Zuri Food Chef Blog episode 2: Top 5 natural supplements for your dog’s diet
There’s a lot of talk out there about how natural supplements can help a dog’s health, both long term and short term. Every day we are bombarded with commercials that say, “feed your dog this,” or “add this to your pup’s diet.” It can be overwhelming and challenging to navigate. That’s why today we are going to look at 5 things you can add to your dog’s diet that can help her deal with a current health issue and prevent certain problems from arising in the future. All 5 can be found at your local health food store or online.
- Brewer’s Yeast. Brewer’s Yeast is a single-celled type of fungus that is used in the fermentation of beer and normally comes in powdered form. This may sound strange at first, but it’s rich in all the B vitamins, high in antioxidants, and contains probiotics. B vitamins help with many functions of a canine’s body including coat and skin, eyes, and liver. Antioxidants help scavenge free radicals which helps with heart health and prevention of many cancers. Probiotics help with digestion and immune system function. Brewer’s Yeast has even been shown to naturally repel fleas and ticks, especially when combined with Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Blueberries. Blueberries are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Boost your dog’s intake of vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K, manganese, and fiber by adding these yummy fruits to her diet. Blueberries can help a dog with weight management, bone strength, and brain function. The antioxidants in blueberries are called polyphenols. Polyphenols can help with hearth function, brain function, and have even been shown to reduce cancer and other diseases in canines. Some dogs turn their nose at a fresh blueberry, but try freezing them with a little frozen yogurt for a tasty treat!
- Flaxseed Oil. Also known as linseed oil, flaxseed oil has a variety of health benefits for dogs. Like humans, dogs must consume Omega-3 fatty acids to survive. Many dogs suffer from itchy skin and a lackluster coat. Omega-3 fatty acids are the best way to improve skin and coat issues as well as a variety of other benefits such as improved heart health, reduced inflammation, protection against aging in the brain, and may even help reduce cancer cell growth. Dogs often have digestive issues that can be solved with just a teaspoon of flaxseed oil per day.
- Wheat Germ. This is the part of the wheat kernel that helps the plant reproduce. It’s high in vitamin E, folate(folic acid), magnesium, and zinc. Vitamin E, while helping maintain healthy skin and coat, is also an antioxidant that are believed to decrease free radicals in the body. This can help regulate cancer and other diseases in dogs.
- Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil is often referred to as a “superfood.” These buzzwords get thrown around quite a bit, but with coconut oil, the hype is justified. Many pups show huge improvements in skin and coat as well as digestion after having coconut oil added to their diet. The big reason for this is the MCT’s, medium chain triglycerides, which to put it bluntly, are the “good fats.” “How do these help,” you might ask? Well, they aid in digestion, increase nutrient absorption, reduce allergy severity, help treat yeast and fungal infections, clear up eczema, increase shine in the coat, can aid in arthritis problems, increase her energy, and even reduce bad breath and body odor! While this is all happening internally, sometimes dogs can have wounds or hot spots on their body. Try rubbing a little on the troubled area and see how pain and discomfort decreases, as well as speeding up healing time.
It can be tough knowing how much of these valuable additions to give your dog. Start small, just a dab or sprinkle. For a medium sized dog(30-40lbs.) you can work up to a tablespoon of coconut oil per day. Again, start slowly as she might need a little time for her system to adjust. As with any supplement or treat, keep an eye on your dog to make sure she’s not having adverse reactions and adjust based on need, metabolism, and taste.
Concerns about how much of these 5 supplements to give to you pup can be cured by choosing a diet that contains some/all of these ingredients. Zuri Food diets have some combination of ALL supplements you read about above. Remember that dogs, like humans, benefit from variety in their diet. Try one of our package deals to save 10% and get just the right amount of food for your dog delivered to your door weekly.
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