Today is the second-to-last part of my mini-series on superfoods you can add to your dog’s food today, whether you feed kibble, canned, cooked, raw, or a combination.  Each food I write about has unique properties that can contribute to better health and a longer life.

But first, although all the foods I describe are suitable for dogs in general, every dog is an individual – not every dog can tolerate additional additions to the diet. My advice is to be extra careful if the dog has known allergies (consulting with your veterinarian is always a good idea) and introduce new foods slowly and in small amounts. Take note of what, how much, and when you give new things so that possible side effects can be interpreted correctly.

Superfood: sprouts

Sprouts are young plants that grow from seeds. They contain an abundance of nutrients. The sprouting process creates a higher concentration of nutrients and higher levels of antioxidants and anti-cancer substances than mature plants. Broccoli sprouts, in particular, contain a much higher sulforaphane content than the mature plant and are especially suitable for dogs.

The high concentrations of beneficial nutrients help improve cell metabolism and generate more energy. The sprouting process also increases digestibility, making the nutrients more accessible to the body.

In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, foods at the beginning of life, such as germs, are seen as strongly supporting Kidney Qi. Also, from that perspective, adding sprouts to the menu is a powerful positive influence.

You can often buy ready-to-eat sprouted sprouts in many supermarkets. You can basically give them raw; the cell walls are so thin and fine in these young vegetables that even dogs can digest them well. You can also toss them with boiling water. Always wash/wash them well before use, though, precisely because they are eaten raw.

Much more fun is to sprout seeds yourself, which is very easy. There is a lot of information online on how to do that. They only take a few days to ripen, and you can watch them grow daily.

And take some yourself while you’re at it! All the health benefits described here for dogs also apply to us!

The next and final part of this mini-series will be about foods for humans that we should NOT give to our dogs. Stay tuned!