Healthy, happy pet families

August 19, 2024
Caring for your pet

Dusty's Story

From last year to late March, Dusty suffered from terrible rashes, and extremely sensitive, dry and itchy skin, she’d scratch so much she cut herself and was constantly licking herself! I had seen many accounts using BDPF and really wanted to try it, within a month of using their sensitive skin option, she stopped licking at her paws and legs, all those rashes healed up, she’s now been on BDPF for 3 1/2 months and doing amazing, I always get compliments on how great her skin and coat are, and will continue to recommend BDPF, it’s amazing quality, affordable and such a wide variety of options for every dog and cat!

- Brooke

River's Story

Just wanted to say thank you for such an awesome product. Our 2 year old Golden Retriever is loving it. He’s had constant tummy issues since he was a puppy, been to different vets, had multiple medications for diarrhoea, we can’t count the amount of different food brands and types we tried, have done an expensive allergy test (which said he’s allergic to pretty much everything), have seen a dog naturopath who tried to put him on raw food and elimination diet and nothing ever worked - something would always upset his tummy. We spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars plus a lot of nerves and cleaning products to fix this without any success. He’s been on big dog raw for almost 4 months now and we had zero issues. Safe to say you changed our lives :) Thank you!

- Janine

Lu-Bu's Story

The Quinn family would like to express how overwhelmingly happy we are to have discovered Big Dog Prepared Raw Meals. We have been avid Raw feeders for the last ten years and try our hardest to spread awareness about the corruption among pet food industries.

I am writing this email because we are not only thoroughly impressed with the ingredients, nutrient balance, packaging, and quality but have stellar feedback in other areas.

We picked up our new pup on the 20th of August. His name is Lu-Bu. He was in a terrible condition. He was full of worms, was emaciated, had next to no stomach biome, infection was rampant, he was suffering chronic digestive distress and had all the signs of moderate rickets due to vitamin D deficiency (no sunlight) and malnutrition. He was 5.6kg on pickup at 8 weeks when his breed average should be 9kg, that is 3.4kg underweight! Blood tests showed anemia, extreme white blood cell count (infection) dangerously low calcium:phosphorus balance and uptake and thyroid distress.

We usually source our own products for feeding but we chose to start him on your Big Dog Turkey mix due to it being the most suitable for his weak, sensitive and distressed system, sanitary and safely packaged for thawing and perfectly balanced nutrition.

Lu-Bu was terribly ill and undeformed until the moment his tongue hit that turkey! He had ZERO negative digestive responses to the food even in his very weak state. He acted as if he had been saved doing happy dances and showing his love to us. He has been eating 1kg a day since Sunday and is an unbelievable 9.3kg today just 5 days after his bones were showing, his muscles felt like jelly and he was too sore to do much. Today he has next to no signs of poor health, has an impressive muscle tone, has successfully combated the infections all on his own (and Big Dog PetFood) to the point i have had to show vets his blood work evidence and photos for them to believe me about his condition as they did not think it was possible! I take that as a giant compliment and I feel The Big Dog team should take some credit for a recovery rate that experts call "impossible."

Thank you again to the team for making and supplying healthy and honest pet food at fair prices.

- Simon & Lu-Bu

PS. Pictures are with 4 days difference

Zeus' Story

Just want to say how amazing your food is. We had a lot of skin problems with our poor pup at the beginning. he was only 3-4 months and was in so much pain. One day we were driving and saw a truck advertising Big Dog Pet Foods we had never heard of. We switched to Big Dog, and now he's over 1 year old and his coat is amazing and there are no skin problems. Love the food! The compliments we get on his colouring and how shiny his coat is amazing. It was the best change.

Before 4 months old, he had loss of fur on his chest, legs and face. Very red and flaky skin.

At age 1. So beautiful his fur and coat. Thank you. Amazing food and quality.

- Leanne

macie testimonial

Macie's Story

STORMS & PROBIOTICS

I honestly truly believe that the new stress and anxiety probiotic has taken the edge off Macie even more! I didn't think it would be possible because she's so highly anxious and medicated daily already but it ABSOLUTELY does!

Last night’s storm would typically send Macie into complete panic and it would be incredibly overwhelming for both of us. I'd have to sedate her and sometimes that doesn't even really help until she is so worn out and eventually just falls asleep after hours and hours of fighting the sedation and panic!

I'm never able to usually sit or lie down anywhere without her completely climbing all over me in complete dissociated panic. I went and laid down on my bed and do you know what Macie did, she went and laid down on the floor next to the bed and rested there MID STORM!

I looked back and the previous few storms she has managed fairly well and I just didn’t recognise it. And the ONLY thing that is different is that she started on the stress and anxiety probiotic when it was released.

It just blows my mind and I'm so impressed and so grateful! You have no idea how much it has helped both her and I in such a difficult time! so to whoever created it THANK YOU!

VOMITING AND DIARRHOEA - PROBIOTICS AND FOOD

Macie was suddenly and acutely very unwell last week and had horrible amounts of vomiting and diarrhoea and I had to rush her to the vet!

She hasn't had any type of gut issues or diarrhoea for at least 5 years and she got over that last week in less than 36 hours! She was back to normal poos and no vomiting just lethargic! You just don't realise how overall "healthy" your dogs are until they are suddenly not and it's time like this that you realise just how grateful you are for the food and supplements, she is on to allow her to be so physically healthy almost all of her 7.5 years!

I just am feeling incredibly grateful today and can really appreciate the dedication, time and care and I'm sure a lot of stress it takes to create such high-quality products for our beloved babies!

I am so grateful to have my girl in such a healthy condition which allows me to not have to stress anywhere near as much about her too!

- Steph

Bella's Story

In December 2021, our beautiful Queen Bella turned 15. Bella has always been a robust and healthy dog and has aged very gracefully. Bella is the eldest of our 5 dogs, but we often get asked if she is the youngest, probably because she still looks quite youthful and is the smallest. We have raised all our dogs on Big Dog and feel that good nutrition combined with exercise and mental stimulation has  contributed to their good health. Bella has achieved a lot in her 15 years, excelling as an agility competitor.  She has achieved an extraordinary amount of titles in both ADAA and ANKC agility achieving her Agility Champion Title in both organisations as well as being State and National Champion multiple times in both organisations. No doubt good nutrition helped her remain competitive for such a long time. 

As a naturopath myself, I am very passionate about whole, raw food nutrition as the foundation for good health, which is why I am pleased to have discovered Big Dog. It’s great to have the convenience of a commercial dog food that you can be confident is nutritionally well-balanced and manufactured to high quality standards. I still remember visiting Big Dog in the early days to pick up orders direct from the factory. It’s been great to see Big Dogs continued commitment to quality over the years and I loved a lot of the changes over the years, especially the new Well-being recipe.

As most old dogs do, Bella has had some health issues in recent times. Her ability to bounce back from ill health is quite remarkable.  She is still a resilient, happy dog enjoying life and being the Queen of her younger siblings and our household. Long may she reign!

- Billie

Oakley

Oakley's Story

At around 8mths, Oakley started to lose hair on his neck, chest and stomach (almost bald). We went to our vet multiple times for treatments and diet changes to resolve the issue but nothing worked… instead it caused digestive issues. Since transitioning to BDPF I’ve seen improvements within Oakley’s overall health! His hair has started to grow back, and his skin is starting to repair! I am totally amazed with the results thus far😍 not only that but his energy levels has sky rocketed! I’m excited to continue our journey on BDPF.

- Stevie
@oakley_thesnag

Josie's Story

Hey Big Dog,

Mu Mum's little chihuahua suffered a very nasty stomach ulcer which wreaked havoc on his tiny body over the weekend.
Vomiting blood, bloody diarrhoea, inappetence, sever nausea and lethargy.
Our wonderful vet clinic gave him 4 different medications to recover with and I also put him on Big Dog Probiotics.

I'd like to thank you all so much, his recovery has been remarkable.
He is back to eating like a champion and has been wonderful about taking his medications twice daily.
The probiotics firmed up his poo very quickly and he has his little zest for life back.

- Josie

Feel-good Freddie

Freddie's Story

Freddie was having a lot of skin issues which he was on steroids for; every time I took him off the medicines, the issues would come back. I thought he would have to be on them for life, and being on them myself, I hated him having to do that too. They are horrible!

We happened to be next to the Big Dog Pet Foods tent at The Cairns Expo recently and the lovely guy there told me to try this stuff. I must admit, I was sceptical. I normally am with natural stuff as it never works for me...BUT for Freddie.... Holy!!! Within 3 days I saw improvement, 3 weeks later and his coat is more shiny than ever! Highly, highly recommend you give this a go if your dog is having any kind of issue. It's made for the gut but can obviously do a lot more!

- Brooke
@freddiethefosterbrother

Yogi!

Yogi's Story

I have been using Big Dog Probiotics for little over 1 month now and have already noticed great results! At least once a week my dog would vomit up his food and seem to have a very unsettled tummy but since using Big Dog Probiotics my dog has had a healthy gut and no upsets what so ever!

- Monique

Angel (left) and Chubbs (right)

Chubbs and Angel

I transitioned both my boys Chubbs (now 12) and Angel (now 17) over to big dog 4 years ago.

They had been on good quality ‘premium’ kibble for most of their lives as I work in the pet industry but as they aged I wanted a more raw natural diet for them and had only heard great things about Big Dog. 

I love the convenience of the single serve packs and also the huge range of variety in flavours. 

I do believe the switch has added to their good health and has helped them age so well, I don’t meet many people with a Staffy over 17. 

If anyone is wanting to feed their dogs a raw diet and are worried about the work it involves I couldn’t recommend Big Dog any more highly! 

- Teisha

Coco's Story

We have an eight yo Groodle called Coco. At 12 mths she sadly started having regular seizures.  I quickly realised they coincided with her monthly flea treatments, so I discontinued using any pesticides on her and whilst the seizures slowed down, she still had them about every 6 wks to 2 mths.

She was on a diet combination of raw meat (purchased from the supermarket) and premium kibble.  Seizure medication for dogs isn’t a great option so research and trial and error began.

My research moved to diet and I found a lot of information connecting diet and particularly heavily processed kibble with canine seizures. Research showed that dogs should be eating raw food and there was a direct link with pet health and a raw natural diet.

I had been using supermarket raw meat but found out that this can have too much bacteria in it for dogs to eat, so I went on the hunt for a natural raw meat dog food product and found Big Dog.  

Coco has been eating Big Dog twice a day now for probably 4 years and I’m thrilled to say she is still medication free and her seizures only occur once or twice a year!

She is happy and healthy, and we’re thrilled and so grateful we found Big Dog!

- Carmel

Fanny, the Pug... Big Dog's oldest customer?

Fanny's Story

I realised when Fanny was 2 years old that her diet was affecting her health. She had constant urinary tract issues, psoriasis on her paws and weeping eyes...I had read about BARF diets and decided to try her on it. I also read a lot about the contributing health issues of dogs on dry food diets.

As soon as we started using Big Dog I instantly saw her eyes were not weepy, her dry paws went and her coat was extra soft and shiny. Her urinary tract issues stopped and I believe that it’s because her system wasn’t being dehydrated with a dry food diet.

I tried a couple of different brands but some of them were too garlic-ky smelling.

Big Dog had lots of variations which I like as I didn’t want her getting bored with the same flavour (like a pug wouldn’t eat anything I hear you laugh!!)

It was probably that I liked that there were lots of options for her and handy sized packs make it easy to use, which I think is very unique to Big Dog and very user friendly. I liked the consistency and smell of the food.

I do believe it has helped Fanny to stay healthy and age well.. people can’t believe she’s almost 14 when they meet her! She’s a bit mental!!!

I have 2 other dogs, a pug cross ELVIS (black) and a Maltese Cross BETTY who also eat Big Dog.

I love the fact that Big Dog is Australian too so you know the quality of all the ingredients can be trusted.

Thank you so much Big Dog for taking care of my dogs nutritional needs and keeping my dogs healthy.

P.S. Fanny is strong willed cheeky stubborn n totally deaf now !! She rules the roost over her younger siblings !!! She’s loving and the absolute light of my life x 💕

Lots of love, Wendy, Fanny, Elvis n Betty x x x

Jake, the Shar Pei x Lab

Jake's Story

This is my dog Jake. He's a Shar Pei x Lab and he's a beautiful 8 year old rescue! I adopted him about 18 months ago and he'd been on a kibble diet for his entire life.
He used to react horribly to any dry food with chicken in it. He was suffering with dry, itchy skin, terrible dandruff and reflux.
Once I switched him onto Big Dog raw (with a small amount of quality kibble) - his issues stopped completely. Now I can feed him any of the Big Dog ranges, plus raw chicken frames, necks and whatever the butcher happens to have in!
We've had no issues since and his coat is beautifully glossy and shiny. Obviously sensitivities are different for every dog, but I've found that my boy is totally fine on raw food, while dry food is a skin nightmare for him.
Thank you Big Dog. –Meg (Jake’s Mum)

Fletcher

Fletcher's Story

Everyone knows how many obese Cavaliers there are out there. I feed my three dogs the Wellbeing patties so that we can manage their weight and physical condition, while also ensuring that they get a yummy, balanced meal. The patties are loved by all my dogs, all three of whom are in beautiful condition, as you can see in the photo. At the age of 11.5 years old, Fletcher is still actively competing in dog sports, including agility, and we regularly receive double takes from judges in the conformation ring when they ask how old he is (note: age is just a number to Fletcher, so shhhhhh).
Thank you, Big Dog – we love your food!
-Penny

Luca, the Italian Greyhound

Luca's Story

This is my Italian Greyhound, Luca. When he was a young chap, he had so many problems with an upset bowel. He would get a grumbling tummy, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, general malaise, and at his worst, haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. It was terrible and he was very unhappy. This went on for many months. Many vet visits and medications did not solve the problem, nor did swapping to ‘sensitive’ foods. The vet assumed he must have had an irritable bowel disease! 😞
After doing some research, I discovered that chicken can be quite irritating and difficult to digest for many dogs. Chicken made up a large part of Luca’s diet and is found in so many dog foods. I decided to try Big Dog Single Protein Raw Food (both Turkey & Kangaroo flavours). We have not looked back! Since changing to this diet a couple of years ago, he has never had a single problem since. He mostly eats the Kangaroo flavour. We love it! 😊 Can highly recommend!

Maverick, the Cockerspaniel

Maverick’s Story

Our cockerspaniel Maverick is crazy for his Big Dog food! We transitioned him over to raw food from his puppy dry food after he was having reoccurring stomach upsets. We thought plain dry food would be best but he would often have days of diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain, we would give him a week on chicken and rice to settle him but it would happen again after returning to the kibble.
We transitioned him over to Big Dog nice and slowly, there were a few little stomach upsets as we transitioned but nothing like he was having and we persevered (with the addition of Big Dogs’ probiotic supplement) because he loved it so much! Now, a month later his stomach is all better. It worked a treat for him and it’s also super easy and convenient for us. We also couldn’t believe how much more manageable his poo is! Living in an apartment, this is a huge plus for us after cleaning up diarrhoea for so long.
We’re so happy to see him back to his active, happy (and handsome!) self!

Maverick now happy and healthy

Thea

Thea's story

We thought we were giving our puppy a premium diet on “high quality” kibble but after a month she became aggressive and we didn’t know why. We were recommended to your range of food and switched Thea over with very little expectations but after 4 weeks, our pup was a different dog. She now has a great temperament and actually wants cuddles and kisses where before she would bite you if you wanted to pat her tummy. It turns out that the kibble upset her stomach and she was in quite a lot of pain which we didn’t pick up on at the time. She now loves attention and affection and we’re so thankful for that.

Donut

Jorden's story

Pets: Donut and Mia

All 3 of my dogs have been on Big Dog since 8 weeks of age and absolutely thrived, but I noticed my Pomeranian, Donut, would get really bad indigestion and itchy, smelly skin, feet and ears. After some trial and error we figured out he is allergic to chicken! I switched him over to the Sensitive Skin, as I love that it’s chicken and beef free and made with fish. Combining the Sensitive Skin with the Big Dog Probiotic has done my little boy wonders and he’s living his very best, un-stinky life!

Chaos the Maltese cross

Matthew's story

Matthew's story: One of my dogs, Chaos, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer growing on the right side of his muzzle, and by the time we got him in for surgery, he was given a pretty poor diagnosis. After a difficult surgery,followed by a few more surgeries, and a few days recovering and not eating, I had to find something he could chew with his new mouth, minus a lot of teeth.

I came across Big Dog at the local pet store, and it seemed to tick all the boxes. Big Dog was one of the first things Chaos even considered eating, and he’s loved it ever since. Besides a few weird looks at the dog park, Chaos has been 18 months’ cancer free, and is living his best life, although he does have trouble keeping his tongue in his mouth, I’ve been recommending Big Dog to friend and family ever since.

Parker the Toy Poodle

Wendy's story

Wendy's story: My boy Parker has had shocking health issues. The vets thought he had Cushing’s Disease. After testing they said he did not, but could not tell me why he was losing hair, was pot-bellied and couldn’t hold his wee. He had really bad arthritis. And we thought about putting him to sleep. A friend suggested Big Dog maybe 6 month ago now and the change in our little guy is amazing. His hair grew back, he stopped sucking up water like he was dying of thirst, he doesn’t pee as often and his arthritis has improved about 50%. It has even stopped the thick, smelly tear staining. Parker is 14 now and I know for the time he has left, he will only be eating this. I just wish I had found it sooner. I feel it really saved Parker's life. He really is a changed dog.

Chelsea, Australian Cattle Dog and Max, American Staffordshire Terrier

Tania's story

Since changing from dry and processed food to Big Dog, our two dogs have been given fantastic health reports from the vet. Chelsea (Australian Cattle Dog) now has a beautiful thick coat, shiny eyes and fantastic teeth. Max (American Staffordshire Terrier) was diagnosed with a kidney problem and his levels were under normal since he was 5 months old. Since changing in the last 12 months and since his last test, his levels have come back to a mid-normal range. The vet could not believe how the levels improved in a dog of middle age. He wanted to know what I was feeding him and what was actually in the food. He also said his kidneys are obviously coping very well with the food and amount I am feeding him. I cannot stress to family and friends how good your products are. It just makes so much more sense than feeding them something that’s not natural. I am so glad we made the switch, as my dogs are a walking example of how changing to a raw diet actually improved their health. - Tania

Gary the Pug

Jasmine's story

Pet: Gary, Pug

Our pug, Gary, had been on a vet recommended kibble diet for all of his life, he also had a ‘seasonal itch’ and had steroids often for the itch. Our baby started to put on weight and eventually developed pancreatitis. He was put on a very strict kibble prescription diet, which gave him very little joy. He didn’t lose weight on the recommended feeding amount so we gradually reduced this and at half the recommended feeding amount we eventually saw him lose some weight (500g in a year). Thank Dog we heard about Big Dog Wellbeing! First of all, I have never seen Gary more excited for his meal, secondly he started losing weight and now maintains his ideal weight! He snores less, breathes easier, he has more energy and could walk for longer, we rarely have those dreaded anal glands issues that are common with pugs, and no more itchy skin  since he started eating Big Dog 18 months ago. We’re so thrilled that we found Big Dog for our little man because it honestly makes him happy and keeps him healthy.