Feeding Vegetables to Dogs

Should I add vegetables or not? If so which type?

So should we bother feeding vegetables to our dogs and will it even benefit them?

There are many benefits to including some fresh vegetables to our dogs diet. It is important that they are prepared in a way that our dogs can digest them either through cooking, steaming or blitzing to a smoothie. We should all be including more veg in our diets so maybe the easiest way is just to prepare a bit extra when you are preparing your own meals and then set it aside for your dog.

Phytonutrients

The term ‘phytonutrients’ is a name for a variety of compounds only found in plants that have a vast array of health-giving properties. They are covered in far greater detail in the vegetable and fruit section and are a useful way to provide additional micronutrients and antioxidants to your dog’s diet. If the inclusion of fruit, vegetables and seeds is a new experience for your dog, then start off by incorporating tiny amounts until his system adapts and you find the ingredients that suit your particular dog.

Probably the best known of the phytonutrients are carotenoids and flavonoids.

Carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for the vibrant red, yellow, orange and green hues found in vegetables, fruits and plants that can play an important role in protecting cells against harmful effects of light, air and pollution. Beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein are all different types of carotenoid that can easily be included in the diet. They act as anti-oxidants which protect cells from free radicals, which are substances that work to destroy cell membranes and DNA.

 Foods that are rich in carotenoids are:

·        Lutein: collard greens, Swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, kale and dandelion greens.

·        Lycopene: red/orange bell peppers, watermelon, pomegranate, apples, mint and blackberries.

·        Beta-carotene: carrots, sweet potato, broccoli and romaine lettuce.

·        Flavonoids: These give berries their red, blue and purple colour and can be included in the diet in the form of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and bilberries.

So, what does the inclusion of veg and fruit have offer to our dogs?

They provide a wealth of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre, including vitamins A, B, C, E and K, and minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Anti-oxidants protect against many diseases due to the aging process, and for a degenerative condition such as progressive retinal atrophy a diet rich in anti-oxidants is the only known way to slow down the deterioration of this eye disease.

Fresh vegetables also encourage enzyme production and offer a gentle cleansing and balancing effect on the ph. levels of the body.

Depending on the type of vegetable, they provide soluble and insoluble fibre, which benefit the gut bacteria, and can bind to and remove certain toxins as well as adding bulk and moisture to the faeces.

With intensively farmed animals and soil depletion becoming a concern, our food is lacking in the level of nutrients that it provided many years ago, so the addition of vegetables, herbs, berries and some grains is a way to try and fill any nutritional gaps. The more variety we can add into our dog’s diet the less we will have to rely on dietary supplements.

An ideal herbal supplement in the Hedgerow Hounds range is Nature’s Boost, which combines vegetables, herbs, seeds & superfoods.

How to prepare and feed.

Due to the fact that dogs cannot digest the cellulose in vegetables, the best way to serve is to blend in a food processor to break down the plant’s tough cell wall, until they resemble a thick smoothie consistency, which also mimics the partly digested contents of a prey animal’s stomach.

Other options would be to lightly steam them or finely grate them into the food.

If you want to make larger batches up or you are lucky enough to grow your own veg and have a glut in the summer, then the pureed, pulped veg can be frozen into ice cube trays or pots for convenience.

If they are served whole many dogs just lift pieces of veg out, eat around them in the bowl, or pass them out the other end undigested, to make full use of the nutrients they need to be broken down.

A good feeding guideline would be 7% vegetables and 3% berries, although if you are looking to reduce the overall cost of home-prepared food, or if the dog needs to lose weight, then more veg can be added to make up a quarter of the meal.

The addition of vegetables will change the overall percentages, so subtract from the muscle meat and not the bone or offal which provides the calcium and vitamins. So, for instance a usual 80-10-10 ratio would become 70% (meat) 10% (bone) 10% offal and 10% vegetables.

Start off with a small amount and then monitor how your dog is handling the inclusion of vegetables in his diet.

It is not essential to feed vegetables every day, but even three times a week will be beneficial, rotating different types and changing with the seasons where possible

www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk

Simple Ways to Improve your Dogs Diet

Adding fresh food to your dog’s meals can give huge health benefits and help in the prevention of many serious diseases .

Not everyone wants to feed raw or home cooked food, and the majority of dogs still eat tinned food or kibble. When manufacturing kibble or muesli-type food, it requires a very high temperature, and many of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, which are then replaced with synthetic vitamins and mineral supplements.

Adding a few of the following fresh foods at least 3 times a week will supply the dog with vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants, amino acids, glucosamine, and micro nutrients that they can easily absorb and utilise within their body.

Here are a few simple ways to increase the nutritional value of any meals and add variation:

Bone Broth: Packed full of glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, amino acids & minerals. Great for joint and gut health.

Tinned Pilchards or Sardines: Omega 3 fatty acids & DHA for coat and skin health and anti-inflammatory effects. Choose the ones in tomato juice or spring water

Eggs: Either raw or very lightly cooked, provide high-quality protein and fat, and are a good source of biotin.

Medicinal Mushrooms:  Such as Reishi, Chaga, Turkey tail, Shiitake etc, have an abundance of health-giving qualities and are believed to help in cancer prevention and to boost the immunity.

Dandelion leaves: Contain vitamin C, B6, thiamine, calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, copper, and a flavonoid called zeaxanthin, which is crucial for protecting the retina and is an effective antioxidant. Pick from areas free from chemical sprays & pollution.

Berries: Blackberries, when in season, blueberries, and raspberries are packed full of vitamin C and rich in antioxidants.

Fresh leafy greens: Either lightly steam or, as I prefer, make vegetable smoothies for the dogs is a great way to add an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to their meals. It has also been proven to reduce the risk of some cancers just by adding a small amount of vegetables to processed food. Avoid the starchy veg and go for kale, broccoli, spinach, beet tops, dandelion leaves, Parsley, courgette, etc, plus a few berries.

Herbal Blends:  Hedgerow Hounds offer a range of herbal blends to add valuable nutrition to your dog’s meal times.

www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk

Carnivore or Omnivore?

 Whether dogs are carnivores or omnivores seems to spark many a passionate debate.

All their anatomical attributes point to them being facultative (scavenging) carnivores. Which in general terms means that they are predominately meat eaters but they can, if needed survive on plant matter.

One way to explore what our dogs are designed to eat is to look at their anatomical and physiological features and what nature has given them in order to survive to the best of their abilities.  

Dogs come in a vast array of shapes, sizes and specific breed types but basically their anatomy and how their bodies work has barely changed over thousands of years. 

The natural wild survival and behavioural traits may have lessened over the centuries but there are still many attributes that our pet dogs have in common with their distant ancestors.

Scenting ability

Nature has given the dog the most exceptional sense of smell for a very good reason. Dogs dedicate 33% of their brain for the very important task of following a scent, which is essential if you need to track and kill your own dinner or seek out something tasty to scavenge.   

Their ability to recognise a scent is exceptionable and with 300 million olfactory receptors compared to our 5 million they are in a different league to most other mammals when it comes to scenting ability.

A dog can quickly use his nose to gain lots of information about his environment and also to detect species that have travelled through the surrounding area. They also have the physique to run at speed with their nose a matter of centimetres from the ground and to follow a scent over many miles, even when the “prey” has long since passed by.   

Dew Claws

Dogs have a pointed dew claw on the inner aspect of their front legs which does not come into contact with the ground until they are moving through the faster paces, then it provides a very important role.

Many people think that dew claws have no purpose, but if you have ever observed a dog eating a raw bone you will see that they dig the dew claw into the meat or sinew to position and prevent movement of the bone while eating.

Dew claws also have a vital role in stabilising the lower leg and in particular when cornering at speed, as there are five tendon attachments coming off it leading to muscles that prevent twisting of the limb when it comes into contact with the ground. This can prove essential in injury prevention when travelling over uneven terrain at high speed, such as the chasing of prey or needing to flee a source of danger.     

Head

Carnivores have very big jaws in relation to the size of their heads. Although they have reduced facial muscles to allow for the opening of the mouth, the primary muscles that operate the jaws are the large, developed temporalis muscle on their skull and combined with powerful neck and shoulder muscles, overpower, hold prey , crush bones and have the strength to carry away items that have been scavenged so they can be eaten in a safe environment.      

Teeth

The teeth of the dog are probably the biggest clue as to what canines are designed to eat. Like a Swiss army knife, each group of teeth have a very specific job to do in order to deal with capturing, puncturing and devouring almost a whole carcass. None of the structure or function of the dogs teeth and jaws lend themselves to eating or grinding cereals.  

Incisors are the small teeth at the front of the mouth, they are used to nibble and strip away sinew and meat from the bone.

Canine teeth also referred to as fangs or cuspids are the long pointed teeth used for holding and puncturing flesh. There are two canines in the upper jaw (maxilla) and two in the lower jaw (mandible). They are single rooted teeth and the upper canine tends to be longer and more pointed than the lower.

Premolars are designed to crush and slice due to their uneven surface and scissor like action. There is a modified molar called a Carnassial which you will see as the largest and most jagged premolar. It has three roots and is a heavy-duty tool to crush bones and meat. A dog will often tilt their head to one side to gain full use of this tooth when gnawing on a bone or to slice through a large chunk of meat for easier swallowing. The top jaw has two molars each side and the bottom jaw has three which are used for crushing.    

 Mouth

Dogs do not have any side to side action in their jaws so unlike ourselves or herbivores they can’t grind their food before swallowing. Their jaw is a simple hinge joint and has a chomping up and down movement and a strong, muscular tongue which can manipulate food to where it can be crushed by the powerful jaws.

They do not possess any salivary amylase, which is a specialised digestive enzyme that herbivores and omnivores produce in their mouth and together with the chewing and grinding action of the molars starts to immediately break down starchy carbohydrates before we even swallow.      

The oesophagus is capable of allowing the passage of large pieces of meat, after all the dog isn't capable of breaking the meat down by chewing or salivary amylase, so it needs to get the food to where that can happen, which is in the stomach.

Stomach and Digestive tract

Dogs have a short digestive tract so they can expel waste quickly which is particularly important if they have been eating food that is covered in bacteria.

We have all seen dogs eat the most disgusting and decaying of items, which if eaten by ourselves would have us omitted to hospital, yet at worst they may have a slight upset tummy for 24 hours.

They have an incredibly strong stomach acid of around pH1 which is needed to break down large amounts of protein, to dissolve bone and as a protection against any decaying food that may have been scavenged. The walls of their stomach are covered in a thick mucosa to provide protection from the corrosive acid and to literally stop the stomach from digesting itself.     

Dogs produce amylase in their pancreas which is passed into the blood stream to assist in digesting carbohydrates.

All the leading dog food companies state that dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates in their diet, yet they appear in very large amounts in the majority of processed foods.

Recent studies have shown that there has been some adaptation over the years in dogs’ ability to digest starch. One study comparing wolves to our domestic dogs showed that dogs of today had between 4 – 30 copies of a gene code for amylase while wolves had 2 copies. This shows that dogs may now find it easier to digest carbohydrates, but with such a large gap between 4 and 30 copies it also shows that some dogs will not thrive as well as others on a high carbohydrate diet. It comes back to the importance of treating a dog as an individual and just like ourselves, what is ideal for one person can be very detrimental to the health of another.   

Behaviour traits

Dogs still exhibit some of the behaviour traits of their ancestors and in certain breeds this will be particularly noticeable.  

Man has taken full advantage of these natural behaviours and over many hundreds of years, through selective breeding have created companions to work alongside them. This can be anything from using their natural herding instinct to manage sheep, tracking and bringing down prey to feed the owners family and retrieving shot game.

Many dogs are keen diggers and will bury food and in particular bones as if storing them for a time when food is scarce.  

Heightened senses and prey drive

All their senses are heightened, eyesight, hearing and in particular sense of smell so they can continually analyse who is approachable and where any potential food source may be.     

This strong prey drive is still noticeable today in the gundog, terrier and hound groups who are just primed to follow a scent or in the case of sight hounds to chase sudden movement.      

Instinctively driven to eat seasonal berries, grasses and herbivore droppings.

ling an empty stomach and go some way to enriching the life of a highly sensory being that is our beloved If dogs are given a large, natural environment to wander over it is surprising how much time they spend exploring, sniffing, experimenting what is edible and generally foraging. This can include a particular type of grass, seasonal berries, herbs, plant roots or tubers, clay soil or rotting wood. This could be for medicinal use, to ease a stomach upset, rid the body of parasites, provide additional fibre and moisture or to top up on minerals that are lacking in their diet.

Studies of wild canine populations demonstrate the wide variety of food stuffs that they will eat over the changing seasons. This is also dependant on location and if there is access to fallen fruit, nuts, berries, fish, small mammals or waste food from human inhabitation nearby in which to supplement the diet. 

Dogs particularly favour the droppings of herbivores such as horses, cows and deer. Although this is only digested, fermented grass and possibly hay in the case of domesticated animals, it does provide enzymes, fibre, moisture and have probiotic qualities.

What are dogs?

Set aside for a moment your views on what dogs should be eating and look instead at what Canis Lupus Familiaris, aka our dogs, actually are?

They are highly intelligent, inquisitive, scavengers, exploring their world primarily by scent. They investigate aroma, taste, texture and edibility with all their senses. They are foragers, trackers, diggers, chewers, adventurers, opportunists and hunters. They are playful, problem solvers that adapt to their environment and not only the food source that is available at that given time but also the volume and frequency of that food.

Nature has given them the anatomy and physiology to eat a vast array of food types and if it was absolutely necessary, the ability to track, catch or at least scavenge their own dinner.  

Baring all this in mind, are we not doing them a major disservice by serving up the same beige pellets in a bowl, every single day for a lifetime?

I am certainly not suggesting that you encourage or allow your dog to chase and catch wildlife, but could you offer some more enrichment at mealtimes?

This could be by adding a little steamed or pureed vegetables into their meals, a sprinkling of herbs or blackberries, offering some appropriate fresh cooked food, rotating the flavour or type of food you offer, the use of interactive food toys, snuffle mats, games in the garden that involve tracking and finding their favourite treats or food.

Feeding your Dog during the Coronavirus

Tinned, Raw and Dried Food, enhanced with a few fresh ingredients, can make meal times go a little further.

It is a very difficult time for all of us at the moment and without the freedom to nip to the shops to purchase our usual supplies or in many cases finding the supermarket shelves bare when we get there, can be a stressful situation.

While many pet food suppliers are carrying on trading, you may find that there are certain considerations in place when you come to order. My local store had to close but they are taking orders over the phone and either delivering locally to your door or you are allocated a slot where you can collect from outside the shop. If you are concerned, then contact your usual supplier to see what their procedure is for ordering food. I am sure they will be more than happy to help you. The situation with the virus escalated quickly and some panic buying was reported, which now has even out, as people start to adapt to living differently.

The other issue I have found, is that I only have one small freezer, which generally has more dog food in it than human food. This has never been a problem up until now but I need to claim some freezer space back for my own food so I am stocked up for a couple of weeks with essentials.

If you are struggling to get the normal volume of your dogs food and are looking for ways to make what you have last a bit longer or maybe you want to add a little fresh food into your dogs diet and are unsure of what to use, then the following information should help.

Firstly, have an honest look at your dogs current weight and condition, are they carrying too much weight and would they benefit from losing a few pounds?

Has their routine changed since the movement restrictions? ie: they are used to having an hours exercise off lead in the fields but at the moment they are getting a 15 minute walk around the block on a lead, so therefore need fewer calories.

Do they have a major health issue or specific dietary requirements? If so, this may not be the time to make major changes without expert guidance.

If you have never added any fresh food before or made any major changes to your dogs diet, start off with small amounts of green leafy vegetables which have been lightly boiled, steamed or pulped in a blender. Then gradually increase over a number of days, until a quarter (15%) of your dogs meals have been replaced by fresh food. Feeding a variety of the foods listed below will avoid excess or deficiencies and keeping it to 15% maximum will not upset the balance.

Try to offer a small selection, so for example in the photos above, I have included a single tinned pilchard, some greens, a slice of cooked sweet potato, a couple of blueberries and a tablespoon of cooked quinoa which adds up to approximately 15% of the meal. The easiest way is to set a few bits and pieces aside in a separate bowl as you prepare you own meals.

These are a few ideas to make their meals go a little further, bulk up the food you do have and add volume to prevent hunger pangs.

Items to consider adding:

Eggs: A raw or lightly cooked free range egg, 3 times a week are a fantastic source of protein. If your dog isn’t a fan of vegetables you could make them an omelette and sneak a little cooked veg in the pan as well.

Rice or Pasta: Brown or wild rice is preferable but if white rice is all you can find then this is acceptable in small amounts for the short term. Rinse well, before cooking thoroughly.

Buckwheat, Quinoa, Millet: It is important to thoroughly cook grains before you feed them to your dog so they can digest them easily. Out of the grains available these are gluten free and better suited to dogs.

Sweet Potato: Sweet potato is not a member of the nightshade family but is actually from the Bindweed family. This means that dogs who can`t tolerate normal potatoes are often fine when fed small amounts of sweet potato.

Tinned sardines or pilchards: These are a great item to have in the store cupboard and can used to replace some meat or kibble in the diet. They are cheap, tasty and an excellent source of Omega3. Try and find them in spring water or failing that tomato juice, which you can drain away before feeding.

Green leafy vegetables: Green vegetables are an ideal way to start to incorporate a little fresh food into your dogs meal times. Kale, spinach, courgette, broccoli florets and stalks, green beans, coz lettuce are all good additions. Vegetables do need to be steamed or alternatively fed raw but blitzed in a blender to form a thick puree. This allows the cellulose in the plants to be broken down for easier digestion. This means your dog can gain nutrients from the vegetables and are less likely to get an upset stomach.

Cottage cheese or plain natural yoghurt: If dairy suits your particular dog then small amounts of natural live yoghurt or natural cottage cheese can be added to your vegetable mix.

Kibble or dried food: I am not a fan of kibble, but if needs must then there are a few out there which have nice ingredients and are not made using harsh cooking methods. It`s a good idea to look on the website All about Dog food, which compares and gives ratings to the brands on the market. You can always limit the volume fed by measuring out a set amount and placing it in treat dispenser toys, snuffle mats or use for interactive scent games in the garden. As an example of a better quality dried food there is a company called Akela that sell cold pressed as well as the regular kibble that score highly on the All about Dog food website. It has a high percentage of meat so you need to feed less of it than the standard kibble.

Tinned food: There is a good choice of quality tinned foods available such as Natures Menu which are stocked in most pet food stores. Tins have the advantage of a long shelf life and can be stored anywhere cool.

Dehydrated or Freeze-dried foods: While this isn’t a cheap option there are many good products of this type on the market. They have a long shelf life and do not need fridge or freezer space in order to store it.

Recreational bones: Large raw bones or beef tracheas can provide hours of entertainment and the act of chewing releases feel good hormones. I find after my dogs have chewed on a bone for a period of time they are so tired that they sleep soundly for hours afterwards, they are often so satisfied that they don’t miss not having a second meal that particular day. Beef tracheas can be stuffed with a portion of your dogs daily meal so they have to work a bit harder to consume it.

Of course, not all dogs can be given raw bones due to resource guarding or issues within a multi dog household, so this may not be an option.

What to avoid: Do not feed grapes, raisins, chocolate, onions, gravy which contains high levels of salt, garlic and onions, anything that contains sweeteners such as Xylitol and cooked fat.

Other ways to keep your dog entertained and to make feed time last a bit longer, is to make them work for their treats. Hiding dried food in snuffle mats, using boxes in the undergrowth of your garden to place treats in or stuffing a trachea or Kong with a portion of their daily food.

If you need additional help with your dogs diet or they have special requirements due to ill health or sensitivities then our canine nutritional specialist Katie McCaul can advise you. She can be contacted by email at the following address katiemccaul@hotmail.com