All Over Albany

Rrrawsome

Okay, you've probaly heard of the raw food diet for people. So it's probably no surprise that the idea has spread to dog food, too. After all, their wild ancestors certainly weren't dabbling with meat grinders or industrial ovens.

Lisa Rosamino of Ballston Lake has been feeding her dogs a raw diet for over a decade now, and she runs a business -- called Rrrawsome -- that sells raw dog food ingredients locally.

Rosamino, a nurse with two dogs of her own, says she got really into the study of nutrition years ago and that in turn led her to start thinking about her dog's nutrition too, and the correlation between a dog's diet and its overall health.

Originally a friend of Rosamino's served as the drop-off point for raw dog food ingredients purchased by a small group of people in the area. She says it was almost like sort of a co-op of raw ingredient buyers who would buy in bulk together to save money and time. When the friend got tired of being the point person, Rosamino took over and decided to turn it into a business.

Now people who want to feed their pets a raw diet can buy all of the supplies directly from Rosamino, who runs the business out of her garage as a sort of wholesale marketplace. Her meat comes from a supplier in Utica, which delivers hormone- and antibiotic-free beef from dairy cattle. She also sells vegetables (many of them local), supplements and vitamins, and raw meaty bones. The ingredients have been approved by a local vet.

Rrrawsome doesn't sell the food mixed though, because Rosamino thinks it's important for people to put the diet together themselves and understand what goes into it. She says she does a lot of one-on-one sessions with people interested in raw dog food diets to help them learn about it and understand what a balanced diet requires.

Rosamino says the education process is a huge part of it. She's available to do group sessions with others considering putting their pooch on the no-cook diet, and will gladly steer you toward books and other information on the topic. She's incredibly passionate about it, and it's almost infectious.

Although it's certainly not as easy as opening a bag or can, she says it's not nearly as difficult as some people might think. "If they can feed themselves, they can certainly feed their pets," she says.

So what about price? Rosamino says generally it probably costs about the same as a good quality commercial dog food. Rrrawsome supplies are sold by the pound -- meat is sold in 5-pound bags at $1.20 per lb. -- and the quantity depends on both the size of the dog and how big of a supply customers want. Any of the raw products can be frozen until needed. (If you're interested in feeding your dog a raw diet, Rosamino says an extra freezer is probably necessary.)

She currently has about 30 customers and says she doesn't really advertise or promote her business much. She says she's seen a lot more interest in raw dog diets following the pet food recalls of the last few years.

If you're interested in getting more information about how to go raw for your pup, you can contact her at 518-280-6337 or jlrose@nycap.rr.com.