by RYAN MILEJCZAK
Many dogs are perfectly happy to eat the same kibble every day. But for some dogs, it’s not the same story.
Instead, some dogs can be surprisingly picky eaters. Some of the biggest offenders are breeds like Shiba Inu, French Bulldogs, and Poodles. In other cases, picky eating can be triggered by things like anxiety, dental health, or old age.
Thankfully, when your dog doesn’t want to eat their usual kibble, there are many ways to make it more appealing. By making some tasty additions to your dog’s food, you can give them a special treat to help whet their appetite. Let’s take a look at five ways you can punch up your dog’s food.
A note before we begin: These additions should only be used occasionally. Using them daily could make your dog even pickier, or worse, disturb the nutritional balance. For extra picky dogs, you can try slowly increasing the ratio of kibble to add ons to get them to enjoy their plain kibble more. Keep in mind that these recipes are made with a medium-sized dog in mind, so be sure to adjust the recipes to the appropriate portion for your pup.
Steamed Veggie Medley Topper
Ingredients:
1 whole carrot, sliced
1 small head of broccoli, broken into florets
1 small head of cauliflower, broken into florets
¼ cup green beans
¼ cup spinach
Instructions
Begin by thoroughly washing and slicing veggies into small pieces. Fill a large pot or base pan of a two-tier steamer with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Place carrots into the steamer basket and steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Let cool and add to dog food.
Boiled Eggs
Ingredients
6-12 chicken eggs
Instructions
Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn off the heat and let cook for 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill for 15 minutes for easier peeling. Chop 1-2 eggs and add to dog food, saving the rest in the fridge for future use.
Doggy Gravy
Adapted from Rover
Ingredients
Low or no sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca flour
Instructions
Bring 1 ½ cups of broth to a low boil in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch or tapioca flour in a small bowl with the remaining ½ cup of cold broth to make the slurry. Stir until no lumps appear. Slowly add the slurry in a slow drizzle with the broth over low heat, then bring back to a full boil. Cook until desired thickness is achieved, then let cool and serve over your dog’s food.
Chicken Giblets
Adapted from Recipes.net
Ingredients
1-3 chicken hearts
1-2 chicken livers
1-3 gizzards
Instructions
First, thoroughly rinse giblets under cold water, then pat dry. Trim off any excess fat, membranes, or connective tissues. Next, place the giblets in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove giblets, let cool, then cut into appropriate size pieces and place over dog food.
Bone Broth
Adapted from The Wildest
Ingredients
3-4 pounds raw bones (chicken, beef, rabbit, pork, turkey, or a mixture of them are all acceptable)
2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
6 quarts water
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a large stock pot, slow cooker, or insta pot and cover with the 6 quarts of water. Then:
If using a stock pot, simmer on low for 12 hours.
If using a slow cooker, cook for 24 hours on low.
If using an instant pot, cook for 3-4 hours.
Once done cooking, allow to cool then strain out bones and veggies. Place the broth in the fridge, and allow the fat to rise to the top. Skim off the fat and discard. Once fully cooled, bone broth will take on a gelatinous texture. To serve, warm it until liquid then mix with dog food.