Tips to Improve Your Dogs Kibble & Level Up Their Nutrition.
Did you know, 50-60% of Canadian dog owners, dogs are overweight?
Did you also know it takes up to 19 hours for your dog to fully digest kibble? — consider feeding 3x a day, the dogs stomach never empties.
It’s no wonder there is an obesity pandemic. Knowledge & industries that make billions off of “science based foods”.
The reality is, our dogs are athletes— they should train and eat like athletes too.
Here’s a few easy tips to improve your dogs kibble and level up their diet:
Brand Matters
To promote a healthy gut biome, start with your kibble brand.
For high quality, nutrient dense, kibble I recommend, Origin, Merrick, Acana.
Kibble goes through a series of processing methods to preserve the food; each affecting the quality of the kibble differently. (pro tip-Flash frozen is the best).
For ultimate canine health and performance, I recommend a fresh and/or raw fed diet.
Feeding Schedule:
Feed 2x a day to give the stomach time to digest and process food in stomach.
Feed after enrichment activities such as; tug, play, walks, sniffaries, tracking, agility, hiking, etc.
*This primes the body for optimal digestion.
Rate of Digestion: Time it takes for food to break down in the stomach
-Kibble- 19 hours
-Raw- 4-5 hours
-Canned -5 hours
Breaking down food is essential in allowing the stomach to empty. This allows the stomach time to recover before breaking down its next meal.
Hydration
-Kibble is extremely dehydrating. Add water to your dogs kibble to hydrate it, making it easier to break down.
Use kibble in your training (when working on Physio or at-home exercises). — distribute a portion of their daily meal as a reward when teaching newly learned skills.
Additives to promote healthy digestion, (toppers)
-Water
- omega 3
- joint and health supplement (NuPro.)
-sardines —high in nutritional value.
-fibre (pumpkin, THRIVE- greens).
It’s important owners know, additional weight causes strain on the body and joints. Keeping weight off the joint will make moving easier and decreases risk of injury.
Feeding higher quality kibble will help meet all nutritional needs that aid in protein absorption.
Observe
Watch waistline. This creates a baseline and will act as your benchmark to notice when change occurs.
How to determine is your dog is overweight.
When standing the back area and end rib (inguinal area) should concave. If it is convex when standing the dog is “fat”.
Foods Role in Behaviour
Food fuels Behaviours. The brain on food dictates how that organism will feel, operate, and act.
Curious about feeding a raw diet, or want more information, book a call and we will begin preparing your dogs nutrition plan, together.
I look forwarding to helping you, Book Now and let’s get started!
