Frequently Asked Questions

Production

The vast majority of TP Feeds' products, from main recipes to healthy treats, are produced here in the UK; with a handful of exceptions within the treat range that are produced by approved sources within the EU.

Where possible, my recipes also contain a significant proportion of ingredients sourced from the UK, particularly the meat content. However, as I'm sure you can appreciate, some ingredients do need to be sourced from further afield. For example, there aren't many paddy fields or sweet potato farmers within the UK. All ingredients are ethically sourced with full traceability.

Naturally, I want to be providing you with the best product I possibly can, whether it be my main recipes or my selection of healthy treats. This is why I, and the manufacturers that I work with, ensure the highest levels of food safety when producing your dog's dinner.

For example, each raw ingredient in my kibble is sampled and tested in a laboratory before it even makes it onto the production line. All finished products are then further analysed to ensure they meet our high standards. In fact, TP Feeds' dry kibble manufacturer is the only manufacturer that uses a 'positive release' system for salmonella testing. This means that no products leave the site until they have been confirmed as being negative for salmonella.

The fish skins, sourced from sustainable fishing grounds, are cut and folded individually by hand before being carefully and slowly air-dried. This process is different from the higher temperature cooking methods that many other manufacturers use. Warm air, recycled from other areas of the factory, is gently blown over the hand-crafted treats for a period of 3-7 days. This gradually removes moisture from the skins whilst keeping all the healthy nutrients intact.

Feeding Dry Dog Food

It is always best to introduce any new food slowly over a period of around two weeks. This helps to avoid any unnecessary stomach upsets due to a sudden diet change.

Start by giving, for example, 80% of their old food and 20% of their new TP Feeds recipe. Gradually increase the amount of TP Feeds kibble given each day until they are enjoying 100% TP Feeds and reaping the benefits of these high quality recipes.

Of course, some dogs/cats can easily tolerate a sudden switch in their diet; you know your pet best, but this is the most sensible course of action. Many customers actually report that their dog/cat picks out the TP Feeds kibble and completely refuses to eat their old diet any more, thereby effectively choosing to switch over immediately anyway!

If you have been feeding TP Feeds All Life Stages Grain Free Grass Fed Angus Beef or TP Feeds All Life Stages Grain British Free Range Chicken, then the good news is that there is no need for a dietary change - these recipes are suitable from weaning, through adulthood and into your dog's senior years.

If you have been feeding a puppy-specific diet through your puppy's first months, then you will gradually need to introduce your chosen adult TP Feeds recipe once your puppy reaches maturity. This varies depending on the breed. Smaller breeds tend to mature faster than their larger counterparts, therefore smaller breeds can be switched over from around 9-11 months of age, whereas larger dogs benefit from staying on their puppy diet until 12-15 months old.

If you are feeding a TP Feeds recipe, the only dietary cause of hyperactivity could be grain as this can cause a spike in blood sugar levels in very sensitive dogs. In these circumstances, I would advise moving onto either TP Feeds All Life Stages Grain Free Beef with Superfood Mix or TP Feeds Grain Free Duck. If the problem persists, I would consider consulting a veterinarian to rule out any other causes, if you haven't already done so.

One trap you need to avoid falling into is assuming that the percentage of protein on a bag of dog food dictates the potential for hyperactivity. It does not. In fact, I've written blogs on this very subject here. The percentage figure itself is almost irrelevant in this respect. Your concern should be with what the source of that protein is. As you can see from TP Feeds' recipes, the more meat, and particularly the more fresh meat, a kibble contains, the higher the protein will naturally be. However, this is highly digestible protein, so it is not going to cause hyperactivity. Issues arise when you feed your dog a high protein diet where the protein is not derived from meat and there is a high proportion of grain and wheat. I will happily talk at length on this, and many other subjects, so do feel free to pop me a message or check out my blog if you'd like more in-depth information.

Absolutely! This has to be one of my most popular questions these days, and one of my most solved problems for customers too. I once had a gentleman come to my stand with his dog at an event where I had kibble available to try. He was so convinced at how fussy his dog was, he laughed and said, "If she eats any of those, I'll definitely buy!" She ate every one of my recipes... Needless to say, he was shocked and promptly got his wallet out!

All TP Feeds' recipes are designed to be highly digestible, nutritious and truly tasty so they are all potential candidates for fussy eaters. Other than my basic Hypoallergenic Chicken recipe, they all contain freshly prepared meat which makes them even more tempting. Why not try your dog on a 1kg taster bag first to see how they get on over a short period?

All my recipes are hypoallergenic as a mimimum - meaning they are formulated without wheat or wheat gluten - and also without dairy or soya. Of course, the grain free options (Duckand Beef) also remove all grains. All Life Stages Grain Free Beef with Superfood Mix also cuts out white potato.

For dogs with allergies to certain animal proteins, the Hypoallergenic Salmon, Grain Free Duck and All Life Stages Grain Free Beef with Superfood Mix are ideal as they are all formulated with a single animal protein source, whilst duck is also considered a novel protein source, meaning it is rare for a dog to have developed an allergy to it.

If you are unsure, all ingredients are displayed on each product in the online shop, or don't be afraid to get in touch for a chat about your dog's specific needs.

Feeding Raw Dog Food

As with switching kibbles, it is advisable to switch gradually over the course of a week or two. However, some dogs will tolerate an immediate switch from kibble to raw.

As with us humans, dogs' digestive sensitivities differ greatly, so you need to choose the approach that you feel will most suit your own dog. Any change in diet has the potential to cause gastrointestinal upset. Often when this occurs, the instinct is to blame the new diet, rather than the method of transition.

Slow and steady: on day one, feed an 1/8th of your dog's meal as raw, with the remainder being their usual kibble. Each day or two, gradually increase the proportion of raw - 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 7/8, all.

Raw and kibble can be fed together, contrary to popular belief.

All TP Feeds' raw recipes are suitable for all life stages - puppy, adult and senior dogs. However, if you are weaning a young litter of pups or have a small breed puppy, you may wish to look predominately at the Chicken 80:10:10 and Chicken Complete options as these are minced to a finer consistency. Also, if you are cautious of feeding bone pieces at this stage, look to the Beef 80:10:10 as this uses beef bonemeal to provide the necessary nutrients, whilst my Beef Complete mince is boneless.

As a rough guide for adult dogs, feed 2-3% of their weight per day. For a more in-depth explanation and details on how to feed your puppies and your dogs, click here.

Due to the frozen nature of the raw recipes, I do not dispatch orders containing raw dog food on a Friday since the likelihood of defrosting during transit is much increased. Raw orders are dispatched Monday to Thursday on a next day delivery service. Orders containing raw dog food made after 2pm on a Thursday, will be dispatched on the Monday for delivery on Tuesday. You must state a safe place for your order to be left in the event of no-one being home to sign for your delivery.

Placing An Order

You have lots of options in order to save money when you order from TP Feeds. You could benefit from a multi-buy discount of up to 10% when buying two 12kg bags at a time, either of the same recipe or by ordering the Hypoallergenic Mix or All Life Stages Bundle. There are also fantastic multipack deals within the healthy treat section, with up to 50% off.

Orders over £50 are completely free. There is a delivery charge of £4.99 for all orders of £50 and below.

Not at all. You are more than welcome to place an order without having an account. Having an account merely means that, once you enter your delivery address into your address book, you won't have to input your address each time you order and you will be able to view what you have ordered previously. I have no access to the details on your customer account.

You can choose to make your payment securely either via a PayPal account or with your chosen card via Stripe.

This website is fully encrypted using a secure SSL server which protects your data and, as mentioned, PayPal or Stripe securely takes your payment. Any data held by myself, such as your name, address and contact details that you supply when placing an order, is held in an encrypted file and complies with GDPR. No payment or card details are seen or retained by myself.

Receiving Your Delivery

I trust DPD to deliver your orders safely and swiftly, as one of the UK's leading courier services.

Orders placed before 1pm on a working day, Monday to Friday, will be delivered on the next working day between 8am and 6pm. Orders placed after 1pm will be processed on the following working day and then delivered the working day after that. I.e. order at 12pm on a Monday and your order will arrive with you on Tuesday, or order at 4pm on a Wednesday and your order will be received on Friday.

The courier will endeavour to ensure that you receive your order as soon as possible. You can make this task easier by leaving a note at checkout of where you would be happy for your delivery to be left safely or if you have a friendly neighbour that would be happy to accept your delivery for you.

If you haven't specified a safe location and the courier hasn't been able to obtain a suitable signature, then he/she will leave a card at your address advising you to contact your local depot to rearrange delivery.

Keeping In Touch

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Do you have a question that isn't answered here? Pop me a message and ask me directly. I'll get back to you as soon as possible with as much detail as possible.