easy homemade dog food topper
DIY Eat: Delicious Dog Food Toppers
DIY Eat: Delicious Dog Food Toppers
Easy meal toppers that will have your dog licking his bowl clean!
Easy To Make Dog Food Toppers for Your Pet!
Is your dog a picky eater? Are you trying to encourage an under-the-weather dog to eat more? Or are you interested in homemade dog food but not quite ready to make all your dogs meals? These simple and healthy meal dog food toppers are nutrient packed, a cinch to make, and will have your dog diving into her dinner.
Dog Food Topper #1 Bone Booster Broth
Bone booster broths are a cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine. Cartilage and tendons provide instant chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine.Adding bone broth to your dogs dinner is an easy way for your dog to get quick nourishment. Give it as a special dog treat or use it as a base for your own soups or stewsthis broth is for the whole family! Its also great to use as a topper for a dogs regular meals, whether you feed cooked, raw, or kibble. Bone booster broths even contain stem cells! This broth aids in the healing process if your dog is unwell or recovering.
Ingredients
1 to 2 pounds of chicken or turkey bones OR 2 large beef marrow bones or other marrow bones (Only certified organic bones, with no hormones or antibiotics, should be used for this recipe.)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or juice from 1/2 lemon
Filtered water
1/2 cup fresh parsley, flat or Italian
Instructions: Place the bones and vinegar or lemon juice in a large pot or crock-pot. Cover with filtered water. Bring the mixture to a boil, skimming off the "particulates" and foam that rise to the top, and then turn down the heat to a low simmer. Leave the bones to simmer away all day or all night. Add the parsley just a few minutes before you drain the broth from the bones. Discard the bones and parsley, but keep all the meat and cartilage, which make a great snack or dinner addition for your dog. Keep the broth in the fridge or store in the freezer until ready to use.
Note about apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar for dogs releases calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, and other trace minerals and amino acids from the bones into the broth.
Note about parsley: Parsley improves digestion and is beneficial to the kidneys and urinary tract. It contains vitamin C, pro-vitamin A, calcium, chlorophyll, iron, and magnesium.
Dog Food Topper #2 A Lot of Liver
This recipe takes less than five minutes to prepare!
Ingredients
1 cup raw liver (beef, chicken, turkey, duck, lamb, etc), chopped (Only certified organic liver should be used for this recipe.)
2 Tbsp filtered water
1 Tbsp whole flour (optional), such as coconut, hemp, oat, potato, quinoa, or buckwheat flour
Pinch of Turmeric
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a small pan.Gently saut on medium heat until cooked, about five minutes.Make sure it has cooled completely before serving. This recipe can also be easily whirled in a food processor and served as a sauce for an excellent food topper or add extra filtered water and feed via a syringe if your dog is sick.
If you have some leftover liver, try these easy dog treats!
Share you favorite dog food topper in the comments section!
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10 Easy Homemade Dog Food Toppers to Make Your Dog's Dinner Fun
Has your dog started to turn up their nose at the dry kibble you are putting in their bowl every day? If that is the case, you arent alone. Often, dogs get bored with the same kibble day after day and refuse to eat. So what should you do? Make a homemade dog food topper! Dog food toppers are fun, nutritious, and often extremely easy to whip together.
Dont Quit the Kibble
One thing to keep in mind is that if your dog is a bit picky, dont overthink it if its just once or twice. If your doggo turns up their nose, they might not be too hungry, or their tummy is a little funny. Before ditching your dogs current kibble, check to see if there may be an underlying reason theyve stopped eating.
If their lack of appetite persists, it is time to see the vet. Your dog might have some health issues that are reducing their appetite. The vet can also check to see if a sore tooth or infected gums are making it painful for your dog to chew their kibble.
Kibble provides many benefits
Well-balanced, high-quality kibble provides a nutritious diet for your dog, providing the right proportion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Dry dog food also helps to scrub your best buddys teeth as they eat, which can lead to fewer dental problems in the long run.
Check the Date on Your Dogs Dinner
While kibble will last a long time on the shelf, it doesnt last forever. So if your dog stops digging in, check to see if your dogs kibble has passed its expiration date. If so, the fats might have turned rancid and that could affect its appeal to your dog.
How to Increase Your Dogs Appetite at Mealtime
Some dogs thrive on variety. Others just arent hungry. If youre wondering if a homemade dog food topper is worth your time, check these other approaches to increasing your dogs appetite, first.
Keep your dogs feeding schedule regular
Dogs, like many people, are creatures of habit. Feed them at the same time or times each day. They will get used to the schedule and be ready to eat when the food is presented to them.
Let your dog eat or not
When it is time to eat, put their food out. If they arent hungry, they wont eat, but leave it out so that they can eat it when they do get hungry. Of course, for a multi-dog home, this might not be an option because the other doggos might get to it first.
Reduce your doggos snacks
Why did your mom make you eat your meal before she gave you dessert? So you would get your nutrients before your stomach was full. The same is true for your dog. If you give them too many dog snacks and treats, they might not have an appetite come mealtime.
Treats are made to be tasty (and many are nutritious, too), but they wont provide the right balance of nutrients, and they are usually high in calories.
Walk before you feed your pupper to stimulate their appetite
Try taking your doggo for a brisk walk before dinner. Sometimes the additional activity will stimulate their appetite, making them more likely to eat the kibble that you give them.
Not only does walking release happy endorphins, but when your dog has been outside, smelled some wonderful smells and spent some quality time with their favourite human, theyre less likely to object to their dinner. They will be happy and a little tired, perfect state of mind for not fussing over a meal of the kibble that they have been eating.
10 Homemade Meal Toppers, Guaranteed to Make Your Dogs Mouth Water
Dogs cant talk, so they cant tell you what to do or why they dont want to eat that bowl full of kibble that they used to dive into, so you have to make some educated guesses. We suggest you begin with some basic meal toppers (especially if youre short on time) then launch into a bit more flavour if needed.
1. Add a little liquid
Sometimes all it takes is a little moisture to get your dog excited about dinnertime. It will give the kibble a different feel and different smellthat might be all that it takes to get your dog eating. Not only that, but it will help keep them hydrated, which is important during hot weather.
Water
You can start with just adding a little water to the kibble and giving it a good stir. The water will form a gravy that should stimulate your dogs appetite.
Milk
If milk products dont bother your doggos tummy, you can add a little milk. That will help provide additional calcium and vitamin D.
Broth
Meat broth can be either store-bought or homemade. If you buy it, make sure it is low in sodium so your dog doesnt get too much salt.
DIY Homemade Meat Broth
It is easy to make your own brothand a homemade approach allows you to control the ingredients that go in.
- Put the bones, any extra meat, and whatever veggies you would like in a pot, cover with water, and then simmer for a couple of hours on low.
- Check from time to time to be sure theres plenty of liquid left in the pot.
- Strain the broth, and add any little chunks of meat and vegetable that you think your dog would like.
- Mix a little with your dogs kibble. Refrigerate the leftovers.
When your dog finishes their meal, make sure that you wash out the bowl so that bacteria doesnt grow. Bacteria could cause problems with your dogs digestive tract.
2. Give Your dog a home-cooked meal
Food simmering on the stove or baking in the oven will fill your home with wonderful smells. You can bet that your dog will notice and that will stimulate their appetite.
If youre eating something healthy, spoon out a bit before you fully salt the dish. Then mix a little of whatever you are having with their kibble. Just make sure that it is only a small amount so that they will still be getting the proper nutrients provided by the kibble.
3. Want yogurt with that?
Some dogs love yogurt! And luckily, its also something healthy that might induce them to eat.
Plain, low-fat yogurt will add vitamin D and live lactobacillus acidophilus for improved gut health. It is low in calories and will help your doggo with bowel movements, too. But watch for diarrheanot all dogs can digest milk and milk products.
4. Freshening things up with fruit and veggies
There are a variety of fruits and veggies that you can add to get your furry friend to eat their kibble.
Experiment by adding some of the following until you find some that your dog can't resist:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Green beans
- Kale
- Peas
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
The veggies work best cooked, and give them just a little to start with to make sure that it doesnt cause problems with their digestive tract.
You can even double down and add some of these tasty fruits and veggies to some plain yoghurt for an irresistible kibble topper!
5. Add some eggs
Give eggs a try, either raw or cooked (although some dogs prefer their eggs cooked). Eggs are a good source of protein and will provide a variety of vitamins and minerals. They are also a great source of essential amino acids and fatty acids.
Dont forget that you can give them the shell too for added calcium.
6. Sardines: a secret superfood
Open a tin of sardines and mix a couple of them in with the kibble. They will add flavour and omega-3 fatty acid, too. You can be sure that your dog will notice the smell!
7. Spice it up with a few herbs
If your dog has a refined palate, provide a bit of variety with healthy herbs. Some you might want to try, include:
- Chamomile
- Cinnamon
- Dill
- Fennel
- Ginger
- Goldenseal
- Milk thistle
- Oregano
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Turmeric
Avoid spices like comfrey, garlic, ma huang, pennyroyal, tea tree oil, white willow bark, wormwood and yucca.
8. Add watered-down peanut butter
Few dogs can resist peanut butter! If your dog doesnt want their dinner, just mix a spoonful of peanut butter with a little water or cooking oil, then mix it with the kibble. Most dogs love the flavourit is easy and inexpensive.
9. Mix with dried meat cut into small pieces
Cut or chop dried meat into small pieces and add that to the kibble. Some varieties of dog food already do this. Just make sure that your dog isnt getting too much sodium.
10. Add wet or raw food
Most dogs feel canned food and raw dog food smells and tastes better than kibble, so if all else fails, give that a try. Remember to balance your dogs caloric intake.
Toppers Turn Your Dogs Dinner into a Delight!
Dogs, just like people, can get fussy about their food. And dont forget that their tastes can change over time, too. Make sure that their lack of appetite isnt caused by poor health or dental problems, then start experimenting until you find something that your doggo cant resist. When whipping together homemade kibble toppers, just make sure that they arent feeding them so many added calories. And always check with your vet to be sure your dog is receiving a balanced, healthy diet.
Keep track of what they like and what they dont and note those added treats that give them digestive discomfort. Soon you will figure out what they like and what they dont and develop a few strategies to get them to eat properly. Your dog will love you for it, and you will be happy that you took the time and effort to find out what they really, really want.
