#EatLikeThePBJPack

We frequently get compliments on not only how good we look, but also how spunky and full of energy we are…even at our senior ages! We believe a major factor in both those things is due to our diet. We make our own dog food using grass-fed & free-range meats along with organic vegetables.

While our diet has remained pretty consistent over the last seven years, we are constantly learning and tweaking things to make sure we’re doing the best we can.

As a disclaimer, we are in no way saying that this is the only right way to eat, this is just the way that works for us. Over the years, we have continued to adjust and have comfortably settled into this routine. That doesn’t mean that we won’t learn more and change more, but for now, this works. (If you haven’t seen the documentary, Pet Fooled, we highly recommend it!) Not only do we love our food and meal time, but we are four healthy, little fluffies! Our blood work results always comes back right in range, and our visits to see our favorite vet, Dr. Kelly, are usually just for routine checkups, making sure everything is still on track. Whatever you choose to eat, we do believe 100% in feeding real food…appropriate for the species, of course. We eat a mixture of protein meat, organs, bones and veggies. We eat both raw and cooked meat and veggies. Do what you’re most comfortable with…as long as it’s real food, you can’t go wrong! Please Note: We never, ever eat cooked bones. Cooked bones can splinter inside the digestive system and create really bad problems. If you’re going to eat bones, make sure they are raw or dehydrated! Bones like turkey and duck feet or beef tendons are a great weekly treat. Chewing on them can help keep our teeth in excellent condition by knocking off any tarter buildup. We buy all our bones from Farm Hounds Treats (Use Code PBJ10).

While you can buy real food nuggets from a variety of companies, we prefer to make our own. We like the control of selecting our own ingredients, and also find it to be cheaper. Here’s how we do it:

Pick up organic greens and veggies from your local grocery store.

• 10 oz Starchy Greens (Sweet Potato, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Green Beans)
• 10 oz Leafy Greens (Parsley, Cilantro, Romaine Lettuce, Dandelion Greens, Collard Greens, Chard, Green Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, Beet Tops, Arugula, Kale)

DO NOT USE:

• Avocados, Nightshades (Tomatoes, Peppers), Onions or Garlic

We also suggest NOT using:

• Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage ("What Veggies are Good for Dogs")
• Carrots ("Are Carrots Good for your Dog") because they can be harder to digest, and can create bloating & gas.

Place all of these veggie ingredients in your food processor and puree. You’ll probably want to do it a few handfuls at a time.

Before you place all the ingredients in the food processor, be sure to look down. There’s probably a pup, or two, or four, who would like to help taste test. (Food making day happens every couple of weeks at our place…and it is definitely our favorite day of the week!

For your meat, we recommend, Raw Paws Pet Food. We love that their meat mixtures come with ground bone and organ, in addition to the protein. And, they have a good variety, including Goat, Beef, Lamb, Mackerel and Chicken...all grass fed, wild caught or pasture raised!

Be sure to use our discount code for 15% off your first order: PBJPACK15

Mommy always likes to mix it up, so that we’re constantly getting different protein sources…not only to provide us different nutrients, but to also give us variety in our diet.

You’ll need 2 lbs. of meat to mix with your pureed veggies. Don’t mix proteins in a given batch. It’s best to keep both pounds the same.

Combine your pureed veggies with your ground meat in a large bowl.

Hand mix together.

Scoop 1/4 cup sized portions into muffin tins.

Place muffin tins in the freezer, until nuggets are frozen.

Once frozen, take out and store the nuggets in a zip lock bag in the freezer.

We take the nuggets out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw overnight in the fridge, so that they’re ready to eat the next morning.

We recently switched Pebbles to cooked food. We were noticing that her stool was frequently loose. As our pups age, their digestive system can become sluggish, and digesting raw takes more energy. Switching Pebbles to cooked food immediately firmed up her stool, and we feel confident that she’s getting all her nutrients this way.

Because Raw Paws Pet Food contains completely ground up bone we are comfortable with cooking it for her, we have never been able to see pieces of bone that could splinter.

Each morning, before breakfast, we fill a saucepan with about a 1/4 inch of water and add Pebbles’ nuggets.

Cook on low heat until they break apart and are cooked through.

We eat 2-3 nuggets a day (FYI...we weigh between 7 & 8.5 lbs.), depending on our activity level for the day. We eat two meals a day, dividing our nuggets into half servings.

Just like it's important that the food we eat be clean and free of hormones, chemicals and toxins, we also want our vitamins and supplements to be clean and free, as well!

That's why we use these add-ins for our morning meal! We want to ensure we are as super as we can be! (Again, this is based on our weight of 7-8 1/2 pounds.)

• Dr. Dobias GreenMin Minerals - 1/4 tsp
• Dr. Dobias Soulfood Vitamins - 1/4 tsp
• Dr. Dobias GutSense Probiotic (for a healthy digestive system) - 1 Capsule (divided by 4)
• Nutrolin Omega-3 (for a healthy skin & coat, better mobility, brain function & recovery) - 1/4 tsp, 20% Discount Code - NUTROLINPBJ
• Standard Process Musculoskeletal Support (for healthy joints) - 1/8 tsp
• Apple Cider Vinegar (as a digestive aid) - 1/2 tsp

In a perfect world, real food should be enough to keep us nourished. However, the modern system of food production has led to soil and food nutrient depletion. Intensive agriculture and food transport for long distances prevent nutrients from getting back to the soil where they came from. This causes nutrient depletion in the whole supply chain.

Most conventional vitamins are synthesized from ingredients such as crude oil and coal, but not Dr. Dobias' products. All their ingredients are sourced directly from growers and produced with the most rigorous quality control. They only use all-natural, top-quality food-based ingredients!

And, their probiotic, GutSense, is a custom formula made specifically for dogs! Each probiotic strain has been specifically selected to reflect the natural microflora of dogs, NOT humans.

Nutrolin is our source for an Omega-3 rich supplement made just for dogs! They create fatty acid supplements that are combined with other nutrients for synergistic efficacy, are 100% natural and made from human grade products!

Nutrolin also takes great care in producing clean, toxic free products. All of their oils containing fish oil are made of sustainably sourced, Friend of the Sea certified, fish oils. The oil is purified and contains no mercury, dioxins, PCBs, microplastics, etc. We have an in depth blog post that goes into more details!

For our senior gal, Pebbles we also include NHV Naturals Formulated Herbal Remedies. They have a wide variety of herbal remedies to help with any condition. Use Code PBJPack for 10% Off.

Everything gets spread out on our Mine Pet Platter, squished into all the little holes, making meal time not only delicious to the tongue and tummy but also stimulating for our brains. Use Code PBJPACK for 10% Off.

Now it’s time to chow down!!

Make sure you lick your platter completely clean...don’t leave any of that precious goodness behind.

Benji is our “picky” eater. It’s not that he doesn’t like the food. He just prefers to eat on his schedule and not during set breakfast and dinner times. To encourage him to eat, when he’s not feeling it, we use Dehydrated Sprinkles from Farm Hounds Treats. He has also chosen to eat out of a stainless-steel bowl. It seems easier for him to track down all the bits of food.

Use code PBJPACK20

A lot of what we have learned about healthy eating has come from Dr. Dobias. He and his team are committed to helping us dogs live longer, healthier lives! His website is full of free information. You can either start with his Health & Longevity Healing Course, or use the search function to find exactly what you are looking for.

(Note: The links in this article are affiliate links and we make a small percentage of any sales resulting in orders from these links).