Wells Pet Nutrition

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Wells Pet Nutrition

Celebrating the unique bond we share with our companion animals while focusing on holistic care for the love of our pets.
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This page is meant to be an educational tool in order to broaden our understanding of health and wellness. Education is a means to enlighten us to broader perspectives. It is a bridge between what we know to be true and that which we have yet to understand.

09/20/2024

Miller is having the most fun at Wild Blue Dog! I’m so excited to be a presenter at camp again this year! This is my 4th year talking about dog nutrition. I have some very special memories with Izzy, Atlas and now Miller! Honestly, Miller is having the MOST fun! Lol

09/10/2024

Beautiful day at Tahoe! Miller swam for the first time!

08/28/2024

I used to hear all the time that kibble cleans teeth. Finally, over a decade later I hear it only rarely. In fact I’ve worked with a number of veterinarians who also have confirmed the farce. It’s good to see this marketing strategy implemented by the kibble industry diminished.

DIY tooth paste- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil (unrefined) + 1/4 tsp baking soda. Mix well and then using a soft rag, dip your finger in the solution and rub along the teeth and gum line before bed.

Other options:
- real aloe rubbed along the gum line
- ozone
- parsley, mint, cilantro, basil, oregano (fresh herbs) in the food
- species appropriate diet
- raw meaty bones
- appropriate levels of minerals including vitamin K and D
- additional vitamin c

There’s is so much a pet parent can do to protect their pet’s teeth and gums. Personally, I’m not an advocate for dental cleanings unless there is a critical health concern.

Save your money and work with me to prevent dental disease!
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08/26/2024

Happy National Dog Day!!!

08/21/2024

Miller went on his first off leash hike this past weekend. One fun tip to help keep your dog close is to play hide and seek on the trail. Whenever Miller went too far ahead of us the kids and I would hide. We wouldn’t call Miller, we just waited for him to realize we weren’t behind him. After a few hide and seeks he stayed VERY close to us and continually checked in with us!
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08/05/2024

So you want to feed your puppy a home cooked species appropriate diet? Me too!

Miller is 12 weeks old 22.6 lbs.

At this age and weight, he could get any from 8-10% of his body weight. Right now I’m starting with 2lbs which will leave me some calories for training and chews.

So many of my clients are shocked at how much food they need to feed their puppy. Due to growth needs, yes they need these kinds of portions. They also need around 3 times the mineral needs of an adult dog along with other increased nutrients.

YOU MUST WORK WITH A PET NUTRITION COUNSELOR LIKE MYSELF TO make sure the diet is fully balanced. Otherwise hip and joint issues, ACL tears, skin and coat problems (along with other health concerns) will manifest.

I find that up to 4 months of age puppies should really get 4 meals a day! This will allow them to process the food better without staining their digestive system.

Right now I’m gently cooking Millers food. I plan to incorporate raw into his diet when he is older and I feel it’s the right time.

Stay tuned for more information on this process. If you want to feed your puppy a home cooked diet reach out! I will make sure your puppy’s diet is balanced throughout the growth process just like Miller’s!

08/02/2024

My morning coffee routine just got a whole lot better!!

07/24/2024

Life is always changing. We had to find a new home for Bella that didn’t have small children in it and then we had to say goodbye to our sweet Atlas. After much consideration, we brought home American black lab puppy who we have named Miller. Currently Miller is on 50 % The Honest Kitchen puppy kibble + 50% fully balanced large breed home cooked diet. I’m doing a slow transition onto a full large breed puppy home cooked diet and then over to the addition of raw.

My goal is to share this journey with other puppy owners. There is so much fear around feeding any sized puppy a home cooked diet. The first year of a puppies life sets the genetic tone for the rest of his life. Why would a fully processed diet be better for a puppy than real food?

For all my puppy clients, each month a puppy gets weighed and then using my balancing software I alter the diets to make sure it’s meeting growth standards set forth by NRC and AAFCO. This is how the puppies kibble stays balanced. As a puppy grows, their nutrient and energy requirements grow with it, which is why I help my clients keep the diet balanced until adult hood. Easy peasy!
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04/25/2024

DIY Pill Pockets! It was super easy to make my own pill pocket using PB powder! It’s also lower in fat than regular nut butters. You can mix to desired consistency with filter water, bone broth, decaf tea (chamomile, green, lavender) or use canned pumpkin. Roll into a ball and then freeze or keep in the fridge for 1 week in a glass container.
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03/01/2024

Leafy greens are an essential addition to ever dog’s diet. (I personally think dogs think so too based on their drive to eat grasses). Without leafy greens many diets suffer from lack of vitamin K, manganese, magnesium, potassium, iron and vitamin C.

Beet greens (shown in the picture) are one of the finest sources of ß-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These flavonoids have strong antioxidant and anti-cancer activities, which also protects your dog’s eye health.

Atlas loves pretty much all greens (he eats them raw with no distaste for them). Since I have him on a ketogenic diet I’ve sautéed these beet greens for a couple of minutes with coconut oil. Atlas thinks this is the BEST! Lol!

The next time you buy beets make sure you grab the ones with beet greens. I like beet greens as well and eat them with salads I make or steamed. There is just too much for our family to consume so Atlas gets a great big nutritional treat while we get to decrease our food waste!
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02/29/2024

Atlas will be 14 in a week. He is a large breed dog (75 lb, hound dog/lab mix). I ran into another large breed dog owner the other day and he talked about how he never had a dog who lived past their 13th birthday. He was impressed with how old Atlas was.

As a pet nutrition counselor it is my goal to help pet owners extend the life of their pets. Species appropriate nutrition, exercise, fresh air, and reducing environmental toxins are all supper easy changes a pet owner can make to extend their pet’s life.

Even with degenerative myopathy and LP Atlas still goes for walks every day, he chases a frisbee, he cuddles with us, he LOVES his food, and he still goes on many fun adventures like the picture above! We hiked a trail in Truckee that has a steep up hill and back and Atlas was so happy! It’s just amazing to watch the energy and power in an animal’s body even as a senior dog!
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02/29/2024

Trooper and Maverick are my wolfhound clients! I created a fully balanced diet for Trooper first. Maverick was kept on a large breed puppy kibble with some home cooking toppers. Around 1 Trooper started getting sick on his kibble so they made the leap to home cooking for Maverick as well! I created Both dogs are doing really well on their diets and get many compliments wherever they go!
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02/25/2024

Healthy high calorie treat alert! I’ve been making these no-bake coconut protein balls for my whole family. Atlas LOVES them! I personally didn’t want the usual oat based or peanut butter option so I decided to make my own treat. I live in the desert so slowly put in the water to see if you need all of it.

Grab your food processor and blend up the following ingredients:
-1 cup walnuts
-3 medjool dates (deseeded)
-1/8 cup ground flax seed
-1/8 cup chia seeds
-1/8 cup gogi berries
-1/2 cup filtered water
-optional: 2 scoops vital proteins collagen peptides (unflavored)

Directions: (add more water if consistency is too thick, less water if too thin to roll)
Roll ingredients into 1 inch balls and then roll on the shredded coconut. Refrigerate for 1 hour. These will keep in the fridge for about a week +. You can also freeze half the batch for later. These little treats are approx 55-100+ kcals a piece. They would be great for dogs that are working, back packing, or just have a high metabolism (like my dog Atlas).

Nutritional benefits: fiber, omega-3s, antioxidants, vitamin c, Medium chain triglycerides for liver and brain health, manganese and other minerals.

Let me know if you give the recipe a try!
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02/24/2024

My dog Atlas has a neurodegenerative disease that affects his hind legs and ability to control his stools. A low fiber diet has helped up until this point however it isn’t making much of a difference right now. I’ve decided to give a ketogenic diet a try now.

This type of diet is low in carbohydrates and replaces those calories with fat calories. Protein is also reduced with this type of diet. I’m slowly moving Atlas over to this diet to make sure his body can handle more fats.

Interestingly I came across a journal recently that discussed the original diet percentages of a dog which was 7% carbs (grasses), 58% fat and 30% protein. The reason for this was due to the kind of waste coming from what human’s ate at the time. I’ve been thinking about this journal article a lot recently. If dogs genetically depend on this kind of fat percentage I can’t help but wonder if this is why so many disease manifest around disorder related to the need for fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins! Allergies, thyroid, cushings, anxiety, dementia, diabetes, kidney disease, joint diseases, neurological disorders, skin and coat, autoimmune disorders, cancer and the list goes on.

I’ve tried a ketogenic diet with my dog Izzy for about 9 months while I was going through my course work and Izzy did fantastic on it. Im excited to try it with Atlas to see if I can give his body the extra tools it needs to help his nervous system.
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02/24/2024

I had a BIG family of clients today! Bunker, Valor (both search and rescue dogs), plus Cholula and Alpha, all of which are so LUCKY to have such dedicated pet parents working to better their health with such dedication. Every dog, so unique in what nutritionally supports their bodies. Alpha and Cholula are on a fully balanced home cooked diet while Valor and Bunker are on a mix of dehydrated food (easy to travel with) and home cooking while at home.
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02/22/2024

This is my Kitty client Benton! Benton was adopted with an uncomfortable parasite condition. He lost so much weight due to digestive distress. With some healing herbs, bone broth and a raw diet Benton is gaining weight and feeling so much happier! I love working with cats! 99% of the time disease manifests due to the wrong diet for cats and regardless of the health concerned a change in diet is the most affective solution!
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02/17/2024

Cobalamin or vitamin B12 testing is one of the latest measurements a veterinarian will look at to further investigate digestive disorders. I see quite a lot of clients who come with a veterinarian diagnosis of low B12 (sometimes folic acid) as well as a supplement or injection that they have been giving their dog. Many of these dogs have been on the supplement for years! Ok so what’s the problem with that? Isn’t B12 a necessary vitamin and if it’s low shouldn’t we supplement it?

Concern 1: what form is your supplement in, is it a natural form? Check out the picture above. This supplement is cyanocobalamin, a very bad form of B12 that is found in the vast majority of both animal and human supplements. As a carrier agent cobalamin has been bound with cyanide an extremely poisonous molecule! once a cell retrieves the cobalamin molecule, cyanide is left for the body to remove and during that process, hello oxidative stress, inflammation, immune system activation, What!! No wonder many dogs are on the supplement for so long without seeing healthy results.

Concern 2: B12 is part of a larger network of vitamins that all work synergistically together. This is called a B-complex. Flood the system with just one part of the network for too long and deficiencies in the others become very likely!

What should pet parents do?

First, check your B12 supplement and toss it if it’s bound to a cyanide or cyno molecule.

Secondly, give your dog a species appropriate diet of real animal based protein (this is where the body gets b12). Next, incorporate plant material into the diet around 7-10% and focus on greens and prebiotics like artichoke hearts, asparagus, and small amounts of garlic to feed your dog’s beneficial bacteria. Why? Because your dog’s beneficial bacteria is what helps create a natural form of B12.

Third, heal your pets gut. I like Adored Beasts Leaky Gut Protocol. If you can’t afford it herbs like slippery elm, aloe, marshmallow root and licorice all help heal inflammation in the gut.

Need more help? Let’s work together and help heal your pet!
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02/16/2024

I just love the bully breeds! I think they are experts in comfort and relaxation! This is Hope one of my clients. Her mom is fully home cooking for another dog in the household (critical care case) and doesn’t have the budget to also cook for Hope. No worries!! I crafted a partial home cooked diet, made some high quality base diet recommendations and topped off the guide with some great supplements for her age and breed. There isn’t any health concerns for Hope so this is a great place to start.

I think it’s so important to just support pet owners with what works best for their budget and lifestyle. With my own dog Izzy she loved to be just shy of 16 and I gave her so many things over her life based on my own financial and time constraints. It’s OK! There really isn’t a one size fits all approach to health.
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02/07/2024

Let’s talk about ozone therapy! In my last post I talked about the foundations of health: oxygen, water, movement! Getting our pets outside for exercise and fresh air is vital to the health of cells.

What happens if a pet can’t get outside? Surgery, age, disease state, environmental factors like wild fires and climate, and even the state of health of the pet owner can decrease the possibility of getting a pet outside.

Ozone therapy may be a beneficial addition to your integrative toolkit! You may think you can’t access this kind of treatment because you don’t have a holistic vet who offers the service. Not so! There are ozone creams and suppositories that pet owners can purchase that can be shipped right to your door.

How to use these tools: creams can be used topically for hot spots, skin cysts, hives, ear infections, eye issues, digital cysts, lick granulomas, tumors, yeast infections and so much more. (I’ve also used ozone creams for myself as well!). Suppositories are inserted into the re**um (the same way a vet uses ozone at a clinic)!

OZONE THERAPY ENABLES CELLS TO REGULATE OXYGEN AND THEN USE THAT OXYGEN TO CREATE ENERGY TO HEAL AND FIGHT OFF DISEASE!

In the next post I plan to talk about all the foods you can include in your pet’s diet to increase oxygen for new cellular development!
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02/06/2024

So often we can get caught up in finding the best diet, the best cancer fighting supplements, taking our pets to receive the best alternative treatments and tests all with the goal to extend our pet’s life. I do the same thing with my own animals and it comes from a deep seeded love for our pets.

What I want to look at today is focusing on the foundation of health: Oxygen, water, movement. I’ve been watching myself with my dog Atlas. He’s almost 14 with a neurogenic disease. I will spend a good amount of time preparing his meals with just the right ingredients for balance and then add in supplements to help with disease management. He spends a lot of time sleeping during the day as well. I still witness a decline in health and I feel hopeless inside and sad.

Our family decided to visit a lake last weekend to get the kids out of the house and we discussed if we should let Atlas stay home and rest. I told my husband that I don’t want to lose these precious moments and time so we brought him thinking he could just lay on the beach in the sun.

When we got to the lake I witnessed something extraordinary. Atlas acted like a puppy again. He ran up and down the shore and through the water. He explored with me and didn’t lay down once (we were there for several hours). I started thinking about the foundations of a healthy body: oxygen, water, movement and realizing how powerful they are to the health of the body at any state of health.

Disease only manifests due to the absence of oxygen. Living inside the house all day doesn’t focus on the pure oxygen that is available in nature. Living in the house all day doesn’t promote hydration and living in a house all day doesn’t promote movement! All three work together to increase oxygen, detoxify the body, decrease inflammation, support new cellular life and they are the bounding blocks of a healthy body at ANY AGE. It’s so simple and yet so powerful.

I’ve decided to focus on oxygen, water, and movement each day, both for my own health and for Atlas’s and see how life transforms our bodies and health.
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02/05/2024

Wally the yorkipoo! Wally is doing really well on his diet and supplement plan! I just think he’s so cute. I love it when I get pictures of clients.
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01/28/2024

I LOVE developing fully balanced recipes for large breed dogs like Stewart! It makes me sad that so many pet parents are too nervous to provide a fresh food diet for their growing puppy. It’s such a critical time in a dog’s life since the body is creating all the building blocks it needs to live a healthy life.

Instead, pet owners are encouraged to give their puppy a diet high in inflammatory foods, low quality protein, low quality fatty acids, and synthetic vitamins and minerals. A puppy then doesn’t have the tools needed to create healthy cells and they also have symptoms related to a leaky gut so I see A LOT of clients who’s dogs have terribly uncomfortable allergy symptoms at a VERY young age. Another concern I see with large breed dogs are joint issues, ACL tears and other skeletal inflammation or degenerative conditions later on in life. If that puppy kibble was so protective wouldn’t we see less of these diseases?

Let me formulate a diet for your puppy (no matter the size)! I will make sure your puppy has the right amount of quality proteins and amino acids, minerals for joint health, omega’s for healthy cellular growth and antioxidants to help health the gut and protect your puppy through growth into adult maintenance!
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01/26/2024

Meet Hans! Hans has been switched to a fully balanced raw diet with added low glycemic plant material for healthy digestion. He just earned an NW2 in NACSW nose work! At competitions everyone mentions how amazing he looks (just under 100lbs), with the softest coat and bright eyes and happy smile! Wouldn’t you agree?
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01/17/2024

Comfrey Poultice!! If your dog is experiencing a sprain, strain, if they are limping or they had surgery, use a comfrey poultice to help with the healing process by decreasing inflammation and reducing pain!

I have some dried herb that I mixed with hot water and cassava flour to create the sticky mixture. Using a clean dish towel I put the mixture in the towel. You can apply it to your dog for 15-30 mins. If the injury is recent start with applying the poultice for short periods of time throughout the day. (You can use a heating pad as well to increase circulation). If the injury is older you can try longer periods of time. Do not use comfrey if there is an open wound as this will slow healing of an exposed wound. Comfrey is great at getting to the root cause of inflammation at the core level.

*provide plenty of clean filtered water or better yet bone broth (no salt or onions) to help keep your pet hydrated as toxins are released during the process. The bone broth will also help with the healing process by giving the animal the right nutritional tools to heal the injury.
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01/16/2024

One of the many reasons I love making my dog’s food is I know what is in it! I get to pick the quality and sourcing and I get to cook it exactly as I wish, either raw or medium rare, based on my dog’s health and preferences.

I also LOVE that I don’t have to worry when I see all the crazy information that’s been released recently that suggests that certain kibbles may or may not be causing animals to be sick (or even die)from the food they are eating!!

I sleep really good at night knowing my dog is getting a high level of nutrition to keep him healthy and happy!
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Reno, NV

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Website

http://wellspetnutrition.com/

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1) Provide a species appropriate diet with human grade, whole food ingredients! (Home cooking, raw, freeze dried, dehydrated- avoid kibble and canned if possible) This fuels the body for health while removing inflammation! 2) 60 mins of exercise daily, minimum. This should be in the form of walks, hikes, swimming, training, and sent work. This fuels grounding and detoxification. 3) Body work and mental stimulation in the form of massage, lymph draining, no-bath wipes and various puzzle toys, lick mats, snuffle mats, etc. This balances the mind body connection, reducing stress, removing excess cortisol and toxins while also creating hormones that balance mood and comfort! If you have done these three things and you still have a symptom or health concern reach out and we will find the right supplement for you pet. If however, you aren’t doing these three things and you have an abundance of supplements in your cupboard give them a try. Without these three foundation of health you could be wasting your money trying to alter the body with supplements alone. Feeling lost? I’m here to help! ……………………………..: #foundationsofhealth #goodfood #exercise #mentalhealth #bodybalance #bodyinbalance #fuelthebody #speciesappropriate #speciesappropriatediet #petnutrition #healthypets #cat #dog

My dogs love veggies but not all dogs love them! One tip is to grind the organ meat with greens. Organ meat is typically 5% liver and I will go up to 20% heart. Greens help filter the purines in the organ meat and provide chlorophyll, vitamin c and other minerals. The veg with the meat also balances the acidity which will protects your pets teeth and bones. I like to give my dog both raw organ meat and greens for nutrient retention (as long as you have a good quality source.) Also, this tip will work great for cats! ………………………………. #raw #rawfeddog #offal #liver #heart #petnutrition

You can easily make your own fermented veggies for you pet. This is a great way to increase spore specific probiotics as well as make the food more digestible for your dog or cat! …………………………… #dog #cat #fermentation #petnutrition #healthygut

Pet Loss and Grief We are coming to the end of Atlas’s life with us. I woke up today and felt I needed to get him out of the house to feel the sand in his paws and water on his back. It was good for both of us to connect out in nature and feel the energy of life and it’s expression today. If you’ve lost a pet or going through the last stage of their life you don’t need to do it alone. I’m also here with you on this journey. I also want to encourage you to connect with your best friend today. I notice with so many of my clients (as well as my own self) that we want to prevent pain so we start disconnecting from our pet well before our pet is ready. We do this both mentally and physically.. Don’t remove your connection before the time has come, your pet can feel it. Reconnect today with lots of hugs and kisses, go for a walk, or cross off that bucket list. You will look back on this time with happiness and gratitude for those last moments shared. ………………………….. #petlossandgrief #petloss #petlosssupport #ilovemydog #endingsarethehardest

I’m so excited about how well my sprouts are doing! These were so easy to grow right on my counter. Remember how I used Izzy’s old bowl to grow these micronutrients? It’s a great reminder of the circle of life!! It makes me happy I can nourish Atlas in this way. …………………………. #sprouts #nourishingfoods #healthypets #pethealthtips #rawfood #petnutrition #petgrief #petgreens #pets

No need for an expensive lick-mat! I improvised with my kiddos Bento-box so you could see the kind of portion sizes Atlas gets in his breakfast. ……………………… #feedrealmovement #raw #rawfog #dog #dogfood

Medicinal mushrooms can be created in your own kitchen!! Check out your local farmer’s market or health food store for varieties like: shiitake, lions mane, oyster, turkey tail, Portabella and many more. Sauté on low to gently break down the chitosan structure (this is what can cause some sensitive tummies trouble) and then add in additional anti-inflammatory turmeric, coconut oil and a pinch of black pepper. Start with 1 tbsp per 10lbs of body weight. Try out this recipe today and see that you can easily provide your pet with super food nutrients without having a super expensive budget! …………………………………… #mushroomsfordogs #foodismedicine❤️ #foodismedicine🌱 #superfood #superfoodnutrition #superfoodsfordogs #superfoodsforcats #dog #cat #petfood #youcandoit #healingfoods #petnutritioncounseling

I truly believe that the people who need me the most will find me!

Purchasing ground meat is often just a mix of off cuts, it is also highest in bacterial levels. I like to make my specialty meatloafs for Atlas due disease management (LP). I also like to give him some raw with his diet, especially beef. I had some extra time today. Honestly it only took an extra couple minutes of my time and the quality was stellar. The meat smelled and looked fantastic, not like some of the grinds I see at the store. …………………………………… #happydog #happydoghappylife #happydoggo #happydoggy #ilovemydog #dengenerativediscdiseaseindogs #raw #rawdogfood

The kiddos asked for pancake breakfast tacos! I made high protein pancakes (Cottage cheese, eggs, psyllium, millet, baking soda and salt). Then we had a variety of toppings (banana, cinnamon apples, blueberry chia compote, shredded coconut, cranberry’s, home made granola, PB, yogurt and honey). We had some leftovers so Atlas got his own pancake taco with banana, granola, local honey and cranberries. To balance out the meal he also got raw beef liver, the meatloaf I make for him, steamed veggies, fish oil, egg shell and spirulina. Easy peasy and super cheesy! #luckydog #ilovemydog #dogfoodrealfood #balanceddogfood #homecookingfordogs

Does your pup have gas, indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation? Make them this easy digestive aid! 1:1:1 ration of fresh ingredients. Butternut squash needs the longest time, so start cooking it first in small chunks. Cook until soft using water as your cooking aid rather than oil. Next cut up the fennel (all parts) and cook for about 10 mins. Finally chop up your fresh parsley (all parts) and cook for a few minutes. Store in your fridge or freeze half for later. Start with 1 tbsp per 10 lbs of body weight I have labs (high scavenger vibes) so this digestive aid is one I have used throughout their life! …………………………… #freshdogfood #healthypets #digestiveaid #labrador #blacklab #petfoodtips #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogoftheday #doglover #wellnesspetfood #organicpetfood #petfoodmatters #petnutrition #dogfood #dogfoods #wholefoodpetnutrition

One of Atlas’s favorite meals! #dog #dogfood #doglover #seniorpet #greymuzzle #lab #labrador #blacklabrador #ilovemydog

Our family definitely saves money by giving Atlas food that we forgot about or just don’t want to eat the next day! Honestly, I can only eat shrimp fresh so after a day it goes to Atlas, lucky dog! Just rinse off any spices or sauces as these can cause digestive upset. ………………………………. #shrimp #dogfoodprep #dogfood