02/26/2024
Affordable ways to boost your pet’s bowl? I gotchu!
Listen- the economy sucks. We can’t all afford to feed boutique or raw diets to our pets when the cost of our own groceries are sky rocketing. But I have some affordable solutions for you to help boost what’s in your pet’s bowl.
For me, the best bowl boosters are the ones we’re likely to already have on hand or regularly purchase for ourselves at the grocery store.
As always, take your own dog’s dietary restrictions and allergies into account. These are merely (very knowledgeable and researched) suggestions and not professional nutrition or veterinary advice.
The following suggestions are recommended for dogs:
Homemade peanut butter 🥜 - it could not be simpler to make the most amazing peanut butter quickly in the comfort of your own home. All you need is dry roasted, unsalted peanuts and a food processor. Put the peanuts in the food processor and let it run until it turns creamy. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to add any oils to your peanut butter, as the peanuts will release their own as they break down. This peanut butter is safe and delicious for human and dog consumption. You don’t even have to worry about any scary added ingredients like xylitol. If I’m making a batch just for myself and not my dog, I may use salted dry roasted peanuts instead of unsalted dry roasted peanuts, but both are delicious. Homemade peanut butter is a great treat, amazing to use with lick mats, and great for stuffing a kong or natural horn to keep your dog busy.
Fruit 🍎- if you regularly purchase blueberries, strawberries, apples, or bananas for your family, why not set a couple aside for your pup? A few blueberries, one or two strawberries or a few slices of banana or apple added to your dog’s meal is an easy way to add antioxidants and vitamins.
Vegetables 🥕 - same as above. Carrots, bell peppers, green beans and spinach are always in rotation in my dog’s food. Chock full of nutrients and fiber, veggies are an easy way to boost your dog’s meal. Sometimes I even blend up some spinach with bone broth for my dog and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Come meal time, I just pop a cube out and add it to her meal.
The following suggestions are recommended for dogs & cats:
100% pure canned pumpkin 🎃- can be found in most groceries stores for less than $2 per can in most cases. Using just a tablespoon or two at a time (for dogs, less for cats. My dog gets a tablespoon in her meal once a day. My cats get maybe half a teaspoon in their meal just a couple times a week) make the can last a while. Pumpkin has many benefits for dogs & cats including aiding in digestion.
Sardines packed in spring water 🐟 - sardines are an amazing source of protein for both dogs and cats! Full of omegas and fatty acids, sardines are an excellent way to boost your pet’s bowl. I give my dog a sardine in her meal a couple times a week. For my cats, they get about half a sardine each a couple times a week.
Bone broth 🦴- bone broth is amazing for cats and dogs. If buying store bought and not pet specific, look for chicken or beef bone broth that has very limited ingredients and is low in sodium. Full of collagen and other nutrients, it can also be used to rehydrate your dog or cat’s dry food. Almost daily I add about 1 part bone both and 1 part hot filtered water to my dog or cat’s meal. They LOVE it!
Eggs 🥚- dogs and cats love eggs! Raw, boiled or scrambled, my dog and cats love chicken and quail eggs. I give an egg to my dog about once a week roughly and a quarter of a chicken egg or a whole quail egg to my cats once or twice a week.
I hope you found these tips helpful! If you try any of these out for your pet let us know how they like it! 🐾
