As a result of having a father who is a researcher and a mother and brother who run their own businesses, Oskar Norstedt has both the inspiration and the drive to want to do both. His mission until now has been to help dogs maintain a normal weight. Supported by his own research and that of others, and with hands-on assistance from SLU Holding, his first product is now on the market – a dog biscuit that changes a dog’s metabolism and helps it to reach its optimal weight through appetite regulation.
For half of his time, for two-weeks periods, Oskar Norstedt lives and works in Mariestad as a veterinarian. He spends the other half of his time at home in Stockholm focusing on his new company CHIP, Canine Health Improving Products. The company’s slogan is For The Love of Dog, and Oskar runs CHIP together with a partner.
Keeping track of your dog’s calorie intake may seem like the easiest problem in the world to solve, as it is the owner who decides how much the dog should eat.
“Yet many people and many dogs are overweight. There are 300,000 overweight dogs in Sweden. Many dog owners think they are being kind when they give their dog more food, and they find it difficult to say no when their dog begs. For dogs too, however, being overweight means an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and joint problems, for example, as well as a generally poorer quality of life and a shorter lifespan,” says Oskar Norstedt.
His father conducts research into diabetes at the Karolinska Institute, and has been working for a long time to develop an appetite suppressant for people who need to lose weight or maintain their current weight. The approval processes in respect of equivalent products for animals are faster, however, with the result that Oskar has now overtaken them.
“But it’s important to get the wording exactly right when it comes to what I’m selling. If I were to try to launch a new diet food for dogs, it would be one of many, and I would face stiff competition. But my product is unique.”
C+Bite dog biscuits are a patent-pending complementary food that the dog eats half an hour before its regular meal. The biscuits stimulate a good intestinal flora, as well as changing the dog’s metabolism. They contain a high dose of the dietary fibre beta-glucan, which has been shown in human studies to be effective against obesity. Beta-glucan has also been shown to increase the production of short-chain fatty acids in the large intestine in both animals and humans. These reduce fat storage and stimulate the release of hormones that make you feel full. In addition, the fatty acids provide local anti-inflammatory and protective effects in the gut, thereby increasing overall well-being.
“When I started thinking about creating this product, I thought it might be a big thing – if I had a little help!”
And Oskar did get help. SLU Holding examined the idea and its novelty, and provided assistance in the form of access to the feed lab at SLU, where Oskar could try making the biscuits by machine. He was given a mentor to bounce ideas off, as well as help to build up a valuable network of contacts. And, last but not least, SLU Holding provided financial support through VFT-funds to produce the first batch of dog biscuits, which Oskar is now offering to the country’s dog owners in collaboration with the distributor Scandivet. He has also tested the biscuits on his own dog, of course. Wilson is a five-year-old Welsh springer spaniel, who usually accompanies his master to work.
“And in my role as a vet, I naturally advise some dog owners about C+Bite, explaining how and why it works. They usually think it’s great when they find out that it’s my own product that they can buy!”
Up to know, life as an entrepreneur has been both fun and educational – and quite exhausting.
“I’ve really enjoyed learning a lot about accounting, business administration and all that, while at the same time continuing to improve myself in purely scientific terms. But it’s easy to become impatient and think that everything is taking too long. In the beginning, you underestimate the amount of work that’s involved.”
At the moment, Oskar is busy reworking his degree project from the veterinary programme at SLU into an article for publication in a scientific journal. He is also keen to continue his research into dietary fibre and gut flora, with the aim of developing more healthy products for dogs based on further scientific findings. C+Bite is just the beginning, he hopes. The company’s business concept is to develop more products with the well-being of dogs in mind.
“I’m already working on the next biscuit, aimed at dogs with stomach problems such as IBD and diarrhoea. I also want to develop dietary supplements with proven efficacy to help dogs with poor coats, osteoarthritis or urinary tract problems, to name just a few. Veterinary medicine is an enjoyable industry, where there is plenty to do to improve and refine existing products.”
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