In The Forever Dog, Dr Karen Becker and Rodney Habib share a powerful message. The choices we make every day about our dog’s food, environment and lifestyle can add years to their lives. One of the biggest factors is diet. Like humans, dogs thrive on fresh and whole foods.
The Research
Their research points to a variety-rich diet made up of high quality proteins, colourful vegetables, berries, herbs and healthy fats. These ingredients are packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients and essential fatty acids that support the immune system, protect cells from damage and keep the gut microbiome healthy. While raw feeding is one option, they also recognise that lightly cooked meals can offer the same benefits, sometimes with better digestibility for certain foods, especially plant matter.
Practical Challenges For You
Some dog families make their own fresh food at home and and ensure that the nutrients are balanced over time. There are great resources available to support fresh feeding at home, and supplements to make sure your dog is getting the nutrients they need. If you want to buy fresh food, it has a different set of hurdles compared to kibble. It is heavier, has a shorter shelf life and must stay within a cold chain from factory to bowl. That means refrigerated transport, temperature controlled storage and careful packaging, all of which add cost for you. You also need to store it safely at home and use it within a set time frame.
A Worthy Cause
At Feed For Thought, we believe those challenges are worth solving. We have created Australia’s first lightly cooked complete and balanced dog food using insect protein. It delivers the nutrition of fresh feeding in a form that is easier to store, ship and serve. Our focus now is on working out how to get it around Australia in a food safe way that remains affordable for dog owners who want the best for their pets and the planet.
