Charlie & Leo

Tell us a little about you and your four-legged friends. What makes them the Top Dog in your eyes? 

We have two Golden retrievers, Charlie 2.5 years and Leo 3 months. With moving from Sweden to the US 3.5 years ago, our family was put under a lot of stress. With his unconditional love and non-judgmental attitude, Charlie helped the kids handle their stress and feeling of alienation – and brought us all into the dog community and out of isolation. Charlie and Leo are (of course!) amazing dogs and bring joy and happiness to our life every day!

What made you switch to raw? Or choose to feed raw from day one? 

Charlie was a very sick puppy when we got him in August 2018. Amoebas, parasites, worms… you name it. We spent a lot of time (and money) at the vet. I think we saw 4 different vets and no-one had advice that changed the situation. They gave us antibiotics and special diets, but that only help momentarily and actually seemed to make everything worse. We were on the brink of giving Charlie away, because we didn’t see an end to the situation.

In January 2019 when I was looking for a place to board Charlie, for a necessary trip to Sweden, I came in contact with a Greek lady, Loukia. She changed our lives! Loukia suggested switching him onto raw food, adding certain vegetables and herbs to his diet, and replacing the tick/flea and heart/worm medication to natural remedies. After all was said and done, we made the switch and within two weeks our sick and unhappy puppy started to feel good! And he had his first solid poop… ever!! 

Time went on, and all was well and good… but I wasn’t completely happy. Charlie still had digestive issues, and I felt we were missing something and not ticking all the boxes. In October 2020, by advice from a friend, we decided to try another brand. We made the switch from our old brand to Top Dog Quality Food, and within a week or two I noticed that Charlie’s coat was more shiny, his poop didn’t smell (and look as sticky as before), and he felt more energetic and calm. I was very surprised with the difference, since we already fed him raw food!

With Leo, we have fed him raw food from day one. The breeder is a raw feeder too and happens to use TDQF as we do, so there was no transition when we got our new fluff ball. Having a puppy again, that has a healthy digestive system from the start is so far from our previous experience with Charlie. This is what it should be like having a new family member!

What been the biggest difference you’ve seen in their health and happiness? 

A lot more energy, shinier coat, no more tar colored skin, just nice pink healthy skin, clean ears, no more red/brown fur stains (caused by an infection with the yeast Malassezia) on paws, jaws and other places.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about feeding raw too? 

Do it! If you are interested in health for yourself, you realize that it’s just as important for your four-legged friend. You want them to live a happy, healthy and long life. All dogs are different, but kibble is not the way to go to achieve a happy, healthy and long life.

It is a bit tricky figuring it out in the beginning, but there is a lot of information online – so read, read and read! Maybe find a raw feeding community on Facebook, or where you live?

Talk to your friends, probably some of them already do raw feeding.

What do you love most about Top Quality Dog Food?

It feels like great meat, you can vary a lot – lamb, pork, beef, salmon and so on. You get the nutritious organ meat and bone included in your meat too.

It’s easy to order. You need to be a bit organized so the food will last between delivery dates, but if you run out you can order and get it delivered to your home.