Pasture-raised lamb with ancient grains

Whole grains are far more nutritious than the refined grains found in most dry dog food with grains.

A whole grain contains:

• the bran (outer layer with B vitamins and minerals)
• germ (core with B vitamins, vitamin E, healthy fats and antioxidants)
• endosperm (starch & carbohydrate middle layer with some proteins and vitamins)

A refined grain just contains:
A whole grain contains:

• endosperm (starch & carbohydrate middle layer with some proteins and vitamins)

The extra fibre and nutrients in whole grains allow healthy microbes to flourish in the gut and provide more sustained energy for play any time of the day.

This recipe is nutritionally complete and suitable for dogs of all life stages (except large breed puppies).

Many grains like wheat and corn can cause sensitivities in dogs, but the whole oats, brown rice and chia in this recipe are easy to digest and process efficiently in the gut. Lamb is also naturally hypoallergenic so this recipe is still great for sensitive dogs.

With lower fibre, this is a great alternative for dogs that poo a bit too much on our grain-free recipes.

For overweight dogs, we’d suggest our lower-carb Turkey or Kangaroo recipes.

Not all grains are created equal. “Grain” can mean a whole lotta different things, from highly processed and refined wheats and corns, to healthier alternatives of ancient grains and pseudo-cereals like spelt, freekeh, bulgur, farro, oats, brown rice, chia and pseudo-cereals like quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, and chia.

If unsure, pick up a sample and see how your dog responds.

Each piece of kibble is approximately 14mm in diameter and pretty flat.

We use a premium, high-protein, pasture-raised Australian lamb

This recipe includes as much as we could include without being nutritionally unbalanced.

This recipe includes as much as we could include without being nutritionally unbalanced.

Lots of dogs foods are called “Lamb” or “Kangaroo” but they also include Chicken if you read the fine print. Many grain inclusive food will include highly refined wheat or corn gluten to boost their protein. Adding a dash of pea protein allows us to make a healthy, protein packed feast that stays away from ingredients like chicken, wheat and corn that cause lots of allergies.

This food is nutritionally complete and designed to be great for all breeds, in all stages, except for Large Breeds while they are puppies. If your dog is a puppy and you’re unsure, see ‘Is this OK for puppies’.

Yes, our lamb with ancient grains recipe is great for all puppies except for large breed puppies (woofers who are expected to weigh over 30 kilograms as an adult).

Large breed puppies have very specific requirements to allow them to grow healthily and to reduce the risk of developmental orthopaedic diseases.

The lamb recipe has higher calcium content than suggested for large breeds. If we think your dog might not be suitable for Scratch while it’s growing, we’ll prevent you from purchasing at checkout to ensure that no dog owner purchases without checking with their vet first.

If you have a large breed puppy, our Turkey recipe is for you.

Being online-only, we had more money to spend on quality ingredients than standard retail brands. We then worked with our manufacturer and an animal nutritionist to develop the best recipe we could.

We even had to twist their arm and source new high quality ingredients just for us. The things we really get passionate about are:

• Sustainable single-source animal protein
• Using plenty of more nutritious, whole ingredients
• Avoid the heavily industrial processed grains like wheat and corn that so many dogs have built up sensitivities too
• High protein with the focus on real ingredients

Sure can.

The oils and vegetables (learn about oils in dog food) in this recipe are the same across our range, so transitioning between them is smoother than most.

If your dog has shown sensitivities to food in the past, we could suggest transitioning over 7 days like when you first started Scratch.

Wheat, corn, soy and white rice are cheap which is why they pack out the majority of dog food. This recipe costs us more to make than the Turkey Grain-Free option, which is why it is priced higher.

This recipe uses whole Australian grains (Oats, Brown Rice and Chia) that are very expensive to source, but far more nutritious.

There’s a huge difference in the farming and nutritional profile of whole brown rice compared to processed corn for instance.

Scratch is made in Sydney and is annually audited by a 3rd party as complying to the Australian Standard for the Manufacturing and Marketing of Pet Food (AS 5812-2017).

There’s no such thing really. Sure, we could find a hot celebrity vet, pay them some cash and have a photoshoot as they run down a beach with a dog, but that’s not how we roll.

Our recipes are developed with a Masters Degree qualified Animal Nutritionist. Scratch dog food exceeds the minimum standards of ‘complete & balanced’ pet food as defined by AAFCO.

Subscription changes everything. We know how many subscribers we have, when their next deliveries are due and can time when we make and send them a fresh box.

Traditional store-bought dry dog food may be up to a year old before you buy it. Generally, it will have a best before date, but not a production date so it is hard to tell how old it is. Dog food is normally made in large runs, then sits in the manufacturer’s warehouse waiting for a distributor or retailer to place an order.

It then sits in their warehouse waiting for a distributor or retailer to place an order. Finally it sits on the shelf at the retail store with hundreds of other varieties, waiting for the customer to come in and want that exact product.

We make Scratch recipes monthly, sending you two freshly sealed 4kg bags per box. Keep one sealed while you’re feeding the first and open it when old mate is ready for more.

As puppies inherit their microbiome from their parents, there’s no knowing how a puppy will fare with different ingredients, so it all comes down to personal preference for you, and observing how your dogs body reacts to different foods.

Grains are neither healthier or unhealthier than grain-free – they’re just big food groups that vary a lot.

All of our recipes are 100% nutritionally balanced for puppies and we’d feel great about feeding our own puppies any of them.

Sure will. We will let you know 7 days in advance of when your next fresh box is due to ship and when it will be charged.

Each email contains a quick link to choose a new order date that you’d prefer or a button for us to send it ASAP if you’re running low.

We currently use Australia Post, with no signature required. Your driver will leave the box in the safest place possible and leave a card if they think there’s nowhere out of sight.

You can setup an Aus Post account for your address, to set up specific delivery instructions.

There are two 4kg resealable bags inside each box. This is important to keep the food fresh, and store all the great smells inside for feeding time!

We ship to most places in Australia.

Shipping is free for all Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston, Brisbane & Gold Coast customers and subsidized down to a small fee for everyone else. Head to checkout and enter your address to see exactly how much it is to get to your door.

Sure do. You can add a box of Scratch biodegradable poop bags to every order.