I live in the Mecca of Home Brewing Bend Oregon; so I guess it is natural for people to want to make other products from all their spent grain. Composting it is awesome, even some baked breads can be fun especially if you are looking to make "white bread." Which brings me to my point... Why on earth would people think feeding their dogs spent grains are a good idea? There is very little nutrition to spent grains and HELLO!! It is a lot of wheat and barley!
Dogs get enough Bi Products thrown in their food, so why must people keep adding this crap to dogs diets. I guess because they eat a lot of fast food in their own diets.
Harsh? Not really, I just think for many people they don't really think about their dogs nutrition until maybe they get that $1000 plus vet bill.I am not saying I am queen of all dog nutrition but I do know a few things about a healthy dog diet. After being in the dog food and dog treat business now for more then five years, I have learned a lot. I myself have changed some ingredients and made some changes through these years of education.
Here are some things I have learned:Apples are awesome snacks raw or cooked. You can add them to food for a natural sweetness with out all the honey, sugar's and molasses. Please remember to core your apples because the stems and seeds are not good for pets due to the arsenic in them.
Sweet Potatoes cooked or dried are also a great sweetener like apples plus both have fiber.
Carrots are also awesome for dogs both as a snack or added to food, these can be eaten raw or cooked. Carrots are a natural source of beta carotene which turns into Vitamin A needed for immune function and of course carrots are excellent fiber.
Ground Whole Grain Sorghum easy to digest.
Peas are an excellent source of protein/carbohydrates/fiber.
Alfalfa is an excellent source of chlorophyll.
Ground of course, Please don't start feeding your dogs hay.
Non GMO Canola Oil excellent source of fat for energy, high in omega-3 fatty acids, natural Vitamin E preservative. Also it helps for a healthy coat and contains 10% omega 3 fatty acids. It has half the saturated fat found in other vegetable oils commonly used in pet food.
Venison is an excellent alternative to standard meats, in concentrated form it has more protein pound for pound.
Chances are it is from New Zealand if it is in your dogs kibble. To get it in America most likely it is from someone you know.
My personal favorite Whole Flax Seeds because they provide the best omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
Crushed oat groats are very good for colon health in dogs as well and it balances their body's pH.
In an earlier post I gave you my easy and favorite Dog Stew Recipe.
Ms. Foodies Dog Stew Recipe
So good bye for now and to all of our dogs:
May They Have a Healthy Long Happy Life!
Woof Woof
