A Protein Your Pup Can Gobble Up

Every month, we look for national holidays and observances we can celebrate with our dogs. You can imagine our surprise when we found out that June was Turkey Lovers’ Month! Wouldn’t you think such an observance should happen in November? But the fact of the matter is that turkey is a lean, healthy protein that can be served and celebrated all year long. In particular, turkey is one great protein option for your dogs’ food. 

Turkey is near the top of the list alongside chicken and beef as one of the most popular proteins found in dog foods. Natural dog foods with turkey should offer your dog the full spectrum of nutrition without being overloaded with fats and fillers. Pawsitively Pure turkey food also includes sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots to pack in lots of vitamins and minerals at every meal. Turkey offers great nutritional value as part of your dog’s balanced diet.

The Benefits of Turkey for Dogs

Like chicken, turkey breast is a lean protein that helps your dogs build healthy muscles. Well-made dog foods use breast meat, avoiding the fatty dark meat that can be too calorie-dense for your dogs to maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle. Many pet parents choose turkey-based dog food as an alternative if their dogs are sensitive to chicken or beef. 

Turkey has a few nutrients that are particularly important for your dog’s energy levels and immune systems. This protein is a great source of riboflavin, a vitamin that helps transform proteins and carbohydrates into energy and also stimulates the production of red blood cells, helping your dog stay active every day. It also includes a good deal of phosphorus which supports your dogs’ kidney function and helps flush away toxins. 

Before you throw your dog a couple turkey scraps from your dinner or your deli meat sandwich, though, there are a few tips you should keep in mind to maximize the health benefits from this protein. 

What to Know Before You Feed Your Dog Turkey

Turkey for dogs should be prepared separately from your meal

When we prepare turkey for a big roast dinner, we often pack the skin with salt, herbs, onions, and garlic to enhance the flavor. Onions and garlic are among the most dangerous human foods for dogs to eat as they can damage a dog’s red blood cells in serious cases. What’s more, excessive salt intake can cause seizures, dehydration, vomiting, and other troubling issues. Basically, it’s the protein that’s good for dogs, not the dressing. 

When you do give your dog turkey, be sure you prepare a portion of turkey just for them with no extra herbs or spices. Be sure the turkey wasn’t brined before cooking, as well.

Skip the deli meat

It’s so easy to reach into the fridge and toss a turkey slice to your dog, but we’re here to tell you that that’s not a healthy habit. Deli turkey and other similarly processed meats are major sources of nitrates, which can lead to weakness and tremors in dogs. As a rule of thumb, avoid giving your dog access to processed foods as they don’t promote the healthy nutrition your dog really needs. 

Be sure to avoid the bones

Poultry bones are much more brittle than beef bones, especially when they’re cooked. These brittle bones can splinter easily and cause serious damage to your dog’s mouth, esophagus, and/or stomach. They can also be serious choking hazards. When you feed your dogs turkey, make sure you’re only feeding them the meat and not a big chunk of breast or thigh. 

Ready to Try Turkey for Your Dogs?

Here at the Pawsitively Pure kitchen, our dogs are big fans of our gently-cooked turkey and vegetable meal. At every life stage, it helps them maintain their energy levels and promotes healthy skin and coat. We specifically formulate our dog food with complimentary vegetables to give your dog a nutritionally balanced diet. When you’re ready to order, head over to our online shop or stop by and see us at one of our weekend farmers’ markets. 

Jackson loves bone broth!

This senior dog is active and healthy at age 14.

January is National Soup Month! Soup is such a versatile meal, packed with nutrients and easy to create according to your favorite flavors and textures. So far this January, we’ve experienced a few chilly days (for Central Florida, anyway), which gives us the perfect opportunity to wrap up in our favorite blankets and enjoy a warm cup of soup. But did you know that a hot bowl of broth can be just as nourishing for your dogs, too? 

Bone broth has been a trending topic in the nutritional world for dogs and humans alike. Slightly different from your average soup stock, bone broth is made by simmering animal bones for a long period of time, releasing collagen and other beneficial nutrients from the bones over time. The result is a thicker, savory broth that offers a long list of nutritional benefits for humans and their canine companions. 

A quick note about choosing broth for dogs

As tempting as it may be to serve your dog the same tasty broth you enjoy, it’s important that you select a bone broth that’s been specifically formulated for your dogs. Often, bone broth for humans includes flavor-enhancing ingredients like onions, garlic, and salt that can cause stomach upset and other issues in dogs. We believe that dogs should receive wholesome nutrition with real ingredients – but not all ingredients are appropriate for dogs!

Common health issues for senior dogs

As our dogs age, we notice them slowing down. After a long, active life, your dog’s internal systems don’t perform like they did when they were puppies. Maybe they don’t play outside or get the zoomies as often, and they definitely take more naps. You may notice that they have increased occurrences of stomach issues, and sometimes they may even lose their appetites. It’s a fact of life; but aging doesn’t have to keep your dog from living out their golden years in good health and happiness. 

A huge part of your dog’s overall wellness is their diet. With natural, wholesome ingredients and minimal fillers, your dog will experience less pain and inflammation, better mental acuity, and more energy. Bone broth is a wonderful and easy-to-administer part of a healthy diet for a senior dog. Read on to learn about some of the benefits. 

Bone broth combats inflammation

Over time, all active dogs experience some cartilage loss. As the cartilage between joints and bones wears thin, the bones often start rubbing against each other, causing painful inflammation. This type of inflammation can also present itself as arthritis and is particularly prevalent in dogs who have had an injury at some point in their lives. 

Bone broth is chock full of gelatin and collagen, as we mentioned before. Regular consumption of nutritional collagen can in turn increase the amount of collagen in the body, which supports the cartilage and helps keep those joints moving smoothly and with less pain. With bone broth, your dog should be able to enjoy regular activity without increased stress from pain. 

Bone broth is good for tummies

Many people experience decreased appetite in their senior years; the same is true for dogs. Their metabolism slows down and they may be experiencing inflammation and pain that keep them from wanting to eat. If your dog is showing signs of decreased appetite, especially if it’s a drastic change, be sure to consult with your vet to take the appropriate action.

Bone broth contains glycine, an amino acid that specifically helps build new tissues in your dog’s digestive tract. In a nutshell, glycine can help repair any problem areas in your dog’s stomach and intestines to make eating enjoyable again. 

As a bonus, bone broth doesn’t require any chewing. A dog that’s not hungry may still be game to lap at a bowl of broth, keeping them hydrated and ensuring they get healthy nutrients in their systems when they don’t feel like snacking. 

Bone broth supports your dog’s immune system

Your dog isn’t producing as many antibodies in their senior years, which means that they may be more prone to infections and illness. Think about it: even older dogs spend most of their days sniffing, exploring, and maybe even mouthing new objects to learn about them. All that close contact with the outside world can leave them vulnerable to sickness. 

The many amino acids in bone broth provide support to your dog’s immune system, boosting the metabolism, liver, and more, so that they’re better able to fight off infections and pathogens they may encounter in their daily lives. 

Where to find the right bone broth for your dogs

The bone broth you choose for your dogs should have nothing but the good stuff with no fillers or additives! Pawsitively Pure bone broth is made with nothing but the ingredients that come from beef or chicken bones simmered overnight, so your dog gets lots of collagen and amino acids without any ingredients that can irritate their stomachs. Head to our online shop or find us at one of our weekend markets to take some home today!

As we hope you’ve heard by now, we released our brand new Chicken Crisps over the summer! They’re the latest addition to our line of wholesome, human-grade treats for dogs. How do we make them? We dehydrate chicken--and that’s it. Nothing more than wholesome protein and a craveable crunch for your four-legged friends.

If you’re just entering the world of human-grade dog food and wholesome diets, knowing which proteins to choose for your dog might be difficult. After all, we know that some human foods--even healthy fruits and vegetables, like grapes and avocados--are dangerous to dogs. Luckily, most dogs can ingest a wide variety of proteins, from chicken to lamb, without too much difficulty beyond the normal food transition period.

A Lean, Healthy Protein

You’ve probably had a chicken-based or chicken-flavored food for your dog at some point. Most dogs find chicken pretty tasty, giving it instant appeal as a treat. Chicken is among the lean proteins, so it’s a great way to provide your dog with the energy he needs for a full day of fun without extra calories.

Vitamins and Minerals

Chicken is full of healthy vitamins and minerals that help your dog live her best life! First of all, it’s a great source of Omega-6 Fatty Acids, which are beneficial fats that give your dog a beautiful coat and healthy skin. It’s also packed with glucosamine, a natural substance that helps maintain healthy joints and reduce pain and stiffness from arthritis. The great thing about dehydrating the chicken, like we do for our Chicken Crisps, is that they keep all the added nutrients of chicken since they’re not heated or cooked.

A Word of Caution

Most people think that grain allergies are the most common food allergies in dogs, when in reality, dogs are more likely to have sensitivities to proteins they’re not used to. Before you feed your dog chicken and chicken-based products, give them a small amount and monitor them for any stomach upset or loose stools. 

Dogs go Crazy for Chicken Crisps!

So far, all the dogs we’ve seen that have gotten to try our Chicken Crisps gobble them up like there’s no tomorrow! They’re crunchy without being too hard on the teeth and just plain delicious. Purchase a bag for your dog here, or call Pawsitively Pure at 407-450-6151 for more information.

We love having a multi-generational dog family! Our oldest boy, Jackson, is 12; our weimeraner, Finley, is in his adolescent phase, and our youngest Miles, is still just a puppy. As you probably know by now, we adjust each of our dogs’ meals with supplements that address their unique needs. For each of our boys, we use a blend of our favorite Mercola supplements to keep them active and healthy. One supplement we use for all of our boys is fish oil.

You may even take fish oil for yourself! Commonly found in both liquid and capsule form, fish oil is a supplement that provides a whole host of health benefits for those who consume it. For dogs, fish oil provides support for the heart, skin and coat, joints, and immune systems. 

Why is Fish Oil So Great?

Fish oil is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which are “good” polyunsaturated fats that support both the body and the brain. Dogs and humans alike can’t produce omega-3 fatty acids on their own, which is why taking a supplement is critical for their overall health and wellness. Fish oil can be used as a temporary booster or as part of a comprehensive health and wellness plan for your dog. As with any new supplements or diets, be sure to consult with your veterinarian before you start giving your dog fish oil.

How Does Fish Oil Benefit My Dog?

As we mentioned above, fish oil offers a plethora of nutritional benefits to dogs and humans alike. Often, if a supplement promises to help too many different systems at once, the professionals dismiss it as snake oil, but the benefits of fish oil are easy to see once they’ve been added to your dog’s diet. 

Fish oil is one supplement that can benefit a dog from puppyhood all the way through its senior years. For puppies, this supplement helps direct proper development of the brain and eyes. It helps your dog maintain cognitive function throughout adulthood. For seniors, it has been shown to help combat canine arthritis and chronic kidney disease. At every age, it also helps improve the appearance and quality of their skin and coat and wards away flakes and itchiness.

What Should I Look For in Fish Oil for My Dog?

According to the AKC, fish oil is commonly available in 3 varieties: natural triglyceride oil, ethyl ester oil, and synthetic triglyceride oil. Each variety comes with its own benefits and setbacks that affect ease of absorption and bioavailability of nutrients. Your veterinarian should be able to recommend the right type of supplement for your dog based on their lifestyle, size, age, and breed. 

For dogs who refuse to take supplements, our bone broth is a miracle worker. Simply mix in the proper supplements with your dog’s food and pour a little bone broth over the top. Our dogs love it and eat all their supplements without batting an eyelash! If you give fish oil to your dog, leave us a message on our Facebook page!

“Eat your veggies” is a commonly uttered phrase at the dinner table, but is it one you should be uttering to your dog? As you know, our Beef & Vegetables, Chicken & Vegetables, and Turkey & Vegetables dog foods wouldn’t be the same without the vegetables. We use cooked carrots, green beans, and sweet potatoes in each of our wholesome and delicious dog food flavors. Today, we want to focus on carrots.

You and I know carrots as tasty orange root vegetables that are delicious and slightly sweet when raw or cooked. If your dog has a hankering for carrots too, there’s good news! Carrots safe for our furry friends and even offer a number of nutritional benefits, including: 

• Plenty of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is the nutrient in carrots that helps maintain our vision, and it offers the same benefits to dogs! Furthermore, vitamin A is essential for your dog’s skin, coat, muscles, and nerves, according to the National Animal Supplement Council. If your dog has a vitamin A deficiency, they note, they may become night blind, and/or have deteriorating quality of skin and coat. 

• Lots of potassium. Potassium is essential for maintaining a lot of your dog’s organ functions, including the heart, the kidneys, and the muscles. A dog lacking potassium in its diet may experience stomach issues, muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, and general weakness and lack of energy.

• Nutritional fiber. Fiber isn’t the most exciting nutrient to talk about, but we all know how important it is. Fiber helps keep your dog’s digestive system working smoothly, helping to prevent constipation and diarrhea. Keeping our dogs safe and comfortable is our top priority. Including fiber with an ingredient like carrots is a much healthier option than the “cellulose” you may see in commercial dog foods. Often, this ingredient is made from shredded paper. 

We include responsibly-sourced carrots in our human-grade dog food as a great source of vitamin A, potassium, and fiber for your dog. We want you and your dog to live long, healthy lives together. For more healthy tips for you and your dog, be sure to follow us on Instagram. Shop for dog food, treats, and bone broth!