Fresh food for dogs and cats doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Here are some highlights from our Pet Health Guide on building a better bowl of food for your pet which you can download as a PDF.

Think Outside The Bag

Only feeding pellets out of a bag and expecting optimal health just doesn’t make sense. Would you feed yourself that way? No, of course not. We all know about the benefits of fresh, wholesome foods. Adding a variety of fresh food to their current meals is the simplest way to start improving your pet’s overall health and break the myth that changing your pet’s diet is “bad” for them.

Think Variety, Think 25%

Start with your pet’s base diet, which can be dry, canned, freeze-dried, dehydrated, frozen raw, frozen lightly cooked, or even a homemade diet using a balanced recipe.

You can then safely add healthy additions – up to 25% – without throwing off the overall nutritional balance of the meal. If you’re combining nutritionally complete foods then mix them as you like.

We know this may sound impossible to our cat owners, but we promise it’s not. We’ve got a Pet Health Guide dedicated to tips and tricks to help convince your cat to love new foods too, so be sure to download that PDF to read later.

 

BASE

The foundation where your dog or cat gets the majority of their nutrients should come from a complete and balanced diet.

OPTIMAL ADDITIONS

Fresh proteins that are not already included in the base diet such as raw or lightly cooked meats, freeze-dried or air-dried meat toppers, quality canned boosters, organ meats, and meat-based treats are all great additions.

WELLNESS BOOST

Natural supplements or herbal blends that help balance the diet or focus on your pet’s specific needs – joint health, allergies, itchy skin or immune boosters, can all be added to your dog & cat’s meal for improved health and nutrition. See health improvement just by adding digestive enzymes and fish oil to the diet.

LIVE + FRESH

The yummy added bonus to your pet’s meal that can provide live enzymes and nutrition, boost gut health and add needed hydration for better digestion – Goat’s milk, bone broth, kefir, and whole-food green supplements are all great additions that help mix it up your pet’s bowl and add variety, which is the key to your dog or cat’s optimum health.

What’s at Dexter’s?

  • Bone Broth from Primal and Bones & Co

  • Raw Cultured Dairy from Answers and Primal

  • Ready-to-serve raw green foods from Primal and Green Juju

  • Quick-thawing raw nuggets from Primal

  • Freeze-dried nuggets from Open Farm and Stella & Chewy’s

  • Whole-food plant supplements from Sustenance Herbs, Herbsmith, and Herbal Energetics

What’s In Your Fridge?

  • Raw, boiled, or scrambled eggs
  • Raw or cooked lean meat (no deep-fried stuff and no cold cuts)
  • Canned whole sardines (in water, no salt or flavoring, ex: Trader Joe’s brand)
  • Raw, cultured foods like kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut
  • Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries (lower in sugar than bananas)
  • Assorted vegetables (leafy greens and sprouts are best), raw or lightly cooked
  • Yogurt, cottage cheese, raw goat milk

Mix It Up & Have Fun!

  • Fresh meat with a few blueberries
  • Eggs scrambled with shredded zucchini
  • A slice of cooked sweet potato with kale
  • A tin of “in water” sardines with crispy romaine
  • Bone broth with some chopped cilantro
  • A spoonful of plain yogurt with alfalfa sprouts
  • Crispy romaine lettuce with boiled egg slices