Our story, like so many good ones, starts with a dog. A very, very itchy dog. When our founders, Nadine Joli-Coeur and Biff Picone, adopted Callie (a chocolate lab) in 2001, she started to display classic allergy symptoms such as generalized itchiness, constant licking of paw pads and musty-smelling ears. The vet didn’t have good news — Callie was prescribed with shots every 3 months or her symptoms would re-appear and require even more shots.
This didn’t sit well with Nadine, who hated the thought of her sweet little rescue getting poked like a pincushion. She did a lot of research and to her surprise she found that other pet owners were having the same problem, but had discovered a solution: switching to all-natural pet food. Within a month of putting Callie on a natural diet, a switch flipped. All her symptoms were gone for good. Changing Callie’s food had literally changed her life. And, it changed Nadine’s too. She made it her personal mission to seek out great products and spread the news about natural and less processed foods to other pet owners, in hopes of helping other animals.
Nadine and Biff opened the first Natural Pawz location in 2005 at The Woodlands, Texas. Today, all their locations not only carry 100% natural pet food but also a wide variety of wellness products, treats, bedding, collars and leads. Plus, everything is sourced with the goal of offering the very best solutions for their customers. Nadine, still a big believer in research, makes sure every product they offer is thoroughly tested and vetted. And when you ask for help in a Natural Pawz store, you can trust that you’re getting an expert opinion. Our employees are extensively trained on all the products we offer, so they’re like walking encyclopedias of pet knowledge.
Fueled by customer demand, Natural Pawz has continued to grow. As a company that’s Texas born and bred, y’all know y’all will get the friendliest customer service around. We’re not just committed to getting to know our customers and their pets, we’re committed to our community too. For us, it’s about the personal touch. That’s why we’re proud to say that Natural Pawz continues to be honored on “Best Of” lists as one of the top pet stores in the state.
RAW:The only things she hunts are squeaky toys, but your little carnivore still has primal instincts. Raw food is the most natural food source for dogs and cats because it closely resembles what their ancestors ate. Frozen raw food consists of a nutritionally balanced mixture of raw ingredients that’s been ground, formed into pre-measured portions, and flash frozen.Worried that your pets will have trouble adjusting? No need. Their little bodies don’t have as much time to digest food as ours do, so raw food actually allows them to assimilate nutrients faster. Plus raw food isn’t cooked at all, so it contains the maximum level of nutrition. If you need proof, just check their poops. They’ll be the smallest you’ve ever seen. Raw food contains 70-80% moisture by volume (necessary for older pets who don’t up get up enough to drink water), 10-20% crude protein, and 5-15% crude fat.Preparation is simple: just thaw overnight in the fridge and serve. If you’re not into planning ahead, you can buy raw food that thaws in just 5 minutes. Whatever you choose, your pup will be thrilled. Almost all dogs are huge fans of raw food. As always with cats, you may have to try a little harder to get them interested. Still, it’s an ideal diet for their needs. Lastly, raw food is raw (duh), so be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling. A stainless steel bowl is best for raw food because it’s easy to keep clean, and don’t forget to wash it after each meal.
AIR DRIED: Pets know how to appreciate the simple stuff in life: tennis balls to chase, long naps and food that tastes good. Air-dried food is the simplest way to give them the good life. It’s got the convenience and easy prep that people love about kibble combined with most of the nutrients that come from a raw diet.To make air-dried food, raw materials are mixed and formed into small thin sheets. These sheets then go a through a slow and gentle drying process that helps retain higher nutrient levels than canned and dry food. In fact, it’s so nutrient dense that you can actually give your pet much smaller portion sizes.Air-dried food is able to retain more moisture than freeze-dried food so it has a firm, not crumbly, texture. Even our harshest critics, cats, find the texture of air-dried food especially appealing. Dogs, who admittedly do love everything, are into its strong flavor profile. In fact, air-dried food is so delicious that it makes a perfect training treat.
DEHYDRATED: You’ll never have to lug giant bags of kibble home again. Dehydrated food comes in a lightweight powder format that goes a long way. In fact a 10lb box will make 40lbs of food, and it keeps for quite a while. It’s an ideal solution for when you and your pet travel.Dehydrated food is available as either a complete meal mix that’s ready to serve or as a base mix. With a base mix, all the nutrients are there except the protein source. This is great if you want to experiment with cooked or raw protein but still need a nutritional base to build on. But discriminating pet gourmets also find dehydrated food pretty tasty all on its own.Preparing a dehydrated food mix is as easy as adding water 5-10 minutes prior to serving. After rehydration, there’s nothing dry about it. The food goes up to 70-80% moisture, which makes it perfect for senior dogs who aren’t getting up enough to get water. Its soft consistency is also easier for older pets who have lost teeth. Most importantly, it’s minimally processed at a low temperature so it retains more nutrients than canned or dry food. When rehydrated, it also has the high levels of protein your dog needs. Overall, it’s a great option for pets of all life stages.
FREEZE DRIED: To make freeze-dried food taste out of this world, raw ingredients are flash frozen, then placed in a vacuum chamber to remove moisture without heat. The less contact with heat, the more nutrients are retained. This process leaves all raw nutrition levels intact.You can buy freeze-dried raw food in two formats: formed into a shape like a nugget or slider or just simply ground to a desired texture. However, it’s not as finely ground as dehydrated food so you can see the tasty morsels of meat and veggies. While this kind of food is usually rehydrated with water, goat’s milk or broth to make it easier to eat, it doesn’t have to be. If you have an older pet who isn’t getting up enough to get water, freeze dried raw food with liquid added contains 70-80% moisture. Rehydrating also raises the nutrition content to 10-20% protein and 5-15% fat.Freeze-dried raw food is great for pets of all ages, and most dogs give its strong flavor profile two thumbs up (you know, if they had thumbs). Plus, if your dog is on a full raw diet, this is a great option for when you travel. It’s as easy to serve as kibble, and thanks to its low moisture content, it stores longer. Just remember, freeze-dried food IS raw so wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
CANNED: Whether it’s a loaf, a stew, gravy cuts, minced, pate or shreds, pets dig the variety of canned food. A scoop of it on top of kibble is a great way to lure picky eaters to the food bowl and keep them interested in meals. And since cats are notoriously selective, be sure to give them as many different textures of canned food as possible when they’re kittens. Trust us, it’ll make your life a lot easier. Canned food is high in moisture, which means it has a longer shelf life and is recommended for older dogs who don’t get up as much to drink water. It’s the preferred diet for cats, whose tiny tongues are great for grooming but not so handy for lapping up water (score 1 for dogs). If your lab is starting to get love handles, canned food is low in carbs to help with weight loss. Plus, because it’s processed at lower temperatures, it retains more nutrients. It comes in options for every life stage, from puppies and kittens to seniors. Trying to decide whether canned food should be your dog’s entire diet or just the cherry on top of the kibble sundae? Remember, its protein and fat levels are low so a 100% canned food diet means feeding multiple cans per day. If those costs start to add up just keep canned food as a topper rather than a staple.
KIBBLE: When it comes to convenience, kibble is king. But to find quality kibble that fits your little carnivore’s needs, look for one with a meat protein as the first ingredient. Those first five components make up most of what is in the bag, so no meat protein means it’s a no-go. Also, say no to mystery meat. If it’s labeled as just “meat” or “meat meal,” it could be literally anything and definitely isn’t high quality. Notice corn, wheat, soy, or byproducts on the ingredient list? Hard pass. They’re not only common allergens, but these are likely parts that could not be used for human consumption. Kibble is nutritionally balanced for pets of all ages, and it’s easy to adjust the portion sizes as your pet grows and ages. However, kibble is low-moisture so it’s not recommended for older dogs who aren’t making it to the water bowl as often as they used to. Cats also depend heavily on food for hydration (unlike dogs, they don’t have the big sloppy tongues to drink water effectively), so kibble may not be the right choice for them either. Larger dogs may prefer large size kibble. Cats, being the finicky snobs that they are, will always want a smaller size kibble and may need to try different shapes to find one they deem acceptable. Kibble is easy to scoop and go but it’s still important to handle safely. Because kibble contains animal-origin products, there’s a risk of Salmonella, E. coli and other organisms. The ingredients are usually cooked enough to kill bacteria, but after cooking they could still come into contact with contaminated materials such as meat flavor additives. To be safe, it’s best to wash your hands after handling and to clean your pet’s bowl regularly.
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RAW:The only things she hunts are squeaky toys, but your little carnivore still has primal instincts. Raw food is the most natural food source for dogs and cats because it closely resembles what their ancestors ate. Frozen raw food consists of a nutritionally balanced mixture of raw ingredients that’s been ground, formed into pre-measured portions, and flash frozen.Worried that your pets will have trouble adjusting? No need. Their little bodies don’t have as much time to digest food as ours do, so raw food actually allows them to assimilate nutrients faster. Plus raw food isn’t cooked at all, so it contains the maximum level of nutrition. If you need proof, just check their poops. They’ll be the smallest you’ve ever seen. Raw food contains 70-80% moisture by volume (necessary for older pets who don’t up get up enough to drink water), 10-20% crude protein, and 5-15% crude fat.Preparation is simple: just thaw overnight in the fridge and serve. If you’re not into planning ahead, you can buy raw food that thaws in just 5 minutes. Whatever you choose, your pup will be thrilled. Almost all dogs are huge fans of raw food. As always with cats, you may have to try a little harder to get them interested. Still, it’s an ideal diet for their needs. Lastly, raw food is raw (duh), so be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling. A stainless steel bowl is best for raw food because it’s easy to keep clean, and don’t forget to wash it after each meal.
AIR DRIED: Pets know how to appreciate the simple stuff in life: tennis balls to chase, long naps and food that tastes good. Air-dried food is the simplest way to give them the good life. It’s got the convenience and easy prep that people love about kibble combined with most of the nutrients that come from a raw diet.To make air-dried food, raw materials are mixed and formed into small thin sheets. These sheets then go a through a slow and gentle drying process that helps retain higher nutrient levels than canned and dry food. In fact, it’s so nutrient dense that you can actually give your pet much smaller portion sizes.Air-dried food is able to retain more moisture than freeze-dried food so it has a firm, not crumbly, texture. Even our harshest critics, cats, find the texture of air-dried food especially appealing. Dogs, who admittedly do love everything, are into its strong flavor profile. In fact, air-dried food is so delicious that it makes a perfect training treat.
DEHYDRATED: You’ll never have to lug giant bags of kibble home again. Dehydrated food comes in a lightweight powder format that goes a long way. In fact a 10lb box will make 40lbs of food, and it keeps for quite a while. It’s an ideal solution for when you and your pet travel.Dehydrated food is available as either a complete meal mix that’s ready to serve or as a base mix. With a base mix, all the nutrients are there except the protein source. This is great if you want to experiment with cooked or raw protein but still need a nutritional base to build on. But discriminating pet gourmets also find dehydrated food pretty tasty all on its own.Preparing a dehydrated food mix is as easy as adding water 5-10 minutes prior to serving. After rehydration, there’s nothing dry about it. The food goes up to 70-80% moisture, which makes it perfect for senior dogs who aren’t getting up enough to get water. Its soft consistency is also easier for older pets who have lost teeth. Most importantly, it’s minimally processed at a low temperature so it retains more nutrients than canned or dry food. When rehydrated, it also has the high levels of protein your dog needs. Overall, it’s a great option for pets of all life stages.
FREEZE DRIED: To make freeze-dried food taste out of this world, raw ingredients are flash frozen, then placed in a vacuum chamber to remove moisture without heat. The less contact with heat, the more nutrients are retained. This process leaves all raw nutrition levels intact.You can buy freeze-dried raw food in two formats: formed into a shape like a nugget or slider or just simply ground to a desired texture. However, it’s not as finely ground as dehydrated food so you can see the tasty morsels of meat and veggies. While this kind of food is usually rehydrated with water, goat’s milk or broth to make it easier to eat, it doesn’t have to be. If you have an older pet who isn’t getting up enough to get water, freeze dried raw food with liquid added contains 70-80% moisture. Rehydrating also raises the nutrition content to 10-20% protein and 5-15% fat.Freeze-dried raw food is great for pets of all ages, and most dogs give its strong flavor profile two thumbs up (you know, if they had thumbs). Plus, if your dog is on a full raw diet, this is a great option for when you travel. It’s as easy to serve as kibble, and thanks to its low moisture content, it stores longer. Just remember, freeze-dried food IS raw so wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
CANNED: Whether it’s a loaf, a stew, gravy cuts, minced, pate or shreds, pets dig the variety of canned food. A scoop of it on top of kibble is a great way to lure picky eaters to the food bowl and keep them interested in meals. And since cats are notoriously selective, be sure to give them as many different textures of canned food as possible when they’re kittens. Trust us, it’ll make your life a lot easier. Canned food is high in moisture, which means it has a longer shelf life and is recommended for older dogs who don’t get up as much to drink water. It’s the preferred diet for cats, whose tiny tongues are great for grooming but not so handy for lapping up water (score 1 for dogs). If your lab is starting to get love handles, canned food is low in carbs to help with weight loss. Plus, because it’s processed at lower temperatures, it retains more nutrients. It comes in options for every life stage, from puppies and kittens to seniors. Trying to decide whether canned food should be your dog’s entire diet or just the cherry on top of the kibble sundae? Remember, its protein and fat levels are low so a 100% canned food diet means feeding multiple cans per day. If those costs start to add up just keep canned food as a topper rather than a staple.
KIBBLE: When it comes to convenience, kibble is king. But to find quality kibble that fits your little carnivore’s needs, look for one with a meat protein as the first ingredient. Those first five components make up most of what is in the bag, so no meat protein means it’s a no-go. Also, say no to mystery meat. If it’s labeled as just “meat” or “meat meal,” it could be literally anything and definitely isn’t high quality. Notice corn, wheat, soy, or byproducts on the ingredient list? Hard pass. They’re not only common allergens, but these are likely parts that could not be used for human consumption. Kibble is nutritionally balanced for pets of all ages, and it’s easy to adjust the portion sizes as your pet grows and ages. However, kibble is low-moisture so it’s not recommended for older dogs who aren’t making it to the water bowl as often as they used to. Cats also depend heavily on food for hydration (unlike dogs, they don’t have the big sloppy tongues to drink water effectively), so kibble may not be the right choice for them either. Larger dogs may prefer large size kibble. Cats, being the finicky snobs that they are, will always want a smaller size kibble and may need to try different shapes to find one they deem acceptable. Kibble is easy to scoop and go but it’s still important to handle safely. Because kibble contains animal-origin products, there’s a risk of Salmonella, E. coli and other organisms. The ingredients are usually cooked enough to kill bacteria, but after cooking they could still come into contact with contaminated materials such as meat flavor additives. To be safe, it’s best to wash your hands after handling and to clean your pet’s bowl regularly.
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SUPPLEMENTS: Just because your pet loves eating garbage off the street doesn’t mean she’s got a stomach of steel. In fact, digestive trouble is one of the top ten reasons pets end up at the vet. Problems can include irritable bowel disorder, colitis, gas, loose stools, and bad breath. Supplements like digestive enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics can help. They come in powder, capsules, liquid, chews, and gel, so hopefully your dog will swallow one of them. Digestives enzymes are key for breaking down food to unlock vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Probiotics flood the system with beneficial bacteria that assist in digestion and nutrient absorption, plus lower stomach pH. Together, these two kinds of supplements make digestion a lot easier. This is great for all dogs, whose acidic stomachs and small-ish intestines can make digestion tricky. Digestive aids are especially important for pets eating processed or commercial food (which lack a lot of the natural components that aid in digestion) and pets who are transitioning diets. Even pets on home-cooked diets can have stomach issues and need a little extra help.Prebiotics and probiotics also increase the “good” natural gut bacteria that live in your pet’s gut.This is key if your pet has recently been on antibiotics, which kill good bacteria as well as bad. Different brands of probiotics contain different strains of bacteria, and it’s good to vary which one you use for maximum exposure. 70-80% of the immune system is in the gut, so caring for gut bacteria is one of the best things you can do for your pet’s overall health.
TOYS:
When it comes to the brain, pets are just like people — they either use it or lose it. During the summer months, they have their humans around more than ever to entertain them and keep them on their toes. But come fall, there’s less to do, fewer folks to hang out with and your dog or cat can end up just hanging out on the couch for hours. That’s no good.
Think of toys as a way to structure your dog or cat’s day. Some toys are great for hanging out on their own, others are fun for playing with you, and others make mealtime way more interesting. In fact, we believe stimulating toys are so important that we use them in both our daycare and training programs. Ready to incorporate toys into your pet’s day at home? Class is now in session.
Here’s what a typical schedule could look like:
MATH CLASS, AKA PUZZLE TOYS
Puzzle toys force your dog or cat to solve a problem (“Where is that delicious treat?”) to earn a reward (“Found the TREAT!”). They’re super engrossing so they’re perfect for when you’re busy and need to keep your furry friend entertained.
SCIENCE CLASS, AKA INTERACTIVE TOYS
Interactive toys let your dog or cat perform all kinds of fun experiments to answer questions like, “Why is that light flashing” or, “Can I stop that from moving” or, “How does it make that weird noise?” Great for their minds, and great for solo play.
GYM CLASS, AKA INDOOR TOYS
Indoor toys help your pet stay in shape plus they give you guys a chance to keep each other on your toes. Dogs enjoy tussling over plush or stuffless toys that are safe to toss around indoors. For cats, anything they can pretend to hunt is great, including cat kickers, prey toys, sound toys and shiny toys.
LUNCH, AKA TREAT FEEDER TOYS
Treat feeder toys turn mealtime into a mission. If you stuff the toy with something tasty and then hide it, you can actually let your dog or cat hunt down their food. That’s mental stimulation plus exercise for the win.
STUDY HALL, AKA CHEWS AND SCRATCHERS
Chews may seem like just a delicious treat but gnawing on them actually stimulates your dog’s brain as well as their taste buds. And don’t leave out the felines — cats love chews too. Speaking of cats, don’t forget to get them a scratcher post. It gives them something enticing to destroy aside from the couch, plus it’s fun for them to perch on and spy.
RECESS, AKA OUTDOOR TOYS
Just getting outside is already a huge amount of stimulation for your dog, but when you add a really fun outdoor toy, they go nuts. Now’s your chance to get in lots of exercise with a throwing toy or rope so that they’re relaxed instead of restless when they get home. Class dismissed!
