Simple Ways to Improve your Dogs Diet

Adding fresh food to your dogs meals can give huge health benefits and help in the prevention of many serious diseases .

Not everyone wants to feed raw or home cooked food and the vast majority of dogs still eat tinned food or kibble. When manufacturing kibble or muesli type food it requires a very high temperature and many of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process which are then replaced with synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements.

Adding a few of the following fresh foods at least 3 times a week will supply the dog with vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants, amino acids, glucosamine and micro nutrients that they can easy absorb and utilise within their body.

Here are a few ideas of simple ways to increase the nutritional value of any meals and add variation:

Bone Broth: Packed full of glucosamine, chondroition, hyaluronic acid, amino acid & minerals. Great for joint and gut health.

Tinned Pilchards or Sardines : Omega 3 fatty acids & DHA for coat and skin health and anti-inflammatory effects. Choose the ones in tomato juice or spring water

Eggs: Either raw or very lightly cooked, high quality protein and fat good source of biotin

Medicinal Mushrooms:  Such as Reishi, Chaga, Turkey tail, Shiitake etc have an abundance of health giving qualities and are believed to help in cancer prevention and to boost the immunity

Dandelion leaves: Contain vitamin C, B6, thiamin, calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, copper and a flavonoid called zeaxanthin which is crucial for protecting the retina and an effective anti-oxidant. Pick from areas free from chemical sprays & pollution.

Berries: Blackberries when in season, blueberries and raspberries are packed full of vitamin C and rich in anti-oxidants

Fresh leafy greens: Either lightly steam or as I prefer, making vegetable smoothies for the dogs is a great way to add an abundance of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to their meals. It has also been proven to reduce the risk of some cancers just by adding a small amount of vegetables to processed food. Avoid the starchy veg and go for kale, broccoli, spinach, beet tops, dandelion leaves, Parsley, courgette etc plus a few berries.

Herbal Blends:  Feeding a high quality herbal blend such as Greens, Seeds & Superfoods provides lots of nutrients in a form the body can fully utilise. Containing, Organic Wheatgrass, Kale, Chlorella, Dandelion, Nettle and pumpkin seeds, it is a convenient and easy way to boost nutritional value of any food it is added to https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/greens-seeds

Natures Bounty is not only created to naturally repel fleas & ticks but also contains an organic seaweed which is nutrient dense and can be combined with the other blends or used as part of the seasonal rotation with the Spring and Autumn blend when they become available in the year https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/natures-bounty

www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk