OUR STORY

In October of 2019, my husband Ryan and I adopted Ziggy, a Shiba Inu. While we were so excited to have a new member of the family it was a big struggle to find ways for him to eat his nutrients. We tried multiple methods suggested by the vet such as fasting and changing the food brands. It was now three weeks into having him in our home and we were so desperate and worried about his health. Ziggy would refuse to eat anything. Shortly after, my sister recommended we try a raw diet for Ziggy but we were hesitant like most people. We decided to then consult with our vet for their opinion and they also thought it was not a good idea they recommended putting Ziggy (a puppy at the time) on medication and treatment. At this point, we had tried everything and through we wanted to stay on an organic path for our puppy and decided to not put him on treatment but try something else.

We decided to then approach Ziggy with cooked whole food by a local company. To our surprise the instant we offered the meal to Ziggy he had devoured his plate! We thought it really possible that kibble food was not a good option for dogs in general? Why would Ziggy reject it so much? We thought the problem was solved until three months later Ziggy's paws were turning red and were very itchy. We went back to the vet to do an allergy test and it turned out it was “environmental allergies”. Come to find out he was allergic to the grass, pollen, and other things that aggravated his skin and paws due to the heat. At this point, we now had tried multiple things and were concerned for his long-term health. We came across raw meals for dogs and decided to educate ourselves on it. After much research, we decided to switch to the RAW  diet followed by what is called The Prey Model Raw (PMR) diet. This type of nutrient mimics what is called Whole Prey which is the diet they would eat if they were in the wild.

We felt pressured by the vet to start him on the original treatment they suggested so we had Ziggy fast for 24hrs and just went straight to raw food. And, just like that, his bowel movements and skin were back to normal. Not to mention, he also stopped drinking so much water. I was concerned at first but it turns out that when dogs are on kibble they have to supply 2-3x more water for their bodies to process the food. Therefore, it was not a hydration issue. I soon began to realize that his teeth were cleaner, his coat was shinier and softer, in just the first few weeks of being on raw food! It was incredible to see the drastic positive changes for Ziggy. A month later, we took him back to the vet for blood work without mentioning the chance of diet and everything came out even better than before. Ziggy could not be any healthier and we are so happy we made the jump to try something new that ended up benefiting his health long term.

Today, as we know dogs just like humans suffer from allergies and the common root issue is inflammation of the body. What we put into our bodies as humans is as important to what we feed our furry loved ones. Our personal story with Ziggy is what inspired us to start our business, Raw Instincts.

Raw Instincts is a small women-owned business that provides meals for your pets in a healthy and easy way. Our long-term goal is to teach and educate others on healthier ways to feed their furry loved ones.

Did you know that our meals are for dogs, cats, and ferrets? Check out this simple guide on how to transition your pet today.