homemade dog food recipes with turmeric

Turmeric for Dogs: A Beginners Guide (With Recipes!)

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Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian and this article is not a substitute for veterinary care. Any information found on this site is meant to serve as a starting point for a conversation with your dogs veterinarian about what options or treatments are appropriate for your dogs specific needs.

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Inflammation is behind many of the chronic illnesses that plague both humans and pets. One of the best ways to deal with it is through the diet.

Today were talking about a superfood that you can easily add to your dogs meals that might help him stay active as he ages.

This amazing food is the yellow/orange root, turmeric.

What is Turmeric?

Native to Asia, Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family that is often used in Indian cuisine as a flavor or color booster. It has a very distinctive earthy flavor and a rich, dark yellow color.

Turmeric has also been used in pre-packaged human and pet food to enhance either the flavor or the color.

The benefits of turmeric in humans have been studied for years. As it turns out, turmeric has many healing, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

In fact, it has even shown potentially positive effects against cancer cells, atopic dermatitis, arthritis, and cognitive dysfunction.

And now science is starting to realize the benefits this spice can have for our pets too.

Can Dogs Have Turmeric?

In short, yes, dogs can have turmeric, although its recommended to keep it to small quantities.

In fact, you may even see it listed on the ingredients label of your dogs food. This is to enhance the flavor of the kibble, not to add any extra anti-inflammatory benefits. The levels of turmeric included in your dogs food are too low to add any additional anti-inflammatory effects.

Also, note that commercial turmeric capsules and pills are not recommended for animals, as their levels of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, are far too high.

The Benefits of Turmeric for Dogs

It has been shown that turmeric can be linked to improving problems with your pets gastrointestinal tract. This is because chronic inflammation can lead to irritable bowel syndrome, causing symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, nausea, vomiting, fever, and other issues.

There is also evidence that turmeric can help support your pets liver. The liver helps remove toxins from your pets body, as well as absorb nutrients and regulate blood content.

When turmeric is introduced to your pets diet, it can help your dogs liver break down fats and remove waste from their bodies. This is especially true if your dog has a pre-existing liver issue.

Turmeric for Senior Dogs

Its no secret that large-breed older dogs often suffer from joint pain. Therefore, you might see the added benefits turmeric provides even more clearly in senior dogs.

Specifically, if youre careful about the dosing, giving turmeric to your older dog can help them in a wide variety of health-related manners.

Turmeric can help fight aging by reducing chronic inflammation, can reduce chronic pain, and even promotes healthy brain activity.

Possible Side Effects of Turmeric in Dogs

If you do decide to use turmeric for the dogs in your household, there are some potential side effects you will need to watch for.

For instance, turmeric for dogs can cause an upset stomach or constipation, especially if your turmeric dose is too high. If youre considering using turmeric, start at a lower dosage and build up from there.

Turmeric for dogs can also cause kidney stones, especially if your dog is prone to them. Specifically, turmeric tablets can cause an increase in urinary oxalate levels, making kidney stone formation far more likely.

In dogs, turmeric can also cause contractions of the gallbladder, leading to gallbladder stones and bile duct obstruction, especially if your pet is prone to that sort of thing.

You should also be cautious if your dog is on medicine for diabetes, as turmeric can lower blood sugar.

The good news is that these side effects are rare, and are usually the result of giving your pet too much turmeric.

If you do decide to use turmeric for your pet, make sure you follow any dosage instructions carefully.

Golden Paste and Other Easy Recipes

Created by Dr. Dough English, an Australian veterinarian, Golden Paste is a product that allows you to incorporate turmeric into your pets diet.

Generally, youll want to start your pet off with a 1/4 teaspoon dose, added to their food 2 to 3 times daily. The product also lasts for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so if you think you have more than two weeks worth of product you can freeze a portion.

If youre wondering about the golden paste benefits, theyre pretty much the same as described above: anti-inflammatory properties that can aid in a wide variety of joint or chronic pain issues.

If your dog isnt interested in the plates, turmeric can also be given to your pet through turmeric gravy, or turmeric oil. Both of these can be made or purchased at a local holistic food store, such as Whole Foods or Trader Joes.

Golden Paste Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup turmeric powder organic
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 1/4 cup coconut oil organic
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground

Instructions

1. Mix the water with the turmeric on medium/low heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Continually stir throughout the entire time to break down clumps and create a smooth, thick mixture.
2. Once thick, turn off the heat. Stir in the coconut oil and black pepper. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Allow to cool slightly and pour into a heat-proof, glass canning jar. Seal and store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
4. For long-term freezer storage, pour into paw molds and serve with meals.

Turmeric Gravy Recipe

Put a teaspoon (or smaller) of turmeric powder in a heat-safe cup (like a measuring cup), add boiling water until the cup is 1/3 full and then let it cool for a few minutes.

Add about 1/8 tsp of freshly cracked pepper and about a teaspoon of any healthy oil (such as coconut, olive or linseed).

This will make roughly one-half cup of gravy, more than enough for one days use.

Add some of the mix as a gravy to your dogs food bowl and let it soak in.

Peanut Butter Turmeric Coconut Oil Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Melt coconut oil so that it is liquid
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and stir until smooth
3. Pour into silicone molds and freeze for approximately 15-20 minutes
4. Store in the freezer as they will soften quickly when left at room temperature

If you dont have molds (I dont), you can also use a small ice cube tray. This is a good recipe if your dog isnt too sure about the taste of turmeric because the PB helps mask it.

Want even more turmeric recipes? Check out our Healthy Treats board on Pinterest!

In Conclusion

While more research does still need to be done to quantify the health benefits of turmeric, in moderate amounts it is likely safe for both humans and pets.

As long as you start with a low dosage and work your way up, there is a possibility you can improve your pets quality of life by decreasing inflammation and the conditions that come from it.

I highly recommend looking into it, especially if your dog is suffering from any of the health issues mentioned above.

In fact, if you decide to include turmeric in your dogs diet, it may just help them live a longer, happier, and healthier life.

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Make Your Own Health-Boosting Turmeric Dog Treats

I often speak of Moe, my nine-year-old pug. Not only because hes part of our family, but because of the way he has responded to a more natural, nutrient-rich diet. A few years ago, he could barely get up on the couch because ofarthritis in his back legs. After changing his diet and making him healthy dog treats, the difference has been night and day.

Since my Oma has rheumatoid arthritis, I had previously done a lot of research, aiming to reduce her painful symptoms. I applied that knowledge to Moe and he now keeps up with the best of us. In fact, here he is this past weekend my little canoe-paddling partner in crime.

If youre looking for a few creative dog treats, this one definitely tops the list, as well as sweet potato slices. Just remember, your dog needs to consume a balanced, protein-rich diet. As long as you feed your dog a variety of nutrient-dense foods, you can play a significant role in influencing their health and longevity.

Why turmeric?

Turmeric is one of those ingredients that has a long medicinal history back from nearly 4,000 years ago. Today, based on modern science, were unable to uncover key components which offer the health-boosting benefits that humans have recognized for centuries.

Often referred to as the golden spice, turmeric contains more than 100 components. Of these, the most widely studied and beneficial are the coloring agents known as curcuminoids and the volatile oil of the root, which contains turmerone. Used in Ayurvedic practices, turmeric is known to re-energize the body, improve digestion, dispel worms, relieve symptoms of arthritis and much more.

Exclusive: 99 Reasons Turmeric Is the Best Spice Ever

When it comes to your four-legged friend, they are likely to experience inflammation and stiff joints as they age. Curcumin, the primary active ingredient in turmeric, is known to naturally relieve pain. Although this is ideal for dogs who suffer from arthritis, turmeric can benefit dogs of all ages.

Like humans, dogs can develop a wide range of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Based on the properties of turmeric, it has been shown to stimulate bile production, disinfect, purify the blood, treat stomach ailments and even combat ringworm.

Homemade Turmeric Dog Treats

When making dog treats, to compliment this star ingredient, you want to stay away from your standard wheat flours. Instead, focus on protein-rich flours, such as barley, quinoa, coconut or chia flour. With the addition of other health-boosting ingredients including blueberries and flax seeds your dog will happily gobble up each and every bite.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups flour of your choice (I used barley) + 1/4 cup (for dusting the counter and rolling pin)
• 1/2 cup water (if you have homemade chicken stock, that works well too)
• 1/4 cup chopped blueberries
• 1 tbsp flax seeds
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 egg

Equipment

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Within a mixer, combine your flour and water (or stock), mixing until well-combined.

3. Add the egg, coconut oil, peanut butter, flax seeds, blueberries and turmeric, and continue to mix.

4. Add more flour or water accordingly, until you reach a dough consistency.

5. Flour your counter and pin, rolling the dough out on a surface to make shaped cookies with a cookie cutter or roll into balls.

6. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

7. Store in a sealed container and use within four to five days. You can also freeze these dog treats for later consumption.

Krista Hillis

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Turmeric has been used as a powerful preventive and healing agent in traditional Asian medicine for centuries.

More recently it seems everyone is talking about it - from the American Arthritis Foundation to the National Cancer Institute to naturopathic physicians and integrative/holistic vets.

Why? What can turmeric do for your dog?

The simple answer is turmeric is a multi-tasking powerhouse in its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, wound healing, and anti-cancer activities. Turmeric has been shown to help fight diseases likearthritis, diabetes, cancer, liver disease, gastrointestinal issues,and more.

Inflammation and weakened immune systems are at the root of so many issues from allergies to arthritis to cancer. We're often too quick to treat only the surface symptoms without addressing the deeper, ongoing causes.

Personal story on turmeric for dogs

I learned this the hard way for myself and for my dog, Ezra. Not too long ago I suffered from Lyme disease, and Ezra had inflammation issues just as I did. It took six doctors until I was finally diagnosed and treated. At times I was given high doses of steroids that just prolonged the negative cycle. Finally, I found my naturopathic physician who changed my life - and in turn, Ezra's.

Initially, Ezra's vets said she would be on Apoquel, an immunosuppressant like steroids, for the rest of her life, and she had medicated shampoos and creams and sprays and all the things to try to keep her inflammation at bay. But once I changed her diet and used functional herbs, I was able to relieve her of all the medications and toxins within a couple months and we never looked back.

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Herbs are powerful and healing for your dog's health

Herbs work with the natural rhythms within our and our dog's bodies to maintain a holistic and harmonic balance. It doesnt matter whether you are feeding kibble, raw, or a cooked diet, your dog can benefit enormously from a variety of herbs.

One of the herbs that helped both Ezra and me combat our inflammation was turmeric, which is a strong anti-inflammatory and can in many cases replace steroids. The primary bioactive ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which has numerous health benefits.

Turmeric is a great herb to use to maintain joint health, among many other things, since it is an anti-inflammatory and it increases mobility and reduces pain.

What is turmeric?

Turmeric isan herbthat has been used as a culinary spice as well as a medicinal herb for almost 4,000 years. Turmeric powder comes from the ground root of the herb (which happens to be part of the ginger family). It's also readily available in powdered form at most grocery stores or health food stores.

The primary bioactive ingredient in turmeric responsible for all its strong immune-boosting, disease-preventing properties is curcumin, the principal curcuminoid in turmeric.

How turmeric works in our dogs' bodies

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric are probably its greatest claims to fame and what makes it so impactful on so many aspects of your dog's health.

Turmeric for dogs as an antioxidant...

Free radicals react with organic substances in the body causing oxidative damage, one of the mechanisms responsible for aging and many diseases. The curcumin in turmeric makes it a powerful antioxidant that protects from free radicals by neutralizing them. Turmeric also stimulates antioxidant mechanisms in the body to gradually increase antioxidants present throughout the body.

Turmeric for dogs as an anti-inflammatory...

Turmeric also functions as an inflammation blocker, reducing inflammation by acting as a block on two enzymes that cause inflammatory reactions. Like oxidative stress, chronic inflammation is behind so many diseases and unhealthy conditions from arthritis to cancer to cognitive decline.

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Health benefits of turmeric for dogs (and us!)

For your dog, turmeric is an effective and safe way to treat and prevent inflammation and boost your pup's immune system (rather than just suppress symptoms with medications like steroids with potentially concerning side effects).

Inflammation is the key driver of most diseases in the body, andturmeric is one of the best natural anti-inflammatories either nature or medicine has to offer. Turmeric contributes in multiple roles to your dog's overall wellness - and is a valuable support for some of the most problematic health issues you face with your dog.

How turmeric supports a few key health issues for dogs...

Turmeric for dogs for joint health, arthritis & mobility

Turmeric can be used therapeutically and as a preventive measure to maintain joint health by increasing mobility and reducing pain. Many dogs are on steroids for joint pain as well as allergies butsome studies showcurcuminis just as effective, while noting the lack of side effects is an advantage of curcumin over steroids. (Another study showed that combining curcumin with a steroid reduced the side effects of the steroid medication.)

Overall, turmeric for dogs can be an effective, safe and natural way to combat inflammation, pain, and mobility issues in your pup. Making turmeric a part of your dog's daily routine is an easy way to support joint health throughout each life stage.

Turmeric for dogs with gastrointestinal disorders including IBD

Turmerics anti-inflammatory effects can also be helpful in treatingInflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as well as other gastrointestinal disorders.

Its antibacterial properties can help our dogs maintain gut health by addressing bad bacteria while allowing good bacteria to flourish. Taking turmeric may also support probiotics, increasing the function of the probiotic bacteria in the gut by acting as a prebiotic. (Prebiotics are complementary to probiotics, fueling the good probiotic bacteria.)

Turmeric for dogs with cancer

Inflammation is linked to cancer as it is with so many diseases. Heartbreakingly, current statistics tell us that almost half of dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer.

Turmeric is being explored as a cancer treatment/preventive in part by renowned medical institutions for humans (such as the Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan Kettering) because of the role inflammation appears to play in cancer. Laboratory research suggests that curcumin may prevent cancer, slow the spread of cancer, make chemotherapy more effective, and protect healthy cells from damage by radiation therapy.

Research is ongoing but early findings suggest that curcuminoids interfere with multiplecell signalingpathways, supporting the potential role of curcumin inmodulatingcancerdevelopment andprogression.

A few key takeaways to keep in mind on turmeric and cancer:

• Turmeric is an herb that may have cancer-fighting properties.
• Turmeric has been shown to help with side effects of cancer treatment.
• You should always check with your veterinarian before using turmeric if your dog is being treated for cancer since it can impede some kinds of chemotherapy.

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How to make turmeric part of your dog's diet easily

To take advantage of turmeric for dogs, we want to introduce turmeric into your dog's diet in small amounts. This can be done by adding turmeric to food, making turmeric treats, or giving turmeric supplements.

If you are introducing turmeric into your dog's diet for the first time, start with small doses and slowly increase how much turmeric you feed your pup over time if necessary.

Note: It is always best to consult a veterinarian before starting any new treatment regimen. Check with your vet for any possible interaction with any current medications or special conditions. Also, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, turmeric is a warming herb so you'll want to keep that in mind if you have a dog who tends to "run hot."

Pro tip: boost turmeric/curcumin absorption 2000% with pepper

One shortcoming of turmeric/curcumin is that its not well absorbed in the body - for both dogs and humans. Enter black pepper to save the day with many positive properties of its own, the most significant that the peperine in black pepper increases the absorption of curcumin up to 2000%! That's why when you're adding turmeric powder or "Golden Paste" to your dog's food, you always want to include ground black pepper in the mix.

In order to increase absorption and digestion of curcumin even more so the body can get maximum benefit, you also want to include a healthy oil/fat. Turmeric is fat soluble, meaning it dissolves in fats, making it more easily digestible and usable when it's delivered with a good fat (coconut oil, olive oil, etc).

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"Golden Paste" recipe

This turmeric paste recipe is called "Golden Paste" and is well known and loved in the canine nutrition world as a simple way to include highly absorbable turmeric benefits in your dog's food. It's a simple 3-ingredient recipe, and I also like to include some Ceylon cinnamon for its numerous health properties as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, natural immune system booster, regulator of blood sugar levels, and its role in helping the body repair tissue damage and fight infection.

Note: if you'd rather skip the prep...

Here's an organic liquid turmeric I recommend that's formulated to be easily absorbed and bioavailable for dogs. (You'll find dosage by your dog's weight on the bottle.)

How to make Golden Paste...

Try this

• Mix cup organic turmeric powder and 1 cup water into a pan on medium heat for 5-7 minutes continuously stirring
• Add 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
• Add 1.5 tsp ground black pepper

Optional...

• Add tsp Ceylon cinnamon (optional)
• Add 1 spoonful of natural peanut butter to the mix to mask the taste (optional if your dog needs it)

You can store this concoction in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Freeze the rest in silicon molds with fun, small shapes and store in a freezer-safe container for long-term use as a food topper or for frozen homemade turmeric dog treats!

Dosages:

tsp for every 10 pounds of your dogs body weight. Start slowly and work up to this amount as needed.

Enjoy!