Developed and launched by Jami Ippolito, the owner of the Chicago, Ill., pet product boutique Paw Naturals, Phoebe & Louie's Fresh Homemade Dog Food hit the store's shelves just in time for the 2013 holiday season.
According to Ippolito, the petfood is handcrafted and slow-cooked with human-grade, whole-food ingredients like USDA meats and fresh, organic vegetables and fruits, and is made where it's sold-Chicago. "Each recipe is made in small batches without artificial anything to support a nutritionally balanced diet for pets," says Ippolito.
Phoebe & Louie's Fresh Homemade Dog Food uses locally sourced ingredients and popular superfoods, like coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, pink Himalayan sea salt, kale, pumpkin, raw honey, turmeric and sprouted seeds. The company also claims that their products never contain preservatives, artificial anything, GMOs, growth hormones, gluten, corn, wheat, flour, soy, by-products or fillers.
Superfoods are used in the Phoebe & Louie formulas because of their many health benefits, according to the company:
- Coconut (oil) can balance your dog's metabolism rate to keep their weight under control, and improves digestion, helps treat and prevent yeast and fungal infections and maintains thyroid function;
- Flaxseeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids;
- Sprouted seeds are able to break down anti-nutrients and encourage probiotics growth;
- Turmeric has been shown to be effective in preventing and treating ailments such as arthritis, digestive disorders, inflammation, memory disorders, peptic ulcers and skin disorders;
- Apple cider vinegar maintains the acid/alkaline balance and can also aid in digestive health, help with allergy relief, and can also rid your dog of fleas, ringworm, ticks, fungus and bacteria; and
- Raw honey is an excellent source of flavonoids, antioxidants and live enzymes making honey antibacterial and a digestive aid.
The company also tries to use bio-available nutrients from plant and animal sources and all packaging for Phoebe & Louie's is BPA-free.
Phoebe & Louie's offers a variety of make-at-home meals for dogs in Slow Cooked Stews, Breakfast Scrambles, Healing Broths, Superfoods Frozen Desserts and Jerky treats. The petfood products are carefully slow-cooked before being frozen fresh to retain the maximum amount of ingredients' nutrients, says Ippolito. The brand also offers customized formulas and special needs diets for pet parents seeking weight-loss or cancer support for their four-legged companions.
The premixes contain basic, simple ingredients like Ellie's Chicken & Quinoa Stew, Franklin's Beef & Brown Rice or Charlie's Pork & Egg Scramble, and consumers are encouraged to add their own extra ingredients when they are preparing the foods at home. The label on all of the products also makes sure to point out what ingredients are toxic to dogs-like grapes, macadamia nuts and rhubarb leaves-so consumers can feel safe when mixing and making their homemade version of the formula.
Currently, Phoebe & Louie's is sold exclusively at Paw Naturals and via the company website where customers can place orders 24/7 at the online shop. Ippolito and her staff are even offering discounts for recurring orders and home delivery options for their new dog food brand. Paw Naturals' storefront specializes in proper animal nutrition and only sells the highest-quality dog and cat foods on the market today, according to the company website. That retail philosophy is why Jami knew what it took to develop her very own line, she says.
