Healthy Eating Isn’t Always Easy

Does your dog turn up their nose at a tasty bowl of food sometimes? You’re not alone! Just like kids, dogs can occasionally be picky eaters–and that’s ok. But when you’re trying to start the year off with a healthy diet for your furry friends, food aversions and weird eating habits can make it difficult to meet your dog’s health and wellness goals.

If you’ve known your dog to be a picky eater from the start, you may have found a few workarounds to entice them to chow down at dinner time. But if your dog is just starting to show signs of picky eating, or if your tricks no longer seem to work, it’s time to develop a new plan. Healthy eating is one of the foundations of your dog’s overall wellness: a complete, nutritious diet supports gut health, skin and coat, joints, muscles, and beyond. It’s crucial that you provide your dog with a full spectrum of nutrients even when they’re not in the mood for dinner.

Don’t despair when you encounter picky eating–we’re here to help. Read on to learn more about the root causes of picky eating and some easy ways to encourage your dog to eat healthy.

Identifying the Cause of Picky Eating

Some dogs are just born picky eaters. Others develop negative eating habits over time. The following are a handful of reasons why your dog may not be interested in their dinner.

• Over-treating: Dogs who receive too many treats, or too many high-value treats, during a regular day may not be as interested in their regular diet.

• Dental issues: A sore mouth may leave your dog disinterested in chewing their food, especially if they’re used to eating kibble.

• Food aversion: If your dog has experienced an upset stomach after eating their regular diet, they may associate that food with the negative experience, causing an aversion.

• Stress: Have you ever lost your appetite after a particularly stressful day? The same can happen to your dog! Undue stress and anxiety can leave dogs disinterested in a meal.

• Age: As your dog ages, their appetite will diminish. This is natural, but it’s important to ensure your dog is still getting their recommended nutrients each day.

Sometimes, picky eating habits can be temporary, lasting only a day or two, but if you notice long-term lack of appetite, it’s important to check in with your vet and ensure your dog is in overall good health. 

Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits

If your dog is in good health and is simply disinterested in their food bowl, there’s hope! As a dog parent, there are plenty of methods you can try to encourage your dog to eat properly.

• Establish a regular routine: Dogs thrive on routine! Setting regular mealtimes when your dog can expect a tasty, healthy meal may encourage them to be more interested in their bowls. It can also help ensure that you’re not over-treating them.

• Use positive reinforcement: If your dog finishes their healthy meal, that’s worth rewarding! Offer your dog a treat for leaving a clean bowl and they’ll start to look forward to dinner time.

• Keep it interesting: Just as you probably don’t like eating the same thing day after day, your dog might look forward to some variety in their meals. Try changing up the proteins you offer them. Also, mix in a little bone broth to give them different textures and flavors.

How High-Quality Food Can Help

High-quality, fresh or gently cooked food can whet your dog’s appetite in a way that kibble just can’t. First of all, the way kibble is processed can eliminate a lot of the smells, tastes, and textures that make food so appealing for dogs. With natural foods, your dog gets to dig into a real tasty meal–not just a bowl of boring crunchy nuggets.

Secondly, offering whole proteins gives you more opportunity to offer your dog a variety of flavors and textures. Switch it up between turkey, chicken, and beef to keep your dog interested and excited for dinnertime.

Artificial flavors, fillers, and preservatives just don’t cut it. Just like a wholesome meal is much more delicious than a processed meal, gently cooked food can get even the pickiest of eaters to start drooling.

So, what kind of quality food should you be looking for? Start with a solid foundation, like Pawsitively Pure’s Turkey and Vegetables Dog Food. Gently cooked and packed with the nutrients your dog needs to thrive, this wholesome dinner is great for dogs of all ages and breeds and offers a tasty and healthy alternative to the usual kibble.

Need a little extra enticement? Try our dog-friendly bone broth or limited-ingredient treats to add an extra flavorful punch! In particular, bone broth is great for picky dogs as it allows them to ingest the nutrients they need even when they’re not particularly hungry.  

Say Goodbye to Picky Eating with Natural Dog Food

Picky eating doesn’t have to be an issue forever! When you mix up your dog’s diet and ditch the kibble for nutrient-rich, gently cooked whole food, we have high hopes that your dog will be wagging their tail come dinner time. Be consistent with your training, try a variety of flavors and textures, and be patient–with time and encouragement, your dog will fall into a normal feeding routine. Ready to start your dog’s healthy eating journey? Visit our online shop or send us a message. 

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.