Frequently asked questions about the recipes on cuisine-a-crocs

Quick access to the topic you may be after:

What does a recipe from cuisine-a-crocs look like ? | What type of recipes are offered ? | What are the ingredients choices ? | Recipes management from your account | Recipes in case of specific situation (gestation, lactation, growth...) | Questions about the recipes preparation | Recipes in case of illness

What does a recipe look like ?

What a recipe for a homemade diet for a dog looks like

CLICK HERE TO SEE A RECIPE EXAMPLE FOR A DOG

Please note, all the information related to this dog isn't reported. Each recipe is adapted to the animal with all its characteristics and the ingredients chosen, this homemade diet recipe is given here as an example and is not suitable for all dogs.

What a recipe for a mixed diet for a cat looks like

CLICK HERE TO SEE A RECIPE EXAMPLE FOR A CAT

Please note, detailed information related to this cat is at the end of the page, but not displayed here. Remember each recipe is adapted to the animal with all its characteristics and the ingredients chosen, this mixed diet recipe is given here as an example and is not suitable for all cats.

What type of recipes are available ?

Is it possible to order BARF recipes on cuisine-a-crocs ?

Yes and no :

No, not a Barf recipe with bone + meat + offal + raw vegetable, definitely no!

because:
1-it is not possible to guarantee that it will be balanced, so we cannot be held responsible
2-because our furry dogs are companion dogs, who live with us humans and other humans around us, and the health aspect (transmission of pathogenic bacteria) is a serious problem and risk.

Freezing meats reduces the risk of parasites, but does not kill bacteria. The idea that a dog's stomach kills all bacteria is completely wrong.

Among the pathogenic bacteria found in certain ingredients of barf rations, some make the dog visibly ill, so they can be found. But for others, this is not the case, and the dog is a healthy carrier, and shedder: it contaminates its environment without being sick ... with genuine risks for people around it.

Yes, because we can offer an alternative to industrial food: it is a homemade diet WITHOUT starch (this option is available when you request a homemade diet recipe).

You can choose from the list of meats offered one or more different meats when ordering several recipes. You can feed the meat raw if it can be eaten raw by humans (such as a tartare).
The basis of the diet, which will provide all the essential nutrients for your dog, will consist in meat, some vegetables (rather cooked, because they are well tolerated, and can thus, be given in larger quantities), rapeseed oil (yes it is vegetal, but it nevertheless contains essential fatty acids for the dog that it will not be found in fish oil), and a vitamin mineral supplement, in order to guarantee the right amount of all micronutrients (but not excess) for the dog, depending on its age and the other ingredients chosen.
You can add a dairy, and two other ingredients in the treat category.

No carcasses nor chicken necks, too rich in minerals or even in lipids (which make the overall balance impossible). No long bones / chicken bones either ... due to risk of perforation (if this has fortunatly never happened to your dog, however if you were to see more dogs, as a vet does, you would change your mind!).

Can one give bone?

Yes, to fight against tartar without too much risk: a marrow bone, raw beef bone, in size proportional to the size of your dog's mouth, big enough so that he does not swallow it, and with a center not too big because the dog can surround it on the mandible!

Is it possible to make a homemade diet without a mineral and vitamin supplement such as Vit'i5?

It is possible but without guarantee. Vit'i5 represents both immense security and a guarantee of stable coverage of needs: with Viti'5, micronutrient requirements are covered without excess or deficiency. It is theoretically possible to do otherwise (with a little crushed bone, a little liver, a little kidney, brains, eyes ...) BUT we absolutely cannot guarantee that the right amounts of all the essential nutrients will be present (in the right quantities, with no risk of excess or deficiency). We therefore cannot recommend such an option, as our recipes engage our professional civil liability.

Is it possible to order VEGAN recipes for a cat on cuisine-a-crocs ?

The answer is no.
A cat must receive in its diet nutrients of exclusively animal origin (taurine, ac. Arachidonic, vitamin A in the form of retinol, vit.D3, vit.B12) ... in large quantities. Even if we provide minerals and vitamins via a supplement (Vit'i5) to simplify the preparation and guarantee the amounts of micronutrients, it is always necessary to bring meat (or fish), and other ingredients, to mimic the contributions nutrients provided by a mouse or a bird, physiological diet of the cat.
It is therefore impossible to balance a cat's diet / to cover the cat's nutritional needs with a vegan diet: it lacks essential nutrients.
As a vegetarian or vegan diet cannot cover a cat's nutritional needs, we do not offer these rations on the site.
You will find more information on the subject on our blog our blog (in French)

Is it possible to order VEGAN recipes for a dog on cuisine-a-crocs ?

The answer is no.
A dog must receive in its diet nutrients of exclusively animal origin (retinol, vit.D3, vit.B12), or nutrients more widespread in the animal world than in plants (for example certain amino acids such as arginine and lysine), the all without providing too many carbohydrates, while providing calcium in an amount 3 times greater than human needs ....
The devil is in the details!
Even if we provide minerals and vitamins via a supplement (Vit'i5), to simplify the preparation and guarantee the amounts of micronutrients, it is always necessary to bring meat or fish in quantity, or at least eggs and dairy products, so as to provide proteins and fats, and less carbohydrates.
For more information on vegetarian diet for dogs, check our blog (in French)

Is it possible to order VEGETARIAN recipes for a dog on cuisine-a-crocs ?

In the adult dog : It is possible to balance the diet of an adult dog in vegetarian mode if including eggs and dairy products, but only in certain cases.
In the growing puppy and for breeding bitches: the needs are more carnivorous, and rations rich in proteins, lipids, minerals and vitamins, and less rich in carbohydrates, are needed.
Dogs tolerate a diet high in fat very well, but when the need is great, saturated fat is better digested and used than vegetable fat.
The need in calcium is also high.

It is therefore impossible to properly cover all the nutritional needs in a well-usable form and therefore to feed a puppy or a breeding bitch in vegetarian or vegan mode.

As it is only possible to establish vegetarian diets for dogs under very rare conditions, we have chosen not to offer this service on our site.
For more information on vegetarian diet for dogs you can read our blog (in French)

Questions about the ingredients in the recipes :

How to get an instant tailored recipe (industrial, homemade or mixed diet) for my pet ?

For a healthy cat or dog:

*1st step : fill your pet's information

*2d step : pick the ingredients

1. Choose the type of food you'd like:

* Kibble and/or can = industrial food

> Select "kibble" or "can" or both:
you can choose the type of food you give (choose a COMPLETE FOOD for the characteristics of your dog or your cat) and have the label of the whole foods distributed handy because you will have to enter some information ...

The proportion of KIBBLE vs CAN can be chosen by moving the cursor: 25% / 75% or 50% / 50% or 75% / 25% of the calories provided respectively by the croquettes and by the boxes.

BE CAREFUL we do not judge the relevance or the quality of the industrial foods chosen. We take into account their calorie content when deciding how much to give, taking into account the individual characteristics of the animal.

* Homemade diet

> Select "Fresh food = Homemade diet"

> Choose: 1 meat or 1 fish among the choices offered (depending on the choices you make next, it may happen that this choice is reconsidered and that you are offered a slightly different list so that the whole recipe is balanced) + 1 vegetable (a single vegetable or a list of a few interchangeable vegetables) + 1 starch (you can choose no starch or little starch or a standard amount)

In any homemade diet, the recipe will contain Rapeseed Oil and Vit'i5 so that the recipe is balanced. Stick to the addition of these ingredients which represent 40 to 50% of the essential nutrients (even in small quantities since it is micronutrients, they are nonetheless essential).

* both :
Dry food in the morning, homemade in the evening ... common in Dogs
or
Kibble and xan, AND homemade ... often required for catsC

> Select "Half-Half"

you must then select the food type (kibble and can), and the homemade food part.

For the cat, you cannot add starch to the homemade diet in a mixed diet.

2. Add dairy and / or treats if you wish

> Add a dairy +/- sweets (0, 1 or 2 different sweets maximum among cold meats, fruits, cakes or bought ready-made) if you wish

3. Order and receive your recipe

After secure payment of the single recipe, you can see it and DOWNLOAD it and PRINT it. It can be found at any time on the animal's file

Each recipe includes:
- the quantities of each ingredient selected and the addition of essential ingredients to balance the diet
- information according to the animal's situation
- Preparation / Conservation / Distribution recommendations for the recipe
- information on each ingredient included in the recipe
- various advices on your pet's follow-up

What ingredients are offered in a recipe ?

For each recipe, you can choose:

1- the type of main diet (homemade or industrial diet (kibble and / or can), OR half and half (half kibble and / or can AND half homemade diet)

If you choose kibble and / or can, we will not judge this choice.
Choose a food where it is written complete food, and intended for a dog or a cat in the situation of your animal. We take into account the nutritional characteristics of the label (average analysis), to calculate the energy density.

For homemade or mixed diets, many possibilities of meat / fish, starch and vegetables will be offered. These menus are adapted to the individual situation of your animal so not all the options will always be available in your specific case.

2- if you wish, you can add 1 dairy product and up to 2 treats

In the dairy products, you will find different cheeses, white cheeses, yogurts ...
In the sweets, 4 categories are available: Fruit, Deli / Sausage / Egg, Cookie / Biscuit / Starch (the banana is in this category!) and aleady-made (bought as is).

For a choice of Treats, Choose the Quantity among those offered:

The additions and quantities offered are suited to the characteristics entered for your pet: the options may therefore vary from one animal to another. If the desired ingredient is not present in these lists, do not hesitate to contact us! (select 'contact' in 'object').

What ingredients to choose for a recipê for a CAT ?

Meat or fish ? With or without vegetables and starch ? Treats or not ? If you're not sure about the best ingredients to select for your homemade recipe for a cat, we've detailed the various options offered as ingredient choices.

choosING the RIGHT ingredients for a recipe for a cat

I don't know what ingredients to pick...

I don't know which ingredients to choose when requesting a recipe: which is best for my pet ?

On the site we ask you a lot of information about your pet so that we can determine its nutritional needs.
Once these needs have been determined, we can propose different solutions: it is up to you to choose the type of food you want to give - industrial, homemade or half-and-half, or industrial with a little fruit and dairy, for example-

In case of industrial feeding, we do not direct you to one food or another because it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to make a food for a target population.

In the case of a homemade diet, we offer ingredients compatible with the characteristics and needs of your pet: You just have to choose ingredients that are practical for you and / or appreciated by your pet.
There are often several possibilities, and there is no bad choices
In case of half industrial + half homemade food, we will tell you the appropriate quantities, the set covers well the needs of your pet in calories (to maintain his weight), protein and we balance the homemade part.
If you change the industrial food, the composition of the homemade part may also vary, even if you choose the same ingredients.

choose the ingredients for a recipe for a cat

Managing the recipes from your account

How much does a recipe cost ?

Find the prices of our recipes, coachings and subscriptions at the bottom of the home page

To get a recipe, coaching or subscription, create your account or log in and click on the "Get a recipe" button

Where do I find my recipes ?

It's easy :

Log in to your account
Go to "Manage my animals / recipes"
Visualize your pet by name
Click on "Information and recipes" on your pet's card
Go to the "Recipes" tab

Do you want to make a new recipe with different ingredients?

Click on "NEW recipe".

Do I have to be logged in to access my recipes ?

No, not necessarily: all your recipes are available in pdf format (accessible from your user area, see above if necessary). You can download them to conult them at any time from your computer or phone, see print them.

About the recipes preparation :

I've ordered a recipe with starch, but there is 0 g in my recipe... how come ?

It is possible that the recipe ultimately contains 0 starch, especially for a small dog, if you have selected a little fatty meat and treats.

What to do ?

To add starchy foods, you will need to choose leaner meat and less treat.

Ingredients in the recipe : raw or cooked weight ?

In a recipe, generally the weight of the ingredients is the raw weight.
Here are the reasons, by ingredient category:

* meat, and fish, because during cooking it loses more or less water, depending on the cooking itself, but we are more certain of the nutritional composition of raw meat. So we don't make mistakes.
* vegetables: steam cooking does not change much, but cooking for a long time in the pan reduces the water content and changes the situation a lot
* starchy foods: a raw starch like rice, pasta ... is dry, and its composition is known. Cooking a starch increases the water content, 3 to 4 times, but this amount depends on both the starch and the cooking itself. So we consider the dry weight so as not to make any mistakes. You can use the cooked weight if you have weighed the dry weight once, and the corresponding cooked weight, and if you always follow the same method, and the same cooking time, the same proportion of starch and water, the same draining time ... in short, it's more random.
* Vit'i5 and Oil: these ingredients must not be cooked or heated, the quantity is therefore always indicated raw.

Most frequently asked questions about homemade diet

Do you have questions about the food transition for your dog or cat or about the preparation (distribution and storage) of a homemade diet?

Check our dedicated page

Why shouldn't I freeze starchy food ?

When starchy foods are frozen, they often become less digestible to most animals. If your pet tolerates them well, without digestive disorders, continue! These are always the general recommendations, and not all animals are equally sensitive, especially if the amount of starch is small and if it is done occasionally.

Recipe in case of special situation:

(gestation, lactation, growth, overweight) :

What recipe for a female in lactation / gestation ?

Breeding, gestation, lactation

Adapt the diet well, being sure it remains balanced ...

What recipe for a female in a particular situation?

For a pregnant or lactating female, we suggest you take the PetAddict subscription. It will give you access to three months of unlimited recipes for your pet. Thus, the recipes will evolve with the situation in view of the number of young, the appetite for one food or another ...

Read the full article on the topic.

READ THE article

What recipe for a growing pet ?

If your pet is Growing, it can benefit from our new COACHING service.

A Growth coaching includes :

Unlimited industrial diet, homemade diet or mixed diet recipes, until your pet's optimal weight is reached
A monthly email to remind you to update your puppy or kitten's weight
An interactive weight curve to know exactly where your animal is at
Tips on preparation, conservation and distribution
Information about the ingredients
A Certificate of Success at the end of the Coaching and the 1st post-coaching recipe offered

Until WHAT AGE is my DOG / CAT growing?

The stop of the growth matches the reach of adult size and weight. We can roughly give an approximate age, but it is never exact.
To be sure that bone growth has stopped, we can take a skeletal X-ray and check whether the growth cartilages are still visible or not.

> CAT: nutritional needs are identified as different from those of an adult up to the age of 40 weeks (10 months). It may be a little later.

> DOG: it depends on the breed: the larger the breed, the later the growth ends, around 10-12 months for a dog weighing less than 10kg, between 12 and 18 months for a dog weighing 10 to 25kg, between 14 to 24 months for a larger dog.

For a pregnant or lactating female, you can order single recipes, yet we suggest the PetACroc subscription (3 months of unlimited recipes for a cat or a dog), to allow the recipes to evolve with the situation in view of the number of young, appetite for one food or another ...
Think of a mixed ration from a growth food (half growth kibble + half homemade recipe)!

Growth coaching for a puppy

Growth coaching for a kitten

Why change ingredients when neutering a kitten ?

How to feed a kitten before and after neutering

Understanding kitten's growth and choosing well the ingredients of its homemade diet, before and after neutering.

Kitten's growth explained: why change its recipe after neutering ?

Feeding a kitten before neutering

Feeding a kitten after neutering

Growth coaching for a kitten

What ingredients to pick for a growing kitten ?

What ingredients to choose for a homemade recipe for a kitten?

Meat or fish? With or without vegetables and starches? Treats or not? If you are hesitating about the best ingredients to select for the homemade recipe for your kitten, we have detailed for you the various options offered in the choice of ingredients, depending on its sterilization.

Feeding a kitten before neutering

Feeding a kitten after neutering

Growth Coaching for a kitten

What recipe for an overweight pet ?

If your pet is Overweight, it can benefit from our new COACHING service.

An overweight coaching includes :

Unlimited industrial diet, homemade diet or mixed diet recipes, until your pet's optimal weight is reached
A monthly email to remind you to update your dog or cat's weight and information.
An interactive weight chart to know exactly where the animal is at, with personal advices if the weight loss is not optimal
Tips on preparation, conservation and distribution
Information about the ingredients

Weight loss coaching for a dog

Weight loss coaching for a cat

How do I access my recipes during a coaching ?

Log in to your account
Go to "Animals in COACHING" (or "manage my animals / recipes")
Visualize your pet by name
Click on "Information and recipes" on your pet's card
Go to the "Recipes" tab

Do you want to make a recipe with different ingredients?
Click on "NEW recipe"

Do you want to change the information (weight, activity) before requesting a new recipe?
Click on "view my pet's COACHING" and then "Update information".
Once the information is up to date and validated, click on "NEW recipe".

Questions about recipes for a sick pet :

How to order a diet if my pet is sick ?

If your animal has health issue, only your veterinarian can request recipes.

If your veterinarians are not aware of this mode of operation, they can contact us.

You can also find a Vet-Nutrition Pro veterinary clinic nearby (see map). Vet-Nutrition Pro veterinary clinics are particularly interested in nutrition. Their veterinarians have access to tailor-made Vet-Nutrition recipes and direct expertise from Dr. Géraldine Blanchard.

My pet is sick: will the diet ordered be adapted ?

If your pet is sick, his nutritional needs may change. In order to take into account those needs the disease of your pet has to be entered while ordering the diet.
However, if your animal is sick, even if stabilised / under treatment, only your vet can request recipes.

If your veterinarians are not aware of this mode of operation, they can contact us.

I wish to give details about my pet's state of health: how do I do ?

If your animal is sick, even if stabilised / under treatment, only your vet can request recipes.

If your veterinarians are not aware of this mode of operation, they can contact us.

Find a Vet-Nutrition clinic for your pet

Benefits of a homemade Diet

Is a homemade diet the best food for a cat or a dog ? What are the benefits of cooking for your pet ?

FIND OUT MORE...

Food transition in dogs

How to make the food transition of your dog without rushing him and while respecting his intestinal transit?

FIND OUT MORE...

Food transition in cats

The cat is often reluctant to novelty and may refuse a new food: here are our tips for a smooth transition ...

FIND OUT MORE...

Order a custom recipe for your pet!

INDICATIVE rates at the bottom of the home page

CREATE AN ACCOUNT

Frequently asked questions about the recipes on cuisine-a-crocs

Yes and no : No, not a Barf recipe with bone + meat + offal + raw vegetable, definitely no!

Yes, because we can offer an alternative to industrial food: it is a homemade diet WITHOUT starch (this option is available when you request a homemade diet recipe).

Can one give bone?

Is it possible to make a homemade diet without a mineral and vitamin supplement such as Vit'i5?

It is therefore impossible to properly cover all the nutritional needs in a well-usable form and therefore to feed a puppy or a breeding bitch in vegetarian or vegan mode.

1. Choose the type of food you'd like:

2. Add dairy and / or treats if you wish

3. Order and receive your recipe

1- the type of main diet (homemade or industrial diet (kibble and / or can), OR half and half (half kibble and / or can AND half homemade diet)

2- if you wish, you can add 1 dairy product and up to 2 treats

I don't know which ingredients to choose when requesting a recipe: which is best for my pet ?

Breeding, gestation, lactation

Until WHAT AGE is my DOG / CAT growing?

How to feed a kitten before and after neutering

What ingredients to choose for a homemade recipe for a kitten?

Yes and no :

No, not a Barf recipe with bone + meat + offal + raw vegetable, definitely no!