Tristan

Start with the animal My mission is to help owners understand the animal in front of them, so feeding decisions begin with its identity, biology and function. At MADRA, the starting point is: Identity → Biology → Anatomy → Physiology → Behaviour → Function → Feeding → Nutrition That order matters. Before asking what should go into a meal, I ask what kind of animal we are feeding, how its body works and what feeding needs to allow it to do. Food is the delivery system. Biology is the...

For most of my life in the animal industry, I thought I was learning about nutrition. Like everyone else, I started where the conversation always seemed to start. What should dogs eat? Which ingredients are good? Which ones are bad? How much protein do they need? Is one diet healthier than another? Whether the discussion involved kibble, raw feeding, home prepared diets or supplements, it almost always began with food. Looking back, I don't think that was because people lacked knowledge. I...

I’ve always found it striking how differently we react to foods depending on their origin. Mention blueberries, kale, or spinach and people light up, seeing them as symbols of health and vitality. Mention liver, kidneys, tripe, skin, or a whole prey animal and the response often shifts to suspicion, as if these are somehow risky or old-fashioned. This makes sense in our culture. For decades we’ve been bombarded with the message that colorful plant foods are the gold standard of nutrition....