Do you give your dog fruits? Not everyone does, but a fruit like honeydew can actually provide some much needed water especially if your dog lacks water!
Honeydew is considered safe for dogs and it contains a wealth of nutrients, such as vitamin B6, niacin, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. (Vit A and C are antioxidants that capture free radicals and slowing the ageing process, while also a good form of prevention against cancer).
And like how honeydew helps hoomans with constipation issues, its fibre contents also help improve your dog's digestion and digestive tract healthy and functioning. Besides hydrating and improving digestion, cantaloupe can be cooling too. A slice of honeydew fresh out from the fridge can also help cool down your furkid especially in a hot day.
However, be careful of the seeds, and be sure to remove them before feeding.
- Vitamin A helps maintain immune system and vision.
- Vitamin B6 helps promote healthy brain and heart, synthesises protein which helps growth and regulates water circulation.
- Vitamin C is a protects cells from being destroyed or altered by oxidation and helps in destroying of free radicals.
- Niacin (Vitamin B3) can help treat inflammatory skin conditions.
- Folate improves amino acid metabolism and proper cell membrane functioning.
- Potassium aids muscle growth and strength, bone health and maintains organ function
Turmeric is an Indian spice and a very good special food because it essentially contains an active ingredient called curcumin. And this curcumin can do quite a lot of things, without having side-effects unlike many other medications.
The active ingredient - curcumin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, wound healing and anti-cancer properties. It can help fight against many diseases like arthritis, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, gastrointestinal issues and more.
Here's the top functions of turmeric:
Besides being able to control inflammation, turmeric can also prevent them, especially the bad ones like chronic inflammation.
Turmeric is proven in studies to be able to prevent cancer, as it can kill cancer cells and prevent them from growing. Currently, around half of adult dogs will get cancer at some point in their lives. By feeding turmeric, you are actually reducing the chances of your dog getting cancer. How good is that?
A group of Thai researchers have found turmeric to be a better reliever of joint stiffness and pain than the other common arthritis medication - ibuprofen. Ibuprofen also has side effects on gastrointestinal systems, something which turmeric does not have a side effect on!
Japanese researchers have studied and found that turmeric's main ingredient - curcumin, is helpful in treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as well as other gastrointestinal disorders.
Many dogs are on steroids as a treatment to withstand joint pain and allergies. The problem is steroids have side effects on dogs. Turmeric, on the other hand, perform just as well as steroids, but without any side effects. This becomes a great remedy to fight arthritis and allergies. A study published in Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology explains the effectiveness of curcumin in replacing steroids but without the side effects.
Turmeric should be given in small amounts, and mix them well with food. A lot of dogs may not like it if you just feed turmeric alone or in big amounts with food. But if you stir and mix well, it should be fine.
Here's a general guide on including turmeric-
Small dogs: about 1/4 teaspoon per day
Medium dogs: around 1/2 teaspoon per day
Large dogs: around 3/4 teaspoon per day
Giant dogs: around 1 teaspoon per day
Pumpkins are an excellent food choice for your dog with almost no side effects. So much so that it is a 'go-to' food for most pawrents whenever their dogs fall sick and require bland, comfort food that does not stir up anymore reaction in their furkids' tummies. What makes it so good for your dog? 🎃
1. High nutrient content, which helps to facilitate healthy functioning of your dog's body systems. (See end of this article for the key nutrients and their main function).
2. Pumpkin helps in relieving diarrhea (lao sai) situations by solidifying the stool due to its soluble fibre content.
3. It is great for easing constipation issues too. (as fibre creates more stool bulk, promotes contraction of the muscles to move stools through the digestive tract)
4. Pumpkins can prove effective in fighting weight loss! (as fibre makes your dog feel 'fuller', and therefore consume less calories)
5. They contain A LOT of moisture (in fact, 90% of pumpkin is water).
6. Pumpkins also promote urinary health as they are high in anti-oxidants.
Additionally, pumpkin seeds are also just as healthy for dogs. However, we must serve cooked pumpkin seeds (raw is a big NO NO). (We will have a separate article on pumpkin seeds 🙂).
For pumpkin meat, however, raw or cooked is fine for your dog. Although for raw pumpkins, it is very difficult to break and chop them into bits. It can also be difficult for your dog to chew on raw pumpkin as they are quite hard. So steaming the pumpkin first is recommended to soften the meats, making it easier for you to cut and also better for your furkid to munch on it.
In our Pawmeal menu, we have 5 recipes that contain the right amount of pumpkin composition. Full recipe ingredients can be found here. 🎃
- Vitamin A helps maintain immune system and vision.
- Vitamin C is a cofactor for enzymatic reactions and collagen synthesis.
- Vitamin E is a fat soluble antioxidant and enzymatic activity regulator.
- Alpha carotene is an antioxidant that prevents damage to cells.
- Calcium supports cytoplasmic functions and mineralizes bone and teeth.
- Iron contributes to cellular respiration, oxidation, and hemoglobin production.
- Lutein supports the health of the eyes, skin, and coat.
Broccoli has a lot of nutrients that makes it one of the top vegetables! It is high in fibre with lots of Vitamin A, C and K, and with moderate amounts of B Vitamins and the mineral manganese. Low in fat and calories as well. Plus high level of anti-cancer oxidants, anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory agents. Broccoli can even help to clean your dog's teeth! You can also feed it raw or cooked to your dog, but remember to chop it into smaller pieces, as the stalk may be hard to crunch especially for senior dogs.
Just note 1 tiny tweeny potential risk of broccoli - if you feed your dog too much of this vegetable, it MAY pose a gastric irritant for your dog. This is because of an ingredient called Isothiocyanate found in broccoli!
Broccoli ideally should be around 5-10% of your dog's diet. 😉 But the actual amount will differ depending on the size of your dog. And every dog is different in terms of how well their tummies take to broccoli, so it is best to monitor their response if they are new to this vegetable!
- Fibre helps in digestion and makes poop firmer and more solid.
- Vitamin A helps maintain immune system and vision.
- Vitamin C is a cofactor for enzymatic reactions and collagen synthesis.
- Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is important in activating your dog's blood's ability to clot.
- The B group of vitamins play an important role in maintaining energy levels, enzyme functioning, glucose generation, red blood cell and nervous system function, hormone regulation, immune response, niacin synthesis, and gene activation.