FAQs and more

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We take extraordinary measures to make sure our raw food is safe and have never had an issue. All of our ingredients are human-grade and come from suppliers who follow USDA guidelines. Once we get them, we follow exacting safety protocols—monitoring the temperature of every protein, testing poultry for pathogens every production cycle. When you bring our food home, consider it like any meat you would eat yourself and take the same precautions. When you don’t handle meat properly, that’s when the chance of foodborne illness increases. The following are good rules to follow:

• Make sure raw meats are isolated in your fridge and their juices can’t drip on other foods; the meat drawer is a good place to keep them. Wash it out often.
• Keep your refrigerator at 40ºF; your freezer at 0º F.
• Defrost our food in the refrigerator if you can—it should thaw within a day. If you need to do it more quickly, immerse the package, sealed in a plastic bag, in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes.
• Meat or poultry defrosted in the refrigerator can be refrozen before use. 
• Before handling raw meat, wash your hands with hot soapy water. Then wash them again immediately afterward, along with any utensils and cutting boards you used. 
• Sanitize your cutting boards and utensils frequently. 
• Never leave food out for more than 2 hours (even less than that if your home is hot). 
• Once thawed in the refrigerator, use our food within five days.

We can’t guarantee that your pet will be richer, cuter, or more popular, but good food supports good health. That can show up in many ways. Look for their teeth to get whiter and their breath to smell better. Watch skin issues improve or entirely clear up and stools become smaller as more of the food is utilized. It’s possible your pet may lose weight, now that they’re not overloading on carbohydrates. (Consult with your vet about an ideal weight range.) We’ve seen older animals suffer less from joint pain and become noticeably rejuvenated—and pets of all ages have more energy with coats that Shine. We’d love to hear how your furry one responds to our food. Let us know and we may feature him or her on our website!

Our food is quite soft and should be just fine for your pup. While the veggies are mostly raw, they are finely ground to ensure maximum nutrient absorption.

Our regular “raw recipe” is designed to emulate what cats eat in the wild. When they catch live prey, their meal includes the stomach contents of the animals, most of which are herbivores. To replicate that, we add small amounts of vegetables that also provide nutrients. 

Our transitional recipe is designed for cats just starting on a raw diet. It's all meat with a little kelp and sea salt for minerals, which is easier on the digestive system and more likely to appeal to finicky eaters. If your can't won't make the change to our regular recipes, they can do very well staying on the transitional recipe.  

Shine will be good for up to 5 days after being thawed as long as it is refrigerated. We recommend keeping it in a closed container.

Follow these safety guidelines: 

• Keep your refrigerator at 40ºF, your freezer at 0º F.
• Defrost our food in the refrigerator, instead of on the counter. Usually our 1- and 2-pound packages thaw within 24 hours. If you need to do it faster, immerse the package, sealed in a plastic bag, in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes.
• Make sure raw meats are isolated in your fridge and their juices can’t drip on other foods; the meat drawer is a good place for them. Wash it often.
• Once defrosted in the refrigerator, use the product within five days. Or you can refreeze it.
• Always wash your hands with hot soapy water before handling any raw meat. Do the same immediately afterward, along with all utensils and cutting boards you used. Sanitize the utensils and boards frequently. 
• Never leave food out for more than 2 hours (less if your home is hot). 
• Keep all products safely out of the reach of children.

We don’t recommend using a microwave in either case. The reason is that some parts of the food may begin to cook while others remain frozen. We suggest defrosting your food in the refrigerator. And for heating up the food a bit when serving, pour warm to hot water (filtered if possible) or bone broth over it. This will enhance the flavor and palatability of the food and reduce the chances of digestive upset.

We don’t recommend it. Frozen food is harder to digest—and hard on the system. Fed consistently over time, it could lead to health issues. We suggest serving the food at room or body temperature.

Yes, our packaging is recyclable and/or compostable, including the labels. Our shipping liners dissolve when run under water and we use recycled ice packs that we've collected from local vets to ship frozen products. 

First things first: Always watch your dogs when giving them a bone. Why? Some pups try to swallow the whole thing and bones can, at times, splinter. Also, a dog’s teeth, especially older ones, can break. As for thawing, do it in the refrigerator—never in a microwave. The reason we strongly recommend this is because frozen bones are hard to digest. Tummies are like a big cauldron; putting icy cold food in them extinguishes the fire. That doesn’t mean you should give your dog cooked bones. You shouldn’t. Cooking changes the composition and some bones may splinter.

Tripe is the stomach lining of a cow, sheep, pig, or other animal. As bad as it smells, it’s great for cats and dogs. In fact, it’s one of the most nutritionally complete foods you can give them. How often should you feed it? Three to four times a week as a supplement to our recipes is ideal, but anywhere from monthly to daily, based on your pet’s weight, is beneficial. The pluses of tripe are many. It … 

• provides highly nutritious digestive enzymes and probiotics;
• helps reduce diarrhea, GI infections, and chronic constipation;
• strengthens the immune system and cleanses the blood of toxins and parasites;
• lowers the risk of pollen allergies;
• fights vaginal and bacterial infections;
• keeps teeth cleaner.

This is an absolute superfood, bursting with glucosamine, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid, which stimulates collagen production in joints, tendons, ligaments, and arteries. Bone broth’s other nutrients help detoxify the liver, ease leaky gut conditions, and bolster the immune system. Warmed up and poured over a meal, it’s hard for even the finickiest eater to resist. 

Like bone broth, raw organ meat is a treasure trove of nutrients, including usable iron, CoQ10, vitamin A, essential fatty acids and omega-3 fats, not to mention being one of the highest natural sources of vitamin D. Benefits range from improving digestion and reproductive health to boosting antibodies. Organs are also full of minerals for building muscle and endurance. Many of Shine Pet Food’s recipes already contain organ meat, and they’re all designed to be fed in rotation. But if you choose recipes without organ meat, adding it in is a great way to balance your pet’s diet. 

Milk from a goat is far less allergenic than milk from cows, according to studies; it’s also a more easily digestible source of probiotics. Stocked with beneficial enzymes, powerful antioxidants, and energy-boosting essential fatty-acids, raw fresh goat milk can reduce gut inflammation and support optimal metabolism. Bonus? Your picky eater will love it.

Healthy Grain is a nutritious mix of yummy ingredients like sprouted oats, eggs, super green power powder, and honey—all organic—with fresh raw goat yogurt. It’s great if you’re making your own meals for your dog; just throw it in with meat and veggies. You can also use it as a base for a  vegetarian diet. Or add it to any Shine Pet Food recipe if you have an active pup who’s never full or needs a little help keeping weight on!

Yes. The “grain-free” trend originally caught on out of frustration over the high carb content and low-quality ingredients in processed dog foods. People also felt it was a more natural diet. Since then, however, grain-free diets have been linked to a serious type of canine heart disease (DCM), and the latest research suggests it may be related to the large amounts of ground, dried legumes that are often substituted for the grain.

Our dog food has always included organic grains because they’re incredibly nutritious. It’s true that canines don’t go around dining on barley and quinoa in the wild. But they do catch prey like mice and rabbits and eat the stomach contents, which include grains in a predigested state. To mirror that scenario, we sprout and soak our grains to break down the cell walls so the valuable micronutrients are easily available.

We use it in a number of recipes to ensure they are well-balanced. If you rotate through our recipes, you will already be feeding fish oil 2-4 times per week. 

Fish oil is rich in essential fatty acids, which are critical to heart, nervous system, and joint health. Our fish oil is graded for human use and made from Icelandic wild-caught sardines and anchovies. It’s in triglyceride form, which is important to supply primarily omega-3 fatty acids in the form of DHA and EPA with the benefit of reducing inflammation and supporting whole body wellness.

Sweet potatoes are a great source of protein, beta-carotene, and vitamin A for dogs. We use them instead of russet and other white potatoes, which are “nightshades” and not easily digestible by our furry friends. Nightshades have also been linked to problems with skin, calcium, and gastrointestinal health, as well as arthritis.

In truth, no single food is a complete dog diet, regardless of its label. We recommend rotating formulas throughout the year to accomplish getting different omega fatty acid profiles, varied micronutrients, and even seasonal feeding for a TCVM balance. Meaty bones can also be fed in conjunction with all the menus for purposes of providing additional nutrients and to promote chewing that stimulates digestive enzymes and dental health. Our diets are complete and balanced but if you’d like to supplement, we recommend bones and tripe and we offer a pre-made Support Powder that can be added periodically to the diets a few days a week.

Cats are obligate carnivores. But in the wild, they eat mice and rabbits—and these animals are vegetarians whose bodies are good at breaking plant matter down into essential micronutrients. Cats take advantage of this. When they consume their prey’s intestines and organs (and they do so with relish!), they are getting the nutrients “predigested." We try to emulate that whole process by using some vegetables that supply these crucial micronutrients and are highly digestible.

Maintaining the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is important for our pets’ health. Dicalcium phosphate has been used for decades in food production, and makes both minerals readily available to build and repair bones, teeth, tissues, and DNA. There isn’t much of it in Shine because these are trace minerals; you only need a tiny amount to get the benefits—and there are other sources. In our chicken and salmon recipes, for example, we use the whole animal, including the bones; our puppy recipe has eggshells. And our green, smelly tripe, has the perfect ratio of calcium to phosphorus (about 1:1), not to mention that it's great for your dog’s digestion.

We also add calcium magnesium carbonate, which provides magnesium and calcium. The few supplements we use are, like the rest of our food, all human grade, and included for optimal health and balance on the advice of our animal nutritionists.

We prepare Shine by hand, fresh and in small batches. And just like any homemade food, there can be slight variations in color or texture. It’s natural. We take great pride and care in selecting our ingredients and we assure you that the recipe and nutritional value is consistent from batch to batch.

Dogs and cats may sometimes feel hungry when transitioning to a natural diet that contains fewer simple carbohydrates (sugar) than processed foods. Unless you notice your pet becoming underweight, don’t feed him or her more than recommended. Try adding meaty bones. They provide sustained energy and are great for cleaning teeth.  Also, adding cooked pumpkin or cooked sweet potatoes to the food helps with that hungry feeling. Kibble creates a full or bloated feeling and starting on a fresh diet is a new experience that doesn't leave your furry pal with that bloated/full feeling. 

Dogs and cats like a little variety, just like us. Just add a little broth, or some parmesan cheese, jerky, or Jack’s Snacks to dress up the meals—or any healthy snack your pet likes. Better yet, add some green tripe or yogurt. Another thing you can try is mixing up the proteins. We recommend cycling through a number of different recipes to keep your pet from getting bored; they’ll also get a wider variety of micronutrients. Typically, this phase passes. If your dog or cat becomes listless and won’t eat anything, contact your vet immediately; something more serious may be happening.

Like “cage-free” in poultry, “grass-fed” has become a popular misnomer. It’s truly just marketing-speak to appeal to consumers who care about animals. A chicken can fully qualify as “cage-free” but still be raised in inhumane, confined conditions. Similarly, a cow may be “grass-fed” but only at one stage of its life; if it’s not also labeled “grass-finished,” it means the animal was switched to a grain diet to fatten it up quickly for market. At that point, cows are put in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which not only make it easy for disease to spread—that’s why antibiotics become necessary—but produce a lot of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, along with other pollutants and waste. Cattle did not evolve to eat grains. And, while adding kelp to the diet reduces the methane, they didn’t evolve to eat that either. Further, in feedlots cows get less exercise, making the beef fattier, less lean. They are also highly stressed, which results in changes to hormone levels. That’s on top of the hormones they’re given to increase their growth. 

We use grass-fed and-finished, certified organic cattle only. The cows are typically two to three years of age when butchered (conventionally-farmed or grass-fed animals are only 18 to 20 months old) and their meat is lower in fat with up to five times more omega-3s; it’s also packed with antioxidants like beta-carotene, as well as vitamin C and vitamin E. And there are no added antibiotics or hormones. Because we want our dogs and cats to eat what they evolved to eat, we hold to the same standards for the animals we use in their food.

We have never encountered any problems in our raw products, but poultry is the most susceptible protein to pathogens. So we gently cook our poultry in order to comply with the zero-tolerance pathogen FDA guidelines.

We cook the meat to 160 degrees in a convection oven, which destroys all pathogens but maintains high levels of nutrition. Other methods such as irradiation and high pressure pasteurization do not meet our high quality standards.

We do offer raw poultry recipes in our feline recipes because, while dogs have evolved to thrive on cooked foods, cats have not. For them, studies show, cooked food can be detrimental. But we test every batch of our turkey and chicken and will continue to do so.

Your pup may be resistant to change for any number of reasons. Here are some solutions to common problems:

Work with the texture: Sometimes a dog gets used to the crunch of kibble. Many pets actually care more about consistency than flavor. So even before you introduce the new food, start weaning him or her from that crunch sensation by moistening the kibble a little. Do this over time until they eat the old food, now softer, without hesitation. Then try your transition. Another idea: Add warm broth or water to the new food.

Bring out the dinnerware: Some dogs have poor vision and a deep or round bowl makes them nervous because it’s dark and hard for them to see into. Others don’t like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl. So try an oval bowl or a plate and see if they’re more comfortable.

Feed in meals: Are you leaving the bowl out? Dogs shouldn’t nibble on small amounts of food throughout the day like humans do—for one, they may never develop a good appetite. Free feeding can cause pH imbalances, kidney problems, metabolic problems, and poor digestion. Additionally, it could take you longer to notice if your pet is sick or if there’s a problem with the food that needs to be addressed. Physiologically, it’s much healthier for them to eat once or twice a day. So if you’re free feeding, switch to set meals and see if they’re hungrier to try the new food.

Try a bit of trickery: Your pet might feel anxiety and pressure over the switch in routine. Often, if you put their food in an area where he doesn’t normally eat, he’ll feel it was his idea and try it.

Add a little something: A spoonful of our yogurt, some tripe, warm bone broth, sardines or a bit of healthy powder with the food have all been known to turn the staunchest protesters into happy converts.

We recommend serving all of our recipes at room temperature to maximize digestiblity.

Cats can be pretty finicky and generally aren’t big enthusiasts for change. The easiest way to get them used to Shine is to start when they’re kittens but, of course, that’s not always possible. Here are a few ideas to get them going:

Change the appearance: For many cats, if the new food doesn't look or feel the same as what they’re used to, they won’t even try it, no matter how delicious it smells. So if your kitty has been on a canned diet, try mashing the new food to a similar consistency, adding water if necessary. Or if you’ve been feeding kibble, form the new meal into balls or pellets.

Work with texture: Sometimes a cat just really misses the crunch it got from the kibble. Many pets do care more about consistency than flavor. So even before you introduce the new food, start weaning him or her from that crunch sensation by moistening the kibble a little. Do this over time until they eat old food, now softer, without hesitation. Then try your transition.

Bring out the dinnerware: Many cats don’t like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl—so instead of a round one, try an oval shape or a plate and see if they’re more comfortable.

Adjust the temperature: Sometimes just making the food a little warmer or with some broth does the trick.

Serve it fresh: Cats are highly sensitive to freshness and often turn up their nose if a package of food has been open for a while. (Oils in dry food can go rancid after a period of time. And when cans sit open, oxygen may begin to break down the chemicals used to denature the food, causing metal and plastics to leach into it pretty quickly.) So make sure the new food is as fresh as it can be. For our local customers, you might try our nuggets as they can be defrosted individually.

Add a little something: Spooning some bone broth over the new food or including a dab of goat yogurt has been known to turn the staunchest protesters into happy converts.

We generally don’t recommend this. But any amount of fresh food is better than none. If you do want to mix our food with kibble, and it causes stomach upset, vomiting, or diarrhea, try feeding the two different foods separately.

Every pet has a unique palate. Certainly we have all introduced something new that has our pets turning up their noses. If yours is wanting you to make a different choice, please first check out our transitioning tips before giving up. If they still refuse to lick their bowl clean, we suggest refreezing the product, and try again down the road. At the very least, please donate the items to your local shelter. 

Unfortunately, we do not refund or exchange the products. 

Kidney disease in cats can be a complex situation that might include contending with protein and/or phosphorus levels in the diet, digestive upset and finicky appetite, weight loss and nutrient loss issues, and even blood pressure management. If your cat has a mild or early case of kidney disease and has no restrictions, then our red meat formulas are appropriate, with the option of adding phosphate binder per your vet’s recommendation. If your cat has significant kidney disease it is best if your veterinarian is involved with the decision to feed Shine Pet Food and we are happy to work with them to provide information about our diets and discuss options for customization.

No, we never do. Here’s why: The purpose of HPP is to prepare food to travel long distances and sit on shelves for extended periods of time. We don’t need either of these things because our food is made fresh every week in our Santa Fe, New Mexico, location and usually consumed within a month. In addition, HPP commonly uses a lot of plastic packaging. It also destroys enzymes and amino acids, and we like our pets to get the full nutritional value that fresh, whole foods provide.

We follow strict guidelines in handling all our ingredients. But as with any meat you bring home, if you don’t handle it properly, the chance of foodborne illness increases. Just take the same food safety precautions with Shine as you would for your own food. (See “How should I handle and store my food?”)

We ship to the continental United States. At checkout you will receive the best options for shipping to your state. At this time we are unable to ship to Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico.

Place your order online and select which store you would like to pick up from as well as the pick up date.  You will receive an email notification when your order is ready for pick up. 

When you arrive at the store, just give us your name and we will collect your order for you. If you are not able to pick up your order when you intended, or have changes to your order, please call our store and let us know (Santa Fe, 505-467-8162, Boulder: 303-442-0777).

New Mexico: We deliver every other Friday to customers within the Santa Fe city limits. The first Friday of the month we deliver to Albuquerque. There is a nominal delivery fee- call our store to schedule at 505-467-8162.

Colorado: Call our store at 303-442-0777 to inquire about delivery options. We deliver to the Boulder area for a nominal fee.

We ship everything directly out of our Santa Fe store twice a week on Mondays and Tuesdays via Fedex and UPS. Any orders received after Tuesday at noon will go out the following Monday.

For frozen products, we encourage you to select 2-day Air, especially in the summer. We cannot guarantee shipments that are sent via ground (please note that ground is only available in CO and NM for frozen goods).

Please plan to be present the day your food is due to arrive so you can refrigerate or freeze it immediately. We are not responsible for shipments that have been delivered and left out all day.

We are a small company and we’re doing the best we can to minimize shipping costs, but we do not receive the breaks that large corporations receive and our fresh food is heavy! We are excited to be able to offer competitive flat rate shipping as well as Freeze Dried products, which lighten our carbon footprint. By the way, there is no such thing as free shipping. Most companies that offer it are hiding the cost in higher prices for their products;  and unlike many companies, you know the exact cost of our food.  

For our frozen products, we encourage you to select 2-day Air, especially in the summer. We cannot guarantee shipments that are sent via ground.

At Shine Pet Food Co. we're meticulous about food quality and safety. We make all of our food by hand in an organic inspected facility in Santa Fe, NM. Packed fresh each week, it is then shipped it in insulated compostable packaging to your furry friend. If the (frozen) food does not arrive frozen or cold, please take a photo of it as soon as the box is opened and contact our Support Team at support@shine.pet.

We don’t ship anything that is likely to defrost by the time it arrives.

As long as it’s still cold, it’s ok to re-freeze. If it’s not cold, please take a photo of the food as soon as the box is opened and before you discard it and contact our Support Team at support@shine.pet.

Please track your package at fedex.com. Your tracking number can be found in your shipping confirmation email. We are not responsible for delays caused by the carrier or weather. For any other questions, please contact us at support@shine.pet.

If there are any problems with the packaging, please photograph it immediately and send photos with a description of the problem to support@shine.pet. If the food is not frozen or cold, also take a photo of it as soon as the box is opened and contact our Support Team at support@shine.pet.

Our boxes are recyclable. Just run warm water over the insulated inserts and they will dissolve. And the ice packs are reusable—pop in the freezer and they’ll be ready when you need one.

We do accept returns for our non-perishable products that haven’t been opened, damaged or altered in any way. Requests for returns must be made within 2 weeks of the purchase receipt. Please contact us at support@shine.pet to request a return.  Once we receive the items back, pending any issues with the return, we will process a refund.  

We do not accept returns on frozen food or other perishable foods that have been opened. Click here if your dog or cat is being finicky with the transition.