mORIGINS

Nature's way
is the only way!

Testimonials

April 26, 2003:

Shortly after my 10th birthday. I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I'm a cockopoo dog named Sparky.
I had been coughing almost non-stop and could barely walk across the room. My frantic parents took me to the vet and he put me on a heart medication and water pill.
The next day I reluctantly went to the groomer and my mommy warned them I wasn't feeling well and was very weak from the congestive heart. The woman, who checked me in, was kind and gentle and asked my mom if I had ever heard of the raw meat diet. She said she hadn't. Mom was given a brochure to look at and said that if she would consider putting me on this diet she could probably expect to see a vast improvement in my health. At this point, I think my mom was desperate enough to try anything.

The company's name is MORIGINS and I heard her tell my dad that she read about dogs who had numerous health problems, be cured or greatly improved after being on this raw meat diet. After discussing it, my mom and dad decided to try me on this new diet. They called Laurie at MORIGINS and explained how we were referred to her company. Mom said Laurie was very informative about animal health and nutrition.

Well, it has been 6 months now and I not only love my raw meat diet, but also feel peppy and playful again. I don't need to take the water pill as often as before, and even my skeptical vet had to admit I was in better health. He admitted that he didn't know that much about raw meat diets for dogs, but he said the diet seems to be working for me so he told my mom to keep me on it.

When I heard mommy asking the vet back in October, how long I might live; he couldn't give her a direct answer, but added that we should just try to "keep me comfortable". That sounded ominous and we were all scared. Two weeks ago, when I went in for my check-up, mommy asked the question again, and this time the vet said I had at least a couple more years of good living!

My brother, a one-year-old Pug, Austin, started the diet a couple months after me and he loves it so much too. The meat diet has become a family affair. My mom and dad say they look forward to cutting the rolls of meat once a week as it has become is a time of togetherness for them amidst their hectic work and school schedules. (It's a time for Austin and me to hide under the table and hope for a fallen piece of meat!)

Thank you Laurie, and your MORIGINS meat diet!! You are truly my guardian angel.

Sincerely,
Sparky "Hoover" Daley ~ (Cleveland, OH)

4/28/00

Dear Laurie,

It has been 2 ½ years now since Bailey and Trevor started eating your raw diet. I clearly remember including your raw meat with their kibble for the first time and being overcome with tears wondering if I was doing the right thing for my dogs. But, having lost my beloved German Shepherd to bloat a few months earlier, and getting no clear answer from veterinarians or research on why dogs were bloating, I came to my own, albeit unscientific conclusion, that it had to be food-related. My gosh, I had been doing everything that was recommended for bloat prevention and I lost her anyway. When I went searching for diet alternatives, I learned science had proven that dogs were genetically linked to wolves yet I could find no references to bloating in wolves who were fed raw diets. This information got me excited enough to give a raw diet a try.

But, back to that initial trepidation-it was replaced by smiles now. Within two weeks of starting my dogs on your diet I noticed increased muscle tone, better endurance, and stamina. You know I compete in agility, obedience and tracking so I was very pleased.

I also remember during that first meal, too, when Trevor tentatively picked up his initial bite of raw meat. It took him a few days to adjust. Bailey, being born ravenous, never had a moment of hesitation. Now, the daily "Dining Dance" ritual brings me great pleasure. While preparing their meal Trevor runs back and forth, back and forth, and throws in a spin or two. His body language clearly states, "HURRY UP!" Bailey, being older and slightly more dignified, merely lies with her head on her paws in a pose of patience. However, the instant I pick up their dishes she rears up on her 10-year-old hind legs all the way to her bowl holder, her body stating "GIVE ME MY MEAT!"

I must tell you in all seriousness, though, the videos you sent me solidified in my mind the decision I had made to feed raw. I watched wolves in Alaska take down a moose; I watched wild dogs in Africa take down a zebra; I observed lions preying on and eating a gazelle. I observed the feeding and social behaviors of the wolves and wild dogs and cats and an epiphany came over me as I came to truly understand that my own Tervuren were genetically-linked to the wolves. For me it became, "back to basics and back to nature." And, I remind myself of these videos when I get some throw-back urges to feed poultry, or grains, or add questionable supplementation.

The journey to a biologically appropriate diet has not been painless. Years of commercial kibble, vaccinations, antibiotics, environmental toxins, and the stress of life and competitions have challenged us. 2 ½ years later though, I know my decision has been a sound one. Though you have heard some of these before, here are some things I have noticed: a cut on a pad heals in 2-3 days; super-quick recovery from a 3 or 4 day obedience or agility trial; my 10-year-old surpassing the endurance of much younger dogs during a recent 2-day agility trial; observing how sleek and quick they are as they run through the woods (not unlike their wild counterparts); retrieving tennis balls hit out into a lake non-stop for an hour; increase in their food and play drives; and taking pleasure in running my hands over extremely hard-muscled bodies.

Laurie, this is my long-winded way of saying thank you. Thank you for all the research and study you have done and are continuing to do. Thank you for constantly striving to improve your product. Thank you for your steadfastness in your beliefs, your bluntness, for insisting on blood work and monitoring, and even for being opinionated. It all adds up to your superior product called, Morigins. And, mostly, thanks for holding my hand and my dogs paws as we transitioned from "raw recruits" to firm believers in this way of feeding to becoming one of your distributors.

Happy tails,

Paula ~ (Asheville, NC)

PS: Oh, and remember how the "premium food" companies ads stated that there would be less stools to pick up, if our dogs ate their foods? They lied! The proof is in the pooping! I love the little non-smelly black poops that only come out once a day now!!

September 26, 2000

Dear Laurie,

It is hard to know where to start thanking you. Should I start with when we had a chance to talk during the time that one of my cats, Hank, was ill? I know Hank never got a chance to try the raw diet and see if that would help him, but his death was the catalyst that brought me to Paula, a friend and advocate of mORIGINS. It is a shame that something has to happen to one of our pets before we question diet and the information pet food manufacturers have fed us over the years. Even though Hank was too sick to try the diet and we waited until after he was gone to avoid more stress in the household, I did come to a small awareness. As the stomach cancer progressed, he turned off of cat food and would eat only meat. He was too far gone to eat it raw but even eating it cooked improved his health and minimized the vomiting episodes for him and his brother, Biff, and my other cat, Emily. It started me wondering if you were right and that the dry foods that they had been eating for over 13 years was the wrong diet. It explained the excessive hairballs and vomiting of food by one of the cats on a weekly, if not sometimes daily, basis. My education had begun and my suspicions were aroused as to the "rightness" of cat food-no matter how premium the brand or type of cat food (canned or dry). That was really the beginning. Thank you for helping me through a difficult time with losing my friend of 13 years and giving me hope to stretch the years with his brother and Emily.

I am a skeptic and a cynic by nature but try to stay open to information and education. Having seen for myself that a higher dose of meat, albeit cooked, in the diet was advantageous, it wasn't too hard to imagine the possibilities with raw meat being even more beneficial. Paula had tried to tell me the benefits and the amazing changes and improvements on mORIGINS, but I was still influenced by all those years of touting the benefits of a premium cat food. However, with losing Hank, I was determined that I would do anything to make Biff's life better and hopefully more healthy.

Therefore I started the process of weaning Biff and Emily to raw diet and a more natural lifestyle. Biff took to the raw meat like a veteran and I never had a problem with him-except for wanting too much too quickly and me having to slow down the weaning process a bit. Emily was another issue all together. She refused to eat it and would go hungry before eating it-no matter how much I decreased her cat food. I was discouraged but Biff's joy at eating the food was even more obvious when I saw that he actually preferred it to the cat food (always a major love for him previously). He wouldn't even touch the cat food in her dish if she left some behind. That was the first surprise.

The second was watching his coat transform over the weeks and months. Biff had always had problems with food allergies-particularly poultry. He had spent at least 9 out of the 13 years of his life with his face broken out and sometimes scabbed over from the scratching when the allergies did attack. He would also chew all the fur off his stomach and as far up on his chest as he could reach. He generally resembled an animal shaved for surgery. I had taken him to a vet for treatment but the treatment was worse than the ailment. He was so sensitive to antibiotics and steroids that he would last only 2-3 days on the medications and then be hit with massive diarrhea-pools of it in the litter box. His system couldn't handle the medications and the lesser evil seemed to be to put up with the skin problems.

After Biff started eating mORIGINS, I noticed that the scratching was lessening and the raw areas over and around the eyes and ears were starting to heal. I also noticed very soft down on the stomach and less sores there as well. After approximately 3 months eating mORIGINS, the fur on his stomach is almost back to normal and his entire coat has been replaced by all new growth. His coat is healthy and shiny and fairly glows. Every person who has seen him has remarked on his beautiful coat and the shine and luster (not bad for nearly 14 years old!).

Not only has Biff's coat recovered but his body has been reshaped as well. He had always had a tendency toward obesity because of his obsession with cat food and eating any and all he could access. I used to swear that he would explode if given the chance to eat all he wanted. It was a constant battle to keep him from eating the other cat's food. He would get so overweight that I would start guarding the bowls at feeding time to keep him from overindulging. He would gobble any and all food as if he hadn't eaten in weeks and then be frantic for more immediately. Weekends were a time of stress because my presence would convince him that he should eat all day long-and he didn't get fed but twice a day and ate that instantaneously. We would battle for hours because I knew feeding him early would only make him that much more frantic before the next meal unless it was early as well.

Now, on mORIGINS, he eats at a calm pace and leaves food for later and will even miss a meal from time to time because he is so satisfied with the food. Wouldn't it be nice if we, as humans, could find something that satisfies our appetites so well and yet is so good for us?

I have described his coat and his healthier body and his satisfaction with his food-all tangible and explainable things to a cynic and skeptic, but I have not discussed the "wild side". Biff has always been a very sedate and relaxed cat. He was not prone, as his brother, to watching the world outside and chasing cats and birds and shadows from window to window. He was only mildly interested in the goings-on outside. When I had the occasional mouse in the house, Hank would never rest from stalking and watching for that mouse, but Biff was not even remotely interested. He did not go outside and when I did finally start letting them out briefly to the back porch, he was happy to loll in the sunshine and be brushed-not interested in watching the wildlife and wanting to be out and about in the yard.

Since Biff has started eating mORIGINS, his whole outlook on the world has changed. He loves to go out and roam the yard. At first, he hadn't a clue what to do with animals he encountered. He would chase a butterfly here or there or watch ants on the pavement, but that was about all. Suddenly he became aware of the prey and his role as the hunter and began to stalk the birds and small rodents and some insects. His first "kill" was a grasshopper and he played with it but didn't know what to do after that. He discovered a dead bird and a dead mole but was at a loss to what happened next-he would just play with them a bit and then moved on. He nearly caught a chipmunk twice but I was convinced that he wouldn't have a clue what to do if he did catch one.

Finally, about 2 weeks ago, he killed a grasshopper and ate it. That seemed to set precedence and the next bird that he found that was a fresh kill (probably from striking a window), he promptly ate before I realized what he was doing. I was concerned because his stomach had been sensitive before and now it was having to deal with feathers and bones and very raw meat and waited for him to vomit or have problems as the night progressed. It never happened. He never had a problem with digesting this "foreign" (as I thought of it) matter-apparently his system had decided that it was perfectly capable of dealing with such things. The next day, he caught a bird in mid-air, this 14-year-old cat, and killed it and ate it. After his meal, he went and lingered under the birdfeeders and seemed to be smacking his lips and contemplating another bird feast. The birds got smarter and he didn't get the opportunity but his instincts are becoming more and more pronounced and his abilities with the leaner, sounder body are becoming honed as well. I love to watch him in the yard sharpening his skills and developing all those natural abilities that had been dormant for so many years.

I can't swear that mORIGINS brought out his wild side and made him aware of his role as a hunter and stalker, but the coincidence of timing is too great to ignore. I have to at least allow for that possibility and appreciate another "gift" from you and mORIGINS.

Biff and I truly see the world in a different light and look forward to more discoveries and surprises.

What of Emily? She finally relented and started first stealing Biff's raw diet from his bowl (and the past-glutton even allowed it!) and progressed to eating it in her own bowl and is now switched over to mORIGINS completely.

We have finished our first order and are awaiting our next with enthusiasm and joy. Even a cynic and a skeptic like me has got to admit that mORIGINS was all you said it would be and more-more than I could have hoped for after the trauma of losing Hank and the struggle to unlearn all that the commercial food manufacturers taught me over the years. You've sold us all, Biff, me-and even Emily!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Linda ~ (Lake Oswega, OR)

I've known Laurie for a number of years, now, and I recall how she was searching for the right combination diet for Morah, her Collie.

            Poor Morah had allergies to just about everything, and Laurie was trying all of the commercial diets that claimed to help those dogs with allergies to certain ingredients.

Reading a breed magazine one day, I came across an advertisement and a testimonial about a Golden Retriever who had many troubles, and was "cured" by a raw meat diet. I gave the article to Laurie, thinking that poor Morah probably couldn't eat this diet, since she was also allergic to beef. The article claimed that going back to what animals eat in the wild was the key to discovering what diet was best for canines. Laurie took the testimonial, read it and started her research on the diet.

Soon after, she started Morah on it, slowly weaning her off of all commercial preparations, and eventually curing her of most of the troubles that had plagued her.

Because Laurie researched, and tried the diet on Morah, and I could see the improvement, I started my German Shorthaired Pointer, Flecken, on it.

My dog didn't have specific allergies, and in fact, I thought she was already pretty healthy, but I was convinced by Laurie that this diet would be much better for her than commercial preparations. Flecken has always been the chow hound/canine vacuum cleaner, and would eat soap if you let her...so I had no trouble switching her over. Before the age of three years, I had switched her to a senior diet, because she was overweight, and even after switching to the senior diet, I had to cut back to under two cups of kibble per day. The poor dog was always ravenous for food, even though she was still overweight.
Soon after switching, I noticed she seemed to "muscle" up. I had NOT changed her routine (couch potato), but she seemed to naturally lose the extra chubbiness and put on muscle. Her coat, which I thought already was good and had lots of shine, actually improved, and she grew a much denser and healthier looking coat.

Flecken's health is good, and she's still got quite a good coat, and is very "active" for a couch potato at the age of nine.

I also started feeding raw to my Chinese Crested bitch, Holly, who always had a poor appetite. She would turn up her nose at most kibble, and even some of the canned food. Some days, I would find it necessary to cook her chicken or hamburger and rice, just so she would not go hungry. With toy dogs, you can't just let them go until they get good and hungry, or they can easily get hypoglycemic--so I hand fed her whatever she would swallow.

With the raw, it took only a little coaxing to get her to eat. Today she, and three of her offspring which are still here, all are food snarfers....they get so excited when I make their dinner, that they jump and whine and sing when I get out their food bowls!

    All of my dogs are lean and the hairless Cresteds all have great skin. I also feed the raw marrow bones and their teeth stay clean, and I have not had to take them nearly as often to the doggie dentist for cleanings. (Cresteds aren't known for having wonderful teeth, anyway, and the raw diet and the bones really do help)

Overall, I am pleased with the mOrigins diet, and I have some of the happiest, healthiest dogs you'll see.

Cathy Gillmore ~ (Cleveland, OH)

Hi Laurie,

Toad, Possum, and Bo are doing great on Morigins.

I have a 21 year old cat that has struggled his last few years with thyroid cancer and bad teeth. The cancer was diagnosed after our fat cat lost a huge amount of weight even though he seemed to be eating just fine. This cat raised my daughter after we adopted him, fully grown, from the pound. I have many photos of Maren and Mouser when they were young. Maren would hold the cat like a security blanket under her arm while she sucked her thumb. Mouser never hurt Maren during the three years she sucked her thumb holding him tight for hours on end.

Mouser has suffered from low appetite ( caused from the thyroid medication) and bad teeth. We took a huge chance and had dental work done a year ago which helped. He has had chronic diarrhea for the last year which has not helped his wasting away. We have had him on several medications prescribed by the vet for this problem, but were told that this is a common problem in old cats. None of the medications worked. The smell in the house was terrible. The box had to be cleaned immediately.

Your food has worked so well for Toad that the cat was put on the diet. Guess what? It conquered his low appetite and loose, smelly stools. I don't know that we will ever see a fat cat again, but I see an improvement.

Sending Maren back to college was very hard this fall; I did not think her cat would be here for her when she returned for Christmas. After a month of your food, I think Mouser will be sharing his 22 nd Christmas with Maren.

I am telling my dog school clients about the food. I found out about your diet from a client whose dog dramatically improved his agility speed and general zest. This team had been training with me on a weekly basis for 3 years. When I inquired what she was doing new, your food was the answer. I am sure Paula will be selling more.

Toad continues to do well traveling to agility trials with none of his usual digestive problems. He is holding his start lines for the first time in his 5 year agility career. He is running and working with me better than he ever has. People are commenting on his improvement. I don't know if this is diet related, but it coincides with changing to your food. I am letting my competition think it is my training, but I am wondering how much is related to the diet. I know his loose stools are gone and that is diet related!

I have attached a photo taken of Toad (B.C.), Possum (J.R.T.) and myself on our recent trip to California for the USDAA Nationals. Many thanks for shipping me the freeze dried food allowing me to stay totally on your diet while sightseeing on the West Coast.

Thank you for your diet and your extra help. Looking forward to a Merry Christmas homecoming,

Maureen Robinson, ADCH SVF Bar Hopper, SVF Possumbilitees NA, SVF Brother Bo UUD, & Mouser
(Zirconia, NC)

Unlike so many of Laurie's customers, I do not have a tremendous increase in health to report in my dogs. They were relatively healthy before I fed Morigins, partially because I had given them raw food in addition to their dog food for years. Still I knew that a totally raw diet just made sense so I eventually switched my whole gang over to raw foods, with Morigins as the basis.

Because I don't have to try and buy the meat, bone, and organ meats separately using this food has made feeding raw relatively easy. All I have to do is add ground vegetables along with a few supplements and my guys have access to nutrients that allow their immune systems and organs to function as nature intended. And I don't feel I am spending all of my time in the kitchen trying to balance out enough ingredients for eight large dogs. I recommend anyone considering switching to a raw diet to try this food.

While I don't really have a group shot, here is a photo of my youngest dog Perry. Perry is a Belgian Malinois that I hope to show in conformation, obedience and agility. He is being raised on Morigins combined with vegetables, supplements, and the occasional chicken neck.

Perry made the switch to raw food smoothly and happily after coming to my home. He is five months old this November (2000) and is full of energy and fire. He is about four and a half months old in this photo.
(see picture page)

Christina Cox-Evick ~ (Lancaster, OH)

Update on Mouser Cat

On a sad note, my husband put down our cat on Friday, NOV. 3, 4pm, the day Toad and I did the international class runs in Springfield.

Mouser had stopped eating two days before I left home, Oct. 25. Vet said he had leukemia and only would last several more days.

I know the food change to mORIGINS in August not only prolonged his life, but improved his last days. His coat was better, he gained weight up to the last few weeks, felt good enough to enjoy sun baths outside and he returned to grooming himself. He no longer suffered intestinal upsets which must have been a blessing for him in his last days. This cat was truly a saint when it came to putting up with our daughter's attachment to him in her toddler years. He lasted 22 years. Only the rocks live forever. We will miss him for the rest of our lives.

The day Mouser left us, Toad and I did two perfect agility runs, placing 3rd in the AKC international class held at the national finals in Springfield, MA. We did it for Mouser! We were outrun by two smaller, tighter turning Border Collies with world cup competition under their belts. I think our photo will be in the AKC Gazette. Toad's team placed 7th out of 80 teams competing in the USDAA team Championships held in Fair Hill MD the weekend before Springfield.

Our change to mORIGINS has made this a very successful agility year for us.

Thank you

Maureen Scott Robinson ~ (Zirconia, NC)

For more information contact ...

Call of the Wild, Inc.
Cleveland, OH
(419) 368-3945

Consults by telephone with us are free.

Shipping Is available to most areas
Please include City, State & when inquiring.

Email ... morigins@juno.com

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