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Please Note:
Please note that every dog metabolizes
different and you may need to feed a little more or less food to maintain your
dogs optimal weight.
Also, Some nuggets are larger than others...each nuggets should weight approx. 1/4 ounce with 10 calories per nugget
15 Frozen Nuggets equals 4oz (1 cup)
(1) 8oz Patty equals 30 nuggets or 2 times 4oz (2 cups)
If your feeding 100% Steve's Real Foods you can use 10% less Steve's and you can
add 10% more (per meal) of
your own raw meats, fruits and veggies without unbalancing any of the Steve's
formulas. We also recommend mixing between all varieties of
Steve's flavors to provide more variety of wholesome fresh foods.
Click here to find out the cost
per day to feed Steve's per day.
Can
puppies & kittens eat Steve's Real Food for Pets?
Yes, Steve's Real Foods are formulated for all ages & stages of
your animals life. If the mother or puppy/kitten is currently eating raw foods
you can start feeding 100% right away. Otherwise if your animal hasn't
had any raw foods before start slowly mixing Steve's with your current pet
food. Then gradually increase the amount of Steve's (nuggets or patties)
and decrease the amount of canned or kibble pet food. Also, please use the feeding chart
above: puppies, kittens and lactating females can eat 2-3 times the amount of food as
the average adult, fully grown animal.
How do I start my dog
on Steve's Real Food for Dogs?
Please
do not cook the Steve's Real Food, this defeats the purpose of feeding raw
foods. We
have had numerous customers tell us they just started feeding Steve's full
time with no adverse affects. However, it is best to gradually
mix Steve's Real Food with your present pet food (canned or kibble), increasing the amount
of Steve's fed daily. You may want to first use Steve's as a treat (remember
to wash your hands afterwards), giving one or two nuggets the first day.
How much
Steve's should I feed my dog?
The
amount of Steve's nuggets to feed depends upon the activity level, age, breed and
metabolic make-up of the dog. There are approx. 10 calories per nugget,
150 per cup. Each dog is different, you may
need to increase or decrease the amount of nuggets to feed to maintain optimal
weight.
Above is a chart that shows how many nuggets to feed for adult typical dogs. Each
nugget is about 3/4 of an inch big. Research shows that you should feed about
1 1/2 - 2% of your pets body weight. There are approximately 15-20 nuggets
in a cup with a dense weight of 4 ounces (frozen nuggets fill 8oz
cup full, 20 thawed nuggets fill 1/2 cup line 4 ounces). There are around 70 nuggets in a pound,
at least 200 nuggets in a
2.5-pound bag and approx. 800 fill a 10-pound bag.
Feed 2 cups (30-35 nuggets) for the first 10-pounds, and
then each additional 10-pounds add one half to one full cup. Please note that we have revised this chart based upon
extensive feedback from our customers and a slight change in nugget size.
Please do not heat the food above 110 degrees F (slightly
hotter than warm) to protect the enzymes. Use defrost mode or thaw in
your refrigerator, most raw meats stay for 2-3 days.
Many
dogs, after eating properly prepared raw meat-based diets for several months,
become very efficient at using the food, and require less food. The
recommended amounts therefore may be high. Many people feed
their dogs as much Steve's Real Food as the dogs will eat. Initially, the dogs
may eat a lot, but after a few weeks, most dogs eat just what they need and
begin to reach their ideal weights.
When
using this chart, please use the proper weight of the dog, not the actual
weight. Remember, dogs are healthier when lean! Lactating females and puppies
should be fed 2-3 times the adult requirement.
If
you're feeding the freeze-dried food use the same number of nuggets you would
when feeding the frozen. At appearance, due to the freeze drying process
the size of the nuggets are slightly smaller. Some dogs like the
freeze-dried re-hydrated. If so, mix 1/4 cup warm water in with each cup
of Steve's and mix well. If you don't re-hydrate, make sure your dog has
access to plenty of fresh water. (more tips for switching below)
How much
Steve's should I feed my cat?
Feed your cat according to the chart at right, taking her activity level into
account. This chart is based on adult energy requirements. All
cats are different. Feed kittens and gestating or lactating females 2-3 times
these requirements.
When introducing the food, start slowly cats are a
little more finicky than dogs. Add one nugget the first day to your
current canned cat food mix it in really completely. Then two the second
day, three the third, and so on until mixing a little less cooked foods every
day. 10 to 12 nuggets of Steve's is equivalent to a typical 3 ounce of
cat food. 15-20 nuggets is equivalent to ˝ cup of typical premium kibble.
Cats usually like their foods best when served at room temperature or slightly
warm. Please do not heat the food above 110 degrees F (slightly
hotter than warm) to protect the enzymes. Use defrost mode or thaw in
your refrigerator, most raw meats stay for 2-3 days.
If you're feeding our freeze-dried cat food, use the same amounts given here
for frozen. Some cats like the food re-hydrated. If so, mix in 1/4
cup warm water per 20 nuggets and stir well. (more tips for switching
below)
Where is the best if used by or production date?
Frozen Steve's Real
Food has best if used by dates located on the bag closure clips of each
varieties and size bag of food. Production dates are also labeled on
the outside of each frozen variety 20lb and 30lb case.
Our production date for Steve's Real Food freeze-dried varieties is located
on back side, gold foil rim, and usually on the right hand side. The first
two numbers are the year, the next two/three numbers are the day it was
produced in that year. Mine reads 04166D KLC this means it was produced on
the 166 day of 2004 (around May 15, 2004).
What is the shelf life of Steve's Real Food?
The fresher any food is, the better tasting and
more nutritious it is. Individual quick freezing (flash freezing) and keeping
the food frozen is the best way to preserve nutrition and taste.
Steve's Real Food frozen food, as long as it remains
frozen, can remain in your freezer for a year. (Please check our best if used
by date). Once defrosted, Steve's Real Food should be used within four days.
Our freeze-dried products are packaged in high-barrier
bags with an oxygen absorbing package. If kept in a cool, dry location, unopened,
the shelf life is eighteen months. Once opened if the products are sealed
and kept in a refrigerator they will be will be good for up to 14 days, and
up to a month in the freezer.
What's
the caloric content of Steve's Real Food for Dogs?
Our
dog food has 1100 kilocalories per kilogram on average. This is about
125 kcal per cup.
What's
the caloric content of Steve's Real Food for Cats?
Our
cat food has about 1800 kilocalories per kilogram. This is about 200
kcal per cup.
Steve’s food is more expensive than kibble. How can I reduce the cost?
Steve's Real Food is an expensive
food. We use all human quality ingredients, and almost no grain. 60% of
our dog food and over 80% of our cat food is human-edible chicken, turkey
or beef. Our ingredients are much more expensive than the ingredients in
kibble. For cats and small dogs, often we find the added cost of Steve's
Real Food saves money on veterinarian bills. But big dogs eat more. To reduce
the cost of our food, we suggest mixing with premium kibbles or adding 10%
more (per meal) of your own fresh raw meats, fruits and veggies without
unbalancing the diet. Some customers also add juiced vegetables, and little olive oil. Remember, variety is good for dogs.
Can I
use Steve's food while traveling?
Yes, of course.
Steve's frozen food can be kept in a thermal ice-filled cooler or in your
motel room mini-fridge for about 3 to 4 days. Also, when you are
camping or traveling is why we make our Steve's Real Food freeze-dried
varieties. They are exactly the same nuggets, they are easy to
use and will stay in an opened bag for about 2 weeks.
How do I
mix Steve's with other foods?
Many
of our customers mix Steve's with a premium grain-based food. There are
two general theories on mixing:
Some
people believe that you should not mix meat with grain because they are
digested differently. These people feed Steve's one day, and a premium grain-based
food the next day.
Others
believe that the dog or cat should receive some of the thousands of enzymes,
phytochemicals and antioxidants that are only in properly prepared raw meat-based
diets everyday. These people will mix from 25% to 75% Steve's in with the
kibble daily.
We
think both points-of-view make sense. We've also seen wonderful results
either way. Our advice is to use whichever system works for you.
| Percent of
Real Food For Dogs being mixed |
|
Approximate
number of
nuggets to feed... |
| Proper Weight |
5% |
10% |
25% |
50% |
| (pounds) |
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
6-9 |
|
20 |
3 |
5 |
9 |
13-17 |
|
30 |
4 |
7 |
12 |
20-22 |
|
40 |
4 |
8 |
21 |
23-25 |
|
50 |
5 |
10 |
24 |
30-33 |
|
60 |
6 |
12 |
24-29 |
35-37 |
|
70 |
6 |
13 |
27-32 |
40-43 |
|
80 |
7 |
14 |
29-35 |
45-48 |
|
90 |
7 |
15 |
33-37 |
50-53 |
|
100 |
8 |
16 |
35-40 |
55-60 |
|
Based upon
adult dog of average activity, age & breed |
We're
having problems introducing Steve's to our cat. Any suggestions?
Cats
sometimes react negatively to new foods. We've had great results by
slowly working the raw food into their diet, one step at a time.
Start slowly try mixing one
nugget (or less) with their normal meal. It can take about 7 - 14
days to gradually increase the amount to 100% Steve's while decreasing the
amount of cooked pet food per meal.
Tips
for switching cats to fresh food:
Cats
who have eaten nothing but dry foods are often a challenge to switch to
fresh food. They are very opinionated and imprint on food at an
early age. Cats who eat other foods (real meat, fruits, vegetables
& cheese) will be much less of a project. It might take days
or it might take months, but it's worth the effort! Cat will
starve themselves, and they are not good candidates for the tough love
approach. Some very serious conditions can occur if cats do not
eat for an extended period of time.
The "Slow and successful method": move away from
a dry food diet and toward more canned food. Consider dry food to
be a snack only, not left out all the time. Mix 1/4 to 1/2 of a
cube of thawed Steve's Real Food into an entire can of canned food.
Work your way up slowly. Offer bits of other kinds of fresh food
that you are eating. They may be refused at first, but one day
they won't. Cats of our acquaintance have taken from 6 months to a
year to totally switch, but many are much faster.
This method may be used with dry food too: in that case use an even
smaller amount of Steve's in a small amount of food. The canned
approach works better, but if your can absolutely refuses canned food it
will be the way you start.
Cat whiskers are very sensitive. If food is served in a bowl that
interferes with whiskers it could be enough to keep the cat from
considering Steve's food. A flat dish works best.
Cats also generally prefer their food between room temperature and body
temperature. You can add warm water, or warm food in a baggie
submerged in warm water. At the beginning, that fraction of a cube
will not greatly affect the temperature of the whole dish of canned
food. One of the factors involved is smell: the food cats are used
to eating is designed to be very smelly. They choose food by
smell, and fresh food is a lot less fragrant than any traditional
commercial food. Warming the food releases the flavors and
fragrances.
Leave the food out for no more than an hour after serving. If you
have dogs, you know what to do with leftovers! Trickery has been know to
work with cats: put the food on your plate or hide it in a location cats
know to be forbidden... creativity helps!
That first bag of food might take a long time to use: double bag it or
put the food in a substantial freezer container to keep it fresh.
Can
I feed Steve's frozen? Can I warm it up?
Steve's
Real Food for Pets can be fed frozen, defrosted or slightly warm. Try not
to heat it above 118° F so that you don't destroy the enzymes. Some
dogs like the food best slightly warm, some like it frozen.
What are some proper handling
tips?
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. 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.
Keep the freeze-dried products in a cool,
dry location until opening. After opening, refrigerate or freeze.
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