1. FAQ

FAQ

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions. 

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Then simply write an e-mail to info@granatapet.de and we will be happy to help you. 

Does GranataPet feed contain offal or animal by-products?

Our dry and wet feed consists exclusively of muscle meat and high-quality offal. We use only well usable offal, such as heart, lungs, liver or rumen. What we do not use are offal such as bladder or bile. Animal by-products such as feathers, claws, fur or hooves are also not used. 

This "jelly" is simply a natural component of the meat, which changes its consistency during the cooking process. The jelly is therefore not added separately, but is a part of the meat.

This is how it works: The connective tissue of muscle flesh contains collagen. This is a protein and an important component because it holds the muscle meat together. The more trained a muscle is, the more collagen it contains. The jelly is created during the natural cooking process of the meat. When meat is cooked at low heat, the solid collagen structures dissolve and become small protein strands. If the meat then cools down again, the individual protein strands form a network in which a lot of liquid is also stored in the form of meat juice. The jelly therefore contains not only valuable proteins but also liquid and is a very important and nutrient-rich part of the feed.

The reason why you can find more or less jelly on the feed is that the animals whose meat we use sometimes have more or less muscle mass - quite naturally.

In fact, most dogs and cats like jelly very much. But you can also heat the food for a very short time, then the jelly becomes liquid again and bonds with the meat.

In contrast to carbohydrates and proteins, oils and fats have no allergenic potential, i.e. they do not trigger allergies in the sense of real reactions of the immune system. Only in isolated cases small intolerances can occur if the animal's body is not yet accustomed to vegetable oils.

Contrary to the widespread belief that taurine is only important for cats, recent studies show that taurine can also prevent and support a wide variety of diseases in dogs.

Taurine is an amino acid that plays an important role in the development of the central nervous system and the regulation of fluid in the body's cells. As a component of neurotransmitters, taurine is responsible, among other things, for smooth nerve function. It can therefore be used, for example, for muscle tremors or nervous disorders. Taurine also plays an important role in the calcium regulation of the heart, regulates the heartbeat and can be used in congestive heart failure. Taurine can be helpful in liver diseases, e.g. chronic hepatitis, as it is also involved in liver metabolism, bile production and metabolism.

Every change of diet is a strain on the body. We therefore recommend a slow and gradual change of diet. The digestive tract of an animal has become accustomed to the previously administered food and the intestinal flora has adapted to it. A sudden change can therefore cause disturbances, diarrhoea is particularly frequent. They occur above all when the animal changes from previously less high-quality food (e.g. with a lot of grain) to quality food (e.g. with a high meat content).

We recommend that previous food be mixed with the new food as follows: 

On the first day 90 % "old" feed and 10 % "new" feed, on the second day 80 % "old" feed and 20 % etc. For nutritionally sensitive animals, the conversion can take up to four or five weeks.

There's a very simple trick to figure that out. First of all, your dog/cat must stand up straight. Now, with light pressure, stroke the sides of your dog's/cat's chest. If you can feel the ribs well, you have reached the ideal weight. If you have to apply a little more pressure or if you can't feel the ribs at all, your pet has a few kilos too much. If the ribs are visible or the pelvic bones are protruding, you can feed a little more. If you are still unsure, it is best to consult a vet.

Our visual body check for dogs and cats helps you to control your weight. 

Click here for the visual body check for cats. 

Click here for the visual body check for dogs. 

The raw materials for our products are purchased in food quality. In our pet food we do not use any meat waste, meat substitutes, fillers or animal by-products such as claws, beaks or feathers. All raw materials come from animals that have been approved for human consumption. The production is carried out in accordance with food standards.

Regardless of the quality of the products, however, the raw material is classified as "K3 material" by certified pet food manufacturers and therefore may not be sold for human consumption.

If you suspect that your dog/cat has a food allergy or intolerance, your vet will often recommend that you feed an elimination diet (also known as an exclusion diet). In this diet, the dog is fed only one source of protein and one source of carbohydrate. If possible, these food sources should not have been used in the previous feeding.

The hypoallergenic exclusion diet, in which you feed only one protein and one carbohydrate source, usually lasts between eight and twelve weeks. During this period you should experience an improvement of the problems. However, it is important to remember that the change of diet should take place gradually over several days so that your pet can get used to the new food. Too fast a change can also lead to diarrhoea, although your pet may not react to the new food if the change is done gently.

On our website you will find a feeding recommendation for each product. It is best to start with the generally recommended amount. If your pet should now gain or lose weight unintentionally, simply adjust the amount of food up or down.
This is only necessary for animals with damaged teeth, mouth and gums or after loss of molars. Otherwise, the crushing of the dry food chunks serves to maintain the health of the teeth and gums. Drinking water is served separately. It is important that sufficient fresh water is available at all times.
We do not offer VetLine, but our feed is well suited for animals with CNI due to the ideal balanced phosphorus/calcium ratio and the high quality proteins. To be sure that our pet food is suitable for your pet in the current stage of renal failure, we recommend that you also consult your veterinarian.

Our feed is a complete feed, i.e. it contains all nutrients and active ingredients that your four-legged friend needs to cover all requirements.

All prey eaters also feed relatively "one-sided" in nature.

Our pet food is a complete feed, i.e. it is designed in such a way that the addition of additives is not necessary.

However, you are welcome to give your dog vegetables (e.g. carrots or cucumbers) as low-calorie snacks for in between.

Our pet food is designed to provide your dog/cat with all the essential nutrients he/she needs for a long and full life.

Healthy home-cooked food requires that you deal with the subject intensively, otherwise there is a risk of an under- or oversupply of certain nutrients and trace elements. It is not only important that each nutrient and each active substance is sufficient in itself, in many cases the correct ratio of the ingredients or groups of ingredients to each other must also be ensured. This concerns the calcium/phosphorus ratio, the energy/protein ratio and many relations in the vitamin and trace element area.

For example, it is a widespread misconception that simply feeding meat (e.g. pieces of fillet), which we humans consider to be of high quality, is healthy. The digestive tract of dogs and cats is designed to eat the whole prey animal - including most of the internal organs, parts of fur/feathers, claws if necessary. We replace these nutrients with high-quality ingredients such as green-lipped mussels, taurine, oils and essential minerals.

When BARFing it is important to consider all the nutrients your dog/cat needs - not just raw meat or vegetables. Our BARF Oil for Dogs supports you in feeding your four-legged friend in a way that is appropriate for his species.

In general, it is okay if your puppy/kitten eats food for adult animals. After all, there are no prey animals in nature especially for growing dogs and cats.

Our food is ideally suited to the needs of the living situation (e.g. puppies/kittens, senior, sterilised). If you give your kitten adult food, you should adjust the amount of food accordingly.  

Conversely, we do not recommend feeding adult animals puppy or kitten food on a long-term basis, as this is particularly high in protein and can lead more quickly to obesity.

Exceptions to this rule are situations in which there is an increased need for nutrients (e.g. pregnancy, surgery, etc.).

The digestibility and usability of vegetable and animal oils and fats do not differ (unlike with proteins, where there are indeed major differences between animal and vegetable ingredients). 

Rather, it is the quality of the oils used that matters. Depending on the fat and oil ingredients in the basic recipe of the feed, the composition is supplemented with animal and/or vegetable oils/fats. It does not matter whether the supplemented fatty acids come from animal or vegetable tissue. The aim is to achieve a balance of different, vital fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated) - regardless of their source and origin.

In fact, from a scientific point of view, the dog cannot be clearly assigned to either the carnivores (carnivores) or the omnivores (omnivores). Its digestive tract does not exhibit all the characteristics of a classic carnivore and can utilise relatively large quantities of vegetables and fruit in addition to meat, offal and bones. Dogs also ingest plant nutrients from the stomach and intestinal contents of prey (which are completely eaten in nature, not just meat) and from the excrements of other animals. 

From wolf to dog

Even wolves living in the wild are not pure carnivores, they additionally feed on fruits, grasses and roots. With domestication, the dog's digestive system has continued to change, as it has been feeding largely on human food waste over the past millennia and has therefore also eaten a lot of vegetables and fruit. 

Therefore, the dog's natural diet today includes not only prey but also vegetable food. The main part of the food, however, is still the prey animal. 

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