The current veterinary focus of treating symptoms with powerful, synthetic drugs when they pop up instead of treating or ideally avoiding the root cause of the illness is plain wrong. I can say with experience that the vast majority of stubborn, recurring health conditions in dogs (from recurring skin and gut conditions to organ disease and cancer) is more often than down to an inappropriate diet, largely a cereal-based dry food for what is very clearly a meat eater. A simple change to a fresh, biologically appropriate diet pays off instantly. It’s such a simple concept, a fresh protein and fresh fat diet, rich in powerful nutrition and taste and so, so easy to do, yet it’s rarely considered. Why do you think this is?

The truth is pet owners are a great market for rubbish products, from entirely inappropriate processed foods and “treats” such as dental sticks instead of a nice fresh, free meaty bone to chemical flea and worm control for dogs with no fleas and worms and annual boosters for animals already adequately vaccinated for viruses (Pasteur is rolling in his grave). The whole circus is fuelled by fear and rubbish science, all an attempt to make you hand over all your decision making and eventually your cash.

Dogs First’s mission is to change this. You guys need to do a little reading to the great benefit of your best friend. Spend ten minutes on my site and tell me I’m wrong. Our aim is that 25% of Irish vets recommending fresh ingredients for dogs by 2020. So far I think we have 7 on board. Only 3000 to go!

Everyone wants the best info and they always want it independent. I think most people believe they are independent, I certainly do and am happy to disclose fully all my revenue streams. So here’s how I can (just about) afford to write full time and keep the lights on while I do it:

After leaving guide dogs and starting a raw dog food company in 2010, a company I moved on in 2013 (producing it isn’t half as much fun as teaching it), I have been operating independently, effectively as a canine nutrition consultant. Like most others in my position, I have helped (and will continue to do so) numerous fresh dog food companies get off the ground and sometimes I recommend them into the future (e.g. as you can see with my Paleo Ridge UK ad on the right! Go learn about the best dog food out there – ethical, outdoor meat only, organic, what’s not to love!!! Ha ha). I am contractually bound to none and am still a free agent in every respect but, as I’m sure you’ll understand, there’s little point in me promoting these companies for nothing. I have kids to feed and still promote real, whole ingredients over any product.

Other revenue streams include my seminars which now take me all over the world. I also do the occasional nutrition consult for folks that didn’t find the answer from my site as well as some revenue from the sale of a few supplements that we co-formulated from our site. Also, within my health articles, if there is a product that I know would greatly benefit a dog (I don’t stock other people’s health supplements as a rule), I will link out to the cheapest but best-reviewed products I can find on Amazon. I can get 10% on that sale. As you will find, I do not do this often and I always tell people they are heading there (more on Affiliate Disclosure here).

We also have a fab online magazine which is free of charge to you guys though the dream is someday people will pay me to advertise in it. I assure you, you will only ever see an ad for a product I like (so no nasty chemical or dry food companies etc).