Super Dog Diet Power-Ups!

What is a complete dog diet anyway? Does it consist of eating the same old dog food diet day in and day out for the entire life of your furry companion? I think not! Get a clear picture of your favorite meal in your head for a second. Can you taste it and smell it? I bet you would love a bite of that meal right now? Well, imagine for a moment that you are forced to eat that exact meal every single day for the rest of your life.

I can almost assure you, if you feed your loving companion a dog diet based on one single dog food formula, you are unavoidably going to have a very sick and nutritionally deficient soul. Your dog’s physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing will be compromised of that little ‘something’ that give us life – a variety of healthy natural foods.

Don’t despair because you can use add-ons to greatly increase the goodness and complement your dog’s diet. Super Dog diet power-ups are fun and easy and highly beneficial for your dog. I’ll guide you with a variety of fresh natural foods you can feed your companion. There are a few easy guidelines that I recommend you follow and you’ll see that the overall benefits of upgrading your dog’s diet are ginormous.

If you’re like most dog owners you probably feed your dog a commercial kibble or canned dog diet. That’s ok, if that works best for you and your dog at this very moment. I can’t stress enough that one best dog diet simply doesn’t exist. There is no such thing! Each animal is an individual with particular needs. Think of your very own diet for a second. If you enjoy a warm bowl of oatmeal before bedtime because it helps you sleep better, that doesn’t mean it will work for everyone, right? It’s through trial and error that you’ll discover what suits both of you. Hopefully you’re feeding your dog an all Organic Dog Food or a premium Holistic Dog Food, both of which are much higher in quality ingredients than the regular store-bought types.

Power-Ups are Like Dog Diet Booster Packs

“I’m convinced that the red bell peppers Mom gives me help with my ‘Down-Sit-Spin’ combos!” } Halle

Humans are highly advanced intellectual creatures but we just can’t seem to exactly understand how foods actually work. In fact, we haven’t even scratched the surface of understanding! Both human and dog nutrition is still somewhat of a mystery. A complete dog diet is certainly not what you’ll find in those little brownish bits of kibble – no matter what the packaging says. With new scientific findings on food popping up daily around the world, eating has become very confusing and overwhelming for everyone.

“… and the fiber flakes make it easier for Mom and Dad to pick-up my you-know-whats!” } Halle

That being said, at least us humans can adjust to the newest scientific discoveries but dog’s certainly cannot. They can’t just one morning wake up and add a bit more recommended garlic into their dog diets? How silly, right? That’s why it’s necessary that you get familiar with the super dog diet power-ups. They are essential in maintaining a healthy dog food diet! The add-ons will also compensate for whatever is missing in your dog’s traditional diet.

Easy Peasy Dog Diet Guidelines

Rule of thumb: You can replace up to roughly 25% of your dog’s original kibble diet with fresh foods without disrupting the nutritional balance of your Dog Diet. You simply omit 25% of your dog food and replace it with some super dog diet power-ups that I will mention in a few. Easy peasy!

Also if you want, you can go 50% kibbles and 50% fresh add-ons, which means you’re greatly modifying your dog’s diet as a whole. A word of caution – If you decide to go 50/50, you’ll have to make sure the variety and proper proportions of fresh foods are correct. Keep in mind that your added 50% fresh foods encompasses at least 50% of various proteins. Another thing to remember is you’ll also have to add calcium for the appropriate calcium/phosphorus ratio to your dog’s diet, along with a variety of fresh foods to complete the nutritional requirements. But going 50/50 is another dog diet all together so make sure you read up on it as much as you can so that you don’t disrupt your dogs natural balance.

Keep in mind to always cut the foods into smaller pieces to avoid any choking accidents.

For now lets look at what great fresh foods are out there for your dog that you can supplement with their kibble while maintaining the safe and easy 25% rule.

Think Variety

The key for adding super dog diet power-ups is diversity. That’s the whole point! The greater you supplement with a variety of fresh natural foods the greater range of nutrients you dog receives. Here is a nice list of our recommended power-ups

(Remember this doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You can start by adding a few blueberries or a small piece of fresh chicken breast and see how your dogs eyes light up the instant you present the food. Start small once a week or so and gradually augment the frequency up to 25% mixed in with your dog’s kibble. For greater success and lesser headaches, always use baby steps whenever incorporating something new to your dog’s diet.)

Enjoy the process and have fun with your pooch!

Recommended Dog Diet Power-Ups

For Proteins try a mixture of fresh animal (lightly cooked or raw) and plant proteins like beans. Fresh protein is probably the best add-on you can give to your dog’s diet. A lot of the quality and nutritional value of proteins get destroyed during food processing so including protein to your dog diet is highly recommended. Lean meats that are higher in protein and lower in fat like chicken, turkey, duck (without skin), organ meats like liver (in moderation) and heart (beef, chicken, turkey).

Canned fish with bones, sardines in water, mackerel, pink salmon (fully cooked but make sure it’s not from the Pacific Northwest because it could harbor a lethal dog parasite).

Whenever we’re preparing chicken for supper, we always keep the trimmings and lightly cook them up for Halle, she loves assisting in the kitchen! Every Sunday I cook up a large pot of assorted legumes (plant proteins) like lentils, split peas, beans, mung beans, kidney and red beans for the family. I save a nice hardy bowl for Halle just before I add some spices for us. These are all great environmentally-friendly alternatives to animal proteins for your dog diet.

Eggs are great raw, cooked if your dog has a weak immune system. Try an egg omelet or scrambled eggs for your companion – a quick and easy dog diet power-up. If you’re going to power-up on eggs we highly recommend organic eggs for all the nutritional goodness without all the hormones and toxins. Worth the extra dollars, big time!

If you boil your eggs, keep the eggshells because they are a great natural source of calcium. What I do is wait until we have eggshells from about 6 eggs and dry them over night. The next day I grind them in a clean coffee grinder until they turn to powder. ½ a teaspoon of powdered eggshells equals to roughly 1000 mg of calcium. I then sprinkle it sparingly. If you’re doing the 50/50 dog diet then you have to be more precise with the calcium/phosphorus intake for your dog diet. Otherwise a small sprinkle here and there is perfectly ok.

The only type of Dairy we give Halle is 1-2 tablespoons of plain no fat yogurt – preferably organic if you can pay a little extra. Yogurt is filled with millions of active bacterial cultures that keep her internal flora happy and healthy. Plus it’s a great source of calcium and vitamins D and B12.

Vish and I have drastically cut down and almost eliminated cow’s milk from our diet for various health concerns. We really don’t recommend you or your dog consume milk if you can help it. Do your research on the countless harmful effects of milk on your overall body. It’s also loaded with many toxins, hormones and impurities – all sorts of yucky stuff that poisons your body.

Grains should be added to your dog diet from time to time but remember that the majority of packaged dog food already contains a high amount of carbohydrates. Be mindful and assess your dog’s carb intake before making any adjustments. If your dog has any allergies, we don’t recommend adding any grains at all. The good thing about grains is that they also provide a natural inexpensive source of protein and they are packed with vitamins and minerals. The best way to add grains to your dog diet is by cooking them or else your dog won’t digest them well. Depending on the grains cooking times will vary. Oatmeal, cornmeal, millet, bulgur, barley and rolled oats. Halle’s most favorite is brown rice or basmati rice. Yummo!

Veggies are convenient and easy additions to your dog food diet. Halle gets a variety of raw bell peppers, carrots (the crunchiness stimulates gums), lettuce and mixed greens, zucchinis, soft squash, tomatoes (preferably skin removed) and cucumbers. I also steam broccoli and give her the stems, cooked cauliflower and potatoes. Halle goes absolutely nuts for potatoes! Not all dogs tolerate cooked potatoes, so experiment with your companion first.

“The family makes mashed potatoes with a masher, I prefer to make ’em with my Super Jaws!” } Halle

Watch out for your Herb garden because dogs love herbs. Parsley (Halle and I both love this one), dandelion, alfalfa, thyme, raspberry and blackberry leaves, fenugreek, linden flowers, basil and comfrey. Halle also gets some mint for that super sweet breath of hers. Please make sure your herbs are herbicide and pesticide free before adding them to your dog diet.

As soon as Halle hears us cutting up an apple, she miraculously appears out of nowhere with her sharp adorable “please can I have a little piece” irresistible look – LOL! Needless to say Halle loves ’em! Papayas, berries and pears are wonderful for your diet for dogs. You could also incorporate dried fruits such as figs, apricots and prunes. Dogs generally have a sweet tooth so they will gobble up fruits with no problem. Halle seems to scootch with her stark stare closer and closer to us whenever we’re eating a banana – silly girl! Watch out for all fruit seeds and pits – very dangerous when consumed by dogs.

Garlic does wonders to your dog’s general health including keeping the digestive tract in check and repelling certain worms, parasites and fleas. A couple of thin garlic slices here and there will do the trick. At first some dogs might not be huge fans of garlic’s potent smell but they eventually come around. Halle generally plays with her’s for a few minutes – starring down at the garlic with her droopy ears – then in no time gobbles it up!

As you can see, adding power-ups to your dog diet is really easy with the large variety of fun fresh foods available. Mix it up and have some fun. Your dog will love you for it! It’s a great way of adding foods without worrying too much about specific food balances. Plus you get to discover your dog’s preferred tastes – apples and potatoes might be the winners here! Power-ups are excellent as training treats. Halle goes through training in a breeze once she realizes apples, carrots and chickpeas are involved. If you had to choose only one thing to add to your dog diet, I would greatly recommend it be proteins.

Have you ever considered adding fresh foods to your dog’s diet? I would love to know what combos your dog prefers? What are some of your favorite power-ups that you like to give your dog? Have you discovered any particular kooky things your dog does at the sight, smell or sound of his favorite power-up? Halle has too many to mention, LOL. Share your thoughts and stories with us. What foods do you plan on trying out with your dog for the first time? Keep your dog happy and healthy and the rewards will come back ten-fold.