Some of the best dog foods in Australia contain chia seeds because they’re rich in antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, soluble fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
Eureka and Lyka are two such foods, and it’s ingredients like chia seeds which show how much consideration has gone into the formulas.
Chia seeds are one of the easiest and most nutritious superfoods we can give to our dogs, whether we feed raw, kibble, BARF, or homemade food.
In this article we’ll find out why, so read on:
Chia seeds are a superfood!
Chia seeds may be tiny, but they’re tiny powerhouses.
It’s surprising how good they are for our dogs, with benefits including skin and coat health, better digestion, and a boost to vitality and immune defence. Our dogs thrive on protein, which although should be mostly from animal sources, the protein in chia seeds is simply a bonus.
Given the many ingredients in dog foods which are far from “super”, a few chia seeds can go a long way.
There are many superfoods we can feed our dogs, and chia seeds happen to be one of the best.
Are chia seeds safe to feed your dog whole, or should they be ground?
Chia seeds are very easy to digest and can be fed whole. They’re also relatively tasteless, which means you can sprinkle a few on your dog’s wet food, raw food, or BARF, and your dog will happily lap them up.
How easy is that?
I love convenience, but I realise some love to conjure up wonderful treats for their dogs. If that’s you, it’s easy to whip up chia pudding with around 1/4 cup of chia seeds to 1 cup of water and stick it in the fridge. It’s best if you give it a good whisking, and don’t forget to enjoy some yourself.
Why not add in some blueberries, plain yoghurt, kefir, or turmeric?
In summer you can even freeze chia pudding into nutritious dog-friendly icy poles!
The five key benefits of chia seeds for dogs:
Let’s take a look into the five key benefits of chia seeds for your dog:
Protein
Protein is king when it comes to your dog’s health.
If you’re feeding your dog right they should already be getting a good amount of quality animal-based protein, and the extra protein in chia seeds will simply boost the benefits.
Protein is vital for your dog’s health. It will support growth in your puppy, build muscle for your adult dog, or help your senior dog retain muscle mass. It’s not just that, as protein will support your dog’s health in it’s entirety.
High quality protein is essential for the health of your dog, and sadly something which lacks in many brands of commercial dog food.
Chia seeds are such an easy way of boosting the protein in your dog’s diet.
Antioxidants
If I were to explain how flavanoids and polyphenols in chia seeds help neutralise harmful free radicals which damage cells and aid prevention of chronic diseases you would see that as a benefit, even if you don’t know the whys and hows.
In short, antioxidants will help your dog be the healthiest version of themselves.
Many people these days have chia seeds in their diet in the hope it will keep them healthy for many years to come, warding off the symptoms of ageing, and stopping them getting sick.
We want that for our dogs too, right?
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Have you seen the price of joint support and heart health supplements for dogs?
They’re not cheap, are they?
Take a look at the ingredients of those supplements and you’ll find omega 3 in many of them, or green lipped mussel or other alternatives. The reason – omega 3 is a wonderful fatty acid for our dogs.
Chia seeds are full of omega 3, believed to be around 3 times that of salmon and other oily fish.
The benefits of adding omega 3 to your dog’s diet are numerous – it will lubricate joints and ward off arthritis, boost the immune system, relieve pain by reducing inflammation, and give your dog a shiny, glossy coat – something to make other dog owners envious.
Fibre
Chia seeds contains soluble fibre (digestible fibre) which will help your dog digest food better and support gastrointestinal health.
Earlier this year I did a stint on the carnivore diet, and one of my clearest observations was the need to add soluble fibre to my diet. I won’t go into too much detail, but it’s worth considering the importance of some fibre in your dog’s diet.
If you feed raw, adding chia seeds should really help your dog have 5 star poos. And if you feed kibble, chia seeds can help your dog digest the decent parts of the food more efficiently, and slow down the absorption of carbohydrates to better regulate blood sugar levels – take note of this if your dog is diabetic.
The soluble fibre in chia seeds will absorb water in your dog’s digestive system, becoming gel-like and easier to pass. If your dog suffers constipation then chia seeds should help, particularly combined with a decent clean water intake and good diet.
Vitamins & Minerals
Did you know most vitamins and minerals in pet food are dusted on post-extrusion (the process of cooking dog food into those little hard brown nuggets)?
The reason this is done is the cooking process would otherwise destroy the benefits, and the solution is to use a vitamin & mineral premix (sometimes of dubious quality, sourced from cheaper manufacturers overseas).
Adding vitamins and minerals from real food, in a natural form, is something you should consider a great idea, because it is.
Do you want to know how the vitamins and minerals in chia seeds can benefit your dog?
Chia seeds are particularly rich in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin E. These are essential for maintaining strong bones, teeth, and muscles. Vitamin E helps protect damage from free radicals, which offers your dog further protection against illness.
In addition, chia seeds have significant amounts of zinc, a trace mineral which surged in demand during the pandemic because of how much it boosts the immune system.
So, should you feed your dog chia seeds?
Are you convinced about the benefits of chia seeds for your dog yet?
I’m sure you are!
Chia seeds are not only packed with nutritional benefits to support your dog’s health, wellbeing, and vitality, but they’re also one of the simplest real foods we can use to supplement our dog’s diet.
You can buy chia seeds anywhere these days – supermarkets, health food stores, and many online retailers.
You will find many of the dog foods on the best rated list contain not only chia seeds, but other highly beneficial superfoods which should greatly boost your dog’s health. So check those out too!
