Nutrition

Hemp products for dogs are best-sellers, with sales approaching $1 billion per year. Although they have been shown to help reduce physical pain and treat anxiety in dogs and humans, hemp products are controversial as well as confusing. Here’s how to make sense of this rapidly growing market.

The question of whether peas and pea protein are bad or good for dogs cannot be answered simply. In moderation and as a part of a balanced formulation, pea protein can be a useful component of dog food, especially when paired with high-quality animal proteins.

Dog food toppers are an excellent way to enhance your dog’s meals, whether to add variety to mealtimes, provide additional nutrition, or support specific health conditions. When it comes to toppers, you can choose from simple, homemade additions like lightly cooked meats and vegetables to commercially available wet and freeze-dried toppers designed to provide targeted nutritional support.

One of the biggest challenges with homemade dog food is the inconsistency of nutrient content in raw ingredients. Ingredients such as meats, vegetables, and grains can vary widely in nutrient content depending on their growing conditions, seasonality, source, storage conditions, and processing methods.

There may be some benefits to feeding your little dog a diet specifically formulated to target many of the issues small breeds face. When looking at labels for healthy dog foods for small dogs, consider these elements:

Increasing your dog’s fiber intake is an effective way to manage anal-gland problems.

Yeast thrives in warm, moist environments. In dogs, this often manifests as ear infections, dermatitis, and digestive upset. When the body’s natural balance is disturbed, yeast can proliferate uncontrollably, leading to infection.

If you want to feed tomatoes to your dog, feed only the red fleshy part of a ripe tomato and cut the tomato into small pieces. Never feed green tomatoes or the green parts on a red tomato to your dog. Your dog also should not consume tomato leaves or tomato stems.

Many human foods are toxic to dogs, including grapes, raisins, onions, and garlic. But, you say, garlic has health benefits for your dog and...

If you want to share popcorn with your dog, choose a few pieces of plain—no flavors or salts—popcorn that is air-popped. Most brands of popcorn include a lot of salt and fat and your dog does not need salt or fat in his diet.

If your dog won’t eat, you have a small window of time to evaluate the situation, The better you know your dog, the easier it is to decide if it is something serious or just a phase.

Probiotics work best with consistent, long-term use, at the proper dosing amount. Having them already incorporated into the diet ensures your dog receives them with every meal and takes the guesswork out of proper dosing.