What To Add To Dog Food For Dry Skin: 15 Effective Ingredients
Sometimes, a dogs skin can become dry and itchy- leaving it uncomfortable all day long!
Thankfully, there are certain foods that can help to correct this condition and restore the health of a dogs skin and coat.
Welcome to our Ultimate Guide on What To Add To Dog Food For Dry Skin!
First and foremost, foods that are rich in essential fatty acids will help to solve this issue.
Essential fatty acids play a major role in ensuring that the skin is able to repair itself more efficiently . Therefore, it follows that irritated dog skin can be a result of a poor diet that doesnt contain enough of these nutrients.
Ensuring that your dog has a healthy, balanced diet is the foundation to smooth skin and a shiny coat. Work closely with your vet to find the right diet to your dog, as this should be formulated based on its specific needs taking into account its breed, age, and circumstances.
Getting the right amount of minerals, vitamins, and proteins, as well as the optimal number of calories, will ensure that the dog remains at the right weight while maintaining the best skin and coat quality possible.
While irritated and dry skin can be a sign of deficiencies in the diet, it can also be the result of a food allergy or reaction to a specific ingredient. Therefore, experimentation with a large scale dietary change can be the ideal solution.
If you do choose to switch the dogs regular diet with another option, be patient and allow it to transition slowly for approximately ten days.
Is It Okay To Add Water To Dry Dog Food
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Sometimes, our pets do not get as much water as we would love them to have, so in such scenarios, you may want to consider adding water to dry dog food, as a means of boosting their water intake.
You love your dog, and when you love someone, you care for them, and that includes knowing what they like and what they dislike.
However, when someone depends on you, like your dog, you should know whats good for their health and whats not.
When it comes to your dog, all heated arguments boil down to dog food, as it is usually a never-ending debate, whether you should add water to dry dog food or not, and it seems like it is never going to end soon.
But how about if we make it easier for you, and discuss dry dog food at length, so you get a clear idea of all possible options?
Research Raw Food Diets
A raw food diet tries to replicate food a dog would have eaten in the wild. It consists of some mixture of meat, bones, organ meat, raw eggs, some fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
Fans of raw diets believe its the healthiest option for their dogs and that it promotes shinier coats, cleaner teeth, more energy, and healthier skin. Naysayers point out the risks, which include exposure to harmful bacteria for both dogs and humans, an unbalanced diet, and the potential dangers of sharp pieces of bone injuring a dogs teeth and digestive tract.
In spite of its popularity, some research has come out against raw food diets. As early as 2012, the American Animal Hospital Association stated, Based on overwhelming scientific evidence, AAHA does not advocate or endorse feeding pets any raw or dehydrated non-sterilized foods, including treats that are of animal origin. The American Veterinary Medical Association discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens, because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs, as well as humans.
Additionally, some frozen raw dog foods have been recalled due to the presence of pathogens like E. coli and salmonella. Owners feeding these diets should be careful to always stay aware of the most recent recall information for their brands.
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Don’t Mix Therapeutic Pet Foods With Other Foods Without First Consulting Your Veterinarian
The science behind pet foods continues to evolve and one huge benefit for our pets is therapeutic diets. Therapeutic diets are created specifically to prevent or delay the onset of many health conditions. However, it’s important that you not add anything to a therapeutic diet without first consulting your vet. It may have the adverse effect of diluting the precise formulation and perhaps even counteracting the intended benefits for your pet.
Cancer Of The Digestive Tract
There is no specific cause for cancerous tumors to develop in your dog. The signs and symptoms include bloody diarrhea, lack of appetite, and bloody vomiting that causes the dog to whimper due to pain.
When you notice these signs, it is important to visit a veterinarian. The vet will run some tests and identify where the cancer is on the digestive tract. If the cancer is not widely spread, it can be surgically eliminated. In cases where the cancer has widely spread, the vet cannot do anything but give pain medication.
This will mean that the dog cannot eat anything hard to chew, swallow, or even digest. Its digestive tract is already sore, so choosing soft food is the way to go.
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Is Mixing Dry Kibble And Raw Food A Good Idea
Feeding dogs a completely raw food-based diet takes a lot of commitment, time, and money .
Many owners wonder if they can get the best of both worlds by mixing some raw food into their dogs kibble. This would save a little on the cost, and the raw ingredients would make your dogs food a little more enticing, right?
The answer is: yes! You can mix kibble and raw food, but it needs to be done carefully to make sure your dog doesnt get sick.
First, just like any other dietary changes, the switch to including raw food into your dogs diet needs to be gradual, by adding a little at a time to see how they handle it.
Next, its important to be aware that the natural acidity of the stomach is what helps dogs digest raw food. The calcium in bones that your dog ingests is broken down by enzymes, making the bones soft and malleable. This acidity also kills any bacteria, like e-coli and salmonella, that may be present.
The problem here is that most dry kibbles are very starchy, and this starch actually changes your dogs digestive system. It increases the pH of the stomach, making the stomach less acidic and more prone to being taken over by bacteria, which can lead to other serious health problems. Since bone is not broken down the same way, obstruction risk increases.
Luckily, there are two ways to help reduce the risks that come with mixing kibble and raw food. The first are probiotics .
Fresh Vegetables Can Help
One thing you can do is add some fresh veggies to your dogs food. But dont just toss some raw carrots in his bowl. Heres why
Herbivores have a digestive enzyme called cellulase. Cellulase allows a plant-eater to break down cellulose a component of plant cell walls. This helps release other nutrients from the plant material. But carnivores like your dog dont have cellulase.
This explains why a chunk of raw carrot passes right through your dog in one piece! So, if you want your dog to absorb vitamin A from a carrot you need to give him the rabbit that predigested that carrot including its stomach.
But if your dog isnt getting the rabbit guts you have to mimic the pre-digestion that happens in the stomach of the prey. So you can add veggies to your dogs kibble. But first, make them digestible by lightly steaming or mulching them.
Or, you can make it easier. Boost your dogs kibble by adding a digestive enzyme supplement to his bowl. You can add powdered digestive enzymes to processed kibble. Sprinkle the powder onto the food before serving.
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Slows Down Dinner Time
Eating speed is a very influential factor in the health of your pet because if it is too fast, in consequence, your dog will develop several health issues, especially if it is a large breed like Dobermann or English Mastiff.
Evidence suggests that large breed dogs are more likely to develop a Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus if they ate fast, which is a life-threatening condition that progresses at a fast rate.
We are sure that now you understand the importance of slowing down dinnertime, in consequence, all you must do is to add water to dry dog food.
Is Wet Food Enough To Keep A Dog Hydrated
Some pets struggle to drink enough water, but you can work around this. Try adding water to your pets food, because dry food is only about 10% moisture. Canned food is relatively better, but pets still need more water than that. If you struggle keeping your dog hydrated, it is better to feed your pets with wet food.
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Adding Warm Water To Dry Dog Food
There is a great mistaken belief about completely dry pet food. Several customers assume that they are some of the cheapest, most healthful foods available. In truth, dry food simply doesnt have adequate necessary nutrients to provide your canine with the optimum amount of nutrition.
There are literally thousands of dry pet food brands in America that market a poor quality diet that is full of vacant calories. These brand names use so many various products such as junk foods, dry kibble blends, as well as rawhide deals with that it can be rather complex for the average customer.
Fortunately there are many websites as well as companies online that is devoted to informing the consumer regarding the many ingredients found in dry pet food brand names. They will certainly show you all of the chemicals that are consisted of in these products, in addition to every one of the preservatives that make their method right into the completely dry food as well.
While it is tough to discover honest details regarding completely dry pet dog food brands in the United States, those that are readily available are typically quite valuable. Below is what you need to find out about the dry canine food finest value.
The essential to locating an excellent food brand name is to browse online and contrast costs between different web sites. You may likewise want to read client testimonials to see what other people think of a specific brand.
Health Benefits Of Soaking Your Dogs Kibble
- Urinary health. Increased moisture content in your dogs food can reduce the risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections, and helps the kidneys eliminate waste through urine.
- Digestive health. Soaked kibble may be easier for your dog to digest. Have you ever seen kibble vomit? It often comes up nearly the same as it went down, just slightly larger as it will have expanded in your dogs stomach. Some large dog experts believe that soaking your dogs kibble can prevent bloat, but nobody is really sure why bloat happens. Depending on how long you soak your dogs food, it may be already broken down by the time it reaches your dogs stomach in a more digestible form. Also, the added water aids its movement through the digestive system.
- Weight loss. The added water increases the volume of your dogs food without bumping up the calories, helping her feel more satisfied.
- Appetite. Use warm water, and your dogs kibble will release those irresistible, meaty aromas. Its also much easier to uniformly add tasty toppers to soaked kibble.
- Prevent gulping. Does your dog eat her kibble too fast, sometimes without even chewing? Digesting those whole pieces can be hard on the digestive system, and she may even vomit afterwards. Adding water to your dogs food without soaking can slow down mealtimes, while soaking the food kicks off the digestive process.
For added nutrition, add bone broth, kefir, or raw goats milk to your dogs kibble instead of water.
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What Does It Mean When Your Dog Is A Picky Eater And How Should You Deal With It
Picky eaters, by definition, are not easy to please, so it can be difficult to accommodate their eating habits. The first thing you need to do is ensure what is causing your dog to be picky when it comes to food.
While some dogs become picky because they learn that by doing so, they can bargain for a better food, others may be doing so for health reasons.
If your dog is picky to the point that they are willing to forego meals even when they should be hungry, it is important to rule out a lack of appetite because of medical reasons. Sometimes a dog is actually sick and doesnt want to eat at all, and we perceive them as being picky.
A picky eater may indicate certain illnesses, including allergies, dental problems, or reactions to medications. This is why it is good to check with the vet if their pickiness is persistent.
If you want to spot whether your dog is a picky eater, you should monitor their behavior when you give them food. For instance, if your dog does not want to eat their food, but they are interested in what you are eating or are going for their favorite treats, you can be sure that it is pickiness that is causing them not to eat.
You can usually tell whether a dog is being picky by offering them treats after they have refused food. If they accept the treat, this usually means they are just being picky. On the other hand, if your dog does not show any interest in the treats at all, it might be related to their health.
Add One Item To Your Dogs Food
With so many choices, we suggest you pick one oil and add it to your dogs diet for about a week. After that week, examine their skin and see if there have been any improvements. Dont test all the oils out at once. Not only would that be way too much fat for your dog, but you wouldnt know which oil is producing the results.
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Feed Raw Meaty Parts Of Poultry
The bones of young turkey and chicken are soft and pliable enough to be eaten whole, including wings, necks, and backs. Raw bones provide calcium and other minerals in the proper ratios, as well as proteins, fats, and many other valuable nutrients.
Puppies especially benefit from both the added nutrition and the healthy chewing outlet. Start by trying our ROAR ground chicken backs and legs, whole and ground turkey necks.
Doesnt Dry Kibble Clean My Dogs Teeth
One reason you may hesitate to add water to your dogs food is because you may have been told that dry food cleans your dogs teeth. Naturally, if the food is moistened, it wont have that crunchy, tartar-scraping benefit.
However, its actually not true that kibble scrapes away tartar.
You see, kibble is typically high in carbohydrates, which break down into sugars, which stick to teeth to form plaque and feed oral bacteria.
Just as eating crunchy pretzels wont clean your teeth, kibble wont clean your dogs teeth.
Studies on how diet affects dental health in dogs are conflicting. Some say that dogs who eat kibble, rather than canned food, have worse smelling breath and dental health, while others concluded that there is little difference.
We should also take into consideration that over 80 percent of dogs will have some form of dental disease by age 3. The majority of dogs eat kibble, so if it were really that effective at eliminating plaque, we wouldnt have an epidemic of dogs with poor dental health.
What does this all mean? It means that you will need to brush your dogs teeth, feed raw meaty bones, and have your vet check their teeth and schedule professional dental cleanings as needed no matter what your dog eats.
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An Overlooked Dog Food Option
Canned dog food. That was it. Bailey wouldnt eat the kibble. But he sure did love that wet food.
So, I decided to learn more about canned dog food. I knew Bailey liked it. And he liked it a lot more than he liked kibble.
But I had to be sure if it was OK for him to eat. After all, Id always heard that canned dog food wasnt as good for dogs as kibble.
Help For Dogs With Dietary Problems
Have an overweight dog that needs to lose weight?
The moisture content of canned dog food can make the same amount of nutrients occupy more volume. So, your dieting dog can feel fuller faster.
And what about older dogs?
Seniors are frequently afflicted with chronic dental problems that can make chewing dry kibble difficult even painful. So, canned dog food can be the perfect solution.
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Recommended Serving Size For Homemade Dog Food:
The amount of homemade dog food that your dog will require is dependent upon how much your dog weighs and how active he or she is. This amount varies from dog-to-dog. I suggest talking to your vet and getting their advice on a good starting point.
You can also monitor your dog to make sure they are maintaining their weight and staying happy and active.
This recipe makes about 6 cups of food, which is 3 days worth of food for Charlie who is about 45 pounds. You can easily adjust this amount based on the weight of your dog. Also, feel free to scale this recipe up and double or even triple it, if you wanted to cook less often.