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Fern belongs to Alison who taught our founder, Jonathan, pretty much everything he knows about dogs.

Switching your dog to a new food is a decision that needs careful consideration. Here (with the help of our vets) we have tried to answer all the questions you may have – even the difficult ones - in an honest and straightforward manner.

If you have any further questions please email: questions@darlingsrealdogfood.com.

If you are particularly interested in the subject of raw food then we would also recommend reading some of the articles in the Why real food? area of the website as these cover the topic in much greater detail.

If you want an idea of the likely cost visit the What will it cost? page. If you want an exact price then begin the Order now process and ask for a quick quote.

• What makes Darling’s dog food different?
• Why should dog food be raw?
• What are the benefits of feeding a raw food diet?
• Why do you put such emphasis on including bones in the diet?
• Is there any offal in Darling’s Real Dog Food?
• Could a dog choke on a bone or suffer from an obstruction?
• Is it safe for dogs to eat raw meat?
• Are dogs fed with raw meat more prone to worms?
• What about the bacteria on raw meat?
• How is Darling’s food kept cold in transit?
• Can I feed expectant and new mothers on Darling’s?
• Can I feed puppies on Darling’s?
• Can I feed an elderly or unwell dog on Darling’s?
• What do you recommend for digestive problems and itching?
• Why aren’t there any grains in Darling’s?
• How do you switch a dog from processed food to Darling’s?
• I have been told raw food can make dogs aggressive. Is this true?
• What is the connection between Darling’s and the BARF diet?
• What is the cost of Darling’s compared to other foods?
• What is wrong with manufactured dog food?
• Why does your lamb recipe include a percentage of chicken?
• Can I feed Darling’s Working Dog Food to an ‘ordinary’ dog?
• Can I feed Darling’s to my cat?

The core difference between us and other dog food companies is that we supply our dog food raw and fresh. We use different basic ingredients, too. Our emphasis is on lean, minced meat and bone with no more than a third of the food being vegetable. We steer clear of ingredients that our vets believe to be unhealthy for dogs, such as grain.

We are also concerned with the welfare of the farm animals that become our ingredients. Our meat is free-range or wild. We know and trust the farmers we source from and buy almost everything locally.

Everything we produce is of such a high quality that you could eat our food yourself. There are no additives, preservatives, colourings or chemicals of any kind.

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Dogs and their wolf ancestors have been eating raw food – primarily meat - for over a million years. Their teeth and digestive systems are designed for it. Furthermore, when food is cooked its molecular structure is altered and, in particular, all the health giving enzymes are destroyed.

Cooked food is actually very bad for dogs. There is a lot of information about this – including the results of scientific research - in the Why Real Food? area of this site.

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There is considerable evidence to show that a natural, raw food diet results in numerous benefits including a glossy coat, healthy skin, lean muscle tone, robust immune system, sweet smelling breath, healthy teeth and gums, increased energy, better digestion, strong heart and more energy and vitality.

Dogs eating a raw food diet can be expected to live longer and to suffer less illness and disease. Indeed, if your dog has any health issues now (even minor problems such as allergies, dry skin, bad breath and what the Americans refer to, euphemistically, as ‘gas’) it is quite likely that a switch to a raw food diet will clear them up.

There is lots of information (including research findings) about the health benefits of a raw food diet elsewhere on our site. Visit the Why real food? pages to learn more.

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Bones are important for two reasons. Firstly, they provide vital nutrients including calcium, complex (good) fats and vitamins. Secondly, the actual chewing of the bones is what keeps a dog’s teeth and gums healthy. Chewing and gnawing are also, believe it or not, excellent exercise and help a dog to stay fit. That’s why our food contains finely ground up bone and why we also encourage you to serve whole bones on the side.

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Yes, we do use offal in most of our recipes. For a full list of ingredients visit the Ingredients area of the website.

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Thanks to decades of misinformation by the dog food industry and others there is a perception that a dog’s digestive system is too sensitive to deal with raw bones. This is not true. In the same way that it is perfectly safe for a boa constrictor to swallow its prey whole, it is perfectly safe for dogs to chew and swallow bones. They have been doing it for over a million years, after all.

If you go online you will find a number of erroneous and generally untraceable stories from dog owners who claim that their dogs have had problems with bones. Two points. Firstly, it is more than possible that manufacturers of processed dog food – a £1 billion industry in the UK alone – are behind these stories. They know that if dog owners begin to realise that inexpensive raw bones are good for their dogs they will probably stop buying processed food. Secondly, the scare stories about choking and obstructions miss the real point. Dogs are no different from humans. Very, very rarely something will go down the wrong way or be too much for the digestive system. It hardly ever happens and when it does it could be caused by anything including, of course, dried dog food.

In short, raw bones are the natural thing for dogs to eat. It is what they eat in the wild.

If you would like to know more about the benefits of raw bones then visit the Why real food? area of the site.

Please note: dogs should never eat cooked bones.

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It is 100% safe for dogs to eat raw meat. After all, dogs don’t cook in the wild. It is also probably worth mentioning at this juncture that our meat is extremely fresh – fresher than much of the meat you will find in your local supermarket. (The same is true of our vegetables, too). Our aim is to get it from the field to Fido (or Fifi) in under four days. Of course, dogs will happily eat unrefrigerated meat that is several weeks old without any ill effects. They’ll bury it and dig it up, too! However, for safety’s sake, we believe in erring well within the recommended rules for human consumption.

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Dogs eating raw meat don’t suffer from worms any more than dogs on other diets. All dogs are prone to worms and should be treated regularly. Note that we use the highest quality meat, anyway. Meat that is perfectly suitable to eat yourself and thus considered 100% safe by the food safety authorities.

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Dogs have the most amazing immune system. Consider what they sniff, lick and eat during the course of a typical walk in a park! The bacteria found on fresh meat poses no threats to them whatsoever.

Humans also have a high tolerance to bacteria. There is, after all, likely to be more bacteria on the handle of a shopping trolley than on a piece of fresh chicken.

Of course, this doesn’t mean one shouldn’t be careful. If you handle raw meat or bones (although with Darling’s you don’t actually have to) it is sensible to wash your hands and anything else they have come into contact with.

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We adopt exactly the same strategy as the upmarket butchers that send their meat direct to customers. The ingredients are already chilled before we start. As soon as each dog’s food has been prepared it is put back into our cold room. At the end of the working day – just before the courier firm arrives – it is packed into insulated boxes with ice packs. It is then couriered overnight to our customers. Incidentally, we use recyclable insulated boxes that keep food fresh for up to 48 hours.

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Yes. Expectant mothers love Darling’s. If you have a pregnant dog just let us know the details and we will adjust the food quantities accordingly. As soon as they have whelped we will adjust the food again. There’s an article about feeding expectant and new mothers in the Why Real Food? area of our site.

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Yes. It is the best food possible to feed puppies. We will work out a feeding schedule for you and make sure that your puppies get exactly the right nourishment as soon as they are old enough to start eating solids. There’s an article about feeding puppies in the Why Real Food? area of our site.

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Yes. Elderly and unwell dogs adore Darling’s and it can make a huge difference to their health and welfare. If your dog has health issues please let us know and we will adjust the diet as required. Remember, our vets are happy to offer advice on all health and diet issues. Also, we are the only dog food company in the world that makes everything to order.

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If your dog has digestive and/or itching problems then to begin with it is better to feed him or her chicken, or chicken and lamb. Later you could test a little beef. Remember, our vets are happy to offer advice on all health and diet issues.

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A dog’s digestive system is not designed to cope with grains. In fact, grains probably cause many of the allergies that dogs suffer. This makes it doubly strange that processed food companies incorporate such a high percentage of grains in their food. A cynic might say it is because grains are cheaper than meat. (Incidentally, cheap grain frequently contains mites that dogs are allergic to.)

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It is fine to switch from your usual food to Darling’s without any transition period. However, it is worth bearing in mind that in the wild dogs do not eat every day! Indeed, many vets recommend fasting a dog once a week to give their digestive systems a rest. A day of fasting before you switch to Darling’s certainly has something to be said for it.

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Raw food, far from making dogs aggressive, frequently makes them much calmer and happier. Vets in favour of a raw food diet confirm this (visit Why Real Food? for more information).

It is worth remembering that a growing number of vets now believe that processed, cooked dog food is the canine equivalent to junk food. Even dog food made using organic ingredients. In the same way that sugar, fats, food dyes and so forth affects human mental health (see the film Supersize Me for stark evidence of this) so manufactured dog food can affect canine mental health.

The idea that – somehow – eating raw, fresh meat will result in dogs suddenly wanting to go out and catch their own is fanciful and not based on fact.

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BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food and the BARF diet of fresh, raw meat, bone and vegetable is starting to gain popularity. Darling’s Real Dog Food is based 100% on BARF principles. The key difference is that Darling’s saves dog owners a great deal of time because:

1. There’s no need for you to do any nutritional research
2. There’s no need for you to source all the different ingredients, and
3. There’s no need for you to make the food up every day.

This latter point shouldn’t be underestimated. It can be a yucky business preparing and serving raw dog food. With Darling’s, on the other hand, the food itself comes in neat little packages.

You will notice that we don’t make a big thing about BARF on this website. Why? Firstly, it is a political and ethical movement and we don’t think it is right to try and cash in on its goodwill. Secondly, we are a little prudish about the acronym with all its associations.

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It costs much less than you might expect to feed your dog with Darling’s. We keep the cost down by dealing direct with our customers (so no profit to retailers or wholesalers) and by not advertising. The price is linked to the exact weight of your dog and will be supplied as part of the order process. Here are some typical examples:

Note: if you choose our Working Dog Food then it is VAT free - a saving to you of 17.5%.

Compare our prices with most ranges of dry, wet or canned dog food and you will see that we offer excellent value for money.

Incidentally, Darling’s is also likely to work out cheaper than buying the ingredients and making it up yourself. Why? If you price the meats and vegetables we use in a shop you will see that they are very expensive. Because we are buying direct from the producers we pay considerably less.

If you want an idea of the likely cost visit the What will it cost page. If you want an exact price then begin the Order now process and ask for a quick quote. If you become a regular customer, by the way, and ask us to feed more than one dog we will offer you an extra discount.

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It doesn’t matter which brand of dog food you use or how much it costs it is never going to be as good for your dog as raw, fresh meat, bone and vegetable. This is what is wrong with manufactured dog food:

1. It is cooked. Cooking destroys 70% of the nutritional value of the food from a dog’s perspective.


2. It is treated. You may have noticed that dog food has an incredibly long shelf life. This is because it has been preserved in some way (chemically or otherwise).


3. It contains inappropriate and harmful chemicals. These are absorbed through the bowel wall and transported to other organs with a range of harmful effects.


4. The quality of the ingredients is poor. For instance, the meat is often unsuitable for human consumption. Even expensive dog food often has very, very low quality ingredients.


5. The ingredients are difficult for dogs to digest. For instance, most dog foods contain a high percentage of grain (including rice), which is unsuitable for the canine digestive system.


6. It fails to clean the dog’s teeth and gums allowing plaque bacteria to build up. This gives rise to periodontal disease and worse.


7. It can lead to all sorts of ailments including allergies, skin complaints, bad breath, flatulence and overweight.

The dog food industry is worth a staggering £1 billion in the UK alone. The manufacturers spend a great deal of money on advertising and on sponsoring vets. Many people feel that in the near future the processed pet food industry are going to be exposed and brought to account for its misdemeanors, in the same way that tobacco and pharmaceutical companies have been. In other words, they may have knowingly encouraged dog owners to feed their dogs food that is actually harmful. A growing number of vets are starting to wake up to the fact that most of the research on food and diet for dogs is done by the dog food industry. Most of the professional bodies are funded by pet food manufacturers and have been reluctant to come out with any statements that criticise the industry.

You will find lots more information about this in the Why Real Food? section of this site.

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Dogs adore the taste of lamb and, in moderation, it is jolly healthy for them. They can, however, have too much of a good thing. Preferring to err on the side of caution we decided, therefore, to keep the percentage of lamb well below the recommended level.

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Darling’s Out of Season Working Dog Food is designed for working dogs that are resting or in low-level training and the key difference between this and our standard range is the addition of various vitamins and minerals plus a slightly higher fat content. It will have no adverse effects on an ‘ordinary’ dog and may actually offer health benefits. If you are feeding a number of working dogs, incidentally, we will make up a tailor-made food to suit your requirements. All working dog food is available in our five recipes: free-range chicken, prime beef, tender lamb, wild rabbit and tasty tripe. You can opt for organic or farm assured ingredients. See the Ingredients area of the website for details.

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Yes! Cats love Darling’s (and Darling’s loves cats, too). We don’t produce a special cat food but our vet recommends our vegetable-free dog food. Everything on this website about why raw food is good for dogs holds true for cats. If you would like to know more please visit the Darling’s for Cats area of the website or telephone or email us.

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Why Darling’s gets tails wagging

We make your dog’s food to order. This means we can adjust the ingredients and quantities to suit his or her needs.

Darling’s Real Dog Food range

Full details of our range (food, bones, biscuits and treats) designed to meet all your dog’s dietary needs... more.

Darling’s for Cats!

Your cat will thrive on Darling’s, too. Our vet recommends you choose our vegetable-free recipes... more.

Contact information

Darling’s Real Dog Food
PO Box 3569
Pewsey
Wiltshire SN9 1AH.
Tel: 0844 656 1566
Email: info@darlingsrealdogfood.com

New puppies?

Pregnant mums, new mums and puppies (once they are old enough) all love Darling’s. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Private diet consultation

Worried about your dog’s health? Our vets and nutritionists are happy to help... more.

Gift hampers

Don’t say it with flowers, say it with Darling’s Real Dog Food. Our gift hampers are also the perfect way to sample the complete range... more.