By Roxanne Jeynes
Jumping on board the superfood health trend, Brisbane-based company 'Big Dog Pet Foods' has had a very good year delivering natural, raw pet food products in and around the country.
The Australian owned and operated business saw a steady 15 per cent yearly growth since established in 2000, leading to a staggering $6 million turnover this financial year.
Big Dog Owner Chris Essex has made a splash with raw dog food products.
Their products have also hit it big on the international scene with exports to Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Big Dog owner Chris Essex said the huge success did not come as a total surprise.
"There's a lot more information out there now -through the internet and other sources- and consumers want to find out about healthier products.
"People are looking for the best when it comes to their longevity... Seeing that pets are a part of most families in Australia, pet owners now want their pets to live just as long," Mr Essex said.
Big Dog currently offers two kinds of 'BARF' (Bones and RAW Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diets for their two main clienteles – cats and dogs.
Made using only the finest Australian grown raw ingredients, the BARF diets were sourced from leading human consumption facilities, designed to provide 'the kinds of diets that nature intended they [the pets] would dine on in the wild".
Already, pet owners are seeing drastic results on their furry friends.
"Once we roll the cats or dogs over to a raw diet, you can see the difference after two weeks," Mr Essex said.
Benefits include softer hair, less scratching or allergy symptoms and an increase in the pet's energy levels.
"We see the benefits right across the board - right down to healthier poos," Mr Essex said.
Mr Essex, with a background in food science and production management, said the move over to the pet food industry was a natural step and he sees the company continuing to do well in the future.
"It's keeping us busy...We don't see it slowing down and there's a forecast for growth again this year."