A1 Pet Meats

19/05/2026

WEDNESDAY's SPECIAL

this week we're going back to the bush
The product you can grab for Wednesday's special price is kangaroo arms.

19/05/2026

If you have an itchy staffie, bulldog or any other bully breed,- you too may find this article interesting

Your Pitbull isn't broken. The standard food trial is.

If you've heard "it's just pit skin" — like your dog's breed is destined for a lifetime of antihistamines, ear drops, and medicated shampoo — there's a piece of the picture most owners (and a lot of vets) skip past.

Pitbulls, Staffies, and American Bullies share a documented immune phenotype. Short, single-layer coats with no protective undercoat. Skin barrier that's more exposed than a double-coated breed. Mast cells in the skin that fire harder than other dogs' when a trigger protein passes through. Bully breeds are significantly over-represented in canine atopic dermatitis — not because of how they're raised, but because of how their immune system is built.

This isn't a flaw in your dog. It's genetics. And it's manageable once you know what you're actually working with.

Here's the part that matters: Cytopoint, Apoquel, and steroid cycles can quiet the itch. They don't change what's triggering it. If beef is the cascade your bully's immune system is reacting to, every meal keeps the fire lit while the injection keeps the smoke down. The symptom relief is real. The root cause keeps eating away in the background.

A breed-specific elimination diet — one novel protein, 8 to 12 weeks, every meal and every symptom logged — is how most bully-breed owners finally find their dog's actual trigger. Beef sits at the top (around 34% of canine food reactions per Mueller & Olivry). Dairy is #2. Chicken is #3 and hidden in roughly 70% of commercial foods.

Full breed-specific protocol here → https://itchypet.app/resources/articles/pitbull-bully-breed-food-allergies/

*We help track symptoms & discover patterns. Food sensitivity is not a diagnosis, and this is not a substitute for veterinary care. Consult your veterinary professional for medical concerns.*

18/05/2026

Pop in and grab some goat meat mix full of antioxidants for your pup

*only during this week and only while stock lasts

15/05/2026

this isn't an uncommon pattern!

If your dog's allergy medication seems to be working less than it used to — you're not imagining it.

We're seeing more and more pet parents describe the same pattern:

Month 1-3: Relief. The itching stops. You can finally sleep.
Month 6-9: Creeping back. The paw licking returns. Not as bad, but it's there.
Month 12+: Back to square one. Maybe worse.

This isn't about any specific medication being "bad." It's about treating the symptom without addressing what's driving it.

For many dogs, the itch isn't just environmental. Food plays a role — sometimes a big one. And if the dietary trigger is still in the bowl every day, medication is fighting an uphill battle.

The conversation worth having with your vet: "Could we investigate the food side while we manage the symptoms?"

Dietary co-management doesn't mean stopping medication. It means adding another tool — tracking food and symptoms daily to identify patterns your vet can use to adjust the approach.

You and your vet are on the same team. More data gives both of you better options.

*We help track symptoms & discover patterns. No veterinary diagnoses or treatment advice. Consult your veterinary professional for medical concerns.*

11/05/2026

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This Wednesday's Special 🐔 (13th of May)

Carton of Chicken Frames (approx. 10kg)
Normally $12 per carton → $8 per carton this Wednesday

Special applies to full cartons only — not single frames.

Great value protein, plenty of natural calcium from the bone, and a favourite for raw feeders building variety into the bowl.

Available this Wednesday only, while stock lasts. Pop in and grab some 😊

11/05/2026

Something new every Wednesday 🐾

We're kicking off Wednesday's Specials — a different deal every week on a different cut.

Same fresh (or frozen if you prefer), locally-sourced raw food. Just one product, one day, one good price.

Keep an eye on the page to see what's on. First one drops this week 👀

- The A1 Pet Meats team

08/05/2026

Surprising one for the cat owners:

The most common food allergen in cats is beef. Implicated in about 18% of feline adverse food reactions.

Fish is second (17%). Chicken is third — but only 5%.

Most off-the-shelf cat food is built on chicken and fish. Which means the average cat eating standard supermarket or pet shop food is being fed at least one of the top two cat allergens, every single day.

If you've got an itchy cat, a cat with miliary dermatitis (those tiny crusty bumps along the back), or one that vomits often after meals — worth a thought.

06/05/2026

Quick myth-bust for the "I dropped chicken and nothing changed" crowd:

The most common food allergen in dogs isn't chicken. It's beef.

For the absolute majority of breeds (there are few exceptions where chicken does lead), Beef sits at roughly 34% of canine adverse food reactions in the literature. Dairy beats chicken too (17% vs 15%). Chicken is third — common, yes, but the loudest one in the conversation, not the biggest one.

Plenty of owners switch off chicken because it's the most demonised protein in the dog world — straight onto a "premium beef" formula. And then wonder why nothing improved.

Worth checking what's actually been in the bowl for the last 12 months before deciding what to drop next.

04/05/2026

25% of Labradors have a gene mutation called POMC.

It disrupts the hormones that tell them "I'm full" — which is why Labs are famous for eating everything in sight.

But researchers are now investigating whether that same gene also affects immune regulation. The same mutation that makes them always hungry may contribute to making them always itchy.

Labs are estimated to be food-allergic at roughly 2x the rate of other breeds. And their trigger profile may be different — breed-specific data suggests chicken is a bigger problem for Labs than for dogs overall.

If your Lab has chronic ear infections, won't stop licking their paws, or itches through winter (when pollen is gone) — food allergy is worth investigating with your vet.

The hard part? Running an elimination diet on a dog that will eat anything. It takes household coordination, securing every food source, and daily tracking to catch delayed reactions.

It's hard. But it's not impossible. And the data you collect gives your vet something to work with.

*Note: POMC-allergy connection is emerging research, not established. Lab allergen rates from breed tracking databases, not peer-reviewed studies. Always consult your vet.*

30/04/2026

PCR testing found undeclared animal proteins hiding in commercial "hypoallergenic" dog foods.
Your dog might be eating chicken, beef, or pork — proteins not even listed on the label.
And you're being told the elimination diet "didn't work."
It didn't fail. It was compromised before it started.