Pet owners often look to supplement their dog’s food with a variety of meats, vegetables, and fruits. However, it can be difficult to know which ingredients will improve your dog’s health. Below are some ideas on how to add variety with health benefits for your dog.
Canned Sardines
Canned sardines are an amazing add in if you’re looking to improve your dog’s skin and coat. Since sardines have omega-3 fatty acids, it reduces inflammation and itchiness on your dog’s skin, providing relief. The omega-3s also support your dog’s brain function, joint health, and heart health. In addition, sardines contain Coenzyme Q10, a supplement that could help your dog if they are struggling with a heart or neurological condition.
When searching for sardines for your dog avoid sardines that are packed in oil, tomato sauce, or brine. The extra fat and sodium can cause digestive issues. Instead, look for brands that package their sardines in plain water with no added salt. Some recommended brands are Trader Joes Wild Caught Unsalted Sardines, Wild Plant, and Season.
Blueberries
When considering add in options for your dog’s food, fruit may be the last on the list. However, blueberries are great to add in to your pup’s daily meals. Blueberries are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Blueberries are also low calorie, an ideal addition if your dog is trying to lose weight. This fruit has proven to improve immune system through vitamins C and K, reduce stress due to the antioxidants, and can alleviate your dog of itchy or dry skin. If your dog is struggling with digestion, the fiber from the blueberries will help them feel all better.
While blueberries are a great choice, they also need to be given to your dog in moderation. Too many blueberries may cause your dog to feel unwell. The serving size for each dog size is as follows:
Extra small dog (2-20 pounds): 1-2 blueberries
Small dog (21-30 pounds): 2-3 blueberries
Medium sized dog (31-50 pounds): 3-5 blueberries
Large dog (51-90 pounds): 5-6 blueberries
Extra-large dog (90+ pounds): small handful of blueberries
If you would like to learn more about the serving size for your dog or want to know how to prepare blueberries for your dog, check out this blog post, Can Dogs Eat Blueberries.
Organ Meats
Organ meats are the best way to add additional protein, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids into your dog’s diet. To be more specific, organ meats usually include liver, kidney, and heart. Of course, there are more organ meats that could be included in this list, but these are the most common types found in grocery stores. While your dog’s food is a good source of protein, organ meats can provide the vitamins and minerals that may be lost during the manufacturing process. Here are some of the benefits of various organ meats:
Liver- Vitamin A, B, iron, and essential fatty acids support vision, energy levels, and immunity. The protein in liver also helps your dog with muscle development and repair.
Kidney- Vitamin A helps improve vision. Kidneys are high in vitamins B6, B12, riboflavin and iron, these all help support oxygen health and cell regeneration.
Heart- Taurine which helps support your dog’s heart health and blood flow.
Yogurt
If you’re looking to help your dog with digestive issues, immune issues or wanting to improve their bone health then yogurt is the ideal choice. Yogurt contains probiotics which consists of live and active bacteria. Probiotics could improve digestion, reduce gas, and strengthen your dog’s immune system. Yogurt also has calcium, which helps to strengthen your dog’s bones and teeth.
The serving size of yogurt for dogs is as follows:
Small dogs (less than 10 pounds): Up to 1 tablespoon per day
Medium dogs (11-50 pounds): Up to 2 tablespoons per day
Large dogs (over 50 pounds): Up to 3 tablespoons per day
When choosing yogurt brands, be mindful of xylitol, a fake sweetener that can be found in certain brands. This fake sweetener can cause health issues in your pup if ingested. The lactose in yogurt may also make your dog feel unwell, Greek yogurt is the go-to add in for dog food due to its low lactose content. Some recommended brands are 365 Organic Greek Yogurt, Chobani Non-Fat Greek Yogurt, and Seven Stars Yogurt.
Bone Broth
Does your dog struggle with staying hydrated? If so, bone broth might be a good addition into their daily diet. Bone broth encourages hydration because it contains a high-water content and important electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and calcium. The flavor of the bone broth also encourages your pup to drink more than they typically would. Bone broth also contains glycine, an amino acid that helps heal and protect your dog’s gut lining.
As with the other ingredients on this list, as a pet owner you want to find bone broth brands that don’t use additional add ins such as onions and garlic. Bluebird Provisions, The Honest Kitchen, and Caru are some great dog safe bone broth brands.
By adding any one of these five ingredients to your dog’s food, your furry friend will be thanking you for keeping their mental and physical state healthy and happy. I encourage you to check out Peak City Puppy’s Amazon Storefront, where you can find the sardine and bone broth recommended brands listed in this post as well as our other recommendations from other blog posts.
