TV vet Joe Inglis is aiming to boost the health of the nation’s pooches with the launch of his own homemade dog food platform.
VetChef helps owners feed their pets a diet of all-fresh, natural produce through a bespoke recipe plan tailored to each individual animal’s needs.
Well-known for his appearances on The One Show and This Morning, Joe became an enthusiastic supporter of the burgeoning fresh-feeding movement which believes home-prepared foods are best for your pets after devoting 15 years to helping build pet food brands tails.com and Vet’s Kitchen.
He explained: “Having been involved in the commercial pet food world for many years, I know exactly what goes into manufactured pet foods.
“We must be able to do better than feeding our pet companions a diet of ultra-processed kibbles or wet food. After all, how many of us would be happy with a diet like that ourselves?”
Currently a quarter of pet owners worldwide — some 200 million — follow fresh-feeding principles. Concerns around providing a balanced diet, cost and complexity prevent many more from following suit.
VetChef’s AI-powered web platform uses Dr Joe’s expertise in nutrition to help solve these problems by creating bespoke menu plans.
By entering a few details about your pet dog, owners receive three unique recipes for free, that are designed to be easy and quick to cook at home as well as being completely balanced.
Joe adds: “Pet owners tell me they want to feed more home-made meals but feel they don’t have the necessary nutritional knowledge to do so safely.
“My goal is to help owners to start moving away from feeding ultra-processed foods every day and add more fresh, homemade meals into their dog’s diet as I believe the fresher food our pets eat the better their long-term health and wellbeing.
“The Great British public has never been more invested in the wellbeing of their pets. They are an integral part of our family life and cooking their food for them is the perfect way to ensure they are well looked after.”
Processed dog food is linked to shorter life spans as well as health problems including obesity, diabetes, arthritis and allergies.
With 50% of UK pets overweight, the VetChef system enables owners to feed exactly the right level of calories their dog needs to achieve their ideal weight, as well as helping manage many chronic health conditions such as skin and digestive problems.
It is also less costly than many might imagine. For example, to feed a typical 30kg dog with home-prepared meals using high quality fresh ingredients costs around £2 a day. Compare this to £4 a day for frozen meals or around £2 a day to feed good quality ultra-processed dry food.
To find out more and get your dog’s free recipes, visit www.vetchef.co.uk. You can also follow Joe on Instagram @thevetchef and on twitter @vethchef.