A balanced diet is important for all animals, humans and dogs included. Processed dog foods run into the same problems as processed human foods, though, sometimes including more filler ingredients than necessary nutrients.
Humans take multivitamins and supplements to make sure they are consuming the essential elements their body systems need for optimal health and disease prevention. The same types of things can help dogs achieve longevity and vitality.
What do dogs need to get a balanced diet, and how can certain foods minimize their risk of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses?
This quick guide will help dog parents make sure their favorite four-legged companions are getting the nutrients they need and offer some suggestions for healthy, pet-friendly treats to spoil your fur-baby!
Preventing sickness, naturally
A lot of things can lead to illness in pets, but many of them are preventable. Factors like stress, environmental issues like pollution, chemical exposure, genetics, and diet each play a role. Knowing how to balance — and counteract — some of the more negative influences can go a long way toward keeping your dog healthy for years to come.
The best news of all is that exercise, fresh air, and a nutrient-rich diet can dramatically boost your pups’ vitality, reduce premature aging, lower inflammation, and boost their internal immune responses. Here are some of the fruits and vegetables your dog can enjoy and how they can help keep him or her active for as long as possible.
Fruits and vegetables that are safe for dogs
(**NOTE: Please be sure to remove the pits from all fruits and vegetables before sharing them with your pups.**)
Vegetables
- Pumpkin — rich in fiber for healthy digestive functioning
- Spinach — source of antioxidants, beta carotene, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin K, and is also a digestive stimulant.
- Sweet potatoes — rich in dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin B6, and vitamin C, as well as low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium
Your favorite four-legged friend can also have broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, green beans, peas, and more. If in doubt, check with your veterinarian.
Fruits
- Apples — rich in fiber, flavonoids, phytonutrients, potassium, and vitamin C
- Blackberries — source of anthocyanins, antioxidants, folate acid, magnesium, manganese, and vitamin C
- Blueberries — source of dietary fiber, manganese, minerals, vitamin C, and vitamin K
- Cherries — rich in anthocyanins, antioxidants, fiber, manganese, vitamin A, and vitamin C
- Cranberries — source of copper, fiber (insoluble and soluble), manganese, minerals, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K1
- Pears — rich in dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C
- Strawberries — source of antioxidants, fiber, folate, manganese, potassium, and vitamin C
Dogs can also have apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, mangoes, oranges, peaches, pineapple, raspberries, and watermelon.
Balanced and healthy living
People and dogs have a lot in common, including that a balanced diet and plenty of exercise are important to overall health and wellness. Feeding your favorite four-legged friend a quality dog food is a great start, and adding in fruits and vegetables to boost immunity, improve vitamin and mineral intake, provide good sources of antioxidants, and make sure your pup gets enough dietary fiber is also crucial.
Supplements are another way to make sure your dog gets all the essential nutrients he or she needs to be healthy for years to come.
Healers PetCare is proud to offer a few, packed full of nutrients, specifically targeted toward specific systems, including digestion, hip and joint and skin health.
- Digestive Health Enzymes — Our digestive chews were created with your pup’s health and well-being in mind. Whether yours needs a general digestive boost or is suffering from an upset stomach, our Digestive Health Enzymes Chews have something to help him or her feel better in no time. They are custom formulated with proteolytic enzymes to support faster upset stomach recovery times, and include just the right combination of ingredients to ease digestion and encourage a balanced digestive tract.
- Hip & Joint Care — Most hip and joint supplements contain the same ingredients — glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, MSM, manganese, and certain vitamins and minerals — but Healers’ version goes above and beyond. We often joke that our supplement comes in powder form because it is packed so full of ingredients that we couldn’t even fit them all in a normal chew size. It includes higher percentages of the most common hip and joint supplement ingredients, plus many more to promote health and wellness.
- Skin & Coat Health Chews — When we set out to create a supplement for skin and coat health, we knew we needed to produce something that was specially formulated with key, natural ingredients to benefit our customers’ pets. That meant ensuring each chew was packed full of omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed, turmeric, and more to keep each pup in optimal health.
- Golden Turmeric Paste — Some people use turmeric as a preventative measure, others alongside medications and health regimens to improve overall wellness. The same is true for dogs. In a lot of cases, people and dogs have both seen better symptom relief from turmeric than from their medications! It has shown success in dogs as an anti-arthritic, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, gastrointestinal treatment, and pain reliever.
Interested in learning more?
It is never too late (or too soon!) to start your dog on the appropriate dosages of a health-boosting supplement or to add safe, healthy foods to his or her diet. Speak with your veterinarian about how supplements can help your dog’s longevity and health, or to ask questions on which fruits and vegetables can be added to his or her diet for a healthy boost today!
For more information on Healers PetCare, check out our About Us page.