At first, the information was overwhelming. Between the debates over grain-free diets, dog food brands, and exotic proteins, every article or expert seemed to contradict the next. But one consistent thread began to emerge: what if Mini's issues stemmed not from what she was eating, but how the food was processed? The more we learned about commercial dog food, the more questions arose. What exactly was in that bag or can of food we’d trusted for years? How much of it was even real meat? Why did so many ingredients have names we couldn’t pronounce?

Then came the real shocker: the dog food industry was far less regulated than we’d imagined. Marketing terms like “premium” and “natural” had no legal standards, and we discovered reports of low-quality fillers, questionable sourcing practices, and even harmful contaminants in some pet foods. It was a wake-up call. We wanted better for Mini.

That’s when we started exploring a raw diet. Initially, the idea of feeding raw meat felt intimidating—was it safe? Balanced? Hygienic? But as we researched more and spoke with holistic veterinarians, we realized raw food mimicked the ancestral diet dogs had thrived on for centuries. It was whole, unprocessed, and rich in nutrients. With careful planning, we transitioned Mini to a raw food diet tailored to her needs, including fresh meat, bones, and organs.

The transformation was nothing short of remarkable. Mini's bladder stones disappeared, her coat became shinier and softer, and her energy levels soared. Watching her thrive on real, whole food reaffirmed our decision and deepened our commitment to providing her with the best nutrition possible.

Fast forward 7 years and we found ourselves in a much more serious predicament. Teegan, our red retriever who we adopted from a rescue at the age of one, had been on kibble his entire life and even medicated for his “hyperactivity”. We immediately took him off the medication, but were lackadaisical about transitioning him to a more nutritional diet. By age two he was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor (MCT) and we found ourselves once again making a major shift. This time we dove into a “keto” raw diet in hopes of starving the cancer cells and giving Teegan’s immune system a fighting chance to defend itself.

This journey hasn’t only helped our pups; it’s opened our eyes. We’ve now educated ourselves and continue learning about ingredient sourcing and the importance of species-appropriate diets. The more we’ve learned, the more empowered we felt to launch The Wild Canine™ — not just for our dogs, but for your dogs too.