Should You Feed Your Dog Table Scraps?
Some types of foods that are prepared for humans really aren’t good for a dog to consume in large amounts. While your dog may want to eat a lot of high-fat food like bacon, this type of food isn’t good for your dog in the long run. Table scraps should be fed in tiny amounts, and perhaps not at all, no matter how much your dog begs. At Safe Journey Dog Boarding, we typically don’t feed during dog daycare, we can make special arrangements for any specific diets.
Even if you’re a dog owner who pays close attention to the type of food you’re giving your pet, it never hurts to consider other healthy foods to help your dog. These superfoods for dogs may not be the first kinds of foods you’d think of giving your dog, but they can provide a host of health benefits for both humans and dogs.
Best Ways to Prepare Superfoods
When you choose to add superfoods to your dog’s diet, you have a few options. For example, many animals may have no desire to eat a superfood when prepared in one way, but they’ll gobble it up when prepared another way … which is a lot like a human child! Consider these four options for giving your dog a superfood.
- Adding to the food bowl. You may be able to add some superfoods over your dog’s standard food. For example, some dogs may eat fish oil if it’s sprinkled over the dog’s food inside its bowl.
- Baking treats. Adding a superfood for your dog to a recipe for homemade treats can be a great way to convince a picky dog to eat a superfood. Adding blueberries, kale, or spinach to many recipes for homemade dog treats is pretty easy. Just search the Internet for homemade dog treats, and you’re sure to find some great options.
- Cooked. Some dogs may appreciate having a superfood that’s been cooked and softened as a standalone treat. For example, an older dog that has some problems with its teeth may like to eat some cooked carrot slices as a treat. Dehydrated superfoods, such as sweet potatoes, may be desirable for your dog.
- Raw. Some dogs may be willing to eat a superfood in its raw form. For example, some dog owners will give their dog a raw carrot in place of a rawhide bone, and your dog will eat it just like a bone.
Health Benefits of Superfoods
If you know your dog is having a certain type of health problem or is consuming food that may be toxic, picking just the right superfood is important. As shown in the accompanying infographic, certain superfoods have particular nutrients that benefit certain parts of the dog’s body.
- Digestion. If your dog is having trouble with digestion, consider feeding it a few blueberries. Just provide this fruit in moderation, as too many blueberries can lead to more digestive problems. Sweet potatoes and broccoli can help with digestion too.
- Eyes. Look to superfoods such as carrots and broccoli to help with the dog’s eye health, thanks in large part to the Vitamin A in these foods.
- Internal organs. Kale and spinach are two of the best superfoods when it comes to improving the health of the dog’s internal organs, including the liver, heart, and lungs.
- Skin. The fatty acids in fish such as salmon can improve the dog’s skin and coat. A few other superfoods can help with skin disorders in a dog, including broccoli.
- Teeth. The nutrients in superfoods like carrots can provide benefits to your dog’s teeth, which is great for older dogs. And chewing on a raw carrot or sweet potato can help clean your dog’s teeth.
And even if your dog doesn’t have a problem with a certain part of the body listed above, feeding it superfoods can still be a good idea.
Safe Journey Dog Boarding
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