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Adding Nutritional Value To Your Dogs Bowl Without Breaking the Bank

Camille Brown

• 6 min read
Adding Nutritional Value To Your Dogs Bowl Without Breaking the Bank

From the moment we look upon those timeless puppy-dog eyes, whether we've decided to bring a brand new bundle of joy into the family or adopt an old-timer in need, we're immediately hooked. Committed. With that commitment is a sense of responsibility that begins to build within us. Rather, it should. A dog after all, is like a child that never grows up and leaves the nest. Our companions don't get to pick the gold standard of owners before the rest of their lives begin, yet they devote themselves to us unconditionally. Our 'furbabies' are still animals. They are carnivores with a raw desire to run free in open spaces and fresh air. Part of our commitment should be in honoring this truth as much as we are able.

One of the most visible and important factors in this new responsibility is whether the food we provide is benefitting or harming the overall health and wellbeing of our dogs. As we have learned is true with human health, nutrition is just as essential for longevity and quality of life in canines. For many dogs, a lack of it is the reason they are suffering in silence and discomfort, struggling to keep up with their owners when they should be outpacing us. It is something that we make a conscious choice about each day, as we prepare every meal for our dogs.

Powered by survival instinct alone and unable to hunt and forage as their wild wolf counterparts do, our dogs have no choice but to consume what we provide them. This consumption has a significant role in a dog's internal and external health, a fact that more and more owners are seeking to understand and act upon today.

Kibble brands advertise quality, yet the dry morsels have been cooked at high temperatures; thus leeching a significant proportion of any nutrients which may have been present before processing. Many dry food selections also contain chemical preservatives among other harmful additives, such as cheap ingredients like corn syrup and white flour - all to extend shelf life, cut costs, and increase profits at the expense of a dog's health. This greedy pattern is not unknown to most Americans, but many remain ignorant or indifferent when it comes to our pets. However, I would argue that a growing number of pet parents are simply overwhelmed and rightfully frustrated, by the sheer expense of choosing the right path.

High quality dog food options are lining the shelves in local pet stores and markets at a fast rate in recent years. In fact, according to Gordon Dumeisch, the chief growth and marketing officer at Instinct Pet Food, the most unprocessed pet food category - raw - grew by 20% in 2021 alone. This statistic is provided in Pet Business article 'Raw Growth', where Dumeisch additionally points out that "pet parents have proven that raw nutrition is much more than a food trend - it's a movement... just as humans are looking for higher-quality foods with more transparency, they're looking for the same in the food they feed their pets, who are like family".

In an ideal world where money is no concern to the average pet parent, we could all create healthy, balanced meals for our animals. We could stroll through the aisles of Whole Foods and stock our doggy freezers with the highest quality grass-fed beef and organs. Better yet, we could hop on the Farmer's Dog or We Feed Raw trends and get homemade, nutritionally balanced meals delivered to our doorstep.

Where is the kicker?

In the view of the creators of Farmer's Dog, there isn't one, and the benefits far outweigh the costs. One of the glowing testimonials on their website is from the owners of Jack, a 7-year-old, 75-pound Labrador retriever mix, who say that his life has changed for the better once he switched to Farmer's Dog.

Jack appears much happier and now sports a beautiful, shiny coat. This sounds so wonderful! However, his food plan is $10.39 a day. Yikes, a powerful kicker does indeed exist! For most of us anyway.

That daily plan adds up to $72.73 a week and $290.92 a month. For one large dog, this cost amounts to more than half of the $475.25 average monthly American household grocery bill, as of the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics dataset. 'Premium' kibble brands and freeze-dried clusters are some of many in this category that do not fare much better, cost-wise. This reality is not feasible for, nor representative of most pet parents in our current economy and in general.

However, the point of this article is not to shame or accuse kibble-feeding parents of neglect. Many of them opt out of raw diets for non-cost-related reasons. We all love our pets, who truly are members of the family, and I'd like to believe that we all want them to live long, happy, and healthy lives.

So unless you are looking down at your immensely chubby furball through rose-colored glasses and thinking hey, you're looking well-fed and healthy as ever; have another doggy biscuit, then there is hope for you yet. Thus, this article's message is to validate the concerned pet parents who may have been led to believe by experts and marketing schemes that dry food in its most processed form is perfectly adequate and even beneficial for their beloved companions. Just as we know that a processed food diet is detrimental to human health, we are finally addressing this parallel revelation for our canine companions.

This article will outline some cost-effective solutions to this dilemma, adding plenty of nutritional value and health benefits to your dog's meal without replacing the diet of choice. Even a small daily portion of whole foods benefits our own health, and the same can be said for our pets.

Small Solutions, Big Outcomes

  • Core Longevity Toppers (CLTs): Named by holistic veterinarian Dr. Karen Shaw Becker in her book The Forever Dog which has been referenced earlier in the article, CLTs come from a long list of foods with longevity benefits and can be mixed in with your dog's current food or used as treats, "super-charging his or her nutritional status" (217). If you are able to replace 10% of your dog's dry kibble with a healthier alternative that will make a big difference! If not, a little still goes a long way. Here are a few examples of some great CLTs:
    • A raw or gently cooked egg is a great source of protein and full of amino and fatty acids contributing to the health of your dog's skin and coat
    • Sardines are full of cancer-fighting omega 3s and Vitamin D
    • Organ meats are rich delicacies full of quality proteins and fats along with an array of vitamins and minerals that will keep your dog looking and feeling great
    • Rather than throwing out the tops and bottoms of carrots and celery among other dog-safe veggies, chop them up into tiny morsels to pack a fibrous, vitamin and mineral-rich punch to your dog's bowl
    • Here is an incredible homemade broth created for our pups, which mine happen to go crazy for! Simply pour a portion on your dog's bowl for a tasty and nourishing boost
  • T-R-E-A-T-S: Many of the Core Toppers may be used in moderation as treats as well. The idea here, is simply to replace processed treats with healthier alternatives.

The above examples are just a few options among many small, simple solutions you can implement for your pet every day. Almost any clean, unprocessed, natural ingredient can be shared with your dog in moderation and make a difference in their health. More comprehensive lists of acceptable foods, as well as several nutritionally complete homemade recipes and toppers can be found in The Forever Dog, for those who are interested in learning more about the bigger picture of our pets' health and wellbeing in our modern world. If we truly see our dogs as part of our families, it is time to start taking responsibility for their health and wellness. It is all in our hands, and out of their paws!