Nonna's Apron: August 2016

Superfood For Dogs!

Do you know what to feed your best friend?

When did dogs become Vegetarians?

Customers often ask us, "How much should I feed my Dog?"

75% of people don't know the quantity of food to feed their pet.

I've compiled a list of Superfoods for a Healthy Dog.

It's not hard to spot a healthy dog!

Have a look in their mouth & smell their breath.

Superfood 1. Bones. It's not hard to pick a dog that eats bones. Besides looking & acting healthy, look in their mouths & smell their breath.

Bones are a living tissue, full of nutrients, minerals such as, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, enzymes & amino acids.

Bone marrow is full of essential fatty acids , fat soluble vitamins & iron. Most people know that your dog chewing on their bone is fantastic care for teeth & gums. Bones also provide fibre & a healthy digestive system & bulk out the diet.

Superfood 2. Offal. Dense in essential nutrients, offal can be fed to your dog in smaller amounts. Offal has a concentrated source of Vitamin A, D , E & K, minerals, manganese , selenium & iron. Offal also contains all the vitamin B group, B2, B3, B5, B12, biotin, folacin acid (vit 9), (folic acid is a synthetic form in pills), choline, inositol, B1 &Vitamin C. Offal is a good source of essential fatty acids, both Omega 3 & Omega 6.

Liver besides being served fresh, can be dried in the oven & used as a treat or dry food. Heart contains Taurine which is good for the Heart! Tripe contains probiotics, also good for your poochs' digestion. Kidneys are a source of Zinc.

Hmmm, sounds like Superfood Humans should eat!

Superfood 3. Red Meat. Add some red meat & fat to the bone & you will add extra potassium to the diet, which is essential for a healthy heart. Beef , Pork & Chicken are all good sources of fresh meat.

A customer mentioned cooking raw meat for the first 12 months of a pups life, to prevent salmonella poisoning. My first response was surprise as I always think of Courtney's meat as Fresh, so don't consider Salmonella. Feeding your pet a main meal once a day, will ensure them devouring all of their meal, then it won't become tainted.

Fat won't store as fat if you don't overload you pet with dry carb dog food, which can be full of fillers. Fat aids a shiny healthy coat & essential fats for healthy joints. Fat is Energy.

Superfood 4. Chicken. Bone Broths are a good source of nutrients when your animal has a skin condition or not well. I have a recipe on bone broth which can be adapted to chicken broth. Deb a customer was telling me how her dog had a skin allergy & didn't want to give her pooch steroids. Cooking up a chicken broth as a meal for Archie cured his skin rash. Archie couldn't eat vegetables as his allergy was to the sugar in vegetables. Raw chicken necks & wings are popular with small dogs, giving them bones for healthy teeth & gums, & are once again rich in nutrients.

Superfood 5. Eggs. As a Whole Food eggs are a perfect protein source & the yolks are a good food for a dog with skin conditions.

Vegetables can be added to the diet for bulk, added nutrients & balance of the wild. My son told me that wolves in the wild, devour the part of the beast they kill first, depending on the nutrients they need. It won't always be the organs or it might be different organs each time.

Testimony to a Healthy Dog.

My son was visiting with his dog Amika. Our dogs didn't socialise very well with visiting dogs, so Jordan locked Amika on the verandah. Amika heard Jordans' voice & jumped off the 1 story height verandah onto the concrete path below. Responding to the dogs yelp & expecting the worst outcome, we took Amika to the vet. Upon examination, Amika only sustained an Impacted Paw.

The wonderful outcome was also followed by the empathy our dogs showed to Amika while she was being restrained. Mia our kelpie cross approached Amika cautiously, started stroking & licking Amikas' nose. Mia walked passed Amika letting her smell her, lowering herself to show she wasn't a threat. After Amikas' recovery our dogs played as best friends.