What do you add to your dog's food?

    • Gold Top Dog

    What do you add to your dog's food?

    I am sure this has been posted somewhere, but I'm going to ask again. Big Smile  I need some suggestions on how to supplement my dogs' food.  Right now they get the dry kibble 2x a day with a bit of the wet mixed in.  Same, every meal, every day.  Confused

    I have heard some people say yogurt (plain, I assume), but what else can I add to make meals even more interesting and healthier?   

    So, share with me.  What do you add to your dog's food, assuming you don't feed raw?

    Thanks. 

    • Silver

    I just started adding some things to Mangus' food recently.  Although I do feed mostley RAW, she really doesn't go crazy for it, so I've been adding in some other things to make it more interesting for her.  Here's what I have tried so far:

    Eggs (you can do raw or scrambled, but to top Kibble, I would cook it) They can eat the shells too, they are good source of calcium

    Meat (Cooked Hamburger, Chicken, Turkey, Lamb, anything)

    Cottage Cheese

    Plain Yogurt

    Canned Sardines or Mackrel (something oily - not tuna)

    Different Cold Pressed Oils (so far I've tried Safflower and an Omega Blend - really helped with her coat, even on RAW) I've heard some dogs don't do well on flax oil, not sure.

    Veggie Mush (can use whatever veggies you had for dinner - no onions though - smashed up or blended so it can be digested)

    I'll see if I can think of any more.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Sometimes I add a raw egg to Apollo's kibble, or low fat plain yogurt. I have added canned too.

    His favorite is....it's probably terrible for him but he's only gotten it a couple times on special occasions...

    a teaspoon (maybe even a little less) of bacon grease. Embarrassed

    • Gold Top Dog

    I have added

    raw egg yolks (my lab, Niko, does not seem to do well when he eat raw egg whites),

    srambled eggs,

    canned sardines/mackerel/salmon (in water, with the water removed),

    chicken cartilage, chicken wings/necks (raw)

    cooked vegetables like green beans, brocolli, and etc.,

    fresh fruits like blueberries, papayas, pineapples, bananas, and etc.

    Beef or Chicken Broth ( with veggies like carrots, tomatoes, peas) from the simple soups I made for our 1 year old (no onion). 

    P.S. his food is always "soupy" with enough broth added (at least a cup or more added his AM and PM meals, since he is a good size dog at 70 lbs).  My lab will also get the veggie/meat soup during in the afternoon.  With enough water intake, I have a dog with no bad breath.

    • Moderators
    • Gold Top Dog

    should say my boy will eat anything so I never worry about making his meals more enticing

    things I add

    I always squirt his fish oil onto his food (capsules)

    whole milk live yogurt

    sardines, tuna, mackerel

    meat scraps from our dinner

    veggies

    cottage cheese (only a little as he gets gas from it and rarely)

    I feed some raw and some kibble - more of the latter

    • Gold Top Dog

    Plain greek yogurt

    Sardines in olive oil

    Tuna in water

    Fruits - blueberries, bananas, apples

    Veggies - green beans, broccoli, carrots

    Meat scraps

    A whole raw egg, or a scrambled egg and crushed shell

     

    Other things, occasionally, depending on what's around.  The above are the most common.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Mine get kibble/canned always but generally at supper time we have leftover meats and veggies which I put in their bowls.  My dogs are all under 25lbs, so they get about a tablespoon or so of those leftovers.

    They might also get scrambled egg in the mornings if my dd doesn't eat all of hers. 

    I give treats of baby carrots, apple and banana slices, etc.  As they've gotten older, though 2 of the 3 dogs have really gotten a sensitive tummy so I have to be pretty careful with dietary changes anymore.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I give Tootsie a variety:

    plain organic yogurt

    unsweetened applesauce

    beets (big time fav.)

    peas

    prunes ( usually only 1)

    banana chips for a treat

    And usually anything I have around that she would like 

    • Gold Top Dog

    ohh, thanks.  You guys gave me some really great ideas.  Thanks.

     

    One question:  Someone mentioned giving the egg shells.  So that's ok?

    • Silver

    Interesting thread for me as well, I want to learn as much about feeding as I can.

    Egg shells?  The dogs will eat this?

    I used to feed a poodle burger, so this was OK?  Interesting.  I felt bad about this for years!

    • Gold Top Dog

    I used to feed a poodle burger, so this was OK?  Interesting.  I felt bad about this for years!

    you can feed up to 1/3 of the diet as fresh food without really having to worry about balancing it if you're also feeding a quality commercial diet.  Nothing more unhealthy than eating nothing but the same dry, preserved food day in day out. Fresh foods, a wide variety of them, are the key to good health. If you're feeding egg shells mine won't eat them unless I microwave one minute to dry then grind up in coffee bean grinder. Good source of calcium to balance the meats you offer.

    • Silver

    If I do feed the shell I break it up and mix it in with some raw ground meat (I put the whole egg in there).  I mix it up well enough that she can't spit out the shells.  I feed RAW though, so I usually only do it when I think she could use the extra calcium to balance out her diet.

    I've heard of some dogs that like the shells, the owners just give them a whole egg outside and let them have at it. 

    • Gold Top Dog
    For every meal, I add baby food to jetta's kibble. Its great cuz everything is already pureed and usually there isn't any digestive upset. I add baby food fruit, veggies, and meat.
    • Gold Top Dog

    I'm not really one to add toppers to kibble.  I used to do it with Zoe and she started getting picky and refused to eat anything without the toppers.  The only thing I add is salmon oil and a little bit of water.  Any extras I give are used as training treats - boiled chicken, cottage cheese, peanut butter, ice cream and are given in small amounts.  . Zack is on raw and it's the same for him as toppers go. It appears that they enjoy their meals as they gobble it up with gusto. 

     My preference is that food rewards are offered for good behavior, rather than as a standard to be expected with every meal.

    • Gold Top Dog

    My girls eat raw, but I still add food toppers (call me a little nutty, it's ok...). They like all sorts of stuff! Regulars include:

     

    fish oil

    crumbled Dr Harvey's Power Patties (a favorite!)

    canned sardines, in water, with no salt added

    applesauce

    any sort of fruit or veggie I have around (Emma's fav is broccoli, and Ena's is banana)