Bark & Bowl Canine Nutrition (2025)

17/04/2025

With Easter just around the corner, here’s a quick look at the foods to keep well away from your dog.

From chocolate eggs to roast trimmings, some seasonal favourites can be harmful, or even toxic.

Keep your dog safe this Easter - swipe through for the foods to avoid and why it matters.

11/04/2025

Welcome to another Fuel Focus Flow Friday!

This week we're answering your questions.

Drop a comment below if there's anything else you'd like to know about nutrition with , behaviour and training with or structured walking with 🐶

27/03/2025

Occupational hazards 🤣

What's your confession?

19/03/2025

It's too often assumed that skin issues are caused by food allergies or intolerances.

But before blaming a food reaction, one of the most important things we should consider is whether the current diet is deficient. Several key nutrients are essential for maintaining skin barrier function and overall skin health. A diet lacking in nutrients such as zinc, essential fatty acids, and vitamins A, E and B complex can trigger similar symptoms.

So rather than immediately attributing skin issues to allergies, evaluating a dog's diet for these essential nutrients and addressing underlying imbalances can make all the difference.

➡️ There are many reasons why a dog may be experiencing skin issues, which first and foremost should be discussed with your vet.

17/03/2025

Did you know that nutrition and behaviour are actually closely linked?

Let's take a look at why nutrition is so important in canine behaviour.

Part of Fuel Focus Flow - a collaboration with North Canine Training and Hazel & Hound. Details on the last slide!

19/02/2025

A dog may appear to be healthy for some time on a deficient diet, but that doesn't mean that we should continue to feed it!

I have used a raw 80.10.10 diet here as an example, as it's by far the most common one I see, but any diet has the potential for nutrient imbalances.

And for the avoidance of doubt, ANY 80.10.10, no matter its overall quality (perceived or actual), is deficient in multiple nutrients. The budget white label ones just tend to be more severely unbalanced (aka they are super cheap for a reason).

❗Any changes to skin health should be explored with a vet first and foremost. This can be a sign of underlying health issues, which may need medication and necessitate a different approach to the diet.

05/02/2025

Did you know that over 80% of dogs over the age of three have some form of dental disease? With February being Pet Dental Health Month, let's take a look at the role nutrition plays in dental health.

Why is Dental Health So Important?
Dental health is not just about keeping your dog's teeth and gums in top condition. Poor dental health can also increase the risk of heart, liver and kidney disease too.

Does Kibble Clean Teeth?
A common misconception is that kibble cleans teeth. However, dogs don't spend much time chewing their food. Most of it is swallowed quickly, and what is chewed tends to break up on impact. This means that kibble offers little abrasive action, and not enough to effectively clean the teeth.

There are some dental diets and treats that have a texture that maximises contact with the teeth and are formulated with specific types of fibre, enzymes and additives which can help to control plaque and tartar. However, while these may help, they can't replace a solid dental care routine.

What about Raw Meaty Bones?
Feeding raw meaty bones is a controversial topic. They can help to support dental health by providing more abrasive action on the teeth than kibble, particularly along the gumline where plaque and tartar accumulate.

However, I’ve seen multiple cases of tooth fractures and excessive wear caused by recreational bones, which is why I personally no longer recommend them. If you do feed bones, choose them carefully and always supervise your dog.

Other Options for Dental Health
Several alternative products may help maintain good dental hygiene, including seaweed-based supplements, probiotic dental sprays, and homeopathic fragaria. While these options may support oral health, they will not suit every dog, and are not a replacement for proper cleaning.

The Bottom Line
Nutrition alone can't provide a magic solution - nothing replaces regular dental cleaning! Even with the best diet and teeth cleaning regime, some dogs are genetically prone to dental disease and will need extra care.

Checking and cleaning your dog’s teeth regularly is the best way to prevent problems before they start!

22/01/2025

Limited ingredient diets (LIDs) are formulated to reduce the number of ingredients your dog is exposed to in their diet. They are often used where food reactions are suspected, but are they really as 'limited' as it seems?

Due to the manufacturing process, and a lack of regulation on their composition, LIDs are at high risk of cross-contamination. Studies have shown that between 33% and 83% of LIDs tested contained ingredients which were not reported on the label.

This can be a major problem for dogs with food allergies. True food allergies are rare, but for those that do suffer, an allergic reaction can be triggered by just a trace amount of the allergen. Dogs with food intolerances or sensitivities may do better, as small amounts of the ingredient may be tolerable.

Tips for pet parents:
✔️ Contact the manufacturer: Ask about their allergen control protocols, including cleaning practices and testing for cross-contamination.
✔️ Consider a prescription food. These foods are not completely immune to cross-contamination, but are manufactured under strict guidelines to avoid it.
✔️ Alternatively a properly formulated homemade diet, under the guidance of a veterinary professional or canine nutritionist, can reduce exposure to unintended allergens.

Further reading:
Olivry T, Mueller RS. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (5): discrepancies between ingredients and labeling in commercial pet foods. BMC Vet Res. 2018 Jan 22;14(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1346-y. PMID: 29357847; PMCID: PMC5778722.

07/01/2025

Feeding guidelines are just that, guidelines.

It can be easy to unwittingly under or overfeed if your dog falls outside of the 'average' range. Many owners overestimate how active their dogs are, meaning their calorie intake is more than is required, which can lead to obesity. Watching intake of treats and toppers is also important - these should form no more than 10% of the daily calories, but in reality often come in much higher.

Choosing the right food for your dog's age, size and lifestyle is essential - a food designed for working dogs will be quite different to one designed for seniors, for example.

If you're not sure whether the feeding guidelines are a good match for your dog, working out their daily calorie need is a more accurate way of doing things. There are online calculators (such as the one at ukpetfood.org) that can help you with this, or if you’re unsure or your dog has specific needs get in touch and I will work it out for you!

A body condition scoring chart (such as WSAVA’s Body Condition Score) can help you determine whether your dog is an ideal weight. If they are slightly under or overweight, a change in the volume of food (including treats!) might be necessary.

If your dog is very underweight or overweight, or their weight has changed suddenly, seek veterinary guidance before doing anything with their diet. In these cases changes need to be incremental and very carefully controlled. Ongoing weight issues can be a sign of underlying illness.

https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Body-Condition-Score-Dog.pdf

https://www.ukpetfood.org/spotlight-on-obesity/calculating-how-much-to-feed/calorie-calculator-for-dogs-new.html

20/12/2024

🎄 Christmas break 🎄

The last consults of the year are all done, so it's time for a short break before we look forward to bigger and better things next year!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported Bark & Bowl this year. A special thanks goes out to all of my wonderful clients - it has truly been a pleasure working with you all!

Wishing everyone a wonderful festive season!

Rebekah & Hugo 🐾

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17/12/2024

For some of us, Christmas is a time for indulgence, but it shouldn't necessarily be that way for our dogs.

But before you say i'm just being a scrooge - hear me out!

Christmas can be a time of great stress and upheaval for our pets, with different sights, smells and sounds all around, and frequent visits from friends and family. Stress is one of the major causes of digestive upsets in dogs, so it's really important to maintain as much of a routine during the holiday season as possible, and to give your dog a safe, quiet place to rest away from the festivities.

Some Christmas foods are safe for dogs - lean, cooked, boneless meats and cooked vegetables are generally ok (my Hugo is quite partial to a sprout now and then!) - but avoid feeding too many scraps and keep to their regular diet as much as possible. Changing things up too much, too quickly increases the risk of stomach upsets, and nobody wants that for Christmas!

Christmas foods on the canine naughty list that you should definitely NOT feed include:
• Fatty foods, such as pigs in blankets
• Foods containing onion, such as gravy (also too salty) and stuffing
• Chocolate
• Raisins
• Christmas pudding
• Mince pies
• Macadamia nuts
• Foods containing xylitol, such as some peanut butters and many sweets like candy canes
• Cooked bones
• Rawhide
• Alcohol (seems obvious but you'd be surprised!)

Of course your dog can enjoy the festivities with you, just be mindful of their needs and don't go overboard with the treats and table scraps!

05/12/2024

Puppies begin to regulate their calcium absorption more effectively at around 6 months of age.

Up until this point, calcium absorption in puppies occurs passively in the intestines, meaning they absorb a large percentage of the calcium in their diet regardless of how much is present. After 6 months, their ability to regulate calcium becomes more active, similar to adult dogs, allowing them to excrete excess calcium through their stools when dietary levels are high.

This transition is why it's especially critical to ensure that puppies are fed diets with appropriate calcium levels and calcium to phosphorus ratios during their early growth stages (excess of one can interfere with the absorption and utilisation of the other).

Excess dietary calcium can cause abnormal bone growth and skeletal disorders like hip dysplasia. Calcium deficiency, seen most often in unbalanced homemade diets, can lead to bone deformities and increased risk of fractures.

Large and giant breed puppies are particularly sensitive to dietary imbalances and overfeeding due to their prolonged rate of growth. They therefore have different energy and nutrient requirements to ensure controlled, steady growth until they achieve skeletal maturity at around 18-24 months old.

Calcium levels are just one of the many reasons why it's so important to choose a complete and balanced puppy food, specifically formulated for growth to FEDIAF standards. Not all puppy foods are suitable for large and giant breeds - always look for a nutritional adequacy statement on the label that says it's formulated for growth of puppies including large dogs.

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Do you need help with your dog's diet? Get in touch!
barkandbowlnutrition.com
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20/11/2024

Are allergy tests worth the money?

In short, no!

Blood allergy tests have been shown to be unreliable for food sensitivities, and are more a reflection of past exposure to the protein rather than an allergy or sensitivity to it. If you or your vet suspect your dog has food allergies the gold standard for diagnosis is a strictly controlled food elimination diet.

If an environmental allergy is suspected, a blood allergy test can be more useful, however, these only test for a limited number of the most common allergens, which may or may not be a trigger for your dog.

The hair strand allergy tests you can buy online are notoriously unreliable. False positives and random results are very common. Save your money and avoid!

And, perhaps most importantly, what if it's not allergies at all? We tend to quickly presume itchy skin is an allergy without ruling out other things first (not to mention most 'allergies' are actually intolerances - see my previous posts on the difference between the two). Nutritional deficiencies, certain illnesses and parasites can all mimic 'allergy' symptoms, and should all be fully explored first, before going down the allergy/intolerance route.

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Do you need help with your dog's diet? Get in touch!
barkandbowlnutrition.com
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06/11/2024

There are important differences between food allergies and food intolerances, despite often being referred to interchangeably.

True immune-mediated food allergies are much less common than you might think (around 1-2% of the canine population), and dog owners frequently attribute various symptoms to food allergies without a proper diagnosis. Food intolerances on the other hand are much more common, and can have multiple causes and symptoms.

23/10/2024

'Food allergy' is a term used by many to cover a wide range of food-related symptoms and causes. However, in reality, true food allergies are actually quite rare, estimated to affect only 1-2% of dogs.

On the other hand, food intolerances are much more common, and if you're dealing with an adverse food reaction it's much more likely that it's an intolerance at play, rather than an allergy.

There's an important distinction to be drawn between the two, which is essential for effective diagnosis and treatment.

Keep an eye out for our next post which will look at the differences between allergy and intolerance!

Further reading:
Craig, J. (2018). Food intolerance in dogs and cats. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 60(2), 77-85. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.12959

Hardy, J. and Gajanayake, I. (2022). Diagnosis and management of adverse food reactions in dogs and cats. In Practice, 44(4), 196-203. https://doi.org/10.1002/inpr.197

09/10/2024

It might be an unpopular opinion, but the type of diet alone cannot speak for the quality of that particular diet.

25/09/2024

Let's talk bioavailability! Many nutrient-rich foods have factors that reduce how well the body can absorb those nutrients.

For example:
• Spinach is high in calcium and iron, but its oxalates bind to these minerals, limiting absorption. Cooking helps lower oxalate levels, making those nutrients more bioavailable.
• Raw egg whites contain avidin, which binds to biotin and prevents its absorption. Cooking the eggs neutralises avidin, allowing for better biotin availability.
• Whole grains provide zinc but are also high in phytic acid, which reduces zinc bioavailability. Cooking or soaking can decrease phytic acid and improve absorption.
• Fur is a commonly touted addition in DIY raw diets for its manganese content, but it’s tightly bound in keratin, making it difficult to absorb. Fur mostly just passes straight through!

Understanding bioavailability is key to maximising your dog's diet.

It's important to consider how well nutrients are absorbed - not just their presence on a label.

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Do you need help with your dog's diet? Get in touch!
barkandbowlnutrition.com
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18/09/2024

Another very common issue with diet change is loose stool.

This is why I tend to advise a gradual switch over the course of a week to 10 days. Taking a gradual approach will reduce the risk of stomach upset and gives your dog’s digestive system time to adjust. Some dogs will of course switch over as if nothing happened, in which case the transition can be completed much faster, but others will need to take their time.

Some loose stool is to be expected, especially if the change is quite drastic (e.g. long term kibble fed to raw fed, or vice versa), but this should not be excessive, bloody, or last longer than a day or two. If your dog is struggling, reduce or stop the new food for a few days and go back to their old one until things settle, then very slowly start to add the new food back in. Ongoing diarrhoea may suggest that the protein or brand of food does not suit, or that the diet is lacking key nutrients.

If the stool is very loose it is ok to skip a meal, but don't block access to water. Puppies, very senior dogs and dogs with medical conditions should not be fasted. Then, a bland diet of white fish and sweet potato with some slippery elm or marshmallow root, or a small amount of psyllium husk, can help to bulk out stools, soothe the digestive tract and get things back to normal. A short course of probiotics might also be beneficial.

As always, a check up at the vet is advised to rule out any serious or underlying issues.

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Do you need help with your dog's diet? Get in touch!
barkandbowlnutrition.com
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Bark & Bowl Canine Nutrition