Meet Honey
- Dog: Honey
- Nicknames: Froggy, Mads, Toe Beans, Space Radar and Mickey (when her ears turn inside out)
- Breed: English Springer Spaniel x Australian Kelpie
- Age: 1 year and 3 months at the time of writing
Honey’s paws were licked red raw, her coat was thinning and, however much she ate, she stayed slim and hungry. Her owner, Amber, had already tried two different foods. It was ProDog’s reviews that made her try a different route, and within three weeks she was describing a very different dog.
Honey has always been full of energy. Comfort was another matter.
From the age of six months, her paws itched so badly that she licked them red raw. Her ears itched too, and her coat began to thin, leaving bald patches in places. Amber described it as allergies.
Then there was her weight. Honey was slim and, whatever she was fed, she stayed that way, always asking for more. At 15.4kg, she simply wasn’t gaining healthy weight.
Amber tried what most owners would, changing her food until she found one that made a difference.
By now, Honey had tried wet puppy food and fresh dog food, and she was still slim, still hungry and still itchy. What caught Amber’s eye next was the reviews for ProDog.
So many 5-star reviews from other owners feeding ProDog Raw gave Amber the confidence to try it. She wanted the very best for Honey, and hearing from people in the same position made the move feel possible.
She began with a single novel protein, goat, as part of an elimination diet. After four weeks with no reaction, she introduced the second novel protein, goose. Taking one protein at a time meant she could be sure how Honey responded to each before moving on.
Read more about an elimination diet.
Alongside ProDog Raw, Honey started on Reset, ProDog’s diverse soil based liquid probiotic. Amber chose it for its live strains, of which there are plenty. Reset contains at least 15 identified strains, including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces boulardii, alongside fermented detox herbs and prebiotics.
Rather than starting in a laboratory, Reset starts in the ground. Its microorganisms are harvested from wild, undisturbed land and cultivated through a four-stage fermentation, so they’re already active by the time they reach the bowl.
If you’re curious about what makes one probiotic different from another, our nutritionist’s guide to the best probiotics for dogs explains strain diversity, soil-based probiotics and why format matters.
Honey also has Repel, a natural flea, tick and worm repellent as part of her routine to minimise toxin overload. Both go into her morning meal.
The changes came quickly. Within three weeks of starting ProDog Raw and Reset, Honey’s paws had stopped itching, and she’d stopped licking them red raw. The redness in her ears had gone. Her coat looked thicker and shinier.
Her ears are still a little itchy, but Amber is philosophical about it. After suffering for so long, she reasons, it will take Honey a while to fully recover.
The scales moved too. At her most recent weigh-in Honey was 16kg, up from 15.4kg, and she’s holding that weight. Just as noticeable, she’s content between meals and has stopped asking for more. Breakfast and dinner are now the most exciting parts of her day.
“Feeding a young, active working-breed cross is all about supporting healthy growth while providing the nutrition and energy needed for learning, training and development. During puppyhood, a high protein, minimally processed, complete and balanced raw diet helps support muscle development and growth, while providing the nutrients needed to fuel an active brain.
As puppies mature, their nutritional needs and energy requirements change. Portions should be adjusted accordingly, increasing food when needed to support growth spurts and maintain a healthy body condition, while taking changes in activity levels into account.
One of the simplest ways to assess body condition at home is to regularly feel your dog’s ribs. They should be easy to feel beneath a light covering of tissue, with a visible waist when viewed from above and a gentle abdominal tuck from the side. Alongside maintaining a healthy body condition, owners should monitor appetite, satiety, digestion, stool quality and energy levels, particularly when introducing a new diet. These observations help ensure that feeding remains appropriate as the dog develops from puppyhood into adulthood.”
Alison Frost, Canine Nutritionist
Honey has always been energetic, but Amber says she’s now happier than ever. Her favourite thing is racing around a field off lead, looking, in Amber’s words, “so happy and free”, before heading home to the sofa she claimed as hers on her very first day.
She’s goofy, she adores tennis balls, and she’s a master at getting her teeth stuck on her lips. Her name is Honey, but she listens far more closely to Froggy.
“All I ever wanted was for my dog to be happy and healthy,” Amber says. “Thanks to ProDog Raw you have changed my dog’s life for the better.”
Honey’s story shows what can happen when a dog’s bowl is built around real food and targeted support. If you’d like to talk through what might suit your own dog, our nutrition team is here to help, free of charge.
Honey’s story is shared with the kind permission of Amber Tovey.
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