I saw the most profound change in Fletch’s health and mobility when I educated myself on optimal nutrition and changed his diet.

The Importance of Fresh Whole Foods

Feeding an exclusive kibble diet is detrimental to a dog’s health. Despite packaging claims, kibble is often cooked multiple times at high temperatures, destroying nutritional value and potentially being carcinogenic. Ingredients include fillers like carbohydrates (white rice, grains, potato, pasta), which are unnecessary and can lead to weight gain.

Three General Rules for Healthy Aging in Dogs

1. Avoid Overfeeding: Particularly for seniors (6+ years). Use electronic scales to measure food to prevent overfeeding and manage weight. A slower metabolism in senior dogs means every extra kilo equates to five extra kilos on the joints.

2. Feed Fresh Whole Foods: Fresh, whole foods support health better than kibble. Consider raw or cooked food options from reputable sources. For those with medical conditions, consult "Natural Prescription Diets for Dogs and Cats" by Clare Middle. We recommend Planet Paws and Dogs Naturally Magazine for meal plan ideas.

3. Mix Fresh Food with Kibble: Buy small bags of kibble to ensure freshness. Add fresh foods to kibble such as:

   • Fresh eggs with shells

   • Blended raw vegetables (carrot, broccoli, ginger, brussels sprouts)

   • Offal (kidney, heart, liver)

   • Berries (defrosted if frozen)

   • Boiled pumpkin

   • Sardines in spring water

Foods to Avoid

Never feed dogs grapes (or raisins), onions, chocolate, or macadamia nuts.

Final Thoughts

If kibble is the only option, choose a high-quality product with minimal carbohydrates and human-grade ingredients. Always consult your vet before changing your dog’s diet. Every dog's dietary needs vary based on health conditions, age, and medication.

I saw the most profound change in Fletch’s health and mobility when I educated myself on optimal nutrition for my little man and changed his diet.

It can be a triggering topic. Not all of us have the financial means or the availability of fresh food and produce, but we can optimize our dog’s diet by simply sharing some of our own fruit and vegetables from the fridge.

Feeding an exclusive kibble diet is a slippery slope for our dog’s health. Unfortunately, despite what the packaging tells you, kibble isn’t good for our four-legged friends. Kibble is often cooked multiple times, at dangerously high temperatures, before being packaged, effectively killing off any nutritional value of the food or vitamins they claim to add to it. It may also be carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

In addition, if you read the ingredients, you’ll find filler in the form of carbohydrates such as white rice, grains, potatoes, and pasta. Dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates, it’s put in kibble to pad it out so they can include less of the actual ‘food’ that may be of benefit, (but then they cook the heck out of it several times and negate any nutritional value it may have started off with). Carbohydrates make our four-legged besties super chubby very quickly - much like ourselves.

Below are three general rules of thumb that will help your dog age actively, happy, mobile, and healthy:

1. Don't overfeed your dog, particularly if they are a senior (6yrs+ as a rule of thumb). I actually use electronic scales to measure the weight of Fletch’s food. It helps me out when he gives me those ‘but Mum, I’m wasting away here, can’t you see?’ looks that tempt me to feed him a bit extra.

A slower metabolism in senior dogs also means that every extra kilo on the scales equates to five extra kilos on the joints. So, a dog who is ‘carrying an extra few kilos’ is actually carrying an extra 15 kg on its joints.

2. When feeding your dog, fresh, whole food is best. Feeding a dog kibble exclusively won't support its health the way that fresh, whole foods do (if you're keen to check out the science, read "The Forever Dog" by Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker).

If you are going to feed raw or cooked food, there are plenty of great options online and in your local pet store freezer. They take the nutritional guesswork out of creating recipes yourself, ensuring that your little friend enjoys a well-balanced, nutritionally rich diet, just like nature intended.

However, if you want to prepare a raw or cooked diet for your dog, do your research and ensure that you are feeding it all of the essential whole foods to keep it healthy.

We recommend www.planetpaws.ca and www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-dog-food-recipes/ as wonderful resource tools for creating a delicious meal plan for your bestie from scratch.

For those seniors who suffer from medical conditions, my vet recommended a book by Clare Middle - "Natural Prescription Diets for Dogs and Cats" - real food recipes to prevent and heal disease. Fletch’s meals are prepared specifically using the recipes in this book, and over time, I’ve added other whole foods to his meal plan based on my research.

1. If feeding kibble, we recommend mixing in some fresh food.

We also recommend that you purchase small bags of kibble to ensure that your best friend consumes it while it is still relatively ‘fresh’. Most pet guardians aren’t aware that the ‘used-by’ date on bags of kibble is only relevant if the bag remains sealed. The moment you open it, the used-by date is no longer applicable, and the kibble starts to deteriorate, becoming unstable as harmful bacteria infiltrate it.

Below are some options you could try adding to your dog’s kibble, which will, in turn, allow you to pull back on the amount of kibble they are consuming:

A fresh egg a few times a week, with the shell crushed and mixed through (great source of calcium and protein)

Blend raw vegetables into a pulp and mix them through the kibble - you can try carrot (peeled), broccoli, ginger, brussels sprouts, and broccoli sprouts - organic if possible, washed well if not.

Ask your butcher for offal—kidney, heart, liver, brain, etc. For optimal benefits, offal should make up to 25% of your dog’s meal. However, it is important to note that there should be a variety of offal, i.e., not 25% liver only.

Mix through some berries (frozen berries are very affordable; you can just defrost them and mix them through).

Boiled pumpkin (broken into small chunks and not too much if your dog is carrying extra weight).

Sardines packed in Springwater (avoid olive oil as it can cause tummy upsets). Mix half a tin in with their daily meal.

1. Foods you SHOULD NOT feed your dog include grapes (or raisins), onions, chocolate, or macadamia nuts to any dog EVER.

If kibble is your only option, do your research and choose a high-quality product. Try not to fall for the marketing on the packet, as someone is being paid very well to lure you into buying their product. Look at the ingredients (remember carbohydrates aren't needed and are just filler); if it says 'human-grade food', then that is typically a good option. Also, remember that you get what you pay for. If you’re still reading, it’s very clear that you love your doggo and want to do the best for them. We also know that everyone's circumstances are different, and we aren't here to judge. We just want to point out that there are ways to tweak their diet to support their health, mobility, and longevity. Happy feeding ❤

Note* Always consult your vet before changing your dog’s diet. Some dogs have specific dietary sensitivities based on health conditions, age, and medication.