March-2024 Cooperative Living-CEC - 23

PAWPRINTS
Finding Fido's Fancy
Tips for feeding fi nicky four-legged friends
Story courtesy of Family Features
imilar to humans, dogs can also
experience digestive discomfort,
picky palates and sensitive
stomachs, and it can be hard for pet
parents to anticipate their pets' changing
diets and needs.
If your four-legged friends are picky
eaters or showing signs of sensitive
stomachs, consider these tips.
CONSULT A VETERINARIAN
A visit to a trained veterinarian is
one of the best resources for getting
recommendations and advice specifi c
to your pet's diet, conditions and
needs. Sensitive stomachs can arise
from a variety of causes, including diet,
age, health status and stress levels, but
veterinarians can conduct tests such as
blood panels, stool samples and X-rays
to help identify the cause of discomfort
and provide information to help guide
your next steps.
MAKE DOG FOOD MORE
APPEALING
If your vet has confi rmed your dog
is healthy and there are no signifi cant
reasons why he or she is being picky
co-opliving.com
S
at mealtimes, it may be time to try to
improve his or her relationship with
food.
If your dog is just uninterested in
food, try adding toppers like chopped
carrots or bone broth, or warming up
wet food in a microwave-safe bowl to
release the fl avorful aromas.
You may also consider adding an
appealing ingredient like tripe. Palatable
to even the pickiest of dogs, green tripe
is frequently given to help working dogs,
competition dogs and other dogs that
may be experiencing digestive upset due
to stress or excitement to encourage
them to eat. Beyond being an excellent
source of protein and omega fatty acid,
green tripe has multiple nutritional
benefi ts and contains vitamins, minerals
and antioxidants.
Whenever you make a change in your
pet's diet, remember to do so gradually,
as introducing a new food too abruptly
can create stomach issues.
SKIP THE TABLE SCRAPS
Suppose you and your family
members have a habit of giving your
dog food from the table or sneaking too
many treats. In that case, this can cause
him or her to not only fi ll up on your
food, but it can also impact digestion, as
human food can be too rich and fatty or
contain too much sodium to properly
digest. While it may seem harmless to
give your dog a bite or two here and
there, these kinds of table scraps can
quickly throw off his or her nutrition
and do more harm than good.
MAKE DINNERTIME FUN
Helping your dog overcome picky
eating habits can start in your own
kitchen. In fact, it's likely you know your
pet's preferences best. Whether you opt
to create a home-cooked meal or add
nutrient-rich food toppers, there are
multiple ways to easily encourage him
or her to eat. A picky eater oſt en plays
with his or her food instead of eating
it, so a feeding toy or bowl that makes
it fun and time consuming can also get
your dog to be more excited about the
food. Additionally, rotating the types
of foods, fl avors and other ingredients
you add to meals can incorporate variety
and encourage your picky eater to
chow down.
*
March 2024 * Cooperative Living * 21
http://www.co-opliving.com
March-2024 Cooperative Living-CEC

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