Our Story

 

Many many years ago, we had a mixed breed dog named Molly. She was the love of our lives! Molly was a kibble fed dog and by the age of 12, Molly had both severe dental disease as well as the onset of kidney disease. We provided Molly with the best care possible but the following 4 years were rough, very rough. When Molly refused to eat the special canned diet our veterinarian recommended, the manufacturer of that food faxed us a version we could cook at home. We were elated! Molly ate our home cooked food enthusiastically, she bounced back for a little while, but then the kidney disease again took over. We lost her at age 16 but when we look back, those last 4 years were so incredibly hard on us, but especially hard on her.

From that point forward, our dogs all ate a home cooked diet. We knew that fresh food was better than anything we could ever purchase in a can (or in a bag) which makes logical sense! However, when our dog Maggie turned 8 years old she too was diagnosed with kidney disease. We were at a loss. Based on past experience, we knew exactly how this story was going to end and we knew there had to be something else out there - something else that could take us down a different, healthier path.

It was 1995 and we had just read a book by Australian veterinarian, Ian Billinghurst, titled Give Your Dog A Bone. In this book, Dr. Billinghurst makes the case that our dogs thrive on a natural raw food diet and anything less is inappropriate for the species. Hence, feeding an inappropriate diet is a huge factor in the onset of chronic disease. Of course this makes logical sense. If we humans fed our children processed food for their entire lives, are they going to grow up to be healthy, thriving adults? Of course not. Imagine eating boxed cereal every day of your life! However, even though feeding raw sounded like a good idea at the time, no way were we going to feed raw food, nevermind raw bones! It just wasn't going to happen!

But then there was Maggie's diagnosis to think about. She was only 8 years old. Maggie was rescued off the streets at age 2, she had a rough beginning, and we wanted to do all we could to help her. She deserved better. At this point, we had 2 choices: we could proceed with what our vet recommended (special kidney diet to try and slow the progression of the kidney disease), or we could take a chance and try raw food. It was a gamble either way. We picked up the phone to call Dr. Billinghurst and he generously and graciously gave us his thoughts which, predictably, suggested that feeding a raw species appropriate diet lessens the load on the kidneys by providing nutrients that are biologically appropriate and easy to filter.

When we went back to our local vet to discuss this feeding option, we were told that if we fed raw to our dog, we were going to kill her. We were shocked. We were confused. Feeding raw made so much sense, but we of course valued our veterinarians experience and advice. Maggie's kidney values (her BUN and CRE) were already very high. What were we going to do?

Knowing that we did not want Maggie to follow in the path of Molly, we took a chance. With a leap of faith, we switched Maggie to a raw food diet which she ate enthusiastically! At the time, raw food pet companies did not exist and we prepared each of Maggie's raw meals at home on our own. It was pure joy seeing her take to her food so well! Her stools were firm, we never had to have her anal glands expressed (TMI, sorry!), her coat became glossier, and most importantly, her energy and vitality returned.

After about 6 months, we returned to our vet for routine repeat bloodwork. We did not tell our vet that we had changed to a raw food diet. When the results came in, our vet called us into his office immediately because he was sure there was an error in the lab work and he wanted to repeat the tests. When the second tests came in, our vet gave us a call and informed us that the canned kidney diet was working miracles because Maggie's bloodwork was nearly normal and he had never seen kidney values come down so quickly, especially after having risen slowly over a period of years. We confessed that we had gone off the grid and had been feeding a raw food diet, not the canned food he recommended.

*crickets*

Our veterinarian admonished us for feeding a raw food diet, but at the same time was interested in how this was going to play out over time. We repeated our bloodwork another 3 months later and wouldn't you know Maggie's kidney values were now normal! And at the 1 year mark, Maggie's kidney values were 'that of a puppy.' Maggie lived to be over 16. Most importantly, Maggie lived a complete life free from any chronic diseases. She passed naturally in her sleep and up until her final day, she was full of fire and spirit. Her eyes were clear, her teeth were sensational, and she ran around up until the end.

Needless to say, after Maggie's switch to raw, we switched all our other pets and have been feeding a raw food diet to all our cats and dogs ever since. Every one of our pets has had the same story: they have been filled with energy and vitality throughout their entire lives, and they have been free from chronic disease. Naturally it makes sense: when you feed a species appropriate diet to an animal, you provide that animal with the best opportunity for a long and healthy life. While there are never any guarantees, it just makes sense to feed the food any animal has evolved to consume!