One dog owner who constantly obsessed over her dog’s diet was Iris Chia, the founder of theRAWproof, a personalised raw diet plan for dogs.
“I had dogs in my family before and one of them died at an early age from liver failure. I also noticed how my friends’ and relatives’ pets developed skin issues,” Chia told FMT Lifestyle recently.
A firm believer that, like humans, many health issues in dogs stem directly from the food they consume, she decided to take matters into her own hands by researching how to create better diets for her dogs.
“We often see processed pet food in the market and we don’t question it, thinking it’s what they are supposed to eat,” she said, adding that she harboured suspicions that these foods weren’t all that they were hyped up to be.
So serious was she about canine nutrition that she took a course offered by the Companion Animal Sciences Institute (CASI) to gain a deeper understanding of what worked and what didn’t when it came to canine diets.
With her newfound knowledge, she began formulating diets for her dogs and before she knew it, theRAWproof was born in 2020.
“Every dog’s needs are different, depending on their breed, size, age and lifestyle. That’s why I don’t mass produce.”
Chia said that theRAWproof was all about curating a nutrition-based raw food diet tailored to an individual pet.
“I want to let people know that this is a viable option for their dogs, whether it’s for the maintenance of a healthy dog or to support a sick dog with therapeutic needs.”
So, how does one go about working with Chia on their dog’s diet?
Chia said that she is only able to formulate a personalised diet plan once she has made a full assessment of the dog in terms of age, breed, temperament, health issues and lifestyle, for instance.
With all this information in hand, Chia begins work on customising the raw food diet plan. The food is sold frozen in packs of 30 that last for one month.
“You can thaw the pack and serve it to your dog as is, or you can steam it if you prefer it cooked.”
She admitted that despite her best efforts sometimes, dogs who are picky eaters, refused the food they were served.
“I can give tonnes of protein options to the owner, but it wouldn’t matter if the dog is a picky eater. More often than not, it’s a behavioural issue, which I advise the dog’s owner to fix.”
Another challenge Chia faced was not with the dogs themselves but their impatient owners who demanded instant results.
“They have to understand that nutrition is not an overnight thing, and you need time for a healthy diet to take effect.”
Despite the ups and downs of her work, Chia said this was her most fulfilling job as it gave her lots of joy, unlike the corporate job she had before quitting to focus full-time on theRAWproof.
“It truly makes my day when a client tells me they are satisfied with my work because their dog is healthier now. To a lot of people, they’re just dogs, but to these owners, the dogs are their family.”
Follow theRAWproof on Instagram or head here for the tailored nutrition form.