Q. Why is insect protein more sustainable than meat protein?

It takes significantly more resources (water, energy and land) to raise and produce animals than insects for protein. Plus our grubs are fed on a tailored diet of quality human grade fruit and vegetables that would otherwise go to landfill, meaning two issues are solved at once; food waste in landfill (which contributes to carbon emissions), and our reliance on inefficient animal protein is reduced by offering a healthy protein alternative. Told you they were super grubs!

 

1. Q. Do you use whole insects? Will I find bugs in the bowl?

You won’t find whole insects in Grubbo. It looks, smells and tastes just like other leading premium dry dog food. We use insect meal, which is created from whole larvae (no waste!), an ingredient like flour, and mix it with other ingredients such as vegetables to make our nutritionally balanced dry food.

 

1. Q. What insects do you use exactly?

Our grubs are Hermetia Illucens or Black Soldier Fly larvae. They are farmed specifically for protein because they are packed with nutrients which are beneficial for dogs (and humans actually, but we are not quite there yet!) They are high in protein and contain essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins such as zinc, magnesium and calcium, and fatty acids for gut health.

 

1. Q. Are the grubs processed humanely?
2. Our grubs are treated with the respect they deserve given their importance to the future of our planet. They munch through tonnes of waste over a 3-4 day period before they are sent to sleep with water.

 

1. Q. Is insect protein produced safely?
2. Our specially farmed grubs are produced to the highest Australian manufacturing standards, with routine nutritional testing to ensure they are meeting the right specifications for production of petfood, according to both the Pet Food Association of Australia and AAFCO guidelines.

1. Q. How can I be sure your food is balanced and nutritious?

Grubbo has been developed in conjunction with pet nutritionists to exceed the Australian (PFIAA) and American (AAFCO) standards for a complete and balanced petfood for all lifestages. As dog owners who are passionate about our dogs health and wellbeing, it is critical to us to deliver not just to the standards, but reach above them. We have worked closely with experts in insect protein performance for dogs, and our pet nutritionist who has more than 30 years experience in dog nutrition and pet food nutritional development to do this.

 

1. Q. We are vegetarian / vegan so there are no meat scraps in our house. Will our dog be ok with no meat at all?

Insect protein has all the essential nutrients and amino acids as meat protein and Grubbo has been developed to deliver to AAFCO standards for a complete and balanced petfood for all lifestages. This means a dog has everything they need in every meal.

1. Q. Can I mix Grubbo with other food?

Sure! Grubbo has been developed to deliver to AAFCO standards for a complete and balanced petfood for all life stages. This means a dog has everything they need in every meal, but if your dog likes some variety, go for it! Just make sure your dog is getting enough of a balanced diet overall, and monitor their ideal weight.

 

1. Q. Is Grubbo suitable for puppies?

Puppies need slightly different nutritional needs in the first 12 months or so as they grow. Whilst Grubbo is defined as all life stage by AAFCO standards – we recommend starting your dog on Grubbo after 12 months. If there is enough interest, we will look to include a specialist puppy formula in the future.

 

1. Q. Why haven’t you made a cat food?

Because right now we have dogs. And cats are a bit harder to please! But watch this space, as it’s something we’d love to get onto at a later stage.

 

1. Q. How much Grubbo should I feed my dog?

Our feeding plan has been developed by our nutritionists to Australian guidelines. Just look up your dogs weight, activity levels and if you plan to feed 100% Grubbo or mix feed (ie some wet, some dry) and work out how much Grubbo you need. Adjust feeding amounts as necessary to maintain optimal weight, and please make sure your dog always has access to fresh drinking water.

 

1. Q. How should I introduce Grubbo?

We recommend at least a few days to introduce any new food to reduce any potential tummy sensitivities. Use the following as a guide, but you can slow it down further to suit your dog.

Day 1: 10% Grubbo, 90% current food

Day 2: 25% Grubbo, 75% current food

Day 3: 50% Grubbo, 50% current food

Day 4: 75% Grubbo, 25% current food

Day 5: 100% Grubbo

 

1. Q. What if I forget how much Grubbo I need to feed my dog to meet their daily nutritional needs?

Your feeding guide will come to you via email so you can put it in a safe place. We will also send it out again with a reminder that your next box is coming. You can also access it any time via your account.

 

1. Q. What if my dogs weight changes?

Pup putting on weight, changing their activity or just maturing? Just adjust slightly against the guide to maintain optimal weight.

 

1. Q. How is your packaging sustainable?

We minimise our packaging to reduce waste as much as we can. The box we ship in can be recycled in your council recycling program and the plastic inners can be taken to your soft plastic recycling at your local supermarket. We minimise print colours, and print with water based environmentally sustainable ink. We have chosen to only use Australian made packaging to reduce our carbon footprint. We only use what is absolutely necessary and have deliberately avoided reseal zip locks.

1. Q. Do you offset shipping?
2. Yes, as we ship through Australia Post our shipping is carbon offset.
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4. Q. Why are there two bags, isn’t that more plastic?
5. Two bags keep our food fresher, make it easier to lift, and easier to store in smaller spaces. We aim to limit our packaging and plastic use as much as possible (hence no zip locks) and all our packaging is recyclable to keep it out of landfill.
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1. Q. Why don’t you use biodegradable or compostable inners?

The inner bags can be recycled again at your local supermarket to keep it out of landfill. We are working as hard as we can to source other options such as a compostable inner, but right now the packaging is likely to break down before the product is consumed. Watch this space.

1. 1. Q. Is the food made in Australia?

   You betcha. Both our insect protein and dog food is made here in Australia to the highest Australian manufacturing standards. The majority of our ingredients are also Australian (currently 75%) and we will seek to increase this over time. Using Australian insect protein also keeps Australian fruit and veg from going to landfill.  

1. Q. How do I manage how often the food comes?

Food arriving too quickly or not often enough? Going on holiday and need to skip an order? Just login to your account and change the frequency.
We will also send you a reminder a few days before your next box is to be despatched, so you can change it then too.

 

1. Q. My dog does not like Grubbo..what do I do?

If it is your first order, and your dog does not eat the food, just email us at hello@grubbo.com.au and let us know within 7 days of receiving the box. We will refund you via your original payment route. If you have lots of Grubbo left over, consider giving it to a friend to save the waste.

 

1. Q. I’ve ordered but my Grubbo hasn’t arrived?

We are very sorry to hear this. Get in touch at hello@grubbo.com.au and we will sort it out asap.

 

1. Q. Can I return Grubbo if my dog doesn’t like it?

We don’t take returns, but if it’s your first order, and your dog does not eat the food, let us know within 7 days of receiving the box. We will refund you via your original payment route. If you have lots of Grubbo left over, consider giving it to a friend to save the waste.

 

1. Q. I have a Grubbo subscription, but want to stop. What do I do?

You can cancel your subscription anytime. Just login to your account and stop Grubbo 7 days before your next box is due (we will send you a reminder). If you have a spare second, let us know why. We are all ears as to how we can make Grubbo even better!

1. Q. Where does Grubbo ship, and how much is shipping?
   Right now we are shipping to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. We hope to ship to other cities soon. Watch this space! Shipping is free for all Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane customers who subscribe to Grubbo. If you don’t want to subscribe, head to the checkout and enter your address to see exactly how much it is going to costs to get it to your door. Unfortunately due to the weight, shipping dog food is not super cheap. We have reduced the cost as best we can and hope to offer free shipping to other cities shortly. Watch this space.
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1. Q. Do I get notified before a new order will ship?

If you’re subscribed and due a fresh delivery, we’ll give you a 7 day heads up that your next box is about to ship. This is really useful in case you still have plenty left, or you want to speed it up and get it ASAP.

1. Q. How quick will my order ship?

From mid January when our next production arrives, any order placed before 11am on a business day will be sent out the same day from Melbourne. We ship with Australia Post, with orders typically arriving at your door in 3-7 days for metro areas. If you order between now and mid January 2021, we will ship your Grubbo as soon as it arrives in our warehouse.

1. Q. Do I get a tracking code?

Yup! You will get an email you as soon as your order leaves the warehouse with your tracking code.

1. Q. Do I need to be home to sign for my delivery?

We use Australia Post eParcel with no signature. Aussie Post will leave your order if you are not home, but if they can’t find a suitable location they will leave a card and you will need to pick it up from your local post office..

1. Q. How do I work out how much Grubbo I need?

You can work out what you need based on our feeding advice here.