Benefits of adding topper to dogs kibble

Today 96% of dog owners are feeding their pet some kind of commercially prepared kibble. If you go back to a time before kibble existed for pet dogs you would see how difficult it was for manufactures to convince dog owners that kibble was a better option.

In 1964 a smear campaign was launched against giving "human food" or table scraps to dogs. It was called the "ban all table scraps from your dogs bowl" champagne, it was very successful.

In a 2005 study conducted at Purdue University on Scottish Terriers, the results showed that adding fresh vegetables to dry commercial kibble actually prevented or slowed down the development of transitional cell carcinoma. In the study, dogs ate a diet of dry commercial pet food, while some got an assortment of vegetables added to the mix at least 3 times per week.

The study found that dogs who ate any green leafy vegetables, like broccoli, had reduced the risk of developing bladder cancer by 90% and the dogs that consumed any yellow/orange vegetables like carrots reduced the risk by 70%.
Link to the Study here

If preventing cancer was not a big enough reason to add some human food to your dogs diet, it can have several other benefits;

1. Variety in taste and texture: who wants to eat the same processed meal everyday. Just like humans, dogs can get bored with the same meal every day. Adding safe toppers can add variety of taste and texture to make your dogs meals more exciting.
2. Nutritional Boost: Depending on the type of topper you are using, you can enhance the nutritional value of your dogs diet. Purred pumpkin for example can add fibre and sooth an upset tummy. A raw egg can add folate, iron, selenium and fatty acids. Adding cooked or raw meat can add extra protein and as we leaned earlier in the article green vegetables can extend your dogs life and prevent cancer.
3. Hydration: Commercially prepared kibble is dry, dehydrated dry. Its very easy to just add a cup or two of plain water to your dogs meals to increase your dogs hydration levels and prevent dehydration. Bone broth or homemade stock can also be a great option with added benefits.

However its important to make sure the toppers you are using are safe and appropriate for your dog. Its also a good idea to test one topper at a time especially if your dog has a sensitive tummy. One of my dogs cant have eggs for example, because it gives him an upset tummy.

Here is a great list to pull from if you are looking for some safe toppers that your dogs will thank you for:

---

WATER

CUCUMBER

CANNED PUMPKIN

BROCCOLI

SARDINES

BLUEBERRIES

EGGS

SWEET POTATO