Frequently Asked Questions

Transitioning to a raw diet can be done in one of two ways. The first option is a slow and gradual transition, while the second is a “cold turkey” switch. Read our “Transitioning from kibble to a truly raw diet” blog to learn more.

The daily feeding amount will depend on your pet’s age, weight, and activity level. Use our raw feeding chart for guidance on where to start and adjust as needed. If you need more guidance, schedule a consultation with our team today!

All our products are single-protein animal parts and meal base blends making it easy to control what is in your pet’s bowl. We do not mix proteins to make it easy to create hyper-customized meals based on your pet’s unique needs. If your pet is struggling with allergies and you’re not sure what is triggering them, start simple by following an elimination diet  to help determine the trigger(s), and increase variety slowly over time. Book a free consultation to get the best recommendations for your pet!

Switching to a new diet can be an adjustment for both you and your dog, so don’t stress! Try incorporating foods like nutritional yeast or warm bone broth to entice your dog as they get acquainted with the new diet. 

Digestives changes are common when switching foods, but it is best to take steps to resolve loose stools if they do occur. Dietary additions like probiotics, digestive enzymes, and slippery elm powder can help to get your pet regular again. Learn more in our “Transitioning from kibble to a truly raw diet” blog.

Yes! Dogs are natural carnivores and are biologically built to consume and digest raw meat and animal parts. In fact, it’s the best way to ensure they’re getting the proper nutrition that they need to be their healthiest selves. As far as food safety within our production goes, we take this incredibly seriously. Learn more on how we keep our food safe here.

While many veterinarians and pet nutritionists do support raw feeding, it is not uncommon to meet a veterinarian who is against it. Many veterinarians’ concerns with feeding a raw diet lie with pet parents DIY-ing incorrectly and feeding incomplete meals that aren’t nutritionally balanced. When the right foods are fed, a truly raw diet is perfectly safe to feed our carnivores and can provide a full spectrum of absorbable nutrients that they need to be their healthiest.

The short answer is yes. Feeding 100% raw will promote optimal health and digestion. However, even small amounts of fresh food added to kibble has been shown to be beneficial. If you decide to feed kibble and raw, we recommend feeding as much raw as you are able. It is important to note that feeding kibble and raw may not work for all dogs. However, it is a common myth that they shouldn’t be fed together at all. Allow for a 2–4-week trial period to ensure this method will work for your dog. 

Yes, dogs can eat bones as long as they are meaty bones! Dogs should never be fed bones without meat on them or bones that have been cooked, but raw meaty bones like beef neck or chicken feet are very healthy for dogs to have. Avoid feeding stripped and weight bearing bones. Check out our blog to learn more about the types of bones dogs should and should not eat.

Our products were formulated to be fed truly raw to receive optimal health benefits, so ideally they would not be cooked. That said, you can lightly cook our grinds if needed. Read our blog to learn more about cooked vs. truly raw food.

 We offer DIY raw foods and premade base meals for personalized diets that you can use to craft your own complete and balanced truly raw meals. New pre-made complete and balanced meals for dogs and cats that have been expertly formulated by a certified pet nutritionist are coming soon! Stay tuned and subscribe to be the first to find out about any new products. 

Yes. If you are meal prepping, it is safe to slightly thaw the food to a working temperature that allows you to divide meals, put them into airtight containers, and straight back into the freezer. However, it is very important not to let raw food sit out at room temperature.

We’ve created raw meal bases to help you feed a truly raw diet more easily, and we have two different options. Our Truly Raw Base helps to take all the guesswork out of feeding your pet Prey Model Raw (PMR) and are single protein blends that include muscle meat, edible bone, and organs only. Our other premade raw meal base option, our Variety Blends, follow the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) model and includes muscle meat, edible bone, organs, fruit, and vegetables. If you’d like some help determining which of these options is best for you, schedule a consultation call with one of our in-house raw feeding experts today!

We are a direct-to-consumer manufacturer, and all our prices reflect this. We do offer bulk discounts for orders over 2,400 pounds and will require refrigerated freight. All freight charges will be transferred.

Store all food in the freezer until you are ready to feed. Frozen food can be thawed in the refrigerator and should be fed within 48 hours (about 2 days) upon defrosting. If you need to partially defrost to divide the food and re–freeze, it is safe to do so, but do not keep food in the refrigerator for longer than 48 hours.

There are a variety of ways to craft a complete and balanced raw bowl using our products, whether you choose to use our pre-made meal base grinds or opt for a fully DIY bowl with our individual raw parts. If you need some guidance on the proper proportions to use, we have plenty of resources to help! Visit our resource center to find helpful guidance and examples of complete and balanced DIY bowls built using our products. Stay tuned for the launch of our complete and balanced line and make sure to subscribe to be the first to know when new products drop! 

Carnos, formerly known as Top Quality Dog Food, is a family owned and operated raw pet food company located in Maryland. Read our full story here to learn about our history, how we got our start in the raw food industry, and how our company has evolved. 

Our products are not HPP, cold pressed, cooked, or pasteurized. We are TRULY raw, but that does not inherently mean the food is unsafe. We go above and beyond in our production to keep our food safe for our customers and have the certifications to back our processes up. Learn about our food safety programs here.

We source exclusively from USDA-inspected and approved farms and processors. All our suppliers are vetted and approved through our rigorous supplier approval program ensuring that they meet the highest standards in food safety and humane practices. Learn more about our sourcing policies and practices here.

Wanting to create a more sustainable pet food option was how we got our start! And since then, we have only continued to improve – we’re always looking for new ways to make our operations more sustainable. For example, all our packaging is now made of 100% recycled (and recyclable) materials. Learn more about our origin story here, and how we work to build sustainability into our operations here.

We produce and package our food ourselves, we don’t work with any third-party intermediaries. The savings that we are able to incur by working this way then gets passed on to our customer via cheaper final product prices.  

 You can change your password by selecting “Forget Password” on the login screen or in your account, under “Account Details”. 

There are many ways to earn Raw Rewards points with Carnos! One of the biggest ways to earn is to shop – customers earn 1 point for every dollar spent with us – but this isn’t the only way to earn. Navigate to the rewards page to learn about all of the ways to earn points and convert those points to savings!

Cash in your points for real-time rewards when you reach at least 525 points. For 525 points you will receive $10 off your next order, or save up your points to cash out higher reward amounts!

Points expire after 6 months of inactivity. Placing orders will keep your account active.

Rewards points can be redeemed directly through the checkout page when you’re ready to place an order, or through the rewards widget on our site.

You can add information about your pet to your account, in the “My Pets” tab.

Log into your account to view information on your order status – it will show updates when the order is being processed, fulfilled, ready for pickup, and shipped. For orders that are being shipped, tracking information will be provided within your account.

Nope! We do offer subscriptions, but you’re also able to order at your convenience. 

We currently offer subscriptions for our Bundles only. Once your bundle is selected, you can scroll to the bottom of the page, select subscribe to save 5% and choose your frequency (2 weeks, 3 weeks, or monthly). As long as your subscription is active, the order you’ve set up will be shipped out on a revolving bi-weekly or monthly cycle.

This should be calculated based on how much your dog eats daily and how much freezer space you have. If you have limited freezer space, start by placing your order with enough food for 1-to-2-weeks to gauge how much space the food will take up, and adjust from there.

If you need to make any changes to your subscription, please contact us directly and we’ll help you. Changes cannot be made to orders that have already shipped.

Subscriptions can be canceled or paused at any time in your account under the Subscriptions tab. Canceling or pausing a subscription after an order has already been completed and shipped will not cancel or pause that order.

We ship everywhere in the continental US except for CO, FL, MO, and New England because we have wholesalers within these states who provide our products.  Please view our shipping map to locate your shipping zone. We offer flat rate and free shipping options to customers within Zones 1 and 2. Shipping to Zones 3+ are charged at a discounted UPS rate. We are steadily working to expand our shipping network to help lower the cost of shipping for everyone. Subscribe to stay tuned for updates! 

To qualify for our flat rate shipping, you must live within Zone 1 and Zone 2. Orders must include at least 20 lbs. and at most 80 lbs. of product. The price ranges for product types. The flat rate for ground products is $9.99, for packs is $10, and for bones is $15. Mixed products will take on the highest cost.

We ship 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. Once our warehouse fills an order, it will ship between 1-2 business days.

 Our food is packaged inside a recyclable cardboard box with recyclable insulation walls that help to keep your order cool, and includes 5-lbs of dry ice, a poly liner, and packing paper.Each order is sealed with water-activated tape to ensure contents remain cold and secure. Make sure to take care when unpacking and do not handle dry ice with bare hands.

Your food is still perfectly safe and edible, even if it arrives partially thawed! In the summer months especially, food can sometimes arrive slightly defrosted. If the food is still cold to the touch, feeding is safe. Transfer the food directly into the freezer, and feed as you normally would.

We do not offer in-store shopping. However, we do offer curbside pickup if you live within driving distance and would prefer to forego shipping. If you are unsure of what to purchase, book a consultation today!

 We are located at 3630 East Street, Hyattsville, MD 20785. We do not offer in-store shopping. Please place an order online and select curbside pickup if you’d prefer to pick up your order in-person and would like to forego shipping.

Processing can take 2 to 24 hours after each order has been placed. Placing your order one day in advance is strongly encouraged. Please wait until you receive the order completion e-mail before arriving for pick up. When your order is ready,  you can pick up anytime within our business hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. View more details here.