I Thought Raw Would be Enough, But It Was Just the Beginning
My 7 year old large breed Wolfhound, Adhara had been a raw fed dog for most of her life and was very healthy. However, she began to develop a limp in her front right shoulder which I initially assumed was normal due to her large size at 130 lbs. For several months I supplemented her raw food diet with salmon oil and glucosamine to improve joint function, but this had little to no effect on her limp.
The Introduction to OLIE Naturals and the Instantaneous Results
In 2010, I met Karen Smith the founder of OLIE Naturals while I was showcasing Red Dog Blue Kat at a holistic Vancouver tradeshow called The Partnership Project. I was interested in learning more about Karen’s innovative flax-based, whole-food pet supplement as I was in search of a dog supplement to support Adhara’s raw fed diet. Karen and I bonded instantly through our love of animals and our shared dedication to producing high quality, ethical products. Having described the joint issue affecting Adhara, Karen generously gifted me the Flax Unleashed supplement to try out for myself. I immediately started mixing Flax Unleashed with Adhara’s raw dog food and within one week of use, her limp was completely gone. Surprised by this fast result, I soon purchased another jar to ensure it was not just a coincidence. Given that Adara had been raw fed her entire life I always thought her fur was as healthy and shiny as it could be, but the softness of her new coat because of this supplement was something else!
Do Whole-Food Supplements Actually Work For Health and Longevity? -Yes!
I eventually ran out of OLIE Naturals Flax Unleashed product, and decided to take a break from mixing in supplements (yes, I was lazy). Surprisingly Adhara’s limp began to return after only a few weeks. So.. that was it! It was then that I made the decision to keep Adara on OLIE Naturals Flax Unleashed for the rest of her life. Adara ended up living until she was over 14 years old (almost doubling her lifespan), and her muscles and joints never failed her again- almost unheard of for a breed her size. After experiencing the effectiveness of these simple supplements firsthand, I called Karen to learn even more about OLIE Naturals and the simple whole foods behind their products.
The Beginning of a New Partnership and Supporting Small Businesses
I learned two things from my experience with Karen and her amazing products. First, that raw food was just the beginning and there was so much to creating a healthy, balanced living system (in pets and people) to achieve health and longevity. Second lesson was that few supplements are truly this effective, which is a testament to the quality and care that went into these whole food supplements,
I wanted to be able to support OLIE Naturals in part so my own pets could continue to reap the benefits of these clean, wholesome pet products but also to support a small Canadian business. It is unfortunate that many small companies like OLIE Naturals do not survive because of the many challenges in making great quality, ethically sourced products. In 2010, Red Dog Blue Kat began partnering with OLIE Naturals and are now a key distributor of their dog and cat supplements.
Continually Learning About New Products, Food Systems and Uncertainty for Small Businesses
Through this partnership the entire team, including myself, is continually learning about the power of whole food probiotics as well as other innovative whole-food supplements in pet care. We have gained valuable insights into how fragile the natural product food system is and how much work Karen and her team at OLIE Naturals put into sourcing these organic ingredients. COVID has been hard for many businesses, but even harder for small businesses. Since they don’t have huge buying power, they often rely on the mercy of suppliers and other business relations to get the ingredients they need. Therefore, if we want to continue to have access to high quality products that are made by companies who are ethical and conscious of sustainability, we need to support them in any way we can!
Best Whole-Food Supplements for Dogs & Cats
Here are some of our top recommendations for OLIE Natural Products
This is a great way to get those hard-to-obtain medium chain fatty acids into the diet. OLIE’s coconut oil is therapeutic grade which means all the caprylic acid and Lauric acid are intact. This is the therapeutic part of the oil which normally gets extracted for pharmaceutical use. Caprylic and lauric acid are well-studied for being extremely effective at combating yeast both inside and outside the body. Coconut oil also has other antimicrobial qualities and can be used as toothpaste to keep teeth and gums healthy. Pets also LOVE the taste.
It’s the ultimate flax product! Not only is it certified organic and Canadian-grown, this flax supplement isn’t just flax oil. It’s the whole seed. This means that it’s high in omega 3 ALA but also in antioxidants called lignans. Which have been shown to have cancer and heart protective benefits. Karen from OLIE likes To refer to it as a “whole functional food.” Eg. Flax oil is not a whole food on its own. The other awesome benefit of having the flax hulls included with the oil is that it’s antioxidant effect helps keep it stable for a lot longer than oil on its own. (Omega 3’s are not very stable once they are exposed to air and sunlight). Omega 3’s have been shown to support almost every body system but particularly supportive for the skin and coat, joints and gut. Puppies also benefit from having the extra fats in their diet as their brains develop.
Not only is it an amazing prebiotic supplement (feeds the gut microbiome) but it is packed with a wide range of antioxidant-rich foods such as flax seed, blueberries, maqui berry, spirulina and kale plus the herbs milk thistle and ashwagandha. Together, these ingredients become the ultimate superfood, providing a wide range of trace vitamins and minerals. Solid ground is particularly useful for any animal dealing with inflammation (eg. Allergies) in their body which means more oxidative stress. Even healthy animals are faced with oxidation from the outside world and Solid ground provides support on all system levels but particularly the gut, skin, eyes liver and immune system
A Breakdown of the OLIE Naturals Products
Other Supplement Mentions
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