Let’s face it, kibble in and of itself is NOT enough in a dog's diet. Eating one thing for every meal everyday weakens the digestive tract and weakens the immune system over all. Think about people who decide to go off meat for a while. When they decide to start eating meat again they have to introduce it into their diets slowly, otherwise they get sick. Dogs work the same way. If your dogs aren't used to getting different things in their diets, anything new is going to make them sick!
Table Scraps
I hear people say all the time “never feed your dog table scraps. It will make him sick!” This is only true if your dog never gets anything but kibble in his diet. If you give table scraps to your dog on a regular basis it can actually be very healthy. The fact of the matter is that kibble didn’t even exist until the early 1900’s. Until then, domesticated dogs literally lived off our table scraps - for thousands of years! So obviously it can’t be as bad as the commercial pet food industry would have you believe.
Be Careful . . .
There are some foods you’ll want to avoid, since they are poisonous to dogs. These include; chocolate, grapes, mushrooms, xylitol, caffeine, and macadamia nuts, just to name a few. Just keep in mind that, should you choose to give your dog table scraps, be sure to put them in your dog’s food bowl and don’t feed them directly from the table. Otherwise you’re going to wind up with a begging problem.
A lot of people think that dairy is bad for dogs but that’s not actually true. Dairy is just as beneficial to dogs as it is to people. The problem comes when your dog isn’t used to getting it (which again, comes from the myth that you should only feed your dog kibble and nothing else). If a dog never gets any dairy his body will stop producing lactose, which is necessary to digest dairy. So if your dog eats dairy, chances are it’s just going to cause diarrhea. If you introduce dairy slowly, however, his body will start producing lactose again and he will be able to handle it just fine.
A lot of people think that dairy is bad for dogs but that’s not actually true. Dairy is just as beneficial to dogs as it is to people. The problem comes when your dog isn’t used to getting it (which again, comes from the myth that you should only feed your dog kibble and nothing else). If a dog never gets any dairy his body will stop producing lactose, which is necessary to digest dairy. So if your dog eats dairy, chances are it’s just going to cause diarrhea. If you introduce dairy slowly, however, his body will start producing lactose again and he will be able to handle it just fine.
How I Supplement
My dogs get a variety of supplements added to their food every meal. Here is a list of examples of what my dogs get added into their kibble on a daily basis (keep in mind that I subtract from the amount of kibble my dogs get in order to make it all even out. I don’t want any fat doggies on my hands)
Mornings
I usually rotate between plain yogurt and cottage cheese each morning. I add ¼ cup of Apple Cider Vinegar to a 32oz container of yogurt and then give both my dogs a few spoonfuls every other morning. Apple Cider Vinegar is a great immune booster and can act as a natural flea and tick repellent as well. Some mornings I just soak their kibble in milk and let them have “kibble cereal”.
Evenings
This is where things get fun. Really I just rotate between any protein sources I have on hand (usually given raw). This can be ham, hot dogs, bacon, eggs, chicken, roast beef, etc. Raw egg shells are great to feed your dogs, as they are a good source of calcium and the egg shell membrane can help strengthen hips and joints. Keep in mind that you will see bits of egg shell come out in your dog’s poo afterward. This is normal and is simply the left over parts of the shell your dog’s body didn’t need. For those of you that live in Utah Valley, I love Ford’s Locker down in Provo. They sell a raw frozen dog food made of ground venison meat, organs, and bones for just $1.49 a pound! I love adding this into my rotation as well!
Treats
If you think the dog food industry is poorly regulated, the dog treat industry is even worse! When it comes to treats, my dogs get cheerios, bits of cheese, and bits of hotdogs. Again, Ford’s Locker down in Provo has some awesome dog treat options that I love. They make beef dog jerky and sell it for about $10 for a gallon sized bag - it’s awesome! You can give a whole piece as a tasty snack, or easily cut it into smaller training treats - and dogs love it!
Bones
Now this one can be a controversial subject, so let’s just get the facts straight: Once bones have been cooked they become soft and have the chance of splintering. Because of this, ALL cooked bones should ALWAYS be avoided. When it comes to raw bones, dogs are actually designed to eat and digest these. If you look at a dog’s teeth, the front ones are designed for scissoring through raw meat and the back are designed for crunching through raw bone.
Raw bones are a great and natural way to help keep your dog’s teeth healthy and clean without ever having to break the bank on dental cleanings at the vet! You do, however, generally want to make sure to avoid weight-bearing bones of large animals, such as cows. These bones are more dense than your dog’s teeth - and if your dog is an ambitious chewer he can easily end up breaking his teeth on them. It’s better to stick to rib and knuckle bones, bones from lambs, goats, pigs, etc. If you're looking for a great article on the benefits of bones and what bones to give your dog, check out: What Bones are Good for Dogs?
Raw bones are a great and natural way to help keep your dog’s teeth healthy and clean without ever having to break the bank on dental cleanings at the vet! You do, however, generally want to make sure to avoid weight-bearing bones of large animals, such as cows. These bones are more dense than your dog’s teeth - and if your dog is an ambitious chewer he can easily end up breaking his teeth on them. It’s better to stick to rib and knuckle bones, bones from lambs, goats, pigs, etc. If you're looking for a great article on the benefits of bones and what bones to give your dog, check out: What Bones are Good for Dogs?
A Final Word
So, that’s my two cents when it comes to what to feed your dog. As I said before, I’m no expert, but I have spent an extensive amount of time studying the subject. I hope this information will help you in providing your dog the best diet you can give!
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