Dog nutrition is a critical part of your dog's well being and health and the food you choose to feed your furry family members will help to determine how healthy they are during their lifetime with you.

Just like with us, food drastically impacts health. If you eat nothing but fast food for your entire life, you won't feel good nor will you be healthy and strong. The same applies to our pets! Eating junk kibble is the equivalent of eating nothing but greasy, over-processed fast food loaded with sugar, unhealthy fats and harsh chemicals and preservatives.

In order to prolong our pets lives and give them the very best in nutrition, we must determine which healthy, balanced diet is perfect for them on an individual level. Species-appropriate, wholesome and balanced nutrition can prevent illness and disease, while allowing our dogs to achieve the best physical condition.

A raw food diet for dogs is the ultimate in canine nutrition. Dogs are facultative carnivores, biologically designed to consume raw meat, raw bone and raw organ. The benefits of a raw food diet for dogs are phenomenal; Owners often see drastic improvements in physical condition, alleviation in allergy symptoms, cleaner teeth, fresher breath, less shedding, more energy, softer and shinier coat and a drastic reduction or removal of doggy odour. Those are just a handful of the benefits a raw food or BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet can provide.

A homemade dog food diet is your next best option, combining fresh fruits and vegetables with wholesome real meat to create balanced, nutritious meals for your dog. Unlike with kibble, these homemade recipes are whole, real foods that you could readily eat. The only downside to homemade meals is the preparation time. Unlike with raw, you have to spend some time cooking the meals. It is also important to mention that cooking food causes some nutrition loss (heat kills some vitamins, minerals and enzymes). This can be remedied by adding a whole food supplement, probiotics and digestive enzymes to the meal.

Dehydrated dog food and freeze dried dog food rank third in my diet and nutrition selection rankings. This food is not cooked, the nutrition is preserved without damaging fragile nutrients. With dehydrated dog food you will need to add water. With freeze dried dog food, it is as easy as filling their bowl! These are excellent options for owners who do not want to feed raw food, but don't have the time for homemade diet preparation. This food is also an excellent option for raw feeders that need safely stored, convenient options for traveling, camping and visiting friends and family while away from home.

The last option for your pet is a high-quality, whole food kibble. The first recommendation would be a grain-free kibble which would be species appropriate for dogs. The second recommendation would be a kibble with whole grains (wheat free, corn free, soy free). When selecting a wholesome kibble, you should make sure the kibble is wheat free, corn free, contains no by-products, contains no fillers, contains only food you would eat (boneless salmon, beef, carrots, spinach, etc) and is made without harsh chemicals and preservatives.

K9 Instinct can help you determine the best diet for your furry family members. If you are interested in having a diet and nutrition consultation, e-mail me for more information or visit the Diet and Nutrition section of this website! Together we can change your dog's life with proper nutrition! Online consultations are available for non-local clients!

If you want to learn how to feed a raw food diet successfully, you can also purchase my eBook: A Guide to Raw Feeding.

If you are in need of some homemade dog food recipes, click here for my recipe eBook containing nutritionally balanced meals!

Angel
K9 Instinct
www.k9instinct.com

Not only is a dog's coat condition is a phenomenal indicator of their general health, but there isn't anything quite like petting a dog with a thick, shiny coat that doesn't leave your hands stinky! Pet owners pride themselves on taking excellent care of their furry family members, and doing so is easier than you think! There are many excellent ways to supplement your dog's current diet and see dramatic improvements to your dog's skin and coat condition.

Dry skin, dandruff, course fur, and poor coat pigment can all be helped through proper diet and supplementation of specific nutrients. Diet can even effect the colour and clarity of your dog's eyes - that is how dramatic the impact of proper nutrition is on our pet.

Here are several things you can add to your dog's diet to improve their coat colour, texture and condition!

Omega fatty acids have many incredible health benefits, but their most notable benefit happens with a dog's coat! Omega fatty acids can be found in fish, hemp seed, borage seed, fish oils and flaxseed oil. Concentrated capsules found in bottled supplements contain theraputic amounts of omega fatty acids. Most people prefer to use fish oil or hemp seed oil for pets, as they tend to be the most readily available. Omega fatty acids have been shown to improve coat condition, heart health and brain function. They can also be used to reduce inflammation and decrease the symptoms of allergic reaction. Since omega fatty acids deplete vitamin E in the body, it is always good to supplement the diet with vitamin E too.

Coconut oil is another great choice for improving the skin and coat condition of your dog. Coconut oil is a healthy, very easily digested oil that has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties! Coconut oil can be used internally or topically and can also help alleviated symptoms of allergies in pets.

Beta-carotene plays a significant role in the intensity of a dog's coat colour. The build up of beta-carotene influences the coat colour the same way it gives various fruits and vegetables their colours. I have found significant improvement in the red tones of my German Shepherd's coat with the addition of some mashed up, boiled baby carrots. On top of the benefits to coat colour, beta-carotene is an excellent antioxidant with additional benefits to eye health. Carrots, pumpkin and sweet potato are the most ideal sources for beta-carotene to be added to your dog's diet. Remember to boil carrots and sweet potato, and buy only pure pumpkin puree - not the pie filling!

Zinc is a vital mineral for skin and coat health and often dogs suffering from a zinc deficiency will exhibit poor skin and coat condition - such as cracked paw pads, hair loss and lesions around the mouth, eyes and ears. Zinc, in addition to other important minerals such as copper, will certainly improve a dog's coat if they are not getting enough in their diet. In terms of natural sources, zinc is found in red meat and bone.

Nothing is more frustrating and disheartening than cuddling up to your most beloved furry friend and smelling that icky, stinky odour dogs are often pegged with. The infamous "doggy smell" that keeps us at a distance from our precious dogs. Nobody wants to deal with that doggy smell, so they often try to mask it with perfumes and scented sprays. In all honesty those sprays don't work all too well and may only temporarily cover up the problem. Frustrated dog owners are left with dogs that still smell like a dog, with flowers on top of that!

Excessive bathing isn't healthy either, since bathing strips the coats of important protective oils. If you find yourself bathing your dog far too often, or using those scented sprays that hardly do their job, it may be time to consider looking honestly at their diet.

The origin of that dog smell can often be traced back to poor nutrition... to a diet of low quality kibble that is packed full of corn, wheat, by-products and strange chemicals you cannot even pronounce. All of that unhealthy material being consumed by your dog on daily basis is inevitably causing a stinky smell.

That is not the only potential reason. Your dog may have food or environmental allergies which leaves the skin and coat in terrible condition, while giving dogs a reason to lick and nibble their coat. The combination of poor skin and coat condition and saliva residue on the fur can leave the dog smelling badly.

If the doggy odour is bad enough, another reason for it may be an underlying illness which should be investigated by your veterinarian. There are several serious conditions that can show themselves through the dog's skin and coat.

"My dog stinks. What can I do?"

For the majority of pet owners, changing their dog's diet is an excellent way to get rid of that awful dog smell. The majority of raw fed dogs have little to no bad smell, due to the fact that the food they are consuming is healthy, wholesome and lacking in junk, chemicals and fillers. Raw fed dogs, pets on homemade diets and those eating very high quality kibble are not consuming useless ingredients nor would they be eating over processed junk filled with unhealthy fillers and poor quality ingredients. Raw fed dogs are also, more often than kibble fed dogs, getting lots of supplements to boost the condition of the fur. 

Supplements such as omega fatty acid oils, zinc, Vitamin E and multivitamins can make a huge improvement in skin and coat condition which ultimately leads to improved smell.

Many dog owners can achieve improved dog smell simply by switching to a high quality kibble. These high quality kibbles can improve the overall health of your dog while giving the skin and coat a healthy boost, reducing odour and improving appearance.

Diet and nutrition play a major role in fur/coat condition and health, which directly impacts your dog's natural smell. If you improve their diet, you ultimately improve their odour.

If you are interested in making the change to improve your pet's health, contact me to set up a consultations. For non-local clients, online consultations are available at your convenience. I can, and will, help you achieve optimum health in your pet.

Angel
K9 Instinct

There are a lot of misconceptions about raw feeding for dogs, so here are the most common questions that are raised by new raw feeders or interested dog owners!

Aren’t bones dangerous for my dog?
Wild, carnivorous animals have been hunting and consuming other animals for millions of years. Consider the close relation between wolves and dogs, now consider the fact that wolves and other canines will hunt and eat the bones, meat and organs of other animals. Your dog is truly no different! Your dog is physically designed to live a raw food lifestyle.

The only bones you should not offer are cooked bones and weight-bearing bones of large animals. Cooking the bones changes the physical characteristics of the bone, causing them to become hard, brittle and splinter. Cooked bones are harder to digest and so the danger in them causing trouble in the intestinal tract is quite high. RAW bones are safe and digestible. Weight bearing bones, especially from large mammals, should be given as recreational chewing bones only since they are much, much harder than the edible bones canines consume.

Will raw meat make my dog sick? I am afraid of exposing myself, my family and my dog(s) to salmonella and other foodborne illness.
We handle raw meat on a daily basis whether or not we feed our dogs raw. All you need to do is follow your regular cleaning and food safety procedures. Make sure you disinfect the surfaces you are preparing the food on and any utensils you are using to prepare it. Make sure to also disinfect where your dog eats. Feeding your dog in its crate or even outside on the grass can make for easy clean up.

It is important to take note of the fact that dog foods are being recalled all the time for such issues as salmonella contamination. A google search for “pet food recalls” will tell you all you need to know. It is also important to know that more often than not, dogs and cats handle food-borne bacteria well due to the acidity of their stomach and short digestive tract. Bacteria is everywhere and you only have to be concerned if your pet’s immune system is already compromised prior to exposure.

Sanitize and disinfect after handling and preparing your dog’s raw meal, make sure to properly wash the food bowl afterwards and disinfect the place where the eat their meal – you will not have any problems!

My vet says that raw feeding is dangerous and not appropriate for our pets!
The truth is that veterinarians and veterinarian technicians often receive minimal nutritional training during their years of study. The courses they do take are funded and hosted by pet food companies whose agenda is to sell their kibble in veterinarian clinics and hopefully encourage vets to push their kibble brand on clients.

Instead, get second opinions from animal biologists, zoologists and animal nutritionists… you will encounter a very different opinion on raw feeding. These professionals who focus on the physical biology and anatomy of animals, as well as their ecology and nutritional needs, can attest to the digestive system of both wolf and dog, and how they are designed to thrive on raw meat, bones and organs.

Can I feed my dog(s) grains, vegetables or fruits?
Dogs do not need vegetables or fruits to thrive as they are designed to thrive on a carnivore’s diet of meat, bone and organs. Since they are incapable of digesting grains properly, you should avoid feeding grains in general.  Grains are also often the source of food allergies and sensitivities in our pets.

You can, however, provide cooked vegetables if you want to supplement their diet. Treat vegetables like supplements in terms of adding vitamins and such in your own diet – you would simply be adding extra nutrition. For example, I give my dog cooked and mashed carrots for the beta-carotene. He doesn’t need it, but I notice improvements to coat colour with beta carotene. I also give omega fatty acids for skin, coat and brain health.

I am nervous about feeding raw!
Don't be! Raw feeding is as natural for dogs as breathing! If you decide to make the transition from kibble to raw, you're going to experience a wide array of beautiful results. You're going to be able to watch your dog's physical and mental condition improve! I always recommend people about the start feeding raw take before and after photographs of their beloved pets so that they can appreciate the wonderful changes that will happen over time.

Do I have to transition my dog slowly from kibble to raw?
No, you do not have to transition them slowly. You can absolutely switch your dog to raw cold turkey - dump the kibble in the garbage and fill their bowl with real, wholesome raw meat. If your dog is prone to digestive upset when changing food, you can absolutely remove kibble and slowly add raw in replacement over time. A lot of people like to offer chunks of raw meat as treats randomly during the day before transitioning to help the body get used to this new type of food.

What kind of raw food should I start feeding with?
For the first week, it is ideal to feed only raw muscle meat. After having eaten kibble for so long, their digestive system will be a little out of order due to inappropriate levels of stomach acid and an unbalanced gut microbiome. A few days on something like ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken will help them rebuild their stomach acidity to a normal level so proper digestion can occur. I highly recommend including a probiotic to help rebuild the healthy bacteria in their digestive tract!

It is ideal to start with only one protein source. Chicken is a common starter meat, but you can use beef, turkey, pork or even venison. Just stick to one protein source for a few weeks. After you've started them on the raw muscle meat for about a week, go ahead and add some bone and organ. Start with the more softer bones like raw chicken wings or chicken necks. Once you see the stool settle and the volume drop, add variety.

Want to learn how to feed the amazing raw food diet? Visit my diet and nutrition consultation page for more information, or check out my eBook A Guide to Raw Feeding from my web store!