Dogs all dig in to Australian canine 'superfood'

TWO canine-mad Queensland scientists have created what is probably a world-first ‘superfood’ for dogs.

Dig-In was developed by two passionate food scientists, David Tivey and Frank van Doore, when they combined their love for both dogs and experimenting with food products. 

Now Dr Tivey and Mr van Doore are going commercial with Dig-in Digestive Gravy Powder, which they have scientifically developed as “the only all-natural, human-grade, health food supplement that fights against common food allergies and improves a dog’s digestive health and overall well-being”.

“Our goal was to produce a 100 percent natural product that fights the root cause of the most common symptoms of food allergies in dogs,” Dr Tivey said.

“We believe in prevention not cure, and we wanted to ‘Dig-In’ a little deeper to the source of the problem, and develop a long-term solution.”

Dr Divey said Dig-In Digestive Gravy was easy to introduce to a dog’s diet. It can be added as a powder to wet food or as a gravy, once water is added, to enhance the palatability of dry food. 

Dig-In is manufactured as well as developed in Australia and all the ingredients have ‘generally recognised as safe (GRAS) standing.

The scientists wanted the formulation to tempt fussy eaters and in trials this has proven the case. Dr Tivey likened Dig-In’s tasty appeal to how “a kid loves chocolate-covered candy”.

Mr van Doore, in particular, should know as he was one of the developers of the hugely popular Schmackos for  the Uncle Bens brand in the 1990s.

Perhaps Dig-In’s strongest appeal will be the way it aims to save dog owners considerable amounts of money over time.

According to the Animal Health Alliance, trips to the vet cost pet owners more than $1.6 billion in 2013 and, with digestive issues and skin irritations from food allergies being common ailments, a dog’s diet plays a vital role.

Dr Tivey and Mr van Doore argue that many pet foods contain ingredients such as wheat, corn, rice, or milk products which are all common causes of food allergies in dogs.

“Dig-in Digestive Gravy Powder is free of any grain additives, contains no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives and ensures a healthy digestive process to build a strong immune system and fight back against food allergies,” Mr van Doore said.

Dr Tivey’s more than 25 years experience in the field includes post-doctoral training at The Babraham Institute in Cambridge – a research institution focused on understanding the biological mechanisms underpinning lifelong health and wellbeing – as well as founding Veterinary Research Synergies in 2005.

Mr van Doore, apart from his revolutionary work with Schmackos, has developed and refined many pet food and pet snack products and processes. In his more than 35 years in the industry he has been acknowledged at a leader in food product development and process optimisation, including fresh food and meat technologies, fresh food nutrient stabilisation technologies and intermediate moisture foods.

www.dig-in.com.au

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