I've been an advocate of raw/fresh feeding for a number of years and always fed what is described as DIY. When I first started that was the only way to raw feed.  Blending my own mix can keep costs down when feeding a number of dogs.  I always believed I couldnt afford to do it any other way and to feed the really high quality, pasture raised, organic meats was out of reach, but it was always my aim to one day achieve that.  ​

​Instead I settled on at least feeding organic veg, fruit etc.  In keeping my food costs down I had to select meats of lower quality and never dug too deep into the industry, as I normally do, but I had an idea, it probably wasnt good.  Afterall it is a money making industry and as we know from the various pet food manufacturers, not all have your dog's welfare at heart and would rather make vast profits.

Recently our bulldog has been having a few health issues of which some presented in digestive problems.  These upsets were relatively minor incomparison to the problems with his ears so the main focus was, his ears.  I have been working with holistic vets to reslove his issues and it wasnt until it was suggested I remove all processed foods (this was basically shop bought treats) I also looked to upgrade his food to 'completes', to achieve consistency and perhaps stabalise his increasing gut issue.  The transformation has been incredible.  So much so I got to thinking could I upgrade the rest of the gang, after all, none of them were ill so why should I? I endeavour to feed my dogs the best I can, I want them to thrive and live a long healthy life, for their healthspan to match their lifespan.  A famous Greek guy once said, 'let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food' The challenges that face us may have changed since his time but we have known for an awful long time that what we eat goes a long way towards the state of our health. 

​The hunt was on to find a brand that offered good quality at affordable prices that could also meet my ethical values.  I was let down by one company of which I will spare the details here, and eventually got into investigating Paleo Ridge.  I had used them before, our youngest weaned on this brand, but I had previously thought where out of my reach to continue.  However these days, many brands including Paleo now offer deals, discount offers, subscriptions etc.  It was looking promising my goal wasn't too far out of reach after all? 
​
An avid follower of RPM (Raw Pet Medics) a team made up of 2 of the best holistic vets in the UK, Nick Thompson and Brendan Clarke, and Conor Brady, author of 'Feeding Dogs' the top rated book on canine nutrition and a Nutritional consultant to the raw feeding industry and dog guardians. I remembered Conor talking of Paleo Ridge.  I came across an article written by Conor, which forced me to open my eyes to what is going on in the whole food industry not just pet food.  (links at the end of my article, which I encourage you to read to help you make better choices for your dog). Conor discusses the shocking truth about the industry, animal husbandry and welfare, the AAFCO/FEDIAF guidelines for minimum and sometimes maximum requirements of essential nutrients and how they came about.  Now can you imagine what they can hide in processed food that no longer looks like any of the ingredients that go into it?
After reading the articles from Conor, checking out the Paleo Ridge website, checking the figures on the calculator, evaluating the transformation in our bulldog, I thought I cant afford not to switch !
​
https://www.dogsfirst.ie/why-i-love-paleo-ridge-raw-dog-food/

​https://www.dogsfirst.ie/what-i-learned-formulating-the-worlds-finest-raw-dog-food-paleo-plus/

Paleo Ridge ethics:

#ditchthedry

This post was inspired by a 'Self Care To Do List' that came with a product I'd actually bought for one of the dogs, but then,  who better to complete the list with than your dog.  


I thought I would go through a few old photos to see if I could tick each of them off my to do list.  
​

Im sure there are more therapeutic things we can do with our dogs, but we try to tick these off our list daily or at least weekly.  Nourishing mind, body and soul.

Im still on cloud 9 after achieving a wee something with my eldest, Grace, this weekend.  It has been on my bucket list for some time (perhaps not on Gracey's unless there's some food in said bucket) to perform in a heelwork to music routine. After eventually deciding 8 weeks ago we started training from scratch and took part in our first freestyle HTM competition!
There is a little history behind the madness. When Grace was born, the radio in the background was playing The Tymes, Ms Grace, hence her name.  Her lovely breeder would sing it every day, until I took over the reins or the mic, and have sang it to her everyday since.  She even sings a bit of the chorus herself! After seeing heelwork to music on TV some time ago, I put it on my bucket list to do this one day.
​Now the saying goes you cant teach an old dog new tricks. Although I am in complete denial that my girl is getting older, but at 12 1/2 its been a while since she was eligible for puppy classes!.  My Amazing Grace learned 8 new moves in 8 weeks, and could (almost) complete a whole 2 1/2 minute routine in time to the music.  On the day a few things led to stage fright for both of us so we missed many of those moves but give Gracey her due she improvised well! We were welcomed and supported into the HTM world by some lovely people. I was overwhelmed when we were placed and absolutely honoured to also be awarded a very special special in celebration of a dog called Hope, Eternal Hope at MorgansR, a rescue who retired at this show last year and sadly passed away earlier this year.  The whole experience as been uplifting and has made a marked difference to Grace's energy.  After a forced retirement in 2020 from agility it has brought a twinkle into her eyes again. I also ticked off acheiving something quite out of my comfort zone. I  have more of a twinkle in my eye too since doing this (if you know the lyrics :) )

I have thought for some time we shouldnt just retire dogs, or give them nothing to do but a little walk and a comfy couch just because they are older.  This weekend got me thinking about this again. 
Recently one of my senior visitors to clinic passed away at over 15, a grand age for his breed.  I believe that it was not just his visits to me to keep him mobile, but he took part in his favourite activities (at his own pace) right up until recently, as well as having a home cooked diet and more love than you could pack into a thousand hearts! 
I will also add Grace has been fed a fresh food diet since 8weeks old, she receives regular soft tissue therapy and leads as holistic a life style as I can possibly offer her. Oh and dont forget the oodles of love I have for her.  Its all relevant. Ticking as many of those boxes that are part of a holistic approach to nurturing our dogs, goes a long way to a healthy lifespan.  We cant forget why they are here for us too, more on this in another post in September, but listening to what they have to teach us, or remind us, perhaps what we have forgotten is another way to honour them. 

What a lovely motto to live by