How We've Helped Your Pet
Nutrition is one of the most important foundations of long-term pet health. By helping pet parents choose better foods and supplements, we’ve seen many pets experience improvements in digestion, skin and coat health, allergies, and energy levels. Here are a few stories from families who have seen those changes firsthand.
Health Stories from Our Customers
JENNI, CALGARY
Just thought everyone would like to know that Julian had gone 68 days with no seizure since he changed to his new raw food diet. He used to have a seizure every 7-14 days. He’s also lowered his medication twice in this time and still no seizure. He's also put on muscle and has energy like he did years ago - which is okay because he gets to come to work with me.
ZOE, ALBERTA
I am a 1 and a half year old Min pin/Chihuahua cross who is quite picky about what I eat. Before my parents took me to Tail Blazers I didn’t really like my dinner and I was itchy and flaky. Since my parents wised up I love what I dine on, my skin isn’t dry anymore and my coat shines like you would not believe. Thanks mom and dad and thanks Tail Blazers!
CALGARY, AB
Prior to eating raw food, our pup dealt with intense reactions from allergies. From itchiness to watery eyes, eye gunk, hair loss, skin irritations and ear infections. He was almost going to have to do as skin biopsy.! Tail Blazers in Ranchlands Calgary helped us with his sensitivity testing and finding the right raw brand. Hsi bald batch grew back, his fur is healthy, and for over a year now he has had no reactions or infections. He gain a new spunk along the way too!
LAURIE, CALGARY
My dalmation has allergies. Before we put him on raw food, we thought we would have to put him down. He had hives, was throwing up everyday, constant ear and lymph gland infections. He was miserable! Now he is on raw food-we are careful about what he gets for treats and we have a happy, healthy boy! (and plan to for years to come!)
SHANNON, CALGARY
My 15 year old cat is diabetic and has increasing kidney values. After switching him to an all raw meat diet 4 weeks ago his kidney values are reading completely normal and his insulin requirements have decreased significantly. In addition his fur is soft rather than matted and oily looking. His eyes are bright and he is back into mischief.
SHAUNA, CALGARY
Ditto, a 5 year old Pomeranian was stricken with pancreatitis and kidney failure. We tried the vet diets with no success. Our vet told us to take her home and make her comfortable. We fed her ground beef, egg, skim milk powder and wheat germ. With in a week she was able to walk around. By the end of the month her blood work came back normal.
GABRIELLE, EDMONTON
I have a menagerie of animals but my cat is the only one who eats raw 100% of the time. When most people think of purebred cats, they may not always associate them with being raw fed. I knew long before finding the breeder that my future cat would be fed a raw diet. Once she came home, I gave her a short period of time to settle in and then the raw feeding experiments began. I didn’t quite know what I was doing and she didn’t care for what I had purchased. So I contacted my local Tail Blazers store and the owner was more than helpful in narrowing down my choices. That was over a year ago. She’s about to have her second birthday and has been successfully on raw since. Her vets are extremely pleased with her health. She maintains a healthy weight and her coat remains perfect. I am so thrilled I found the appropriate food for my cat and it is something she loves eating and that’s all thanks to Tail Blazers!
MISSISSAUGA, ON
Prince would get sick of eating the same kibble and it was always hard to find a brand that he would stick with. As I started coming to TB and started talking to the team I learned more and more about the raw diet and how it’s good for dogs. You see, Prince is a Chinese sharpei and that breed comes with a lot of allergies! Ever since I have switched him over, he no longer sheds a lot, all the mucin he has on his body is gone. He doesn’t have many ear problems anymore. This was by far the best delicious I have ever mad and it’s all thanks to the TB Team! He loves his food he loves the different meats I get. Thank you for everything because if it wasn’t for you guys I would still be trying to figure out a good kibble for him!
AMANDA, SUDBURY
My Kita bear will be 10 this year and for almost 7 years of her life she suffered from allergies to pretty much everything. She was always so uncomfortable and would lick till her paws were raw. It was a vicious cycle of itching and licking. We changed foods constantly, had creams, ointments, drops, soaks, shampoos...you name it we tried everything to help. My poor girl lived with a cone on her head whenever we were not home so she wouldn’t hurt herself. Three years ago I started researching raw and said “hey, it’s worth a try” Fast forward to today and she is living the good life, cone free and full of energy. If it wasn’t for all her gray, you would never know she was 10! Thank you Jolie for bringing Tail Blazers to Sudbury!
JIM, CALGARY
Starsky is a Shepherd / Husky mix and came to us as a 2 year old rescue from the ARF foundation. He is now 12 and has been eating a raw diet for the last 8 years. He still can put on impressive bursts of speed when we go out for walks. At a recent vet checkup, the doctor asked us if he had recently had his teeth cleaned. Starsky has never had any dental work done, something we can attribute to a raw diet.
TESSA, KELOWNA
Chloe is a Maltese/Lhasa mix who suffers from severe food and weather allergies. When I first got her as a pup, I fed her regular puppy dry kibble. But no matter which food brand I gave Chloe, she would scratch herself raw, until her hair came off in clumps. I tirelessly worked with a vet for over a year to find the perfect brand of dog food that Chloe could tolerate. Even all the non-allergy brands Chloe refused to eat. I was at my wits end as to what to do. I had literally spent hundreds of dollars on trying every brand of hard and soft food out in the market with no success. Then the vet said, let’s try a raw meat diet with fresh veggies. That was a God send! Chloe loves raw lamb the best and is back to being healthy which the vet attributes to the raw diet. Now she’s back to being the ever playful Maltese!
KATHY, CALGARY
Our three year old dog was having digestive problems and our vet wanted to do x rays. We weren’t keen on it. I spoke to Tamara and she recommended the raw food diet. Hesitantly we tried it and 2 weeks later Benjee has had no more problems and much more energy.
CATHERINE, CALGARY
My 12 year old cat shadow stopped being able to jump up on the kitchen counter a number of years ago. Since eating raw food for the last 7-8 months, she has started leaping again in true feline fashion.
WENDY, BARRIE
Our furry friend Marley suffers from stress and anxiety. He was never particularly fond of kibble either. Now on a raw diet, he pretty much dances for his dinner! He absolutely loves it and his anxiety level has come down significantly! Best decision we ever made!
KIMBERLEY
We always had a dog so when I was able to have my own I choose a little black cockapoo and named her Abbey. At about 6 months she got very sick. Unable to keep food down,it was very sad watching her fight to keep going. At a farmers market I was introduced to the raw food diet. I read and found a tailblazers and the rest is history. Abbey is a happy healthy dog and I owe it all to the raw food diet exactly what dogs should be on.
SUSAN, ALBERTA
2 years ago January 2016 my girl was diagnosed stage 5 Lymthoma sarcoma. Cancer in her bones,told she maybe had 6 months. The only thing I changed was her diet from kibble to raw. What can I say 2 years later and still here with us. So thankful.
Interview Series 1-4
We invited our customers to share their pet’s story of improved health. In this interview series, we take a deeper look at the journeys of some of our furry customers and the changes that helped them feel better again.
Interview #1: Kristina Wilson & Luna
Name: Kristina Wilson
Dog: Luna, 8 years old
Breed: Kelpie mix
Currently Eating: Big Country Raw
Full Testimonial
November 4 2023, we got the news that Luna had a mast cell tumor. Our vet was removing it on their end and we were starting chemo and we knew the first thing we had to do was go to Tail Blazers Legacy to Ron & Holly and their team to get everything we can to cover the holistic / supplement side of things. In we walk, a complete mess and Ron and Holly were there to help us out. Not only are they so knowledgeable and up to date on all the latest information in the pet world but they have a big interest in supplements and holistic approach. They even have personal experiences as well to help shed more light on what we may expect going forward. I wanted all the suggestions and testimonials I could get. They are always the first stop after our vet to ensure we have all bases covered for our dog. We started her on some turkey tail supplements and CBD oil. After every chemo treatment her favourite place to stop was to see Ron and Holly and get spoiled with treats. Luna is done chemo now and still loves stopping in to get spoiled by the Legacy team.
Interview
1. What are some of Luna’s favourite activities?
She loves the outdoors, hiking, and camping. She's a big swimmer, loves going in the river and playing fetch. Anything that will fly in the air she'll catch.
2. Does Luna have any quirks?
She enjoys sitting at the backrest of the couch like a cat, she has some cat tendencies.
3. How long was she on chemo?
She did 8 rounds of chemo. We wanted to do it over 8 weeks, but due to a drop in her white blood cells, we ended up doing 8 rounds over 16 weeks. The only side effect was one runny poop. She handled it like a champ!
4. Where was the tumour?
Behind her left elbow, on the chest wall. It felt like a tiny lump, like a smarty, seemed like a fatty lump. Found it when petting her.
5. What supplements/holistic approaches were taken during chemo/why?
When we first found out it was a mast cell tumor, I was a mess. Went straight to Tail Blazers because of how much knowledge they have. I went in crying like crazy, and they waited for me to stop crying to walk me through their personal experiences first. I asked what other supplements we could do aside her prescriptions, they gave us a bunch of different options. Starting with Turkey tail, CBD oil, fish oil. Also suggested if we wanted to try more aggressive holistic approach, to try keto diet to avoid sugar. We ended up doing CBD, turkey tail and fish oil. We also cut out a lot of carbs she was having and switched to meat and veggie-based diet. Most was trying to prevent any further spread, etc. As of right now we are clear. I think whatever we did to aid her through chemo and onwards I think was super helpful. The vet gave us a bunch of meds for anti-nausea and anti-vomiting we didn’t have to use any of that.
6. Is she currently on any supplements?
She's still on all 3 supplements. We do still have her on the veggie and meat diet and is currently eating BCR. She prefers mostly lamb and beef.
7. Has she had any other medical concerns over the years?
Luna had a luxating patella 5 or 6 years ago. We headed to Tail Blazers and were recommended Adored Beast Jump for Joints. She did physio and the underwater treadmill, since then we've let her self-limit if needed but is able to enjoy her life fully!
Interview Series 5-8
We invited our customers to share their pet’s story of improved health. In this interview series, we take a deeper look at the journeys of some of our furry customers and the changes that helped them feel better again.
Interview #5: Christie Fehlauer & Lucy
Name: Christie Fehlauer
Dog: Lucy, 6.5 years old
Breed: Miniature Schnauzer
Currently Eating: Carnivora, duck diet
Testimonial
"I came to Tail Blazers just over a year ago upon recommendation from a friend. My dog has horrible seasonal allergies! We had been seeing a specialist and she was on a lot of meds that we were looking to reduce. All the ladies at the store were very knowledgeable, helpful and patient. They always made time for me and answered all of my questions, and there were many! Today, my dog is off of all but one drug, she is looking so much better and has far less symptoms. We are thankful that we found some solutions thanks to Tail Blazers.”
Read below for Lucy's full story:
Interview
1. Tell me about Lucy. What are some of Lucy’s favourite activities?
She is super fun! Lucy loves to chase toys and 'talk' to squirrels. She likes to go for walks and watch TV; the perfect balance of ready for adventure or cuddling on the couch. Quirks: She does little grunts to us. If you ask her a question, she grunts and we'll do it back and forth, but only to 'her people', and not to others.
2. What led to her being diagnosed with allergies?
Her first year was great, then all of a sudden she started getting hives and scratching all the time. Her regular vet wanted to prescribe a lot of different meds but we wanted to avoid that, so he referred us to a specialist. In Dec 2019, she was about 1.5 years old, we started with an allergy test from Glacier Peak which tests food and environmental allergens. We tried to work with those results and so we avoided them, but it was difficult with her being allergic to grass and trees. We then did a regular allergy test through the vet (blood test for food allergens) in Feb 2020 and another in Nov 2020.
3. What was prescribed?
She was prescribed topical medication to help. Throughout this process, there was an insane number of prescriptions, all through the specialist, that were tried [names not recalled]. She was scratching so much that we could hardly sleep as her crate is in our bedroom.
4. When did you visit Tail Blazers Abbotsford?
We were with the specialist for about 3 years (end of Jan 2024 was her last appointment). The list of drugs from there was ridiculous. Nothing seemed to be working, and it was so expensive. A friend told me about Tail Blazers, to ‘check them out they have raw dog food and are very knowledgeable’. It was this week last year I went with all my notes. They were so amazing and super patient - I would step aside when other customers came in and they worked with me through it all.
5. What was recommended by Tail Blazers?
Lucy started with Royal Canin AN Allergenic from the vet, then with the help of Tail Blazers we started with Artisan Raw Hypoallergenic (they helped me get onto raw). Over the course of months, between them [Tail Blazers] and the vet, we worked to get her off medications (Atopica, etc). She's now using healer bar shampoo, no more prescription shampoo. We tried a few different sprays and are currently doing Yeasty Beast Protocol [from Adored Beast]. We’re in the middle of it, I believe it's going well and symptoms are improving. It's been a year that we've been working to get her off everything. She still has to get Cytopoint once a month but she is only now on 1 of 10 different prescription medications she was on in a month (between oral and topical).
6. What medications/supplements is she currently taking?
I'm happy that we found Tail Blazers and more natural alternatives. Now she takes bovine colostrum, in the midst of Yeasty Beast Protocol, and Quercetin which is supposed to be a natural alternative to help support itching. Life is so much better now, she isn't itching as much. She has lots of energy and seems to love her raw dog food.
7. Anything else you want to share?
The ladies at Tail Blazers are super friendly, and so patient with all my questions. They're always curious and checking in how things are going. They are so knowledgeable about all products. I even asked about something I found online, and they advised me as to why it isn't carried in-store.