9 Food Toppers That Will Make Your Dog Actually Want to Eat Dinner
If your dog suffers from mealtime boredom, spice up their food bowl with one of these tasty toppers.
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A homemade vinaigrette on your salad, a sprinkle of pecorino on perfectly al dente pasta — these finishing touches elevate the human experience of eating. Just like us, our dogs appreciate tasty add-ons that take a meal to the next level. This is especially true for dogs who have lost interest in eating, whether due to illness, ageopens in a new tab, boredomopens in a new tab, or simply because they are picky eatersopens in a new tab. By adding toppers to your dog's food, you can not only brighten your dog’s day with fragrant, fresh tastes but also slip in some supplemental nutrition in the process.
If you’re thinking, Wait! Dogs have only about one-sixth the number of taste buds we do. Why bother dishing up anything out of the ordinary? Know this: When it comes to smell, dogs have 125 million sensory cells to our 5 to 10 million; they can smell each and every ingredient. And research has shown that they are able to distinguish at least four flavor profiles: sweet, sour, and salty — which they tend to like — and bitter, which they do not.
Ready to spice up your dog’s next meal? The good news is you don’t need to go further than your own pantry or your next grocery trip to find healthy ways to liven up an otherwise completely boring dinner for your dog. Check out the ideas below for easy, on-the-go toppers and delicious, homemade options. Just like picky toddlers, every dog is different and could have an allergy to something new, so it’s best to clear any dietary changes with your vet before going ahead.
Best Food Toppers For Dogs
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On-the-Go Dog Food Toppers
Some people foods make great dog food toppers. Take the “rainbow approach,” adding good-for-dogs fruits and veggies in all of nature’s colors. Here are some good options:
Blueberries
Canned pure pumpkinopens in a new tab
Canned sardines or mackerelopens in a new tab
Crumbled bacon or turkey bacon
Hard-boiled eggsopens in a new tab (a little of the shell is good for dogs)
Ground beef, chickenopens in a new tab, turkey, or lamb
Ground-up liver treats
Nori
Spirulina
Looking for an even easier dog food topper? Drizzle on some oil. Fish oil is among the most beneficial additives to the canine diet: It is excellent for the treatment of canine allergiesopens in a new tab, as well as arthritisopens in a new tab and high cholesterol. One convention for calculating the amount of fish oil to include in your dog’s diet is to multiply your dog’s weight (in pounds) by 20. For a 60-pound dog, for example, the daily target dose is 1,200 mg.
Another great dog food topper is flax seed oil, which is credited with healing, strengthening bones, and maintaining a dog’s energy. Flax seed and olive oil are both great sources of antioxidants, and they are key for maintaining canine cardiovascular healthopens in a new tab.
Homemade Dog Food Toppers
Dogs love organ meat, so ask your local butcher or farmers’ market vendors if they offer pre-packaged organ meat, such as heart, liver, and kidney meat. Cut the meat into tiny bites and scatter a few on top of your dog’s meal; the meat can be either raw or lightly braised. Here are some other low-prep topping ideas:
Grated carrotsopens in a new tab
Sautéed zucchini
Frozen veggiesopens in a new tab, steamed and diced
Grated low-sodium cheeses
Low sodium veggie, chicken, or turkey stock (Tip: Freeze your stock in an ice-cube tray and defrost a cube daily.)
One more home-cooking approach: Buy a medley of vegetables in bulk and oven-roast as many as your dog might eat in four to five days; then store them in the refrigerator and add them at mealtime. It’s a healthy “fast food” your dog will love. Scroll on for a food topper recipe.
A Quick Note About Calories
Remember that the addition of toppers to your dogs’ food requires that you reduce the amount of kibble or other food you offer them along with it. General guidelines may not result in the best regimen for your particular dog, so check the appropriate caloric intake by consulting with your veterinarian before making significant dietary changes.
When it comes to the kinds of homemade dog-food toppers you can offer your dog, the world is your oyster (which dogs especially love, smoked, preferably). Use these ideas as inspiration, and remember that each dog is different, so if one recipe doesn’t pique their interest, try a new one.
Elizabeth Kennedy
Elizabeth Kennedy is a freelance writer and editor in the San Francisco Bay Area.