Gut Health, Immunity and Microbiome

At first glance the digestive system appears to have a very simple task of taking in food, digesting it, absorbing nutrients, and then excreting the waste, and while everything is in good working order, we never even give it a second thought. 

It is in fact an incredibly complex structure with a vast number of tasks to undertake. The more the gut is studied the more we realise the vital role it plays in achieving optimum health, disease prevention, and stabilising our emotional state.

Although the teeth are needed to some extent to bite, crush and tear off food the actual process of digestion doesn`t start until it reaches the stomach. With no digestive enzymes in the saliva to kick start it off, the food needs to quickly get where the real work begins, which is in the stomach.

 Oesophagus:

Is a long muscular tube that runs down the neck, passes through the diaphragm and uses strong contractions to push food directly into the stomach.  

 Stomach:

The stomach lies at the front of the abdominal cavity, tucked just behind the liver and acts like a big mixing bowl.  

Any incoming food is first subjected to an acid bath of around ph1, this immediately gets to work breaking down protein and also killing any harmful bacteria.

The walls of the stomach are lined with a thick mucous which provides protection from the strong acid as well as stopping the stomach from literally digesting itself.

As the stomach expands with food, a peptide hormone called gastrin is released, which in turn triggers more hydrochloric acid and digestive enzyme production.

To aid digestion even further the surface of the stomach is a mass of wrinkles and folds which expand and contract to grab food particles and perform a churning or chewing-like action.

At this point, the thick soup-like constancy of partly digested food and secretions is known as chyme.

The food has now been in the dogs stomach for anywhere between five and ten hours and its next destination is the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine.

 Pancreas

The pancreas is a small gland, which sits next to the stomach and is attached to the small intestine, here it transports digestive enzymes through two excretory ducts into the duodenum.

The enzymes it produces are amylase to help digest starch, lipase to digest fats and trypsin and chymotrypsin to deal with the protein.

Enzymes are needed to break down food into tiny molecules and allow the absorption of nutrients into the cells of the intestines which then go on to be released into the bloodstream. 

It also produces and secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon that regulate blood sugar levels. The higher the concentration of sugar in the diet the more insulin is secreted into the bloodstream and the harder the pancreas has to work.

Liver

The liver is the largest gland in the body and the only organ that has the potential to regenerate after disease or injury.

Its many crucial jobs include producing bile to assist the small intestine in breaking down and absorbing fats and to process the nutrients that are absorbed by the small intestine.

Its other roles include storing vitamins and minerals, acting as a filter for toxins in the bloodstream and as a glycogen store for when extra energy is needed. 

 Small intestine

The small intestine is made up of three sections, Duodenum, Jejunum (longest) and the ileum (shortest)

On receiving the nutrient-rich chyme from the stomach, it is joined by secretions from the liver, gallbladder and pancreas to further assist in the digestion process.

The small intestine is lined with millions of tiny finger like projections called the Villi, these act to increase the surface area in order to trap and absorb as many nutrients as possible.

Most of the absorption of nutrients takes place in the small intestine, which are then released into the bloodstream to travel throughout the body to be utilised by the cells.

The final and shortest part of the small intestine is called the Ileum, here the food gets broken down even further in preparation to enter the cecum, the first section of the large intestine.

 Large intestine :

The large intestine is made up of the cecum, colon and rectum.

Its purpose is to remove water from the faeces, keep electrolytes in balance and to prepare and temporarily store any indigestible matter for excretion.

But there is much more activity going on in the colon than just that and although not a very glamorous area of interest, it does deserve our full care and attention.

The large intestine has a high concentration of bacteria referred to as the

Microbiome.

This is a collection of microbes made up of bacteria, viruses and fungi that we all have in our gut for efficient digestion, absorption of vital nutrients and to build a strong immune system.

 Our dogs would have acquired their unique bugs from their mother at birth and developed others depending on the environment they lived in and the food they ate.

The delicate balance of the microbiome can easily be disrupted by medication such as antibiotics, periods of stress and anxiety and a poor, unsuitable diet.

When everything is in balance these good bugs work hard to extract as much nutrition as possible out of the food that is consumed and to ensure the smooth running of the whole gastrointestinal tract.  

The bacteria are also responsible for assisting in hormone production such as serotonin, which occurs in the highest concentration thorough out the lining of the gut. 

A thriving, balanced microbiome is absolutely essential for the dogs ability to resist or fight disease, control inflammation in the body and for a positive influence on their mental wellbeing.

 Rectum and anal glands.

The faeces are then ready to be expelled along with the indigestible matter and dead red blood cells that it contains. 

Ideally, the dogs stool will be quite firm, which will press on the anal glands as it is passed, causing the glands to naturally empty.     

 All disease begins in the gut - Hippocrates

 Immunity and the gut

The gut forms between 70 - 80% of the immune system and has a vital role in regulating immunity, protecting our bodies from invaders such as allergens and pathogens and controlling inflammation.  

The food we chose for our dogs and the lifestyle choices we make for them will have either a negative or positive effect on their overall gut health, ability to utilise the nutrients in the food they eat, the essential fuel to grow and repair their body and to thrive well into their senior years.                                          

 Caroline Hearn - Canine Holistic Therapist

Raw Feeding - Mindfully

It goes without saying that we all want what is best for our dogs, and for many of us, that means feeding a diet of raw meat and bones.

If we choose to eat meat and feed it to our dogs, we should do so with animal welfare, the environment and sustainable food production as a major consideration. 

Some animals are reared with the sole purpose of ending up in the food chain. They have relatively short lives but nonetheless for the time they are alive deserve to be treated with respect and given the opportunity to live a relatively normal life with minimal stress, freedom to move, eat appropriate food and socialise with their own species.                                                                                                                                                                                           

We are increasingly disconnected from what we eat, whether that is meat neatly wrapped in cellophane packets bearing no resemblance to the animal it originated from or the convenience of grabbing veg from the supermarket, that has flown halfway round the world before it reaches our shopping trolley, with little thought on animal welfare, environmental damage, and destruction of wildlife habitats.

Current food production has a big impact on our planet, affecting soil health, biodiversity and threatening whole ecosystems. We need to be aware of exactly what we are buying and the processes that it went through before landing on our plate or in this case, the bowl.

As the old saying goes “we are what we eat” but also, what you eat, has eaten and the conditions it was raised or grown in needs careful thought.

Supporting the right producers

Large scale industrial producers of meat, crops and vegetables provide us with an abundant supply of cheap food, but with it comes a cost to animal welfare, damage to the environment and ultimately an impact on health. It is time to be more mindful of what we are buying, eating, and feeding our dogs.

Chicken in particular, is subject to frequent antibiotic use to “prevent” diseases which are caused by selective breeding and the over cramped conditions they are kept in. Antibiotic resistance not only affects the animals but also those that eat them.

The majority of mass-produced chicken is also fed on soya imported from Brazil and Argentina which is contributing to the vast destruction of the Amazonian rain forest. Soya is inexpensive and produces quick growing, cheap chicken, hence how you can buy a whole chicken for under £5 in a supermarket.

The fat composition of intensively farmed chickens is higher in the inflammatory Omega 6 fatty acids and much lower in the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 compared to their free-range equivalent. Chicken is widely used in pet foods of all types and certainly top of the list in an exclusion diet for dogs that have itchy, inflamed skin or constant gastric upset.  

Trying to incorporate some pasture raised, grass fed and wild meats into the diet where possible will not only improve nutritional value but also support the environment they are raised in. Grass fed animals grazing on diverse pastures contain many different types of grasses, clovers and wildflowers and support 270 species of bee and 1300 species of insect. The animals are also healthier, less stressed and don’t need the preventative medications that their fellow grain fed, housed livestock rely on.  

They offer higher levels of omega 3, sometimes as much as 4 times higher than grain fed animals, more nutrient dense and richer in antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Importantly, we also benefit from what we are not feeding, albeit unknowingly, such as residues of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones and that will upgrade the diet enormously.                                                                                                                                                                                 

Support your local butchers, game dealers and farmers markets, they are knowledgeable about what they sell and can tell you exactly where and how their produce was raised and grown. If you support local suppliers, they will often go above and beyond any service a supermarket can offer. Any raw feeder will understand the thrill you get from coming out of the butchers clutching a few freebie bones or off cuts!

Eggs from high welfare, free range hens will offer far greater levels of the anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids and if you feed eggshells you can be confident that they have not been sprayed with chemicals, as supermarket eggs often are. Free range hens can forage, enjoy the sun on their back, have far less stress and therefore less disease and this will show in the quality of the eggs.

Raw meat suppliers

Raw feeding has seen a huge surge in popularity, with new companies appearing almost weekly. While this is a positive sign, it must also be noted that not all raw food producers are the same.

The origin of the meat being used must be considered and what was involved in the process of raising and slaughtering the animals, before it arrives in convenient tubs and tubes and served to our dogs. Not a pleasant subject but nonetheless if we eat or feed meat to our dogs, it is our responsibility to ask these questions and be happy with the answers.  

When choosing a brand of raw food look for those that have a genuine interest in where the meat is sourced, how it was raised, and that they actively support local where possible.  

Accurate labelling is essential, if it states that the recipe is beef, is that actually muscle meat or is it predominately beef lung and tripe, which is considerably cheaper and bulks out the food with lesser nutritional value in comparison.

Do they only use chicken carcass for the bone content and what is the source of that chicken? Is all the relevant information on the packaging such as contact details, website and DEFRA registration number?

Packaging is also a consideration and many companies are making changes to avoid plastic and move towards recyclable and compostable packaging and transportation boxes, often using sheep fleece for insulation, which can be returned when you next order.  

Eat with the seasons

Both our distant ancestors and those of our dogs ate a huge variety of food in their diets, unlike the rather restricted diets of today. There was little or no sugars apart from when berries were in season and a rare chance encounter with wild honey.

It is now reported that 65% of our calories come from wheat, rice and maize and with extraordinarily little variation of ingredients used. Dogs get an even worse deal, with many being fed the same brand of dried food daily from puppyhood to their senior years, contributing to food allergies and intolerances which are now commonplace.                                                          

We are becoming increasingly aware that a healthy gut microbiome is essential for the optimum health of our physical and mental wellbeing. Things that adversely affect this delicate balance are too much sugar, inappropriate food, limited fibre, lack of variety in the diet, stress and antibiotic use.

By choosing seasonal, locally produced vegetables and also game meat, when it is in season, it is a cheaper, more nutritious way to fed and provides far greater diversity in the diet over the year.

Growing & Gathering

Many of us discovered or maybe rekindled a love of gardening in the recent lockdowns and were successful in growing a selection of vegetables and herbs and no doubt, thoroughly enjoyed the freshness and enhanced flavours of our harvest. Tomatoes that actually tasted of tomatoes, now there’s a thing!

The nutritional value of vegetables, particularly minerals and trace elements, have declined by 50% since the 2nd world war, mainly due to the depletion of the soil but also because of the varieties that are now grown. Early sweetcorn for instance would contain 10% sugar but modern-day varieties come in at 40% sugar.

In 2019, 48% of all fruit and vegetables tested by the government contained a mixture of pesticides. According to PAN-UK (Pesticide Action Network) “dirty dozen” list, based on data for multiple residues, the worst offenders were strawberries, pre-packed salad and spinach.

Wheat, barley, and oats did not fare any better and can have as many as 20 applications of different chemicals before harvest. Therefore, it`s especially important to keep dogs off cereal crops and particularly the young green shoots, as dog love to eat them.

You can enjoy nutrient dense, fresh vegetables, herbs and salad leaves by growing your own and picking what you need for that day. No plastic packaging, zero air and road miles and no pesticide residue.

Even within a tiny space you can grow sprouted seeds and a few herbs grown in pots on windowsills. It was incredible seeing what people grew on balconies and inventive ways to grow potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and green beans from a variety of containers and small raised beds. It is so satisfying to gather a few salad leaves knowing they haven’t been washed in chlorinated water or packed in a gas filled bag.

I feed much more vegetable content to my dogs nowadays, around 15% of the meal, a few times a week. This way I can feed better quality meat, which can cost a little more, but I use less of it.

If you need to stretch out the meals even further than some people will feed cooked ancient grains such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, wild rice or pre-soak organic gluten free oats added to seamed or pulped vegetables and then mixed with the raw meat, offal and bone. If your dog has complex dietary issues, then consult a specialist before adding any grains to their diet.

There are so many vegetables that are easy to grow and are ideal to share with your dogs, these include chard, courgette, green beans, salad leaves, parsley, kale and spinach. You can even place a pot of barley grass, wheat grass and lemon grass outside where you dog or cat can help themselves should they wish to.

There are several wild plants that you can forage for free at certain times of the year and add to your own as well as your dog’s diet.

Dandelion leaves are easy to identify and grow abundantly. With an affinity for the liver, gall bladder and kidneys, they are a good source of vitamin C, A, D, K and B complex, Iron, Manganese and Potassium as well as having 8 times more antioxidants than spinach. The yellow flowers are rich in Lecithin, but also the earliest nectar for bees and pollinators so delay in picking those until late Spring.

Nettles are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, polyphenols, carotenoids, anti-oxidants and natural antihistamine and personally I love the flavour they give to many Spring recipes. Pick the green nettle tops from January until May. Avoid from May until October, as they are flowering, and the leaves contain cystolith crystals which can irritate the gut and the urinary tract.

Wild Garlic aka Ramsons. Wild Garlic grows in woodland or alongside streams and its vivid green shoots appear in April/May time. They are milder in taste and action than cloves of garlic and they are a perfect Spring tonic cleanse after a long Winter, when we have over indulged and feel a bit sluggish. My dogs always get a few leaves blended in with their vegetables for the short season the garlic is in leaf.

Blackberries are rich in antioxidants, high in vitamin C, manganese, Vitamin K, low in carbohydrates and high in fibre. The berries seem to be appearing earlier each year, what was eagerly awaited in October now appears ripe and ready to pick from late July until October. There are a few to be picked after this time, but I leave those to the birds, as winter approaches their needs are greater than mine.

Choose to pick those that are away from roads and growing alongside arable crops due to potential contamination from chemical sprays and traffic pollution.

Never over pick or forage in one area so there is a shortage, varying the places that you pick will give you slightly different levels of nutrients due to soil type or even if that plant grows in full sun or shade. Make sure you can confidently identify any plant that you pick and always refer to a guidebook or take along a knowledgeable friend.

 “How could we have ever believed that it was a good idea to grow our food with poisons”

Jane Goodall DBE

Caroline Hearn MICHT. Dip ICAT

Adding Variation to Raw Diets

If you have been feeding raw complete minces for a while and want to start including some DIY meals, it is important to provide a variety of proteins in order to offer a broad range of nutrients and prevent any deficiencies.

Feeding a selection of fresh food and making full use of seasonal variation means that each meal is an opportunity to add nourishment, support good health, build immunity and increase vitality in our dogs.

 Muscle meat

The majority of a raw diet is made up of muscle meat, and depending on which type of model you feed it could be as much as 80% as in the 80-10-10 (80% muscle meat,10% offal & 10% raw bone) or, in the Barf model 70%, allowing for the addition of vegetables.

Try and offer a selection of meat from different species, ideally 4 or 5 over a month if you can, plus an oily fish. This can include beef, chicken, turkey, pork, buffalo, venison, rabbit, tripe, guinea fowl, goat and lamb, etc.

Rotate white and red meat from different species but also vary the cuts within the same species. So, for example include chicken thighs rather than just feeding breast meat.

Replace some of the proteins with wild game when it is in season, such as pheasant, partridge, duck and venison.

If free range or grass-fed proteins can be introduced, even in small quantities, there is higher nutritional value, particularly with levels of Omega 3 fatty acids.

When making  DIY meals for your dog it is important to  establish the difference between what is fed as muscle meat and what is offal, that way you can calculate the 10% offal ration (5% liver, 5% other offal)  into your meal plan.

 Heart

Although the heart is an internal organ it is often confused as being offal when actually it is a muscle, and a very hard working muscle at that!

Where it does have its similarities is the amount in which it is fed.

It is a rich meat, high in blood content, which like liver can cause diarrhoea if fed in large amounts.

Introduce slowly and work up to between 5% and 10% until your dog can tolerate it. It is not required in large amounts or on a daily basis, but you can incorporate it into the diet within your monthly food balance plan. It is a nutrient dense addition and generally it is cheap to buy, having fallen out of fashion in our own diets over the years.

Heart is high in taurine, iron, folate, carnitine, thiamine, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), gamma linolenic acid (GLA) selenium and B vitamins.

It is particularly high in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) which is needed to optimize heart rhythm. As CoQ10 levels decrease with age, it is a valuable addition to your senior dog`s diet. Trials show that heart failure patients have low levels, and supplementation can help to stabilise the disease.

With twice as much collagen and elastin as other muscle meat it is a perfect dietary addition for working or competition dogs to prevent fatigue, as well as providing added support for the musculoskeletal system.

 Tongue

This is another protein that’s regarded as muscle meat which can be a little high in fat, so is one to limit if your dog has a pancreas issue or is on a strict weight loss plan.

 Gizzards

Chicken, duck and turkey gizzards have goods levels of iron, selenium, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, choline, copper and vitamin B12. Gizzards are fed as muscle meat.

 Lungs

Lungs, also referred to as “lights,” have some muscle meat and some organ content, so don`t really fit into one specific category.

It can cause loose stools if fed in large amounts or if fed alongside offal, so although a worthwhile addition it is best to limit the amount fed in a single meal and not to exceed 15%.

 Trachea

Great as a natural chew to clean the teeth, and particularly helpful for senior dogs who can no longer handle bones due to missing teeth or gum problems. Trachea is naturally high in glucosamine and chondroitin so supportive to joints. Lamb tracheas are better for small dogs and beef tracheas are suitable for medium to large dogs.

 Offal

Offal makes up 10% of the diet, 5% of which should be liver and the other 5% made up of kidney, spleen, pancreas, testicles and brain. Offal is different from muscle meat in that they are internal organs which secrete.

The inclusion of offal in the raw or home cooked diet provides an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Just introduce into the diet very gradually and adjust to what your dog’s system can cope with to avoid stomach upsets.

 Liver

Liver is the most nutrient dense of the internal organs and makes up 5% of the offal requirement in your dog’s diet.

If you are buying complete meals, you will see on the label that it states 5% liver and 5% other offal.

It provides an abundance of vitamin A, copper, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, choline, vitamin B6, B12, magnesium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, selenium, biotin, calcium and phosphorous.

Some people feed liver just twice a week and others, due to the dog’s sensitivity to larger amounts, just add a small amount every day.

 Kidneys

Kidney would be added to make up the other 5% of the offal requirement, possibly mixed with one of the others on the offal list.

It is a good source of vitamin B12, B6, riboflavin, carnitine, iron and folate.

 Pancreas (sweetbreads or thymus)

Pancreas is not always easy to get hold of, but you can ask your butcher or food supplier to source some for you.

It contains a rich supply of digestive enzymes and is a worthwhile addition to any dog’s diet but is particularly good if you’re feeding a dog with a pancreatic insufficiency.

 Spleen

Spleen is another organ that can be difficult to find but can be ordered from a butcher, or you can ask your food supplier if it is included in any of their offal mixes.

It provides good levels of iron, niacin, riboflavin, vitamins B12 & B6, selenium, zinc, and a broad range of amino acids.

 Fish and Shellfish

Most modern-day diets, for ourselves and our dogs, are too high in Omega 6 and 9 due to processed grains, cereals and vegetable oils, which can lead to inflammation, faster aging and can predispose the body to disease.

In contrast, Omega 3 fatty acids offer a wealth of health benefits including anti- inflammatory properties, healthy skin & coat, normal metabolism, joint health and slowing the ageing process as well as supporting brain and cognitive function.

As you can see, this is an important addition to the diet of dogs with skin issues, joint pain, and is an essential for senior dogs in particular.

Feeding the actual fish has far more benefits than fish oil, which can quickly go rancid, causing the inflammation we were trying to prevent.

Pollution is also a consideration when choosing fish. The cleanest are:

·        Sardines, mackerel, pilchards, herring, sprats, halibut, anchovies, whitebait and trout.

·        Mussels and green lipped mussels are good for joint health.

Other forms of Omega 3 are hemp oil, chia seeds, flax seed oil, seaweed, eggs, pumpkin seeds and phytoplankton.

Should your dog hate raw fish and completely refuse to eat it, then the tinned sardines, pilchards or mackerel are a good substitute in either spring water or tomato juice which can be gently rinsed off or drained.

Try and include an oily fish into your dog’s diet two to three times a week.

 Eggs

Eggs provide a high quality, complete source of amino acids which are the building blocks of protein.

A good source of vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin, iron, folate, zinc, selenium, fatty acids, choline, fat soluble vitamin E, D and K.

Just one egg will provide 13 essential vitamins and minerals, including lutein which is essential for eye health.

Free range eggs offer far greater levels of nutrition as the birds would have benefited from a natural lifestyle of foraging and have had sunlight on their backs.

Duck eggs have a larger yolk to white ratio and are higher in protein, fat and contain more Omega 3.

Quail have larger amounts of vitamin B1 and 5 times as much iron and potassium as hen’s eggs. Their protein value is 13% compared to 11% in hen’s eggs. Quail eggs rarely cause allergies, so certainly worth a try if your dog can`t usually tolerate hens’ eggs.

 Bones

Raw edible bones will make up on average 10% of your dog’s meals but sometimes as much as 30% and are an important requirement of the diet.

Bones provide calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium and, depending on the type of bone fed, a supply of fat, cartilage and collagen.

They are also needed in the diet to keep the stools firm, and while most dogs will be fine with 10% bone, occasionally you will come across dogs who require more to keep their faeces firm, and others who will always need offal or vegetables in their diets in order to cope with 10% or they become constipated. Therefore, it is important to feed each dog as an individual.

Raw bones are regarded as either edible, which add to the calcium quota, or recreational, which provide very little calcium but give mental stimulation and teeth cleaning benefits.

Edible bones are raw bones that are completely consumed, usually in one sitting. Examples would be chicken and duck wings, lamb ribs, chicken backs, chicken and duck feet, chicken necks and pigs trotters.

 Vegetables and Berries

The inclusion of vegetables, herbs and berries in the diet provide, phytonutrients which are compounds found in plants with health giving properties, anti-oxidants which protect cells from free radicals and dietary fibre  that acts as a prebiotic to stimulate the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

Look to add some vibrant leafy green to your dog’s meals, such as kale, spinach, parsley, broccoli, chard, dandelion leaves and red and purple berries including raspberry, blueberry and blackberry.

Start off with a small amount and build up to approximately 10-15% of the meal, if this suits your dog. Vegetables need to be either lightly steamed or feed raw and put into a blender to make a thick puree, this will break down the tough cellular wall in the vegetables and make them more digestible.

Caroline Hearn - Hedgerow Hounds

www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk

Herbal Dog Tea

A beautiful & fragrant blend of Nettle, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Mint, Rosehips, Passion flower, Calendula, Rose, Cornflower, Fennel seed

Why the ingredients were specifically chosen for this tea:

Nettle- rich in minerals and contains natural antihistamine properties

Lemon Balm – relaxing & calming

Mint – Refreshing and uplifting and digestive stimulant

Chamomile – calming to body and mind

Rosehips – rich in antioxidants and vitamin C

Calendula – soothing for the skin and has anti-inflammatory effects

Fennel seed – very good for the digestive system

A few ideas of how to use:

The herbs can be used to make a tea which when cool, offered as a refreshing drink.

Make a strong brew and when cool, transfer into shaped moulds and place in the freezer

Add the tea directly into your dogs meals

If you feed vegetables, add to your dogs veg or blend with raw vegetables and freeze in ice cube trays for later use.

Stir some of the tea and a sprinkling of the herbs into natural yoghurt, place into a shallow tray, level out and then pop in the freezer for a couple of hours. You`ll then have a dog friendly ice cream treat for a hot, sunny day.

Once the tea has been made, the remaining herbs, which are now rehydrated, can be placed into your dogs meals or used in treat recipes

Here`s to many relaxing, balmy days in the garden with our beloved dogs.

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

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