07 OF THE HEALTHIEST FOODS YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR DOG

07 of the Healthiest Foods You Can Give to Your Dog

In this article, we will see 7 foods that are naturally good for your dog's health, to be put in his bowl every day to feed it with homemade food or with dry food...

The meat

As a carnivore with an omnivorous tendency, the dog has very high protein requirements. Normally, 30% of the total calories absorbed by a dog should come from protein! So what better than meat to provide him with these precious nutrients? If your dog is not very active, prefer lean meats that provide a lot of protein and little fat, so all poultry meats (without the skin) with the exception of goose, buffalo, rabbit, veal and some lean pieces of beef will make your dog happy with few calories!

Give raw meat to your dog if you are sure of its sanitary quality, if not, offer him meat cooked for a few minutes in a pan or a blanched 1 min in boiling water. Meat should be part of every meal for your dog if he is fed with homemade food. If he is fed with kibbles, it should be given only occasionally because his kibbles (if they are well-chosen) should already provide all the nutrients and energy your dog needs!

Fish (fatty)

Fish is also an ideal food for a dog in need of protein! If you choose it rather fatty like sardines, salmon, herring, tuna or mackerel, it will also provide him with precious long-chain omega-3, which is anti-inflammatory and good for the skin, fur or brain! But beware of the calories! Limit the distribution of fatty fish to a maximum of once a week if your dog is not very sporty to prevent him from becoming overweight. For every day, if he is fed a home-feed, prefer to give him white and lean fish (hake, sea bass, carp, whiting, panga, cod...) and fish oil in capsules to provide him with precious omega-3 without too many calories!

If your dog is fed with kibbles, he can receive fish oil capsules every day as a supplement to his kibbles (especially if his kibbles do not contain enough omega-3) and occasionally cooked lean fish flesh.

Egg

Eggs are also an excellent source of protein. Its yolk provides lipids, vitamins (A, D, B2, B5, B8, B9, and B12), minerals (mainly iron and phosphorus). Highly digestible for the dog, eggs can be easily digestible by the dog and can be part of the diet of animals fed homemade food or given as an occasional supplement to an animal that eats kibble. The yolk can be given raw (provided the egg is fresh and of good sanitary quality) while the white should preferably be given cooked.

Zucchini

Meat, fish, eggs...it's good but it's not enough to cover the dog's nutritional needs which are not only made of proteins. To have good intestinal transit, the dog also needs fibers...that cooked zucchinis can bring him!

Zucchini are water-rich, low-calorie vegetables that can be added to your dog's bowl every day, whether he is fed with a household ration or with dry food!

Yogurt

Full of probiotics (good bacteria for the dog's intestine) and protein, yogurt is a food that dogs can consume without any problem, unlike other dairy products. Yogurt is free of lactose, the milk sugar that can cause digestive disorders in dogs.  In addition, if you choose it with semi-skimmed milk or 0%, it brings all its benefits and little fat to your dog. But don't rely on yogurt to cover your dog's huge calcium requirement if he is fed exclusively with homemade food. Yogurt provides some, but not enough for your dog! You should supplement your pet's ration with an appropriate mineral-vitamin supplement.

Rapeseed oil

Rapeseed oil is particularly interesting for dogs because of its high content of linoleic acid, a fatty acid from the omega-6 family, which is essential for its role in the skin barrier, and linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid from the omega-3 family. These omega-3s participate in the modulation of inflammatory reactions in the body, in the regulation of blood coagulation as well as in the maintenance of a beautiful quality of skin and hair...

For these reasons, the ration of a dog fed with homemade food should always include a little rapeseed oil! However, the addition of rapeseed oil is not necessary for dogs fed with kibbles.

Brewer's yeast

Brewer's yeast, in powder or flakes, is a natural food supplement that can be suitable for all dogs, whether they are fed homemade or industrial diet. Rich in B-group vitamins that are good for the skin and hair, as well as prebiotics, brewer's yeast is good for everything!