Our Story Begins with Daisy

We are a thriving, family based business based out of North River, Nova Scotia. As with many businesses, we were motivated by necessity. We have two German Shepherds: Daisy and Lockie. When Daisy was nine months old we found a tumour on her belly. We immediately took her to the veterinarian, only to find out it was cancer. We were shocked that a dog so young developed this disease, so we started researching cancer in dogs. This led us to examine what we were feeding our pets. The more we investigated commercial dog food the more we felt betrayed. We were under the impression we were giving the best quality nutrition money could buy, when in fact we were not. We found there was another way of feeding dogs: Raw fresh food. We found this was not a fad, but was how families fed their pets before the advent of kibble. Prior to WWII canine companions flourished on a diet consisting of mostly raw meaty bones and table scraps. We set out to find sources of quality, human grade meats (beef, chicken, lamb, pork, organ meats and fish) for our dogs. We prepared pureed raw vegetable mixtures from our own garden. We never looked back.

The change in my two German Shepherds was immediate and dramatic. Daisy made a full recovery and developed into a vibrant, energetic dog. After switching to a natural diet there was an immediate improvement in their oral health. Their teeth were transformed from a state of tartar build-up to ‘pearly whites’. Their ‘doggie breath’ soon became a thing of the past. ‘Lockie’ endured regular ear cleaning because of a continuous wax build-up in both ears. After ten days on the raw diet, the steady discharge of earwax ceased, as did his weekly ear cleaning.

We noticed that some large dogs e.g., Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds tend to have oily, grimy coats, and ours were no exception. Their coat always had an oily film, which required bathing once a month. Even with regular washing, petting them would leave a dirty residue on my hands. After changing to Totally Raw, I have not had to bath them, and that is over nine years ago. Their coats are shiny and clean. They no longer have a strong doggie odour; they smell good! I was so shocked at this change as I believed the oily residue and strong doggie odour was part of the normal dog condition. I later found out dogs rid themselves of toxins though the skin. This leaves the noticeable strong smell and grimy coat.

We had long been concerned that Daisy was not eating enough to maintain a healthy weight. She would only eat as much as necessary to survive. Our veterinarian expressed concern about her weight on several occasions, but we could not entice her to eat more kibble. At this point the only food Daisy had been exposed to was kibble (we felt any deviation from this diet was not healthy). So when she was presented with a variety of fresh meat and vegetables she was shocked and puzzled. Quickly she developed a taste for the food and started eating with great gusto. Now when she sees us approach her with a full food bowl she gets so excited she walks on two legs. Eating, for both our dogs, is now the highlight of their day.

An added bonus of the raw food diet was the size and biodegradability of the dogs’ stool. Grains are added to commercial dog food because they are a cheap filler. The result is excessively large stools. When natural ingredients with no preservatives are fed, dogs are able to absorb most of the nutrients from the food, leaving small quickly degradable stools.

Having had such success with our dogs on the Raw diet, we spoke to family and friends about the benefits. They in turn were interested and we began supplying them with our products. Soon our passion became a business as more and more dedicated dog owners requested our food. Our pack increased to include two Carin Terriers- Button and McGee. Since this time we have dedicated much time and effort into researching all aspects of natural raw feeding. We are strong proponents of the prey model diet and believe that variety is a necessity.

At Totally Raw we are very proud to have dedicated extensive time and energy into researching our complete diet. Our love of dogs has made this business endeavour a dream come true. We are happy to be providing food that is pivotal to excellent canine health. We have been involved in the raw dog food movement for ten years now and still actively research all aspects of canine nutrition.

Our commitment and devotion to our canine family is reflected in all our products. We guarantee when you choose Totally Raw Natural Dog Food that the product will speak for our commitment to quality nutrition.