Changing foods for most healthy dogs isn't really a big deal. In fact, some owners switch their pets from one food to on a daily basis. Most dogs tolerate these changes.

However, vomiting, diarrhoea, burping, farting or a combination of signs may occur with sudden, rapid switching of foods, probably because of ingredient differences.

To be on the safe side, it's a good idea to change your dog's food over the course of at least three days. A seven-day period is even better. We suggest increasing the proportion of new food and decreasing the proportion of old food as outlined in the table below.

While nearly all dogs readily tolerate a seven-day transition period, a much longer transitional period is recommended if the food change is significant, the dog has demonstrated a poor tolerance to such changes in the past or food refusal is expected. 

(From Hand, Michael S., Craig D. Thatcher, Rebecca L. Remillard, Philip Roudebush, Bruce J. Novtony, and Lon D. Lewis. 2010. Small animal clinical nutrition. http://www.markmorrisinstitute.org/sacn5_chapters.html.)

Our products typically last at least 12 months. They're shelf-stable so there's no need to put into the fridge. Even the probiotics are a special strain that has a spore forming nature that survives manufacturing, shipping and storage with no loss of viable count.

As you've seen, the bestie ALLROUNDER includes cod liver oil, from wild caught Norwegian cod. You may also have read about some oils, often in kibble, becoming rancid.

Rancidity typically occurs because of oxidation. However, the oil we use already has protective anti-oxidants (d-alpha tocopherols and mixed tocopherols) in it. We also have other anti-oxidants in our bestie product. As a result, rancidity would be extremely unlikely.  

Well, you can, but it's a bit over-kill.... I mean, bestie is designed to go with either raw or lightly cooked protein, and together, they make a complete and balanced meal. Our nutritionist has looked at the nutritional profiles of lean beef, regular beef, chicken mince, kangaroo, turkey mince and fish, and worked out how much of each goes with bestie. 

Kibble is generally designed as a complete and balanced meal in itself. (So adding kibble to your fresh protein doesn't make that balanced either, because the proportions are all out of whack.)

Our balancing supplements are similar, but not the same. That's because dogs and cats have different nutritional requirements, and cats in particular need some things that dogs don't.

No you don't. Even though offal (or organ meat) is often suggested in raw or homemade food diets, it's because they're such a potent source of ket nutrients. However, the combination of bestie and fresh meat, provides everything the dog needs, and more. The bestie balancing supplement provides all the missing nutrients, from other sources. (It's the nutrient that's essential, not the ingredient.)

(You can read more in our blogs about this.)

We developed a free app to answer this very question. The app asks you some key things about your dog - wight, activity level, age - and also what proteins you'll want to feed your dog this week. Then it works out how much of each protein and how much bestie, you'll need to give your dog.

We did that for two reasons. bestie is designed to make a complete meal for your dog, by being added to fresh protein. Together, the bestie and the protein give your dog everything he or she needs to survive and thrive. However, this only holds true of you're giving them the bestie supplement and the protein, in the right quantities for your dog.  

Secondly, lots of dogs are overweight. And that's because it's hard to work out exactly how much food they should get, so we tend to overfeed them. the bestie app addresses that problem.

(By the way, you can get the bestie app here: thebestie.app)

Add to home screen iphone/ipad:

When you get to thebestie.app, just tap on the bookmark icon.When the bookmark options appear, tap on 'Add to home screen'.Change the shortcut name.See the shortcut appear.

Add to home screen Androind phone:

Launch Chrome for AndroidGo to thebestie.app.Tap the menu button and tap Add to homescreen.Enter a name for the shortcut and then Chrome will add it to your home screen

We have created a simple table that gives you a good indication across common protein sources, and weights.

It is right along side. This is based on 2 meals per day, and is in grams.

Yes they should. Use the feed guide on the pack of the pack or alongside.

While our supplements have been trialled with a range of dogs, and contain ingredients we know are safe, there’s always a chance our gummy chews may not agree with your dog.

Any slight stomach discomfort should subside within the first few days but if symptoms persist, we recommend pausing use and speaking to your vet, as well as getting in contact with our bestie team at hello@bestiehealth.com.au.

If you suspect the supplement treats are causing an acute reaction, please contact your vet immediately, as well as our team.

Our gummy chews have been designed (and tested with lots of dogs!) to be both palatable and easy to feed. They're about 2.5g per chew and are made with gelatin, highly beneficial and palatable.

If your dog is currently taking any other prescribed medications, we recommend you check with your vet first to prevent the potential for adverse reactions. 

Alongside is a table (that also appears on the pack), for the amount of bestie plus meat, by weight. Just add a bit of water to the bestie, mix to a paste, then mix in the meat, and serve.

No we don't. However we do sell small sample packs of our balancers so you can try them out on your dog or cat.

Yes we do. However, we can only use Australia Post for this. You will be able to see the calculated shipping cost in the cart during the checkout process.

Our mailing satchels are 100% compostable. To compost them at home, it’s best to cut them up and place in your compost bin (as “brown” materials). These will completely break down within 90 days in a compostable environment. 

Our pouches are classified as soft plastic so can be recycled at the soft plastic pick up points at participating Australian supermarkets.