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Maya Angelou said “We did what we knew to do, and when we knew better, we did better.”

We started Ruff Bar Canine Snacks, Kairos For Dogs Treats, and Chava Naturals, using all organic products, seeds, herbs, and antibiotic and hormone free proteins. Our salmon is wild caught in Alaska, purchased locally in WA.  

Our values include products that are free of preservatives. We have grass fed grass finished beef and bison available for our BSP Summit Bars. RUFF BARS are made with grass fed beef and bison. 

I encourage you to check out @TangenDraw. Their regenerative ranching practices are the future we all need to support. Regenerative ranching goes beyond sustainability. I’m grateful for the business relationships that connected us to Morgan and her family. 

Grass fed/finished isn’t affordable to everyone and possibly isn’t a priority for everyone, so we’ll try to maintain options for both. As pet parents / owners, we can only do what we know to do. 

In case you’re wondering about this information on our product labels, there are strict rules about using words like ‘organic’, ‘sustainability’, ‘regenerative ranching’. We can say we purchase organic carrots, but unless our facility is certified organic, carrots can not be listed as organic in the label ingredients. 

My ask is that we support local farmers when you can and purchase organic as often as possible. 

We’re friends with grass fed/finished ranchers in Oregon and would be pleased to share their names. If you have local farms and ranches you’d like to tell others about, let us know. 

One thing this business has taught me — there will always be less expensive versions of what we sell. I’m not willing to compromise by using fillers, preservatives, or any other harmful ingredients in our products. Ever. 

Let’s see if we can increase the life span of our canine companions and improve their health along the way, too. 

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Spring allergies can affect our dogs, just like us! It's hard to watch our best friends suffer through seasonal allergies. From sneezing to sniffles and itchy skin to goopy eyes we just want to soothe their symptoms and make them feel better.

Have you ever asked yourself, what can I give my dog for allergies? How can I naturally help my dog's allergy symptoms. We completely understand. Sue created Big Sky Supplements to help her little dog, Jack, who was struggling with severe skin allergies. Read Jack's story, and how Sue was able to help him find relief.

Big Sky Supplements offer a variety of all natural herbal mixes to offer different options to help support your dogs health holistically.

When it comes to dog allergies and supporting your furry friend's overall health our Daily Health herb mix is a great place to start. This blend of ten all natural herbs is formulated to sustain a normal healthy dog. Daily Health contains nettle and burdock, which both help with seasonal allergies. Daily Health also supports joints and the immune, kidney, liver and lymphatic systems!

Daily health is a great overall blend, but let's talk dog allergies specifically. Several herbs can potentially help alleviate your dog's spring seasonal allergies. Some options include:

• Nettle: contains natural antihistamines and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help relieve allergy symptoms.
• Chamomile: has anti-inflammatory properties and can help soothe irritated skin and calm allergic reactions.
• Licorice: this root has anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties, which may help reduce allergy symptoms.
• Burdock: root can help cleanse the blood and support the liver, which may help with allergies by promoting detoxification.
• Turmeric: contains curcumin, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties and may help alleviate allergy symptoms.

Interested in learning more natural ways to support your dog's health? Here is our fully glossary of herbs for dogs which explains what each herb does for your pup.

We love our furry family members, we want to keep them healthy and support them however we can, but each dog, their symptoms and how they react to an supplement is different. Always consult with a veterinarian before giving your dog any herbs or supplements, as some may interact with medications or have side effects. 

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The difference between dehydrated and freeze dried? Benefits and why you use both methods for different products?

We’re going to share why we freeze dry our RUFF FOOD. If you’d like to understand the differences between air dried and freeze dried, you can read more in an article by Petfood Express.

Both methods allow for the end product to be nutrient dense and shelf stable.

As some of you know, we started making freeze dried meat based herb treats early in 2018. Until later in 2018, we were still making RUFF BARS by hand. When we started working with a co-packer, the bars were (and still are) made in long strips, leaving end pieces.

We experimented with using the end pieces in dehydrated food, but it wasn’t the recipe we wanted.

We feed our dogs raw and were freeze drying backpacking meals for our daughter’s dog. With the freeze drying method, we could control the outcome.

We have added larger and more freeze dryers to our space and increased the volume we could handle.

We have considered offering an air dried version of the same now that we have a steady co-packer. 2023 has been a productive year. We’ll see what 2024 is like.

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Sometimes, I wish we only carried a couple of products (this is said with humor from the person who just launched a new product). It would be simpler to manage inventory, paperwork, and packaging. While the idea of carrying fewer products appeals to us, deciding which ones to discontinue is a challenging task.

During the pandemic, supply shortages led us to explore alternative packaging solutions. After thorough research, we opted for a compostable packaging that claimed to be airtight and maintain shelf stability for our products.

After nearly a year of monitoring, we've discovered that compostable packaging hasn't progressed sufficiently to meet our shelf stability standards. In line with our dedication to environmental responsibility, we've chosen to adopt Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) packaging.

In our pursuit of sustainability, we're actively working on transitioning all our products to preprinted PCR packaging. This process comes with an 8-10 week lead time, plus additional time for graphic design and approval. The new packaging will resemble the pouches used for our Salmon Mini RUFF BARS.

Until the preprinted versions are ready, RUFF BAR packaging will remain clear with labels, and our pouches will be white PCR with labels.

Other notes coming soon: Graphic design and labeling, along with ingredients sourced with a focus on environmental sustainability.

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The idea for freeze-dried backpacking meals came when our daughter was backpacking with her dog in 2018. Our family are raw feeders, and my daughter needed meals for her dog for an upcoming trip. At the time, we had a medium-sized Harvest Right Freeze Dryer. 

We started with the meals we fed, formed them into pucks, and freeze dried them. While out backpacking, the freeze-dried meals were crumbled into a bowl and water added to reconstitute. 

At home, we combined raw meats, blended specifically for dogs, and add our base mix, other supplements and either warm water or bone broth. We shared a few of our home freeze dried meals with some of our ambassadors, and Kairos Pantry was born. This year, we rebranded Kairos Pantry to RUFF FOOD since it aligns well with outdoor adventuring. 

Over time, the process for how we make our freeze-dried food has changed but not the formula. Our meals are 90% protein and 10% veggies, fruit and seeds. RUFF FOOD protein is made up of muscle, organ, and bone, but salmon and whitefish currently exclude bone and, of course, organs. Our recipe does not include potatoes, legumes or other fillers. 

We source all ingredients from the U.S. and many of the ingredients locally. Our meats are grass fed, antibiotic and hormone free. The fish we select are wild caught. We only use organic veggies, fruits and seeds. We freeze dry the meats separately and then add our base mix of veggies, fruit and seeds. 

Did you know freeze dried food will continue to be raw if the product is raw going into the freeze dryer? 

We started with 4 oz packaging and many customers requested larger size bags. We listened and added a 16 oz bag option. We’ve learned many customers use RUFF FOOD as a topper. In the future we will be moving to an 8 oz and the 4 oz size will only be available upon request. We are working on preprinted pouches made with PCR plastic and RUFF FOOD. 

Our meals are formulated using AAFCO standards and are third-party tested to provide guaranteed analysis.

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Here's a fun way of feeding your dogs their daily herbs!

These simple dog treats have just two ingredients: Ruff Bar Supplements herbs and bone broth!

Mix 1 cup of herb mix of your choice (whatever your dog needs - here we are using 'Flex', our dog joint supplement) with 1 cup of broth, put into silicone molds and freeze. Once they are firm, pop them out and store in a container or plastic bag in the freezer until use. 

Thank you @sandi_n_aspen for this recipe and the wonderful photos! Let us know how your dog likes it! 

To not exceed the daily herb dosage for your dog, please follow these guidelines: 

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