It’s no surprise that once food trends catch on in the human food industry they quickly begin popping up in the pet food industry as well. Health food has been trending for some time now, with people looking for organic food, whole foods, and natural foods. We’re slowing steering away from processed foods full of additives and preservatives.
It’s a great thing for humans, and now the pet industry is jumping on board as well. We’re seeing more organic and all-natural dog food brands popping up all the time, and the raw pet food diet is growing in popularity quickly as well. One Brisbane, Australia based entrepreneur has jumped on board the superfood health trend, and Chris Essex doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
His company, Big Dog Pet Foods, has had a very good year so far delivering raw, natural pet food products all across Australia. The company was established in 2000 and they’ve seen a steady 15 percent yearly growth since then. This financial year they recorded a staggering $6 million turnover. That’s a lot of dog food!
RELATED: Let's Talk: Raw Dog Food Diet
Recently their products have also hit it big in international markets, and now the company exports products to Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Shockingly, Essex says that the company’s success wasn’t a surprise to him. He said there is a lot more information available to pet parents now, mostly via the internet, and they want to find out about healthier products for their furry family members.
Essex says now more than ever, pet parents are interested in their pet’s longevity. Because pets are seen more as a part of the family now, dog owners want to feed their canine companions the best so they are healthy and happy. Big Dog calls its raw food blends BARF, which stands for Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. Although it isn’t a particularly appealing name, it is certainly one that is hard to forget.
They offer two kinds of BARF diets for their two main species of clients – cats and dogs. The company uses only the finest Australian grown raw ingredients and the BARF diets are sourced from leading human consumption facilities. They are both specifically designed to provide pets with the kind of diet that nature intended them to have.
Essex says that after the full transition to a raw diet is made, pet parents can see a huge difference within a few short weeks. These benefits include softer hair, an increase in energy levels, and less allergy symptoms and scratching. He says the benefits are seen all the way across the board, right down to healthier stools. Essex comes from a background in food science and production management and said that the move to the pet food industry was a natural step.
RELATED: How to Read Dog Food Labels
If you keep up with my columns you know that I just transitioned my dogs to a raw food diet. It has done wonders for them and I have noticed a difference across the board as well. I don’t believe that any diet is perfect, and there are certainly many people that worry about the effects of a raw food diet, but I’ve purchased quality food and even made some of it myself at home with quality ingredients, and we haven’t had any problems.
Switching your pet to the raw food diet isn’t something that you want to do without researching it thoroughly first. You should also consult with your veterinarian before making any kind of major changes to your pet’s diet, be it raw food or anything else. You cannot switch your dog to a raw food diet overnight either. You need to mix it with their current food for a couple of weeks so their digestive system can get used to the new diet.
