Feeding an Arthritic Dog an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

In past blogs, we discuss fruits, vegetables, and foods that are safe to feed your dog. And, we gave a healthy recipe for homemade senior dog food. We thought we would revisit one of our pets' favorite activities once again - eating!

What foods to limit for a dog with arthritis

Every dog wants to eat what we are eating - that is why they sit nearby or beg when we are eating. However, a dog's digestive system is different from ours. Typical human food is much too rich, fatty, and high in sodium for a dog to properly digest. Eating our foods can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and even more severe conditions like pancreatitis or chronic inflammation.

If your dog has arthritis, grain-free food may be the route to take. Many processed commercial dog foods contain wheat, rice, soy, and spelt grains. These grains can cause your dog’s blood sugar levels to fluctuate. Limiting the grains in your dog’s diet may help support a healthy inflammatory response.

Corn is a controversial dog food ingredient. It is a staple ingredient and filler in many commercial dog foods. However, corn has a high carbohydrate content. While it provides a quick source of energy, it can also cause a sensitivity in some dogs. You would not see an immediate adverse reaction upon your dog ingesting it. Nevertheless, it could gradually affect your dog’s comfort over time.

As a general rule, the more processed a dog food is, the more likely it is to contribute to inflammation. All manufactured dog foods are processed to an extent. Therefore, it’s important to choose one that contains no added salts, sugars, or artificial additives. When choosing a food for your arthritic dog, be sure to read the label carefully and limit these foods as much as possible, so that what your pet is eating supports their overall wellbeing.

Dog-friendly whole foods to consider

You may be asking what your dog can eat, after seeing the list of foods to limit. Fortunately, there are many whole food options that may help support a healthy inflammatory response when fed regularly to your pet. These include celery, alfalfa, ginger, mango, papaya, blueberries, and kale, among others. Pet owners can blend these fruits and vegetables together to make a juice or smoothie and add them to the dog’s daily diet.

Proteins are lean animal meats, seafood, eggs, or dairy. Protein is, by far, one of the most important nutrients for your dog. Dogs need protein to develop their muscles and keep their organs in check. Typically, adult dogs do very well with a diet that's made up of about 18 percent protein. Your dog's diet needs may change depending on its age and activity levels. Furthermore, certain athletic breeds require significantly more protein in their diet.

A homemade dog food formula for dogs with arthritis includes celery, carrots, zucchini, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, quinoa, lentils, parsley, and apple. The exact amounts of each ingredient are not important, except that the overall product should contain 2 parts quinoa/lentils to 8 parts fruits/vegetables. Combine all ingredients together in a large pot and add enough water to cover all ingredients. Bring to a boil and let simmer on low for 1 hour - until quinoa and lentils are cooked. For additional protein, cooked chicken can be added. This food can be used to replace traditional dry food, or used as a dietary supplement.

At Flexpet, we care about you and your pets. We want to help you keep them as healthy as possible. Our Flexpet joint care supplements are highly reviewed and they are made in the USA from human-grade, US-sourced ingredients, formulated to support healthy joints, cartilage, and mobility. Our fantastic and knowledgeable customer care team is available to answer any of your questions about our joint supplement products and how they may fit into your dog or cat's routine. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email, or contact us by phone at 1-800-505-0575.

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