NUTRITION, FOOD & INGREDIENTS

We all want the best for our dogs, and the treats we give them are no exception. But with so many products available, how do you choose which ones are the best? In this blog, we'll explore what goes into a 'good' dog treat and how to select the right treat for your dog, along with some favourite picks from our range!

Choosing a treat for your four-legged friend is an important decision, one that can be made harder by the huge selection available to choose from nowadays. The right treat can go a long way in providing positive reinforcement for behaviour, such as training tricks and obedience, to supporting your dog's health by promoting a balanced diet.

When selecting a natural treat for your dog, it's important to always consider your dog's specific needs, whether that's allergy-friendly options, texture preferences or favourite flavours.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the key features to look for when shopping for snacks for your dog, and why they matter for your pet's overall health.

Many of us love creating nutritious, wholesome food at home — and our dogs can enjoy the same care and attention through homemade treats. Calming recipes made with natural, herbal ingredients not only provide something delicious and nourishing, but can also help support anxious dogs who struggle to relax, especially during busy or noisy times like firework season. We’re delighted to share this recipe from Hedgerow Hounds for homemade calming treats using their Tranquil Blend — perfect for offering your dog a little extra comfort, naturally.

Make your own calming treats for when your dog needs a little more emotional support, perfect for a bedtime nibble.

You will need:

• 2 Level tablespoons of Hedgerow Hounds Tranquil blend or 2 chamomile teabags
• 250g Flour of choice and a little extra for dusting
• 125g Gluten free porridge oats
• 1 cup of Oat, Coconut or Goats milk
• 1 beaten egg (free range)
• 1 level teaspoon of Chia seeds
• Optional 1 level teaspoon of Almond nut butter (must be xylitol and palm

Many dogs experience digestive problems — from gassiness and loose stools to itching, bad breath, or inconsistent appetite. Often, the root cause isn’t the food itself, but how well your dog is digesting it. That’s where digestive enzymes can help.

Digestive enzymes are a simple, powerful way to support your dog’s gut health, and can make all the difference for some dogs.

What Are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are proteins that help break down food so the body can absorb nutrients properly. There are several key types:

• Protease – breaks down proteins into amino acids 
  
  
• Amylase – breaks down carbohydrates into sugars
  
  
• Lipase – breaks down fats into fatty acids
  
  
• Cellulase – helps break down plant fibres
  
  
• Invertase – breaks down sugars
  
  
• Ox bile – not technically an enzyme, but aids fat digestion by emulsifying fats so lipase can work more effectively
  

Note: You may also see 'pancreatin' referred to as a digestive enzyme — this is just the combination of lipase, amylase and protease

You may think that slow-feeder bowls are just for dogs who scoff — the type who bolt their meal down in 5 seconds flat (and are usually ready for a second round straight after!). However, all dogs, including those who may not seem food-motivated, can benefit hugely from interactive feeding methods. In this blog we'll look at the benefits of enrichment, the science behind why it works, and some easy ways to build it into your dog's daily routine.

If your dog's mealtime routine consists of a traditional bowl of food, fed in the same way everyday, you're missing out on a golden opportunity for fun, mental stimulation and even health benefits. In recent years, many pet parents have ditched the bowl in favour of interactive, enrichment-based feeding methods, and for good reason! 

What is Enrichment Feeding?

Enrichment feeding is all about offering food in ways that encourage your dog to engage their brain and natural instincts. Instead of simply being handed their dinner in a bowl, dogs

Calendula possesses anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and is probably best known for its soothing and healing properties on all types of minor wounds - cuts, scrapes and abrasions and skin irritations. Read more about the many benefits of calendula for dogs.... 

Calendula officinalis to give it is Latin name is a safe and gentle plant with many uses. The word "officinalis" is often the second part of a plant's botanical name and us used to describe plants and herbs that are used in herbalism.

It is hard to look at a calendula flower without it lifting your spirits, with its beautiful rich orange and yellow coloured flowers and long elegant petals. Calendula is a valuable plant to include in the herb garden as well as giving a welcome splash of colour. It is a member of the sunflower family and is also known as pot marigold. Not only is this plant very pretty but it comes with many uses forming part of many first aid kits. Calendula is traditionally used for skin

A quick internet search for ‘can my dog eat garlic?’ can send you down a rabbit hole of conflicting information. There seems to be a general consensus that garlic is toxic to dogs and shouldn’t be consumed under any circumstances. But is that really the case?

Garlic, or Allium sativum, is a vegetable that has been used to both flavour food and cure ailments (human and animal) across various cultures for centuries. As part of the Allium family, garlic is related to onions, chives leeks and shallots – this is where much of the confusion regarding its toxicity stems from. Garlic is high in inulin, amino acids, sulphur, zinc, potassium and phosphorus. It also contains vitamins A, C and B-complex, calcium, magnesium, manganese, selenium and germanium. Perhaps most importantly, garlic also contains bioactive Allicin and Ajoene.

Without getting too deep into the science behind it all, alliin (a noted sulfoxide) combines with alliinase (an enzyme) when garlic is chopped, crushed, minced or chewed.

Why not consider mushroom supplements for your pet. Their health-supporting properties, with  their ability to support the immune system as well as antioxidant properties

For thousands of years mushrooms have been valued by many cultures around the world, especially in the Far East, for their therapeutic as well as nutritional properties and increasing evidence is confirming their benefits for animals as well as humans.

In addition to immune-supporting beta-glucans and related polysaccharides, which help support a healthy immune response. Mushrooms are also rich sources of anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compounds. 

At Healthful Pets we sell a number of mushroom products for cats and dogs, with health-supporting properties:

Mushrooms 4 Pets

Mushrooms 4 Pets specialise in supporting the health of small animals and are dedicated to bringing you the finest mushroom nutrition supplements. They use carefully selected mushrooms from leading growers from around the world and are formulated according

Boil and Broth are a British bone broth manufacturer and producer of fermented drinks including water kefir juice and apple cider vinegar. Bone Broth is a fantasic way to incorporate a variey of rich nutrients to your dogs diet to help improve their over all health. In this blog, we'll explore the many advantages of bone broth for dogs and why it's become a popular addition to their diets.

Rachel Down founded Boil and Broth back in 2018 and they are the only UK Bone Broth Manufacturer to hold a dual license to sell Bone Broth for both human and pet consumption. Rachel started the business from one slow cooker in her house making bone broth and kefir water for friends and family. 

Bone broth is simply amazing for gut healing and can help people support their digestive function. After seeing similar challenges within the pet industry, Rachel decided to go for a pet food license so she could sell broth to dogs and cats. Bone broth is simply amazing for dogs, and cats - it is a nutrient-rich

How to help a fussy eater

There are times when your dog may be off their normal food, which of course can be of great concern. There can be a number of reasons to explain why your dog has changed its eating habits. All too often we assume this must be because they are feeling unwell, but this isn't always the case, as this could be for a number of reasons. It is important to find out what is behind the change in food preferences and hopefylly this blog will give you some informationto you need. 

When your dog is off its food, there may be other reasons, other than not finding their food appealing. There could be underlying health reasons.

So what could be the reasons your dog is avoiding eating?

1. Are there any underlying health issues? These could include: 

• Teeth Discomfort - could there be an issue in the mouth, such as tooth decay, gum disease or similar issues? If your dog is fed kibble, which is hard then dental issues may be making it harder (and painful) for your dog to eat. This

Here at Adored Beast, we talk a lot about how we can provide our animals with the healthiest diet possible. A healthy diet is paramount for overall health, as it not only provides our animals with various energy sources and nutrients, it also gives the body the tools it needs to stay healthy and the immune system the power to keep the body strong.

But one of the things that pet parents sometimes forget about is rotational feeding for dogs. It’s easy to create a healthy diet and feed that diet – but you also want to make sure that diet provides variety – and lots of it.

Creating a healthy diet (meaning both food and supplements) should always include rotation.  Why? Let’s explore…

The Benefits of Rotational Feeding for Dogs

Rotational feeding for dogs is just what it sounds like – rotating different foods over time.

After all, who wants to eat the same food over and over again? I sure don’t, and I don’t think my dogs do either. This alone is an important reason to rotate. But there are