Carole St-Aubin
Fort Coulonge Nov 12, 2021
Pets are a significant part of people’s lives and even considered part of the family in a lot of households, so taking care of them is important. They require very little, but mean the world to a lot of pet owners.
When Jessica Forgues’ dog got very sick, she knew she had to do something.
“He had very bad arthritis and was limping horribly. I had taken him . . .
to the veterinarian and he was on medication but was still limping,” said Forgues. “Then someone suggested I try raw feeding him, and it changed his life, he never limped again.”
“Feeding your dogs dry dog food is not the healthiest choice, because of the way it is processed. It’s cooked at such a high temperature that any protein or any minerals or vitamins that were in the food are gone. It’s done that way so they can store it longer on store shelves,” Forgues said.
Cats and dogs are descendants of wild animals and they still have the same digestive system as wild animals, according to Forgues who said, “A lot of people just don’t know much about raw-feeding, and that it’s really the best option for their animals.”
Forgues believes it’s not only about giving your pet the best options so they can live the long healthy life that we all want them to live, but is also about preventative care.
“Raw feeding is known to help with issues like arthritis, ear infections, digestive issues, skin issues, bladder infections, shedding and a wide variety of things. Rough eating can help many issues that your pet may be experiencing,” Forgues told The Equity.
Knowing that veterinarian services are no longer available to us here in the Pontiac has made preventing issues from popping up even more important to pet owners, Forgues believes.
“When you think about it, your dog’s world is pretty small. The only things that they have in their world is you and their dog food,” said Forgues, adding, “Humans smoke, drink, eat fast foods, junk foods and processed foods; we’re exposed to things like putting on makeup, perfume, using cleaning products and chemicals, but our pets only have their foods so it makes you wonder when you find out they have growths or cancer, where did it come from?”
For decades farmers and Indigenous people fed their [sled] dogs scraps from the animals they killed to feed their families and some lived up to 25 years of age, but now our dogs have a short life expectancy, living to be between eight to 12 years because they’re just not getting the nutrients they need, according to Forgues.
After she switched to raw -feeding five years ago, she had to drive to the city to buy the food because there isn’t really anything available locally.
That’s when she, along with her friend and equal business partner Dina Fleury, decided they wanted to do something about it and began doing research and the groundwork to get the wheels in motion for their new venture, Naturo-Pattes du Pontiac, which was launched just last week.
“Obviously we take it very, very seriously, we are doing it out of our homes. But we set ourselves up with a workshop, we ordered a grinder from the United States to be able to do this, because that was the only place that had what we were looking for,” said Forgues.
All of the meat they use is purchased and collected from local farmers and other local sources in the Pontiac.
“We process the meat as soon as we pick it up. Then there’s a formula that we follow, using meat, fat, organs and bone, which we tested on our own animals with our friends and families, then we vacuum-seal it in packages of one and two lbs. and freeze it all within the same day,” she explained.
The meat packages can be kept frozen for up to a year.
Since they have launched Forgues says they have had a positive experience with people who are curious and interested in learning about it, so the duo is hoping to educate people about the many benefits of raw or rough feeding along the way.
She goes on to explain that raw feeding is not a complicated thing to do, “it’s very simple, it’s the same as the meat we eat. You take out a package in the morning, let it thaw and then feed them at suppertime.”
When customers place an order they are asked how much their pet weighs and then are given the recommended portion, which, according to Forgues, is typically 2 per cent of the pet’s body weight and can run up to three or four per cent for younger, more active dogs.
They offer a Scooby blend (named after Forgues’s dog) which is a beef blend, and a seasonal Wild blend, which is currently deer. The meat packages contain absolutely no additives.
They want to offer a fish blend in the spring and hope to incorporate a blend made with root vegetables in the future, though generally animals don’t need to consume vegetables. Sometimes Forgues said she’ll add some pumpkin to her senior dog’s mix, “but that’s very specific to certain animals who are experiencing digestion issues.”
Pork and chicken are also considered for future blends. “It’s just been a little slower to offer those because they’re not processed anywhere near here. We need to find a stable local source in order to secure those blends in the future,” Forgues added.
Currently clients place their orders and arrange for pick up, but Naturo-Pattes Pontiac might be able to arrange drop-off locations throughout the Pontiac and hope to open up a storefront one day.
Forgues passionately believes in how raw feeding saved her 10-year-old dog’s (who now runs and plays) life, and wanted to bring this service to Pontiac because it was lacking.
“We have no shortage of farmers in Pontiac, so we should be successful. I know that people here love to buy and support local businesses, and they love their animals. I believe that with education, (which is what’s been happening since our launch) more people will want to do what’s right for their pets, because they want to keep their pets with them for as long as possible.”
More information about raw food for pets can be found online at http://www.facebook.com/naturopattesdupontiac
