The Beginning Of Our Journey
Our mischievous staffy Bo was the reason we started this journey. When he was a pup, we fed him kibble. As he grew, we noticed that his fur was starting to thin, and he developed skin sensitivities around his ears, pits, and tummy. We were convinced he had mites or allergies. We never considered his diet…
The Vet’s Diagnosis – Alopecia
We took poor Bo on endless trips to various vets, seeking an answer. We tried steroid creams, shampoos, antibiotics—you name it! Eventually, Bo was diagnosed with alopecia. This common disorder (in dogs and cats) can cause hair loss, but it can also affect the skin, endocrine system, lymphatic system, and immune systems*. We were told there was no certain cure for his condition and that our only option was to keep him on lifelong medication to keep the condition at bay.
The Search For A Cure
We weren’t convinced that there wasn’t another option, so we trawled the internet for possible alternatives. We discovered that the condition was particularly common in pit bulls in the US, and the dogs there had similar, if not worse, skin conditions.
Inspiring Before and After Pictures
We were stunned by ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of the dogs on one of these sites. The ‘before’ pictures showed dogs with coats in very bad condition, while the ‘after’ pictures showed the dogs with thick and beautiful coats. The pets’ owners put the staggering improvement in their dogs’ condition down to a natural raw food diet.
The Revelation Of Raw Food Diets For Dogs & Cats
We researched everything we could find about raw food diets for dogs and soon discovered the importance of quality ingredients, how over processed kibble was, and what this meant for the health of dogs.
We also discovered that there was a lot more to a raw diet than just feeding raw meat, and we began to understand the importance of certain critical ingredients in raw diets, as well as the quality of the food and feeding ratios. We learned of the health advantages of biologically appropriate raw food (BARF) and prey model raw (PMR) diets and decided that we would try Bo on one of these. You can find out more about BARF and PMR diets for dogs and cats here
Crafting Balanced Meals For Bo’s Recovery
As you can imagine, we were super eager to transition Bo to a raw diet. The first step was to find a local company that offered balanced meals following either the BARF or PMR feeding ratios, but we couldn’t find a single one. The businesses claiming to supply ‘balanced meals’ didn’t include crucial ingredients such as chunky, wholesome, human-grade meats, green tripe, and edible bones. We also didn’t trust the quality of their minced products, and besides, dogs were never designed to eat mince. The next step was DIY!
First, we had to become pet nutritionists. Once we had learned everything we needed to know about raw feeding, including the exact nutritional requirements of cats and dogs, the nutritional contents of every single ingredient in our diet, the regulations that govern pet food, and the hygiene standards that must be met when handling raw food, we traded our relaxing Sundays for a full-blown meat chopping operation in the back laundry. We drove across Sydney, collecting high-quality ingredients—tripe from Parramatta, organs from Pendle Hill, and bones from Glebe—to get the perfect balance for Bo’s meals. To our delight, Bo was a willing convert and transitioned smoothly, which made all the effort worthwhile.
Witnessing Bo’s Remarkable Transformation
We noticed the change in Bo after 1 month. The size and frequency of his stools decreased dramatically, along with the bad dog odours. But the most dramatic difference was his coat.
Astonishingly, as you can see here, Bo’s coat began to thicken. We immediately dumped the medicines and focused on Bo’s diet. It wasn’t long before we were raw food converts.
Welcoming Nala: A Testament to Raw Feeding’s Power
Our newfound passion and belief in raw feeding inspired us to add this gorgeous girl, Nala, to our family.
The moment Nala was weaned off milk, we introduced her to a raw diet. We wanted to see the full potential of a 100% raw diet. Now, at 7 years old and pure raw-fed all her life on our RAW K-9 diets, Nala is a bundle of energy, joyously happy, mischievous as anything, and a picture of perfect health. The difference between Bo’s start in life (fed with commercial kibble) and Nala’s when fed 100% raw food was astounding. If we needed any further proof after seeing Bo’s health improve, Nala was it. For us, it’s raw for life!
Bo started us off on this journey of discovery, but now it is Bo and Nala—and all of the wonderful pets we meet—who inspire us every day to do everything we can to restore wellness and happiness to our beloved animals.