ChefPaw Dog Food Maker

Our recipes actually go beyond AAFCO, NRC standards which are surprisingly limited in scope. AAFCO standards only provide recommended minimums for 36 nutrients and recommended maximums for 12 nutrients. AAFCO is also based per kg of food without regard for the size or activity level of the dog. The NRC standards provide recommended amounts for the same 36 nutrients as AAFCO, recommended minimums for 18 nutrients, and recommended maximums for 6 nutrients. Those NRC standards are also based on a 33lbs dog eating 1000 calories per day without regard to activity level or the needs of dogs significantly smaller or larger than 33 lbs.

Both the NRC and AAFCO ignore many nutrients that veterinarians and modern science indicate are key. For example, while many vets and scientific researchers support the conclusion that the nutrient Taurine is important for dog cardiac health, the NRC/AAFCO only recommends taurine for cats. More commonly recognized nutrients like cholesterol are also absent from official AAFCO/NRC standards.

In order to go beyond AAFCO and NRC standards, we custom-developed our patent-pending ChefPaw app which tracks 68 nutrients and then compares the nutrients in a recipe with the unique profile of your pet. Size, activity level, food allergies, food intolerances, and health conditions dramatically affect the nutritional needs of each dog. The ChefPaw dog food maker, the ChefPaw app, and ChefPaw suggested recipes are the latest game-changing developments from our team of professionals at Innovet Pet Products who have been making cutting-edge pet products since 2005. Every aspect of ChefPaw is also developed with the consultation of licensed veterinarians, veterinary nutritionists, and CVFT's.

Additionally, like humans, dogs appreciate and are better off with variety in their diet. Accordingly, the ChefPaw app analyzes the nutritional impact of not just 1 recipe, it analyzes the nutritional impact of an entire meal plan using many different recipes. This way the emphasis no longer has to be on finding artificial ways to get each recipe to hit 100% of nutritional goals, instead the emphasis can be more meaningful - finding the best combinations of recipes to naturally hit 98.8% of the nutritional goals, then nutritional supplements are only needed to cover the final 1.2%

Despite their limitations, the AAFCO and NRC are a great starting point for developing any dog food recipe, therefore ChefPaw customers wanting to create or compare any recipe to those standards can easily do so in the ChefPaw app by entering a pet profile for an adult 33 lbs dog with a high activity level. The resulting nutrient recommendations will be in line with AAFCO/NRC standards. 

The suggested ChefPaw recipes are general recipes based on commonly available ingredients from grocery stores in the USA. All pet food recipes require some nutritional supplementation in order to be considered balanced to AAFCO or NRC standards. Chefpaw’s dietary supplement is included with Chefpaw's suggested recipes in order to supplement only the most common nutritional deficiencies. We can guarantee that our suggested recipes will be delicious and nutritious however we cannot guarantee they will be adequate for the specific needs of your particular pet. Custom recipes based on your pet's unique medical history can only be obtained by a licensed veterinarian.