In this article understand what whole, fresh, raw foods are good for your dog;
How to prepare and feed these foods to your dog;
Mistakes to avoid making.
Fresh whole foods such as fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat, healthy oils, herbs and spices offer our dogs digestible, nutrient rich food without the dangerous ingredients, additives, toxins and carcinogens found in many pet store food products.
My dogs get homemade cooked dog food in the morning and early evening and then, later in the evening they get their bowl of fresh food. It is best not to mix fresh fruit and fresh vegetables with your dog;s main protein meal - I will discuss the reason for that further below.
Feeding your dog fresh whole foods as part of a balanced diet can have a profoundly positive affect on a dogs overall health and can be a great aid in avoiding, treating and remedying many health issues - for example periodontal problems and GI tract problems.
Protein
Meat is a rich source of protein, amino acids and contains many nutrients necessary for the health of dogs. Protein is the primary and species appropriate food for a dog. Dogs can survive without carbohydrates but they cannot survive without protein and fat in their diet. Organically raised, pasture fed chemical free (no antibiotics, no growth hormones, none GMO grain feed, etc) raised is always a better choice than meat coming from farms that use antibiotics, steroids, pesticide and herbicide, GMO feed. Some people like to feed their dog raw meat, while others prefer to provide their dog with cooked meat. I feed my dogs cooked meat rather than raw meat. My dogs also eat hard cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and fish on a daily basis.
Appropriate and Safe Protein Sources for Dogs
Appropriate and Safe Protein Sources for Dogs
Lean red muscle and organ meat such as:
Beef
Bison
Lamb
Venison, etc.
Beef
Bison
Lamb
Venison, etc.
- grass fed, pasture raised preferred
Poultry such as:
Chicken
Duck
Emu
Turkey, etc.
- free range, antibiotic-free, hormone-free
Chicken
Duck
Emu
Turkey, etc.
- free range, antibiotic-free, hormone-free
Fish (wild or wild-caught) in particular fatty fish such as:
Anchovies
Salmon
Sardines
Shad
Smelt
Mackerel
For more information on appropriate fish, and how to select the best options you can go here.
For more information on appropriate fish, and how to select the best options you can go here.
You can also add other forms of protein such as:
Eggs - free-range, organic
Raw - make sure you wash the eggshell before cracking open
Cooked
Cooked
Dairy - organic
Cottage Cheese or Quark
Hard Cheese such as cheddar cheese, mozzarella for example
Goats milk
Kefir
Yogurt
Kefir
Yogurt
Seeds - organic
Chia or saba chia seeds - whole or ground
Flax Seeds (brown or golden, use ground flax seed as opposed to whole flax seed)
Hemp seed
Sesame seed
Chia or saba chia seeds - whole or ground
Flax Seeds (brown or golden, use ground flax seed as opposed to whole flax seed)
Hemp seed
Sesame seed
Pumpkin Seeds (best if pulverized or ground)
Nuts - organic, only, fresh not stale in small amounts.
Peanuts
Almonds
For information on seeds and nuts that pose serious danger to a dogs health read here.
Almonds
For information on seeds and nuts that pose serious danger to a dogs health read here.
There are some facts that you need to be aware of when it comes to whole food protein...
Dairy products…Just like with people, some dogs are lactose intolerant. None of my dogs have any adverse reaction to cheese or yogurt. Yogurt is a good source of protein and also a source of acidophilus which helps to prevent the overgrowth of bad bacteria in the digestive track. Plain yogurt or yogurt with natural fruit sweetened with honey is best. Yogurt sweetened with sugar is alright but your dog does not require sugar. Yogurt sweetened with artificial sweeteners should be avoided. Xylitol is especially dangerous for dogs and can result in liver damage.
Raw eggs…My dogs get raw organic eggs - the entire egg (shell, egg white and egg yolk). Some people advise that dogs should not be given raw eggs due to the chance of salmonella poisoning. Adog’s stomach acids are stronger than a human’s and a dog produces more bile than a human does. While dogs are better at fighting salmonella than humans, dogs still get salmonella poisoning, but they can tolerate higher levels of salmonella than we can. Wash egg shells thoroughly prior to use. Also, it is important to note that eggs contain avidin, an enzyme that decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). Bioten deficiency can lead to hair and coat problems. Avoiding bioten deficiency is simple - make sure you always give your dog the egg white, and egg yolk.
Peanuts and other nuts… Aflatoxins grow mainly on grains but they also grow on legumes - like peanuts, walnuts and pecans. Aflatoxins cause liver cancer. This is one reason why you will hear some people say do not give your dogs nuts. While there are some nuts that you should never give your dogs (like walnuts and macadamia nuts). If you want to give your dog peanuts or almonds make sure you use organic, human food-grade fresh nuts, never give your dog stale nuts. I have treated dogs for aflatoxicosis - it is a very serious condition.
Too much protein? Yes, the ongoing debate about how much protein is too much for a dog’s diet. While I think it is best to provide a variety of foods to dogs, I think we need to fixate less on worrying about too much protein and be more concerned about the quality of the protein. In particular the protein source in kibble! Ingesting and processing high quality protein does not strain and damage a dog’s organs the way poor quality protein does. This is one reason why you need to be mindful of the protein source in the kibble you feed your dog. If you would like to learn a little more about this subject you can click here.
Fruits and Vegetables
Many people think that giving a dog fruit and/or vegetables will give the dog diarrhea. In actual fact high quality soluble fiber helps prevent diarrhea and constipation.
Soluble fibers attract water and form a gel, which slows down digestion thereby delaying the emptying of the stomach and makes a dog feel full, which helps control hunger and weight. Slower stomach emptying can also have a beneficial affect on controlling blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, which helps control diabetes. Apples, oranges, pears, berries, cucumbers, celery, and carrots are examples of fruits and vegetables that provide soluble fibers.
Insoluble fibers are gastrointestinal tract (GI Tract) friendly as they have a laxative effect, add bulk to the diet and help prevent constipation. Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water, so they pass through the GI tract primarily intact speeding up the passage of food and waste. Insoluble fibers are mainly found in whole grains and vegetables zucchini, celery, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, fruit, and root vegetable skins are examples of fruits and vegetables that provide unsoluble fibers.
As noted above, fruit and veggies contain a lot of good soluble and unsoluble fibre, but they are also rich in vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and are naturally low in fat while being filling.
Eating fresh fruit and vegetables also plays an important role in:
Eating fresh fruit and vegetables also plays an important role in:
- Helping to boost the immune system;
- Helping the body eliminate toxins;
- Keeping organs, eyes, teeth etc. healthy;
- Preventing colon cancer;
- Reducing the risk of developing heart and vascular problems, stroke and cancer;
- Reducing the risk of inflamed anal glands (which result in ‘scudding’, burst glands and discharge);
- Aiding in good oral health;
- Keep weight under control - thereby reducing risk of:
- Diabetes, and:
- Stress on joints.
- Inflammation of joints is another contributing factor to the onset of cancer.
In the wild, dogs eat pre-digested fruits and vegetableswhen the consume the digestive organs of herbaceous prey, as well they also consume some plants, fruits, vegetables to self-heal and boost their immune systems. Grass is one such example.
The fruits and vegetables that I give to me dogs on a daily basis vary a little depending on the season,for instance watermelon in the summer and oranges in the winter. The following provides a partial list of fruits and vegetables that are good for dogs. You can use fresh, canned or frozen fruit. If you are going to give your dog canned fruit, make sure it is packed in juice not syrup - sugar is not good for dogs. You can use fresh, canned, frozen and/or cooked veggies.
