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Feeding Your Service Dog Less May Lead to a Longer Life

Most people love their pets, but for the disabled, a service dog isn’t just a beloved friend. They are an essential part of their lives, and vital to their independence. Service dogs are employed around the world to help guide the blind, alert deaf to important sounds such as doorbells or phones, and to alert to a wide range of medical conditions.

It can cost between $20,000-$60,000 to properly train a service dog and replacing them when they become too old to work or pass away is both heart wrenching and difficult. Both the handler and the dog must learn to work with a new person, and there’s no guarantee that the match will work.

Between the expense and the level of effort it takes to transfer to a new service dog, it makes sense to keep a beloved friend in service for as long as possible. The good news is, keeping your dog in good weight can not only extend his life, but make those years higher quality as well.

Weight gain is a growing problem for dogs

In the United States alone, 54% of dogs are overweight or obese. A 2014 study conducted by Banfield pet hospitals found that overweight dogs live shorter lives than those who are a healthy weight. The difference in lifespan came to about 2 ? years.

Overweight dogs are also prone to a number of chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and even ACL tears. These problems may shorten your pets lifespan, but critically for service dogs, could bring an end to their career.

If they ever have to undergo surgery, they are also more at risk because overweight dogs have to work harder to breathe and may take longer to wake up after anesthesia.

Feeding less is the best choice

Weight loss happens when a dog takes in fewer calories than it burns. While you can increase exercise in the hopes of helping your pet burn calories, the reality is your service dog probably already gets plenty of exercise every day as he performs the tasks required of him.

The saying goes, “You can’t outrun a bad diet,” and is meant as advice for runners who hope to lose weight through adopting running as an exercise routine. The same is true for dogs. Although exercise can help burn more calories, your service dog’s diet is where we truly need to look in order to help him lose weight. There are several methods you can use to help him lose weight, including:

Stop free feeding

Some people choose to keep unlimited amounts of food available for their dog. The theory being that a full dog won’t beg, and that they won’t overeat if they know there is always more food available. Dogs are opportunistic feeders however, and tend to eat more than they should, especially if it is readily available to snack on at a moment’s notice.

Instead, carefully read the instructions on your dog’s food, and follow the guidelines. These guidelines are different from brand to brand, and even between lines of the same brand.

Follow package instructions carefully

Different brands of dog food have different calorie amounts. A cup of food for one brand could have a vastly different calorie count than a cup from a different brand, even though it is the same volume. Read the package carefully, and double check that you are following instructions properly. Some people read the daily intake suggestion and think 1 cup per meal for example, and it is actually 1 cup per day.

If you want to feed multiple meals per day, split the daily value total into portions, rather than accidentally doubling or tripling the amount of dog food your pet receives with multiple meals of his daily value.

Get a body scale done on your dog

Most vets are happy to perform a body scale assessment on your dog, so that you know how far you need to go. They will give you a number between 1-5, with 1 being completely emaciated and 5 being morbidly obese. A body scale can let you know your dog’s condition and help guide you towards a healthy weight.

Include treats in overall feed amount

Many people forget that the treats and chews they offer their pet throughout the day also have calories. When feeding your service dogs his main meal, it’s important to subtract the amount of treats you have given from the total amount of kibble for the day.

Treats can add up to a surprising number of calories if you give them frequently, so if you love giving your service dog a few extras when it is off duty, this may be the culprit to his expanding waistline.

Feed less

If you have been carefully measuring your dog’s food, either by weighing it or by following the package instructions and your dog has not lost weight, it’s time to cut the amount of dog food. The measurements on the back of your dog food are simply guidelines, and they don’t always accurately reflect your dog’s needs.

Age, level of activity, and chronic diseases such as thyroid problems can slow down your dogs metabolism and make him need less than the recommended amount. If you see no change in his weight after reducing his food, it’s time to cut how much is getting in his bowl.

How much to cut your dog’s food

If you always measure your dog’s food and follow the guidelines on the back of the bag, you may be wondering where to go from there. Your dog food may suggest different measurements depending on energy requirements, but a good rule of thumb is to reduce the food you are giving your dog by 5% and then wait a few weeks to see how effective that is.

The delay between food reductions gives your service dog a chance to get used to the smaller amount of food, as well as time to lose weight. If he hasn’t lost enough weight after a few weeks, you can reduce the amount again. If you find yourself feeding less than 75% of the daily recommended amount, it may be time to switch to a lower calorie food instead.

Feeding your dog the correct amount of dog food can be tricky. The weight ranges on dog food labels can be huge and make it hard for you to guess what the appropriate amount is. Many labels also fail to meet standard calculations.

Your service dog will probably need to be on a diet for somewhere between 6-8 months in order to achieve a healthy body weight. Even just five pounds could take over a month as your dog gradually loses the weight.

Even if your dog has a lot of weight to lose, it’s important not to rush your dog’s weight loss. Rapid weight loss can have problems of its own, such as nutritional deficiencies, or even behavior problems such as digging through your trash.

It’s healthiest for your pet to lose the weight gradually, so that he has time to adjust to the reduced amount of food before making more adjustments. Your vet can be a very helpful guide here, letting you know if weight loss is too much or not enough.

Even if the weight loss is gradual, you will notice a difference in how your service dog is working as the weight comes off and he enjoys more energy and better health. Weight loss is a long term project, and is the same for people as it is for dogs. The best chance for your pet to not only lose the weight but also keep it off is a slow approach.

Why less food is so important

Most service dogs are larger dogs, such as labs and shepherds. On a medium to large sized dogs, a few extra pounds aren’t as noticeable compared to a couple of extra pounds on a tiny yorkie. Yet even just a few extra pounds on your service dog can not only decrease his lifespan, but also his quality of life. According to VCA dog hospitals, just 5 pounds of extra weight can be enough to put your dog at risk for chronic health conditions. The smaller your dog is, the more those extra pounds can stress the body.

Your service dog is a partner that gives you independence. Making sure he is healthy enough to continue to help you for as long as possible is a sensible step and is as easy as pouring a few less kibble into his bowl. He might not love a diet, but he will love the good health he can enjoy well into his twilight years as your partner in life.

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Fruits Your Dog Should and Shouldn’t Eat

Many of us enjoy sharing food with our dogs, even when they are a service dog. They are so easy to feed, always available with an appetite and an interest in whatever foods you’re preparing or eating. It can be easy to assume that if your dog wants to eat something, it can’t be so bad, right? It’s not uncommon, then, to toss your service dog an apple slice or a bit of banana. But are fruits really so good for our wagging tailed friends?

As usual, the answer is a bit more nuanced than a simple Yes or No. In general, most fruits are ok for dogs to eat in small and once-in-a-while portions. In this article we’ll look into what role (if any) fruits play in a service dog’s diet, how to safely feed your pup fruits (in a way that will cause the least collateral damage), and which fruits are actually toxic to a dog’s health. We’ll also look at some specific fruits and find out what their nutrient offerings are, so you may intelligently decide what to put in your service dog’s diet.

Are Fruits Necessary for My Service Dog’s Diet?

Fruits are not necessary for canine health. Fruits are essentially nature’s candy, filled with delicious, oh-so-sweet sugar (in the form of fructose). However, your service dog does not need much sugar. In fact, they get all the sugar they need to survive from carbohydrates (which break down into sugars). Too much sugar in your service dog’s diet is detrimental to his health.

On the other hand, when we look at a dog’s diet in the wild, we see that they do actually eat some fruit. The key here is that they eat a little. Suckers for strong smells, scavenging dogs are especially attracted to rotting fruits and vegetables that have begun to ferment. Additionally, they will eat berries directly off of a bush.

So, are fruits necessary for your service dog’s diet? No. But they do eat a small amount of fruits in the wild and they are can receive some benefit from eating fruits, on a limited basis.

Let’s look at some of the benefits below:

What is the Benefit of Feeding My Service Dog Fruit?

It’s important not to confuse what makes a healthy human diet with what makes a healthy dog diet. We are very different species with different nutritional needs. While humans can do well to include fruit in their diets on a regular basis, it’s not the same for canines.

So, what good, if any, does fruit provide to dogs? Well, fruit offers dogs all the same benefits it offers to humans: vitamins, minerals, hydration, fiber and antioxidants. Really, your service dog should be getting all their nutrients from their high protein dog food, but their bodies certainly can and do process fruits to receive this nutrition as well.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of fruit for dogs is the high antioxidants content. Antioxidants fight free radicals, preventing and preparing oxidative stress, which ultimately protects against cancer and other ailments.

So, will your service dog benefit from fruit? Well, they can. However, they will receive the most benefit if their fruit intake is kept to a minimum. Let’s look at why this is the case.

What are the Negative Side of Fruits?

Fruits are often hailed among humans as being uber healthy, since they are so full of good nutrients and provide us with quick energy when our blood sugar levels drop between meals. However, fruit also has a darker side, particularly for dogs.

As mentioned above, fruit is essentially nature’s candy. In other words, it is packed full of sugar, which can be hard on your service dog’s system. Additionally, the high fiber content, something that is great for humans, can actually be too much for dogs. Let’s take a look at these dangers in more detail.

Sugar-Why is sugar bad for dogs? A multitude of reasons actually: tooth decay, inflammation, poor gut health, weight gain & diabetes, for starters. Let’s break these down:

We all know that sugar is infamous for being bad for our teeth. Basically, tooth decay happens when bacteria that naturally live in the mouth turn sugars into acids. This leads to demineralization in the tooth enamel, which in turn leads to dental decay (ie. Cavities) and dental disease.

Too much sugar also causes inflammation, which means it can both cause and exacerbate arthritis, allergies or even some cancers. When inflammation (a natural body process used as a defensive mechanism against infection) is triggered by chronic intake of sugar, it can become a real problem for your service dog. Some symptoms of chronic inflammation include allergies, fatigue, joint pain, abdominal pain, swelling, mouth sores and rashes.

As if dental health and inflammation weren’t bad enough, sugar can completely screw up the balance of micro organisms in the gut, leading to a thriving atmosphere of the “bad” gut bacteria at the detriment of the “good” bacteria. This can lead to diarrhea, yeast infections and a perfect playground for parasites to thrive. While all of this information is true of humans, it is possibly even more so for your service dog, if only because they need so much less sugar than humans, meaning their bodies will more quickly be thrown out of balance.

Sugar can lead to obesity, which is a growing concern among veterinarians who are seeing more and more overweight dogs. Obesity is dangerous for your canine because it can cause or exacerbate other conditions such as arthritis, heart and respiratory problems. And of course, obesity, can lead to diabetes.

Diabetes type 2 can be caused by excessive sugar in the diet. Insulin is what monitors sugar levels in the blood and helps the body translate sugar into energy. When there’s a ton of sugar, there is a ton of insulin being produced. This can actually lead to cells becoming nonresponsive to the insulin and the pancreatic cells (which produce insulin) become exhausted.

Ultimately, what all this means is, your service dog’s body may wind up having too much blood sugar content, which leads to all kinds of complications, such as organ damage, nerve damage, arterial disease and depression (to name a few).

So keep your service dog healthy by keeping his pancreas happy. Don’t overdo the sugars, so the pancreas doesn’t have to overwork and get worn out!

Fiber-The other complication that can be found from feeding your dog too much fruit, has to do not with the sugar, but with the high fiber content.

While humans need a lot of fiber in our diets, due to our long guts and high-in-vegetation diets, dogs need much less. While dogs need only small amounts of fiber in their diets, they do need it.

In the wild, a dog would get a good amount of fiber from their prey animals: the bones, fur, cartilage and tendons are all fiber. Studies have shown that animal-based fiber is the healthiest source of fiber for dogs, cats and other predator animals, causing less toxic buildup in their bodies.

Of course, we generally think of fiber as being plant sourced, and in a domestic dog’s diet, it typically is. In the wild, a dog will eat the stomach contents of their prey, which means they will get plant-based fiber from whatever their prey is eating (i.e. grasses, barks, berries and other vegetation).

However, many domestic dogs actually get too much fiber, which results in lack of nutrient absorption and frequent bowel movements. Talk to your vet about your dog food options to make sure your service dog food is high in protein and doesn’t contain a ton of filler (such as unnecessary fiber!).

When feeding your service dog fruits, consider that the high fiber content means they really don’t need very much.

How to Share Fruits with Your Furry Friend

So now that you understand the positive and negative consequences of sharing fruits with your dog, you may be thinking, “the negatives clearly outweigh the positives,” but you still want to toss your dog an orange slice or banana piece. Well, good news-the point of this article is not to make you freak out that every time you’ve shared fruit with your service dog you’ve been doing damage.

Sharing fruits with your service dog (with the exception of grapes, and some other toxic plant parts which we’ll discuss below) is fine, as long as you are keeping it to a minimum. Just don’t feed them a whole fruit salad for dinner. A bite here and there as a treat is fine, fun, and even nutritional.

There are, however, a few rules of thumb on how to feed your dog fruit in the most conscientious way, insuring he gets the most nutritional value while avoiding potentially damaging consequences.

First and foremost, as with any new food you are introducing to your service dog’s diet, you want to introduce fruit slowly. Sensitive dog stomachs can respond harshly to foods they aren’t familiar with, causing diarrhea or even vomiting. Additionally, by starting small, you can watch out for potential allergies.

Allergies happen when any dog meets with a particular protein he can’t handle, resulting in anything from itchy skin to organ failure. By starting out slowly, you can observe your service dog’s response and not overfeed him something that will have major consequences.

When feeding your service dog fruits, keep it fresh! In other words, avoid dried and canned fruits. Dried fruits concentrate sugars, which, as we discussed, can lead to major complications with your dog’s health over time. Canned fruit also tends to be extra sweet, often swimming in a syrup of added sugar and preservatives that are definitely unhelpful to your sweet service dog’s health. Stick to fresh fruit!

It is also best to use organic fruit when possible, to avoid damaging pesticides and fertilizers. If not possible, at least be sure to rinse the fruit well, to get as many pesticides and chemical fertilizers removed as possible.

It is also always a good idea to be aware of potential choking hazards. Cut fruit into small bites and remove any big seeds. Dogs tend to gulp their food, rather than chew, leading to complications.

Along this line of thought, it’s also a good idea to remove any peels. While our instinct may be to let our service dog chew on a banana or orange, complete with peel, since it resembles a chew toy and provides entertainment to the dog, in reality, the rough fiber of peels is too much for a dog’s digestive system.

This dense fiber is really challenging for a dog’s stomach to digest. In addition, if they don’t chew it well (and dogs are notorious for not chewing their food!), it can cause plugging of the intestine, which can be deadly. While they will usually just pass the peel, it is really best to avoid the potentially fatal consequences.

If you know your service dog has eaten a peel and is now puking, treat it as an emergency-a dog will puke if their digestive tract is plugged up.

Toxic Fruits! AVOID

Cyanide and Cherries: Often listed as toxic to dogs, the fruit of a cherry is actually just fine for your service dog to consume. However, the seed contains cyanide and is considered poisonous.

In fact, cyanide is found in cherry pits, apple seeds, apricot pits, peach pits, plumb pits and in most stone fruit pits in general. Cyanide is a poison that works by blocking the flow of oxygen between cells, resulting in cell suffocation. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning in your service dog can include dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, bright red gums, shock and even death.

While cyanide poisoning is no joke, it would also require a fair amount of ingested seeds to lead to an emergency situation. Obviously, it is best to avoid eating these seeds altogether, but do not panic if your service dog eats one or two-likely he will be fine. Monitor him and call the vet if you notice any symptoms.

With all the fruits mentioned above, it is important to cut the fruit away from the seed when feeding it to your service dog. This is not the time for letting a peach pit be a chew toy.

Grapes: Grapes (including raisins, grape juice, currents and trail mix that contains raisins!) are the only fruit that are truly toxic to dogs. Seemingly an easy snack to toss your pup’s way, they can actually lead to fatality.

While it is still not understood what this canine-harming toxin in grapes is, the effects of it are real enough. Grapes and raisins can lead to sudden kidney failure. Some dogs are effected, and some are not, though there is no understood pattern among those effected (it has caused kidney failure across breeds, sexes and ages).

Additionally, grape poisoning in canines does not appear to be dose dependent. This means, unlike with the cyanide found in fruit pits, only a couple grapes could cause serious damage to your service dog.

Symptoms of acute kidney failure include a lack of production of urine, halitosis, lethargy, stomach cramps, weakness, loss of appetite, diarrhea & puking (often within a few hours of eating the grapes), tremors, seizures, and death.

If you suspect your service dog has eaten grapes, monitor her closely. If ingestion happened within the last 2 hours, you can induce vomiting by pouring hydrogen peroxide down her throat. Call your vet immediately for guidance.

Canine Friendly Fruits:

Apples: Apples contain vitamins A and C and are low in fat and protein, making them a good snack for your service dog.

Bananas: Bananas are super high in potassium and also contain biotin, copper and other vitamins. However, they are also super high in sugar, so keep pooch’s snacking to a minimum.

Blue Berries: Blueberries are a superfood and make an excellent dog snack. They are high in antioxidants, great for the eyes and are akin to berry snacks dogs would eat in the wild.

Melon (cantaloupe and watermelon): High in water and nutrients, melons are fine as a snack for your service dog, but their high sugar content means they should be kept to a minimum.

Cranberries: Cranberries are great, especially fresh-they are more sour than sweet.

Mango: Mangos are a fine snack to share with your service dog, just be sure to remove the peel and pit. They contain vitamins A, B6, C and E.

Oranges: Oranges are a good snack, so long as you remove the peel which includes too much roughage for a dogs digestive system. Oranges are high in vitamin C and potassium.

Peaches: Peaches are high in vitamin A and a great snack, as long as you remember to avoid giving your service dog the pit. In other words, don’t just hand your dog a whole peach to munch on, tempting as that is!

Pear: Pears are excellent fruits to share with your service dog, being high in copper and vitamins C and K. Again, be sure to avoid the seeds.

Pineapple: Pineapple is great because it actually contains an enzyme called bromelain which helps with absorption of protein-excellent for a meat-eating dog!

Raspberries: While raspberries are great for their anti-inflammatory effects, and are low in sugar, they DO contain some xylitol, which is bad for your service dog. Just be sure not to feed your dog more than a cup at a time.

Strawberries: Strawberries contain an enzyme that actually works to whiten your dog’s teeth! However, they are also high in sugar, so be sure you aren’t so excited about white teeth that you’re actually causing cavities for poor Fido.

Tomatoes: Tomato fruit is great, but be sure your service dog doesn’t get a hold of the green part of the plant which contains a toxin called solanide. Only toxic in large amounts, watch out if your dog is eating your tomato plants in the garden!

Conclusion

Sharing fruit with your service dog can be fun and even nutritional for them. Just be sure to keep their fruit intake to a minimum and AVOID GRAPES! If you stick to that mantra, you and your furry pooch will likely have many happy days sharing the fruit basket.

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Choosing the Right Food for Your Emotional Support Dog

The importance of a good diet really can’t be stressed enough. The absolute best way to maintain excellent health for your furry friend is to provide an excellent diet of high quality food. But choosing the best food for your emotional support dog can feel like an overwhelming proposition, especially with so much marketing out there urging you towards one brand or another.

So how do you choose the right food for your pup?

Diet can be tricky. There are a lot of factors to consider and a ton of junk to wade through. It can be tempting to just give Fido the cheapest kibble on the shelf and call it good. But if you want to ensure your wagging bestie has the highest quality of life—and protect yourself from crazy medical expenses down the line—it’s well worth making the effort to figure out the healthiest diet.

Here’s a list that can serve as a gentle guide as you consider the options. First thing’s first is to know your dog, know yourself and have a basic understanding of what the options even are.

What’s Right For Your Emotional Support Dog?

First, consider the dog in question: age, sex and breed may all make a difference in which diet will be best for your particular hound. Is your dog breeding? A female who is pregnant or lactating will likely have special nutritional needs for example. Likewise, a puppy has different nutritional needs than an adult dog, just as a senior dog has different needs again.

For instance, greyhounds are a breed that is particularly susceptible to bloat—a dangerous condition that is exacerbated by dry food. Therefore, a wet diet is in order for this beautiful dog. Allergies are another thing again. If your emotional support dog has allergies, you’ll want to adjust the diet to fit your particular pooch.

Here’s a quick list of some general considerations. For specifics, it is always helpful to ask your vet for suggestions and guidance. Even better, talk to a dog nutritionist who is specifically trained in canine diet.

Puppies

Puppies are eating machines and are usually fed more food and more frequently than an adult dog. There’s good reason for this: puppies are growing and thus need a more calorie dense diet. They have a need for more fat, more vitamins and more minerals. Puppies also need ample amounts of omega 3 fatty acids to support brain and eye development. They basically just need MORE, since all their organs and body systems are ravenous, eager to strengthen and grow. It’s important when choosing a food to be sure you’re choosing a diet specific to their age, since a kibble designed for an adult won’t provide the same range of nutrients that is required for a wee one.

Senior emotional support dogs

When it comes to senior emotional support dogs, you have to consider an entirely opposite range of issues. Unlike the growing puppy who needs ample food, a senior dog has a metabolism that has significantly slowed down. Therefore, they need less fat and less calories.

An old dog has a weakening immune system and may have arthritis. There are diets designed specifically for supporting these ailments. For example, a dog with heart problems will likely be given a reduced sodium diet. A dog with kidney disease will need proteins that are easily digestible. Antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids are always a good idea for the senior dog, since they will help keep the immune system strong.

Allergies

Allergies are very specific to the individual dog. If you have a emotional support dog that suffers from gut or skin and fur issues, there’s a good chance he has allergies. But just what food is causing the negative response?

There are diets designed specifically for discovering the culprit of his allergies. Basically, it works by feeding your emotional support dog only a single protein and NO fillers for two weeks. Then you switch it up, to another single protein, all while watching your dog’s energy levels, skin issues and stool. One dog may need a diet wholly based on white fish, for instance, while another is much better with chicken. Science diet is a brand of kibble designed to assist in this process.

What’s Right For You?

In addition to considering your emotional support dog’s personal needs, you’ll also want to consider your own needs. For instance, what is in your budget? And what’s convenient? You may want to feed your emotional support dog a raw food diet, but it’s either too expensive to pay out of pocket or too inconvenient to prepare the meals yourself. Perhaps you could strike a balance between a raw and kibble diet, something that both satisfies your desire to provide good nutrition for your furry one, and won’t lead resentment for the time, money and effort put into it.

A good rule of thumb is to consider your budget first. What is the most you can afford to invest in your emotional support dog’s diet? Then, choose three brands of food within your range to experiment with. Try each one for about 3 weeks, all the while watching your dog’s energy levels, stool and over all well being. You’ll have some good information to make an educated choice by the end of your food experiment.

How to Choose a Brand You Can Trust

With a huge plethora of brands spanning our wonderful capitalist market, picking one that is ethical, safe and healthy can be a chore. There are plenty of junk food pet brands that lead to pet obesity. In fact, dog obesity is a leading cause of dog death, since it leads to diabetes and all kinds of other health complications.

You will definitely want to steer clear of the brands that cut corners and do not have the health of your emotional support dog in mind.

You can narrow down your research by consulting your vet or your local pet store. They will be a wealth of information, helping you to choose the brand that is both the healthiest and in line with your budget.

Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when perusing the well stocked pet food aisle:

What’s the first ingredient?

Generally, pay attention to the first ingredient listed—is it a grain? Or an animal? The first ingredient listed makes up the highest content in the food. The second ingredient makes up the second highest content, and so on. The first ingredient should be a meat like chicken, lamb or fish and should account for over 25% of the total ingredients. 50% or more is even better.

Steer away from high carb brands—dogs have a hard time digesting a ton of gluten. This means if the first ingredient is a grain, move down the line. Dogs are designed to eat carcasses, not bread.

The more animal protein the better. A good brand will be specific in the ingredients, and may even give percentages of each, which is fantastic (i.e. 45% salmon, 25% herring, etc). A sketchy brand will be very vague and list ingredients like, “meat, vitamins, additives, oils, flavors, etc”. Umm, gross.

You do not want to leave it up to guess work what is going into your emotional support dog’s belly.

The more protein the dog food has, the more efficiently your emotional support dog will be able to digest it. Your dog’s body has no use for filler. Filler can include things like corn bran, rice bran, nut hulls, oat hulls, feathers and even straw. It literally leads to not only more dog poop, but smellier dog poop, as well as more gas, since your emotional support dog’s body has to discard all the useless crap (pun intended) that it just ate. A cleaner yard and a break for your nose is a good reason in itself to upgrade your emotional support dog’s diet.

What Do the Labels Signify?

Here’s a quick intro to what you can expect from economy, regular and premium dog foods.

Economy

Basic dog foods are the junk food of the pet market. Their primary ingredient is made up of fillers like corn, wheat and ground up byproducts. There is very little regulation in the safety of pet foods, so frequently the grains used in these pet foods have been condemned for human consumption and sloughed off onto the animals we call friends. The toxicity can include hazardously high amounts of pesticides in the grains and 4D labeled meat. 4D meat stands for: dead, dying, diseased or disabled. Not the highest quality.

Dogs do have amazing stomachs, however, and are designed to consume rotting flesh, so it’s probably they can handle some amount of the dead, dying and diseased without adverse effects. Still, it’s a bit questionable how much healthy protein they’re getting from unhealthy animals.

Regular

A step up from economy, regular dog foods source their main protein from meat (as opposed to a grain). However, protein may not be the primary ingredient. This label still contains additives, but has a higher digestibility rating than economy class foods.

Premium

Premium brand dog foods have a meat protein as the primary ingredient. The meat may still come from iffy byproducts, but at least your emotional support dog is getting a high meat diet.

Super-Premium

Currently the highest official standard of dog food, super-premium brands have NO filler (including no ground meat byproducts or corn). These dog foods are by far the healthiest, as they are made from fresh, quality, whole meat.

Holistic

A subcategory of Super-premium, Holistic dog foods contains whole vegetables and fruits in addition to whole meat (such as sweet potato, pumpkin and berries).

Ingredients to Watch Out For

It’s also a good idea to have a general understanding of which ingredients to avoid and which ones might sound funny, but are actually really good!

Good Ingredients

Fish oil, animal fat (usually chicken) and liver are excellent. Vitamin E oil is a preservative used by high quality commercial food and A-OK for the pooch. Other helpful additives include rosemary extract, vitamin C and tocopherols.

Bad Ingredients

Corn and it’s derivative (corn meal, maize gluten, CGM). Corn is particularly damaging if it is in the first 3 ingredients (since that means there is far too much of it) but lesser amounts may be ok depending on the dog. Corn is fattening and leads to all kinds of health problems, including allergy development. Best to keep the corn out all together if you can help it.

Wheat is another grain dogs really don’t have much use for. It is high in gluten, which canine bodies aren’t built to digest.

Peas are ok in small quantities, but can cause painful flatulence if the percentage is too high.

There’s no need for artificial dyes or flavorings, so steer away from these mysterious chemicals.

Also, be aware of the preservatives used. These three ingredients are TOXIC: butylhydroxyanisole, butylhydroxytoluene and ethoxyquin.

While these preservatives have been outlawed for human consumption because they have been shown to cause cancer and immune system disorders, they still have not been banned from dog foods. Any pet food that uses one of these preservatives does not have your emotional support dog’s health in mind (and who wants to support unethical companies anyway?)

And of course, while reading the list of ingredients, you’ll want to pay attention to any allergies specific to your emotional support dog.

What About Raw, Wet and Dry Food Options?

Raw:

Raw food is a great option if you are up for it. It is the closest to a dog’s natural diet and provides a high degree of bio available nutrition including live enzymes. A raw food diet will be naturally low in carbs and lead to better gut and dental health.

You don’t need to worry about dangerous pathogens of raw meat, because dogs have strong bellies designed for digesting. Any harmful pathogens will pass right through a dog’s digestive tract.

One of the perks of the raw diet is that your emotional support dog’s poop will be less smelly than with conventional foods. This is because this diet is so efficient that the dog’s body will utilize every bit of food going in, leaving only powdered bone (and some other stuff!) to come out the other end. Actually, their poop should also become harder on a raw diet, which is a good thing as it maintains healthy anal glands. A dog’s anal glands should release every time they poop, but because kibble tends to make stool soft, the glands don’t release and then they get blocked. This can lead to the “scooting” that some dogs do.

The bone in a raw food diet also acts as a tooth cleaner and as a fiber—yay!

The main challenge with a raw food diet is being sure to keep it balanced. If you’re game, this can be a really fun, educational, “homestead in your own kitchen” activity. Or, if that’s not your thing, it can be a terrible chore. Luckily, because there are so many great raw food pet brands coming out, you don’t have to put quite so much sweat and effort into providing a raw diet for your emotional support dog!

Freeze dried: Freeze dried food is often a part of the raw food diet. It is raw food that has had the moisture evaporated, making it stable and transportable, while retaining the nutritional density of straight raw meat. Just rehydrate (or feed as is!).

Canned: Wet food is the next best option to raw food. It contains more meat protein than kibble, less carbs, and because of the airtight packaging, no preservatives. It has twice as much fat and protein and is less processed. It is more hydrating and has more nutrients. However, it is less convenient and definitely messier than kibble. It must be refrigerated and used within a few days of opening.

Kibble: It can be hard to believe that kibble has only been around for a few decades in the current world of kibble craze. It is assumed that kibble offers the best, most balanced diet for our pets, since it is essentially like taking a vitamin. The problem is that the vitamin lacks food.

With frequent kibble recalls due to salmonilla or chemical contaminants, kibble is not even safer than other options. Dogs definitely take less personal enjoyment out of their dry, super processed meals and the high carb content leads to poor teeth and gum health.

On the other hand, kibble is no doubt the most convenient way to feed your emotional support dog. In the very least, use a high grade kibble and mix up the meat content: give them chicken one week and lamb the next. Variety improves nutrition intake.

Conclusion

It’s not so hard to feed your emotional support dog a high protein and high nutrition diet. You could have fun fashioning a combination diet of raw, wet and dry foods! Or get guidance from your vet. Just be aware of the definite ingredients you want to steer away from, and then observe the vibrancy of your pup. If they are energetic and happy, you’re doing something right!

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Vegetables Your Service Dog Can and Can’t Eat?

When you have a best friend who is also a furry, four legged service dog with a happy grin and a wagging tail, it is only natural to want to share a plate. It’s fun to share food—it’s a major part of human culture and one of the ways in which we connect with one another. But…dogs are canines, not homo sapiens (hard to remember, I know) and thus, have not only different nutritional requirements, but also different digestive abilities.

To reassure you, before we go any further, it is absolutely Ok to share food with your service dog, just not everything, and certainly not in the same quantities.

While your service dog is an omnivore, meaning they can eat a range of meat and plant based foods, our sweet domestic version of the species is not always quite so strictly in touch with their instincts that they will know to avoid potentially toxic foods. In fact, dogs are notorious for eating just about anything put in front of them, including things like chocolate, which are quite toxic, as well as over eating until they make themselves sick. To be fair, it is a dog’s instinct to overeat, seeing as how in the wild their ancestors (and current relatives, such as the wolf) would gorge themselves on the kill, uncertain when the next meal would arrive.

Since your service dog will not necessarily be a good judge of what is appropriate and safe to eat, it is up to you, as a devoted companion to your furry friend, to take on the responsibility of being informed about the various foods we eat and whether they are safe for sharing with our pups.

This article will focus on vegetables in particular. Are vegetables good for your service dog? Are vegetables harmful to your service dog? When is it appropriate to feed your service dog veggies, and how should you prepare them? And how much? Keep reading, as we delve into these questions.

Doggie Digestive Systems: Carnivore or Omnivore?

Are dogs carnivores (strictly meat eaters) or omnivores (capable of eating meat and vegetables, like humans, and raccoons)? This is actually a bigger debate than you might guess. While dogs seem to be made physiologically to be carnivores, they are classified as omnivores because they can (and do) eat plant materials, including fruits and vegetables. In fact, eating strictly meat will make your service dog sick over the long run, as he will be missing essential nutrients.

Still, dog bodies are optimized for meat, with the pointy teeth of a true carnivore and a digestive system emphasizing strong stomach acid (to kill bacteria of decaying meat), a lack of amylase in the saliva (necessary for the breakdown of starch), an extra large stomach (in order to contain all the meat from those gorging fests) and an overall shorter digestive tract than herbivores or even full on omnivores (like humans) who need a longer tract to breakdown and absorb plant material.

On the other hand, your service dog is an incredibly adaptive animal and are capable of processing a wide range of foods for its nutritional content. Indeed, since hounds joined the human race as one of our specie’s favorite allies some 15,000 years ago, they have certainly proved themselves capable of surviving off a wide range of foods, indicating a more omnivorous habit. Unlike cats, for instance, who really cannot process most vegetables and will not survive without a high meat diet, dogs have proved that they can (and will) eat and digest vegetables. Dogs do not, however, need vegetables to survive. That is, they do not need vegetables in the way we do—but they do need plant material.

The diet of your service dog’s ancestors included eating the stomach contents of their prey: herbivores, who were chock full of plant material—mainly grasses. Canines are also scavengers, meaning they can both eat and receive good nutrients from eating rotting vegetables, carcasses and even (though a little disgustingly) poop.

A good idea, in light of this information, would be to focus the bulk of the diet on animal protein, but incorporate vegetables and other foods as more supplemental bits. The best vegetables will be leafy greens, since they are most similar to the grasses a dog would eat in the wild. However, other vegetables, offered in moderation, can be good too. We’ll discuss more specifics below.

What Nutritional Value Do Vegetables Have (For a Dog)?

Vegetables provide a wide range of minerals and vitamins. They also provide wonderful fiber, which can improve digestion (or, conversely, hamper digestion, causing diarrhea if overdone).

Every vegetable will of course have a different make up of vitamins and minerals. Some of the essential vitamins and minerals required by the canine and which can be found in varying degrees in a given vegetable include: B Vitamins, Calcium, Chlorine, Choline, Copper, Folic acid, Iodine, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Phosphorus, Potassium, Riboflavin, Selenium, Sodium, Vitamin D, Vitamin K and Zinc.

How to Introduce and Prepare Vegetables for Your Service Dog

So, now that we know your service dog can eat vegetables, how do we actually feed these healthy veggies to our puppy dogs? Can you just put a pile of well-seasoned and prepared veg on a plate for your service dog’s dinner? Or toss him a raw salad?

The answer is no. It’s not quite that simple. Your service dog can eat vegetables, but there are ways to make it easier for him/her to digest and assimilate the nutrients.

Dogs take a while to adjust to any new food. In fact, when introducing a new food, it is not uncommon for a dog to get diarrhea, not necessarily because the food is inherently bad for him, but because his body does not recognize it. It takes time for the body to learn what a food is, and how to break it down and use it to build cells.

This is why it is a good idea to begin small: Try giving your service dog just a bite or two of that zucchini, and increase over time, watching to see his reaction. Give his body time to adjust to this foreign experience, because one thing for certain, if your service dog likes the zucchini, she will not be moderating herself.

Another reason starting slow is a good idea, is that it will allow you to watch your service dog for an actual allergy. Dogs, like humans, sometimes just have a bad reaction to a specific food. While a little diarrhea is normal when introducing a new food, if it sustained and/or in combination with other symptoms such as lethargy or puking, call your veterinarian (and it goes without saying, STOP giving the problem food to the poor pooch!).

Another way to both ease the transition for your service dog into eating vegetables, and to assure the highest rate of digestion and absorption of the veggie, is in a mindful preparation. While dogs can handle some raw vegetables, their digestive systems are not as efficient at processing raw foods as humans (due to the shorter, carnivorous digestive tract).

There are lots of ways you can prepare the food for optimal digestion insuring your service dog gets all the nutrients it can out of the veggies. You can boil, steam, bake, grill or roast the fine veggies for your grateful service dog. Or, you could even leave it raw, but puree it, so the smaller bits will be easier to assimilate into the canine body.

Yet another good reason to cut the veggies into small pieces or cook them ahead of time, is because your service dog’s jaws and teeth are not ideally suited for chewing: their jaw only moves up and down, unlike a human (or herbivore) jaw, which moves side to side while chewing. They also have less molars. This means that dogs tend to swallow quickly—which can potentially lead to choking, especially with hard vegetables.

As for seasoning, salt is unnecessary. In fact, it can even be dangerous, leading to sodium ion poisoning. This is also why it’s a good idea to avoid pickled veggies as well, since they tend to be very high in sodium. Your service dog gets all the salt he/she needs from natural sources and are sensitive to excessive intake of this mineral.

If you really want to exercise your culinary genius for your beloved service dog, it is ok (and even beneficial) to add some more neutral herbs, such as rosemary or parsley. Think culinary herbs here, and as always, be sure to check that they are safe before tossing them into the dish.

And if you find you really enjoy preparing your service dog’s veggie snacks, you can even take it a step further by making your own dog food with a combination of proteins, vegetables and grains!

Vegetables to AVOID!

The list of vegetables to avoid is actually not so extensive. The main thing with veggies is that dogs don’t need that many of them—and they will get sick if fed a particular veggie in too great of portions or too often. If you regulate how much veggies your hound is getting, she should be just fine. The truly toxic veggies are few, and even they would need to be eaten in a large quantity to really cause damage.

Onion

This root vegetable of the alium family is dangerous to dogs in large quantities because of a constituent found in it called thiosulphate. Terrifyingly, because dogs lack the enzyme necessary to digest this chemical, it becomes toxic in their bodies and can cause the rupture of red blood cells, known as hemolytic anemia.

Don’t panic if your service dog gets a hold of a slice of pizza with onions on it. While you definitely do not want to intentionally be feeding him onions, a few here and there will not cause great damage. However, a cumulative effect—that is, eating a little bit of onion on a regular basis over a long time—can have quite serious consequences.

Some breeds are more sensitive than others, but it’s a good idea to avoid onions altogether just to be safe. And that includes powdered onions! Many seasoning include powdered onion, so keep this in mind when feeding Fido table scraps.

Other members of the Alium family such as chives, leeks and garlic also contain this ingredient, so best to avoid them in big quantities as well.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb contains oxalates, which are salts which can bind with the bodies calcium, causing a calcium deficiency. The stem is actually Ok to eat, as it contains such a small amount of oxalates. The leaves, however, contain toxic levels of oxalates if enough is consumed. Symptoms can include drooling, diarrhea, tremors and lethargy.

Avocado

Technically a fruit, Avocados contain persin, which is actually considered only mildly toxic to dogs, if at all. It has gotten a bad rap due to the poisoning effects it has on other animals, such as birds and cattle (so if you have a canary or a cow, do not feed it avocado…but your service dog will probably be fine, if you follow the outline above and introduce it slowly, observing the response).

Vegetables for You and Your Service dog to EMBRACE!

Luckily, as evidenced by the very few harmful veggies for dogs, most vegetables are fair game for you hound, when given in moderation and prepared in the correct way. And that is great news, because vegetables are often a healthier alternative to commercial treats which contain additives and chemicals.

Here’s a list of some of the popular vegetables to feed dogs (though far from exhaustive), and why they are good, along with any stipulations in the preparation.

Broccoli

Broccoli is great, but only in small quantities—it contains isothiocyanates, which can cause stomach upset, so feed in moderation.

Carrots

Especially noted for their high beta carotene and Vitamin A content (essential for healthy bones and immune system, among other things), carrots are also excellent for cleaning tartar off dog teeth!

Celery

Celery is high in fiber, Vitamins A, B and C as well as plethora of minerals. It is great for your dogs heart and also contains Apigenin, which is a cancer fighting compound. While high in salt (meaning, like the rest of the veggies, only serve in moderation!), celery is known to freshens a dog’s breath.

Corn

Corn, in the form of corn starch, is actually one of the primary ingredients in mainstream dog food. Corn is a source of proteins, carbohydrates, antioxidants and linoleic acis. Corn is great, just be sure not to give it to your service dog on the cob! This is unfortunate, since it seems like corn on the cob would make such a great chew toy! However, the inedible cob can actually rip up your service dog’s digestive system, causing major damage. On the flipside, popcorn is ok! (so long as it’s plain without butter and salt).

Cucumber

Cucumbers are so full of water and minerals that they are quite hydrating, among other things. While the skin is the most healthy part, it is unfortunately also the most challenging to digest. Peel it before feeding your service dog to avoid stomach upset.

Greenbeans

A great, snappy treat, greenbeans contain vitamin C, K and manganese.

Potatoes

High in iron, potatoes are great for dogs, so long as they are cooked (either boiled or baked, without seasoning).

Sweet Potatoes

Full of beta carotene, potassium, vitamin B6 and C, sweet potatoes are also great for your service dog’s fur coat and skin.

There are literally dozens of other vegetables out there: root veggies such as beets, squashes, pumpkins, cauliflower, zucchini and various greens, such as kale. The main thing to keep in mind when considering a new vegetable for your service dog, is to introduce it slowly. And it is always a good idea to look up each new vegetable, just to be sure it’s safe and to check on the specifics.

Conclusion:

There are lots of good reasons to incorporate vegetables into your service dog’s diet. Feeding your service dog vegetables can be a great low carb alternative to doggie treats, offering her baby carrots or slices of cucumber. It can also be fun to share your food with your pup. If you’re cooking dinner, for instance, and chopping veggies—perhaps you want to share the experience with Rex by tossing him a bit of zucchini. Veggies can also offer dogs important vitamins and minerals. Just remember that your service dog’s diet should really be based around protein. Celebrate vegetables and experiment with the safe food options for your pet, just remember to keep your hound’s diet balanced.