In this week’s blog, we are going to be sharing some stories we have gathered from retailers around the country who have helped pet parents switch to Steve’s Real Food through their advice, research, and especially, their willingness to care. See why more and more people are switching to raw, thanks to the hard work of retailers who are making a difference:
Customer Convinced That Kibble is Best
“A few weeks ago I had a new customer come in looking for Nutro. I told her I was happy to special order it, but that I didn’t stock it. She asked why not, as she understood it to be the best food, and I explained it didn’t meet our quality standards. She said her dog was doing great on it but had bad breath, itchy skin, and joint pain. This led to a review of ingredients and a discussion of minimal processing and the absence of enzymes in kibble.
We reviewed options of premium kibble and raw. She was skeptical that raw could improve her dog’s issues and was worried about the lack of convenience. I suggested we work towards 1 meal raw, 1 kibble, then reassess in a month.
She returned a few days ago thrilled to report one box of Steve’s chicken later, her dog has noticeably better breath, more energy, and was less itchy! She plans on transitioning to 100% raw when she returns from traveling!”
Bassett Hound with Allergies and Weight Issues
“I recently had a customer come in and ask me to recommend a diet for her dog. The dog is a three-year-old basset hound mix who suffers from allergies. The symptoms of his allergies include lethargy and excessive paw licking. The dog is also a few pounds overweight, and because he is a basset she wants him to lose weight so as not to put unnecessary pressure on his spine. She had previously been feeding the dog a high-quality kibble but speculated that the dog was allergic to chicken and was looking for a new protein.
I recommended that she try a more novel protein like pork, duck or rabbit and encouraged her to consider a raw diet. I explained to her the myriad benefits of raw feeding and told her about my own experiences with feeding my dog and my cats a raw diet. She was not quite sold on the idea of feeding raw, mainly because of the cost, so I encouraged her to start slow by adding some raw goat’s milk to her dog’s kibble, explaining to her that goat’s milk is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent as well as an excellent source of raw nutrition packed with enzymes, vitamins and minerals essential for good health. She was impressed by the effects of the goat’s milk on her pup’s allergies and decided to give raw feeding a shot.
This experience taught me the importance of being able to read your customers; this customer was still skeptical after I explained to her that the cost of feeding raw is offset by the money saved in the long run (through less frequent illness/vet visits), so I had to take another approach – recommending the inexpensive raw goat’s milk to give her an easy introduction into the world of raw feeding. Once she got a taste of just how much raw feeding could improve her dog’s health and quality of life, she was enthusiastic about the prospect of transitioning to a fully raw diet, regardless of the cost.”
Steve’s Real Food’s Convenience Helping To Convert a Kibble Customer
“I had a customer come in and said he was looking for an organic dog food without any poultry in it. His vet thought his dog had a poultry allergy and they wanted something to help with her itchy skin. I asked him if he was set on a kibble or if he would be open to trying a can or a raw food for her. He told me that he just wanted what was best and would help his dog the most. I told him that without a doubt that would be a raw diet.
He had several concerns about feeding raw; cleaning, remembering to thaw and then, of course questioning whether or not it was organic. I addressed his issues one by one; first explaining that cleaning the bowls should be simple enough; done daily just like your own dishes. I told him that the Steve’s nuggets were great because you could serve them straight from the freezer, or he could do patties and thaw a few at a time. Lastly, I explained that even though it was certified organic, it was much less processed and would be much closer to organic than any kibble would be. He ended up leaving with a box of patties and a bag of nuggets in case he forgot to thaw a patty”
