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Have you ever heard of the term "when we eat good, we feel good"? So why wouldn't it be the same for our dogs? Personally, I am a huge advocate for holistic health in all species. If I eat out everyday & consume overly processed foods, my skin will flare up, i'll feel fatigued, & I might even experience feelings of depression or anxiety. There's so much more to owning a dog than just obedience training & breed considerations; diet can play a significant role in how our dogs feel both physically & mentally. I have created this blog post to discuss some of my favorite kibble brands, treats, kibble toppers, & canine nutrition accounts!
What we recommend
Kibble Brands
Orijen, Instinct, Acana, Farmina, Open Farm, Fromm, Stella & Chewy, & Victor
Ideally, you want the first 4+ Ingredients to all be proteins, if the kibble you're currently feeding your dogs first ingredient is chicken & the 2nd is grain it may be a good idea to look into some other brands!
protein should make up about 18-30% of a dogs diet. We would recommend looking up some of the ingredients in your dogs kibble & decide whether you would want that in their bodies or not!
Chews & Bones
Your dog really does not need a bone to chew on everyday; trust me! Raw hide & cooked bones are very dangerous to feed your dog. They can cause blockages in the digestive system & bacterial decontamination.
Our recommendation is to feed your dog all-natural chews like bully sticks, raw bones, pig/rabbit/cow ears, duck wings, beef trachea, freeze-dried sardines, lamb tripe. chicken feet, gullet, collagen, yak cheese, salmon skin etc. brands I love are (Chews Wild) chewswild.com, Real Dog Box (real.dog) & dogslikeitraw.net. Lots of basic pet stores sell good chews! Just take a look at the label & the ingredients, & try to avoid cooked bones!
Supplements
Supplements aren't always necessary, but they can be highly beneficial for your dog especially if you have a rescue mutt or a breed that is genetically predisposed to have certain health issues.
some supplements I would recommend would be Hip & Joint supplements, which can help increase lifespan in dogs as they age & aid in managing hip dysplasia. Probiotics promote healthy gut flora & support digestive health. Cognitive function supplements are great for brain health, enhanced memory & focus, they can reduce anxiety & stress, & age related decline. Heart health supplements aid in cardiovascular health. One of my favorite brands for supplemts is petmatrx.com as they break through the blood brain barrier & have lots of good reviews.
Treats
personally I love using freeze-dried raw treats for my Board & Trains. There are many brands who make freeze-dried treats of different protein sources. Some brands that I love are Stewart, Vital essentials, PureBites, Stella and chewy, & instinct.
The fewer the ingredients, the better. If you look at the back of the bag you purchased and there's all this ingredients you don't know how to pronounce, consider looking at these brands I recommend.
Kibble Toppers
Feeding raw can be very expensive & a lot of work. If its not something that fits in your budget, consider trying some mid-priced kibble & buying some kibble toppers as extra vitamins & nutrients to give your dog every once in awhile.
Some natural kibble topper we love to add are: quail eggs (high-quality protein), sardines (omega-3s for coat and joint health), pumpkin (fiber for digestion), blueberries (antioxidants), carrots (beta-carotene for vision), sweet potatoes (fiber and vitamins), kefir (probiotics for gut health), spinach (iron and vitamins), bone broth (collagen for joints), coconut oil (healthy fats for skin and energy), apple slices (fiber and vitamins), chia seeds (omega-3s and fiber), Greek yogurt (protein and probiotics) salmon oil (silky coat)
Social Media
Incase you are a more visual learner, we would recommend checking out some of our favorite instagram accounts that show raw meal ideas & the benefits to each ingredient. These accounts are very educational and also cover enrichment ideas & supplements as well.
@rawfeeding101
@the_dog_nutritionist
@pet.nutrition
@chefsanddogs
@perfectlyrawsome
@kaylakowalskinutrition_