I know, I know. Trust me, I (and many others) have heard the same comment from many pet and non-pet parents. “Why would you feed your dog that? Why would you spend the time-they are just a dog? Why would you feed them what you are eating?”. But if we take a step back and really think about it, why not? As humans we know the icky stuff that lines the shelves in our grocery stores. Processed, fake, preservative filled, and questionable ingredients have become the normal in human diets. Convenience is a huge factor of human lives, which then trickles down to what our pets eat.

Many store bought kibbles are full of junk. Just learning how to read the ingredients and what all of the terms mean is a science in itself (that is a story for a different day). Long story short, the pet food industry isn’t much better than the human food industry. Due to the nature of how many dog and animal foods are made, they are stripped of vital nutrients and moisture needed to support the animal of their vital nutrients needed to thrive. Not to mention you don’t always know what is in the bag, is it real protein, fruits and veggies, or is it a version of what once used to be real protein, fruits and veggies? Not to mention to horror stories of toxic levels of synthetic vitamins, and even pentobarbital.

We know clean, real foods are the key to human health and nutrition, and it is for our pups too! Animals also require real food to have optimal health, just like us. Through feeding fruits, vegetables, and fresh protein sources, many common health issues for animals can be greatly reduced or eliminated.

Fresh food eliminates the scares of the unknown-you know exactly what you are consuming and what you are giving to your dog. There are no fillers and questionable ingredients. They are also quick and easy to incorporate into an animals diet.

Introduction on Vitamins

Vitamins and minerals are essential to bodily functions. As they are digested and broken down, they convert into the matter needed to make specific functions happen within the body. There are 2 types of vitamins, water soluble and fat soluble. To keep it simple. Water soluble vitamins are carried into body tissue, but aren’t stored. The body breaks down the food source, and sends the vitamins to the cells that need it. Any remaining vitamin will then go to the kidneys and will be eliminated via urination. Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed by fat within the body, travel through the lymphatic system, and then are used by the body. Any abundance that isn’t needed by the body stays stored within the fat.

An important point to remember is depending on the bioavailability (how effectively the nutrients are absorbed and used by the body) of the nutrient source is key! One key factor in bioavailability is if the nutrient is natural or man made, and if the other needed things to use the vitamins and nutrients are there, such as water, fat and quality protein Although many needed vitamins are found in commercial pet foods, the other needed things to make them useful aren’t there.

How do you make sure your pet gets the vitamins and nutrients they need?

The best thing you can do is to start feeding a fresh, species appropriate diet to your pet. But, this isn’t always an option for many pet owners. I did this for many years before switching completely.

The next best thing is the incorporate fresh foods into your dogs kibble diet. Throw some fresh fruits, vegetables and protein sources in when possible. Produce that might be getting brown, protein getting close to expiring, throw it in your pups bowl. Use fresh foods as treats too. Our pups love to eat some fresh fruit that we are cutting up for ourselves. It doesn’t have to be complicated or hard, but some fresh is better than no fresh!

Some of Our Favorite Fresh Foods

  • Carrots-not only do they have a nice crunch, they are full of vitamin A, C, K and beta-carotene
  • Broccoli-loaded with vitamin K, C, and can significantly lower oxidants
  • Banana-good source of vitamin C and potassium. They can also aid with GI upset and digestion
  • Strawberries-rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and vitamin B9
  • Apples-fiber, and antioxidants
  • Kefir-the best probiotic
  • Turmeric– natural anti-inflammatory
  • Eggs-protein, vitamin B2, D, and zinc

You can start to see a theme, fresh foods are packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidant powers. Plus, even the pickiest of pups will typically love to chow down on some fruits and veggies. Long story short, feed your dogs REAL foods, they will do the work nature intended.

Switching to a 100% fresh diet can be overwhelming! Stay tuned, we will supply you with easy tips and tricks to get fresh foods into your dogs diet. Regardless of if your pets eat all fresh or some fresh, some is better than none!

So…why not fresh food for dogs?