FAQs
- Why is Somerford Raw & Natural an Ultra-Premium Pet Food?
Somerford Raw & Natural is 100% Human Grade ingredients, 100% Australian made with only Australian ingredients – Chicken & Turkey from the Hunter Valley, Lamb & Beef from the New England Grazing areas, Salmon from the clean waters of Tasmania or Barramundi from the beautiful Port Stephens Area.
NO Meat By- Product, NO Poultry By- Product, NO Wheat, NO Corn, NO Rice, NO Sorghum, NO Preservatives, NO Colourings, NO Cooking at any temperature, NO Soy, always Single protein so the variety of meat listed on the container is the meat added. For example if you buy Lamb you only get Lamb in the mix. No cheap fillers or substitutions.
Also added to our Human Grade meat is Human Grade bone & cartilage, Human Grade Offal heart, liver, kidney, Human Grade 1st quality seasonal fruits, veg and herbs (Pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, silver beet, celery, zucchini, kale, capsicum, apple, banana, strawberry) ginger, garlic, flaxseed oil, fish oil, coconut oil, kelp powder, brewer’s yeast, live probiotics. Omega 3, 6 & 9.
The reviews on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/somerfordrawandnatural/ are a true testament to the health benefits of feeding Somerford Raw & Natural it really is “Changing Pets Lives”
- Why feed Raw?
The benefits of feeding a raw diet to your pet is extensive, Pets fed a raw diet are able to digest & process the food more easily, which means they are absorbing more nutrition from the food, which adds up to less stools, firmer stools, making clean up less messy & less smelly. Somerford Raw & Natural contains live prebiotics & probiotics to generate good gut health, reducing flatulence and upset stomachs.
Raw fed pets have a stable blood sugar level reducing hyperactivity, hunger cravings & over weight issues.
Pets that are fed a dry kibble run a greater risk of being affected by bloat, as after eating a dry kibble, it swells in their stomach, where as raw food contains moisture and therefore will not swell in your pets stomach.
There are major health benefits to feeding raw such as,
SKIN & COAT - Reduced skin allergies & itchiness, softer coat, more shine & no dandruff, reduced doggy odour.
BONE & JOINT - Protection from natural sources, Somerford Raw & Natural contains essential Omega 3, 6 & 9 oils which are Anti-Inflammatory for active dogs & also aid in brain function. Natural & fully absorbable calcium from bone, cartilage & the goodness of marrow.
DENTAL - Improved teeth and gums, no bad breath, reduced need for vet teeth cleaning.
GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT - Steady growth & maturation in all breeds, reduced incidence of growth disorders. Good development is especially noticed in puppies that are fed on Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra
Premium Puppy Food, with the right nutrition puppies grow in proportion with their development, which all leads to less health issues later in life.
IMMUNE SYSTEM - No grains, no fillers, no heat treatments improves immune function & disease fighting capabilities, possibly increasing life expectancy.
PARASITES - Reduced gastrointestinal worms, fewer fleas, mange & lice.
- Human Grade Meat vs Pet Grade
Human Grade meat is obviously grade 1 and fit for human consumption so free from parasites & made from only healthy animals, when butchered or sent to abattoir, it must have a signed declaration saying worming is up to date.
Human grade meat has to be healthy before slaughter whereas Pet Grade meat has not had the benefit of a parasite control schedule.
Pet meat has to be yellow banded if it has had signs of parasite. Not necessarily infected but the signs are there. Pet meat product with Pet grade offal is supposed to be stained blue, as per the Australian standard.
Also the health of the animals that are used for the pet met industry is not regulated, sick, dead or dying animals are used mainly for pet food as they may do not meet human food standards - rather than the healthy animals slaughtered for meat for humans.
Some pet minces have a lot of preservatives to keep it shelf stable for weeks. These preservatives can cause allergies in some pets.
Also the transportation, refrigeration & storage of Pet Grade meat is not regulated, so if not done correctly, can greatly increase the growth of harmful bacteria in Pet Grade meat.
- How do I switch my Pet to a raw diet?
Switching your pet to Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food is easy!
Most Pets find a raw diet much easier to digest; our formulation is made based on the wild dog food diet that dogs have evolved over thousands of years to eat.
Many dry foods these days contain cereal products as their main ingredients, just check the ingredient list and you will be surprised. A Pets digestive system does not cope well with a high cereal diet. They must obtain the bulk of their protein and fat from real meat, minced up bone & cartilage & organ meats. Their carbs and fibre should come from plants such as vegetable & fruit matter.
The Somerford Raw and Natural Diet has a complete and balanced formula that as the first ingredient is real human grade meat plus human grade organ meats together with human grade fruit & vegetable matter for carbohydrate and fibre that is slightly fermented replicating the fermented plant matter that is in the stomach of the prey a wild dog would have caught. For extra health benefits we have then added live probiotics, fish oil and Flaxseed oil, to aid in digestion.
If you pet is not used to a raw diets you may slowly transition feed combining your pets regular diet with ever increasing amounts of Somerford Raw & Natural.
But we do find that most pets absolutely love Somerford Raw & Natural and take to their new diet with total enthusiasm for their new healthy food, needing no encouragement or transition feeding at all!
- Do I need to add any supplements?
If feeding Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food nothing else needs to be added as it is a complete & balanced diet with everything already added to keep you pet in top health. Our products have been developed over many years to be the best it can possibly be.
Although we do recommend also feeding Raw Meaty Bones for added Tooth & Gum health, which we include FREE with all our Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium home delivered packs.
PLEASE NOTE – Somerford Raw & Natural Protein Boost Varieties are not a complete diet, our Protein Boost Range has been designed for people who maybe on a limited budget or for people who wish to combine our raw food with a good quality grain free kibble.
- What else do we add to Somerford Raw & Natural and why?
Ginger – is an antioxidant and a tonic to enhance digestive health - it is especially beneficial to older dogs whose digestive systems are a bit sluggish.
Garlic – Is safe to use in small amounts and is very beneficial to a pets all round health, stimulates the immune system, fights bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, Garlic has detoxifying effects also Garlic (especially in combination with brewer's yeast) helps to repel fleas.
Flaxseed oil - contains omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids which encourage healthy skin and coat in animals with sensitive or sore skin.
Fish oil – Contains omega-3 fatty acids, acts as an anti-inflammatory. It will help with any condition that causes inflammation of the heart, kidneys, skin, and joints—such as arthritis.
Coconut oil - Contains lauric acid, Coconut Oil has many health benefits — for skin, digestive and immune systems; even your pets bone and brain health! Can have many health benefits — for their skin, digestive and immune systems; metabolic function; and even their bone and brain health!
Kelp powder - There is substantial evidence that kelp in a pets diet will repel fleas. Kelp can be an important natural addition to the organic or chemical flea-fighting treatment you have chosen for your dog. Kelp reduces itchiness in dogs with skin allergies and improves the general condition of skin and coat.
Brewer’s yeast - Pets experience many benefits from brewer’s yeast. Rich in Omega fatty acids, B vitamins and antioxidants, brewer’s yeast enhances health, aids with flea control and improves the immune system.
Live probiotics - are an important addition to your pets diet, especially if he's ever had antibiotics or drugs, if he's ever eaten cooked or processed food or if he suffers from allergies, digestive upset or many other common immune-related health issues. Live probiotics support the growth of good bacteria in your pets gut.
Prebiotics – The minced seasonal fruit & vegetables together with the brewer’s yeast provide good enzymes (prebiotics) that provide food for the live probiotics & help maintain good gut flora.
- What is the difference between the Protein Boost Varieties and Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Varieties
Protein Boost has been designed for people who maybe on a limited budget or for people who wish to combine our raw food with a good quality grain free kibble. This is called mixed feeding; in conjunction with Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Food, Somerford Raw Protein Boost can be mixed in or added to a bowl of kibble, or fed for alternate meals to give your pet some variety in its diet. While we do promote a completely raw diet as the best possible nutrition for your pet mixed feeding is certainly a more beneficial option than feeding raw kibble alone.
Somerford Raw & Natural Protein Boost contains much more than just minced meat; ingredients are Single Protein Human Grade Meat, Finely Ground Bone & Cartilage, Heart, Liver & Kidney, Whole Egg, Flaxseed Oil. Fish Oil, Kelp Powder & Live Probiotics.
Somerford Raw Protein Boost is available in Chicken, Duck, Turkey, Lamb or Seafood Varieties & also available in Combination Packs with Ultra-Premium Varieties.
- Why feed a Single Protein Diet?
With Somerford Raw & Natural you can rest assured that if you buy a Chicken Variety that our food will ONLY contain Chicken, or our Salmon Variety will only contain Salmon etc this is inclusive of meat, bone & offal.
If you have a pet with an allergy to a certain protein (Meat) this is very important to know as some foods are labelled as one meat but contain a mixture of other meats or meat by products.
We encourage you to ALWAYS read the ingredient list on the foods that you feed your pets, you maybe surprised at what you are actually feeding as opposed to what you thought you were buying.
Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food has ALL our ingredients listed on our labels as we like to be totally transparent in everything that we add to our food as we only use the best & freshest ingredients EVERYTIME.
- Benefits of including Offal in our food?
A Raw Diet isn’t complete without Offal, compared to regular cuts of muscle meat, organ meats are more densely packed with just about every nutrient, including heavy doses of B vitamins such as: B1, B2, B6, folic acid and vitamin B12. Organ meats are also loaded with minerals like phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium and iodine, and provide the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
All these vitamins & minerals are essential to the health & wellbeing of your pet, Offal is a large part of their natural diet & is most beneficial way to make sure you pet is receiving a complete & balanced diet.
All the Offal that is used in manufacturing Somerford Raw & Naturals range is 100% Human Grade, so you can rest assured that it is free from parasites & from healthy animals.
- Why do we ferment the vegetables in our food?
By fermenting the vegetables we use in Somerford Raw & Natural we ensure your pets body can easily digest, absorb, and get better use of the vegetables. Fermented vegetables are much easier for your pet to breakdown and extract all the vitamins & minerals during the digestion process.
Again this imitates the wild dog diet as a dog would consume the vegetable matter in the gut of the animal that it would catch & eat in the wild. This vegetable matter would have started to break down in the animals stomach & therefore is more easily digested & any nutrition more easily absorbed.
- Should I cook Somerford Raw & Natural?
No, Somerford Raw & Natural is designed to be eaten Raw & Fresh. Cooking destroys Enzymes, Vitamins & changes the molecular structure of protein & fats. Domestic dogs and cats haven’t evolved to eat cooked food the digestive tract of a domestic dogs is no different to a wolf or a domestic cat to a wild cat.
- Why is my pet eating less?
You will more than likely find that your Pet will not eat as much food as they used to before switching to a raw diet. Pets fed on Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food have a stable blood sugar level reducing hyperactivity, hunger cravings & over weight issues. Being able to digest & process the food more easily, means they are absorbing more nutrition from the food so your pet doesn’t need to eat as much to get the needed vitamins, minerals & calories to keep them in optimum health.
- How much to feed?
The recommended feeding guide for Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Dog Food is 250gms for each 10kg of your Dogs body weight per day.
Above chart is based on Adult 14 pack @ $153.60 at the recommended daily feeding amounts of 250gms of per 10kg of Dogs body weight
- My pet is not pooing as much, is it constipated?
No its not constipation, you will find that while your pet was fed a diet of dry kibble, that may have included a lot of fillers & grains, that most of that food you were feeding was passed back through without your pet being able to absorb or process any nutrition from that food making more waist ( poo ). Our Raw Diet is a complete food so it has ample amounts of natural fibre in the form of fruit & vegetable matter that is a more natural source of fibre & much healthier for your pet than indigestible roughage from grains or corn etc.
Another added bonus of feeding Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food is that your pet will find our food much easier to digest and will be able to break down the food more easily in their gut to absorb the maximum amount of nutrition, which adds up to less poo, firmer poo, making clean up less messy & less smelly. Somerford Raw & Natural also contains live prebiotics & probiotics to generate good gut health, reducing flatulence and upset stomachs.
- What is the difference between Puppy / Kitten & Adult Varieties?
Our Puppy & Kitten range contains a higher percentage of protein to support fast growth in young animals; also we add extra finely minced up bone & cartridge for calcium for optimum bone growth & development, with the right nutrition puppies & kittens grow in proportion with their development, which all leads to less health issues later in life.
Our Puppy or Kitten Varieties may also be fed to pets that are under weight or recovering from illness or surgery, also great for lactating mums who need that little need bit extra to help with milk production to feed a hungry litter.
- What age do I change to Adult Varieties?
We recommend that you feed the puppy or kitten varieties of Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food until your pet reaches 12 months of age, but this can vary if your pet is a giant or large breed and still growing after 12 months of age. Also Pets that are underweight or lactating can benefit from our Puppy or Kitten Diet.
- Best Variety to use for an overweight pet?
We recommend Chicken, Turkey, Beef or Kangaroo Varieties for weight loss as these tend to be lower fat proteins. Also you may need to drop back the daily recommended feeding amount until your pet reaches its healthy weight range.
- Best Variety to use to gain weight for my pet?
Our Lamb, Duck or Salmon Varieties contain more calories than some of our other range. If you have an underweight pet we would recommend that you feed more than the daily recommended feeding amount or maybe consider feeding our puppy or kitten range until your pet has reached the desired weight.
- Which Variety can I use to wean my puppies onto raw food?
If you’re a breeder looking to start your puppies on solids for the first time we recommend our Somerford Raw & Natural Puppy Chicken & Bone Variety.
Making the transition from mother’s milk to raw food is made very easy using this product, puppies readily take to their new food & you will notice that the occurrence of upset stomachs & digestive issues are much lessened in comparison than weaning onto a soaked kibble diet.
Being that Somerford Raw & Natural has a high moisture content there is no need to add water when offering the food for the first time, it is very high in nutrition & calcium so supports the puppies growth without the use of supplements, it has also been noted that puppies that are fed Somerford Raw & Natural from a young age tend to be more alert & grow more in proportion than puppies fed kibble (not going through the gangly stage where there legs look too long for their body etc.) They also reach crucial milestones faster than kibble fed pups, such as standing, walking etc., overall a puppy’s general physical & mental development is better than a puppy weaned onto kibble.
Somerford Raw & Natural Puppy Chicken & Bone can be used from 3 to 4 weeks of age, as soon as your pups are old enough to be weaned.
- Best Variety to use for a pet with allergies or skin issues?
So many pet foods these days are loaded with grains, preservatives & artificial additives that can all adversely impact on your dog’s overall health & skin condition.
Here at Somerford Raw & Natural we get a lot of feedback from Pet owners whose pets have benefited hugely from being fed our Salmon Varieties.
Our Facebook page is full of fantastic reviews from owners of dogs that have had allergies to a wide range of foods which has resulted in itchy skin & other serious skin issues.
https://www.facebook.com/somerfordrawandnatural/
After they make the switch to Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food these symptoms have eased if not been cured by simply feeding Somerford Raw & Natural.
For allergies it is important to put your pet through an elimination diet & only feed one variety of Somerford Raw & Natural, this way you are able to identify which protein (meat) your pet maybe allergic to, no treats, no other foods or kibble, no food off the plate from a dinner with the family.
Here at Somerford Raw & Natural we provide an excellent consultation service on this topic, please feel free to contact us to discuss ways that we can help you with your pet’s allergies.
- Can I still feed dry dog biscuits / kibble?
If you are feeding Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food there is no need to feed Kibble as it is a complete & balanced diet, fed alongside Fresh Meaty Bones for good Dental Health, your pet will be getting all the nutrition that it needs to stay happy & healthy.
But if you do wish to mixed feed we recommend that you use a good quality kibble that is Grain Free & made with quality ingredients.
- Why we include Free Bones?
We recommend that each day or two that you include a Meaty Bone or Chicken Necks into your pets diet. This is very beneficial for tooth & gum health and exercising the jaw muscles, also being a natural & fully absorbable source of calcium with the added goodness of marrow. Bones also help to keep your pet occupied while you are at work & can even be frozen as a treat for a hot summer’s day.
Meaty Bones or Chicken Necks are included FREE with all our Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium home delivered packs.
- Is it safe to feed Raw Bones?
Raw bones are completely safe to feed your pet, unlike cooked bones which can splinter in your pets digestive track. The cooking process makes bones more brittle, increasing the likelihood they might splinter and cause internal injury to your dog. Cooking can also remove the nutrition contained in bones.
Raw Edible bones are the hollow, non weight-bearing bones (typically chicken wings and chicken and necks). They are soft, pliable, do not contain marrow, and can be easily crushed.
These bones provide calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals which can be an essential part of your pets balanced raw food diet.
Raw Recreational bones – big chunks of beef femur or hip bones filled with marrow -- don’t supply significant dietary nutrition for your dog (they are not designed to be chewed up and swallowed, only gnawed on), but they do provide mental stimulation and are great for your dog’s oral health.
When your dog chews on a raw recreational bone, especially a meaty one with cartilage and soft tissue still attached, his teeth get the equivalent of a good brushing and flossing. This helps to break down tartar and reduces the risk of gum disease.
Dogs in the wild have beautiful teeth and healthy gums. This is because the prey they eat requires a lot of chewing, and the sinewy composition helps to clean each entire tooth.
- Will raw food give my dog worms?
Somerford Raw & Natural only uses 1st quality Human Grade Ingredients, no meat by products, which means all the meat & offal we use has come from livestock that is certified its worming is up to date upon the time of processing. It is also inspected for any sign of parasites when it is graded as Human or Pet Grade.
It is still recommended that you worm your pet regularly as worms can be caught from contact with other animals or from contaminated soil.
- How long will Somerford Raw & Natural last in my fridge or freezer?
Because Somerford Raw & Natural is made fresh on the day that we freeze it, it has a long used by date.
Freshly made or defrosted Somerford Raw & natural will stay fresh in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Frozen it will keep for around 4 to 5 months.
It is also safe to defrost your pets Somerford Raw & Natural in the fridge, then divide it into daily portions & refreeze. This maybe convenient if you have a small dog and feed only tiny portions per day.
- What areas do we deliver to?
Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food comes with free delivery to your door.
Areas covered are Newcastle, Central Coast, Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Canberra, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast and Brisbane. Most Coastal Areas from Melbourne to Brisbane.
If you’re not sure if you are in our delivery area please feel free to call us on 0249 600 708 and we will try and make it possible for your pet to have the benefits of Somerford Raw & Natural.
- Do I need to be home for my delivery?
No Somerford Raw & Natural Packs are delivered Cold to your door in a polystyrene freezer box so stay chilled for up to 2 or 3 days depending on the weather.
Our Couriers will leave the freezer box at your front door where possible. So it is not necessary for anyone to be home at the time of delivery.
If there is no access to your property or no safe place for the courier to leave your delivery, a card will be left in your letter box with options to rearrange delivery or pick up from the courier depot.
- Am I locked into a contract for my delivery subscription?
No….. if you decide that you would like the convenience of having Somerford Raw & Natural Ultra-Premium Pet Food Delivered to your door, you can make changes to your order at any time, you can put future delivery’s on hold, alter the frequency of your deliveries, change the varieties that you choose to have delivered or stop your delivery at any time all with no lock in contracts or hidden charges.
Here at Somerford Raw & Natural our goal is to make it as easy as possible to feed your pet right.
- How do I make changes my order?
All you need to do to make changes to your order is simply logon to your account on our website www.petshopboyz.com and follow the instructions to make any changes you need or alternatively feel free to call us and we can make the changes for you.
You may find it easier to message us via our Facebook page, while you’re there please remember to like & follow our page to keep up with any news, promotions or competitions!
https://www.facebook.com/somerfordrawandnatural/
Here at Somerford Raw & Natural we pride ourselves on our Customers Service and are always only a phone call away if you need help with our website or have any questions about our products.