Most of us love comfy food on a cold day – anything from a hearty stew to a delicious soup could make us feel cosy. So, why not jazz up your dog’s food on a cold day as well? He will love you for it, and you can curl up on the couch and chat about that scrumptious meal you just had. Here are some ideas to try.
Food toppings
There are a variety of food toppers, sauces and gravies available on the market that you can add to your dog’s food to create something delicious. You can add this to his kibble or wet food, and he will love the added flavour. The food toppings are available in a variety of brands and flavours.
Warm it up slightly
Something else that you can do with your dog’s food is to warm it up slightly in the microwave for a few seconds. Always ensure that your dog’s food is not too hot by testing it first. Warming it up slightly helps to enhance the flavour of the food.
If you’re feeding your dog kibble only, you may want to add some warm (not hot) water to his kibble and let it stand for a while. See if he likes it – not all dogs are keen on soaked kibble.
Mix it up
Why not mix up your dog’s food a bit? Instead of the same old, same old, alternate between wet and dry food and between different gravies, sauces and the various flavours available. Some dogs are creatures of habit and won’t appreciate it if you do this, but you won’t know if you don’t try. Let your dog guide you as to what he likes and what he doesn’t, but don’t fall into the trap of puppy eyes when he wants more.
Speak to your vet to find out what the best way is to mix up your dog’s food without upsetting his tummy or overfeeding or underfeeding him.
Dr Johan Jordaan, Animaltalk contributing veterinarian, warns that a chubby or overweight pet is never cute. “Extra body weight and extra body fat tend to go hand in hand, so most overweight dogs will have excess body fat. Obesity shortens your pet’s life and makes him more likely to develop disease.
“A large, lifetime study of Labrador Retrievers has found that being even moderately overweight can reduce a dog’s life expectancy by nearly two years compared to his leaner counterparts. Obese pets develop an increased risk for osteoarthritis and a faster degeneration of affected joints, together with many types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, we have become so used to seeing overweight pets that we find it challenging to understand what normal looks like. Ask your veterinarian to assist you in determining your pet’s ideal weight,” advises Dr Jordaan.
Fresh water
Even when it is cold, you always need to ensure that your dog has fresh, clean water to drink. If his drinking water feels too cold to you, you can always add some lukewarm water – as long as he gets enough to drink. To determine how much water he should drink, do this estimation. For every 1kg of his body weight, he should drink between 50 and 100mℓ of water per day. That means if your dog weighs 10kg, he should drink between 500mℓ and 1ℓ of water.
Would you like to read the rest of the article and get the yummy winter recipe for your dog? Get the Winter #346 edition of Animaltalk magazine from retailers or order a digital or printed copy from www.coolmags.co.za.
