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If you missed it, below, is a short list of healthy ingredients you can add to your dog’s bowl, especially if you are already feeding a good quality dry dogfood or kibble.
Animal-sourced foods such as eggs, meat, or dairy rather than plant foods such as grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables. Most dry foods are already high in carbohydrates, and dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates. In contrast, animal protein supports the immune system and central nervous system, contributes to wound healing, helps build lean muscle, and is required for skin and coat health.
1. Eggs
Eggs are one of the healthiest and easiest additions to make. Dogs weighing 40 pounds or more can handle a whole egg, so half an egg (or a whole egg every other day) for dogs weighing 20 to 40 pounds and proportionately less for smaller dogs.
2. Muscle meat (including heart) and organ meats.
Add any kind of meat, such as chicken, turkey, or lean beef, either ground or in chunks that are small enough to prevent choking, served lightly cooked (never feed cooked bones).
3. Fish
Canned sardines (preferably packed in water rather than oil), jack mackerel, and pink salmon are wonderful additions, because of their beneficial fatty acids and trace minerals.
One small sardine contains a whopping amount of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA .
4. Yogurt and Kefir
Fermented dairy products that are homemade or manufactured with added probiotics – as long as they are free of sugar, birch sugar or xylitol – can help with digestive issues. Whole-milk yogurt or kefir is fine unless your dog needs a low-fat diet
5. Cottage Cheese or Ricotta Cheese
Most dogs enjoy cottage cheese and ricotta, and if the milk used to make them comes from grass-fed cattle, or goat’s milk, these protein-rich cheeses are easily digested.
6. Pumpkin (Roasted, baked or Cooked)
This traditional remedy for diarrhoea and constipation, is an all-purpose digestive aid.
7. Cooked or Pureed Vegetables
Because dogs don’t chew their food enough to break down cell walls, whole raw vegetables don’t provide much nutritional value. Vegetables pureed in a food processor, juicer, or blender are more digestible; lightly cooked vegetables can be digested without having to be pureed. (although carrots are terrific for teething puppies or a healthier, lower calorie snack than most packaged treats)
Recommended cooked/pureed plants include carrots, celery, all types of greens, Sukuma-wiki, broccoli, brussels sprouts, zucchini, asparagus, turnips, and parsnips, capsicum, all colors.
Because they can be toxic to dogs, onions are not recommended and, if your dog has any symptoms of arthritis or inflammation, avoid plants from the nightshade family, which includes potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, and goji berries.
8. Fruit
Most dogs enjoy bananas, apples, melons, pears, blueberries, and other fresh, ripe fruits. Avocados should fed in moderation, as avocados are very high in fat and calories. Grapes, raisins, and fruit seeds and pits are also potentially hazardous. The main problem with fruit is its sugar content, which is why it’s a good idea to offer small rather than large amounts to your dog.
9. Raw Green Tripe
Greenish brown in color and very smelly, at least to us humans. Raw green tripe from grass-fed cattle is highly recommended.
10. Recreational Bones
For many dogs, an after-dinner raw bone is an ideal dessert. It can clean teeth, help prevent gum disease, and provide chewing pleasure and jaw exercise.
However, bones can cause broken teeth, especially if their size and shape allow dogs to get them between their molars and crunch down. Marrow bones are a particular risk. Knuckle bones may be safer because of their shape, especially for large dogs and aggressive chewers. Bone shards can cause serious issues if swallowed.
For best results, feed only raw, fresh bones and remove them once the tissues connected to them have been eaten and before they dry out. Cooked or dry bones can splinter and are not recommended. |
