Frequently Asked Questions

Once you choose the product you wish to order, you can expect to receive your initial order within 2-5 business days. Following your first delivery, subsequent monthly orders will be dispatched or shipped to you approximately two (2), four (4), six (6), or eight (8) weeks later, depending on your subscription. If you need to make any modifications to your upcoming order, simply log into your account for easy adjustments, or email Contact@COREK-9.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Your subscription order will be placed every 2, 4, 6, or 8 weeks, depending on the frequency you select. Since shipping or delivery may take a little time, we recommend adding a few extra pounds to each order to ensure you never run out before your next box arrives.

Absolutely! We've designed our subscription management process to be user-friendly. If you ever wish to pause your deliveries of our delectable meals or determine that CORE K9 isn't the right choice for you and your dog, you can effortlessly handle it by accessing your account. Simply log in, and you'll have the option to cancel your subscription, or send an email to Contact@COREK-9.com.

It's important to note that while you can cancel your subscription at any time, doing so won't affect any existing orders you may have already placed.

If you have multiple dogs you wish to include in the subscription, you can certainly do so. Here's how you might approach it:

1. Evaluate Each Dog's Needs: Start by assessing the dietary needs of each of your dogs. Consider their age, size, activity level, and any special dietary requirements they might have.

2. Calculate Total Quantity: Once you have an understanding of each dog's individual needs, add up the total amount of food required to cover all your dogs for the subscription period.

3. Customize Your Subscription: CORE K9's subscription service can accommodate multiple dogs in one subscription. We offer the flexibility to customize orders based on your pets' combined needs.

4. Schedule and Manage Deliveries: Ensure that the delivery schedule aligns with your dogs' feeding schedule.

5. Monitor and Adjust: Keep an eye on how your dogs are doing with the food amount and type you've chosen.

Certainly! You have the option to review all the meals we offer before subscribing. Please visit our product page, where you can find detailed information about all our recipes.

Yes! We offer FREE cold-packed shipping on orders over $49.99.

For orders under $49.99, a flat shipping rate of $9.99 applies.

All CORE K9 meals are shipped in insulated packaging with ice packs to keep them fresh until they reach your door.

We ship twice weekly on Monday and Wednesday to ensure your dog's food arrives fresh.

Order by Sunday at noon → Ships Monday

Order by Tuesday at noon → Ships Wednesday

We offer UPS ground shipping within 1-3 business days to all 48 states in the contiguous U.S.!

The health and safety of your dog are our top priorities, and ensuring that your dog's fresh meals arrive at a frozen or cold temperature is of utmost importance to us. Ideally, the recipes should be received at a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

The best way to confirm the temperature is by checking the condition of the food upon delivery. As long as most of the packs are still partially frozen and all packs are cold to the touch, they are safe to use and can be refrozen. However, if your fresh meal packs arrive at a temperature above 32 degrees Fahrenheit, we recommend discarding them and promptly contacting our Customer Experience Team at contact@corek-9.com.

Yes, once your order is shipped, we will provide you with a tracking number via email. You can use this number to monitor your package's progress and expected delivery date.

You don't need to be present to receive your package! We ship our dog food in insulated packages equipped with ice packs, which effectively maintains frozen temperatures for an extended period.

Our recipes are intended to arrive at a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If, for any reason, your recipes arrive above this temperature, we advise you to discard them and promptly contact our Customer Experience Team at contact@corek-9.com for further assistance.

Please contact our customer service team as soon as possible if you need to change the shipping address. While we cannot guarantee the address can be changed after the order is in transit, we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Shipped orders typically arrive 1-3 business days after shipping, depending on your location.

All orders are shipped frozen with insulated packaging and ice packs or dry ice to maintain freshness during transit.

We deliver locally within a 20-mile radius of Matthews, NC. This includes most of Charlotte and surrounding communities. Not sure if you're in our delivery zone? Enter your address at checkout to check!

Local deliveries are made on Tuesday and Thursday.

• Order by Monday at 12pm (noon) → Delivered Tuesday

• Order by Wednesday at 12pm (noon) → Delivered Thursday

• FREE local delivery on orders $49.99 and up

• $9.99 delivery fee on orders under $49.99

Local deliveries are packaged frozen in a cooler bag with ice packs to ensure your dog's food stays fresh during transport.

If you won't be home to receive your delivery, we recommend leaving a cooler outside where we can place your frozen order. This ensures maximum freshness until you're able to transfer it to your freezer. Just add instructions at checkout letting us know where to find your cooler!

Not at this time. All local deliveries follow our Tuesday/Thursday schedule to ensure fresh, quality meals.

While we don't offer pickup for online orders, you can find CORE K9 at local pet stores and retailers in the Charlotte area! Visit our Where to Buy page to see all locations.

Introducing your dog to new food can be a sensitive process, so it's essential to follow the transition guide below over a span of 10-14 days:

Days 1-3: Begin by gradually increasing the new food to make up 1/4 of their diet, while the remaining 3/4 consists of their old food.

Days 4-7: Continue the transition by gradually increasing the new food to constitute 1/2 of their diet, alongside 1/2 of their old food.

Days 8-10: Continue the transition, ensuring that by the end of day 10, their diet comprises 100% of the new food.

If at any point you observe changes in your dog's appetite or stool consistency, slow down the transition process and allow a few days before further increasing the proportion of the new food.

No. All CORE K9 recipes are formulated to meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, meaning they provide complete and balanced nutrition. Your dog doesn't need additional supplements when fed CORE K9 as a complete diet. However, always consult your veterinarian about your individual dog's nutritional needs.

You typically do not require veterinary consultation before introducing our food, unless your dog is currently on a prescribed veterinary diet or has specific health issues that need attention.

When making the transition to a new food, it's possible to observe certain digestive issues in your dog, such as loose stools or occasional vomiting. Our food is known for its palatability, and dogs may eagerly consume it, potentially causing an upset stomach. To mitigate these issues, we strongly advise a gradual transition period spanning approximately 10 days to 2 weeks.

You might observe that your dog's coat becomes shinier, their skin appears healthier, and they exhibit increased vitality and energy!

Certainly, our food can be utilized as a delectable topper in conjunction with your current kibble or a blend of half kibble and half CORE K9. We kindly request that you maintain consistency in whichever method you choose.

If you opt for using it as a topper, please add a small amount to avoid excessive calorie intake. If you decide on a half-and-half approach, be sure to calculate your dog's daily calorie needs accurately. Your dog's well-being is our top priority!

We have 4 different recipes and we're proud and transparent of the high quality ingredients we use in them. To see the full list of recipes, visit our products page where you can click on the recipe image to get the full list of ingredients.

Fresh food: gently cooked and frozen to lock in freshness. Arrives frozen to be thawed in your refrigerator.

Fresh dog food goes through a much less severe cooking process than kibble. Our ingredients are carefully chosen to provide all the nutrients your dog needs to support their wellbeing, then gently cooked. Our gentle cooking process preserves nutrients, flavors and naturally occurring enzymes.

Our freshly crafted food is proudly made right here in the United States, specifically in North Carolina.

Our recipes have been meticulously crafted to provide complete and balanced nutrition for adult maintenance, encompassing all the essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients your dog requires. Preparing homemade dog food can be a challenging task, making it difficult to ensure that you meet all of your dog's nutritional needs precisely.

Our fresh recipes retain a higher percentage of naturally occurring nutrients due to our gentle, low-temperature cooking process, which is in contrast to kibble that undergoes rapid high-temperature cooking. High-temperature cooking can lead to the degradation of essential nutrients like vitamins and enzymes. Additionally, our fresh food is highly digestible, ensuring optimal nutrient absorption for your pet.

CORE K9 can be stored frozen for up to 12 months. Once thawed, keep refrigerated and use within 7 days. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

We take pride in the quality of ingredients used in our recipes and are committed to full transparency about what goes into our products. To access the comprehensive list of ingredients included, please click on the image on our products page. If you would like to receive the complete nutritional data for each product, please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email at contact@corek-9.com.

Our recipes are formulated by James Pendergast, a certified pet food formulator and animal nutrition expert with over 20 years of specialized experience in fresh and gently cooked dog food. James holds advanced certifications from the University of Illinois and Kansas State University, and is a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (AAVN).

While James is not a veterinarian, his expertise specifically focuses on fresh pet food formulation—which requires different knowledge than kibble production. All CORE K9 recipes meet AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for complete and balanced nutrition, which is the gold standard in the pet food industry.

James has spent over 20 years exclusively focused on fresh and minimally processed pet food formulation. His qualifications include:

• Advanced certification in Companion Animal Nutrition from University of Illinois

• Certificate in Pet Food Formulation for Commercial Production from Kansas State University

• HACCP and PCQI certifications for food safety

• Member of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition

• Consultant for leading domestic and international pet food brands

• Trained under renowned pet nutrition expert Steve Brown

Promotes Gut Health: Our food is rich in dietary fiber sourced from fresh fruits and vegetables, complemented by the addition of yeast culture, a postbiotic that nurtures gut health.

Complete and Balanced Nutrition: Our ingredients naturally contain protein, essential fatty acids, and minerals. We carefully incorporate a selection of vitamins and minerals into our recipes.

Enhances Skin and Coat Health: We enrich our recipes with salmon oil, a plentiful source of omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA and EPA, renowned for their positive impact on skin and coat health.

Boosts Immune System: Our recipes contain key ingredients such as sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, apples, and blueberries, all of which help fortify your pup's immune system.

While following our recommended feeding guidelines, reducing treats, and ensuring your dog gets plenty of exercise, you may observe some changes in their weight. However, it's essential to remember that each dog is unique, and we do not market our products as a dedicated weight loss program.

Our recipes not only meet but also surpass the minimum protein requirements set by AAFCO, ensuring that your dog receives the ideal protein content in their diet. If you'd like to receive detailed information about our minimum guaranteed protein levels and other essential nutrient levels, please feel free to contact us via email at contact@COREK-9.com.