Welcome to Part 2 of our series, Eat This, Not That: Dog Edition! If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading Part 1, you can <CHECK IT OUT HERE>. If you’re ready for part two, buckle up because we’re going on an adventure! We’re going to be exploring some options to add to your furry best friend’s bowl to balance their diet and add variety. Ready?? Let’s go!
In the last edition, we talked about how a high-quality kibble can be a healthy, convenient option to feed our furry friends with, but it may lack the nutrients needed for a balanced diet due to processing. Plus, who wants to eat the same thing EVERY DAY? So, let’s spice things up a bit to enhance our furry friends’ bowls.
When thinking about what to add to your pet’s food bowl the first thing that comes to mind is probably canned food. When shopping in the pet food aisle or store, you’ll see dry food and corresponding wet food cans to match. You pick the one that sounds the most appetizing and voila! Rover has some variety in his diet. Convenient, right? Canned food has many benefits; yummy taste, variety, added vitamins and minerals, and it adds moisture to your dog’s diet. Canned food is a great place to start, but make sure you’re checking ingredients before purchasing. Meat should be listed first - if your first ingredient is water sufficient for processing, put it back! You don’t want to pay for water. You can always add water to it at home if you feel it isn’t soupy enough. Another option similar to canned food is a dehydrated food such as Honest Kitchen or Balanced Life. Dehydrated food is easy to store and unlike canned food which will go bad once opened, you can make the exact amount needed to avoid spoiling. It is also very convenient to have on hand when traveling.
I know what you’re thinking… besides canned food, what else is there? This is where things really get interesting! A great addition to kibble is a raw topper or even frozen raw food. Raw is an excellent option for any pet but can help with allergies, anal gland issues, dental hygiene, and picky eaters. Freeze-dried raw is a super convenient way to add the benefits of raw to your pet’s bowl. Just scoop and serve right on top of their kibble. If you’re not wanting to have to add yet another step to feeding your furry friend, Stella and Chewy’s Raw Coated or Raw Blend Kibble does the mixing for you! Just add furry friends, no mixing needed. Leary of raw? There are Petcurean freeze-dried functional mixers to help with skin and coat, gut health, joints and more made from freeze-dried meats, fruits, veggies, and vitamins. You may also include fresh fruits and vegetables to your pet’s bowl to add essential nutrients straight from nature.
The last part of our adventure is the bumpy road of supplements. Does your pet need a daily supplement? Do you need many different supplements to achieve many different problems? Not necessarily. If you’re feeding a high-quality kibble, adding things in for variety and extra nutrients, you won’t need to worry about adding a multivitamin. There are however a few key supplements to add to your pet’s food keep them as healthy as they can be. One of my favorite supplements is Primal Raw Goats Milk. It can be used for cats and dogs and acts as a natural probiotic with turmeric and ginger to help with any inflammation in the gut. It can be used as a preventative, to help with food transitions, as a formula for newborns, or as a tasty treat. Gut health is the key to overall health! Another key supplement for overall health is bone broth from Open Farm. Bone broth is a great immunity builder, joint supplement, and flavor enhancer for any pet. By adding both of these key supplements to your furry friend’s kibble you’re providing moisture to their diet. Adding moisture is especially important for the health of our feline furiends.
Unfortunately, our adventure has come to an end for today. However, the adventure is never-ending when it comes to all the different things you can add to spice up your furry friend’s bowl. Remember, it is all about adding variety and ensuring your pet is getting all the nutrients he/she needs to live a long, happy, and healthy life. In a world all about convenience, it can seem a little time consuming and overwhelming to think about having to add all these extra steps to our furry pals’ feeding routines but once you start doing it, it becomes part of your routine and you’ll reap the benefits for years to come.
