AT FIRST glance it looks more like a supermarket than a pet shop.

The walls of the Healthy Pet Store in Salisbury Road, Totton, are lined with freezers full of tasty treats including kangaroo, beef and lamb.

Pheasant, quail and wood pigeon are among the other products to be found at the recently-opened store, which even sells the occasional pig’s head.

It also boasts what dogs doubtless regard as a mouth-watering selection of tinned meat, including chicken parfait and turkey and trout terrine.

But the shop specialises in meeting a growing demand for raw meat, which has been linked with a wide range of health benefits.

Manager Laura French, 28, said: “A lot of people come in and say their dogs eat better than they do.

“Some of the others are vegetarians.

They may not eat meat themselves but they recognise that it’s the best thing for their pets.

“It’s just a question of biting the bullet and diving in.

“Dogs are carnivores and more people are starting to realise the benefits of feeding them raw meat.

“There’s no substitute for a natural diet.”

The shop is the only one of its type in the New Forest and is attracting customers from a wide area, including Winchester, Eastleigh and Poole.

A growing number of pet owners are going there for advice on how to tackle everything from skin complaints to hyperactivity and dogs that refuse to eat certain types of food.

One of the shelves is laden with a selection of liquid herbal remedies that aim to keep pets healthy.

The shop is also tackling the issue of Hampshire’s porky pets following a sharp rise in the number of domestic animals that are seriously overweight.

Supplements include coconut oil, which helps an animal to burn fat as well as being good for its skin and coat.