Need a Perfect Pet Treat? Check Out This Startup’s Healthy & Tasty Canine Cakes

If you are, or have been a pet parent, you know that even the slightest change in their behaviour is a cause for concern.

Akanksha Gilhotra was no different and when she noticed a change in her one-year-old labrador Bella’s appetite, she was deeply bothered.

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“Just like a mother ,who would do anything for her child, I tried different things so that Bella would eat something. One day, I took some boiled rice, mixed it with chicken and baked it in the oven for a bit until it was crispy,” she recalls.

Want to bake a beautiful cake for your furry babies? Check out Tail Twister’s range of ready made mixes for canines!

To Akanksha’s surprise, Bella loved her crispy rice cookies!

“After that, every time I visited the vet’s clinic and I saw that there were other dogs like Bella who weren’t eating, I would offer them these treats. The vet suggested I sell these treats and I thought this was a great idea!” she says.

Eventually, Akanksha quit her job and opened a bakery exclusively for dogs, where she made and supplied cakes and treats. Business was good, but after five years, Akanksha had to shut shop as she was getting married and moving to Jaipur.

“It was around this time that an idea struck me. I knew a lot of people who wanted to bake cakes for their furry babies but found it difficult to do so. So, I thought to myself: why not sell ready-made mixes?” she says with gleaming eyes.

This is how Tail Twisters was born in December 2018. Founded by Akansha and her husband Prateek Gilhotra, the Jaipur-based startup sells delicious and nutritious ready-made cake mixes, meals and treats for dogs.

Want to bake a beautiful cake for your furry babies? Check out Tail Twister’s range of ready made mixes for canines!

Tail Twisters and their products

What sets Tail Twisters apart from other brands selling dog edibles, is that these products are mindfully prepared.

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“Many commercial dog treats are filled with preservatives, which help to extend their shelf life. Besides, store-bought treats are often made from fillers and by-products. These are high in fat, sugar, chemicals which isn’t good for the health of your pets,” she explains.

Tail Twisters uses all-natural human-grade ingredients including whole wheat flour or rice flour, peanut flour, natural banana flavour, carob powder, buckwheat, beet powder, evaporated cane juice, salt and yoghurt powder. Gluten-free options are available as most dogs are intolerant to it.

These cake mixes come in different flavours like Blueberry, Red Velvet, Classic, and even Carob, which is a substitute for chocolate, and have been approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

“Chocolate isn’t particularly good for dogs, and that is why we use Carob which is completely safe. In addition to cake mixes, there are two cookie mixes as well⁠—Carob and Cheese and Berry Blast,” says Akanksha.

These treats are quite easy to prepare. All one needs to do is make a smooth paste from the mix by adding water and putting it inside the oven as per instructions. The cake mixes also come with yoghurt powder which can be combined with honey and water to make icing⁠!

“By creating your treats at home, you can provide your dog with a healthy snack that is not only nutritious but is also free of unhealthy additives,” says Akanksha, who has found many takers.

The duo has also launched their line of meals which is again ready to eat. All one has to do is add hot water, cover it with a lid, and leave the mix aside for 15 mins. These meals contain healthy ingredients like kidney beans, brown rice, chickpeas, beets, carrots and healthy vitamins, and are available in three options⁠—for pups, adults and in a grain-free option.

Challenges and Dog parents’ response

Divya Chhabra, a Vastu Consultant, based out of Delhi, is a mom to 6-year-old Oscar, a black labrador, and an 11-month-old beagle named Jarvis. She discovered Tail Twisters through a community of dog lovers.

“We had common friends, and they told me about Akanksha and Tail Twisters. Since my friends were recommending her, I got in touch, and she sent across some of her mixes,” she says.

“My dogs are just crazy about these cakes and love all the flavours including red velvet and the blueberry,” gushes Divya, who has also tried meal options for her dogs. “I love the fact that the meals are all-natural and not heavy on your pocket,” she explains.

Despite the love from consumers, there are a few operational challenges that Akanksha faces while running Tail Twisters.

“Since we are based out of Jaipur, getting ingredients like Carob powder, which isn’t easy to find. Also, sometimes, it is a challenge to explain to people that our products are completely safe for dogs to consume. This will perhaps take a little more time for people to understand,” she explains.

Regardless, Tail Twisters has sold at least over 800 units of their products and sells about 150 packets in a month on an average.

So, what future does Akanksha envision for Tail twisters?

“All we want is to see a good and healthy environment for dogs. To us, this is about so much more than running a business. It is a chance to connect with dogs and a community of dog lovers, to spread joy, and build a healthy life for our pets who we love so much,” says Akanksha as she signs off.

Want to bake a beautiful cake for your furry babies? Check out Tail Twister’s range of ready made mixes for canines!

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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