“I had a very bad reaction to medication during the first month – I experienced nausea, diarrhoea, I was shaking a lot and felt worse than before,” he recounted.
At the height of COVID-19 in 2020, Lim, who is the second of three children, flew back to Singapore for a month to accompany his mother for medical consultations. He left for London after that but returned to Singapore again in February 2021, this time for close to five months to accompany her for chemotherapy.It felt like I was falling into a dark hole and everything around me was void. I felt really alone and worthless.
“Walking a dog is a magical experience. You have this strange connection and synergy with the dog. He or she knows what you want through the leash and you kind of walk symbiotically,” he added. The Chewden comes with a grip that secures a chew to it, preventing the dog from swallowing and choking on it when it gets too short.
The brand’s key product Chewden includes a chew grip, a trove for dog ice popsicle, and a base to anchor the grip and trove, and eliminate mess. “A lot of people don’t realise how much money it takes to create a product from scratch. There was a time when my bank account had only S$4,000,” said Lim, pictured with his dog Oji. Lim invested S$80,000 of his own savings and borrowed another S$60,000 from his mother and sister. He paid a design agency and freelance designer to refine the product design, and also invested in research and development, 3D printing, testing and marketing.
“With our powdered blends and bowls, you can easily make the popsicles at home and pop them in the freezer. When you need one, simply take the frozen bowl out and give it to your dog – it’ll occupy your dog for much longer, minus the mess,” he said.