Virchew Dogs

Check out the testimonials from our customer dogs who do not only LOVE digging into Virchew at every meal, but it seems our LOVE Bowl is a 'Recipe for Results'.

If your pooch is dealing with puzzling skin, digestive, joint, or senior-related issues you will want to read these stories.

If you're looking for a new, healthy option or specifically a plant-based food for your pooch. Read on!

it's the

perfect time To

chews Results

Food Sensitivities: SKIN

"Archer had skin troubles and ear infections, as far back as we can remember. We cycled through so many different foods. From kibble to exotic meats, home-made with venison, raw food, and at one point, were so desperate to heel his skin, he was eating special order quail eggs.⁠
⁠
The hot spots were particularly bad on his back, legs, and under one ear. The pain he was in made our hearts hurt. Nothing worked. The vet visits, the medicines, and the feeling of helplessness, became unbearable. Our beautiful boy was never healing.⁠
⁠
We heard about Virchew through a relative in Vancouver who lives plant-based. We are pretty self-sufficient, hunting and fishing, and were reticent at the start when it was suggested to try this new food. All veggies with algae? Dehydrated? What? But we were at the end of our rope and accepted the first box. ⁠
⁠
Archer took to it within a few days and has been on it for a few months now. We are ecstatic to share his skin is completely healed and he hasn't had one ear infection since. He hasn't lost weight on his all-veggie diet and is thriving. His energy and sleeping are great. We are so happy!"⁠ - Archer's hoomans

"Zak has been diving into his Virchew dog food for a year and he’s the healthiest version of himself because of it! Before Virchew we tried a few different dog foods, and I even cooked for him (so gourmet). Ever since we picked him up from the pound at 8 months old he had hot spots on his skin. The last year with Virchew has helped him have the best skin he’s ever had. He’s thriving with plant-powered energy, and at a perfect weight.

Virchew and Zak agree with each other. Just the other weekend on a camping trip we forgot Virchew but had some older food in the camper we used for a few days. His ears became inflamed, red, and itchy plus new hot spots popped up. We got him back on Virchew as soon as we got home and he was back to normal in just a few days. Over the last year, Zak’s skin and digestion have been the best they’ve ever been! It makes me happy knowing we don’t have to harm other animals to feed our own furry family member." - Julia Murray, RHN, Chef, Olympian + Vegan @hookedonplants and @8020plants

"Hank was having constant hotspots and so I cooked plant based for him. The hot spots went away with home cooking, but it is a lot of work cooking for a 95 lb dog. We tried Virchew and also now for 4 months on Virchew he hasn’t had any hotspots return!

Also... Hank is a voracious eater no matter what he gets, but he is very delighted by this particular mixture of food. He licks his lips while I am preparing his dish and can’t wait to dive in." ~ Miri Jurigova, Paw Ma ⁠

“Skye is a 14-year-old English Bull Terrier rescued from California where she began life as a pit fighter, then used as a breeder until she was 8 years old and I rescued her from a foster home. She had recently been spayed and had an internal infection from the surgery, her skin and fur were also in terrible shape.

Last summer during the heat wave, she developed hot spots on her tail and forehead that became infected and needed to be treated with antibiotics and steroidal cream. Once she finished her treatment and her skin settled down, I switched her food to VIRCHEW and could see an improvement in the next few weeks.

Skye has been gobbling down her VIRCHEW for the past 3 months now (loves it!) and has gained considerably more mobility on stairs and couch-jumping. She recently went on a 2-hour hike in a local park with a group of other ‘bullies’ and I feared she would be stiff and sore for the next few days. Amazingly, she wasn’t stiff at all and had no difficulty with our stairs. Her fur has come back beautifully as well!

I stopped giving her joint supplements when we started VIRCHEW, and I figure I’ve saved a considerable amount over what I was paying for her previous food and supplements every month. Not to mention losing the hassle of chopping up and adding green beans, yoghurt, and pumpkin to her dry food every day. I don’t miss that at all!

She’s a very happy and healthy old girl and loves to visit VIRCHEW when we are in the neighbourhood.” - Terry, Skye's hooman

“Dog foods and allergies are a common topic asked to us and as I deal with allergies for 1 of my dogs I'm always looking for solutions and that's why I'm sharing my experience here.

It's been over a month now that I changed my dog's food to try @virchewdogs plant based food. I wanted to watch their transition for a while to see any results I'd hoped for or reasons to stop and I'm really excited about the results.

One of my dogs has allergies to some components in a lot of food and many sensitivities to ingredients so watching his progress was especially important to me.

Virchew is the first food in 4 years I've found that he has no allergies or sensitivities, to.

There's not been one negative effect happily and they absolutely love eating it. I wasn't expecting the enthusiasm they had towards it and the treats which are made from the same ingredients.

Questions about food are always asked to us and unless one of our rescue dogs has dietary needs we just recommend any high quality kibble or raw depending on your preference.

We do get scenarios where dogs show no signs of intolerance to foods in Puerto Vallarta but develop them here, including my Liam so researching and trying to find solutions with adopters and vets we are always wanting to do.

This is why I'm sharing this experience, I had my questions and did my research with Virchew and couldn't be happier with the results." - Mike, About a Dog Rescue

"After only three weeks Cutie's skin issue has improved about 80% without any medicine!" - Renee H.

Digestive Issues (and more!)

"Rowdy is a pooping machine now. He has also been a lot more relaxed with less gut pain and reduced overall anxiety!! He was initially thought to have low back pain from a hip issue and our vet had him on all kinds of meds. We switched to Virchew and his constipation and pain went away." - Dr. Paul Greenwood, @RowdyRoot's hooman and Chiropractor (Vancouver and Squamish)⁠

"Since switching to Virchew, we noticed an immediate change in my youngest dog's digestion issues. For months we had to use an expensive probiotic kibble to tackle her issues, but we had no issues on the Virchew diet. ⁠
We had been on a raw diet for years with our first dog; over the last year we've had Jasper eat Virchew, we've had no digestion issues, his weight has been maintained, and he had a great vet check-up. We're happy how Virchew aligns with our values, and our dogs are always excited for their meals!" ~ Will Stratton, Hooman to the Aussies.⁠

"I decided to try Virchew for my dogs Ollie and Piper because I was concerned about the quality and safety of the dog food available on the market.⁠
⁠
In addition, one of my dogs, Ollie, has trouble digesting protein and would occasionally have blood in his stool even though he was on a hydrolyzed protein diet that the vet recommended. ⁠
⁠
We transitioned the dogs to Virchew and Ollie has not had any blood in his stool since! The dogs love the food, even Piper, my picky eater. I had to get new bowls with non-slip bottoms because Piper pushed her bowl down the stairs.⁠
⁠
Their coats are beautiful, both dogs are so silky and shiny, I have really noticed a change in the last month." ~ Andrea, Hooman to Ollie & Piper.⁠

Our dogs, Teylah and Ash have been thriving on a plant based diet for several years …. My husband and I have appreciated having the convenience and ease of feeding Virchew and as a Licensed Veterinary Technician I have confidence in knowing that our fur kids are getting the nutritional needs that are so vital to maintaining good health!
Teylah in nearing 18 years of age and has significantly compromised kidney function…. I feel very assured that her diet has played a significant role in her being able to not only survive but thrive despite the medical challenges that she faces in the twilight of her life….being part poodle, she has notoriously been a fussy eater her entire life but eagerly laps up every delicious lick of her daily “Love Bowl”!
Ash has an autoimmune disorder that has required a lifetime of steroid medication to keep controlled…. I am beyond happy with how much puppy energy he has every day at 10 years of age and thrilled that he is nearly fully weaned off of his medication!!
He enjoys ripping around the house in full “zoomy” mode each day as soon as he knows his “Love Bowl” is being prepared for him!!
Even our two beloved little pocket pet family members, Sunna and Manuka enjoy little Love Bowls as the staple part of their diet and they absolutely LOVE the Cheezy Chews!

Many thanks to The Virchew Team for bringing happiness and health to our furry family members!
Kari Campbell, LVT (Vet Tech)

"All three of our dogs absolutely love Virchew! Trying to find a dog food that is gentle on our Jebus's teeth (he's 16!) , okay for Tatums sensitive stomach and doesn't wreak havoc on Eva's allergies seems like it should be impossible! Thanks to Virchew what's seems out of the question has proven to be possible. I love that it's made with ingredients I recognize, made locally and healthy. Not only that, but because it's plant based we don't have to contribute to animal suffering, are able keep in line with my own personal ethics all while making sure all three of our best friends get the nutrition they need. Plants + Love = the right choice for me and our dogs.
Thank you Virchew!" - Nora Mills, hooman to Jebus, Eva and Tatum

General Health and Senior's Health

bear cancer support Virchew testimonial mar 2022.png

"We wanted to give you a quick update on Bear - she really loves her new food and hops and dances for it daily. We enjoy the performance!⁠
⁠
I took her for a follow-up to the vet last month and her heart rate was back to normal and the vet accused me of switching her out with another dog. He was quite surprised to see that she was still with us after her previous diagnosis. We did some more X-rays and unfortunately, the tumors have not gone away. They have grown slightly but I believe we are doing all the right things and giving her all the right foods to keep her happy and with us for as long as we can. ⁠
⁠
She is already 15 years old, so we are grateful for every day we get. Her energy has been just ridiculous! - Teri M, Bear's hooman⁠

"My dogs have been on Virchew for just over a year now and gosh are we ever happy we tried this food.

Zola, who is 14yrs, and Rosie who is 4yrs have been vegan since the day I’ve had them. We used to feed vegan kibble with added veggies and water. My senior Zola would always just swallow her food without chewing and vomiting constantly. No matter the size of the kibble. Rosie would eat the veggies and just pick away at the kibble. Never really that into it no matter the brand. So I always found myself looking for a new food that could please my dogs. I was so grateful to stumble across Virchew. I love that it was a local company run by a woman who truly put her heart and soul into this food. Laura has been amazing every step of the way and I’m overjoyed to see the growth Virchew has had since they launched. I love that it’s delivered right to my door. The best part is how much my dogs love it. Zola, again who is 14 almost 15, gets so excited when she sees me getting her bowl ready. She literally bounces up and down the entire time. She can’t sit still until served. She was never this excited for food before. Amazingly since starting this food she stopped vomiting! Zola also seems to have more energy and has started to play with Rosie again and have daily wrestling. This hasn’t happened since Rosie was a puppy. So I can tell this food really fuels her.

Rosie finally finishes all her food without hesitation or delay and licks the bowl clean. Both dogs have maintained the perfect body weight, have shiny glossy coast, their poops have become smaller and no stinky gas ever!!! On top of great ingredients and easy to prepare. My veterinarian has been very pleased with their health. I’ve never been happier with a dog food before. I just feel so good knowing my dogs are getting the best nutrition." - Christina Evans, Hooman to Zola and Rosie

“This gal is still young-at-heart despite having arthritis for many years and recurring bouts of pancreatitis… Transitioning to the Virchew diet was achieved without problem and has been 100% plantbased for almost a year. Her mobility has increased, she seems more alert, and with her weight loss, she is sleeping through the night without crying from arthritis pain every time she moved around.” ~ Helen, Paw Mom⁠

"Khyber loves Virchew! He has been enjoying Virchew for almost a year now and I can honestly say that he has never been better. He is a strong, athletic, and active Doberman/Ridgeback mix who loves joining me on my mountain bike rides, xc skis, and hikes. He loves people and will cuddle at any chance he gets.

He drools when I’m preparing Virchew and inhales it immediately after I put his bowl down. Prior to finding Virchew, we tried a couple of other plant-based dog foods, but neither was ideal. Khyber’s transition to Virchew was relatively seamless. With any change in diet, there were some expected, but short-term, minor digestive issues. However, Khyber was back to normal within a few days. (Virchew highly recommends a very slow transition without any added treats or foods that are high in fat or fiber.)

I am so happy I found Virchew - their story, pure intentions, and values are authentic and align with those I place in very high regard - especially those rooted in compassion, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. After speaking with Laura and the team at Virchew, I know the food they have developed is an ethical, well-balanced, and healthy option for our beloved companions. Dogs can absolutely thrive on a plant-based diet and Khyber is living proof of that!" - Nigel P., Khyber's cool hooman

"Our dog Layla has had Virchew twice a day for the past year.

Layla was seen by the vet recently and we were told she is in amazing physical condition. We were not surprised as we have noticed her love for endless runs and hikes.

But, she is a picky eater! Sometimes we have to add a small number of treats.

After her meal, she has what we call her "Virchew high" where she wants to play a lot!

We've noticed nothing but great things. We can't wait for those Cheezy Chews treats to come out as they were loved a lot by Layla!

Thank you guys at Virchew for all that you do, we can't wait to see where this company goes in the future!!" ~ James and Catherine, Layla's hoomans

"All three of our dogs absolutely love Virchew! Trying to find a dog food that is gentle on our Jebus's teeth (he's 16!) , okay for Tatums sensitive stomach and doesn't wreak havoc on Eva's allergies seems like it should be impossible! ⁠
⁠
Thanks to Virchew what's seems out of the question has proven to be possible. I love that it's made with ingredients I recognize, made locally and healthy. Not only that, but because it's plant based we don't have to contribute to animal suffering, are able keep in line with my own personal ethics all while making sure all three of our best friends get the nutrition they need. ⁠
⁠
Plants + Love = the right choice for me and our dogs. Thank you Virchew!" ~ Nora Mills, Paw Mom⁠

"Thriving is an understatement when asked how my dogs are doing on Virchew. It has been about a year since we began with this plant based food. AMAZING how well all 3 of my hounds are doing. Large breed, small and medium. Male, female, purebred and rescue, all elderly/older now. Each one is brighter, more active, smell better, poops are perfect, fur is shinier, basically PREMIUM PUPS. :)

The home deliver is perfection, the staff are awesome too.

I can’t say enough about the benefits of Virchew!

And, I feel so good about not harming land animals when feeding my house animals.” ~ JB, Paw Ma⁠

"Gotta say Virchew couldn't be more perfect after his dental surgery! The softness and texture are perfect and he always wants it! And he loves those new cookies! He preferred them to his pill pockets which most dogs love and he usually does! ⁠
⁠
BTW, he had 10 teeth out plus 2 old roots (from two already fallen out) so this food is a godsend. ⁠
⁠
He still has all his "chewing" teeth left which is great and eventually can go back to chews and stuff but the bad teeth removed were due to being a bulldog and when they are born kind of twisted so easier to get infected regardless of care and diet. So probably helpful for other bulldog owners and anyone post-op!" ~ Elizabeth, Hooman to Merlin⁠

This [Virchew] is a company that has dedicated YEARS and YEARS of research, money and time into creating the best plant based dog food out there! We’ve followed them from the beginning and we are BLESSED they have finally hit the markets! It comes dehydrated, in reusable boxes, and you just add water and wait a smidge to rehydrate! Voila! Simple as heck, easy to travel with, and, clearly, the kids’ [Rex and Rocky] are in love with it!!"

"I purposely waited for sometime before send this along. My girl has a long history of being very picky about her food. I went through some many options only to have her start refusing her food after a month or so. This began the journey of different toppers etc to try and find something she would enjoy. Dora has now been on Virchew for 9 months. It took some figuring in the beginning to find right consistency for her, she now happily enjoys all of her meals. As I sit here listening to her licking her bowl clean, I am grateful. She also has received glowing reports at her recent vet visits. She is a very healthy pup. While it may sound funny to some to get emotional over dog food, being able to provide a quality vegan diet, that she enjoys, means the world to me - thank you!"

All the best,
Sara, Dora's hooman

"Willow is doing great! She's now taken to jumping up on my bed each morning to wake me up, because she's so excited for her breakfast.” ⁠
⁠When I get home from work, I can't even sit down for a minute without her barking up a storm and leading me to the Kitchen. I swear she's trying to say "How dare you sit down when you get home, you have to immediately feed me my dinner I've been eagerly waiting for!" :) ~ Heather, Willow’s Hooman⁠

"Being a bigger breed, I was concerned about maintaining Rosie’s weight to save her joints as she aged. Since we started her on Virchew’s Love Bowl vegan dog food, she’s maintained her weight at a healthy 100 lbs. Her poops have been consistently great and she LOVES mealtime. She loves her meals warm and never leaves any leftovers in her bowl. She received a clean bill of health at her last vet visit… from her teeth to her skin and coat. She’s a happy and well-fed puppy and we will continue to feed her Virchew Love Bowl for years to come. ❤️~ Mara, Rosie's hooman⁠

Roxy has always been a very athletic, muscular dog with a very healthy appetite. She has been on various diets throughout the years but heavily animal based. As a vegan family we ethically struggled with this. However, I believed it was unhealthy for a dog to eat plant based and that there were no other options.

It was to my amazement at a vegan expo that a little company, Virchew, was developing a plant-based dog food in partnership with vets. This encounter inspired us to research plant-based dog diets and it quickly became clear to me that dogs are not obligate carnivores. From this point, we began transitioning Roxy towards a plant-based diet. We cooked some of her food and also fed her a plant-based kibble, all the while anticipating the launch of Virchew.

We am happy to say that we were an early adopter of Virchew. Roxy has been eating Virchew for well over a year now and really loves it. She maintains her youthful energy, muscle definition, and coat, even at 10 years. We couldn’t be happier and more confident feeding her Virchew! -
Meghan & Steven. Roxy's hoomans

This is so exciting!! I feel honored to be a part of such a wonderful venture and of course my dogs get the biggest benefit. I wanted to share aside from Pollo's amazing results... Mysty used to be really itchy and her coat has gotten so much better. She’s no longer scratching so much. She even appears to be trimming down a bit (she was only slightly overweight). Her energy is better and she also eagerly awaits every meal, coming to get me when it’s dinner time. She does this cute little bouncy dance.
Thank you for putting this in motion and making it happen. My fur babies would thank you if they could! - Kimberly, Mysty's Paw Ma ❤

"Our sweet Molly is 11 years old. About a year ago she lost most of her teeth, so eating her regular food was a bit of a challenge. We had to crush her food and always had to add treats to encourage her to eat. Also, she was a few pounds overweight which was not good for her back. My son suggested we try Virchew as his girlfriend's three dogs were on it and they loved it and were doing very well.⁠
⁠
We contacted Laura and she was lovely. She asked lots of questions about Molly and delivered some complimentary food and samples for Molly to try. Molly loved the food and treats and we didn't have to add anything to it to entice her to eat. It is so easy to just add water and stir and her meal is ready! She licks the bowl when she is finished and the bonus is that she has lost the extra weight and has been very healthy (no back issues) since she started eating Virchew a year ago. We highly recommend Virchew!" ~ Pat & Terry Bates, Pawrents⁠
⁠

"Hi, we're vegans and activists, all of our family, that is :) ⁠
⁠
Taking dogs to actions and being away from home can be a challenge when thinking of how to pack food for any extended length of time. ⁠
⁠
I've fed my eldest Norrbottenspets, (Augi, 12) raw his whole life and he's 12 now. I've steered away from meat in the past couple of years as it's not sustainable and it was the natural choice for us. He's been eating proteins like tofu, lentils, peanut butter, quinoa and lots of vegetable but I wasn't sure what he might be missing nutritionally. It's a lot of work to cook for one but since adopting my parent's Norrbottenspets, (Jordi, 9), the work of feeding them vegan was a bit overwhelming. ⁠
⁠
Thank goodness Laura opened up her shop, Virchew, in our neighbourhood, and just in time! We've been so excited about having a complete, dehydrated, nutritionally balanced Virchew, doggie nom noms shop, so close by!! ⁠
⁠
Activist dogs have to be light on their paws and ready to go at any given moment. We thought feeding the dogs on the top of a mountain would be a challenge but it was so easy!! While camping in Fairy Creek (English), and fighting to save the last 2.7% of the Old Growth rainforest in the watershed of Ada'itsx (Pacheedaht first Nations' traditional, unceded Territories)⁠
⁠
We've been so busy but we love that our adventures are made easier with take along, dried food that we all love!!" ⁠- Laura Z, Paw Ma

"It was nice to see your team at the Planted Expo today & I just thought I’d send a couple of pictures of Levi. He has been loving the change to Virchew the past few months. His health has been great & his coat shinier than ever. Levi constantly gets compliments - he’s a pretty happy, good-looking dude! I’m so glad to have discovered Virchew and am impressed with the commitment to creating a healthy, ethical, quality product. We can’t wait for more cheezy chews! - Barbara W, Levi's paw ma

"Wolfie is my 8 year old dog. He is a mix of mostly Yorkie, with a little bit of Shih Tzu, and weighs 7 pounds, most of it attitude.

He has had frequent stomach issues from the time he was young - vomiting, diarrhea , abdominal pain where he will not walk, shaking/shivering and loss of appetite.

Although not formally diagnosed in Wolfie, liver shunts are most common in yorkies and disrupt liver function including protein metabolism.
Researching the problem I read that plant based protein gives better support of liver function.

Wolfie has been on Virchew for over a year. He loves it and his episodes are much less frequent and not as severe when he does have one.

Finding out about Laura and Virchew and that she was in my neighbourhood, was a stroke of good fortune." - Nancy F, hooman to Wolfie
PS - My cat has been known to clean out the dog’s bowl if there’s anything left!

"Since bringing Jack home from the SPCA 2 1/2 years ago, I tried every kind of dog food and even human food, to try and keep Jack happy and healthy. Every type of food, raw, kibble, lightly cooked, other vegan brands, nothing worked, he stopped liking every option after a short while and had health issues. Virchew is the only food that has been consistently appealing to him. He cannot wait to dive in and gobbles it up and licks the bowl clean. I can tell he loves it, especially in comparison to other foods. I could not be happier to find something that works for Jack. He has no health issues since starting on Virchew and his energy level is beyond what it ever was!" - Jack's Paw ma, Paula M.

“My wife and I are relieved to have finally found a vegan dog food for our pups that they love to eat! We were involved in the original pilot program and eagerly awaited the release of Virchew. Both of our dogs, Luca & Paco, have been devouring Virchew since Oct of 2020 and they have been thriving ever since. Virchew has helped them maintain an abundance of energy, a healthy & shiny coat, consistent & healthy bowel movements etc etc. The team at Virchew have worked diligently to provide all the nutritional necessities that a dog requires within a plant based diet. We would highly recommend Virchew to anyone looking to improve the health of their dog while maintaining the choice of a vegan way of life.“ - Jason and Giselle - Luca and Paco's hoomans

"Kazzy is soon to be a four year old rescue from Iran. Adopted by our family at the age of one. She showed up with a bunch of trauma - which over time has left her little body. She was a regular carnivore - came to us that way. I enjoy a plant based lifestyle and always wanted Kazzy to partake in one as well. I had little to no viable options until I came across the Virchew shop on West 4th. Locally owned, created and operated by a loving group of forward thinking women.

Kazzy's health and coat transformed over time into one of abundance and beauty. Through a naturally and ethically mindful way of being - proper and naturally sourced plant-based ingredients are at the root of her healthy self. I am so very grateful to have the luxury of sharing my plant based diet choice with an integral member of my family.

Thank you to everyone at Virchew, you are giving us all important and smart options." Andrew B. - Kazzy's person