FAQs
Answers to frequently asked questions
About Natural Food
Natural feeding is much more than a trend—it’s a conscious choice that transforms your pet’s health and well-being. Discover why more and more pet owners are opting for this lifestyle:
- Optimized digestion: Less diarrhea, vomiting, and gas. Stools are firmer, less odorous, and produced in smaller quantities.
- More energy, more vitality: You’ll notice a more active, happy, and playful pet.
- Shiny coat and healthy skin: The difference is visible and felt to the touch.
- Stronger immune system: A balanced gut microbiota means a more disease-resistant pet.
- Improved physical fitness: Controlled weight, more muscle mass, and a reduced risk of problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
- Natural oral hygiene: Significant reduction in tartar, cavities, and gingivitis—with fewer trips to the vet
- Fewer allergies and intolerances: Alleviate or eliminate reactions caused by artificial ingredients.
- Emotional balance: A more natural diet can help reduce anxiety and even signs of depression.
Want to learn more? Read our full blog article and discover how changing your diet can change everything!
The difference lies in quality, freshness, and the direct impact on your pet’s health.
- Real vs. processed ingredients: Natural food is made with fresh, 100% identifiable meats, vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients. Kibble, on the other hand, is highly processed, often containing artificial flours, additives, and preservatives.
- Customization: Natural food can be adapted to each animal’s specific needs—age, weight, activity level, allergies, intolerances, or health conditions. Kibble, no matter how “premium,” is made for a general audience.
- Better nutrient absorption: Because it’s fresh and organic, natural food is easier to digest, which means better nutrient utilization and less strain on the kidneys and liver.
- No mysteries: With natural food, you know exactly what you’re feeding your pet—no hidden ingredients or complicated names.
In short: natural food is transparency, quality, and care. It’s feeding with purpose.
The acronym BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. It’s an approach that seeks to respect the carnivorous nature of dogs and cats by offering them fresh, raw, and balanced food, just as they would eat in nature.
Basic principles of the BARF diet:
- Fresh, raw ingredients: Uses meat, meaty bones, offal, vegetables, and fruits, all in their natural state, without cooking.
- Balanced proportions: The diet is formulated based on ideal percentages to ensure all essential nutrients—nothing is left to chance.
- No artificial additives: Zero colors, preservatives, or industrial byproducts. Only natural, reliable ingredients.
- Individual adaptation: Each plan is designed for the specific needs of the animal—age, size, activity level, health, among others.
- Inspired by ancestral diets: The idea is to approximate the diet to what animals would eat if they were free in nature, respecting their instincts and metabolism.
Natural, balanced, and instinctive — BARF is more than a diet; it’s a return to our roots.
Cooked natural food is a healthy and practical alternative that offers all the benefits of a natural diet, but with cooked ingredients—enough to eliminate pathogens without compromising the nutritional value of the food.
Ideal for pet owners who prefer to avoid raw food, but still want to provide a fresh, real, and balanced diet.
Main features:
- 100% natural ingredients: Meats, offal, vegetables, and fruits. (No artificial flours, colors, or preservatives!)
- Cooking: Cooked in a steam oven at low temperatures, ensuring greater food safety and preserving flavor and essential nutrients.
- Easy to digest: Excellent option for animals with more sensitive digestion, seniors, or those in recovery.
- Balanced recipes: Formulas designed by experts, tailored to each animal’s profile.
Natural, nutritious, and delicious—cooked natural food is the ideal choice for those seeking the perfect balance between safety, flavor, and health.
The transition isn’t always the same and depends on several factors. It must be done strategically and respectful of the animal’s rhythm, as each organism reacts differently. Our team will advise you on the most appropriate method for your pet. You can also read the full article on the blog.
Tip – Observe your pet
Pay attention to their stool, appetite, energy, and possible digestive signs (diarrhea, vomiting, or flatulence). Small changes are normal at first.
Every animal is unique — and the ideal diet depends on several factors. The good news? You don’t have to decide alone!
What to consider when choosing:
- Species, age, and size: A large-breed senior dog doesn’t have the same needs as a young, active cat.
- Activity level: More energetic animals require more energy in their diet.
- Health history: Allergies, intolerances, digestive problems, or specific conditions should be considered.
- Food preferences: Some animals adapt better to raw food, others prefer cooked food.
How we help:
We work side by side with you to identify your pet’s needs and propose the most appropriate feeding plan — whether it’s BARF, cooked natural food, or a personalized combination.
Goal: True nutrition, tailored to your pet’s profile and lifestyle.
Contact us! The first assessment is free and without obligation — we want to help you feed with awareness and confidence.
We work with complete, balanced, and 100% natural recipes, formulated by animal nutrition experts. Each one is designed to ensure variety, flavor, and all the nutrients your pet needs.
Barf and Cooked Recipes:
We always use ingredients suitable for human consumption, carefully selected and without any artificial additives.
Examples of ingredients used:
- Protein sources: Chicken, turkey, beef, duck, pork, rabbit, quail, eggs, and lamb. Different cuts of muscle, meat, organs, and offal ensure a nutritionally complete and balanced diet.
- Vegetables and fruits: Pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, kale, green beans, broccoli, spinach, apples, and berries
- Supplements: Olive oil or coconut oil, BARF combimix, seaweed, turmeric, milk thistle, aromatic herbs, bone powder, taurine, vitamin D, chia seeds.
- Carbohydrates (cooked only): Sweet potato, rice, quinoa, oats, cassava.
Our recipes are tailored to the pet’s needs. Everything is delivered in customized portions, ready to serve.
Want to know the ideal recipe for your pet? Contact us and we’ll create the perfect plan!
RuffDog recipes contain the necessary supplements for a healthy adult animal. When a natural diet is well-formulated and balanced, designed for the animal’s profile, most of its nutritional needs are naturally met through fresh and varied ingredients.
However, there are cases where additional supplementation may be necessary:
- To correct specific deficiencies (e.g., vitamin D, zinc, or iodine)
- In special situations: pregnancy, lactation, growth, elderly, or sick animals.
Always in the correct dosage and based on the animal’s actual needs—nothing is left to chance!
Health and Safety
This is a common and legitimate question. But with proper care, the BARF diet is safe, healthy, and natural for dogs and cats.
Animals’ digestive systems are prepared to handle raw food—a more acidic gastric pH, a shorter gastrointestinal tract, and adapted intestinal flora. However, as with our own food, the quality and hygiene of the ingredients are essential.
How we guarantee safety:
- Certified suppliers: We only work with meat suitable for human consumption, sourced from inspected and reliable producers
- Controlled freezing: The ingredients are frozen for specific times, which helps neutralize most parasites.
- Safe preparation: The doses are made in a hygienic environment, with temperature control and good handling practices.
- Proper transportation and storage: We maintain the cold chain from start to finish, until delivery.
With proper care, BARF food is as safe as any other diet—and much more natural and nutritious.
Preparing and handling raw food requires some basic precautions—no different from what we already do in our kitchen with raw meat for human consumption.
If you follow good hygiene practices, the risk is minimal to non-existent.
How to keep everything safe:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling the portions
- Thaw in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
- Properly dispose of leftovers and wash the feeders properly.
Important: Our portions arrive frozen, ready to serve—no need to cut, mix, or prepare anything! This greatly reduces direct contact with the raw ingredients and makes the process much safer.
With the same care you would take when preparing meat at home, feeding your pet BARF is practical, safe, and risk-free.
Proper storage is essential to ensure the freshness, safety, and nutritional value of natural foods—but the process is simple and intuitive.
How to store the portions:
- Freezer: Store the portions in the freezer as soon as you receive them. They stay fresh for several months, without the need for artificial preservatives.
- Refrigerator (for immediate consumption): Transfer only the required portion to the refrigerator 24 hours before serving to safely thaw. It can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Never refreeze a portion that has already been thawed.
When serving:
- Serve as your pet prefers: chilled or at room temperature.
- For cooked natural food, you can add a little warm water if your pet prefers a less cold meal (especially in winter).
Tip: Keep portions sealed until ready to use and use clean serving containers.
Yes — and, in many cases, they should!
Natural food can be an excellent ally in the control and prevention of various conditions, as long as it is formulated specifically for each case. We work with adapted, safe, and balanced recipes to support your pet’s health.
Most common conditions that benefit from natural nutrition:
- Food allergies and intolerances
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Kidney or liver failure (in controlled stages)
- Obesity or excess weight
- Joint diseases (such as osteoarthritis)
- Diabetes mellitus
- Chronic dermatological and digestive problems
The secret is in personalization:
Each meal plan is tailored to your pet’s diagnosis, medication, medical history, and current condition.
The RuffDog team is comprised of nutrition experts to ensure efficacy and safety.
Contact us: We evaluate your pet’s case and propose a personalized therapeutic diet—with flavor, health, and balance.
Yes — and it’s often the best solution.
Natural diets allow complete control over the ingredients used, making them ideal for animals with allergies, intolerances, or food sensitivities. They don’t include additives, dyes, or preservatives, which often aggravate reactions.
If you know which ingredients cause allergic reactions, we can eliminate them from the diet.
If you don’t know, we can initiate a food exclusion protocol.
If you have undergone intolerance/allergy testing, we can base recipes on the results.
It’s important to emphasize that cross-reactions sometimes occur. Reactions to foods in the diet may occur, but these don’t occur with whole food, and with the enrichment of the intestinal flora, they may even disappear.
The ideal amount of food depends on several factors—and there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. But don’t worry: RuffDog takes care of it for you!
What we take into consideration:
- Animal weight, age, and size
- Physical activity level
- Health conditions, allergies, or intolerances
- Nutritional goal: weight maintenance, weight loss, or muscle gain
General rule (initial estimate):
- Dogs: between 2% and 4% of ideal body weight per day
- Cats: between 3% and 5% of ideal body weight per day
But please note: this is just a guide. The correct dose is calculated individually by the RuffDog clinical team based on your pet’s complete profile.
What RuffDog offers:
A personalized plan with a ready-to-serve daily dose—so you don’t have to worry about scales or calculations.
Contact us! We’ll provide a free nutritional assessment and help you determine the exact dose for your pet.
Orders, Subscriptions and Deliveries
We have a physical store for food pickup in Lisbon and Porto. We have pickup points in the Algarve (Almancil), Leiria, Coimbra, and Aveiro.
Once a month, we deliver door-to-door along Margem Sul to Setúbal. Weekly, we deliver to the Lisbon, Oeiras, Cascais, and Sintra areas.
The first step is to answer our questionnaire. You will then receive an email with our recommendation, quote, and delivery/pickup date. If you agree, you will receive an invoice. After payment, the food will be produced, and you can pick it up in store or receive it at the agreed-upon location on the agreed-upon date.
From the moment you become our customer, we will produce food for your dog according to the agreement. If you need to make any changes or require any clarification, please contact our team.
The cost of a monthly plan varies depending on the quantity, type of food, and specific restrictions/needs.
Monthly plans available starting at 35,00€
Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time. Please let us know one week in advance if you intend to do so. You can do so in person, via WhatsApp, or via email.
Yes, our production is weekly, so we can respond quickly to needs. You can increase or decrease the dose, change the type of food, or change/limit ingredients.
Contact our team to help us best meet your pet’s needs.
The first payment must be made at the time of ordering. If the subscription is for in-store pickup, the payment will be monthly and charged when the first installment is picked up. If the subscription is delivered, the monthly invoice will be sent by email before the first delivery of each subscription.
We appreciate sending proof of payment.
If you can’t find the answer to your question,
talk to our clinical team.
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