How Hayley Discovered Raw is the Answer to a Happy, Healthy Life for her Dogs

Life Before Raw Food

When Hayley Karpa adopted 2-year-old Asher, she noticed health issues right away.

Besides being constantly itchy, Asher was gaining weight fast. In 4 months, he’d lost the ‘dip’ in his sides that defines his hips. Hayley started to withhold so much kibble, she worried Asher wasn’t getting enough nutrition.

“You feel bad for not giving them quite enough food, but you don't want them to be unhealthy for the rest of their lives,” she says. “And I felt so bad for him watching him scratch all the time.” 

But when Asher developed an abscess on his jaw, he couldn’t chew his kibble at all. That was when Hayley knew he had to switch to a wet food. 

“I literally think Asher could’ve died. As horrible as that sounds.”

“Night and day difference after switching to raw.” 

Luckily the dog daycare where Hayley worked had started selling raw food from Grand Dog Essentials.

Asher is allergic to chicken, so Hayley was happy to see that Grand Dog offered several unmixed protein options. Hayley’s boyfriend was feeding his dog Bear a different brand of raw, but everything was mixed with poultry.

The small airtight chubs made it easy to serve individual portions and freeze the rest. With the other brand, everything came in one giant bag and ended up freezer burnt.

Hayley switched both Asher and Bear cold turkey.

READ: HOW TO TRANSITION TO RAW DOG FOOD

In 24 hours, their poops were more solid and smelled better. That alone was a game changer.

Then Asher started losing weight and stopped scratching. “His skin was so much healthier,” Hayley says. “When he was on kibble he was always licking, scratching and nibbling on himself… It was nice to see him just relax and be a dog.”

3 years later? “They look amazing. I believe raw food increases all of their lifespans.”

Asher maintains a healthy weight. His abscess recurred this year, but he kept eating raw and got the nutrients he needed. 

Even Bear, who switched from another raw brand, has gone from being covered in dandruff to dandruff-free. 

He used to always limp after playing fetch. Now it’s rare. “Bear's absolute favorite thing in the world is playing ball,” Hayley says. “If he couldn't do that, he just wouldn't be living a happy life.”

It’s the same with her younger dog June. She has no stiffness even though she broke her leg as a pup. 

Now Hayley also gets fresh bones from Grand Dog because they give the dogs mental stimulation too.

The dogs enjoy: 

• healthy weights 
• white teeth with no plaque 
• zero dehydration
• solid poop that doesn’t stink
• and vet visits that are way fewer and farther between.

“It makes us really happy and relieved that we can take them all on long hikes and do all those things that we love."

Case Study provided by: Gwen Vanderdeen-Paschke

Pictures and interview used with permission from Hayley Karpa

If you enjoyed this, you might also like: 

Read Benedetto's Raw Dog Food Success Story

What Supplements Should I Feed My Dog?

Guide to Feeding Raw to Puppies