Retail Training Handbook

Retail Training Handbook
Volume Two
Primal Bones
2
Why Bones
Raw bones are an essential part of any dog or cat’s diet.
They provide numerous dental benefits, nutritional support,
and can aid in the treatment of some behavioral issues. They
come in a variety of shapes, sizes and textures to fit every
pet’s individual need. Primal Raw Bones are 100% humangrade, antibiotic and steroid free without added hormones.
Our Raw Bones are procured from ranches in the United
States and New Zealand.
Dental Benefits
Teeth and gum issues
are endemic in our
pet population and
according to the
American Veterinary
Dental Society, more
than 80 percent of
dogs and 70 percent of cats develop gum disease by the
age of three years.
• The live enzymes in raw bones help maintain healthy flora
and aid in breaking apart and killing dangerous bacteria in
the gums. As the pet chews, these enzymes are spread
throughout the mouth.
• The repetitive “chewing” action from your pet removing
the sinew, cartilage, and marrow from the bones helps
to scrape existing plaque off the teeth and massages the
gums.
• Many popular dental chews consist primarily of starch;
starch turns to sugar, which turns to plaque when left on
the teeth. Primal raw bones are not only starch free they
also leave behind beneficial organisms and enzymes that
are beneficial for oral health.
Behavioral Benefits
As carnivores, dogs and cats are biologically designed to
enjoy and excel at chewing, especially on raw bones.
Primal Bones
Many times these chewing, scratching and ripping
instincts can cause damage to their owner’s homes. Primal
Raw bones give pets a healthy outlet for this natural &
unavoidable behavior.
• While a pet chews on a bone they are typically focused
and stay in one place, mentally and physically stimulated.
This can be a great way to keep a kitten or puppy out of
trouble!
• Chewing on a bone is physically and mentally simulating.
The pet has to think about how to eat the bone; mental
stimulation is one of the best ways “tire out” a pet.
Nutritional Benefits
In addition to their effect on oral and mental health, Primal
Raw Bones provide benefits to the body as a whole.
• Active enzymes aid in digestion.
• The lactic acid bacteria found on Primal Meaty and
Recreational bones meaty provide the intestinal with
naturally occurring enzymes.
• Calcium and “wet glucosamine” are present in Primal bones
in a bioavailable form, meaning the body can easily absorb
and utilize the nutrients which aid in bone and joint health.
Safety Standards
Many times customers ask why they should buy Primal
bones at a pet store opposed to “butcher bones” from
their market. One of the
key differences is safety
standards in pet food vs.
human food. The FDA Safety
Primal raw bones
standard for items sold in
provide numerous
the pet food industry is zero
dental benefits,
tolerance for pathogenic
behavioral benefits
bacteria. This means that
and nutritional
there is NO allowable level of
support.
salmonella, E.Coli-0157h7
or listeria monocytogenes in
3
Primal Bones
any pet food product. In comparison, meat and bones sold
for human consumption (“butcher bones” from the market)
are allowed a small percentage of pathogenic bacteria to
be present. Those items are being sold to be cooked; the
cooking process would then eliminate the pathogens that
are present and therefor the USDA allows the bacteria to be
present.
To meet the strict FDA food safety requirements, Primal
sources only edible grade (passed for human consumption)
meats and poultry from ranches and farms that adhere to the
highest quality and safety standards. All batches of Primal
bones are tested for salmonella, E. coli-0157h7 and listeria
monocytogenes. Batches are held until test results come
back negative, they are then released into distribution.
All Primal Meaty Bones (chicken necks, turkey necks, and
chicken backs) also go through High Pressure Processing. High-Pressure Processing (HPP) is a unique, non-thermal
process that inactivates pathogenic bacteria through highpressure, water-based technology. High-Pressure Processing
is a USDA-approved, 100% natural process, and is allowed
for use on organic and natural products.
How to Introduce a Bone
As with any new food item, recreational bones (beef femur,
buffalo femur, lamb femur, venison femur) and raw meaty
bones (chicken neck, chicken back, turkey neck) should be
gradually added to your pet’s feeding regimen.
For recreation bones, offer the bone to your pet and always
supervise them while chewing on it. Once the meat is
removed from the exterior and the marrow licked from the
center (beef femur and buffalo femur), the bone should be
removed and discarded. For Lamb Femur and Venison
Femur bones, once the meat has been removed and the
bone is clean, remove the bone and discard. Recreational
bones are NOT to be fully consumed, but rather gnawed and
licked.
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Primal Bones
Categories of Primal Bones
Raw Meaty Bones: Chicken Necks (Cat Approved), Turkey
Necks, Chicken backs
Feeding Instructions: Customers should monitor their pet
at ALL TIMES when feeding any raw bones. Pets should not
be left alone while chewing on their bones. The appropriately
sized bones should be fed according to the pets’ size
and chewing habits. Raw meaty bones are intended to be
completely consumed. These bones can make up to 30% of
a pets’ total daily diet. Many owners choose to feed a meaty
bone to replace dinner a few times a week. These bones are
considered “soft bones” and do not splinter.
Small dogs and cats can be fed Chicken Necks. Medium to
large dogs can be fed Chicken Backs and/or Turkey Necks.
Bones will maintain optimum freshness for 2-3 days under
refrigeration after completely thawed. Discard any Raw
Meaty bone that has not been fully consumed within 2 hours.
Recreational Bones: Marrow and Femur Bones
Feeding Instructions: Customers should monitor their pet
at ALL TIMES when feeding any raw bones. It is important to
feed appropriately sized bones according to the pets’ size and
chewing habits. If a dog tends to chew with excessive force,
feeding Recreational Bones may not be appropriate or safe.
Small dogs and cats can be fed 2” Beef or Buffalo Bones.
Medium to large dogs can be
fed large size 2” and/or 4” Beef
Bones, Lamb Femurs, Venison
Femurs or Buffalo Center Cuts
All batches of
Primal bones
For dogs, discard bones within 1
are tested for
day maximum after feeding. For
salmonella,
cats, discard bone after 1 hour
E.Coli and
of chewing. Recreational Marrow
listeria.
Bones are intended to be fed
as a recreational treat up to 1-2
bones maximum per week.
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Primal Bones
6
Primal Raw Bone Comparison
Primal Raw Bone Cooked/Baked Bone
Dental Chew
A raw meaty bone
will not splinter
as it has never
become brittle
from cooking.
Recreational
bones can splinter
if dogs are left to
chew on them
longer than
recommended.
These bones are very
brittle and can cause
problems when they
splinter. When they
break the pieces are
sharp and can cause
digestive upset.
Due to size, many pets
are able to break these
in a few pieces and
swallow them not fully
chewed. Most of these
bones are very high in
starch. They have also
been known to cause
intestinal blockages.
They leave behind
active enzymes
that are proven
beneficial to
oral health and
reduction of
plaque and tartar
while also scraping
the surface of the
tooth.
Will also scrape the
surface of the teeth
however the active
enzymes have been
destroyed from the
cooking process.
As most dental chews
are composed of
starch (potato, wheat,
tapioca Etc.) they leave
behind these simple
carbohydrates on the
teeth, which convert
to sugar. Sugar in the
mouth of any animal
leads to the build-up
of plaque & tartar, and
other tooth & gum
diseases.
Raw meaty bones
are easily digested
as active enzymes
aide in digestion.
No living organisms or
enzymes survive the
cooking process.
No living organisms due
to the cooking process.
Enzymes are only
present if they’ve been
added back in after the
cooking process. The
high starch can lower
stomach and intestinal
acidity which can cause
gas and digestive
issues.
Raw Goat Milk
Why Raw Goat Milk
Primal now offers an additional way to elevate your
pet’s health with our Raw Goat Milk. As with all of our
foods, starting with wholesome, edible grade ingredients
accompanied with robust food safety protocols, our raw
products can be safely consumed by dogs and cats. In
commercial dairy products, pasteurization is used to kill
bacteria from the animal’s milk or from environmental
contaminants. The process of pasteurization also kills
enzymes and beneficial nutrients. Goat milk, also known as
the “universal milk”, can most easily be absorbed by a variety
of mammals due to the size of its fat molecules. Goats Milk
contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements,
enzymes, protein, and fatty acids all easily absorbed and
utilized by the body.
When milk is pasteurized, lactase along with other nutrients
are damaged from the heat. Since our pets’ bodies do not
produce ample lactase throughout the duration of their lives,
their bodies have a hard
time digesting the lactose
Goat milk, also
in pasteurized milk; hence
known as the
the statement “Dogs and
“universal milk”
cats are lactose intolerant.”
can most easily
In Primal Raw Goats Milk,
be
absorbed by a
the lactase remains intact
variety of mammals
and active as it was never
due to the size of
pasteurized or exposed to
its fat molecule.
heat. Because of this, the
lactase in the milk digests the
lactose and allows the dog or
cat’s body to benefit from goats milk without any discomfort.
Sourcing
Primal Goat Milk is sourced from a Certified Humane, family
farm. All goats are raised antibiotic free and are fed grasses
and hay and food based nutritional supplements.
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Raw Goat Milk
Process of Milking Goats to Bottling
1.Goats are humanely milked.
2.Milk is held in a stainless steel refrigerated collection vat
3.Supplements (spices and probiotics) are added to the raw
milk and blended
4.Milk is bottled on automated bottling line
5. Milk is sampled and sent to a third party laboratory
for testing of Salmonella, E-coli0157h7 and Listeria
Monocytogines.
Spices added to the Milk
Cinnamon is added as an antibacterial/antifungal and
can assist with arthritis and muscular inflammation in older
animals.
Ginger is added as a digestive aid and natural antioxidant.
Turmeric is added as natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant.,
detoxifier and anti-cancer herb
Probiotics added to milk
L. acidophilus - Increase immune resistance against such
harmful bacteria and fungi as Candida albicans, Salmonella,
E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus; Helps control intestinal
infections, thus reducing the potential of diarrhea and other
infections or diseases.
Lactococcus lactis lactis - Able to synthesize both folate
and riboflavin, two key B vitamins. Produces large amounts
of lactic acid. May be used in the future to treat Irritable
Bowel Disease (IBD)
E. faecium - Provides important nutritional support in
the event of diarrheal diseases. Because it is a transient
bacterium, E. faecium needs to be replaced continually.
In several studies, it has proven to be resistant to a wide
variety of antibiotics and also to be more effective than L.
acidophilus in shortening the duration of diarrheal episodes.
8
Testing and Safety Assurance
All batches of Primal Goat Milk are tested for Salmonella,
E-coli and Listeria Monocytogenes prior to release for
distribution.
Storage
Primal Raw Goats Milk is sold frozen, and should be stored
in the freezer prior to use.
Twenty-four hours prior to
using, the container should
All batches of Primal
be placed in the refrigerator
Goat Milk are tested
to defrost. After a full day,
for Salmonella,
the majority of the milk has
E-coli and Listeria
defrosted and can be used.
prior to release for
The product can be partially
distribution.
thawed, portioned and refrozen as long as the product
is not completely thawed. The milk will settle in between
uses, shaking the product prior to feeding will create an even
consistency for your pet.
Shelf life of Primal Goat Milk:
10 days after being thawed, 1 year frozen.
Feeding suggestions (oz. per day):
As with all of our products, we do recommend a slow
transition when introducing new food products to any pet.
We would recommend starting with a ¼ of the daily feeding
portion as an introductory portion.
Pet Wt: < 20 lb
Serving:
2 oz
20-40 lb 40-60 lb 60-80 lb
4 oz
6 oz
8 oz
Raw Goat Milk
Packaging
The Goat Milk bottles are made of High-density polyethylene
(HDPE). They contain no PETE or BPA’s and are recyclable.
The milk is available in two sizes: 16 oz. quarts & 8 oz. pints.
80 lb >
10 oz
 Above chart based on supplemental feeding
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Feeding Suggestions WITH Primal Freeze-Dried Diets
5 lb
2
Milk: 2 oz
+ Water: 0 oz
Pet Wt:
Nuggets:
10 lb 20 lb 40 lb 60 lb 80 lb 100 lb
4
8
16
24
32
40
2 oz 4 oz 6 oz 8 oz 10 oz 10 oz
2 oz 4 oz 10 oz 16 oz 22 oz 30 oz
Raw Goat Milk
 Above chart based on 2.5% daily feeding percentage
Not only is Primal Raw Goats Milk a great tool to help with
digestion it helps pets obtain their daily need for moisture.
Dogs’ and cats’ bodies are about 65% moisture and unlike
humans, they are designed to obtain the majority of their
water from the foods they eat.
By adding raw goat’s milk (which
is 79% moisture) to the pets’
diet they will be gaining needed
moisture as well as the benefits
from raw nutrients.
Serving Suggestions
Goats Milk and Kibble
(pet cereal)
Making “cereal” out of kibble
is a great way to supercharge
any pets diet! It’s as simple as it
sounds; pour the recommended
amount of Primal Goats Milk over
the pets kibble in the morning
or evening. This addition to a
pet’s diet is an alternative feeding
method for pets to gain many
of the benefits of a raw diet.
Customers may be hesitant to
switch their pet’s food entirely
but will often be open to adding
a goat milk to their pet’s diet
throughout the week.
10
Cat Nutritional Biology 101
Cats are obligate carnivores and are required to eat meat to
live healthy lives.
1.Teeth - sharp pointed teeth designed to shred, pierce, tear
and crush. Cats have no flat teeth to grind plant matter.
2.Tongue - “Barbed” tongue is used to easily strip meat off
bone & provides a built-in brush to allow for grooming.
4.Jaw Shape - Long snouts and strong jaw, moves up and
down to provide a strong closure for crushing (does not
move side to side to chew and grind food in the mouth)
5.Stomach - Large stomach. The stomach’s job is to break
down protein. Large stomach size = easier to digest large
portions of meat.
6.Intestinal Tract - very short. The job of the intestinal
tract is to break apart starch and absorb nutrients. Short
intestine = cannot digest very much starch
If you put the wrong oil
in a car it may run for a
while, but slowly it will
start to break down
from the inside out.
Raw for Felines
Cat Food Problems and Solutions
Real Nutrition. Real Solutions.
My cat is always
getting into
everything,
appears board
and scratches
and chews on
everything
Give Your Cat A Raw Bone!
Cats are biologically designed to chew as an
outlet for pent up energy. A Small marrow bone
can be given a few times a week to provide a
kitten or cat with a positive outlet for its energy.
See bone module for more info.
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Raw for Felines
12
It’s impossible to
brush my cats
teeth and those
dental cleanings
are so expensive
Give Your Cat A Raw Bone!
The enzymes in Primal work similarly to an
“enzymatic toothpaste.” The enzymes that are
naturally occurring in Raw Bones and Primal
Raw Diets can help to fight problem-causing
bacteria. As the cat chews, the bone scrapes the
plaque off the teeth, massages the gums, and
the tenuous material flosses between the teeth.
A chicken neck or small marrow bone is great for
feline dental health.
See bone module for more info.
My cat gets
hairballs
Feed Raw!
Hairballs are caused from a few things:
1. Too much hair in the stomach – a cat on Primal is
getting proper nutrient absorption & sheds less.
2. Cooked foods tend to consist of about ½
starch (starch lowers the cats stomach acidity)
which makes it challenging for the stomach to
break apart hair. A cat on raw has a biologically
appropriate acidity level in the stomach so the
hair in the stomach is easily broken down, thus
reducing or even eliminating hair balls!
3. Raw Food has enzymes – enzymes aid in
breaking down hair in the stomach
4. Moisture content of a raw food diet is very
high which keeps the cat and their GI tract well
hydrated, making digestion and passing of
hairballs easier.
Fun Fact: most hairball formulas ADD starch in
the form of insoluble fiber in order to move the
hair through, this results in large stool that smells
due to the starch not properly breaking down.
Check out the goat’s milk module to learn why it
can help reduce hair balls!
Feed Primal!
Primal uses only whole ingredients and no
synthetics. Primal uses only whole food
ingredients to make a complete and balanced diet
with NO added synthetic vitamins or minerals.
This ensures that your cat is able to better absorb
vitamins and minerals essential for healthy hair
growth, thus reducing shedding. Primal diets
also include coconut oil, salmon oil, & apple cider
vinegar; all commonly used as supplements to
facilitate healthy skin and coat!
Stinky litter box
Feed Primal!
Obligate carnivores, like cats, have intestines
made to digest proteins and fats. When they
are fed diets high in starch (like kibble and most
canned diets) the starches must stay in their
intestine for longer periods of time in order to
break down and ferment. Fermentation in the GI
tract causes gas and odorous stools.
Primal contains almost no starch and is extremely
bioavailable, using only foods for vitamins and
minerals, so the body absorbs almost everything
that the pet eats, leading to less stool volume.
When feeding Primal a cat will also be receiving
optimal amounts of moisture. This moisture leads
to more dilute & less offensive smelling urine.
Check out the Goats Milk Module to learn why it
could help reduce litter box smell!
Raw for Felines
My cat sheds
so much
Raw Cat Food Integration & Transition
“My cat is picky and does not like change”
Once a customer is committed to using raw feeding as the
solution for whatever problem is plaguing their pet, they
may be presented with the difficulty of transitioning a picky
cat. It is correct; cats can be very “picky” when it comes to
what they eat. Cats are known to be imprint eaters. In the
wild a mother cat would be able to teach its young what
was safe to eat. In domesticated cats this behavior can be
displayed by cats only wanting to eat the textures, smells,
13
Raw for Felines
14
and temperatures they were
It is extremely
fed as kittens. This makes it
important that
extremely important that all
all
kitten owners
kitten owners receive raw
receive raw food
food education and start
education
and start
incorporating raw food into
incorporating some
their pet’s diet early on.
raw food into their
Kittens
pet’s diet early on.
Kitten owners are the most
receptive to new information
and will visit their local pet store more often than owners of
adult cats. This raises the opportunity to slowly educate
kitten customers on raw feeding to prevent problems for their
cats later in life.
Fun ways to incorporate raw into a kitten’s diet:
• Use an interactive treat toy and put Primal Freeze-Dried
crumbled up inside
• Use a “stuffable” toy and put Primal frozen and Primal
Goat Milk inside and freeze it for a cold snack
• Use Primal Freeze-Dried as a topper for kibble or canned
food
• Use Pronto on its own or mixed into kibble or canned food
• Use goat milk with kibble or canned food
(see goat milk module for more info)
Adult Cats
When beginning the process of integrating Primal into an
adult cats feeding routine there are a few questions that help
guide the best path for transition.
It is important to let cat customers know cat transitioning
takes time, persistence, and patience. Being their support
during this time can lead to success! If the cat will not touch
any of the Freeze Dried or Frozen food, then goat’s milk is a
fantastic way to gain similar results!
Goat Milk
(see goats milk module for specifics):
Once defrosted, goat milk can be put in a small baggie or
container and placed in warm, water to get the milk up to room
temperature. Many cats will happily drink the milk on its own!
Steps to utilize Primal Goat Milk for transitions
1.Cat drinks milk on its own for a couple weeks
2.Pour milk over current food for a couple weeks
3.Follow chart above and add milk in step 1 and proceed
with milk in every meal.
Although transitioning a cat can be challenging in many
cases, the reward is great and outweighs any problems
along the way!
Start with ¼ nugget per day
crumbled into a fine powder mixed
in with cat’s kibble. If the cat will
eat the food, move to ½ nugget
after two days, reducing the kibble
by an equal amount. Continue
increasing freeze-dried & reducing
kibble until meal is ½ Primal and ½
kibble. Be sure to hydrate the
freeze-dried food when possible
by adding 1 tbsp of water or raw
goat millk for every nugget.
Reducing Kibble and Mixing
Part Freeze-Dried and Part
Primal Pronto
Once the cat is happily eating
half freeze-dried and half kibble,
you can introduce thawed raw if
desired. Start by adding one
morsel of Primal Pronto into the
food. Once your cat accpets the
raw food, you can increase the
amount of raw and reduce the
amount of kibble you are feeding
until the kibble is eliminated.
For more information on transitining
a cat to raw, visit our website at
primalpetfoods.com/education/transition
Does your cat currently eat
kibble or canned food?
Kibble
Canned
Primal Pronto Mixed in Canned
Food
Start by adding one morsel of
Primal Pronto into the canned
food. Be sure to wait the whole
5 minutes to insure the morsel is
the same temperature as the
canned food. Throughouly mix
the morsel into the food. If the
cat is eating with one morsel
then slowly increase morsels no
faster than one morself at a time
and cut back canned food until
cat is eating 100% frozen.
Raw for Felines
Primal Freeze-Dried Mixed
With Kibble
Primal Freeze-Dried
as treat in a toy
15
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