FAQ

What is Droolchef Meal Nutrient balancer?
Droolchef Meal Nutrient balancer is a multi-nutrient supplement made of essential vitamins and minerals formulated by our veterinary nutritionist to complete our droolicious make-at-home recipes to AAFCO pet food standard. 

Why a Meal Nutrient Balancer is Required for Homemade Pet Food?
It is nearly impossible for dogs & cats to get all of the nutrients they require daily from food alone. Any pet food must have added supplements if it is intended to be used for long-term feeding.

What is AAFCO?
AAFCO is a non-profit organisation that sets worldwide standards for both animal feeds and pet foods. This includes minimum and maximum nutrient levels required for healthy dogs & cats. Our recipes and multi vitamin meal nutrient balancer are created to be complete and balanced to be above AAFCO minimum standards.

Fresh Food Diet vs Commercial Dog Food
Unlike typical commercial pet food, Fresh food diets include high-quality unprocessed natural nutrient-rich whole-food ingredients that promote increased energy, cardiac support, eyesight, shiny coats, fresher breath, healthier stools, and overall better health paws down. 

Are Droolchef Recipes Difficult to Make?
Droolchefs recipes are very easy to prepare using our step-by-step instructions and fresh natural human-grade ingredients available in any supermarket, such as beef, chicken, fish, and vegetables that even picky eaters will find bowl lickn' droolicious.

How do I Measure Recipe Ingredients Accurately?
We recommend purchasing a digital kitchen scale that can measure in grams to ensure accuracy with the ingredient portions. All teaspoon/tablespoon measurements given are Australian teaspoon/tablespoon sizes.

Can I use Droolchef Meal Balancers in my own Recipes
Droolchef Meal Balancers when added to your homemade recipe will ensure your dog or cat is getting the nutrients they require to stay healthy. We recommend that you refer to our AAFCO nutrient profiles sheet to ensure the fresh food ingredients selected meet the minimum & maximum requirements for optimum health.

Can I Substitute Ingredients in Droolchef Recipes
Droolchef recipes are formulated by a pet nutritionist to ensure your dog or cat gets just the right amount of vitamins and minerals they require for health and longevity. Substitution of Droolchef recipe ingredients can alter the balance of nutrient levels, which may be harmful. Therefore it is highly recommended to prepare the recipes in accordance with the instructions.

Can I Combine Droolchef Fresh Food Recipes with Kibble?
Absolutely you can use as a kibble topper and serve as a single meal for breakfast or dinner. Simply ensure you adjust the quantities of each food source to stay within the recommended daily calorie intake for your dog or cat.

Do I Need to Cook Droolchef Recipes?
We recommend cooking of animal-source protein to eliminate any risk of pathogens, but meat may be served raw if preferred. Grains must be cooked. 

What if My Pet Won't Eat the New Diet?
For some pets patience & persistence my be required when transitioning to a new diet. Here are some tips to help the process:

• Slow transition can improve acceptance and tolerance, especially for pets used to a commercial kibble or canned diet.
• Veggie dodgers - blend the meal in a food processor until very well mixed
• Top your pet's meal with a few of their favourite treats or foods such as crushed liver treats, cheddar cheese, peanut butter (sugar & salt free), plain yoghurt, canned dog or cat food.
• Offer meals morning and night for 15 minutes, then discard any uneaten food until the next meal time. Do not allow your pet to snack on other foods or snacks between meals during the transition process. 

What if my Dog or Cat Gets an Upset Tummy on the Droolchef Diet?
It is best to slowly transition to a fresh food diet. The transition time needed may take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. Some dogs may develop mild changes in stool consistency, due to changes in fibre and fat content. They should normalise after 4-5 days.
If stool consistency does not improve, or you become concerned because your pet is lethargic, not eating, not drinking, has vomiting or severe diarrhoea, stop feeding the diet immediately and consult your pet’s veterinarian

What if My Pet Gains or Loses Weight on the Droolchef Diet?
The correct serving of fresh food should keep your pet healthy, happy and fit. If your dog or cat is gaining or losing weight, simply reduce or increase the volume of food by 5-10% until they reach the desired weight. Just like people, all dogs & cats have their own metabolism. So whilst our feeding tables provide a guide to recommended quantities it is impossible to know how much each dog or cat should consume just by knowing their weight. It can be a process, and as their pet parent you are in the best position to judge the results.

Monitoring Your Pet's Weight
Keeping your pet is lean body condition is the most important thing you can do to try and prevent the development of chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, pancreatitis, and even some types of cancer. Overweight and obese pets have a shorter lifespan than lean pets – this is well-supported by scientific evidence. Download body condition chart  - DOG   CAT

Can I Feed My Dog & Cat Treats on the Droolchef Diet?
As a general rule, no more than 10% of your dog or cat's caloric intake should come from treats.

Why Droolchef Dog Food Recipes include Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates can be an excellent source of energy when that carbohydrate is from a whole-food, human-grade source. Our grain-free and gluten-free diets are ideal for dogs who may have those associated sensitivities

If Dogs are Carnivores Why include Vegetables or have Vegan Recipes?
Dogs are not true carnivores. They can actually live without meat in their diet. We include fresh vegetables in our recipes which provide excellent sources of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosinolates, thiocyanates, and a variety of vitamins. We believe a diet containing high-quality meat is much better for them unless they have allergies to particular animal-derived proteins, or a meat free diet is a family preference.

Keeping Meals Fresh
If you are cooking a large batch freezing meals into portions will ensure it remains fresh.

Can I Thaw My Pet's Pre-made Meal in the Microwave?
Fresh dog food meals that have been frozen for longevity should NOT be heated or thawed in the microwave. They should be thawed in the fridge or at room temperature for an hour or two. Do not leave it refrigerated for long periods or overnight. Thaw it under the same conditions you would your own food.

Where is Droolchef Meal Nutrient Balancer Manufactured?
Our supplement is manufactured in a NSW HCCAP accredited facility