. Nothing! That's the beauty of a complete, well-formulated fresh-food diet, based on whole food ingredients. We do have a few minor suggestions, for anyone who really wants to add something to the dinner dish. We recommend the addition of a high quality oil, high in Omega-3 essential fatty acids, such as flax seed or fish oil (not cod liver oil). For those so inclined, we also recommend the addition of Vitamins C and E. And if it makes you feel better, go ahead and use an all purpose vitamin/mineral product formulated for dogs or cats. You can't "overdo" it, or "unbalance" it, as there are no synthetic vit/min in Home Made 4 Life®. Q. Why do you recommend Vitamin C and E? Why don't you put those in Home Made 4 Life® already? A. Vitamin
C is the most delicate of all vitamins. It is very easily destroyed by: heat,
light, moisture/water, and air. If you add vit C at the time of preparation and do
not serve it immediately, all of the value of the vitamin is lost, unfortunately.
With the high cost of this vitamin, and the potentially terrific benefits from consuming
it, it seems a shame to throw that all away by adding it ahead of time. We
definitely think vit C is a wonderful supplement to use. However, it is one that
does not adapt well to being thrown into the mix ahead of time. Best to keep it on
your counter or in the cupboard (away from light) and add it daily, just before feeding. Q. Why do you say I should add oil to your food, aren't there flax seeds already in there? Why don't you put flax seed oil in your food? A. Yes, there are ground flax seeds in Home Made 4 Life®, and they are very beneficial. However, the seeds lend more in terms of fiber, while the oil provides a greater benefit in terms of Essential Fatty Acids. We don't add oil to Home Made 4 Life® because of the volume of our batches and the handling involved--mixing, packaging, etc. Oils go rancid quickly, and that process is speeded up by exposure to air. We feel that the quality of the oil would be compromised, and that it's best to add oils just before feeding to get the best quality and make sure your pet receives the full benefits. Oils can be safely frozen without harming their integrity. But once you have opened the bottle of oil, the oxidation process begins. This is why they must be stored refrigerated and kept tightly closed. Q. What about calcium? I heard that is important in a pet food. A. Calcium is one of many minerals that are vitally important to the health of our pets. Calcium, along with some other nutrients, is made less available to your pet's body by a substance known as phytates. Phytates (also known as phytic acide) are found in grain material. Since most commercial dry or canned pet foods contain a high percentage of grain material, the presence of high levels of calcium is extra important for pets fed these diets. It is our opinion that pets fed a raw food, grain-free diet have a lower requirement for calcium. Equally important to the amount of calcium is the balance between calcium and phosphorous, known as the calcium phosphorous ratio, abbreviated Ca:P. Q. How much calcium is in Home Made 4 Life®? Where does it come from? A. Each of our Home Made 4 Life® varieties has a Ca:P balance that is well within the AAFCO established guidelines. All of our recipes contain real, raw, finely ground bones, with the bone coming from the same source as the muscle and organ meat. For example, our chicken formula contains chicken meat, chicken organs, and chicken bones. The only exception to this is our Beef variety. There are no bones in our beef variety, because beef bones are quite hard and too difficult for our equipment to handle safely. However, this does not mean the Beef version of Home Made 4 Life® requires supplementation. The source of calcium in our beef formula is egg shells and high-calcium vegetables. Q. Do you sell vitamins and other supplements? A. Yes, some. Our line is called Aunt Jeni's Enhance. We use all-natural, human-grade, pure ingredients, safe and effective for use in dogs and cats. To read more about our supplements, see farther down this FAQ page and also the supplement-related pages of our site. Click here to begin. Our Enhance line of products consists of specially formulated combinations of ingredients, developed by Animal Nutritionists, to address specific health needs. To purchase individual vitamin products or herbal remedies, we suggest a trip to your local health food store. Q. How much oil or vitamins do I add? A. Please follow the instructions on the label. Differences between manufacturers/brands make it difficult to give universal dosage recommendations. If you have purchased a product formulated for humans, adjust the human dosage by weight. The dose on the label is usually based on a 120 lb person, so if your dog weighs 60 lbs you use about half the human dose. Q. What flavors does your food come in? A. Actually, it's more than "flavoring!" We have 6 varieties for dogs: Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, Beef, Goat and Rabbit. We have 4 varieties for cats/ferrets: Chicken, Turkey, Beef and Rabbit. Q. How much do I have to buy at one time? A. Our minimum order is 10 lbs. For a complete explanation of all options, please see our Home Made 4 Life® page. Q. I am afraid my pet may not like your food. Can I get a sample? A. No. Due to the perishable nature of this product, it is not possible to ship out free samples. Our minimum order is 10 lbs; we cannot ship less than this at one time. But don't worry, most pets absolutely love Home Made 4 Life®! Visit our *Taste*imonials page for some great photos and letters from some of our customers. Q. Your food sounds great, but I don't want to give my pet sugar of any kind. Why is there honey in your formula? A. First of all, the amount of honey is quite small in the overall recipe. There is not enough honey to harm your pet, even if he/she has diabetes. In fact, honey is a more simplified, raw form of sugar, which is easier for diabetics to assimilate. Secondly, we do not use honey to "sweeten" our food. Honey is far more than just something sweet! Honey is a whole food, rich in enzymes and minerals, with many health benefits. It also happens to be a great anti-bacterial, which helps decrease the possibility of "contamination" of the food. Q. I have been reading that garlic is dangerous for cats. Why is there garlic in your food? A. It is not true that garlic is dangerous for cats, or for dogs. Garlic has many wonderful health benefits, including: immune system booster, blood cleanser, and anti-bacterial properties. It is also believed to be effective in making your pet less "lovable" to pests like mosquitoes, fleas and ticks. Garlic is in the same genus as onions (Allium). However, garlic does not contain the same compound that onions do, a poisonous alkaloid called n-propyl disulphide. This compound inhibits an enzyme in red blood cells, causing them to denature. For this reason, onions should be on the Forbidden Food list for our pets, but garlic is "safe" in moderation. The amount of garlic in our cat/ferret food formula is very small, and poses absolutely no health risk to your cat. If you are still concerned about garlic-induced anemia, your veterinarian can do a blood test to determine the presence of heinz bodies (an indicator of anemia). Q. My dog/cat has bladder/kidney stones. Is this food ok for him/her? A. Absolutely! A natural diet, based on real, fresh foods in their natural form (raw) is the #1 kindest thing you can do for your pet, whether s/he is ailing in some way or seems perfectly healthy already. In the case of bladder and kidney stones, the key to controlling their occurrence lies in manipulating the pH of the urine. This can be accomplished by altering the foods fed. Dry, processed commercial pet foods contain a long list of synthetic vitamins and minerals. Feeding these foods is like "force feeding" set quantities of vitamins and minerals. Contrast this with feeding real, raw foods. The nutrients in raw foods are much more bioavailable--your pet's body is easily able to absorb what it needs, and excrete what it does not need. Raw meats tend to be acidifying, while veggies tend to be alkalinizing. The acid/base balance of our product is the proper one to maintain a correct pH in your pet's system, to avoid problems with stone formation. We have many FUS cats and kidney stone dogs successfully and happily eating Home Made 4 Life® with no further problems attributed to their condition. Q. Can I feed your cat food to my dog? A. Absolutely! The only difference between our dog and cat/ferret formulas is the ratio of meat:veg. Our dog Chicken, Lamb, Beef and Rabbit formulas are 65:35, while our dog Goat and Turkey formlas are 75:25. Our cat/ferret Chicken, Beef and Rabbit formulas are 85:15; the Turkey formula for cats is 90:10. If you are looking for a higher meat content for your dog, the cat food may be an option for you. Q. My cat is trying to eat the dog's food, is this ok? A. Sure! There's nothing in there that will harm your cat. However, on a long term basis, you will want to provide more meat in your cat's diet than our dog formulas will give him/her. Q. I'd like to "stretch" my food budget. What can I add to your food? A. Our food is formulated to be complete and balanced, and does not require you to add anything to it. Some people like to feed a separate meal of Raw Meaty Bones or Green Tripe. This works quite well, for people who are comfortable with feeding RMBs. In some cases, you may want to add additional veggies, or additional meat. We don't suggest doing this unless there is a health-related reason to do so. Q. Is it ok to mix your food with kibble? A. Not really. We do not suggest doing this for a couple of important reasons. Kibble and raw foods digest at very different rates: 12-14 hours for kibble, v. only 4-6 hours for raw. Mixing them together invites trouble in the form of digestive upset. Furthermore, your pet is never going to experience the true benefits of a raw diet if you continue to feed kibble. He or she cannot possibly "detox" when the "toxin" is still being pumped in on a regular basis! Despite our recommendation, we do have customers who report that they are successfully mixing kibble and Home Made 4 Life® in their pets' diets. If you feel you must do this, please at least keep the two things entirely separated. For example: if you feed twice a day, make kibble one meal and raw food the other. If you feed once a day, alternate days. Check our online article What's Wrong with Pet Food? for some further info on this subject. Q. My cat won't eat your food. Help! A. Don't give up! It can be done, but some cats make it challenging. You need to proceed slowly, with much patience and persistence. Do not set down a heaping bowl of Home Made 4 Life® and be disappointed when your cat doesn't attack it ravenously. Instead, take the sneaky approach. Use the tiniest bit of food you can imagine, about the size of a pea, and try to mix it thoroughly into your cat's favorite food. This introduces a new aroma, taste, and texture more gradually. If all else fails, try lightly cooking the food in the beginning. For some reason this tends to persuade most cats to give it a try. If it works, then gradually reduce the cooking time until you are able to feed the food raw. Q. I want to try your food, but I don't want to give my pet _______ (fill in the blank). Can I pay you to make a special batch of food just for me? A. No. We are not able to accommodate requests for customized recipes. Formulating a pet food to be "complete and balanced" takes a tremendous amount of time and effort, as well as an intricate working knowledge of various food items and ways to combine them for optimum bioavailability. We will not compromise our carefully constructed recipes by making random changes at customers' requests. We must comply with strict labeling regulations, which include revealing our complete ingredient list, and providing a Guaranteed Analysis. The moment we deviate from our ingredient list, by adding, omitting or substituting ingredients, our label no longer accurately reflects what is in the package. It would be illegal for us to sell unlabeled, unanalyzed "custom" combinations of ingredients. Questions about the Aunt Jeni's Enhance line of Pet Supplements Q. What is Enhance Digestive Aid and why should I use it? A. The first product in the Aunt Jeni’s Enhance line of supplements, the Digestive Aid, has been specially formulated by an Animal Nutritionist to include a beneficial combination of enzymes, probiotics and herbs. It is very helpful in restoring and maintaining proper levels of friendly bacteria in the gut, reducing digestive upset, gas and bloating, and easing dietary transition. It also helps in cases of pancreatitis and irritable bowel conditions, fights yeast infections, and improves overall nutrient absorption and health. Q. What are enzymes and how are they useful? A. Enzymes play a role in practically all body functions, including the production of energy, repair of tissues, organs, and cells, and digestion of our food. Enzymes are necessary even when there are sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients already present. Digestive enzymes are secreted in the gastrointestinal tract, where they break down food particles, enabling nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Anytime you change your pet’s diet, or your pet experiences stress from showing, illness or breeding, or as your pet ages, he/she can benefit from extra enzymes. Q. What are Probiotics and how are they useful? A. Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria, which support digestion as well as vaginal and urinary tract health. Probiotics are effective in combating yeast overgrowth, irritable or inflamed bowel conditions, stress, and negative effects of antibiotics, as well as helping prevent bloat, and restoring proper pH levels throughout the digestive tract. Thanks to their antimicrobial properties, they have also been shown to fight food poisoning and relieve flu-like symptoms. Q. What herbs are in this product? Are they safe for my pet? A. Herbs have been used for their medicinal value for many centuries. Herbs that are ok for people are not always ok for pets! Our Digestive Aid contains herbs gathered via environmentally-friendly harvesting methods, and specifically chosen for their safety of use as well as their positive effects during digestion, for both humans and pets:
Q. My dog is healthy. Should I still add a Digestive Aid? A. Yes. Even healthy animals can benefit from our Digestive Aid. It will help ensure the complete digestion of nutrients as he/she transitions to a raw diet, soothing any digestive upsets that may occur. Our Digestive Aid will also assist pets as they begin the aging process, or recover from illness or antibiotic use. The body loses some of its ability to produce the needed amounts of enzymes as it ages. Enzymes as well as probiotic organisms are also reduced during times of stress or illness, which may lead to digestive upset and other problems. Antibiotic use will destroy all bacteria, including the good ones needed for proper digestion. Continual use of our Digestive Aid will combat system fluctuation, maintaining a healthier animal. Q. How much should my dog/cat receive per meal? Can too much hurt my animals? You should determine the appropriate dose by using the dosage chart on the product label. None of our ingredients can cause toxicity or harm to your pets. Any excess provided to the system will be excreted without any ill effects. Questions about Aunt Jeni and the Company A. Real (full) name, credentials, academic background, experience, etc. can be found on this link. A. All of our contact info can be found on this link. Q. How long have you been in business? A. Our company was formed in 1997. Home Made 4 Life® first hit the market in April of 1999 in both the US and Canada. The first Enhance supplement was introduced in April of 2003. Currently there are 6 items in the line. Our treat line (Dogitos® and Fishin' Chips) was introduced in January of 2004. Do you have another question not answered here? Check out the FAQ page on the Home Made 4 Life website. Still can't find it? Please email us!
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