FAQ

Buying Ketona

• What is Ketona Subscription?
• Why should I trust your daily feeding recommendations?
• Can I override your feeding recommendations?
• My dog is really picky. Can I get a free sample?
• How do I edit my subscription terms or payment info?
• Can I skip a shipment or temporarily put my subscription on hold?
• How do I cancel my subscription?

About Our Products

What is Ketona Subscription?

Ketona Subscription is our auto-delivery subscription program. You tell us the pertinent details about your dog(s) (age, weight, etc.) and we ship you exactly the right amount of Ketona on a regular basis. You'll never run out, you'll never have too much, and you'll never have to lug a heavy bag of dog food home from the pet store.

Why should I trust your daily feeding recommendations?

Our serving size recommender was designed by leading veterinary nutrition experts. It incorporates all the latest studies concerning canine metabolic rate. And it takes into account nuanced details (body composition, activity level, etc.) that most other pet food brands simply ignore. If you follow our recommendations, we guarantee that (1) your dog will get all the nutrition that her body needs and (2) she won't overeat and get fat.

Can I override your feeding recommendations?

Of course. You can feed your dog whatever your little heart desires. Just remember to adjust your subscription terms from your subscriber dashboard -- that way we won't ship you too much Ketona (or too little).

My dog is really picky. Can I get a free sample?

We don't offer free samples. We've tried this in the past but we got burned because shipping heavy bags of dog food is so expensive that just a few unscrupulous free-riders wind up having a huge financial impact.

However, we do remove all financial risk whatsoever from the buying process. We do this with our rock-solid, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee. If you subscribe to Ketona and you (or your dog) don't like the product/service for any reason whatsoever, we'll refund your purchase price. We won't ask you any questions and we won't ask you to ship the product back to us. Buy it and try it -- you've got absolutely nothing to lose. All we ask is that you donate any unused food to a local rescue or some other worthy cause.

How do I edit my subscription terms or payment info?

Just log into your subscriber dashboard and click "edit" next to the information you'd like to change.

Can I skip a shipment or temporarily put my subscription on hold?

Sure. These types of edits can be made from your subscriber dashboard as well. 

How do I cancel my subscription?

Either by visiting your subscriber dashboard or by contacting us directly.

What makes Ketona Truly Different and Truly Better?

The primary way that Ketona is different from leading "grain-free" dry dog foods is the carbohydrate content is much lower and, as a result, the protein content is much higher. In other words, when compared to virtually every other dry dog food product on the market today, Ketona's nutritional content is much more similar to the all-meat diet that your dog's ancestors consumed for more than 99.9% of their genetic evolution.

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What, specifically, is Ketona's macronutritional content?

On an "as-fed" basis, Ketona Dry Food for Adult Dogs Chicken Recipe is less than 5% carbohydrate, at least 50% protein, and at least 16% fat. At 452 calories per cup, this translates to less than 9 grams of carbohydrate per cup and at least 74 grams of protein and 11 grams of fat per cup.

You can find a complete Guaranteed Analysis statement (along with caloric information and feeding instructions) here.

For the same information about our salmon recipe go here.

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Why should a conscientious pet owner consider minimizing the carbohydrate content of her dog's diet?

We believe there are several reasons. They're outlined below and covered in far greater detail in the various evidence review white papers available through the KetoNatural Library. Please note that some of these arguments are not slam-dunk, clear-cut cases of causality. They're nuanced issues and the evidence surrounding them is imperfect. But, as pet owners just trying to make the best decisions we can, that's all we've got right now.

Please remember that WE ARE NOT CLAIMING THAT OUR PRODUCTS WILL TREAT OR PREVENT CANCER, OBESITY, OR ANY OTHER DISEASE.

Some reasons to minimize your dog's carbohydrate intake:

(1) Because carbohydrates are not essential nutrients for dogs. So, all else being equal, leaving carbs off the menu won't cause your dog any harm whatsoever.

(2) Because chronic consumption of carbohydrates is one of the most glaring ways that domestic dogs are different from their wild canine ancestors. Wild canines such as grey wolves eat precisely zero carbohydrate. They thrive on meat and meat alone.

(3) Because carbs change how your dog metabolizes nutrients into energy. Instead of burning stored body fat for energy, consuming carbs causes your dog to burn more carbohydrate-derived glucose for energy instead. 

(4) Because carbs cause your dog's body to produce more of the anabolic hormone insulin than it would produce if she just consumed fats and proteins.

(5) Because there's a sizable body of evidence suggesting that, calorie-for-calorie, carbohydrates are more fattening for dogs than other nutrients.

(6) Because cancer cells preferentially burn carbohydrate-derived glucose for energy. This has lead some of the world's leading cancer researchers to speculate that low-carbohydrate diets can be used as effective adjunct therapies for the treatment or prevention of cancers. Please note that the link between carbohydrate consumption and cancer is not a matter of scientific or medical consensus.

Please also remember that we are NOT claiming that our products will treat or prevent cancer, obesity, or any other disease. These are thorny, nuanced issues and we strongly urge you to visit the KetoNatural Library so you can evaluate the evidence on all of them for yourself -- we've strived to make that information clear, objective, and easy to digest.

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How come I never knew that most "grain-free" kibbles contain so much carbohydrate? 

Unlike the FDA's "Nutrition Facts" panel that you'll find on human foods, the current regulatory framework used by most US states does not require pet food companies to disclose the carbohydrate content of their products. So, naturally, most companies choose not to highlight this inconvenient truth about their products.

Moreover, although grains do contain lots of carbohydrates, they're far from the only source of those nutrients. Pet food companies can still stuff their "grain-free" products with carbohydrates by using cheap, starchy ingredients like potatoes instead of grains. As a result, the expression "grain-free" doesn't always signify what consumers think it does.

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Speaking of the FDA, should I be worried about its investigation into links between certain dog foods and canine dilated cardiomyopathy? Does that investigation raise concerns about Ketona?

We'll try to be as clear as humanly possible: no and no. We have tens of thousands of customers and we've never had a single dog develop DCM while eating Ketona. We're supremely confident that we never will.

Why are we so confident?

Our founder has actually written extensively about the "Big Kibble" conflicts of interest underpinning the investigation and why it is not only unfair and unscientific, but completely unrelated to products like Ketona. If you want to read more, start here or here.

In essence, despite how some media figures have spun the news of the investigation, (1) there is zero evidence of a correlation between "grain-free" pet foods and canine DCM; (2) the evidence DOES suggest a link between products that lack some combination of the amino acids taurine, cysteine, and/or methionine; but (3) Ketona contains an abundance of animal protein and as much of those three amino acids as just about any pet food under the sun (more than 300 mg of taurine per kg of food and more than twice AAFCO's minimum daily requirements for cysteine and methionine).

Ketona is as unlikely as any kibble ever created to contribute in any way to canine DCM. You have nothing to worry about.

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Is Ketona a "ketogenic" dog food?

That depends what you mean by "ketogenic."

We can't guarantee anything specific about ketone levels (because the extent to which a dog's body produces ketones is influenced by a number of factors other than whether the dog eats Ketona), but it's likely that dramatically reducing your dog's carbohydrate intake will increase her production of ketone bodies to at least some degree.

As you can see from this study, dogs tend to produce some amount of ketone bodies even when fed a high-carbohydrate diet. So, in a literal sense, just about any canine diet is probably ketogenic, at least to some degree. But dietary interventions such as carbohydrate restriction, overall caloric restriction, and supplementation with MCT oils tend to ramp-up the process even further.

It's unlikely that simply feeding Ketona will cause your dog to enter a deep, therapeutically ketotic state. So if your aim is to maximize the amount of ketones in your dog's blood for one reason or another, you'll probably need to do more than just switch to Ketona.

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Is Ketona a "low-carbohydrate" dog food?

Well, it contains at least 75% less carbohydrate than leading "grain-free" kibbles, more than 90% less carbohydrate than many other "premium" dog foods, and less carbohydrate than many commercial raw diets too.

That said, we are legally prohibited from calling it a "low-carbohydrate" food. That's because the existing regulatory framework governing the sale of pet food products in most US states also affirmatively prohibits the use of the term "low-carbohydrate" on pet food labels.

So, yeah, it kinda depends what you mean.

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Wow, it seems like pet food regulations have been deliberately crafted to make it hard for consumers to understand the carbohydrate content of pet foods. It's almost as if the pet food industry played a role in shaping those regulations.

That's not a question. But we agree with you.

There's much more on this subject in Dogs, Dog Food, and Dogma (the book our founder wrote about pet food industry malfeasance). If you're interested in learning more, you might want to check it out. More information is also available in The KetoNatural Library.

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Is Ketona considered a "complete and balanced" food by the AAFCO?

Yes.

Both of our recipes are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO dog food nutrient profiles for all life stages, except for growth of large size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult).

This means you can feel confident that Ketona includes all of the nutrients that your dog needs in order to live her best life, unless she is a large-breed dog that's still growing.

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Why does KetoNatual Pet Foods focus on nutrients (as opposed to ingredients) when discussing its products?

Because nutrients (fats, proteins, carbohydrates, etc.) are the building blocks of which ingredients (chicken, grains, etc.) are composed. So it's the nutrients, not the ingredients, that actually act on your dog's body and influence her health and wellbeing.

In fact, pet food consumers only focus on ingredients because most pet food companies don't like to talk about the unimpressive nutritional content of their products. Talking about ingredients instead allows them to mislead you about what really matters, nutrition.

We think it's much more honest and helpful to talk about nutritional content directly, so that's what we do.

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Fair enough. But what ingredients do you use?

Ingredient lists for our formulas can be found here and here.

Here are a few key points: 

• By far the most abundant ingredient in Ketona Dry Food for Adult Dogs Chicken Recipe is -- wait for it -- chicken. It makes up more than 3/4 of the overall recipe. And our salmon formula is about the same ratio for fish ingredients to non-fish ingredients.
• All of the chicken in Ketona comes from animals raised here in the United States. The fish is raised in either the U.S., Chile, or Norway.
• Our formulas don't feature any wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rye, soy, or sorghum. None whatsoever.
• Nearly all of the carbohydrate in our recipe comes from just one ingredient: peas. And, since our recipes were designed to contain as little carbohydrate as possible, peas make up a very small fraction of the overall formulas: about 9% in both cases.
• Our recipe includes added vitamins and minerals, in order to ensure that your dog gets all of her micro-nutritional needs met too.

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Are your recipes considered "human grade"?

No. In fact, we actually think that's a marketing ploy designed to prey on consumers.

There's not a single piece of scientific evidence suggesting that "human grade" ingredients are in any way healthier for dogs than other USDA/FDA-approved ingredients. So we don't really see any reason to charge you 4-5x more just to use ingredients that we can call "human grade."

If it was healthier or safer for dogs, we would do it. But it's not, so we don't.

We'll grant that, as human beings, the notion of eating a food that doesn't qualify as "human grade" feels a little icky. But, fortunately, our dogs don't seem to share that emotional perspective. Perhaps because they're canines, they actually seem pretty stoked about our "canine grade" ingredients.

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Where do you make your products? 

Right here in the United States. Our primary factory is in Pawnee City, Nebraska and the secondary ones are located in other US towns and cities.

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Why should I trust that your products are safe for my dog?

We humbly suggest that there are many reasons:

• We use independent, third-party laboratories to test every single batch of food we produce for contamination with dangerous pathogens. If there's even a whiff of something sketchy, we don't send it to market. It's that simple.
• All of our production facilities and operational processes are regulated closely by the FDA, the USDA, and other governmental organizations.
• We adhere to a robust Product Traceability policy to ensure that if, God forbid, contaminated ingredients somehow get through our safety controls and out into the market, we can locate and claw them back as quickly as possible.
• To date, we've never had to recall a single crumb of our food.
• All of our meat ingredients come from animals raised here in the United States.
• Our recipes are far more consistent with your dog's evolutionary heritage than any carbohydrate-stuffed kibble could ever be. So if you believe that evolution by natural selection is a "real thing," you should probably feel confident about the healthfulness and safety of our recipes.

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What should I expect to change when I switch my dog from a leading "grain-free" kibble to Ketona?

Ketona is TRULY DIFFERENT from and TRULY BETTER than every other kibble on the market today. And it's different in ways you can see for yourself. Here are just a few of the changes you're likely to encounter when your dog makes the switch: 

• Food safety regulations currently prohibit us from advertising Ketona as a treatment for canine obesity. That being said, you shouldn't exactly be surprised if your dog's body composition improves after a few months on Ketona either. There is considerable evidence showing that carbohydrates are more fattening for dogs than other nutrients, calorie-for-calorie. So, if you make the switch from a higher-carbohydrate food but keep all other aspects of your dog's life the same (total caloric intake, exercise, etc.), you should expect to see her body composition improve.
• Unlike most dry dog foods, you don't need to transition your dog onto Ketona gradually in order to avoid the digestive problems that often accompany canine dietary changes. Those problems can arise in response to abrupt changes to the type of carbohydrate ingredients found in a dog's diet. But Ketona's total carbohydrate content is low enough that you shouldn't expect any vomiting, diarrhea, or discomfort during transition. So feel free to switch over all at once. 
• While we're on the subject of poop, those of you with experience feeding your dogs raw, all-meat diets will already know that they tend to result in smaller, firmer stools that largely break apart and disintegrate over time -- just like the ones that most wild carnivores produce. So don't be surprised when your dog's stools start to look a little different (and are much easier to clean up!) on Ketona. 
• Ketona contains a lot of protein, a significant amount of fiber, and loads of healthy vitamins, all of which tend to make dogs thirsty. So you should expect her to consume more water than she did prior to the switch.
• Reducing carbohydrate intake allows your dog to rely to a greater extent on her natural fat stores (rather than carbohydrate-derived glucose) for her metabolic energy needs. This change ought to be observable as a more even temperament, with fewer energy spikes and crashes.

Moreover, we're so confident that you'll be able to see these positive changes for yourself, we back it up with a money-back guarantee.

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How does this guarantee work?

It's essentially a thirty-day money-back guarantee.

Buy Ketona through our website (this offer doesn't apply to purchases made through third-party resellers) and try it with your dog for thirty days. Be sure to stick to the recommended serving sizes and avoid all other food and treat products (except for water, of course).

If, after thirty days, you haven't noticed meaningful, positive changes to your dog's body composition, energy levels, or digestion, just get in touch with us using the contact information below and we'll refund your purchase price 100%.

The only restrictions are (1) it's a one-time deal, not something you can take advantage of more than once; and (2) your refund won't include the costs of shipping and handling.

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How can I get in touch with KetoNatural directly?

Our contact information is available here.

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Is it true that KetoNatural's leadership is really willing to publicly debate the healthfulness to dogs of dietary carbohydrates with anyone?

Yes it is. Challenging the received wisdom about this crucial issue is one of the reasons our company exists. We feel very strongly about it and we're confident that we know our stuff too. We're ready and willing to go to bat for our views, any time and any place.

So if you, your veterinarian, some online "expert," or anyone else thinks that we are wrong about the relevant evidence or otherwise misstating the facts when it comes to the healthfulness of dietary carbohydrates, we encourage you to reach out to us and start a dialogue or set up a public appearance.

There are only a few conditions we tie to what otherwise amounts to a blanket rule:

• Polite, respectful, professional tone only. We refuse to contribute to the toxic nature of so much online discourse, so if you can't make your points with kindness and respect, don't expect us to respond to you.
• Evidence-based arguments only. No speculation, no appeals to authority, no ad hominem attacks. Let's keep it substantive.

Also, please be aware ahead of time that it may take us a little while to get back to you. We've spelled-out all of our positions on nutritional matters in Dogs, Dog Food, and Dogma and in the white papers available for free download from the KetoNatural Library. In all likelihood, your arguments aren't quite so visible. So please be patient while we familiarize ourselves with your positions and the related scientific literature. 

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My vet doesn't think there's anything wrong with dietary carbohydrates. Why is that and what can I do about it?

We don't know your veterinarian so we can only speculate. And that's rarely a recipe for getting to the truth.

But there's one thing we know for sure. As revealed in detail in Dogs, Dog Food, and Dogma, some of the biggest proponents of the "carbs are perfectly healthy" theory are the pet food manufacturers who make billions of dollars each year selling their carbohydrate-packed kibbles. And they work very, very hard to shape what veterinarians are taught about the healthfulness of carbs, both during veterinary school and thereafter. 

Here are just a few relevant examples:

• Two of the most popular veterinary nutrition textbooks being used in veterinary schools today were literally authored by employees of pet food companies.
• At least three different pet food companies own and control nutritional research facilities that, together, produce the majority of the peer-reviewed canine nutrition research being published in leading journals today.
• Numerous pet food companies offer free continuing education courses on nutritional matters for veterinarians and their technicians.
• The majority of veterinary schools in the United States require that their graduates take nothing more than a single, two-credit nutrition course. (Some don't require any nutrition training at all.) And many of those courses are actually taught by employees of leading pet food companies.
• Fewer than 1 out of every 1,000 veterinarians is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. And pet food companies employee more than 50% of them.

If your vet is the skeptical, free-thinking type, we encourage you to get her a copy of one or more of the white papers we've put together on various carbohydrate-related health issues. 

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So, when it comes to nutritional matters, should I trust you guys or my veterinarian?

Neither, at least not implicitly. You should trust yourself. Read the evidence, talk to your vet, listen to the arguments on both sides of the issue, learn the various theories supporting competing positions. Consider all the relevant facts.

Listen, think, ask questions. Then decide for yourself.

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I want to be the smartest pet owner I can be. Where can I learn more about the science of pet food?

 A free e-copy of Dogs, Dog Food, and Dogma, dozens of short white papers that summarize the evidence surrounding common pet nutrition topics, how-to guides, videos, links to third-party resources, and more.

Checkout out The KetoNatural Library and it could all be yours. And it's all free.

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