Dealer Sign In

FAQs

About CARNA4 Ingredients
Q: Where do your ingredients come from?
Q: Is your food organic?
Q: Why do you include barley, lentils and flaxseed products in your food?
Q: How do you know sprouted seeds will be beneficial for pets?
Q: As dogs are carnivores, how can they even gain benefits from eating quality seeds or grains?
Q: Are sprouted seed products suitable for grain-free diets?
Q: Can my pet digest the carbohydrates in Carna4?
Q: Why do you put potato starch in your food?
Q: Where does your meat come from?
Q: Why do you exclude meat meal from your food?
Q: Does Carna4 contain enough protein for my pet?
Q: What does the phrase ‘Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO
Dog Food Nutrient Profiles’ mean?

Q: I’m hearing about DCM and wonder if Carna4 is safe for my dog?

Naturally True Food
Q: What makes your pet food more natural than others?
Q: How can you make your food without adding any synthetic vitamins
or minerals (not even taurine)?

Q: The guaranteed analysis on the package of Carna4 I bought lists “Folic Acid” as one of the nutrients. I thought that Folic Acid was only a synthetic form of Vitamin B9 and that the natural version was known as “Folate”. What is in Carna4 – natural or synthetic?
Q: Why do other companies add synthetic supplements like vitamins, minerals
and other nutrients to their food, if they pose potential risks to your pet?

Q: What do you use to preserve your food?
Q: How long does CARNA4 stay fresh?

Making CARNA4
Q: Where is your food made?
Q: Why is baked dry pet food preferable to extruded dry pet food?
Q: How can you claim that high levels of probiotics, enzymes and other nutrients in CARNA4 can survive after being dried at temperatures that reach 195° F/90°C?
Q: What is digest or natural flavor and why don’t you add it to your food?
Q: What kind of testing is done on CARNA4 before it is cleared for sale?

Feeding CARNA4
Q: Can young puppies with baby teeth be fed CARNA4? Can I feed CARNA4 to a young pup before his teeth grow in (or a senior dog with weak or no teeth)?
Q: Can I moisten your food when I feed it to my pet?
Q: Can I mix CARNA4 with a raw meat to serve to my dog?
Q: How digestible is CARNA4? How have dogs with digestive issues fared eating CARNA4?
Q: How does Carna4 affect a dog’s pH levels?
Q: How does CARNA4 affect a pet’s bladder health? Do you add any ingredients to acidify the pet’s urine?
Q: Is CARNA4 an anti-allergen dog food for dogs who suffer from chicken or other allergies?
Q: Shouldn’t you avoid feeding a large breed puppy a high protein food (like Carna4 ) because it might cause it to grow too fast and possibly cause skeletal growth problems?
Q: Does Carna4 offer a complete and balanced diet for my dog?
Q: Is Carna4 formulated for both adult dogs and puppies?
Q: Do I need to supplement a Carna4 diet?
Q: Can I mix raw with Carna4?
Q: Can I switch different proteins?

Transitioning to CARNA4
Q: How should I transition my pet from another food to Carna4?
Q: My pet has diarrhea or an upset stomach. Is there something wrong with your food?
Q: Why does my dog have larger stools since starting to feed on Carna4?
Q: Why does my dog have looser stools even after transitioning to Carna4?

Purchasing (or Selling) CARNA4
Q: Where can I purchase Carna4?
Q: How much does it cost to feed CARNA4?
Q: When will Carna4 be available in my town or city?
Q: How can I sell Carna4 in my store (or through an independent channel)?
Q: How long will a [lb] bag of Carna4 last me?
Q: How many cups are in each bag of Carna4 ?

 

About CARNA4 Ingredients


Q: Where do your ingredients come from?

All of our ingredients are grown on American, Canadian and New Zealand farms and we work with family operations whenever we can. Our goat and venison meat is imported from New Zealand, one of the cleanest and most environmentally friendly countries in the world. All the rest of our ingredients originate 100% within Canada and the United States.
Back to top

Q: Is your food organic?

A: Where possible, we select organic ingredients, such as our sprouted barley seeds, green and red lentils and flaxseed, which are all USDA Certified Organic. For some of our ingredients there is insufficient supply of certified organic available to us, so some of our products cannot be classified as organic overall. However some of our products, such as Flora4 Sprouted Seed Food Topper, contain 100% organic ingredients.
Back to top

Q: Why do you include barley, lentils and flaxseed products in your food?

A: We use high quality, certified organic barley seeds, lentil seeds and flaxseed in a sprouted state because they provide extensive, bio-available nutrients and help our food remain pure and synthetic additive-free. We developed a unique formula that combines the distinct attributes of each of these seeds to create a diet with all the essential vitamins, minerals, probiotics, probiotics, enzymes and other nutrients in optimal proportions.
Back to top

Q: How do you know sprouted seeds will be beneficial for pets?

A: Mortec Scientific Inc., a third-party independent food science research company, has many years of experience studying the nutritional properties of sprouted seeds and their health effects on humans and animals. Mortec’s scientists have found that available clinical and anecdotal evidence confirms that pets and humans alike can benefit from regular consumption of sprouted seeds as part of their daily diets. Back to top

Q: As dogs and cats are carnivores, how can they benefit from eating quality seeds or grains?

A: Dogs and cats actually need more nutrients than they can get from meat alone and they need calories without fat, supplied by the right carbohydrate sources. This is demonstrated by dogs and cats left to fend for themselves in the wild. The first thing they eat after killing their prey is its stomach and stomach contents, which includes plants, grasses and seeds in a pre-digested form they can easily absorb. These foods provide the extensive vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed for a complete and balanced diet. It’s hard however for dogs or cats to benefit from whole, intact grains because they can’t easily break them down through digestion. That’s why, CARNA4 is made with sprouted (or “pre-digested”) seeds – which have already begun to “digest” — making them more bioavailable and resulting in high levels of nutrients, plus probiotics, antioxidants and enzymes.
Back to top

Q: Are sprouted seed products suitable for grain-free diets?

A: A grain and a seed are related but different from a botanical standpoint. A seed is not a grain – they have much different levels of nutrition and digestibility. A germinated or sprouted seed is even less similar, having gone through a complete physical and chemical transformation during and after germination. For example, ordinary barley used in many pet foods is only 5% digestible and has very little absorbable nutrition. Sprouted barley seed is 95% digestible, with enormous amounts of bio-available nutrition, including antioxidants, probiotics and enzymes.

The changes in a seed during germination can be compared to the metamorphosis experienced by a caterpillar when she comes out of the cocoon as a butterfly.

A grain is the small edible fruit of the plant, usually hard on the outside, harvested from grassy crops. Grains grow in clusters at the tops of mature plants, such as wheat, oats, and rice. Depending on the type, grains have a low to moderate amount of nutrition and digestibility for many animals. This has understandably caused many pet-owners to seek products with zero grains.

A seed is defined as an embryonic plant covered in a ‘seed coat’. It is formed from the ripened ovule of plants after fertilization. The seed contains all the nutrients required to build a new plant! These nutrients are dormant until the seed is germinated, or sprouted, at which point it wakes up and becomes extremely digestible and a great supplier of nutrition for those creatures who eat it, including our pets. ONLY germination causes the unlocking of digestion inhibitors in the seed, making it super bio-available.

This means that the right blend of sprouted seeds and legumes such as those found in carna4 products are entirely suitable for people (and pets) looking to avoid grains yet needing access to plant-based enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
Back to top

Q: Can my pet digest the carbohydrates in Carna4?

A:  Yes. Remember that meat eaters in the wild always eat the pre-digested, carbohydrate-rich plant material in the stomachs of their prey, so some carbs are appropriate. There are healthy slow carbs like whole brown rice and our sprouted seeds which are easily digestible, versus cheap sugary carbs like corn meal and wheat middlings which are not. In some foods, a 20% carbohydrate level may be too much if the carbs come from white rice, potatoes, and oats. But if the carbs come from highly digestible ingredients such as sprouted seeds, a 25-30% level can be very beneficial if accompanied by good quality antioxidants, Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, and live probiotics. It’s all about nutrient balance and bioavailability.
Back to top

Q: Why do you put potato starch in your food?

A: Our recipe includes a small amount of potato starch to help bind together our mixture of fresh, raw meats and sprouted seeds so that we can form them into their nugget shape, ready for dehydrating. We only use a modest amount of potato starch, as evidenced by Carna4’s very low glycemic index of 42-43, which would not be possible in a potato-rich or grain-rich food.
Back to top

Q: Where does your meat come from?

A: We use only clean, fresh, meat that is from a Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspected facility and from animals processed for human consumption in federally inspected facilities.
Back to top

Q: Why do you exclude meat meal from your food?

A: We can produce a more nutritious food by using large amounts of fresh, raw meat, instead of protein concentrates or meat meals, which can have low to high ash levels (depending on their bone content) and vary in quality. When meat is processed at high pressure and temperatures to produce low-moisture meal, the bio-availability of its nutrients and overall protein quality can be drastically reduced. Also, since meat meal is received in dry, powder form, it’s impossible to inspect it to verify what types and cuts of meat have been used. We don’t want to use mystery meats!
Back to top

Q: Does Carna4 contain enough protein for my pet?

A: Fresh chicken, duck, chicken liver, pork liver, eggs, herring, perch and salmon are among the first and highest concentration of ingredients in Carna4. They give us protein levels that our research deems optimal for high quality pet foods. However, comparing the guaranteed percentage of protein in different pet foods has little meaning without considering each ingredient’s quality, particularly its bioavailability of nutrients. A food with 29% protein derived from high quality, minimally processed fresh meats has more useable grams of amino acids than a food with 35% protein derived from highly processed meat meals.
Back to top

Q: What does the phrase ‘Not recognized as an essential nutrient by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles’ mean?

A: It means that AAFCO has not assessed the corresponding nutrient (e.g. omega-3 fatty acids) as an essential requirement for survival.  However, some of these nutrients AAFCO doesn’t recognize have been shown by other research organizations to provide significant health benefits. For example in 2010, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a series of studies that showed how Omega-3 fatty acids could improve mobility and reduce arthritis pain in dogs.
Back to top

Q: I’m hearing about DCM and wonder if Carna4 is safe for my dog?

A: You are not alone! Carna4 is safe to feed, and we have written a full article about it in our blog section. You can read it here.

Back to top

Naturally True Food

Q: What makes your pet food more natural than others?

A: Unlike other dry pet foods, our products are truly natural because they are made from only actual food, naturally grown, with no vitamin pre-mixes or supplements added!  This means our food contains: no synthetic vitamins, minerals or amino acids; no vegetable or meat protein concentrates; no preservatives; no digest/flavors; no meat, poultry or other meal; and no other manmade additives of any kind.
Back to top

Q: The guaranteed analysis on the package of Carna4 I bought lists “Folic Acid” as one of the nutrients. I thought that Folic Acid was only a synthetic form of Vitamin B9 and that the natural version was known as “Folate”. What is in Carna4 – natural or synthetic?

A: The standards and terminology used on pet food packages in the USA are governed by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials). The AAFCO labelling rules require us to use the term “Folic Acid” rather than Folate for the Vitamin B9 in our food, even though we have the natural form. Carna4 is 100% synthetic-free.
Back to top

Q: How can you make your food without adding any synthetic vitamins or minerals (not even taurine)?

A:  We don’t need to add supplemental additives because our certified organic sprouted seeds are alive with antioxidants levels and bio-available vitamins and minerals that exceed AAFCO standards. And we add enough fresh organ meat and fish to supply essential levels of natural taurine.
Back to top

Q: Why do other companies add synthetic additives like vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to their food, if they pose potential risks to my pet?

A: They use synthetic additives because they are not willing or able to add expensive superfoods like our sprouted seed mix, nor do they process their foods gently enough (again, at greater cost) to preserve the natural nutrients in whole food. So they must add synthesized nutrients and other additives to raise the levels of vitamins and minerals in their formulas enough to meet AAFCO standards for pets’ nutritional needs, preserve their food and ensure palatability. Some of these additives may contain cancer-causing substances or toxins like the heavy metal contaminants in synthetic minerals. AAFCO allows manufactures to add synthetic nutritional additives to “natural” pet foods up to specific levels it has defined as safe and many pet foods display a disclaimer stating: “natural with added vitamins and minerals.” As long as the regulators permit the use of synthetic ‘nutrients’ consumers must look closely at ingredient lists on pet food packaging to determine whether the vitamins, minerals etc., are real or lab-made.
Back to top

Q: What do you use to preserve your food?

A: We do not add any preservatives at all. As you may know, most dry pet foods contain added poultry or beef fat to enhance their palatability and make up for insufficient nutritional fatty acids in the meat meal they use. Since this added fat can go rancid quickly if not preserved, most “natural” dry foods are preserved with manmade “natural” mixed tocopherols, which are made in a factory somewhere and not natural at all. Similarly, the meat meal found in ordinary pet food is very unstable and requires preservatives.

However, Carna4 contains only high quality, fresh meats and no added fat, so there is a much lower potential for rancidity. And because the live probiotics contained in our sprouted seeds survive our quick gentle baking process, they actually absorb the oxygen in the bag, ‘eating it up’ as it were, making some of our bags look vacuum packed, like tight hard bricks. These bags do not have MORE probiotics, they just got a more tightly sealed package. Because our live probiotics consume the oxygen in the package it lowers the risk of oxidation and therefore greatly extends the shelf life of our products. Lastly, the sprouted seeds supply huge amounts of naturally-occurring antioxidants, so our Carna4 products are all ‘self-preserved’. You gotta love those native antioxidants and probiotics!
Back to top

Q: How long does CARNA4 stay fresh?

A: CARNA4 will stay palatable and fresh for 24 months, whether or not the package has been opened. There are several reasons for CARNA4’s long shelf-life, including:

  • no added fats or pre-processed meat (meals) which would normally cause early spoilage in unpreserved pet food
  • precise reduction in moisture (free-water) during our quick and gentle baking, which prevents early oxidation and mold
  • live native probiotics in all of our products, which absorb the oxygen (‘free radicals’) in the package, reducing oxidation levels naturally
  • huge amounts of natural antioxidants in our sprouted seeds that “self-preserve” the food.
    Back to top

Making CARNA4

Q: Where is your food made?

A: We make our food in an EU-certified family-run bakery called Bio Biscuit Inc. in Quebec, Canada.
Back to top

Q: Why is baked dry pet food preferable to extruded dry pet food?

A: Carna4 is quick-baked for just 4 minutes then long air-dried. Baked dry pet food retains significantly more nutrients, probiotics, enzymes and flavor than extruded pet food. With baking, a food’s molecular structure is retained because it is done at moderate temperatures with minimal pressure, as compared to the abrasive pressure and high temperatures of extrusion which can create huge quantities of free radicals, damaging the food’s molecular structure and causing early rancidity. When ingested, unusually high levels of free radicals can accelerate damage in the body, leading to serious conditions like arthritis and growth of cancer cells. In response, antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, can get reallocated to combat and neutralize free radicals but this may create a nutrient shortfall for preserving the food and meeting other health needs. The sprouted seeds we put into each of our products have very high levels of naturally occurring antioxidants, which are much more stable and effective as preservatives than synthetic antioxidants used in most other pet foods.
Back to top

Q: How can you claim that high levels of probiotics, enzymes and other nutrients in CARNA4 can survive after being quick-baked reaching temperatures up to 195° F/90°C?

A: In post-production testing of every batch for more than 10 years, Mortec Scientific Inc. (an independent research and laboratory testing firm) consistently confirms exceedingly high levels of probiotics, enzymes and other nutrients survive during CARNA4’s specialized manufacturing process. We believe this resilience starts with our use of high quality sprouted seeds to produce naturally-occurring (‘native’) live probiotics and other nutrients with exceptional stability because they are born, raised and sustained in their native environment. (This contrasts with the more commonly used cultured probiotics that are artificially grown in labs and have limited life spans.) This advantage is coupled with advancement in precise baking techniques, which are fine-tuned to protect a food’s nutritional value.
Back to top

Q: What is digest or natural flavor and why don’t you add it to your food?

A: Digest or flavor is often added or sprayed on extruded food to increase its palatability. AAFCO defines digest as: “material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed.” This may mean a cooked-down broth made from specified (or unspecified) parts of specified (or unspecified) animals that have been boiled in a solution of sulphuric acid and water to break the proteins down, much like stomach acid during “digestion.” Flavor, such as an extract or spice, can be entirely natural, manmade or a combination of both but its specific origin is often missing or vague on the packaging. And even “natural” flavors normally undergo processing with heat and/or chemicals before they’re used in pet food.

We don’t need to add any flavoring additives or digest to our food because our recipes are naturally delicious without it and gentle baking helps retain this palatability.
Back to top

Q: What kind of testing is done on CARNA4 before it is cleared for sale?

A: For each batch of CARNA4, Mortec Scientific Inc. (an independent research and laboratory testing firm) uses highly precise equipment to run laboratory tests to ensure it doesn’t contain pathogens (salmonella, E. coli, coliforms, and listeria monocytogenes), mycotoxins (aflatoxins, vomitoxins and others), yeast, mold or heavy metals (including mercury and arsenic). They also test for the essential nutrients that we guarantee on our package. The entire batch is held in quarantine until the safety tests have been completed.
Back to top

Feeding CARNA4

Q: Can young puppies with baby teeth be fed CARNA4? Can I feed CARNA4 to a young pup before his teeth grow in (or a senior dog with weak or no teeth)?

A: All Carna4 formulas are suitable for dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds (even Chihuahuas). However, for very small pups or adults, including those with biting difficulties, we recommend feeding one of our “Easy Chew” varieties. Currently that includes our Herring & Perch Fish Formula, but there are more coming in 2021! The nuggets in our “Easy Chew” formula are smaller and easier for little teeth to break up.
Back to top

Q: Can I moisten your food when I feed it to my pet?

A: Carna4 Cat Food is designed to absorb water if you choose. Simply add one part water to four parts dry food to soften the nuggets and allow for more water absorption by your cat.

If your dog also prefers to eat dry food that is slightly moistened, we suggest that you try our “Easy-Chew” Fish Formula which is also designed to absorb water. Use the same proportions – one part water to four parts dry food – as with our cat food.

Carna4 Chicken and Duck dog foods do not absorb water as readily, so you should follow a few steps if you want to moisten one of those varieties. First measure the desired amount of Carna4 and put it in sealed zip-lock, plastic bag. Using a heavy soup ladle or similar utensil, pound the bag to break the food into little crumbles. Then, put the crumbles in a bowl, add some hot water, mix it in, let it cool and serve. If you have a sturdy blender, you may also be able to grind up the nuggets using that equipment.

 

Q: Can I mix CARNA4 with a raw meat to serve to my dog?

A: A number of our customers are committed to raw or home cooking but buy CARNA4 as a conscientious replacement meal for the morning rush, travelling, vacations or other days when there’s no preparation time or place. We don’t however recommend adding CARNA4 to a meal of raw meat. Instead, we suggest you feed raw meat on its own, as it gets digested in a wholly different way than any other food. Then for an alternate meal, you can feed CARNA4 on its own or mix it with small amounts of raw vegetables or fruits.
Back to top

Q: How digestible is CARNA4? How have dogs with digestive issues fared eating CARNA4?

A: Our CARNA4 recipes are extremely digestible and have proven to be a great choice for many dogs with digestion issues. This is because they are made with fresh meat (which is much easier to digest than processed meat meal) and sprouted seeds that aid digestion thanks to their high levels of digestive enzymes and live naturally-occurring probiotics. This is also supported by feedback from many of our customers.
Back to top

Q: How does Carna4 affect a dog’s pH levels?

A: A dog does not actually have a pH level. A dog’s blood, stomach cells, saliva and so on will have a pH level. A ‘dog’ however is actually a collection of various fluids and tissues, each with an acid balance appropriate to the specific organ, cell or tissue. Like raw food, CARNA4 has a more alkalinizing effect on the stomach and blood tissue. Feeding raw will be most alkalinizing with feeding CARNA4 a close second due to baking, which is well ahead of other pet foods with their heavily processed and acidifying ingredients. Generally speaking, CARNA4 is a good balancer of pH of the blood of a dog accustomed to eating typical processed food.
Back to top

Q: How does CARNA4 affect a pets’ bladder health? Do you add any ingredients to acidify the pet’s urine?

A: We consider bladder health the result of various dietary factors – namely proper ingredient quality and the balance of certain vitamins (e.g. D, B6), minerals and other nutrients. Often manufacturers will add ingredients to acidify the pet’s urine and reduce crystal formation caused by poor quality ingredients. With CARNA4, there is a reduced tendency towards crystal formation because of the high quality ingredients we use and the nutritional profile they create. For this reason, we exclude urine acidifiers, which might cause irritating side effects.

For more info on how Carna4 can improve your pet’s urinary health read our blog – Avoiding Urinary Stones in Your Bathtub

Back to top

Q: Is CARNA4 an anti-allergen dog food for dogs who suffer from chicken or other allergies?

A: CARNA4 is not specifically designed to alleviate allergies. That said, some owners have told us how their dog, who previously suffered from allergies or was thought to be allergic to chicken, has improved after going on the CARNA4 diet. Many dogs who suffer from allergies attributed to chicken or other meats are actually reacting to other ingredients found in most commercial pet foods during the processing of chicken or the making of chicken meal, or the synthetic vitamin and mineral pre-mixes, preservatives and other additives used in most commercial pet food. The dogs may also be reacting to trace contaminants that find their way into manufactured food ingredients during processing of non-table grade food sources.
Back to top

Q: Shouldn’t you avoid feeding a large breed puppy a high protein food (like Carna4) because it might cause it to grow too fast and possibly cause skeletal growth problems?

A: Carna4 has been carefully formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition for all breeds of dogs throughout all life stages including large breed puppies. Only feeding portions need to be varied depending on weight and age. We believe our food cannot cause a large breed puppy to grow too fast and encounter skeletal growth issues because our food is made with only real food ingredients, containing bio-available nutrients found in the same natural surroundings inhabited by dogs for thousands of years. Unlike other pet foods, it contains no synthetic supplements, which may cause toxic or lethal effects if taken in high doses or for long durations. These effects include skeletal growth issues in large breed puppies if the manmade compounds are mixed in concentrations that are incorrect for your dog.
Back to top

Q: Does Carna4 offer a complete and balanced diet for my dog?

A: Carna4 recipes are created using only 100% whole foods in species-appropriate combinations to provide nutrition that meets or exceeds AAFCO guidelines for all life stages.
Back to top

Q: Is Carna4 formulated for both adult dogs and puppies?

A: There is some talk these days concerning the issue of feeding a ‘balanced food’ for each life stage. Much like the recent fear mongering around grain-free diets, if you think logically, you can see your way through it.

Like any animal, including humans, puppies do not eat completely different foods than their parents…they just eat more. While pet foods made with synthetic nutrients can cause a mineral or vitamin imbalance because they are made from lab formulations, this does not happen when you feed a healthy combination of 100% whole foods such as Carna4. Real foods are put together in nature to contain a perfect balance of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and many other micronutrients we haven’t even yet identified. Each macronutrient (fat, carbohydrate, protein) is surrounded by a family of co-nutrients that direct how each is absorbed. This means that the ratio of phosphorous to calcium and other nutrients is adjusted as it is digested…extra calcium for instance will get stored in the blood rather than the bones, until it is needed by the bones. It is safe to feed more of a proper whole foods diet to growing puppies (and teenagers) and less to older dogs (and grandmas).
Back to top

Q: Do I need to supplement a Carna4 diet?

A: This is such a good question because we at Carna4 believe it is always a good idea to feed some fresh foods to our pets. Carna4 is a complete diet, which means you don’t have to supplement it, but we encourage you to consider adding some appropriate fresh foods to your pet’s weekly menu —raw bones, goat milk, cottage cheese or yogurt, grated veggies, Flora4 ground sprouted seeds, just for some examples. Feed the fresh food meal separate from the Carna4 meal, or add it together, whatever works for you and your dog.
Back to top

Q: Can I mix raw with Carna4 ?

A: Following the teaching of the late, great pet herbalist Julia de Baircli Levy, it’s best to feed raw bones or raw meat meals separate from other foods as these foods digest much more slowly than other foods. In very large dogs mixing fresh meat with other foods might cause bloat, so it’s best to serve them separately. Mixing in other fresh foods such as yogurt, cheeses, peanut butter, vegetables or fruits is easy, and your dog will love the taste sensations. Most of our customers who feed a raw diet + Carna4 separate the meals for convenience, choosing to feed Carna4 in the busy morning off-to-work or-school rush, then taking the time to prepare the raw food meal in the slower evening. Other customers combine Carna4 with a variety of fresh foods in the same bowl as that works for them. It really is all about your own lifestyle preferences.
Back to top

Q: Can I switch different proteins?

A: Yes! All our recipes are made with the same care and quality, so feel free to try different Carna4 recipes or even mix some together if you find that works for you.
Back to top

Transitioning to CARNA4

Q: How should I transition my pet from another food to Carna4?

A: We recommend that you use our Flora4 Ground Sprouted Seeds as a transition aid when switching diets. Follow these steps:
1. Mix 1 part Carna4 with 4 parts of your pet’s old food in a bowl
2. Slightly moisten the mixture with water
3. Stir in Flora4. Use 1/2 tablespoon for each 10 lb of your pet’s body weight
4. Over the next 5-7 days, gradually increase the proportion of Carna4 and reduce the old food until feeding only Carna4 plus Flora4. You can stop adding Flora4 after that first week
Back to top

Q: My pet has diarrhea or an upset stomach. Is there something wrong with your food?

A: Some sensitive pets may experience diarrhea or upset stomachs even if you are transitioning to a much healthier food. If this happens, go back to your old food until the diarrhea stops completely. Then start transitioning to Carna4 more slowly, over 2 to 3 weeks. Be sure to add Flora4 Ground Sprouted Seeds as a transition aid for this entire period. If however the diarrhea or other upsets persist, take your pet to the vet as this may indicate early stages of an infection or a more severe medical issue.
Back to top

Q: Why does my dog have larger stools since starting to feed on Carna4

A: Your dog may have larger stools in the early part of his or her transition period because the better quality fiber in Carna4 helps to clean out the colon. This is a normal and healthy effect and you will see the stools return to a normal size later in the transition.
Back to top

Q: Why does my dog have looser stools, even after transitioning to Carna4?

A: This is healthy because unlike other products, Carna4 doesn’t contain by-product ingredients, such as beet pulp, which “bind” and harden your dog’s stools but provide no nutritional value. Even though small, hard stools make for easy clean-up, they can build-up to create a hard mass in your dog’s colon that may not be ideal for his or her health. Feeding Carna4 (or some other natural foods with no by-products) may result in slightly softer but healthier stools, even after your dog has transitioned.
Back to top

Buying (or Selling) CARNA4

Q: Where can I purchase Carna4?

A: Carna4 is available from a growing list of pet specialty retailers in Canada and the United States, as well as select veterinarians, breeders and groomers. Check our ‘Buy Now menu to locate the store or dealer closest to you.
Back to top

Q: How much does it cost to feed Carna4?

A: Carna4 costs the same or less than other real food for dogs, like raw or home cooked. This works out to about $20 a week to feed a 50-lb dog Carna4 Chicken Dog, $12/week to feed a 20-lb dog and $39/week to feed a 110-lb dog if you purchase the smaller-sized bags. If you buy the largest (22 lb) bag of Carna4 Chicken Dog, the weekly cost to feed a 50 lb dog drops to about $18. Be careful not to confuse 8oz weight (2 per pound) with fluid ounces, as our feeding guide (like most) gives instructions in 8 fluid ounce measuring cups, not 8 ounces of weight.
With Carna4, you also save on the cost of additional powdered or liquid add-on supplements because it already contains outstanding levels of antioxidants, probiotics, Omega-3 fatty acids, naturally-derived vitamins and minerals and enzymes that dogs require, eliminating the need for supplementation of these nutrients.
Back to top

Q: When will Carna4 be available in my town or city?

A: Our network of stores selling Carna4 products is gradually being extended to new states, provinces and countries! Please check our Newsroom, or send us an email at info@carna4.com to learn when it will be coming to your town or city.  You can join our Carna4 Community to receive regular updates, offers and holistic pet care tips. And if you need it right now just order from one of our ON-LINE RETAILERS found in the BUY NOW section of this website!

[subscribe-form]

Back to top

Q: How can I sell Carna4 in my store (or through an independent channel)?

A: Visit our Join Our Team page for more information on how you can become a Carna4 retailer or distributor.

Q: How long will a [ lb.] bag of Carna4 last me?

A: Based on the feeding guidelines listed on our packages, a large (22 or 23 lb) bag of any Carna4 recipe will last the average 50 lb dog about two months.
Back to top

Q: How many cups are in each bag of Carna4 ?

A: There are approximately 95 cups of food in a large (22 or 23 lb) bag of Carna4 .
Back to top

Do you have a question we haven’t answered?
Please contact us at info@carna4.com or call 1-855-4Carna4.

Back to top