For several years, Sadie was pretty much a poster dog for ‘just a pet.’ She had basic manners and household training, went on walks, and lounged around with us. We thought she was in great shape at 75 lbs, getting about three cups of Iams Large Breed kibble daily, plus occasional people scraps.
Once I started agility training with her I learned that although she wasn’t fat, she was far from fit either. With a nudge from Mr. Trainer (who was terribly afraid of offending me by bringing up such a “sensitive topic”) we reduced her food and got her down to about 70 lbs.
As I learned more about owning a canine athlete, talked to enthusiasts at the club, and subscribed to the Whole Dog Journal, I realized that we were feeding her some pretty low-quality food. We switched her to Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul, which gets a thumbs-up from WDJ’s annual kibble reviews.
When we got Maxwell, I began thinking even more about what went into the dogs’ bowls. He was a scrawny, malnourished pup who needed every advantage possible to gain weight and grow a healthy coat. His foster family got him started on a puppy paste to boost his calories and a good kibble, but I wanted to make sure he kept improving. At the same time, I read some articles about long-term single protein diets contributing to canine allergies. I decided to move Sadie off a chicken-based food, which had been her main protein for years.
The pups now get Premium Edge kibble. Mostly they eat the salmon formula, but I mix it up once in a while with other non-chicken flavors. Maxwell is a healthy 42 lbs with wonderfully soft fur. Sadie is down to a lean 62 lbs and full of energy. Plus, her skin allergies seem to be somewhat lessened, though certainly not gone.
The most recent issue of WDJ got me thinking about additional goodies to put in the dog’s dinners. Apple cider vinegar got a whole article. While I’m skeptical of the ‘it cures everything!’ tone of the article, there was a ton of interesting information. Additional online research leads me to believe that addition of ACV could improve Sadie’s skin further and be a generally good source of vitamins and minerals. I bought a bottle of organic ACV, and am gradually adding it to their diets. So far, they love it splashed on their kibble. And it smells wonderful. A few sources of information are the Organic Pet Digest, Natural Dog Health Remedies, and For A Naturally Healthy Pet.
Another article in the same issue mentioned dogs that act hungry (starving!) even right after a meal. Since that absolutely describes Sadie, I was interested to read that increasing the percent of calories that come from fats can decrease hunger in a dog. Note that it did not say to increase the caloric intake, just to adjust where it’s coming from. The article recommended salmon oil as a healthy fat source, since it has lots of omega-3 fatty acids. I wasn’t able to find bottles of the liquid, but did buy gel capsules. Both dogs now get one capsule at dinner every other day. I’ll gradually increase the amount Sadie gets, probably to one capsule per meal. Since they don’t seem to contain very many actual calories (about 10 each), I may not reduce her kibble at all.
Maxwell thought the capsule was a fun treat. He snatched it, chewed it, spit it out, chewed it again, and finally must have broken the gel because it disappeared. Sadie doesn’t like capsules, so it’s lucky I recently learned a neat trick from an agility friend. I ask her for something easy, like SIT, then jackpot her with single pieces of kibble as follows: kibble-kibble-kibble-kibble-capsule-kibble- kibble. She just swallows each piece immediately, so she never notices the capsule!
I also try to give the pups more fruits and veggies. They particularly like broccoli stems, steamed asparagus, and bananas. I’ll toss them bits as we prepare dinner. They also like strawberries, which I cut up and put in their bowls to prevent red stains on the carpet. They also enjoy raw egg now and then, dropped right over their kibble. Egg is high enough value that my boyfriend or I always stand watch until they are both finished, to ensure Sadie doesn’t chase Maxwell away from his bowl.
What do you feed your dogs, either as the main course or as nutritious extras? I’d love to hear suggestions!
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