Healthy Changes For Your Dog's Diet in 2022

The first week of the new year has passed us by and I’ve already broken at least half of my New Year’s resolutions! One of the main ones on my list this year, and I’m sure on many others, was to eat healthier and more ethically. This may be slightly cheating as it’s almost two resolutions wrapped up into one, as ethical eating is often synonymous with a healthier diet. Over the last ten years or so we’ve become increasingly aware that what we eat and where we get it from, is vitally important for the upkeep of a healthy lifestyle and a happy planet. And, to our delight, this stance is now becoming increasingly popular amongst producers of pet products too. 

But, what are the easiest ways to make healthy changes in our dog’s diets? How can we be more eco-friendly in the choices we make for our pets? And, what are the best choices when it comes to alternative dog foods, treats and chews?

In this post, we’ll try and clear some of this up for you so we can all stride into the new year with our heads held high and our dogs in peak physical condition. 

Easy Ways to Make Healthier Choices for our Dogs

In the modern pet food industry, despite the ongoing production of mass-produced rubbish, there are a lot of great options when it comes to picking healthy food, and treat, options for your dogs. The move towards using all-natural ingredients and techniques that preserve the nutritional benefits of these ingredients is picking up momentum in the world of pet food producers, resulting in a veritable cornucopia of healthy choices for your furry friends. 

Vegetarian Dog Treats and Chews

Vegetarian dog treats and chews are becoming increasingly popular for the modern dog owner, as they are often are a cheaper, healthier and more eco-friendly option than many meat-based treats and chews. Products such as Natural Cornish Pet - Sweet Potato Chunks and Green and Wild’s - Veggie Bakes, are perfectly formed veggie treats that are full of the nutritional benefits of vegetables, as well as being tremendously tasty too. Swapping these out for your dog’s normal meat-based treats or chews is a super simple way of getting additional nutrition into your dogs whilst reducing the amount of unnecessary meat your dog consumes. 

Cold-Pressed Foods 

Most mainstream dog foods are made using the extrusion method, which heats the raw ingredients to over 150c and is hugely inefficient at retaining the nutritional benefits of said ingredients. Cold-pressing is a relatively modern technique that produces foods at much lower temperatures, making for a healthier and tastier product for your dogs. Switching your dog’s dinners over to a brand such as Aflora, which use this magical extraction method, is an exceptionally easy way to give your dog a healthier 2022.

Eco-Friendly Options For Your Dogs

Vegetarian Dog Treats and Cold Pressed Foods

As we alluded to in the introduction, healthy and eco-friendly are often synonymous with one another. And as promised, the products we’ve mentioned so far are great for the environment as well as for your dogs. 

Vegetarian dog treats and chews are an excellent way to reduce the size of your carbon pawprint as they use less produce from the hugely damaging meat industry. Cold-pressed foods are also beneficial for the environment as they use much less energy in their production process. Cold-pressed foods also tend to use better quality ingredients too, helping to promote more efficient and eco-friendly farming practices.

Alternative Proteins and Sustainable Ingredients

As we’ve already mentioned, modern meat production can be terribly damaging to the environment. With this in mind, it’s of great importance that we look towards sustainable alternatives for our dogs when it comes to what they eat and chew on. Alternative treats such as the Eco-Insect Bakes from the brilliant brains at Green & Wild’s, which use insect proteins instead of traditional meat, are the perfect option for those looking to reduce the meat content of their diet whilst maintaining the protein levels. 

Another great option from Green & Wild’s is their antler chews, which are sustainably sourced from Scottish red deer when they naturally shed their antlers in the late Spring, making them an awesome sustainable and all-natural option for your dogs.