Whole, fresh food is real nutrition; which is why adding whole fruits and vegetables to your dog's food bowl can prove to be a great and highly beneficial addition to their diet. Fruits and vegetables should be treated as a supplement, since dogs do not need fruits and vegetables to survive.

Fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients! The amount of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals found in many fruits and veggies are hard to pass up. They also taste great and act as the perfect way to add variety and excitement to your pet's meal plan. A powerful diet plan is one that is full of pure, whole food nutrition, but since dogs are not designed to fully digest fruits and vegetables the best way to serve them is to process them. Boiling them, steaming them or processing them in a food processor will help dogs digest these foods properly and absorb the nutrients more efficiently.

Blueberries
Best served fresh or frozen, blueberries are a superfood packed full of nutritional goodness! Blueberries are best known for their powerful antioxidants that help fight free radicals and help fight disease. Blueberries are also rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese and fiber!

Carrots
Carrots are another antioxidant rich food and are also a great source of insoluble and soluble fiber. Carrots are rich in nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B1, vitamin E and so much more! Carrots are also very rich in beta-carotene and act as a coat colour enhancer, intensifying pigment in a dog's fur. Try boiling carrots, processing them raw or grating them over your dog's food to ensure maximum nutrient absorption.

Spinach
One of the most well known superfoods, and just as healthy for dogs as it is for humans! Spinach is full of iron, zinc, niacin, fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin A and much more. Spinach also provides powerful antioxidants and beta-carotene, helping  fight disease and strengthen the body's cells. Blanch, steam or shred raw spinach!

Kale
Kale is known for helping to prevent cancer and is full of antioxidants. It is a nutrient dense leafy green containing beta carotene, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K, lutein, zeaxanthin and so much more. Kale also has anti-inflammatory properties, and when combined with antioxidants and healthy flavonoids is has proven to be a fantastic addition to a dog's diet. You can prepare kale for your dog the same way you would spinach

Apples
NEVER feed apple seeds or the apple core to your dog, feeding the seeds or the core can cause toxicity due to the cyanide found in the seed. The apple meat, however, is packed full of nutritional goodness! Apples are full of phytonutrients, calcium, fiber, vitamins A and C, folate, potassium and magnesium. Feed these raw with the skin, an apple a day keeps the veterinarian away!

Sweet Potato
Sweet potato is best served boiled and cut into cubes and is ideal for dogs that are in need of some healthy fiber to firm up their stool. Sweet potato is an excellent addition to a bland diet program for sick pets. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene and are excellent for intensifying colour pigment in a dog's fur. They are jam packed full of vitamins and minerals such as vitamins K, C, E and A, folate, potassium and calcium.

Nature's own miracle food! Raw green tripe is one of the best additions you can make to your pet's diet. Whether or not you feed a balanced raw food diet, homemade meals or commercial kibble; there are many amazing benefits to this smelly, healthy food!

Raw green tripe is the stomach organ of ruminant animals such as cattle, elk, bison, lamb and venison. Raw green tripe is unbleached and full of living nutrients, unlike the white honeycomb tripe you find in your grocery store. That white tripe has been bleached, sterilized and has had all of the digestive enzymes and nutrients destroyed. White tripe has no benefit to dogs, but raw green tripe has tons!

Raw green tripe is lower in fat, is an excellent source of protein and has a calcium to phosphorous ratio of 1:1, which is perfect for dogs! Raw green tripe is full of living digestive enzymes and healthy probiotics, too!

Some of the many incredible benefits of feeding raw green tripe include an improvement to skin and coat condition, reduction in allergy symptoms and skin conditions, cleaner teeth, improved digestion and absorption of nutrients, a reduction in digestive disorders and problems, and overall improvement to general health. That is just the tip of the iceberg, this canine superfood is proving to be an essential part of a truly healthy diet.

The only downside? The smell! Raw green tripe smells absolutely terrible, but luckily the benefits of feeding this food are so great that most pet parents are willing to sacrifice their appetite to include this in their dog's food bowl.

Green tripe is so beneficial to dogs that it is something they can eat every single day, and can be fed as a muscle meat as part of a dog's raw food diet.  Tripe can also be used as a food topper for finicky dogs and would be an excellent addition to a sick dog's diet.

Interested in switching to a raw food diet or switching to a high quality food? Visit my Diet and Nutrition page or Contact me for more information! Online consultations are available, making it easy to change your dog's life forever through all natural, balanced nutrition!

Angel
K9 Instinct
www.k9instinct.com

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

Coconut oil is a fantastic addition to any dog's diet. More and more people are discovering the amazing health benefits of virgin, unrefined coconut oil... and we are learning that this oil has lots of benefits for our dogs too!   Coconut oil consists of approximately 90% saturated fats, yet most of those fats are Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). The main component of the MCTs in coconut oil is lauric acid; which is antiviral, anti-fungal, antibacterial and helps to balance the immune system. MCTs are an excellent source of energy and are extremely easy to digest, as they do not require lipase or gall bladder bile to digest - making it easily processed in the body.

Coconut oil is very beneficial to the skin and coat. The addition of this oil to the diet can result in the alleviation of skin conditions such as itchy skin, eczema and allergies. Coconut oil can reduce allergic reactions and improve the overall health of the skin and coat while making fur soft and shiny. Coconut oil can be used to deodorize as well, which makes it a phenomenal toothpaste substitute for dogs with stinky breath. Coconut oil can also be used to treat both fungal and yeast infections, including candida overgrowth.

Due to the antibacterial properties of coconut oil you can apply it topically to disinfect wounds and skin abrasions and promote quick healing. I have used coconut oil topically on Hunter with nice results, I find that it speeds the recovery significantly while keeping the wound clean. Apply coconut oil to hot spots, insect bites and stings, scrapes and scratches for protection and healing.

This fantastic oil is also used to treat or improve digestive issues and it is also known for improving digestion and nutrient absorption. Coconut oil is also known to assist in normal regulation of the thyroid, which can also help overweight dogs shed the pounds.

In summary, coconut oil is an extremely healthy oil that consists of mostly saturated fats - but don't let that put you off! Coconut oil is extremely rich in Medium Chain Triglycerides and contains lauric acid which is very easily digested and converted to energy. Coconut oil improves skin and coat conditions, allergic reactions, improves digestion and nutrient absorption, support a healthy immune system and disinfects wound and promotes fast healing.

The dosage for coconut oil is one tablespoon for every 30lbs of body weight. Try this healthy oil for your pet, you won't be disappointed!

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