Whoa Nelly Dog Food

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Whoa Nelly Dog Food

We make awesome raw dog food! We believe that selecting the best food is the most important decision you can make for your furry best friend.

Our philosophy is that dogs thrive when they’re fed the same diet they would eat in the wild. We believe our dogs deserve quality raw ingredients, free from chemicals and pesticides. Our aim is to help dogs live longer, healthier and happier lives. We believe unconditional nutrition is the best way to love your dog unconditionally.

13/11/2025

What do you use for tick prevention?

There's no perfect solution. Every option involves a trade off.

Your vet will be recommending chemical prevention options like Bravecto, NexGard, and Simparica, which belong to the isoxazoline class of drugs. They're highly effective at killing ticks and fleas - they work.

But they also cause serious side effects.

The FDA has issued warnings about potential neurologic adverse events including seizures, tremors, and ataxia in dogs and cats treated with isoxazoline products. Common side effects include vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased appetite, lethargy, and seizures.

The reported adverse reactions are also pretty extensive. Browse the “Bravecto” Facebook groups and you'll see countless reports of severe reactions and deaths. The reality is that these products are poison. Effective poison, but poison nonetheless.

The alternative is natural prevention options, including essential oil blends, diatomaceous earth, neem oil, and herbal collars. I wish I could tell you these are 100% effective but I haven't seen enough evidence that they are.

They may offer some level of protection, but personally, I wouldn't rely on them in high risk tick areas.

We lived near the bush when we first got Nelly and found a tick on her after she started being unable to walk. It was absolutely terrifying and we nearly lost her.

Our vet scared us into using Bravecto and we used it while living in that high risk area. Nelly didn't have any immediate adverse reactions (thankfully) but who knows what harm it did to her. We still feel horrible about it 😵‍💫

When we moved away from the bush, we decided we didn't want to use to keep ticks at bay. So we now rely on daily tick checks. This works for us because we're no longer in a high risk bush area and Nelly is older now so she's less active than she used to be. It's not ideal, but it's the compromise we're comfortable with.

On the plus side she loves the attention!

From my perspective the most important prevention strategy, even if using a chemical product, is to check daily for ticks. Especially after any time in bush areas or long grass. The sooner you find and remove a tick, the better.

But whatever method you choose, there's no judgement from us. Ticks are no joke and if you are in a high risk environment maybe the drugs are worth while. It's a genuinely difficult decision that unfortunately has no perfect answer...

06/11/2025

It's now tick season 🕷

I received a call from a very distressed customer a few weeks ago whose dog had a tick. They have now thankfully fully recovered, but it seems like a good time for a quick refresher on what to do if your dog gets a tick.

Paralysis ticks are one of the biggest dangers to dogs in Brisbane and SEQ. They're responsible for more pet deaths in our region than snakes and spiders combined 😵‍💫

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗔 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸
Paralysis ticks are small grey or blue creatures with 8 legs. As they feed they swell up and can look like a grey/blue grape or wart. Size ranges from a pinhead (when hungry) to about 1cm (when full).

Ticks love warm hidden spots on your dog. The only way to find them is to give your dog a thorough inspection. During tick season it's a good idea to check your dog every day - especially after walks.

Run your fingers thoroughly through their entire coat feeling for small bumps. The key is to use your fingertips, not just your eyes. If you feel anything at all, even if you think it's a wart or bump, give it a closer look. Check around the head, face and ears, and especially inside & behind the ears. The neck and chest area are the hot spots, but also look between toes and on feet or legs, under the collar and around the tail & rear end.

𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗢𝗳 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝗲
Ticks inject a neurotoxin as they feed. Symptoms can appear 3 to 7 days after attachment, but the toxin can continue to affect your dog for 24 to 48 hours even after you remove the tick. Smaller dogs and puppies are particularly vulnerable and symptoms progress faster in them.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀:
• Weakness in the back legs
• Wobbly or unsteady walk
• Change in bark or voice (sounds different or weaker)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Excessive drooling
• Vomiting or regurgitation
• Coughing or difficulty breathing
• Lethargy or unusual tiredness
• Rapid breathing or panting

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗔 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘆
If you find a tick on your dog, don't panic! If you feel confident that you can remove the tick cleanly it's a good idea to do that immediately. But either way, you need to go to the emergency vet ASAP.

To remove the tick you'll need a tick removal tool (available from pet stores) or some fine-tipped tweezers. Grab some gloves if you have them, and a container with a lid to save the tick.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: Quick and careful removal is important, and so is staying calm. Part the fur around the tick so that you can see it clearly. Position the tick tool as close to the skin as possible. You want to grab the head, not the body. Twist or gently lever the tick - don't pull straight up. Apply steady even pressure until the tick releases. Then check that you've removed the whole tick including the head. Put the tick in a sealed container because your vet may want to see it to confirm it's a paralysis tick. And lastly, clean the bite area with antiseptic if you have it.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼: don't squeeze or crush the tick's body because this injects more toxin. Don't use chemicals, methylated spirits, or petroleum jelly. Don't twist or pull it out aggressively. And don't delay. Remove it as soon as you find it if you feel you can do so cleanly.

OK the tick is out. Now it's time to go to the vet - immediately!

Your vet will do a full physical examination and thorough tick search. They'll check for more ticks because often there can be more than one. They'll assess symptoms and toxin progression, and decide if tick antitoxin is needed.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀
Run your hands over your entire dog every single day during tick season. Check thoroughly after any time in bush areas or long grass. The sooner you find and remove a tick, the better. Most paralysis tick toxin is injected after 3 or more days of attachment.

Make it part of your routine, like brushing teeth. This is genuinely one of the best things you can do for your dog in SEQ 🐾

29/10/2025

11 years ago today we brought home our beautiful girl. She had a previous life living on the streets in Gladstone before being picked up by animal services and desperately needing a forever home. The moment we saw her we knew we belonged together. I mean just look at her adoption photo! What an absolute sweetheart.

We love you Nelly! ❤️

23/10/2025

And just like that, our freezer is full again! We've been busy 💪

20/10/2025

Our freezer is empty! 😳

We're making lots of food, but the last few weeks we’ve sold out most recipes.

If you missed out this week we're sorry! We're doing everything we can to get on top of our production and hopefully we'll be back to normal in the next week or two.

Heads up: Thursday night is the best time to place your order. That's when I update our inventory so you'll always be able to get your preferred order 🙏

09/10/2025

This day 9 years ago we sent out our first deliveries. All 3 of them 😂

We started our business working out of a tiny but wonderful shared kitchen space called Wandering Cooks in West End. We had just one recipe at first: Kangaroo & Chicken. It's still a favourite today - although it's significantly better now!

9 years later and we've come a long way. We have our own kitchen in Boondall, 5 different recipes including 2 specifically formulated for puppies, and a cold courier partner delivering our food across SEQ and all the way down to Sydney.

We're proud to now be the highest rated raw dog food in Queensland! It feels like an amazing accomplishment but we're just getting started.

Thanks for being a part of our journey so far 🥳

(Here's a couple of photos from when we first started Whoa Nelly 📸)

08/10/2025

This week marks 9 years of Whoa Nelly! And while a lot has changed, one thing hasn't: every batch is still made with love. Yes, it's cheesy 🧀 but it's true!

Here's what 'made with love' actually means for us:

We formulate our food to meet optimal nutrient levels, carefully balancing every nutrient, fat and mineral to be as nourishing as possible. And we've had our ingredients and food nutritionally tested to be sure. Our goal is to make the healthiest food we can, not cheap food with good marketing.

We use the best ingredients we can source. It's the same produce that we eat at home and feed our daughter. Because we believe that dogs are family too!

We check everything as we make our food. Even beautiful organic ingredients can go off or not be 100% sometimes. We make sure everything going into our food is something that we would eat ourselves.

We make our food by hand. It's very labour intensive but it means that our food is not mush. You can see all the ingredients that go into it and they are in their natural form that provides the best nutrition.

Our food is minimally processed. Not high temperature extruded, or "gently" cooked which degrades nutrients and kills enzymes. Just carefully measured ingredients, minced and mixed together and then straight into the freezer.

Our packaging is plastic free and biodegradable. It doesn't contain BPA or questionable analogues which are endocrine disruptors. It breaks down naturally instead of ending up in the ocean or landfill. Better for you, better for your dog, and better for the environment.

We pack our food by hand. We literally touch each and every pack of food to make sure they are all perfect.

(Side note: we always play nice music while we pack, which we believe also goes into the food. A bit woo woo sure - but we like it!)

We recently increased our prices because ingredient and operating costs have gone up across the board. We could have cut corners to keep prices the same, but that would mean compromising on quality - and that's not an option. One of the true joys of running your own business is getting to do it your own way. And making the highest quality food possible is the only way that makes sense for us.

It is such a privilege to be able to live our dream of improving the lives of dogs through incredible nutrition. We love dogs and are nutrition nerds, so for us this is the perfect use of our skills and passion.

We love our job! And we hope it shows in everything we do. Our goal has always been to make the very best food that we possibly can for your dogs. We hope your dog is living their healthiest, happiest life, and feels the love we put in every pack.

Thank you for 9 amazing years! Here's to many more ❤️

30/09/2025

Hey guys! After holding our prices steady over the last three years, we need to make a small adjustment to meet the increases in our ingredient and operational costs.

Effective October 1st, our prices will increase by $1 per pack for 850g packs and 50c for 450g packs.

We don’t make this decision lightly - we’ve been holding off as long as possible. It’s the second time we’ve changed our prices in nearly 9 years of business which we are very proud of!

We remain committed to making the very best food we can for your dogs. Quality will always be our priority, which means not compromising on ingredients.

If you are a subscriber I’ll email you before your next order to update your subscription.

Thank you for being part of the Whoa Nelly family. Your support means everything to us ❤️

x Jimi, Tory, Nina & Nelly

29/09/2025

Beef Jerky is back in stock! Here's Nelly doing her best to butter me up for some 🥺

18/09/2025

We collect and reuse our wool insulation liners! 🐑

Our biodegradable wool liners naturally break down if recycled, but they're actually really durable and can be reused many times.

If you want us to reuse yours, just leave your previous delivery box (with the wool liners inside) out for your next delivery and we'll collect, sanitise, and give them a second life. Here's this week's collections cleaned up and ready to be used again!

09/09/2025

The secret ingredient in our Buffalo & Fish recipe is organic spirulina 💚

We have lots of dogs that can only eat this recipe. For many of them it's the only food that stops them itching long term - and we think spirulina is a big reason why.

It works because spirulina stops the release of histamine from mast cells. Less histamine means less allergic reaction. It also enhances IgA production - your dog's "first line of defence" antibodies that catch allergens before they cause problems.

When we first started making Buffalo & Fish there was good evidence that it helped in humans. Since then, a 2021 study using spirulina in 30 dogs over 42 weeks found that it enhanced immune function and improved gut health responses - confirming what we are seeing with the itchy dogs eating our food.

We combine organic spirulina with novel protein buffalo, locally sourced raw honey and anti-inflammatory fish in our Buffalo & Fish recipe, and have seen incredible results!

If we're not available where you are and you want to add spirulina to your dogs diet, quality REALLY matters. Cheap spirulina can contain heavy metals like lead, mercury and arsenic. It's really important to source organic spirulina produced in strictly controlled conditions. If you can't find high quality organic spirulina, don't feed your dog a cheap alternative. It's not worth the risk.

Only a tiny amount is needed - try 1/8 teaspoon per 10kg of bodyweight daily. You'll need to mix it into your dog's food as by itself it's not very tasty. But it really helps!

02/09/2025

Hey guys! Quick reminder: we need orders in by Sunday afternoon please. We're getting loads of last minute orders all the way up to Tuesday morning at the moment - which is very tricky for us to organise last minute! Thank you Legends 🙏🐶

Address

2337 Sandgate Road
Brisbane, QLD
4034

Opening Hours

8am - 12pm

Telephone

+61449573632

Website

http://whoanelly.com.au/

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OUR AMAZING RAW DOG FOOD!

Whoa Nelly! is scientifically formulated raw dog food made by two nutritionists. We are advocates for a raw whole food diet that’s free from synthetic nutrition. Our food is made each week in a kitchen so its super fresh and minimally processed. You can see the quality and smell the difference!

Our focus is improving gut health. Each pack of Whoa Nelly! contains our specially fermented “Nelly Belly” full of probiotics and enzymes. These little yellow dots are the key to Great Gut Health!

As nutritionists we recommend feeding foods with scientifically proven health benefits. That’s why our recipes include organic foods like turmeric, rosehip, coconut oil, reishi mushroom, spirulina and apple cider vinegar - in just the right amounts.

Our food is suitable for all dogs and lifestages, from healthy puppies all the way to dogs with allergies and chronic sickness. We pride ourselves on making the best dog food that we possibly can, and hope that our passion shows