Not only is it important to keep an eye on the foods we as humans eat, but it’s also important to watch our dog’s diets too. The foods that they eat will directly contribute to their level of health, and some can reduce or increase their chances of diseases and illness. There are lots of unhealthy foods out there for dogs, including various types of kibbles and wet foods, which are designed specifically for dogs, but aren’t all that healthy for them in the grand scheme of things. We’ve put together our top dietary suggestions for your dogs, in an attempt for you to keep them healthy and their tails wagging every dinner time.
Homemade Foods
Now, this may be relatively time-consuming, but we tend to spend time cooking our own foods. So, why don’t we do this for our furry companions? There are so many foods you can whip up for your dog, and this way you know exactly what foods they’ll be getting. Before you jump into this new culinary craft, it’s worthwhile researching the important nutritional elements that are required for your canine. Once you’ve got yourself a sound understanding, you can whip them up fresh, healthy meals every day, and even think about doing some meal prep for the weeks ahead to save time and energy.
Plant-Based
Unlike cats, which are obligate carnivores, dogs are in fact omnivorous and therefore can thrive off of meat diets, as well as plant-based diets and a mixture of the two. While you can give your dog a fully plant-based diet, it’s important to remember to provide them with a balanced one as, without doing the proper research, you could end up giving them foods that lack the right nutrients they need. This is also possible to do with a carnivorous diet too, so make sure that whatever you choose for your pet, they’re getting some nice, crunchy veggies to chew on. If you’re going to choose a plant-based diet for your dog, it would be worthwhile to add a supplemented kibble to their diet, alongside some tasty, fresh foods that you’ve prepared for them, as these kibbles will have all the correct nutrients added to them for that balanced diet. Your dog may even end up eating better than you do!
Bone Broth
Stepping away from plant-based diets, we have the very popular choice of bone broths. While it might sound a bit like something you’d find in a witch’s cauldron, a bone broth is incredibly high in nutrients and can serve as the perfect, tasty addition to your dog’s meals. Visit Native Pet to find out more about making bone broth for dogs as well as the amazing benefits they’ll see from this tasty treat. Bone broth is combined with vegetables as well as the intensely nutritious minerals and vitamins found in bones and is a perfect addition to any of their meals. Remember, it can be fairly time consuming creating this, but the benefits are huge. It may not be something you’ll make every day, but it’s possible to add this to your pup’s food prep routine as it can keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to a week.
Non-Processed
Similar to humans, it’s important to cut down on, or even cut out entirely, processed foods. While it can be much more efficient than freshly prepared foods, these manufactured meals aren’t all that healthy compared to the fresh stuff. If you are still needing to feed your dogs processed kibbles, consider buying organic, grain-free ones but as part of a balanced diet. Try to avoid feeding them solely kibbles as this will not only be less healthy but can also be quite a boring and unstimulating experience for your companion.
Wet Food Over Dry Kibble
While this isn’t always the most cost-effective option, wet food tends to be a top preference for your dogs as it’s a more natural consistency and often smells and tastes much better to them. There’s also the added benefit of wet food helping your dog stay hydrated and is especially good if you’ve noticed your dog isn’t too good at drinking enough throughout the day. If you’re trying to help your dog to lose weight, especially if they’re somewhat of a glutton, it can actually be a worthwhile endeavour to switch to wet food. Dry food actually has a much higher calorie count on average, so you can feed your dog a bigger portion of wet food before they reach the same level as they would by eating dry kibble. This means that they will feel fuller and more satisfied with their wet food, or in theory, you can feed them less calories with a similar portion of food.
Cut Down On Treats
Treats are an essential part of your relationship with your dog, particularly when it comes to training them. Recall and obedience training is especially reliant on giving dogs a reason to listen to you, and treats are arguably the best incentive. However, it’s important to reserve these for training purposes as opposed to the desire to ply them with snacks whenever possible just because of their cute, persuasive eyes. If you do want to keep giving them treats, it may be worth looking at some healthier alternatives than store-bought, processed meats, such as broccoli stems, carrots, apples, and watermelon. These are healthy, fiber-rich snacks and are also very fun to chew, keeping your dog entertained too.
Human Foods For Dogs
There are temptations to give our furry friends the scraps of food from our plates, and while this can be a tasty treat to add to their own meals, it’s important to know exactly what foods you can and cannot give them. For example, there are lots of human foods that are actually toxic to dogs, such as garlic, onion, and chocolate but there are also some that are perfectly acceptable to give them and can serve as a treat for training purposes, or as an added bonus to their dinners. They can eat everything from eggs and fish to cheese and bread, but it’s worth identifying any intolerances such as lactose and gluten intolerances as giving them these foods could cause discomfort to your pet.
