Frequently Arfed Questions

Heckova! Complete Meals and Treat Topper Mixers can be served as is, directly from the package, or it can be rehydrated if your dog prefers. If rehydrating, add 2 tablespoons cool or warm water per 1/4 cup of food. More or less water can be used depending on your dog's preference. You can also use broth if you prefer (not hot). Let it sit for 3-5 minutes before serving and discard any rehydrated food after 1 hour if it is not consumed. Always make sure your dog has access to plenty of drinking water.

You can add water if your pup prefers a moister dog food. If rehydrating, add 2 tablespoons cool or warm water per 1/4 cup of food. More or less water can be used depending on your dog's preference. You can also use broth if you prefer (not hot). Let it sit for 3-5 minutes before serving and discard any rehydrated food after 1 hour if it is not consumed. Always make sure your dog has access to plenty of drinking water.

Heckova! products are formulated for adult dogs of all breeds and sizes, including senior dogs.

Every recipe is developed by our Research and Innovation team, which is made up of highly skilled experts in the fields of animal science, animal nutrition, food science and technology. They have many years of experience working in animal nutrition at distinguished companies and are passionately devoted to formulating safe and nutritions freeze-dried recipes.

Freeze drying (also known as lyophilization) is a process that removes water from frozen food by placing it under a vacuum at low temperatures. The process allows the ice in the food to change directly from a solid to a vapor, skipping the liquid phase (sublimation). Our freeze-drying process uses a combination of temperature, pressure and time to remove more than 95% of the water from our food without excessively heating it, thus preserving the food's taste, texture and nutrition.

Heckova! Treat Topper Mixers can be offered as a treat or mixed in to your dog's current food (dry or wet) to provide extra taste and nutrition. Remember to follow the feeding instructions listed on the package.

Heckova! Treat Topper Mixers and Single-Ingredient Bites are formulated to be served occasionally or in addition to your dog's current food. They are not intended to be the sole source of complete and balanced nutrition for your dog.

Heckova! Complete Meals are formulated to offer complete and balanced nutrition for your dog and meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Adult Maintenance. Heckoa! Complete Meals can also be served as a treat, topper or mixer.

Nope, it sure doesn't. Heckova! recipes are made from real, raw animal protein, like beef, beef liver and chicken raised antibiotic-free.

It’s 100% animal protein, that’s it. Just real, raw cuts of meat freeze-dried for maximum nutrition, safety and convenience.

They are made using only high-quality, human-grade beef livers, and each treat maintains that high level of quality throughout. Our product meets AAFCO guidelines for human-grade pet food, including:

1) 100% of the ingredient used is human-grade/edible
2) The product is stored, handled, processed and transported under the same rigorous requirements as human food
3) The manufacturing facility is registered with the FDA to manufacture both human food and animal food"

Our Single-Ingredient Beef Lover Beef Liver Bites are only intended for animal consumption.

Barley is a source of fiber that helps support digestive health.

Pumpkin is a source of fiber that helps support digestive health and it also includes nutrients that help support a healthy immune system.

Quinoa is great source of antioxidants, plant-based protein and fiber, which helps support digestive health.

Blueberries are a superfood with nutrients that help support immune and heart health.

Beets offer various health-promoting agents that help support cardiovascular and overall health.

Flaxseed provides a bioavailable source of beneficial fatty acids that help support immune, heart, and skin health.

As a soluble fiber prebiotic, inulin helps support gut health and healthy digestion.

Purple sweet potatoes are packed with health-promoting antioxidants to support heart, digestive and immune health. Additionally, nutrients in purple sweet potatoes support healthy skin and joint health.

Spinach, broccoli and kale contain beneficial antioxidants and nutrients that help support heart health.

Butternut squash contains antioxidants, which help support overall heart health.

Cranberries contain antioxidants that help support overall health, including urinary, kidney and immune health.

Eggs are a nutrient-dense, high-quality protein source.

Apples are a high-fiber fruit that help support digestive health and are packed with strong, health-promoting antioxidants.

Sunflower seeds provide beneficial fatty acids that help support the health of your dog's skin and coat.

Taurine is an amino acid that aids in the healthy function of the nervous, digestive and immune systems.

Good digestion is important for dogs to absorb essential nutrients. We include brown rice because it’s a good source of dietary fiber, which can help aid in digestion.

Carrots have a lot of health benefits for dogs. They’re a natural fiber source to aid in gut health and also have nutrients that help to support immune and heart health.

Mixed tocopherols are forms of vitamin E that work as an all-natural antioxidant to help maintain the freshness and shelf life of Heckova!. And fresher food means better health for your dog.

Rosemary extract is part of an all-natural antioxidant that is added to help maintain the freshness and shelf life of Heckova! By protecting the food’s freshness, it also helps to protect your dog’s health.

Antioxidants are substances that help preserve the freshness of pet food and support your dog’s overall health by defending cells from free radical damage (also called oxidative stress). Free radical damage can lead to negative impacts, like faster aging, cancer, cardiovascular issues and more.

Heck yeah, it is! 100% of the chicken we use in our recipes is from poultry raised without antibiotics.

We’d be happy to answer your specific nutritional questions. Get in touch with us directly at 855-HECKOFA

Heck yeah it is! We're proud to produce every bag of Heckova! in our state-of-the-art freeze-dry facility in Nebraska, upholding the highest safety standards in the pet food industry.

An unopened bag of Heckova! is good for up to 18 months, but you should check the printed expiration date on the bag. Once opened, a bag of Heckova! will stay fresh for 3 months, as long as it is properly resealed and stored between feedings.

After serving Heckova!, press as much air out of the pouch as you can and seal the package tightly. Store the closed package in a cool, dry location or at room temperature. We don’t recommend refrigerating or freezing Heckova! because it can lead to moisture accumulating inside the package, which can reduce the food’s shelf life. Be sure to wash your hands, utensils and your dog’s bowl in hot soapy water before and after feedings. Since Heckova! food is raw, be sure to discard any that's left over when your pup's done eating.

The bacteria in our raw food is killed through a step called high-pressure processing (HPP). HPP uses extremely high pressure to eliminate microorganisms such as E. coli., Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella. HPP is a scientifically validated process that retains the nutrients in the food much more effectively than cooking it.

Nope, HPP has little to no effect on the nutrition of Heckova! products. That’s what makes HPP such an essential step – it kills harmful pathogens, while preserving the nutrients of the raw food.

Quality starts with our ingredients. We have a very rigorous supplier approval program to ensure that all of our ingredients meet the highest standards for quality and traceability. During processing, each batch is high-pressure processed, goes through multiple metal detectors, and is tested for pathogens and microbiological indicators at three points during the manufacturing process. In addition, 100% of the product is manufactured in a facility that is Safe Quality Food (SQF) certified in both Pet Food Manufacturing and Quality. We’re proud to report that our facility has received the highest rating achievable (“Excellent”) in every SQF audit. Finally, we test and hold the product until it passes all of our rigorous safety and quality control steps to ensure that only the highest quality food makes it into your dog’s bowl.

The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognized certification. The SQF program details strict food safety and quality standards that cover all aspects of the food supply chain. Every year, our food safety and quality program and manufacturing facility are audited by an SQF auditor. We’re incredibly proud to have earned an “Excellent” rating (the highest rating achievable) in every SQF audit.

You bet we do! Heckova! products are tested for palatability at certified canine kennels/institutions. We use these same kennels to make sure Heckova! is highly digestible.

Heckova! Treat Topper Mixers and Single-Ingredient Bites are formulated to be served occasionally or in addition to your dog's current food. They are not intended to be the sole source of complete and balanced nutrition for your dog.

Heckova! Complete Meals are formulated to offer complete and balanced nutrition for your dog and meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for Adult Maintenance. Heckoa! Complete Meals can also be served as a treat, topper or mixer.

At Heckova!, we've got a hot tip for you: avoid cooking, microwaving, or heating our tasty diets before serving them to your furry friends. Our diets are specially designed in a raw format, packed with all the essential nutrients adult dogs need to stay in top shape. Heating it up could potentially take away the nutritional punch that makes it so paw-some! So, let's keep things cool and follow the feeding guidelines we've prepared for the best results. Your pup will thank you with wagging tails and slobbery kisses!

We stand by our Heckova! Guarantee, which says that if you’re not happy, we’ll make it right. Just contact us by email at customerservice@heckova.com within 30 days of your product’s original purchase date. We’ll refund your original purchase price, minus the original shipping and handling costs. Once your refund is approved, it will be processed within approximately 7 to 10 business days, and the credit will go back to your original method of payment. Requests made more than 30 days after the original ship date may not be approved.

Let's talk. Email us at customerservice@heckova.com or give us a call at 1-800-HECKOFA (432-5632).