FAQ CONCERNANT LES ALIMENTS CRUS

Big Country Raw offers several packaging options that you can choose from to meet your convenience and packaging preference when feeding your pet a raw diet.

Our Fare Game for cats contain four ½ lb vacuum sealed packages, in 2lb cartons. While our 4 lb Dinner, Pure and Blend cartons and Grab n Go 12lb boxes have raw meals portioned in 1lb vacuum sealed packages.
We also offer larger packaging options in our Grab n Go 18 boxes, which contain 2 lb paper board containers, and our 24 lb XL formula boxes containing 4 lb paper board tubs.

For more information click here

We recommend our XL line for dogs that are 25lbs or over. Since it is a more chunky product, there may be some bone pieces that are not suitable for smaller pets.

Big Country Raw offers two options for meal completing supplements specifically formulated to augment Big Country Raw Pure Formula and Signature Blend recipes to meet NRC (National Research Council) nutrient requirements for dogs and cat.

Thrive Fortify is our green mineral supplement containing a blend of natural ingredients and chelated minerals.

Thrive Fortify RX is the better option for dogs and cats with severe allergies not allowing them to have access to certain whole food ingredients for their essential vitamins and minerals or pets with a restricted diet (less than 3 protein in the rotation per month).

The dosage is per day. You can feed the entire daily dose in one meal if the portion is small, or if you find it easier to add supplements only once per day. Otherwise you can split the daily dose into each meal.

Big Country Raw Dinner and Fare Game formulas contain all essential nutrients necessary to the dietary needs of dogs and cats. In the formulation of our recipes we use the dietary recommendations for main nutrients, minerals, vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids set forth by The Nutrient Requirements for Dogs and Cats by the National Research Council.

However, we believe that a truly complete and balanced diet requires the following:

• Offer a rotational meal plan of at least 3 different proteins per month (when possible).  Variety widens the spectrum of nutrients and also the enjoyment of eating!
• When feeding Pures and Blends, supplement with a Green Mineral Supplement such as Thrive Trimineral Boost or Thrive Fortify
• When fish isn’t included in the meal rotation, supplement with Thrive Herring Oil, Thrive Salmon Oil or Thrive Hemp Seed Oil for essential fatty acids
• Offer 2 – 3 raw bones per week for excellent dental health

To view the full nutrient panel for all our products, please visit our online store. Click the menu item and choose the “Nutrient Facts” tab for full nutrient content information.

Dinners contain one or two proteins consisting of muscle meat (70%), bone (10%), organ meat (10%), fruit & vegetables and greens (10%). Dinners are complete and balance meals (to NRC standards) for dogs and are the go to choice for most of our customers and truly make raw feeding simple!

Blends are our signature menu items exclusive to Big Country Raw. Blends contain only muscle meat (80%), bone (10%) and organ meats (10%) with no added fruits and vegetables. These are some of our best sellers as our “customers” love the tastes we’ve created! We suggest supplementing our Blends with  Thrive Kelp or Thrive Trimineral Boost for trace minerals.

Pure Formulas contain meat (80%), bone (10%) and organ meat (10%) with no added fruit and vegetables. Pure Formulas are single protein options, which makes them ideal for dogs with allergies, allowing you to add your own fruits, vegetables and supplements that are best for your dog. We suggest supplementing with Thrive Fortify or Thrive Trimineral Boost for trace minerals.

Fare Game Formulas contain two or three proteins consisting of muscle meat (75%), bone (10%), organ meat (15%), and greens (< 1%). They are complete and balance meals (to NRC standards) for cats and are the go to choice for most of our customers and truly make raw feeding simple for their feline! They also work great for ferrets and very adult dogs.

Every meal that doesn’t include fish should be supplemented with a fish oil (Thrive Herring or Salmon), whole fish, or a menu item containing fish. Thrive Hemp Seed Oil is another great option that pairs well with red meat.

Proper nutrition requires variety – the goal is 3-5 proteins (or more!) per month. Offering varying proteins (both poultry and red meats) is helpful in keeping consistent stools. Poultry proteins will firm stools whereas red meats will soften them being naturally higher in fat. A variety will also help reduce the risk of developing allergies, food fussiness and balancing caloric intake.

When introducing a raw diet to your pet, during the time of transition, it is best to stick to one protein for the first 5 to 7 days to ensure everything is fine with stools and appetite before rotating more proteins into the diet.

We recommend to feed your dog 2% of its ideal body weight in food per day and cats 2.5%. Simply take the total and divide into how many meals you are feeding per day. For example 50 lb dog x 2% = 1.  This means your pet requires 1 lb. per day. Divided into 2 meals = 1/2 lb. per serving.

Another quick way to determine how much to feed is to replace every 1 cup of dry food (high quality grain free) with 1/2 lb. of raw. If your dog is currently eating 3 cups of dry food per day = 1.5 lbs. of raw per day.

Feeding Portion Guidelines:

Your average 12-13 lb dog requires 1/4 lb of food daily

Your average 25 lb dog requires 1/2 lb of food daily

Your average 50 lb dog requires 1 lb of food daily

Your average 75 lb dog requires 1 1/2 lb of food daily

Your average 100 lb dog requires 2 lb of food daily and so on

To determine the monthly cost, simply use the sliding scale on this page. Move the scale to your pet’s ideal weight to estimate your monthly feeding cost.

Portioning Tools

We offer a kitchen scale that is perfect for portioning out your pet’s Big Country Raw. it has a 10 lb capacity – large enough for any breed. It’s easy to use and even easier to clean!

Each of our vacuum sealed packages in our 4 lb. Cartons contains 1 lb.  If your dog required 1/4 lb. per day you could also divide the package into 4 equal servings.  Same for 1/3 lb = 3 days or 1/2 lb = 2 days.

Raw to Dry Conversion

Another handy tip to remember is that generally speaking 1/2 lb of raw is equal to 1 cup of dry food (high quality grain-free).  So if you were feeding 2 cups of dry food your dog is likely going to eat 1 lb. of raw per day.

Yes! Pregnancy and lactation place a high demand on your dog or cat’s dietary needs. Ensuring your pregnant bitch or queen has the required nutrients to maintain optimal health during pregnancy is best achieved with a high quality balanced raw diet. For more information on raw feeding during pregnancy please visit our blog posts for dogs and cats.

You have two options for the transition, and we suggest starting with a poultry meal for the first couple of days. Next, we recommend a rotation of three or more proteins including red and white meat.

1. Feed the last kibble meal and the first raw meal 8-12 hours apart, it’s just that simple!
2. Start adding progressively more raw to the kibble meal during a week.

• Day 1-2 : 25% raw, 75% kibble
• Day 3-4 : 50% raw, 50% kibble
• Day 5-6 : 75% raw, 25% kibble
• Day 7: 100% raw

You can also add the Big Country Raw Fermented Goat Milk for probiotics and Thrive Pumpkin Powder (dogs only) for extra fiber to help with the transition for the first couple of days (up to 1-2 weeks).

Yes! Our Pet Nutrition Experts are happy to help provide a customized meal plan just for your pet. Please complete the form here.

Yes! It’s never too early to start your puppy or kitten on Big Country Raw.  They will experience a tremendous growth spurt in the next several months and providing them with optimal nutrients is very important.

Big Country Raw Dinner meals are balanced with the correct nutrient amounts and ratios as recommended by NRC for all life stages for dogs, and Fare Game  meals are fully balanced for cats. All of our meals are packed with naturally occurring bioavailable minerals and vitamins to ensure your puppy will mature into a healthy adult.

Fare Game formulas are complete and balanced meals for cats and are the number one recommended option. Blends and Pures are our second recommended options to feed cats, as they require additional supplementation. Many smaller bones are also a great meal replacement such as: Sardines, Chicken Necks and Chicken Feet. Goat Milk is also a very popular menu item for our feline friends! Nearly all the Thrive supplements are suitable for cats too.

Yes! It’s never too early to start your kitten on Big Country Raw, and for cats the earlier the better. They will experience a tremendous growth spurt in the next several months and providing them with optimal nutrients is very important.

Big Country Raw Fare Game meals are balanced with the correct nutrient amounts and ratios as recommended by NRC for all life stages. All of our meals are packed with naturally occurring bioavailable minerals and vitamins to ensure your kittens will mature into a healthy adult.

Constipation can happen more quickly with cats that have eaten processed high carbohydrate based dry food diets. Over time, your cat may have lost elasticity in the bowel, which can lead to constipation quickly on a raw food diet. We recommend offering the Fare Game or the red meat  Pure Formulas which have a lower % of calcium (beef, pork, lamb, kangaroo). You can also add some Pure Beef Tripe or Beef Organ Blend to your cat’s diet to help soften stools.

Yes!  Dehydrated bones are a great option for dogs and cats.  They can also be a great introduction to chewing fresh raw bones for some dogs. Dehydrated bones should be supervised when feeding.  Gulping or swallowing without chewing properly is the biggest concern here.  Always read and follow the label.

We sell a few dehydrated bone options such as Hero Treat Duck Wings, Duck Feet, Chicken Feet, and Rabbit Feet.

We do not recommend smoked bones.  There are some reputable options available for consumers but most smoked bones contain nitrates (preservatives). Another big concern as well is that many smoked bones available in today’s pet food stores are made in China.   Similarly to the jerky treat concerns from China, smoked bones are not something we would suggest offering regularly to your pet.   If you do offer your pet a smoked treat, we suggest looking for a locally made or artisan smoked bone that would offer some guarantee that it is a high quality treat.

Meal replacement bones are usually non-weight bearing bones that can be eaten entirely.  The total weight of the bone counts towards your pet’s total daily food intake as well.  Good examples of meal replacement bones would be Chicken Necks, Duck Necks, Kangaroo Tails or Chicken Feet.

Recreational Bones are weight bearing or harden bone that is more of a complicated chew.  These often have some meat and sinews but are predominately bone and are not intended to be eaten entirely.  Good examples of a recreational chewing bone is Marrow Bone, Flat Rib Bone, Beef Patella, or Beef Neck Bone.

We suggest 2 – 3 raw bones per week.  You can of course choose to feed more or less than this amount.  Ideally it should be a mix of both meal replacement and recreational chewing bones.

Bones provide dental benefit (cleaner teeth and gums) but also mental and physical exercise as well.  Chewing a raw bone for 30 minutes is equal to a 30 minute. walk for your dog.

We do not recommend cooking any of our raw meals (i.e. Dinners, Pure Formula, Signature Blends or Fare Game). Our raw recipes contain bone that is highly digestible when raw. However, once cooked these bones can become sharp or brittle posing a safety concern to pets when consumed.

If you are looking for a cooked meal alternative, we currently offer our Cookhouse meatloaf – a balanced meal suitable for adult dogs.

We make raw feeding easy!

Our convenient packaging, and delicious balanced raw meals is the stress free and mess free way to feed raw!

We believe that raw, natural foods are the key to optimal health for your dog or cat, and it’s never too early or too late to make the switch!

Our extensive menu selection ranging from Dinners with meat, bone, organ meat and fruit and vegetables, to Pure Formulas and Blends there is something on our menu to suit all tastes!

Yes, you can feed both kibble and raw.  We know that this is a controversial topic for many people, as generally speaking kibble and raw digest differently. For this reason, many people suggest avoiding feeding both at the same time, and would suggest separating the meals.

We have studied the various research and also conducted our own customer polling and trials to determine that every dog is unique and individual needs vary. What may work well for one, may not be the best choice for your dog or cat. In the end, we have decided that it would be better that dogs and cats have even some fresh raw food in their diet than none at all.

If you choose to feed both dry and raw together may we make the following suggestions:

1. Choose the best high quality dry dog food you can find.
2. Do a trial of feeding exclusively 100% raw food first. This will help strengthen the digestive system and make it more capable of deriving the full nutrients out of a raw food diet.
3. The true benefits of feeding raw are not as noticeable when feeding raw less than 20% of the entire diet. If you want better results, such as smaller stools, less shedding, fresher breath and no odours, it may be necessary to switch to 100% raw.
4. If your dog or cat starts to experience digestive upset including vomiting or diarrhea, we would suggest feeding the meals alternatively e.g. morning raw and evening dry food.  You can also alternate days, 1 day dry and 1 day raw.

Yes. To thaw food safely we recommend the following:

1. Thaw in the refrigerator. If you thaw food at room temperature, in a sink with cold water or in a microwave, you must use thawed food within 3 days.  Do not re-freeze.  Only food thawed in a refrigerator can be re-frozen.
2. Portion into individual servings.
3. Re-freeze immediately.
4. Once thawed for the second time, use the food within 24 hours.

Thawing, refreezing and re-thawing meat can result in some lost of moisture and product quality.

Yes, but this is not our recommended method of thawing our products. If you have forgotten to thaw food, often sitting the food in some lukewarm water will help thaw it quickly. Many dogs will also eat their raw food frozen.

Yes, Our products are widely recommended by veterinarians in clinics across Canada and are proudly sold at several veterinarian offices as well.

Yes! We stand behind our products with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. We promise to make a return as simple as possible.

For a return with a retailer, please bring your proof of purchase and the products you are returning. Your retailer will be able to provide a refund or exchange.

If you purchased our products online, you can fill out a return request here.

We apologize for our packing error. We do make mistakes from time to time, so we appreciate your understanding. Please notify us as soon as possible regarding any order packing errors. To report an error please contact us at – info@bigcountryraw.ca and quote the order number in your correspondence. We will do our best to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible.

We apologize for our invoicing error. We do make mistakes from time to time, so we appreciate your understanding.   Please notify us as soon as possible regarding any pricing errors. To report an error please contact the order desk – orders@bigcountryraw.ca and quote the Invoice # in your correspondence. We will do our best to resolve your concerns as quickly as possible.

To find out if you are in Big Country Raw’s direct delivery zone, please go to: https://bigcountryraw.ca/find-us/#bcr_raw_goddness

Outside our delivery zone? Let’s find out if a store near you does home delivery! https://bigcountryraw.ca/find-us/

Sorry we are sold within Canada only.  We do not offer shipping to the USA at this time.

No. Each BCR retailer is privately owned and operated. We unfortunately cannot accept online orders on behalf of retailers. Many of our retailers do accept special orders for their customers, and because we ship to most retailers every week, you can get your order just as quickly as if you ordered directly from us! Simply call or email your retailer to place your order with them directly.  Click here to find your local retail location.

Big Country Raw ships across Canada!

If you live in Southern Ontario we make delivery direct to most doors. Check to see if you are in our delivery area here.

We currently only offer Canada Post or Courier shipping for non-perishable products to:

• Northern Ontario
• Quebec (Montreal and surrounding areas)
• Prince Edward Island
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Manitoba
• Saskatchewan
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Newfoundland

Orders shipping to addresses in these areas will receive delivery within 3 – 5 business days.  We ship via Canada Post for most of our shipments.  Orders ship out Monday to Friday within 24 hours of placing an online order.  Our order desk will send an email with details, including tracking, once the order is confirmed and ready to ship.

We require a minimum of 48 hours to pack, prepare and ship your order. Here is the order deadline based on delivery day:

Tuesday Delivery – Sunday at 12:00pm

Wednesday Delivery – Monday at 12:00pm

Thursday Delivery – Tuesday at 12:00pm

Friday Delivery – Wednesday at 12:00pm

We do our best to keep our delivery routes as consistent as possible even when there is a holiday. We will post notifications on the website and our social media pages if there is a change to the delivery routes. We do have a Christmas Delivery Schedule posted to our website every December. Please check our home page for these updates as well.

Unfortunately we are unable to schedule routes to meet our customers work schedules. We do provide a few convenient options to help facilitate management of your raw food orders.

• We notify our customers via email the day prior with an approximate time of when they should expect their order. This will allow you some time to plan your day or make arrangements to have someone home to accept delivery.
• We offer THERMAL COOLER BAGS for purchase ($14.99 each) that hold up to 72 lbs. of product. If you are not home, our driver will place your order in a cooler bag to prevent it from thawing.
• We will send you an email confirming that delivery of your order is now complete. If you are not home to accept delivery of an order, you can make plans to return home quickly.

 We realize that home delivery is not always the most suitable option for all our customers. Our products are also available at hundreds of retail locations! Find your local retailer here.

Yes, we are able to make delivery to customers living in condos or apartments. We do require that your building have delivery parking access. If there is no curbside parking we will not be able to make delivery. Please include a buzz code and apartment unit # in your shipping address. Due to Fire Regulations, we will not leave orders in hallways. You must be home to accept delivery of the order.

There is no order minimum. Orders over $49.99 before tax ship free within our home delivery area. Under $49.99 there would be a $4.99 delivery fee.

Thermal Bags are available for purchase from Big Country Raw. Each bag holds up to 72 lbs of food and can be re-used. If they are left out for the driver, we will put your raw food order in the bag.

If you have a cooler, or other grocery thermal bags available and would like us to use them, please make them available for our driver. It is also helpful to leave a note in the order comments section as to where you are leaving any type of cooler, so the driver knows where to find it.