Feeding Vegetables to Dogs
There is a lot of conflicting advice about feeding dogs vegetables. Here we will explore which are suitable and what to avoid or keep to a minimum.
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
Summer Coat Rinse
A soothing, cooling coat rinse for hot summer days or a spritz to ease any itchiness at this time of year.
You`ll need:
A large measuring jug
Spray/Mist bottle
Organic Cider Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
1 teabag Nettle tea & 1 teabag Chamomile tea
Optional 1 teaspoon of calendula or lavender petals
One mug of hot water and One mug of boiled - cooled water
Place the tea bags & optional calendula petals into the mug of hot water and leave to steep for 5 minutes. Lift out the tea bags & petals and add to the boiled-cooled water. Stir in the cider vinegar.
Either use as a coat rinse when it is tepid in temperature or place into a water mist or spritzer bottle.
It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
Green Dog Pesto - Spring
Spring brings with it lots of vibrant new growth, both in the veg patch and in the wild. It`s too good an opportunity to miss!
Full of fresh green goodness, this smoothie recipe for your dog, has a little twist in the form of added nuts and seeds.
Almonds are rich in vitamin E and Magnesium and Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and selenium. As an alternative to almonds, a brazil nut can be added, but avoid using macadamia or any salted nuts.
At this time of year there is no shortage of seasonal greens, but the following are favourites of mine. Choose a few leaves from the following or add one or two to your dogs usual veggie blend.
Parsley, Basil, Little Gem or Coz lettuce, Wild Garlic, Dandelion leaves, Watercress, Cleavers, Spinach, Chard, Spring Greens, Asparagus stalks.
Many of these are easy to grow at home or can be foraged for and when freshly picked are even more nutritious.
You will need
A selection of Summer greens (approximately 2 cups full)
2 whole, un-blanched Almonds
5 Pumpkin seeds
Splash of water or make a tea from a Hedgerow Hounds herbal blend, Greens, Seeds & Superfoods or Natures Bounty as an example.
How to Make:
Place your selected leaves and any veggies into a smoothie maker or blender and add enough water or your herb tea to blend into a thick puree consistency.
Keep in the fridge and use within 2 days or freeze in individual moulds for later use
If your dog is new to eating vegetables, then start off with small amounts and gradually increase over a week or two. Steamed or pulped, (low GI and low starch) vegetables can make up around 10%-15% of your dogs meals and are a nice addition to any diet.
Caroline Hearn – Hedgerow Hounds
Crowning Glory - The Coronation Blend
A beautiful, colourful blend of herbs, berries and petals to celebrate the Crowning of King Charles III.
Here are some of the ingredients and why they were chosen:
Lemon Balm is uplifting and calming in its nature
Nettle is incredibly nutritious as well as providing comfort for seasonal allergies, ideal as we come into peak allergy season.
Parsley is used to ease intestinal gas and freshen breath as well as offering vitamin C, fibre, calcium, iron and magnesium.
Spearmint A lovely, fragrant herb to lift the spirits, help the respiratory system, ease tummy troubles and bad breath.
Dandelion Leaf Is a natural diuretic, stimulates salivation and improves digestion due to its bitter tasting qualities and makes a great liver tonic in the spring
Calendula The petals have anti-inflammatory properties, are antibacterial and very soothing to all the mucous membranes in the body.
Rosehips & Petals Rosehips are particularly rich in vitamin C and also Biotin which is great for promoting a healthy coat and strong claws. Rose lowers adrenaline levels and helps to balance the hormones. Roses are of course also a symbol of love, commitment and they bring comfort in times of stress, which when you think about it, so do our dogs.
How to use:
You can simply stir a generous pinch (around 1 level teaspoon) into your dogs moist food or if feeding a dry food rehydrate the same amount of herbs with a little warm water, leave for a few minutes , then add to your dogs food.
The “Crowning Glory” blend can be made into a tea using a tea diffuser or natural teabag. Make a brew with a level tablespoon of the herbs, pour on hot water, leave to steep for 5 minutes and then when luke warm, offer to your dog, pour onto their food or use in a treat recipe. You can also use the liquid to blend their vegetables in. The remaining rehydrated herbs can be added to meal times also.
A Dogs Digestive System- Immunity, Emotions and Microbiome
The more the gut is studied the more we realise the vital role it plays in achieving optimum health, disease prevention and stabilising our dogs emotional state.
At first glance the digestive system appears to have a very simple task of taking in food, digesting it, absorbing nutrients and then excreting the waste, and while everything is in good working order, we never even give it a second thought.
It is in fact an incredibly complex structure with a vast number of tasks to undertake. The more the gut is studied the more we realise the vital role it plays in achieving optimum health, disease prevention and stabilising our dogs emotional state.
Digestive process
Although the teeth are needed to some extent to bite, crush and tear off food the actual process of digestion doesn`t really start until it reaches the stomach. With no digestive enzymes in the saliva to kick start it off, food needs to quickly get where the real work begins, which is in the stomach.
Oesophagus:
Is a long muscular tube that runs down the neck, passes through the diaphragm and uses strong contractions to push food directly into the stomach.
Stomach:
The stomach lies at the front of the abdominal cavity, tucked just behind the liver and acts like a big mixing bowl.
Any incoming food is first subjected to an acid bath of around ph1, this immediately gets to work breaking down protein and also killing any harmful bacteria.
The walls of the stomach are lined with a thick mucous which provides protection from the strong acid as well as stopping the stomach from literally digesting itself.
As the stomach expands with food, a peptide hormone called gastrin is released, which in turn triggers more hydrochloric acid and digestive enzyme production.
To aid digestion even further the surface of the stomach is a mass of wrinkles and folds which expand and contract to grab food particles and perform a churning or chewing like action.
At this point the thick soup like constancy of partly digested food and secretions is known as chyme.
The food has now been in the dogs stomach for anywhere between five and ten hours and its next destination is the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine.
Pancreas
The pancreas is a small gland, which sits next to the stomach and is attached to the small intestine, here it transports digestive enzymes through two excretory ducts into the duodenum.
The enzymes it produces are amylase to help digest starch , lipase to digest fats and trypsin and chymotrypsin to deal with the protein.
Enzymes are needed to break down food into tiny molecules and allow the absorption of nutrients into the cells of the intestines which then go on to be released into the bloodstream.
It also produces and secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon that regulate blood sugar levels. The higher the concentration of sugar in the diet the more insulin is secreted into the bloodstream and the harder the pancreas has to work.
Liver
The liver is the largest gland in the body and the only organ that has the potential to regenerate after disease or injury.
Its many crucial jobs include producing bile to assist the small intestine in breaking down and absorbing fats and to process the nutrients that are absorbed by the small intestine.
Its other roles include storing vitamins and minerals, acting as a filter for toxins in the bloodstream and as a glycogen store for when extra energy is needed.
Small intestine
The small intestine is made up of three sections, Duodenum, Jejunum (longest) and the ileum (shortest)
On receiving the nutrient rich chyme from the stomach, it is joined by secretions from the liver, gallbladder and pancreas to further assist in the digestion process.
The small intestine is lined with millions of tiny finger like projections called the Villi, these act to increase the surface area in order to trap and absorb as many nutrients as possible.
Most of the absorption of nutrients takes place in the small intestine, which are then released into the bloodstream to travel throughout the body to be utilised by the cells.
The final and shortest part of the small intestine is called the Ileum, here the food gets broken down even further in preparation to enter the cecum, the first section of the large intestine.
Large intestine :
The large intestine is made up of the cecum, colon and rectum.
Its purpose is to remove water from the faeces, keep electrolytes in balance and to prepare and temporarily store any indigestible matter for excretion.
But there is much more activity going on in the colon than just that and although not a glamorous area of interest, it does deserve our full care and attention.
The large intestine has a high concentration of bacteria referred to as the Microbiome.
Microbiome.
The microbiome is a collection of microbes made up of bacteria, viruses and fungi that we all have in our gut for efficient digestion, absorption of vital nutrients and to build a strong immune system.
Our dogs would have acquired their unique bugs from their mother at birth and developed others depending on the environment they lived in and the food they ate.
The delicate balance of the microbiome can easily be disrupted by medication such as antibiotics, periods of stress and anxiety and a poor, unsuitable diet.
When everything is in balance these good bugs work hard to extract as much nutrition as possible out of the food that is consumed and to ensure the smooth running of the whole gastrointestinal tract.
The bacteria are also responsible for assisting in hormone production such as serotonin, which occurs in the highest concentration thorough out the lining of the gut.
A thriving, balanced microbiome is absolutely essential for the dogs ability to resist or fight disease, control inflammation in the body and for a positive influence on their mental wellbeing.
Rectum and anal glands.
The faeces are then ready to be expelled along with the indigestible matter and dead red blood cells that it contains.
Ideally the dogs stool will be quite firm, which will press on the anal glands as it is passed, causing the glands to naturally empty.
Emotions and the Gut
The gut is very sensitive to emotions, and I am sure we have all experienced the butterflies in the stomach, stomach cramps, that tight feeling in our guts or acid indigestion which can come on in a split second when we are nervous, excited, fearful or anticipating a particular event.
If this is a brief episode, it is unlikely to have any lasting health effects, if on the other hand it is a regular occurrence with little respite then the impact on the gut and therefore the health is huge.
There is a major factor in the link between gut health and emotions in the form of the enteric nervous system also referred to as the ENS.
The ENS consists of millions of nerves lining the gut and specialists often call it the “second brain” as it has complex pathways to relay information back and forth from the gut to the brain as they interact.
It is capable of shutting down the digestion in times of acute stress such as in a fight or flight situation.
Stress can be caused by many factors such as separation anxiety, excessive ball throwing so the dog is on a constant adrenaline high, inappropriate exercise for the dogs age or mobility, inability to cope in a stressful household and pain, illness or disease.
Whilst these are mainly emotionally based reactions that can be witnessed as the dog exhibiting certain behaviours, a poor quality, inappropriate diet, exposure to toxins or chemicals can also cause the body stress, which may not show any visible signs immediately but develop over time into disease or outwardly noticeable changes in health and behaviour.
A gut that isn`t functioning correctly can manifest as the dog showing anxious, edgy or reactive behaviour which in turn triggers the release of stress hormones into the blood stream such as adrenalin and in the case of cortisol increase the level of glucose in the blood and will over time adversely affect the adrenal glands.
Immunity and the Gut
The gut forms between 70 - 80% of the immune system and has a vital role in regulating immunity, protecting our bodies from invaders such as allergens and pathogens and controlling inflammation.
The food we choose for our dogs and the lifestyle choices we make for them will have either a negative or positive effect on their overall gut health, ability to utilise the nutrients in the food they eat, the essential fuel to grow and repair their body and to thrive well into their senior years.
Caroline Hearn MICHT. Dip. ICAT MIAAT- Canine & Equine sports & holistic therapist
www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk
Natural First Aid Kit for Dogs & Horses
Must haves for your first aid kit that can be used on all members of the family both 2 and 4 legged.
Here are a few items that I always have to hand in my first aid kit, whether its for myself, the dogs or the horses, they are all invaluable, safe and effective.
GREEN CLAY : So many uses for green clay and a popular choice in the daily Essentials Range to tackle everything from wounds to hot spots in dogs. It can be used to help slow down or stop bleeding, to dry up hot spots, weeping sores and wet eczema. It also repels flies away from a wound and used wet as a paste it is excellent for acting as a protective barrier or drawing out heat and infection from a wound or abscess. If the area is very sore it can be sprinkled on with a brush and a layer built up without the need for invasive touching of the area. It also relieves itching , reduces heat and soothes rashes. When used as a paste a drop of lavender or oregano essential oil mixed in will help keep infection away.
There is a high quality green clay available in the shop click on this link: https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/green-clay
Pure Green Clay
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LEUCILLIN: Is perfect for cleaning wounds and with the bonus that is does not sting on application. It is such a versatile product and can be used on all mammals, birds and reptiles. It is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. It effectively kills germs on contact but also has a very soothing and anti-inflammatory property. Perfect for wound cleaning, hot spots, wet eczema, mud fever, fly strike, lick granulomas and inflamed skin. It is also available in a 50ml dropper bottle which is ideal as an eye wash or for use when the animal is reactive to the sound of a spray. It can be found on the shop on this link https://www.hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/leucillin-antiseptic-spray
ARNICA : Another remedy I wouldn't be without is Arnica, both in Homeopathic pill form and either a gel or cream. Fantastic for relieving the pain of bruising and if you and your dog have overexerted yourselves on a particularly strenuous walk or sporting activity. It also aids in a quicker recovery from an operation and to support a patient that is shocked and unsettled after an accident. Topically it is really good for bruising but don't use on broken skin. A great combination remedy for sprains, strains and minor injury is the Helios Injury remedy.
APIS MEL Remedy : Just in case anyone happens to get stung by a bee or a wasp, take as soon as possible to lessen the effects.
HEALING BALM: https://hedgerowhounds.co.uk/products/adore-the-paw-healing-balm
Natural Healing Balm to soothe cracked, dry paws, rashes, crusty elbows and noses, scrapes, grazes and sore skin. Acts as a barrier in wet, muddy conditions. New softer texture balm in a larger 60g pot.
RESCUE REMEDY: This can be a huge help for people or animals that are going into shock or in a complete panic. A few drops can be put directly into the mouth at the time of the trauma then diluted and taken for ongoing support. There are blends specifically for animals that use glycerine instead of an alcohol base and are often called emergency essence. A good company to buy from are called Creature Comforters based in Norfolk.
ICE PACK: A portable icepack is useful in your kit should you not have access to ice in the home or you are out walking. The packs that you can pop and they turn very cold can be used as a temporary measure to reduce swelling, bleeding and pain until you can get further assistance.
ALOE GEL: Very soothing and cooling for minor burns and will offer immediate protection and a barrier for a cut or graze.
BLANKET or LARGE TOWEL: Can be used as a stretcher to carry a dog that is injured or collapsed and also to provide warmth if the patient is going into shock.
TWEEZERS: Can come in useful for removing thorns or small splinters. Do not be tempted to try and remove a thorn or foreign object from the eye instead seek immediate medical/ veterinary attention.
TICK REMOVING TOOL: It is essential if anyone has been bitten by a tick which is still attached that it is removed quickly and safely . A tool specifically for the job is really the only efficient way and don't be tempted to apply anything to the tick as this causes them to become stressed and empty the contents of their stomach. Instead gently remove with the tool according to the instructions of that particular product. Wipe the area after removal with Leucillin.
It goes without saying that none of the above should replace veterinary treatment if it is needed and in an emergency consult your vet immediately.