Frequently Asked Questions

The Blackwood Pet Food headquarters is located in Lisbon, Ohio. We proudly slow-cook our recipes at our state-of-the-art manufacturing plants located in Lisbon, Ohio, Sherburne, New York & Kiel, Wisconsin.

With over 40 years in the industry, we’re proud to report we have never had a recall on any of our products.

You sure can! Visit our Contact Us page to request a free sample today.

Our products are available on Amazon & Chewy and can also be found in select retail locations. To find a store near you, visit our store locator today.

Making the choice to serve your pet a wet canned food or a dry kibble is a personal one – meaning it’s up to you & your pet. There’s no right or wrong choice. To help you make the best decision for your family, we’ve compiled a list of advantages for each pet food type.

Kibble

• A convenient feeding option (no refrigeration needed & easier storage)
• The process of chewing a dry kibble provides various oral health benefits
• A more economical friendly choice
• Dry kibble creates less waste than canned food

Canned Food

• Canned foods tend to be more palatable, even for picky eaters
• High-moisture content can help keep pets hydrated
• Pets with chronic dental problems may find wet food a perfect solution

Our packaging is color-coded so pet parents can quickly identify the line and recipe. Here’s a breakdown:

• Our black (or dark grey) bags represent our Everyday Diet line. This selection features formulas crafted for everyday dogs from puppy to senior. It also features diets specific for various breeds, such as large breed dogs.
• Our light grey bags represent our Solutions line. This selection includes formulas for dogs with sensitive skin & stomachs, as well as grain-free diets. These recipes are complete & balanced for dogs of all-life stages.
• The blue bags are specific to cat formulas.

Yes! Our Blackwood 5000, Catfish Meal & Pearled Barley recipe is a chicken-free formula.

Yes! Our All Life Stages Special Diet Lamb Meal & Brown Rice recipe & All Life Stages Special Diet Salmon Meal & Brown Rice are both pea-free formulas.

Grain-free pet food products align with a pet’s natural instinct to consume a protein-rich diet. In addition, many pets suffer from grain allergies or gut issues. Consuming a grain-free diet can help combat certain intestinal sensitivities. Pet owners, who have made the switch to grain-free dog food, have repeatedly reported a number of benefits. Pet parents want to make sure the food they feed their dogs and cats have the key nutrients needed for a healthy life. Each Blackwood recipe contains unique ingredients especially selected for optimal nutrition.

Grain-free pet products are free of all-grain sources, which includes wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or any other cereal grain. While sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably, it is important to note grain-free is not the same as gluten-free. Not all grains contain gluten, therefore food labeled as gluten-free may still have grains within the blend.

Making the transition to grain-free pet food is rewarding. It provides peace of mind that your pet is being set up for a life full of health benefits. When starting the switch, it’s important to go slowly. Gradually introduce the grain-free Blackwood product by swapping out portions of their current grain-based food with the new food. The process should take a couple weeks before going totally grain-free.

The Dog Food Advisor, a public service website designed to help consumers make more informed decisions when buying dog food, recognized Blackwood Pet Food’s 3000 All Life Stages, Lamb Meal & Brown Rice as one of the best dry dog foods of 2019. This honor extends into 2020 as the Blackwood 3000 recipe continues to be listed as one of the best dry and grain-inclusive dog foods.

In November 2019, Pet Life Today, a free resource offering expert, researched information on pets, listed Blackwood’s Salmon Meal & Brown Rice recipe as the Best Holistic Dog Food for 2020 in the Special Formula Holistic Dog Food category. This recipe is part of Blackwood’s Sensitive Skin & Stomach line.

To make the switch to Blackwood, gradually add a small amount of the new recipe each day while reducing the amount of your pet’s current food. Continue this process for 7-10 days until your pet’s bowl is 100% Blackwood.

Reading an ingredient label and trying to understand what it all means can be overwhelming. We want to help breakdown the difference between “meat meals,” “meat by-products,” and “wet meat,” and let you know why we choose meat meals as a primary source of protein.

When browsing our recipes, you’ll notice our formulas feature an animal-sourced protein meal as the first ingredient. This is intentional because meat processed this way offers an advanced nutritional advantage to your pet. So, what is “meat meal?” According to AAFCO, (the Association of American Feed Control Officials) the formal definition of meat meal is the rendered product from mammal tissues, exclusive of any added blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach and rumen contents except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. In other words, it’s the protein in rendered form, so most of the water & fat have been removed to make a concentrated protein/mineral ingredient. The main advantage to a meal is that it’s approximately 300% higher in protein than wet meat. That’s why we choose animal sourced meals over wet meat.

At Blackwood, we never use animal by-product, which is the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially de-fatted low temperature fatty tissue, stomachs and intestines that freed of their contents.

Pumpkin is a popular ingredient in human food, but did you know that your pets can love & benefit from it too? There are so many benefits to adding pumpkin into your pet’s diet, which is why you will see it featured in so many of our recipes. Pumpkin is a nutrient-rich ingredient that is low in calories but rich in essential vitamins and minerals. This ingredient contains a high concentration of vitamin A (beta-carotene). It also contains potassium that supports blood pressure and muscle health and encourages digestive regularity. Pumpkin is also known to benefit the eyes, boost immune health and moisturize the skin & coat.

Many of our recipes feature dried plain beet pulp as a fiber blend that supports your pet’s ability to absorb ingredients. Beet pulp is the fibrous material left over after the sugar is extracted from sugar beets. This moderately fermentable fiber supports intestinal health by helping to move waste and by supplying energy to cells in the intestinal lining. The fiber, in dried beet pulp, helps remove extra water in the digestive tract, which results in firmer, more structured stools. Another reason to love beet pulp is because it naturally provides prebiotics to your four-legged friend. As a sugar-free & wholesome fiber, beet pulp has become a popular nutritional choice in super-premium pet food recipes.

Most people think of a steaming bowl of oatmeal when they think about oats, but did you know there are several types of oats? At Blackwood, we often include oat groats into our superpremium formulations. Oat groats are the intact, hulled oat grains that serve as a healthy grain for your pet’s diet. Because this ingredient is “as is,” it has the highest nutritional value of all forms of oats. They are digested very slowly, which reduces the glycemic load and makes them filling. Like other whole grains, they help in the fight against diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Oat groats also contribute beneficial minerals, including iron & phosphorus, which are components of compounds essential to good health. In addition, they offer antioxidant benefits due to their zinc & copper content.

Pea protein is almost a near-perfect protein of essential amino acids. It’s known to provide valuable vitamins, minerals and fiber that pets need in their daily diet. Because peas are lower in a few important amino acids; methionine, tryptophan and valine, we always lead our ingredient lists with other sources of these amino acids, such as meat protein. Some of our recipes combine both animal proteins and vegetable proteins to help pets reach their ideal amino acid requirements.

Does pea protein lead to dilated cardiomyopathy or DCM in dogs? In short – no. At Blackwood, we employ nutritional experts to examine and develop our formulations. With more than 40 years of experience working with select ingredients, we understand legumes (such as chickpeas and lentils), grains and potatoes are complex carbohydrates. If a formula is made up of too many complex carbohydrates, then certain health conditions may appear due to issues with digestibility. Vegetable proteins also lack the quantity of taurine, which is needed to aid in proper digestion, stabilize membranes around the nerves and assist in cardiovascular function. Animal proteins, however, are proven to have a greater source of taurine. Our belief is in order to have an increased risk of DCM from feeding a grain-free diet, the diet must have a higher percentage of protein sourced from vegetables than from meats. Our company ensures our recipes are formulated with more than 60% meat proteins. While AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) currently does not enforce a minimum taurine level in dog formulations because dogs naturally synthesize the amino acid, we maintain our levels up to .15% in our dog recipes.

Menhaden fish are small & oily fish that live along with Atlantic coastline of the United States. The oil obtained from the Menhaden fish offers a rich, sustainable source of EPA, DHA and DPA, the long-chain Omega-3 fatty-acids that are necessary for good health and development. Studies show Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and lower the risk of serious, prevalent chronic diseases such as heart disease. According to a recent report by the USDA, fish oil from Menhaden is also the top source of DPA, surpassing all other fish and meat.

First, it is important to note that there are many types of mustard, and not all mustard is safe for pets. At Blackwood, we sometimes feature the safe-to-eat & highly nutritious ground yellow mustard in our formulations. This unique ingredient offers a variety of nutritional benefits. Ground yellow mustard is a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. It’s a digestive aid that offers immune support, joint health, liver function support and blood sugar regulation. When prepared correctly in a pet’s diet, this ingredient can offer many benefits for your four-legged friend.

Brown rice is full of natural fiber that supports our pet’s digestive system. It’s also an excellent source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Brown rice also benefits the heart thanks to vitamins A & D. This superfood also contains minerals and vitamins essential to our pet’s health, including calcium, iron and riboflavin.

At Blackwood Pet Food, we partner with the most reputable suppliers that offer the most premium ingredients and then we slow cooked our recipes to perfection. While most of our ingredients are sourced in the USA, some ingredients & nutrients can only be found from other countries. Each ingredient included in our super-premium formulas goes through enhanced quantifiable & qualitative examinations. This ensures each batch of pet food meets or exceeds our high-quality standards. Your pet’s diet is our top priority, and we want to make sure each bowl of Blackwood Pet Food surpasses your expectations.

We understand many pet parents and pet lovers are concerned about the news surrounding a potential link between certain dog recipes and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). With more than 40 years of experience working with select ingredients, we understand legumes (such as chickpeas and lentils), grains, and potatoes are complex carbohydrates. If a formula is made up of too many complex carbohydrates, then certain health conditions may appear due to issues with digestibility. Vegetable proteins also lack the quantity of taurine, which is needed to aid in proper digestion, stabilize membranes around the nerves, and assist in cardiovascular function. Animal proteins, however, are proven to have a greater source of taurine. In order to have an increased risk of DCM from feeding a grain-free diet, the diet must have a higher percentage of protein sourced from vegetables than from meats. Our company ensures our recipes are formulated with more than 60% meat proteins. The governing body that sets nutritional standards for pet food sold in the United States, The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), currently does not enforce a minimum taurine level in dog formulations. This is primarily because dogs naturally synthesize taurine. AAFCO does require a .10% minimum taurine level for cat foods, and our inclusion rates surpass this requirement.

To read more about our response to DCM, please click here.

Like so many of you, we have spent the last several months learning about COVID-19 (also referred to as coronavirus) and how it is impacting our world. For BrightPet, this means closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation and responding to new information as it becomes available. It’s our promise to react in a manner that prioritizes the safety and well- being of our employees, customers and partners.

We’re optimistic our pet food production will continue to operate on schedule as we take additional steps to assess and monitor our associate’s health conditions. In anticipation of all possible scenarios, we urge customers to take advantage of in-stock products at your local and online retailers. If your recipe of choice is unavailable and you need assistance in selecting a transition formula, we invite you to reach out to us directly. While our office hours will remain the same, we will be extending our customer service hours via email. We will use Facebook as our preferred customer service platform on social media.

Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken the following steps beyond our usual high standards:

• Re-emphasized existing sanitation and illness policies, including frequent and proper handwashing, and our practices regarding the wearing and changing of gloves and other sanitary gear.
• Implemented enhanced protocols for cleaning and sanitizing our manufacturing plants and offices, including cleaning more frequently and adding additional cleanings solutions.
• Emphasized what associates can do to keep themselves and others safe, including not touching one’s face, and staying home if sick.
• Developed enhanced procedures to assess our associates’ health conditions.
• Added hand sanitizer stands in all of our manufacturing plants, to be installed as they arrive over the coming weeks.
• Modifying operations when needed to be able to continue to serve our partners and loyal customers.

Be assured we will continue to closely follow the guidance of the CDC and local health officials.

Finally, we are focused on making sure our team members can put their health first as we navigate this situation together. We are implementing an emergency PTO policy that will help ensure our associates are able to stay home if they are sick or diagnosed with COVID-19.

We know there’s a lot of information out there; for the most current information and government health guidelines, visit these official websites:

• cdc.gov
• usda.gov/coronavirus
• who.int

At Blackwood, we feel strongly no one should ever have to worry about how they are going to feed their pets. For more than 40 years, our family-operated company has always prioritized helping neighbors and those in need. Every cat & dog deserves to have a full bowl of food & the opportunity to have a healthier tomorrow. This is why we work with various organizations & shelters across the country. Each year we donate thousands of pounds of food to keep cat & dog bellies full.

Recently, we partnered with our sister brands, Adirondack Pet Food & By Nature Pet Food, to help families in need during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Together, we were able to donate 74,848 pounds of our slow-cooked pet foods to shelters and food banks that were hit the hardest during the pandemic. This donation provided approximately 300,000 meals to hungry pets in the United States.