Dog diets these days are a hot topic. Where man goes, dogs usually follow, and food habits are no different. With more humans than ever paying close attention to eating whole, natural foods, lots have been turning towards higher quality diets for their dogs, including raw, home cooked and “complete” dog food brands rather than the dry kibble and cans that had been prominent in the 20th century.
However, with the cost-of-living crisis proving to put a huge strain on our pockets, it’s not easy to justify shelling out for luxury dog diets whilst many of us are surviving on beans on toast!
So, if supermarket kibble is what you can afford right now, there are ways to boost the goodness in your dog’s diet without breaking the bank.
- Eggs
Eggs are wondrous food. Nutritious, full of protein, vitamins and fatty acids; you can feed your dog one organic, free-range egg a day for around £2 a week. Some people prefer to cook them, but dogs have extremely highly acidic stomachs which can more than handle the risk of salmonella in raw eggs. They can also eat eggshells, which are full of phosphorus and calcium which help your dog grow strong bones and teeth.
- Turmeric
A powerful, natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cancer fighting spice; turmeric is the kitchen cupboard item that you should share with your dog immediately! The general guide is around ¼ tsp per 10lb that your dog weighs. Some dogs will let you sprinkle it on their food (labradors… we’re talking about you!) but fussier types may turn up their nose. Many people like to make “golden paste” which can be made at home with 200g turmeric powder, 400ml hot water, 100g coconut oil and a pinch of black pepper. Mix the turmeric and hot water to make a paste, then add in the coconut oil and pepper. Pour into an ice tray and chill for palatable, little healthy treats for your pooch!
- Green veggies
It’s no surprise that the likes kale, cabbage, cavolo nero, spinach, broccoli and cucumber are beneficial to your dog. Full of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants and fibre, the green veggies you feed yourself and your family are perfectly suitable to add to your dog’s diet too. Whilst some will happily nibble these raw, others might need more encouragement in the form of steaming, blanching or blending. We can all be guilty of buying veg and not using it, so feeding bits to your dog is a great way of reducing waste too.
To learn a bit more about the raw food topic, see our blog: The Raw War
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