Healthy eating habits are just as important for you as they are for your dog! Except staying away from junk food is only a small aspect of the healthy eating habits you should promote with your pup.

Ensuring your dog has a consistent feeding schedule and incorporating healthy treats into her diet are important for keeping her happy and healthy (and that means less mess for you to clean up, if you know what we mean).

Maintaining your dog's digestive system health is an important part of being a pet owner and the ideas below can help keep you on track:

Consistency With Meals

Whether you feed your pup once a day and allow him to graze whenever he's hungry, or you feed your dog a designated breakfast and dinner, feeding him consistently is key.

Your dog will get used to whatever your habit of feeding him is. So if you have a routine of feeding him two meals in a day for a while and then one day feed him all of his food in the morning because you'll be gone all day can seriously mess with his digestive system.

Since he's used to eating all of his food in the morning, he'll clean the bowl, even though you gave him a double portion, and you may be left with a pup who throws up to make himself feel better. Instead of leaving your pup with the messy  alternative of vomiting, it's a lot easier to keep him on a set schedule.
Even if that means asking a friend to stop by and feed your dog! You and your pup will be happier in the end with a routine to rely on. 

Feeding Healthy Treats

As dog owners, we love to spoil our pups with treats. But some of the treats in the dog food aisle can be expensive and loaded with extra calories. Most treat packages warn that no more than 10% of your dog's diet should be comprised of treats or snacks.

For small dogs, that's only 4 treats with your average dog snack! And if you're trying to teach your pup some new tricks, you can go through that in the first 15 minutes! So instead of spending a lot of money on treats that have preservatives and artificial flavors, try a natural alternative like carrot sticks, apple slices or blueberries!

Certain raw fruits and vegetables are great to give to your pup because they're full of vitamins and minerals, and as an added bonus they're low in calories. Better yet, try the bristly treats like the Raw Rolls Pet Sushi treats! With ingredients like pumpkin and herring meat, your doggo will feel like she's getting the cream of the crop and the best part is, it's actually healthy for her! 

Eating at a Moderate Pace

Some dogs eat slowly and take their time enjoying their food, and others seem like every time they're fed that it's their last meal. They scarf down their food so fast you're left wondering if you actually fed them some days. You may think nothing of it that your dog eats his food in the blink of an eye, but it can actually be pretty dangerous.

If your dog eats too fast, the risk of choking increases exponentially. By eating too fast, they're not chewing the food and breaking it down into more manageable morsels; they're likely swallowing pieces whole, which can get lodged in their esophagus and block their airway, leading to severe problems. Another problem that comes with eating too quickly is bloat.

Bloat happens when dogs eat too fast and take in excess air while they're eating their food - this can cause the intestines or stomach to enlarge and twist within the abdomen. The dog quickly goes into shock and it can be fatal it not handles immediately.

To decrease the chances of bloat or choking, try using a bowl that has barriers that make your pup work for each piece of kibble, or try placing a ball in his food bowl - basically anything that creates a barrier between him and the food will help slow down his eating pace. 

Food Toppers to Gain Weight

If your pup is on the opposite end of the spectrum and has a hard time eating all of her food, or needs to gain some weight, food toppers are a great idea to entice her to eat more! With a variety of flavors, these add some excitement to your dog's typically "boring" dog food and can be just the ticket to get her to eat more!

Bristly carries raw freeze-dried food toppers that have the flavor and nutrients of raw meat, but without the hassle and expense of actually buying raw meat to feed to your four-legged-friend. As an added bonus, these toppers incorporate probiotics and amino acid complexes to keep her digestive system functioning properly and to keep her muscles healthy.