MADE IN THE U.S.A. 
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 many of our pets favorite activities once again – eating!
What foods not to feed an arthritic dog
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 and increase painful inflammation. Limiting the grains in your dog’s diet can decrease swelling.
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 that leads to inflammation in dogs. You would not see an immediate adverse reaction upon your dog ingesting it. Nevertheless, it could gradually worsen your dog’s inflammation 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, which are basically an unnecessary recipe for increasing inflammation When choosing a food for your arthritic dog, be sure to read the label carefully and avoid these foods as much as possible. This is to ensure what your pet is eating acts as a medicine in their body, and not as a toxin.
Dog-friendly foods that are anti-inflammatory
You may be asking what your dog can eat, after seeing the list of foods that they should avoid. Fortunately, there are many whole food options that can ease inflammation pain 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, the most important nutrient 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. Not only do they repair joints, but they also boost pets’ energy levels. Our fantastic and knowledgeable customer care team is available to answer any of your questions about our joint supplement products and how they may help your dog or cat. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email, or contact us by phone at 1-800-505-0575.
Shop Now
