Category: Nutrition

Small amounts of bread, even seeded bread, shouldn’t harm your dog – in most cases.

But ask yourself this – why would you feed bread to your dog?

Bread isn’t a natural food for dogs, and although their scavenger nature will mean they eat it, in any kind of excess it can be very harmful. Seeds on seeded bread add another level of possible problems, such as dietary sensitivities and allergies.

I must clarify intolerances to bread in dogs is more correctly termed “dietary sensitivity”. It’s not an allergy if it’s a food your dog shouldn’t be fed anyway – bread is one such food.

However, dogs can benefit nutritionally from some grain in the diet, and bread is grain-based, but it is less likely they will benefit from the seeds on seeded bread. If you want to know why, pull apart their poos – you’ll see why.

Is seeded bread safe for your dog?

It’s not so much the seeds, but other additives you may find in some brands of bread.

Watch out for:

• Additives
• Artificial sweeteners
• Excessive salt

Wheat is an ingredients commonly associated with dietary sensitivities in dogs. If your dog is one of them, any wheat-based bread may cause your dog to become itchy, suffer hot spots, or develop yeasty ear syndrome.

Wheat goes hand in hand with gluten, which may cause your dog problems in the same way many people are gluten intolerant.

Moderation, and never excess!

Did you know most food-related problems in dogs are caused by feeding a food in excess?

You can include single brands of kibble in that, because not giving your dog a variety can lead to many health conditions.

On social media we often hear of foods which are bad for dogs, when it isn’t completely correct. Take garlic for example, viralised for being a no-no but is actually beneficial for dogs in moderation. If you read the research (which I have, and not many others have), the conclusion was multiple cloves of garlic were potentially harmful. Not the small amounts you find in many dog foods.

Feeding your health dog a little bit of seeded bread will likely cause no issues at all. It may even be beneficial.

In moderation, however, it could make your dog ill.

Let’s consider the risks, and then you can decide for yourself if you should feed your dog seeded bread (or any bread)…

The risks of feeding your dog seeded bread

We are often told our dogs are omnivores, but common sense tells us they sit more at the carnivore end of the scale compared to us.

With a shorter digestive tract and big carnivore teeth, it’s easy to understand dogs digest meat better than starchy foods like bread.

Let’s consider the three main risks of feeding your dog seeded bread:

• Potential digestive issues – Grains are slower to digest and may overload your dog’s digestive system. You can’t feed a lion lettuce and expect it to thrive, and the same applies for feeding dogs bread. Some seeds may cause digestive upset, contain compounds which are toxic to dogs (perhaps over longer term feeding), and can also pose a choking hazard (from seeds getting lodged in the throat).
• Allergic and dietary reactions – If your dog shows any signs of itching, scratching, hot spots, swelling, or gastrointestinal distress, stop feeding any kind of bread immediately.
• Mold – You know how quickly mold can grow on bread, and sometimes we don’t even notice it. Mold can be very toxic and harmful to dogs, and in some cases can lead to severe illness or death.

Conclusion – Should you feed seeded bread, or any bread, to your dog?

You may have picked up on the fact bread isn’t something a dog needs in their diet. In fact, the only reason we may feed bread to our dogs is because we want to give them a treat, to make them happy, or because we’re frustrated with the cost of dog food – I get that.

Bread and seeded bread is unlikely to cause your dog harm in most cases, and in small moderation. It will be a different story if your dog suffers dietary sensitivities to seeds or ingredients in bread, even additives, and salt can be an issue.

Lastly, moldy bread poses a further risk which can lead to your dog being very sick.

I hope that answers your question whether a dog can eat seeded bread!

For us humans we already know the scientific benefits of a “liver cleanse” or “detox”.

Did you know it’s just as important for our dogs who may also benefic from a periodic cleanse?

In this guide we’ll discuss the importance of the liver, how you can detox your own dog’s liver, and the reasons a healthy liver equals a healthy dog.

What are the benefits of a natural liver detox for dogs?

A healthy liver is the cornerstone of offering your dog a long and healthy life.

The liver is thought to perform several hundred functions. These include assisting carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, detoxification, and assisting in blood cell production and storage.

These actions are carried out by one cell – hepatocytes.

Liver cleansing is aimed at supporting these cells so they can perform optimally.

From a Naturopathic perspective, and because the liver affects so many functions in the body, it is easy to recognize a connection between various symptoms and the liver as such an important organ.

Why would your dog need a periodic liver detox

There are many factors which affect a dog’s liver, and these factors are often more common than we realise.

I’ll jot down various factors which can daily affect the liver health of our dogs, and will then go into more detail:

• Diet.
• Toxins in diet, including mold.
• Vaccinations
• Medications.
• Parasite treatments (flea and tick).
• Emotional stress from lack of exercise, attention, basic needs, other pets.
• Health issues.

Toxins in dog foods can often be a problem. Us humans consumer toxins often, but because our diet is varied these toxins rarely affect us.

This is not the case for most dogs who are often fed from the same bag of dry dog food morning, noon, and night, for weeks. Imagine if your dog food has some elevated level of toxins from a manufacturing issue?

I hate to fear monger, but this can and does happen. Thankfully excess toxins from dog food are uncommon, but if you monitor dog food recalls you will see many reputable brands have been affected at some stage.

Even mold in dog food can stress the liver, and given many dog foods opt for more natural preservatives such as rosemary, it is possible for mold to occur more often than you would expect.

Toxins from vaccinations, medications, parasite treatments, or even shared dog water bowls can have a negative impact on the health of our dogs. Emotional stress from lack of exercise, attention, or basic needs being met can also be a factor.

Other pets, particularly newly introduced household pets, can cause our dogs to be stressed. Most of the time we won’t even realize how affected they are.

Changes in behavior such as restlessness and irritability, as well as physical issues such as  anal gland problems, allergies, seizures, autoimmune diseases, general skin conditions and gastrointestinal problems also show liver imbalance.

How to: A natural liver cleanse for dogs

A general liver cleanse twice yearly can really boost liver function, thus taking stress off other vital organs including kidneys.

Don’t worry, giving your dog a periodic natural liver cleanse is both simple, and affordable.

Even if your dog shows no signs of ill health, a liver cleanse can still benefit their health, wellbeing, and longevity.

The following herbs are often use to naturally cleanse a dog’s liver:

• St Mary’s Thistle.
• Dandelion.
• Yellow Dock.

In addition, the following nutrients will help cleanse your dog’s liver:

• Amino acids.
• Glutathione.
• B vitamins.
• Antioxidants such as E and C are generally recommended.

St Mary’s thistle in particular is very supportive of liver function as it contains a flavonoid compound called silymarin. This compound in itself is a combination of several other active compounds.

Silymarin and other related compounds support and protect the liver. Specifically, they strengthen the liver cell’s resistance to harmful toxins as well as  stimulating new cell reproduction.

St Mary’s thistle can be easily added into your dog’s food in liquid or tablet form.

For those using chemical flea/tick and worming treatments, it is recommended to use a 7-10 day regime of St Mary’s thistle as this assists the liver to process these chemicals before they can lead to build up in the system.

By chemical, this includes spot on treatments which are absorbed directly into the bloodstream.

Personally, I would give my dog a natural liver cleanse every 3 months for those using the above herbs and nutrients.

Without advising against chemical flea, tick, and worming treatments, I personally opt for more natural herbal based ones (for more information on these, see my article on natural worming).

I have never used chemical flea and tick treatments unless my dog (or cat) showed signs of fleas or ticks. I consider this far better than repetitively treating my dog with chemicals which can be toxic.

Giving your dog a detox using chlorophyll or fasting

You could giving your dog a more general detoxification routine using liquid Chlorophyll, a herbal tonic. Seek advice from an animal Naturopath or herbalist for this.

Many dog owners these days opt for a 24 hour fast which will give much needed rest to an overworked digestive system. It is common for the wild cousins of our dogs to fast regularly, and research has shown benefits of doing so.

Final thoughts on diet, and the importance of a good diet

If you’ve read my other articles on canine and feline diets you will know how important I consider diet as absolutely fundamental to the health of our pets.

Diet is the foundation of good liver health.

If you feed your dogs a meat-based dog food rather than one made largely of grains or grain-free ingredients then you should be giving them a head start. Even better if you can afford a dried-raw which is freeze or air-dried, as these are more natural for your dog.

Should I mention the benefits of raw feeding?

I understand for many that raw feeding is daunting, particularly ensuring we get the balance of nutrients correct from organs and bones, but even though the cost of raw feeding is often cheaper than we think, the majority of dog owners feed commercial dry dog foods.

If you’re one of the many who feeds their dog a commercial dry dog food, you can still benefit your dog’s health with periodic short detox regimes.

These will assist your dog to eliminate unwanted toxins, including those which may occur from dry dog foods which are classed as highly processed foods.

Ideally, if you are still feeding commercial foods to your dog, it may be time to rethink diet, especially if they are experiencing any chronic illness. We fail to realise diet is often the root cause of illnesses, and it is uncommon for veterinarians to consider the root cause – it is not the responsibility of your vet to instruct you in how to take care of your dog, only to treat them once they show symptoms of illness.

A good diet combined with detoxification and liver support can go a long way in helping your dog resolve many types of chronic problems, and should lead to long term balance and health.

NB:  always check with your vet or holistic animal practitioner when deciding on a detoxification program for your dog.

Our dogs can reap the benefits of fasting, but how, and why?

When it comes to human diets, specifically the keto diet and carnivore diet, intermittent fasting are on top of the list when it comes to health trends.

Many health-conscious people turn to these two methods to lose weight and control certain health conditions, and the science is there to show why.

Wild carnivores (yes, dogs are primarily carnivore) will naturally fast between feasts. Unlike our domestic dogs fed by us, wild carnivores also won’t suffer from obesity. Even when whole prey is in abundance.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the dietary strategy of fasting dogs. How it works, and the kinds of food you can feed them to reach a health goal.

We will also look into combining intermittent fasting with a raw diet if you’re currently feeding a high-carbohydrate kibble – and whether this combination is effective.

Fasting a Dog

Fasting a dog intermittently is a dietary strategy that combines calorie restriction and food consumption over a specific period of time.

There are several different types of intermittent fasting routines, but the most common method of fasting a dog is 1 day per week.

If your dog is obese, you may also have a couple of morning fasts per week, cutting out a regular morning meal and opting to only feed in the evening. This can help your dog lose extra weight, but it is important not to overdo it and allow your dog to lose the extra bulk gradually.

What are the Benefits of Fasting?

As well as weight loss there are other benefits associated with intermittent fasting.

These benefits include reduced inflammation, such as stiff joints, dysplasia, and age-related pain. Research into fasting in humans have suggested an improvement in brain function, and better bodily controls of blood sugar levels.

How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?

If you look at fasting your dog from a weight-loss perspective, intermittent fasting discourages overeating during the day. As pet guardians who want to keep our dogs happy, it’s very easy to overfeed our dogs, and we only realize when a veterinarian points out the obvious bulk.

By following the rule of thumb limiting your dog’s food intake, fasting your dog on a routine basis can break their cravings for high calorie dog food products and treats.

The main mechanism attached to fasting, fat loss, and improved health conditions comes from the process of reduced insulin production, increased ketone production, and autophagy.

During the hours our dogs fast, their insulin levels keep dropping periodically. This promotes the process of ketogenesis – the release of fat from your dog’s fat cells.

Your dog can benefit from fasting from a regular kibble diet, but a dog fed a raw diet will likely benefit from ketosis to a far greater extent. This allows the dog to enter a deeper state of ketosis, promoting a self-cleaning process known as autophagy.

Combining Intermittent Fasting and a Raw Diet

As somewhat of a disclaimer, as it’s very likely information from your veterinarian (who sells grain kibbles for pet carnivores) will be against combining fasting with a raw diet.

Nevertheless, as a pet parent you must always monitor your dog’s health, and seek veterinary advice and blood tests if any concerns arise.

There’s a huge difference in quality and nutrition between grass fed and grain fed beef, for both you and your dog.

When searching for dog food, that means any premium brand made with grass fed beef will be much healthier for your dog.

For us, any carnivore connoisseurs will tell you why you should stump up the additional $s for grass-fed nutrition.

Let’s compare grass-fed and grain-fed beef a little more deeply:

The benefits of grass-fed beef for you and your dog

Grass-fed beef has a naturally occurring fatty acid called CLA which is linked to long-term weight management and good health. That’s your first win, as I know that matters to you.

Although synthetic versions of CLA have been a popular weight loss supplement for years in the human space, grass-fed beef has a much higher natural level of CLA.

By fine-tuning yours and your carnivorous dog’s eating plan with the addition of grass-fed beef, you reap the benefits of healthier proteins, and likely a noticeable improvement in weight-loss results.

The magic of a high protein diet lies in the way it tricks the body into thinking it’s fasting. This is the case for keto diets and carnivore diets (cats are carnivores, dogs aren’t too different). By minimizing or removing carbohydrates, the body uses fat, not carbs, as its prime energy source. This process is ketogenesis and can occur between 1 to 5 days without carbs, usually causing a dry mouth and slightly bad breath as your body adapts.

Grass-fed beef is rich in sodium, potassium, and magnesium — three key electrolytes — and these can play an integral role in maintaining the delicate electrolyte balance during the initial weight loss phase. Grain-fed beef doesn’t have this benefit, which is the reason many who attempt a keto diet suffer from a symptom called “keto flu”.

Grass-fed beef contains significantly higher levels of Vitamins A, K, D, E, CLA, and Omega 6, to grain-fed beef. These nutrients help regulate metabolic rate and lower cholesterol.

Grass-fed beef is up to five times higher in Omega 3, a fatty acid responsible for heart health and cognitive function.

Grain-fed beef carries more fat & marbling, and with meat prices currently, sometimes grain-fed beef can be the cheaper option.

Quick tip: If you find grass-fed beef hard to find, or too expensive, do this: Visit a local farm shop or butcher. If you want to find hidden gems, go to a farmers market, talk to stall owners, and ask if they have a farm or farm shop.

Most of the time, they’ll do meat mince (with offal) and raw meaty bones as well, for your dog of course, not you.

Let’s consider butter!

It’s not just grass-fed beef which is so much better for our health. It’s the butter as well.

(I know this website is about feeding a dog, so I’ll quickly add my dog loves a little bit of butter).

If you’re on a keto diet, or carnivore diet, then a key component should be butter. Real butter.

Did you know grass-fed butter has all the vitamins and mineral content of grass-fed beef?

This isn’t the case for the nutrient-poor butter from grain-fed cows.

What about organic grass fed-beef?

Organic grass-fed beef, if truly organic, will be free of harmful ingredients like sweeteners, highly refined oils, and food additives.

If the option of organic is available, and you’re happy to pay for it, then you’re buying a much more nutritious piece of beef.

Remember: The terms grass-fed or grain-fed tell you nothing about how that cow was raised or its health at slaughter.

Feeding guinea pigs a balanced diet is crucial to their overall health and wellbeing.

As a herbivore, guinea pigs require a specific set of nutrients to maintain their health, and it’s important to provide them with the right foods to meet their nutritional needs.

However, some pet owners may wonder if it’s okay to feed their guinea pigs cat food. You may have found your guinea pig interested in cat food, and happily eat it.

In this article, we will explore the topic of feeding guinea pigs cat food. I think you’ll find the differences between cats and guinea pigs interesting, and it may help you feed them both a better diet!

The hazards of feeding Cat food to a Guinea Pig

Cats are carnivores and Guinea Pigs are herbivores, so there’s already a huge mismatch.

BUT!

You may be surprised to learn most cat foods are made from grains and plant-based ingredients which a Guinea Pig will naturally eat. There’s two problems with this – first, your cat shouldn’t be eating grains or plant-matter because they’re carnivores, and in turn your guinea pig shouldn’t be eating the meat and animal fat content which always makes up part of a cat food.

Worse still, for both your cat AND guinea pig, is most cat foods contain artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors. These are added to cat foods for reasons other than the health of your cat, such as making the food look more appealing to you (food colors), to stopping it going rank (preservatives).

Feeding guinea pigs cat food can lead to several health problems, including obesity, digestive issues, and kidney problems. The high levels of protein and fat in cat food can cause digestive upset in guinea pigs and may even lead to obesity over time. The lack of vitamin C in cat food can also be a concern since guinea pigs require this nutrient in their diet.

“Feeding cat food to guinea pigs can lead to health problems, including obesity and gastrointestinal issues. Guinea pigs have unique dietary requirements, and they need a diet that is specifically designed to meet their needs.”

Dr. Bridget P. Williams, veterinarian at Cornell University

Most of the time these health problems won’t develop overnight. By the time your guinea pig shows symptoms it will be too late.

This is sadly the same for our cats. Cat food made of grains and other non-meat ingredients can cause long term health failure. Most of the time it’s their kidneys which are affected, and this may take a few years before they show symptoms.

It’s important to remember that guinea pigs have very different dietary needs from cats, and feeding them cat food can have serious health consequences. It’s always best to stick to a diet that is specifically formulated for guinea pigs to ensure they get all the nutrients they need to thrive.

The nutritional needs of Guinea Pigs

“The key to a healthy guinea pig diet is variety. Make sure they have access to fresh hay, fresh vegetables, and a small amount of fruit. Avoid feeding them foods that are high in sugar or fat, as well as any toxic foods.”

Dr. Micah Kohles, veterinarian at Kansas State University

Guinea pigs have unique nutritional requirements which you must meat to ensure their health, wellbeing, and long happy live.

Unlike carnivorous cats, guinea pigs are true herbivores. This means their diet should consist of high-quality hay, fresh vegetables, and a small amount of fruit.

Guinea pigs require a diet which is high in fiber to keep their digestive system healthy. They also require vitamin C as they cannot produce this on their own. A deficiency in vitamin C can lead to serious health conditions for your guinea pig.

The dangers of feeding cat food (and other inappropriate foods) to Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs have a sensitive digestive system, and their diet should consist of foods that are specifically formulated to meet their nutritional needs. They may willingly eat cat food because of the grain and plant-matter content, but the remaining meat and animal fat content is harmful. For your cat it’s the exact opposite, with the grain and plant-matter content being the harmful constituent.

If only you could cut it in half!

Calcium in inappropriate foods can also be harmful to your guinea pig, as can foods which are toxic to them such as chocolate or avocado (particularly the skin and pips which are very harmful to cats and us as well).

Cat food is also lower in fiber than what your guinea pig needs, so this can also be problematic. This can lead to digestive issues like diarrhea and can even cause impaction, a condition in which the intestines become blocked.

To ensure your guinea pig stays healthy and happy, it’s crucial to provide them a diet which is specifically formulated to meet their nutritional needs. Avoid feeding them any inappropriate foods or ingredients and consult with a veterinarian if you have any concerns about your guinea pig’s diet.

Conclusion

We’ve dug into the science and various differences between a cat and guinea pig, and have found a resounding conclusion.

No, it is not safe to feed cat food to your guinea pig.

I don’t know about your dog, but mine frustratingly leaves her raw food in the bowl for ages. I know she wants it because she’ll growl if the cat goes near it, but she seems to like it better when it’s been exposed to the elements.

But how long can raw dog food be left out before you need to chuck it?

How long can raw dog food be left in the bowl?

Once raw dog food has been defrosted, it should be treated like any other perishable food. A good rule of thumb is 2 hours in normal room temperature, but it does depend on the climate where you live, and whether it’s indoors or outdoors.

Leaving a bowl of raw in the hot Aussie sun for more than 15 minutes probably isn’t the best idea, but in a cool Canadian kitchen away from flies you can relax a bit.

Bacteria can quickly multiply in raw food. Our dogs are super-resilient to most bacteria if they’re in good health, but after 2 hours and you start to risk illness – usually diarrhea or vomiting.

Other gotchas are keeping the bowl clean. I clean my dog’s bowl with hot soapy water every night, but I know lots of people don’t. This can also increase the risk of bacteria growth, so try and get in the habit of keeping it clean (and their water bowl too).

What about defrosting frozen raw?

You’ll always be better off letting frozen raw defrost gradually in the fridge. It’s a good habit to get in to, but if you’re forgetful like me you may end up defrosting in room temperature or (last resort) the microwave.

Defrosting time will vary depending on how much food, the temperature, and the method used.

Here are some guidelines for defrosting raw dog food:

1. Defrosting in the refrigerator – This is the safest method for defrosting raw dog food. Simply place the food in a container in the refrigerator and allow it to defrost slowly over 24-48 hours. Breaking it up (if possible) will help it defrost more quickly.
2. Defrosting in cold water – If you need to defrost the food more quickly then you can place it in a sealed plastic bag and submerge it in cold water. You can change the water every 30 minutes or so if the current water gets too cold. This method can take anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the size of the food.
3. Defrosting in the microwave – Try not to defrost raw dog food, simply because it’s basically cooking and going against the grain of the whole “raw” thing. It won’t harm your dog though. If you must use the microwave then use the defrost setting and check it frequently to ensure it doesn’t start to cook. Your dog probably won’t mind it being fed a little frozen.

Can you feed raw dog food straight from the fridge?

100% yes. Your dog will likely wolf down raw food whether it’s cold or not. In fact most dogs will eat it frozen! This is totally fine, and also less risk of bacteria or contamination.

If your dog won’t eat raw dog food straight from the fridge then leave it for a while at room temperature until they do.

It’s worth considering dental health or tooth pain if your dog won’t eat cold food. Just like us, cold food can cause shooting pains which put us off.

I’m a huge advocate for raw dog food, but what most dog parents fail to realize is soft raw doesn’t keep teeth clean. You need raw meaty bones for that (or regular brushing). The last thing you want your dog to have is periodontal disease, trust me.

Other frequently asked questions about defrosting raw dog food