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7 Ways to Improve Your Dog’s Kibble

What can I add to my dog’s kibble every day? 

Even the best quality dog or cat kibble can use a boost of fresh whole-food additives.

It’s easy to improve your pet’s meals. When you add fresh, whole foods to your kibble, your dog or cat will enjoy the variety and get a nutritional boost.

A diet of fresh, unprocessed meats, organs, bones, and vegetable matter is closest to the evolutionary diet of our pets’ wild canine and feline ancestors. A mostly fresh food diet, whether raw or lightly cooked, yields outstanding results, with beautiful coats, clear eyes, sweet breath, great teeth, calm dispositions, and dogs and cats who are rarely sick.

Kibble – the 50% rule

Dry pet food is convenient and easy to use, but you could boost nutrition by adding variety and fresh foods. As carnivores, dogs are healthier when they eat more meat and fat and fewer carbs. We recommend replacing 50% of a dog’s kibble with fresh, whole foods. Try some of our favorite ways to improve a kibble-based diet.

1. Add digestive enzymes

All The Best Good Digestion probiotics for dogs and catsThe process of making kibble destroys the natural enzymes contained in the ingredients. Adding enzymes can greatly improve digestibility and promote gut health. Put digestive enzymes in a dollop of yogurt, cottage cheese, or other moist whole food and add to the top of the kibble, and mix the enzymes lightly in. Your dog will eat the enzymes in the first few bites, which will help digest the kibble eaten right after. Do this at every meal. We recommend our own specially formulated Good Digestion, which contains plant-sourced digestive enzymes to replace those lost from whole food during cooking and processing, and live probiotics to replenish beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract depleted by stress or antibiotic therapy. 

2. Top with a boost of freeze-dried raw dog food

Meal toppers are growing in popularity for good reasons. They’re convenient, minimally processed, and can increase the amount of biologically-appropriate protein. Plus, dogs love them!

Freeze-dried raw foods are an excellent way to add the power of raw to your diet. They often come in chunks that you can pour onto your pup’s meal. They are high in premium-quality animal proteins. They’re so delectable that many people use them as training treats as well.

Kiwi Kitchens’ Superfood Boosters are easy to sprinkle on your dog’s kibble, and they’re made from pristine New Zealand ingredients, including green-lipped mussels, a nutritional powerhouse.

Shop for meal toppers

3. Add raw or lightly steamed veggies

This provides an antioxidant boost for all dogs, especially if they’re older or overweight. Raw veggies should be finely grated, ground in a blender or food processor, or juiced so the cellulose is broken down. Carrots, any color of bell pepper, and green beans are favorites. Or, try our Great Greens whole food supplement, which provides an ideal blend of essential nutrients for dogs.

4. Add raw or lightly cooked meat or eggs

Dogs evolved eating a diet of about 50% protein, which they obtained from their prey. Adding extra high-quality meat or egg protein reduces the overall carbohydrate content and is especially good for active dogs or dogs who have become overweight from a high-carbohydrate diet. Eggs can be raw or lightly scrambled. Topping kibble with lightly cooked foods can improve palatability.

5. Add oils for essential fatty acids

Fish oil is great for all dWisely Fish Oils for dogs and catsogs, containing essential fatty acids to strengthen the immune system, improve inflammatory conditions such as allergies and arthritis, and beautify skin and coat. Try our Wisely Pollock Oil, Wisely Salmon Oil, or Wisely 50/50 Oil for a sustainable nutritional boost. 

6. Add goat’s milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, or canned fish

Dogs love and thrive on extra protein. Cultured dairy proteins and canned mackerel, sardines, or salmon are good choices.Plain, full-fat dairy products are best.

7. Feed raw, meaty parts of poultry

The bones of young turkeys and chickens are soft and pliable enough to be eaten whole, including wings, necks, and backs. Raw bones provide calcium and other minerals in the proper ratios, as well as proteins, fats, and many other valuable nutrients. 

Puppies especially benefit from both the added nutrition and the healthy chewing outlet. A chewing puppy is a happy puppy! Start by trying our ROAR ground chicken backs and legs, whole and ground turkey necks.

Improving kibble by adding fresh foods is a great way to make meals more enjoyable and up the nutritional value!