Top 6 Superfoods for Your Super Dog
You may think that feeding your dog is simple, but they have complex nutritional needs just like their human counterparts do. You want your dog to look and feel as good as they possibly can, and boosting their diets with superfoods for dogs is an excellent way to achieve a happy and healthy dog.
Feeding your dog a well-balanced diet can have several benefits including improving their skin and coat, helping with any digestion issues, building muscle tone, reducing allergies, and adding years to their lives. Whether you have a puppy or a senior dog, they can all benefit from these canine superfoods.
Superfoods and Their Benefits for Your Dog
Just like humans, dogs can get bored with eating the same thing day in and day out. These six superfoods are an easy and inexpensive way to give your dog a little variety while adding extra vitamins, minerals, fats, and nutrients to their food for a more balanced diet.
Apple Cider Vinegar
First on our list of superfoods is apple cider vinegar, and apple cider vinegar is very easy to get and very easy to mix into your dog’s food. It has a very long history of being used as a home remedy for both humans and animals, and it has several health benefits for your dog.
You can purchase this product at almost any grocery store or shopping center, but you may have to slowly introduce it to your dog because it does come with a stronger smell. However, the acidic base in this superfood will help to kill off any excess gastrointestinal bacteria.
You can also use it to repel mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks, and it works well to help soothe itchy skin and a dry coat. It’s a good way to clean your dog’s ears or their feet, and reduce the amount of bacteria present that is causing them to itch or smell.
Blueberries
Not only are blueberries low in calories, but they’re rich in vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and more. Blueberries also come with a sweeter taste that may make this seem more like a treat than food to your dog, and they’re widely available in many stores.
The antioxidants found in this superfood help your dog’s system fight free radicals, and free radicals are the things that are responsible for molecular and cellular damage in your dog. They can reduce the effects of brain aging, boost your dog’s immune system, and it can help to control your dog’s blood sugar levels.
The fiber content in blueberries helps your dog keep their digestive system regular, and it can reduce the number of digestive issues they have. Eating blueberries can reduce your dog’s chances of having oxidative cell damage, and this is very important with active breeds like sled dogs.
Carrots
Carrots are packed full of beta-carotene, and beta-carotene has several health benefits for your dog. Carrots are also low in calories and fat, so they’re a great treat if you have an overweight dog that you’re trying to help lose weight.
Beta Carotene is an antioxidant that helps to improve your dog’s eyesight, and it can help to lower your dog’s risk of heart disease or cardiac issues. Your dog’s teeth will benefit as well because carrots naturally clean them when your dog eats it.
They’re also loaded with fiber, and around three ounces of carrots will give your dog two grams of fiber to help regulate their digestive system. There is a lot of Vitamin A packed into one serving of carrots, and this vitamin can boost your dog’s immune system and support your dog’s coat and skin health.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a naturally-occurring oil that is extracted from mature coconuts and it has a high saturated fat content that can benefit both humans and dogs. It is very rich in antioxidants, and these antioxidants can help fight the signs of aging in your dog.
This oil can also increase your dog’s energy levels, and this is important if your dog is overweight or aging. It’s full of Vitamin E as well, and this vitamin helps to add shine and luster to your dog’s coat while improving their overall skin and coat conditions.
It also has the added benefit that it’s very easy to feed your dog, and you can add it right in when you’re preparing their meals. You can also use it as a base for homemade treats, and you can use it for topical applications, so it works both internally and externally at the same time.
Fish Oil
Fish oil is a multi-use product that works simultaneously on both internal and external problems your dog may have. It’s a very important component in your dog’s skin health, and it has several notable anti-inflammatory properties that make it an excellent superfood to combat arthritis in older dogs.
It’s packed with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, and these acids work to improve your dog’s skin and coat while adding a healthy and shiny look. Your dog will also benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties because it can help to reduce any itching or scratching your dog may be doing.
Fish oil is also a great aid for brain and eye development, and studies have linked it to slowing certain cancer growths. It comes in several forms that are relatively easy to feed to your dog on a daily basis, and it can help calm over-excitable behavior.
Kale
The last superfood on our list is kale, and kale one green leafy vegetable that brings several key vitamins and nutrients to your dog’s diet. It is one of the healthiest green vegetables available, and you can feed it to your dog by steaming it and mixing it in with their normal dog food or baking it into a doggie chip.
Kale is rich in calcium, and calcium helps to support strong bone growth while preventing any bone thinning that comes with older dogs. It’s also packed full of iron and vitamins A, C, and K. Vitamin A helps with healthy teeth, bones, and eyesight while vitamin C helps to strengthen your dog’s immune system and fight the effects of aging.
Vitamin K can help prevent bone problems, and it is an excellent clotting agent that helps wounds heal. This green vegetable is low in calories, and it contains zero grams of fat, so it can help your dog lose weight and provide variety in their everyday diet.
These six superfoods for dogs are a great way to improve your dog’s diet while making sure that they get an extra boost of nutrients and vitamins. We hope that you enjoyed this article, and we’d love to hear what you think in our comment section. We also invite you to share our content if you enjoy it or if you believe someone you know could benefit from reading it.
