How To Spice Up Your Dog’s Food

But What About Digestive Issues

Youve probably heard that changing a dogs diet can lead to upset stomach, and in some cases, this is true. But when you introduce a rotational feeding schedule properly, therell be little- to no-tummy troubles to worry about. Its all about a smooth transition between foods. Dont just switch your dogs diet suddenlyyou need to slowly increase the amount of new food while decreasing the old, over the course of a week.

But rotation feeding is more than just transitioning to a new formula. You should be thinking about building a strong intestinal system that will improve nutritional absorption and overall well-being. When youre looking at what to include in the rotation, be sure that the formula contains a variety of proteins, fruits and vegetables for the best results. If you feed your dog a commercial food, not only can you try different recipes and ingredients, but also different brands.

Did You Make This Recipe

Tag on Instagram and hashtag it #thismessisours

Home Made Dog Food recipe for the Holidays

This 100% human grade home made dog food recipe utilizes some of the best fall produce for your dog like sweet potatoes, cranberries, rosemary, and sage. Its perfect for every day feedings and does double duty as a really delicious holiday meal for your dog!;

Pumpkin and Yogurt Bowl for Dogs Recipe;

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for all of us, even our dogs! Get your dogs day off to a great start with a healthy dose of protein, vitamins, and minerals by feeding him/her a delicious Pumpkin and Yogurt Bowl for Dogs. These yogurt bowls are filled with good for your dog ingredients like fat free Greek yogurt, 100% pure pumpkin puree, plant based vitamin and mineral powder, and my Homemade Dog Food Seasoning which is a blend of 5 herbs that have extraordinary health benefits for your dog!;

Homemade Dog Food Seasoning Blend recipe

How To Make Dry Dog Food More Appealing To Finicky Eaters

Dinner time for your dog! As soon as he hears that familiar rattle of the kibble hitting the bowl, hes sure to come running. The trouble is, some dogs are pickier eaters than others. Some dogs look in the bowl, then turn away once theyve given the kibble a sniff. What can you do? Should you try a different type of food?

Not necessarily. There are a lot of good reasons you might want to feed your dog dry food. By definition, kibble is typically cooked or steamed, which helps kill certain types of bacteria that may be present in raw foods. And dry dog food is easy to store and use, making it a choice that helps simplify busy lifestyles. Plus, kibble may help keep your dogs teeth and gums healthy.

If your dog has become bored with the taste or texture of plain kibble, there are some steps you can take. Lets look at five easy ways to make dry dog food more appealing to the finickiest of eaters.

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Best Dog Food For Small And Large Breeds

Small breed dogs and large breed dogs have different nutritional needs. Large breed dogs are more prone to musculoskeletal problems than smaller breeds, and so they often require large-breed dog food with different balances of certain nutrients to promote musculoskeletal health, especially as puppies. Small breed dogs, on the other hand, can choke on large-sized kibble and have their own nutritional requirements that can be accommodated with a small-breed dog food. Research your dogs breed to find out if there are any additional nutritional requirements you should be aware of.

How To Make Your Festive Dog Their Very Own Pumpkin Spice Latte

Dogs can now enjoy pumpkin spice lattes alongside their owners, thanks to this recipe from Open Farm Pet Food

The onset of cooler weather and colorful leaves indicates that its officially pumpkin spice latte season and now your dog can get in on enjoying the autumn drink.

A recipe from Open Farm Pet Food has adjusted the coffee treat, first popularized by Starbucks, to make it both safe and enjoyable for your pup.

The canine-friendly “latte” ingredients include Open Farm Kefir, pumpkin puree, ground cinnamon, and a touch of whipped cream. Plus, the assembly couldnt be simpler just blend the ingredients and top with the whipped cream.

The recipe does note that some of the ingredients in a classic pumpkin spice latte for humans are particularly unsafe for dogs. Nutmeg, a common inclusion in pumpkin pie spice mix, is toxic for pups, so make sure to leave it out. It is also important to check that the whipped cream you are using for your pup PSL doesn’t contain xylitol, a sugar substitute that is extremely toxic to dogs.

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In addition to this signature fall beverage, the fall season means it’s also time to find the perfect Halloween getup for your dog.

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Keep Serving The Meal Until Your Dog Eats It

Sometimes you happen upon a pet that is just too stubborn for his own good. Hell refuse to eat no matter what you do. In that case, the only way to curb this problem is the gentle starvation method. Begin by placing your dogs food down for 30 minutes. If he refuses to eat in that time, take it back up. Wait until his next normally scheduled mealtime and put it down for 30 minutes again. If he doesnt eat, take it back up. Eventually hunger will win over and your dog will eat his food. If not, theres probably a deeper problem than just a picky pup, and you should head to the vet.

Add Colorful Freshly Chopped Veggies

Remember this tip: feed your dog the rainbow! Each color of fruits and veggies provides valuable phytonutrients that are not found in kibble due to the heavy heat of cooking and processing.

Our favorites colorful veggies are:

• Broccoli
• Bell peppers
• Green beans
• Sweet potatoes
• Yellow Squash

Remember, your dog gets more value from many colors than from one. So rather than feeding 3 green veggies, keep it colorful with variety.

But wait, what if your dog wont touch fresh veggies!? If your picky pooch wont tolerate freshly chopped vegetables in their bowl, consider using a freeze-dried mix of meat and veggies, such as the Happy, Health brand.

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Can Dogs Eat Cumin

In small amounts, cumin is completely safe for dogs. Be careful with how much you use, however. In large doses, it could upset your dogs stomach or give them painful gas.

In small amounts, cumin could give older dogs energy or an immune-system boost.

Before you start sprinkling it on your dogs food, give them a tiny amount and observe how they handle it.

How To Make A Dog’s Dry Food Tastier So He Will Eat It All

This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as Dr. B to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA accredited hospital and Bostons first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 14 testimonials and 91% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 319,952 times.

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Your Doggos Diet Doesnt Have To Be Bland Add A Little Spice To Your Dogs Life With Our List Of Spices And Herbs That Are Good For Your Pup

If you like to keep healthy, youre probably already familiar with some of the ways in which herbs and spices can be used to treat common maladies. What you may not know, however, is that many of these same herbs and spices can be beneficial for your dog. While its easy to merely buy your doggo mass-produced pet food and never think about what you feed the pup again, thats a mistake. Dogs deserve a thoughtfully composed diet too! Sure, your dog will never become a foodie with refined tastes, but that doesnt mean that he doesnt deserve to benefit from some seasoning that will improve his health! To make determining your doggos diet a little easer, weve put together a list of top 10 spices and herbs that we give to our dogs, along with a list of benefits that come along with them. After this article, your pup is going to eat so well that theyll never want to go back to regular pet food again!

Before You Give Your Dog Any Spices or Herbs, Talk to Your Vet

1. Basil

2. Garlic

Try this:Only Natural Garlic and Brewers Yeast Chewables: These delicious chewables were formulated by a veterinarian to help keep your pets immune system roaring while holistically repelling fleas and ticks. Pests wont want to be around your dog or cat, but other dogs and cats will happily be able to snuggle pest-free.

3. Cinnamon

Try this:

4. Ginger

Try this:Dynamo Dog Pumpkin and Ginger Functional Treats

5. Parsley

Try this:

6. Rosemary

Try this:Farmers Market Lamb and Rosemary Jerky Treats

Make Sure Youre Giving Your Dog A Healthy Diet

Occasionally the problem with a picky eater may be that they dont like the brand of food youre giving them. Or it may be that they prefer;canned food over dry or vice versa. Both vets tell WebMD that a high-quality commercial brand is important for a healthy diet.

Check the ingredients, and make sure corn doesnt top the list. Murray says, Corn isnt an ideal diet for a carnivore.

If youve tried three brands and both canned and dry food, its time to look for another reason your dog refuses to eat. Most likely, they are holding out for table scraps.

Reserve treats for times when praise is necessary, such as in training. But remember, not all rewards have to be edible. If your dog loves attention, a scratch behind the ears is a treat, Murray says.

If you find that food treats get the best results, create some boundaries.

Continued

For instance, only give a treat after a trick, and always do it in the backyard.

Also, limit treats to three a week, and put them in a separate container so that the entire family knows how many have been given.

Its one thing if your dog knows he only gets certain things while hes training, Murray says. But its another if youre sitting in the kitchen reading a magazine and give your dog a treat because he looks cute.

Louise Murray, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM and director of medicine for ASPCAs Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, New York.

Pagination

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Now Lets Break Down The Recipe For My Easy Homemade Dog Food Shall We

The recipe box below contains a printable version of my go-to recipe for homemade dog food, which consist of lean ground sirloin, brown rice, carrots, hard boiled eggs, parsley, and a few tablespoons of oil that is high in Omegas. But sometimes, especially since social distancing, Ive found that it is helpful to have a list of easy substitutes for when ingredients run low. Plug in or swap out any of the items below based on what foods your pup likes/needs and what you have on hand to create your pups ideal dog food flavor profile.;

Meat ||;Lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground white or dark meat turkey, & ground pork are all great options. Just be sure to make sure that any meat you feed your animals is free of seasonings when purchasing! Dogs living with a kidney disease diagnosis need meals that are;lower in phosphorus so for us a lean ground beef like ground sirloin is best the way to go!;

Eggs ||;Eggs are one the top 5 allergens for dogs and the yolks are very high in phosphorus -which you want to limit in dogs with kidney disease. But, eggs are also one of the highest quality forms of protein you can feed your pet!;Ultimately, a hard boiled egg is Hoochs favorite thing on the planet so, with our vets approval we opted to leave them in his food.;

Desire To Avoid Punishment

A dog who has previously gotten into trouble for doing his business in the house, in his crate, or in a section of the yard that is off-limits may develop anxiety whenever he feels natures call.;

Even if he has chosen an acceptable location, he may feel that he has done something wrong and will try to hide the evidence the only way that he knows how by consuming it.

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Fresh Veggies And Fruits

Steaming, finely chopping/grating, and mixing some Fido-friendly veggies into your dogs food bowl is a great way to boost antioxidants, along with other beneficial nutrients. In fact, researchers have found some amazing benefits.

Have you ever watched pet nutrition blogger Rodney Habibs TEDx Talk called Why Dont Dogs Live Forever? In the eye-opening 15-minute video, Rodney shares research and findings that talk about how a fresh food diet impacts our dogs health.

During his presentation;, he quoted a 2005 Purdue University study that asked the question: How does adding a little bit of fresh food to a bowl of processed dog food impact dogs? In the study, dogs ate dry commercial pet food and, at least 3 times a week, some got an assortment of vegetables added to their bowls.

The results? Dogs who ate any green leafy vegetables had reduced the risk of developing bladder cancer by 90%. Dogs who consumed any yellow-orange vegetables like carrots reduced the risk by 70%!

Some good veggie options include:

• Bell pepper
• Kale
• Spinach

Certain fruits are also a great addition. Blueberries, in particular, are loaded with antioxidants and other key nutrients that are great for dogs.

So Whats The Solution

Bring your dog to the vet for a checkup. Your veterinarian can check for internal parasites that may be stealing nutrients and run blood tests to screen for any vitamin or mineral deficiencies.;

Remember, a checkup should always be the first course of action whenever your dog exhibits any strange, new behavior.

Feeding your dog ahigh-quality dog food with real meat listed as the number one ingredient, or, better yet,organic dog food will help ensure that his daily nutritional requirements are being met. Over time, as the body restores proper levels of vital nutrients, the desire to meet his needs in other ways should go away completely.

Supplementing your dogs regular meals with amultivitamin may help to put an end to coprophagia too. Look for vitamins that arepreservative-free and contain probiotics to add beneficial enzymes to the digestive system.

The addition of enzyme supplements may put a stop to your dogs nasty habit. Enzymes play a critical role in digestion as they help to break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into small molecules that can be utilized by the body.

Here are some simple ways to add more enzymes to your dogs gut allowing him to absorb more nutrients and stop eating poop.

• Raw honey just a teaspoon daily as its high in sugar.
• Chewable probiotic supplements

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Buy Higher Quality Foods Rather Than Diet Foods

Sometimes your dog gets a little overweight or a lot overweight. Its a natural tendency to think that you should then buy them a diet dog food. If your dogs are anything like ours, they can smell and taste the difference. This often leads to them refusing to eat until theyre starving.

Over the long term, its best to try and find a food that is healthy for a sustainable diet. Just like us, dieting is often a miserable experience for a pet, and we do best finding a diet that is good for us. This will ensure your dog has the right nutrients while allowing them to indulge in a treat every now and again.

Long Dog Food Transition Timeline

The percentages in the timelines above refer to the quantity of food fed. For example,; if before the transition you were feeding 2 cups of the current food, then day 1 of the transition you would feed 75% of the current food which is 1½ cup. This leaves ½ cups of the new food to fill the bowl.

Regardless of which diet transition schedule is used, it is generally recommended to give your dog a pet-specific probiotic during the transition to help your dogs stomach break down and digest the new ingredients in a healthy way. Consult your veterinarian to find the best probiotic that is recommended for your dog.

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