Frequently Asked Questions

Where are your ingredients from?

Fully traceable, we source our wild game from the tussock tops and river valleys of New Zealand’s north and south islands. To find out just how wild our meat is, simply scan the QR code on your pack or head to our Track & Trace page and type in your unique Batch Code.

For our other ingredients, we get our carrots from Greg in Methven, our kumara from Lockey in Dargaville and our sunflower oil from Dean in Central Otago.

And to make sure all our recipes are nutritionally complete and balanced we supplement with essential vitamins and minerals from Auckland.

Are all your products free range?

All our meat comes from wild animals that were born in the mountains of New Zealand where they grazed freely.

Are your meat meals grain free?

Absolutely. We never use grain fillers in any of our products.

Where do you make your products?

We make all our pet food and treats at our WILDHQ headquarters and state-of-the-art factory in sunny Nelson, New Zealand.

Who formulates WILDHQ recipes?

All our products have been formulated by and developed in consultation with PhD qualified New Zealand-registered animal nutritionists. Thanks to their extensive experience developing pet food, we can make sure our ingredients and products are the very best quality for your (and our) pets, just like our meat source.

All our products have been analysed at Massey University’s Nutrition Laboratory but have not been tested or trialled on animals.

Where can I find the ingredients, nutritional information and feeding guide?

You’ll find this information on our product packaging. Alternatively, you can head over to Dog Food page, click on the item you want to learn more about, and you’ll find everything you need on the individual product page.

What is AAFCO standards and how do I know my pet is getting the best quality?

AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. They establish the nutritional standards for complete and balanced pet foods. For us to sell WILDHQ pet food as ‘complete and balanced’, it must meet the AAFCO nutritional standards. So to make sure your pet is getting the very best, we get all our pet food products tested in university laboratories in New Zealand to make sure it meets (and exceeds) AAFCO standards.

Are your meals complete and balanced nutrition? Or do I need to supplement my pet’s diet with anything else?

We want to make sure your pets are getting the best nutrition in one feed. So we’ve done the hard work and formulated and tested all our meals to exceed the international AAFCO standard for a healthy complete and balanced diet. 

In short, your pets get everything they need from WILDHQ meal recipes, so you don’t need to supplement with anything else. 

The exception is our treats and chews. These aren’t balanced and complete nutrition for your pet as they are designed to be supplementary to a full diet. Please see our packaging and Dog Food page for more information

Why do you freeze your meals instead of using artificial preservatives?

We dont use artificial preservatives, such as BHA and BHT, because we believe it's too much of a risk to pets health. Rosemary is the only natural preservative used in our food. We choose to freeze our meals because you can keep the food like that indefinitely and no micro-organisms can grow in that environment - so no food spoils.
And when you thaw our food slowly it still retains all the flavours, smells, nutrients, vitamins and minerals that make it a delicious, nutritious, complete and balanced meal.
And it's not a problem when it comes to delivering our frozen meals because they are delivered overnight in recyclable polybins. If there is any thawing at all then it's safe to refreeze it.

Is a raw meat diet good for my pet?

Research shows us that dogs and cats thrive on a natural diet that’s high in quality meat and balanced with vitamins and minerals. 

As for feeding your pet raw food, it’s biologically appropriate – it’s what they’d be eating in the wild. Raw food also maintains its natural profiles of nutrients and enzymes because the ingredients haven’t been altered or over-processed.

So, because WILDHQ meals are loaded with 100% raw wild game meat, organs and bone, plus fresh New Zealand-grown produce and essential vitamins and minerals, we reckon your pet will think our recipes are the dog’s bollocks cat’s pyjamas.

How much do I feed my pet and how do I transition them to WILDHQ?

Your pet might not be used to such a rich meat diet, so we recommend introducing WILDHQ meals gradually alongside their current food. Over the space of two weeks, increase the amount of WILDHQ food slowly - calculated on their ideal weight - until they are only eating our product.

For a feeding guide, transitioning and feeding tips go to the Feeding Guide in the Footer Menu of this website. You’ll find everything you need there.

How should I store my WILDHQ products and how long do they last?

It's best to keep all our frozen products in the freezer. Just thaw your daily amount and keep it in the fridge. Thawing the food slowly (not microwaved) is best to not alter the proteins and retain the smells and taste. Frozen food will last indefinitely in a frozen environment. Once thawed in the fridge it will keep for 7 days before spoiling.

Keep our air-dried Treats and Chews in a dark, dry environment out of direct sunlight, like a cupboard or pantry. Its best not to keep them in any vac-pac bags they come in. These products are best used within a month and the product should have a "UseBy" date stamped on it.

All our products have storage advice and Best Before dates on the pack.

Can I use the WILDHQ gravy on other pet foods?

Animal nutritionists have specially formulated the WILDHQ gravy to deliver the right amounts of vitamins and minerals when served alongside our wild game meat. The precise proportions of meat and gravy in WILDHQ recipes is what gives your pet a complete and balanced feed. 

If you were to serve our gravy with other meats or alongside other pet food, your dog or cat might not be getting the nutrition it needs for optimal health.

Can I buy WILDHQ products for my cat?

Yes – we’ve purr-fected our range of recipes for cats and kittens. Both recipes have been tested and approved to AAFCO standards. The Kitten Meals have the required PreBiotics, ProBiotics and DHA in them for early growth development. You can find our Cat and Kitten Meals in the Catfood section of this website.

The meals are made from Wild Venison and fused with finely ground venison bone, venison organs and essential vitamins and minerals in the right ratio so the meals are certified as 'Complete and Balanced'. We've also done laboratory run palatability tests on them and 18 out of 20 cats ate the food!

Where can I buy WILDHQ?

1. Right here online via Dog Food page or Cat Food Page.

2. At our Factory Shop at 3 Kotua Place, Wakatu Estate, Stoke 7011, Nelson. Mon-Fri, 9am - 5pm. Cash and Eftpos accepted.

3. At the Nelson Saturday Market every Saturday - 8am-1pm. Find us in the north-eastern corner of Montgomery Square close to Whitcoulls.

4. Or check out our Stockists page to see which retail outlets presently stock our products.

WILDHQ is popping up in more stores across New Zealand. We have over 35 stockists nationwide now. Keep checking our Stockists page for the latest information.

Can I recycle WILDHQ packaging?

You sure can. Check out the recycling icon on each pack and recycle them in the right bins to help keep our country beautiful.

Our Thermoguard 5kg boxes are recyclable in your bins. Our polybins are recyclable also. B ut if you can return either of these boxes to us we will happily reuse them!

We'll keep working hard to keep providing enviromentally friendly packaging. The cardboards we use are FSC and recyclable and use at least 50% recycled content and we use vegetable inks for our printing.

What do I do if I’m not happy with my purchase?

Send us a message using the contact form below. Or give us a call on 0800 945 347 and we’ll see what we can do.

When will you have my 'favourite product' back in stock?

We source all our animals from the wild to bring your pets the highest quality. So when a product isn’t available, know that we’re always working hard behind the scenes to keep the shelves stocked for your furry family members. We update our stock levels on our website constantly but feel free to give us a call on 0800 945347 to find our for sure from the team here the latest news.

Do you sell wholesale?

We do have partners who stock WILDHQ recipes and treats. If you want to join in and become part of the WILDHQ way, contact us to find out more.

Do you have a physical shop I can collect from?

Yes, we do. 

You’ll find the WILDHQ Factory Shop at 3 Kotua Place in the Wakatu Industrial Estate in Stoke, Nelson. We’re open from 8am to 5pm Monday–Friday. We’d love to see you.

Can I create a subscription order?

Yes you can. We have a super easy Subscription App on our website to make it really simple to reorder your petfood on a regular basis. You can:

• Choose between weekly, every 10 days, fortnightly, every three weeks, monthly, bi monthly
• Change your order
• Add a one off item to an order
• Pause or cancel an order
• Set an anchor delivery day

If you know your pet loves our food and how much they eat then it's a good time to set up a subscription. Here's how.

When you are choosing you first product, below the quantity choice you can see 'Purchase Options'.
Select 'Subscription Order' and then complete the details of your subscription.

You wont have to think about it again. You'll be automatically notified of when your new order is being processed and when it will arrive. You can rest assured that your furry friend will not go without their dinner.

How much does shipping cost?

Shipping costs vary a great deal based on your location, dry goods vs frozen goods, weight and delivery times. We're constantly working hard to keep our shipping costs to the minimum.

Our shipping costs are worked out for North or South Island (urban) delivery - plus a rural delivery surcharge.

We have several sizes of insulated polystyrene boxes for our frozen goods - and smaller sized boxes and bags for our dried goods. Our website will calculate the weight and size and give you its best shipping price. But its not perfect! If your order is a more custom selection it may be best to call us so we can give you the most economical shipping option. Call us on 0800 945347 or ask us using the website Chat icon - we're very responsive during work hours and sometimes outside that too!

Our Bundles are priced with shipping included so those options make it easy for you to order standard popular items.

We’re always working hard to provide stockists close to you so that may be a more convenient option. Check our Stockists page for your local supplier.

I've never ordered from WILDHQ before. How does my pet food arrive?

Online orders are carefully packed in chiller containers with frozen chill packs to keep your food pristine. The courier will deliver to your door. It’s that simple.

What time will my order arrive?

We can’t control when your courier will arrive. But know that we pack all our pet food orders cold. So if you’re out and about when your package arrives, the food will stay pristine for when you get home. 

Please remember that the couriers are under unusual pressure during Covid times. If there is somewhere especially good for the courier to leave your food, just let them know. 

Do you deliver to my address?

We deliver to addresses across New Zealand, including rural areas. Our gel ice packs and insulated courier boxes will keep your products pristine, depending on the weather that day and where your package is left. So if there’s somewhere especially good for the courier to leave your food, just let them know.

Can I change my shipping address?

We ship our products daily. So if we haven’t already sent your order out, we’ll change your shipping address. Just let us know as soon as possible by contacting us.

My delivery hasn’t arrived yet and it’s getting late in the day. Help!

Rest assured that we pack all our frozen food orders in an insulated polybin, sometimes with gel ice packs, to keep your products frozen or chilled. It is a difficult time for couriers so please be patient with them. If the courier hasn't arrived your product should still be fine the next day. If it arrives partially thawed it is perfectly fine to refreeze it. If you're going to be out please contact your local NZ Courier agent to leave instructions where it can be left to stay coolest.

I was meant to receive my order yesterday, but it never arrived. What should I do?

Please check your tracking number to see where your package is. Your courier should be able to help. If it still hasn’t arrived, contact us and we’ll look into it for you.

I won’t be home to receive my order. Will it be ok until I get home?

We pack all orders in insulated courier boxes with gel ice packs to keep your products pristine. As long as you’re not away on holiday, you should be fine.

I’ve ordered and paid, but I haven’t got an order confirmation. Is my order coming?

Please check your email. If your order has come through to our end, we’ll send it. But if you have a question, please contact us and we’ll look into it for you.

Your website won’t accept my email address?

Please check you’ve typed in the correct email address. If you’re still having issues, contact us and we’ll look into it for you.

My order won’t seem to process. Has it gone through on your end?

Computer systems do fail sometimes. So to double check that we received your order, contact us and we’ll look into it.

I’m having trouble paying online. Can I pay over the phone?

Yes you can. If you’re having issues paying online just contact us and we'll talk you through how to set it up at your end, or create an order at our end.

Can you please update me on the status of my order?

All courier orders will have individual tracking numbers, which you’ll find in your order confirmation email. Simply use this number to track the whereabouts of your pack. 

My order has arrived, but it’s not as cold as I thought it would be. What do I do?

The insulated courier boxes we use for all our online orders have been tested to keep fish cold from New Zealand to Australia. To be extra sure, we pack all orders with not one, but two times the amount of frozen gel packs to keep your food as cold as possible. 

When your order arrives, put it in the fridge and you should be good to go. But if you still have concerns, contact us and we’ll see what we can do.

Can I return the ice packs and insulated courier boxes?

We’d like to limit as much waste as possible. That’s why all our gel ice packs are reusable. 

If you’d like to return them to us, contact us and we’ll let you know the next steps. Otherwise stick them in your freezer to use in your chilly bin.

As for our insulated courier boxes, it might be cost preventive for you to return them. But they are ‘recyclable’. 

Like all other coated cardboards, these boxes: 

- are at least 86% recyclable in standard recycling
- are made from 95% sustainable paper fibre
- have proven recyclability by international independent testing, and
- are processed through normal paper recycling mills.

Some New Zealand councils, such as Wellington, might not accept our products in kerbside recycling. Please check with your local authority.