Diet Tips to improve your dogs mood

Diet tips to improve your dog’s mood. 

If your dog is cranky, old (and probably cranky) or just looks like it’s fed up with its lot in life, then taking a look at their diet may be a good idea.

Understanding the workings of the gut biome of dogs is an area still in its infancy, however we know the health of the digestive tract and micro-organisms in the gut affect the mood and minds of people and we assume to same will be true for dogs.

The most obvious things to avoid are sugars and preservatives.  These can have the same effect as adding them to a child’s diet – bloating, ‘come-downs’ and irritation.  So avoid those at all costs.

For a sweet and crunchy treat, it is quite suitable however to feed pups some fruit as part of their healthy diet, as this contains complex carbohydrates and fibre which add in a healthy gut microbiome.

For that same reason ground vegetables are also a healthy addition to the diet.

Most people don’t realise this – they think that dogs are straight carnivores, but they’re not – they need plant matter in their diet.  Not as much as meat – but definitely some.

My dogs love whole carrots and sliced apple and just devour a slice of watermelon on a hot day!

Just as avoiding heavily processed and preserved foods is a good first step, there are also some foods that could make your pup feel better and certainly less grumpy.

Just like for us when we are sick or aging, eating fresh, whole foods, rather than processed foods will supply maximum nutrition.

Anything fresh is good.  It really is that simple.

Having an optimal body weight helps to contribute to positive mood as they can move about more easily, with less stress on the body.

Having a healthy daily routine of activities helps your dog be happier whilst contributing to overall positive mental health.

If your dog is skittish or nervous, then feeding some turkey, chicken or eggs could assist in calming, due to levels of the calming amino acid tryptophan.

Foods containing adequate levels of B vitamins and magnesium are also helpful. Nuts, seeds, fish and green leafy vegetables are all high in magnesium. Leafy greens, offal, eggs and meats are all high in B vitamins.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that feeding certain types of foods can help to calm or cool the emotions.  White fish is an excellent example of such a cooling food.

You’ll see our Frontier range of foods contains all these fresh, whole foods so we would expect out food to help contribute towards keeping your dog in a good frame of mind.

Chewing on bones and hard objects helps to relieve stress for dogs. It does this through the chewing action itself, and also by keeping their minds occupied in a positive way. Dr Kathy Cornack recommends that you should consider adding these items into your pups feeding regime, if it is safe to do so.

If your pup is old or seems to be sick, it is very important to make sure they are checked by a vet to make sure they are not in pain as pain is big contributor to grumpiness in old or sick dogs.

While you’re there, check with the vet as to the optimum weight for your pet.  You may actually be killing them with kindness and a new diet may be in order.

Like always, just be sensible.  Feed fresh and avoid preservative rich food and treats.

If you haven’t tried Frontier Pet food yet, give it a go.

Not only is the food completely fresh, it’s also super convenient.  You just add warm water to the fresh, dry ingredients, for a warm healthy meal every time you serve it.