Frequently Asked Questions

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Many of our customers are seeking out higher-quality foods for their cats and dogs that offer single ingredient choices and no fillers. We never source our pet food, treats, and supplies from China and many of our products are made in the USA. Here are a few of the common questions we get from pet parents.

How Do I Choose The Healthiest Food For My Cat Or Dog? Are All Pet Foods Created Equal?

The fact that not all pet foods are created equal is exactly the reason why The Pet Beastro exists: to educate and inform our customers of what’s out there and what to avoid. We research every company we carry, so you can be confident what you’re feeding your furry friend is the absolute best. Because there are numerous pet food options available, and an increasing number of unhealthy foods with misleading “natural” or “organic” labeling, that can make it hard to find the right nutrition for your pet’s specific needs.

Hands down the best type of food for your pet is raw food. A raw diet provides your pet with essential nutrients alongside easily digestible vitamins, minerals, and live enzymes without any artificial vitamins, minerals, or coloring that are added to some commercially-made foods. Also, with a raw diet, your pet will suffer less from food allergies and will see improved digestion, among many other benefits.

If you can’t feed raw, then freeze-dried and dehydrated pet foods should be your next choice. Freeze-dried foods are easy to feed while maintaining the natural nutritional properties of the raw food as well as its natural color, flavor, and aroma.

Learn more about the best diet for your pet by viewing our pet food hierarchy.  Or schedule a nutrition consult to get a custom and detailed diet just for your cat or dog. 

Are Natural Alternative Pet Foods More Expensive Than Regular Grocery Store Brands?

Raw, dehydrated, and other alternative pet foods are commonly believed to be more expensive than other commercial pet foods. But oftentimes they are actually more economical. It is true that a bag of alternative pet food may cost more than a regular bag of pet food from the grocery store, but when you look at the price per serving, natural pet foods are often less expensive.

Here’s the breakdown: serving sizes for commercial pet foods are frequently larger than those for alternative pet foods because they’re made with artificial vitamins, minerals, and other unnatural ingredients/fillers that are not as easy for pets to digest. So, in order to get the same nutritional value from a commercial food as an all-natural food, pets have to eat more of it. On the other hand, alternative pet foods are made to accommodate a pet’s natural diet and digestive system, so they’re much easier to digest and provide pets more nutrition than they would from the same volume of commercial pet food.

Learn more about the benefits of alternative pet foods here.

Is Raw Pet Food Safe For Cats & Dogs?

There are always urban legends and red flags regarding feeding raw that pop up in media coverage. So, it’s no surprise that many pet owners express concern over safety when the idea of switching their pet’s diet to raw is first introduced to them. Let us put your mind at ease by telling you that pet owners have been feeding raw diets to dogs and cats for decades, and to date, not one documented case of a person infected by a foodborne illness caused by exposure to raw pet food has been reported. Yay!

But don’t just take our word for it. A study published in 2006 and titled “Human Health Implications of Salmonella-Contaminated Natural Pet Treats and Raw Pet Food” states:

“The increasing popularity of raw food diets for companion animals is another potential pet-associated source of Salmonella organisms; however, no confirmed cases of human salmonellosis have been associated with these diets.”

You should feel confident in feeding raw to your cat or dog. If you’re already successfully feeding your pet a raw diet, by all means, please continue on the path of proper nutrition by offering your dog or cat real, fresh, and living foods. And if you’re considering switching your pet to raw, no need to worry. Your pet’s digestive system is naturally built to handle raw food effortlessly. With a few basic instructions and common-sense practices, you can take the first steps toward offering a raw diet to your cat or dog. And of course, we’re always available to answer questions and walk you through the process with Nutrition Consults via phone or Skype/Google Hangout.

Read more about what makes raw food a safe option here.

What is the difference between High-Pressure Pasteurization (HPP) and Hydrostatic High Pressure (HHP) pet food, and what does that mean?

While High-Pressure Pasteurization (HPP), also referred to as Hydrostatic High Pressure (HHP), sounds like complicated terms, rest assured that the process is just another step that raw pet food manufacturers can take to protect the health of your family and your pet.

Simply put, HPP is a technology that uses pressurized water to pasteurize food by squeezing out the food’s harmful bacteria, like Salmonella, without changing the food’s taste. HPP is an especially important process for raw pet food and treats because it maintains all of the food’s nutrients.

Also, HPP is the only scientifically recognized pasteurization process that doesn’t use heat or irradiation, so, it’s really the only pasteurization process available for raw pet food and treats at this time. It’s an especially important process for senior dogs and cats, and dogs or cats with compromised immune systems, who are more susceptible to bacteria that may be present in unpasteurized raw foods.

Learn more about HPP here.

Are Essential Oils Safe For Dogs & Cats?

Essential oils can help our pets in so many ways—from relieving stress—to improving their skin and coat. But before you get started, you need to make sure that you’re using the right kind of essential oils in the right ways.

There are three different grades of essential oils:

  • Perfume– The lowest grade of essential oil, it is distilled only for its smell and can be made using dangerous chemicals like antifreeze.
  • Food– Made only to flavor food. These oils are cooked at high temperatures, which destroys their healing properties.
  • Therapeutic-grade– These oils are made carefully and cooked at low temperatures to maintain all of their healing properties.

Never use perfume or food-grade essential oils for healing purposes; they can harm your pets. Always use therapeutic-grade essential oils with your pets.

Learn more about the different grades of essential oils here.

How Can I Start Using Essential Oils With My Pets?

If you’ve been looking to start using essential oils with your pet, lavender is a great place to start. Lavender essential oil is often referred to as the “universal oil.” It can be used to help with a variety of ailments including:

  • Relieving pain.
  • Preventing blood clotting.
  • Preventing convulsions.
  • Acting as an antidepressant.
  • Getting rid of the fungus.
  • Treating allergic reactions.
  • Preventing infections.
  • Reducing inflammation and swelling.
  • Acting as an antimicrobial.
  • Cleaning and getting rid of germs.
  • Preventing tumor growth.
  • Calming nervousness or excitement.

Only use essential oils for healing purposes that are high quality, pure, organic, and therapeutic-grade with a high frequency.

Learn more about starting to use essential oils with your pet here.

What Is AAFCO?

AAFCO stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials; a private association formed in 1909 to prepare a uniform feed bill. (And now you know why they use an acronym.)

Here’s the scoop: AAFCO claims its primary duty is to work with the pet food industry and protect the consumer. Currently, the member-based organization defines and establishes regulations for pet food and feed ingredients, as well as sets standards for nutritional adequacy. However, AAFCO is not the be-all and end-all of regulations for pet food since they:

  • Are not a regulatory body.
  • Do not enforce any guidelines or laws.
  • Do not approve foods.

In fact, many of their definitions are perceptively vague, and not always in favor of the consumer. While the standards they develop are not laws, some states have adopted these regulations into law in order to further protect pets and consumers.

How Do I Choose High-Quality, Safe, And Natural Pet Food For My Dog Or Cat?

By letting us help you! We understand that changing the way you feed your pet can be scary and a bit confusing, which is why we’ll work one-on-one with you to create an Alternative Pet Food Plan that specifically meets the needs of your pet. We are also available for Nutrition Consults via phone or Skype/Google Hangout.

Your pet is an important member of your family, and we are committed to making sure he or she stays part of it for a long time.

How Many Store cats Do You Have, What Breed Are They, And When Do They Visit?

We have a couple of Bengal cats that visit the store regularly: Poppy and Kianga. Usually, one of the cats is always at the store, but if you don’t see them, you may have to look high and low, or they may be visiting our backroom. They are Jill’s cats, so they only visit the store when she is here working, and they never stay at the store overnight. They are great travelers and love riding in the Jeep.

I haven’t Seen Dr. Jill Around Lately. Is She Still Involved With The Store?

Absolutely! We are thrilled to say that The Pet Beastro is growing and thriving thanks to wonderful customers like you who believe in what we do. And with growth comes more and different kinds of work, which requires a lot of Jill’s time and attention—she really is a ‘Jill of all trades!’ Rest assured, Dr. Jill is still very involved in the business but is focusing a little more on the behind-the-scene activities and consultations with customers. Her commitment to quality and the care of pets is still her highest priority and she does see all the communication and concerns you leave with any of the pet food specialists working.

Is The Retail Pet Food, Treat, and Supply Store in Madison Heights your only location?

Yes. Right now, our only physical location is The Pet Beastro in Madison Heights, MI. The good news is many of the same products that we sell can also be purchased at our online market, www.thepetbeastro.com. We also offer Nutrition Consults via phone or Skype/Google Hangout. You can find more information about them here.

Does The Pet Beastro Ship To Canada?

Not at this time. We only ship in the contiguous United States. 

Where Can We Visit The Pet Beastro Retail Store?

By coming to this online market, you are in fact visiting our store. The Pet Beastro is an e-commerce retailer that is dedicated to bringing personalized service to you. By offering our products via the internet, we are able to bring an amazing variety of dog treats, chews, biscuits, and bones to your front door in the most expeditious and economical way.

If you live in Michigan or happen to be traveling through the southeastern portion of the state, please visit our bricks and mortar retail store The Pet Beastro. This leading-edge pet supply store is at the forefront of natural pet nutrition and offers a level of service that can rarely be found anywhere. The Pet Beastro is located at 27637 John R Road in Madison Heights, Michigan 48071.

What If I Want A Product That Is Not Displayed On Your Website?

Should you be looking for an item that is not displayed on our website, please contact us at [email protected] or via phone at 877-434-3436. We have immediate access to thousands of non-displayed items including a wide variety of all-natural dog foods and supplements. We understand that the needs of different dogs vary and we look forward to helping you with your special requests.

How Are Your Products Shipped?

Typically orders are shipped via UPS Ground. Orders originate in the southeastern portion of the beautiful state of Michigan. Shipping times to the east coast are usually two days with west coast shipping taking approximately 3-4 days. 

Your order will be shipped with re-used packing materials with the crumpled newspaper being the most common method used to cushion your order. By reusing materials we are able to better preserve nature's resources and keep shipping costs low.

Is The Pet Beastro A "Green" Company?

At The Pet Beastro, we are continuously looking for methods to improve our environmental impact. We are committed to working with our vendors and other business partners to lessen our impact on the planet. We plant trees in April and May for every online order, we use reusable shopping bags, we reuse manufacturer boxes for shipping and more. We seek out products that are produced without added preservatives, hormones, and pesticides.

Why Is A Certain Treat On Out Of Stock, On Backorder, Or Unavailable?

Many of the dog treats, chews, and bones that we sell are made in small batches in order to ensure quality and freshness. On occasion, a manufacturer will run out of a certain item or items which can result in a delay in shipping your order. In these situations, we will notify you immediately as to the details of the delay. As the products are naturally preserved with varying shelf lives, it is not practical for large quantities of a certain item to be stored in our shipping facility as a means of preventing all possible shortages. Fortunately for your dog, we offer a tremendous selection of treats and there are likely to be many great alternatives that we can suggest should your pet's favorite chew be temporarily unavailable.

How Come I've Never Heard Of Some Of These Pet Food and Treat Brands?

At The Pet Beastro, our commitment is to bring the highest quality dog treats, chews, and bones to your pet. Many of these treats are made by smaller companies that choose not to sell their products to large chain-type retailers. We look for vendors that share our commitment to high-quality ingredients and true pet health.

Why Was My Order Shipped In A Box That Has Another Brand On The Outside?

As part of our commitment to conservation, we often ship orders inside a previously used box. If a box is clean and reusable then we feel that it is our environmental responsibility to conserve resources in this manner. By reusing boxes, we are also able to keep our shipping costs down which are in turn passed on as savings to you. And don't forget the energy and trees that are saved when a new box doesn't have to be manufactured. We get these boxes from various sources but typically they are the discards that are headed for landfills.

What If I Am Not Satisfied With My Order?

Should there be any issue with your order, please contact our customer care department by email at [email protected] or by calling our toll-free number 877-434-3436. We take all customer concerns seriously and welcome your comments.

Oh, and if our service exceeded your expectations, please don't be shy about letting us know!

When Will My Order Be Processed?

Generally, we process all orders which are received before 11 a.m. EST on the same business day. We then set the orders up for shipping or for same-day local delivery. Orders which are received after 11 a.m. EST, on the weekend or holiday are processed the next business day.