FAQs

Why should I feed my pet raw food? 

Your pets will benefit the most when you feed them as nature intended – a diet of whole, raw, natural food.  Cooking or heating food can deplete the nutrients and vital enzymes in your pet’s food and can produce protein by-products that can cause allergic reactions.  Longevity Raw Pet Food is the highest quality nutrition available for your pet.

What’s wrong with kibble and canned pet food?

To be blunt, processed kibble and canned pet foods are the equivalent of junk food for your pet.  The intensive manufacturing processes create an inferior and biologically inappropriate product that is low in nutritional value and lacks vital food enzymes.  Feeding these foods often leads to a negative effect on our pet’s health.  Raw, whole ingredients used in Longevity Raw Pet Food will support and optimize a healthy immune system and wellness.

Is it safe to feed my pet raw food?

Cats and dogs are natural carnivores. They have long, sharp teeth designed for meat eating, and their digestive tract is much shorter and secretes enzymes that enable them to safely consume raw meat. Raw food is high in protein and the natural nutrients that your pet needs.

How should I handle raw food?

Good hygiene is always important for health and wellness.  Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling all food products, and wash your pet’s bowls and any utensils used for feeding after each meal.

How often should I feed my pet Longevity Raw Pet food?

We recommend two daily servings each day for your pet. If your pet has any specific health conditions, do confer with your veterinarian for specific recommendations.

Do I need to add supplements to Longevity Raw Pet food?

Our raw pet food is packed with wonderful nutrition for pets at all ages and stages. However, if your pet is not well, there are some supplements we recommend for optimal wellness that lose their nutritional integrity in manufacturing and freezing, most importantly additional probiotics.  The colony forming units (CFUs) of probiotics begin to decline when they are exposed to moisture and heat.  We include green tripe in all of  our formulations to provide a healthy level of probiotics. However, if your pet is facing a health challenge, we recommend adding probiotics at feeding time to maximize their impact on your pet’s health.

How should I transition my pet to raw food?

Both puppies and kittens can be fed Longevity Raw Pet Food from the moment they start eating solid food, at about 2 ½ weeks old.  Until a young pet is about 10 months old, he or she can be switched over to raw food without a transition period.  Older pets can be converted within a 10-day period. Start your pet’s Longevity transition by replacing a percentage of your pet’s current food with raw, feeding the raw food first and then following it with the remaining quantity of your pet’s current food at least 15-20 minutes later.  Over a 10-day period, gradually increase the amount of raw food being fed as indicated below.  Dr. B recommends:

Days 1-3: 25% Longevity Raw, 75% Current Food

Days 4-6: 50% Longevity Raw, 50% Current Food

Days 7-9: 75% Longevity Raw, 25% Current Food

Day 10+: 100% Longevity Raw

What changes can I expect when I change my pet to a raw food diet?

When your pet transitions to raw food, you may see darker, drier, and smaller stools; increased energy; and overall health.  After some time, your pet may eat less as raw food has a high nutrient density.  If you find your pet gaining too much weight, simply cut back by at least 1/8.

What should I feed my pet with allergies?

Our Longevity Raw Pet food is free of many of the common food allergens, such as eggs, dairy (milk), corn, soy, wheat, and gluten.  Some pets are also allergic to or intolerant of proteins such as chicken and beef.  Both our Vital Rabbit and Natural Duck varieties are great for pets with these allergies.  We recommend that all pet owners cycle through the different varieties of Longevity Raw Pet food to reduce the likelihood of food intolerances and allergies.

My pet is a picky eater.  What do you suggest?

Many picky eaters gobble up Longevity Raw Pet food because it was formulated both for optimal nutrition and for optimal taste.  Try a variety of our flavors to see which ones your pet likes best!

My pet loves your Nourishing Beef raw pet food.  Do I need to offer other flavors?

Your pet’s natural diet would include a variety of foods, including proteins, vegetables, and some fruits (all included in each Longevity product; nothing to add). Eating the same foods over and over could contribute to allergies and food intolerances, so we do recommend that you offer a variety of options to your pet for variety and balance.

Why is there variation between patties or bags of food?

Longevity Raw Pet Food is made in small batches using the highest quality seasonal ingredients from local farms.  Just as the ingredients may vary a bit from batch to batch, so will our pet food.  These slight variations are normal and safe.

How long can I store Longevity Raw Pet food?

As long as the food is unopened and kept frozen, you can store our food for up to 6 months.  Once opened, you should use your defrosted food within 4 days, storing it in the refrigerator until use.

Is your food human grade?

All of the whole, natural ingredients in Longevity Raw Pet Food are of the highest quality available and are sourced from local farms.  Our ingredients are monitored through our quality assurance program, as is our formulation process.  However, like most pet food producers, our facilities are designated for pet food production only and thus do not match the USDA’s definition of human grade. 

Can the cat and dog foods be used interchangeably?

Our pet foods are species-specific and have been formulated to optimize the wellness of your pet.  Dogs and cats have different nutritional needs and taste preferences and Longevity Raw Pet Food was designed to address these needs.  With that said, should you mistakenly feed the wrong food to your cat or dog, the food will not be harmful to them.

Can I become a Longevity Raw Pet Food retailer?

We welcome the opportunity to work with pet retailers, veterinarians, kennels, and other retailers across the US.  Contact us at here to learn more.