You know the saying you are what you eat well the same is true for dogs. Kibble has really only been around since the 1950s although interestingly Businessman James Spratt introduced the first commercially-prepared pet food in England in approximately 1860. After seeing dogs being fed leftover biscuits from a ship, Spratt formulated the first dog biscuit: a mix of wheat meals, vegetables, beetroot and beef blood. But dogs still got left overs and fed a variety including bones and veg. The kibble we know now was developed on a large scale in 1956 and with the advent of processed food, if dogs are like their humans, comes dis-ease. It can be no coincidence that obesity and ill health has significantly risen in the past few decades and I don’t believe in coincidence.
Now I do appreciate kibble is convenient but can you imagine only eating the same thing day in and day out not to mention the nutritional value of its processing is low so that vitamins and minerals need to be added in.
However, that said, cheap raw that is not fit for human consumption also has very little nutritional value in my book and I feel it better to buy the best kibble you can afford rather than the cheap offerings of raw.
Add in toppers - the book Forever Dog has some great tips for this - see book on Amazon -
Forever Dog
Some of my favourites - now even though my dogs are fed raw I still like to add in bits and bobs and give them variety - these are some of mine. I also go to a local farm shop and buy their discounted quick sale organic meat so that my dogs can enjoy chunks of lamb, beef or pork. I pop in the freezer for 2 weeks for safety and then defrost for when I am using it.
Also bone broth is another great add in and full of goodness that dogs love and particularly awesome for the older dogs or sports dogs.
Helps maintain a healthy gut, especially for dogs with digestive issues
Supports your dog’s immune system and detoxes his liver
Helps protect his joints
Is full of minerals, including silicon, sulphur, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus
And bone broth is super easy to make!
Organic, grass fed bones will be best - don’t skimp on them and feel free to use discarded bones from your own meals. I like to use lamb or beef.
Next, I’ll fill the pot so the bones are completely covered, plus an extra two or three inches of water on top.
Add 3-4 tbsps of Apple Cider Vinegar - the one with the mother -
is the magic ingredient that makes sure your broth has all that great and healthy gelatin in it and it also pulls the nutritious minerals out of the bones too.
Cook on low for 24 hours.
Strain the bones and discard.
Add in some extras whilst cooling - such as kale, broccoli, chopped mushrooms etc
Other supplements include a good omega 3 oil I love the doTerra IQ mega for my gang but otherwise go for Krill or Atlantic Wild Salmon - never farmed. Plant based omega 3 is not as bioavailable for dogs and I have really noticed the difference since I swapped my dogs over.
I do also add in essential oils depending on their needs and sometimes I swap it up but they all get
Copaiba and they all get DDR Prime.
Drop me a message if you would like to learn more about using essential oils for you and your dog.
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Information given here is not intended as a substitute for medical or veterinary consultation - the author has no liability nor responsibility with respect to any issues occurring out of use such as damage, loss, injury.