THE HEALTHY PET GOURMET'S PHILOSOPHY

Christie with her first love, Goldie

When I was 14 and my Golden Retriever, Goldie, 'Christie's Golden Delight,' became ill at age 11, I knew that if I didn't do something quickly, my parents planned to euthanize him on Monday. He was very sick, but I just couldn't let him go. I knew it wasn't his time. For the next 4 days I wouldn't leave his side - allergies and parents be damned. I massaged and hugged him, kissed and stroked him, but perhaps most importantly, I fed him REAL food, like chicken, and soup. No one stopped me because they assumed he was too far gone to help or hurt. To their credit, my parents understood that I needed to do everything I could for this loyal friend of mine before I could let him go.

Goldie made a miraculous recovery, and lived to see age 15. He didn't pass on until one night after I had a heart to heart with him and told him that if he needed to go, it was alright. The next morning he was gone.

During the last few years of Goldie's life, that miraculous recovery week stayed with me. Because of my severe allergies, I had already abandoned western, allopathic medicine as a cure all, and was gaining interest in homeopathic health. Specifically, what was the connection between what I put into my body and how my body felt? Wouldn't the same be true for my pets? As I looked at the gross, greasy, open bags of popular commercial brand dry dog food, I had begun to wonder if maybe Goldie could have been healthier if I had known enough to give him better foods.

My quest for pet health had begun.

My cat Scout gave me my next insights. Like many male cats eating commercial pet foods, he was diagnosed with a urinary tract blockage before the age of two. He was immediately put on a fancy veterinarian prescribed petfood which I now know contains the same garbage as all other commercial pet foods.

A few years later Scout became diabetic. The dilemma: there are no foods for feline diabetics with urinary tract blockages. I took matters into my own hands and gained an education about feline diabetes. After initiating at home blood testing and insulin shots, I was determined to find a diet for Scout that would support his health. I knew it wouldn't involve any more 'prescription' diets that could cause other unknown problems. I was convinced Scout's foods caused his diabetes and his urinary tract problems too. I put Scout on real foods that are the basis for my feline meals today.

It's hard to determine the cause of any health crisis. However, I can say that today, Scout is insulin free, has completely normal blood panels, and hasn't had a urinary tract problem for over 6 years.

Since my first questions over 10 years ago, I have studied pet nutrition in an exhaustive manner. I experimented with the BARF (Bones and Raw Foods) diet with my rescued Australian Cattle Dog, Jack. There was a time when I thought that BARF diets were the way.....until I learned more. (See our Education Center for more info on BARF). By the time I worked out the current diets that we use at The Healthy Pet Gourmet, I found some of the best vets in the country using the same source material as me, and that my conclusions about pet nutrition matched theirs.

After years of helping my aunt with her animal home care company, of fostering Australian Cattle Dog rescues, of nursing baby kittens back to health, of volunteering at animal shelters, and of studying the relationship between proper nutrition and good health, I am confident that my purpose in life is to improve the lives of animals, and to educate their owners to make empowered decisions.

The lessons I have learned from my closest animal friends over the years have been priceless. Goldie, Sox, Scout, Mathis, Jack, and my youngest baby Hunter have been my best teachers. In a way, I feel The Healthy Pet Gourmet is the fulfillment of a promise I made to Goldie so many years ago, that I would make sure any pet I brought into my home would receive the very best care and all the love I have. To that end, Hunter is named 'Woodlands Golden Promise,' a reflection of Goldie's name "Christie's Golden Delight."

The Healthy Pet Gourmet is my gift of love to all animals and their owners. I know how special and life changing the pure love of a pet can be. I have spent most of my life working to help animals, and I plan to continue to do so. I promise my customers that I will continue to work tirelessly to find ways to improve the quality and the length of life we have to share with our pets.