Let's Talk About Food
I often get asked about what I feed my dogs, and in turn what my clients should feed there’s. So today, let’s talk about food!
You can look at dog food in 4 different categories. Let’s start off with a quick definition of each to get us started.
GROCERY - just that… the food you would find in your local grocery store to purchase. Typically this is the kibble (and cans) I recommend people stay away from. These are cheaper, made with tons of fillers, and have high sugar content. It would be liking eating at McDonald's every day for every meal. Examples would include Pedigree, Kibbles and Bits, and Ol’Roy.
PREMIUM - this is kibble generally found at pet stores, but don’t let the “premium” fool you. While they are better than the grocery option, they still tend to have a lot of “extras” in them that are not necessary for our dogs. This is the middle range of kibble. Examples would include Iams, ProPlan, and Nutro.
PREMIUM PLUS - this kibble can often be found at upscale pet stores, even mom and pop shops, or online. The price point for many of these foods can be pretty high. BUT in most cases, you get what you pay for. A couple of examples of these would be Ziwi Peak, Fromm, and Orijen.
WHOLE FOOD - now this category can be pretty extensive from those of us who feed raw, to those that cook crockpot meals. To keep it simple, I am staying with food that you can purchase in a bag. Many of these foods are dehydrated or freeze-dried whole food options. Examples would include Grandma Lucy’s, Honest Kitchen, and Stella & Chewy’s.
TIP - when reading dog food ingredients focus on the top 5 that are in the bag. This is the bulk of what your food is made up of.
Curious about what I feed?
When home, in the morning, my dogs eat a Prey Model Diet, I get asked on a regular basis about this, so I created a page on my website that breaks it down. If you are curious, you can check it out here! In the evening, I use Grandma Lucy’s Artisan Base and add my own raw meat.
Now when we travel, that is a different ball game… traveling with raw food can be a challenge, especially with 4 dogs. So when we hit the road, I choose to fee Grandma Lucy’s Artisan line, normally I go with Venison or Pork. I prefer this food, based on the ingredients PLUS it takes up less space than traditional food. I just add warm water, let it rehydrate, and feed. Super simple!
ESSENTIAL OIL TIP
If you have been following me for any length of time, you probably know that my dogs get oils daily for their overall health and continued wellness (just like the humans in the house).
Today I want to focus on gut health since that is in line with our topic.
DigestZen is my oil of choice for this. This is not an oil that I use every single day, but it is one that I use as needed AND for a full week (7 days) every other month or so. To help cleanse the gut and just give the system a boost.
If I had a dog that was gassy, I would consider using it daily.
This is the oil that I grab when there is an issue with either end of the system (throwing up OR loose stool).
I will always keep DigestZen on hand for those "just in case" moments.
Alright, that’s all for now, until next week!!
~ Bree
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