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Boost Your Dogs Kibble Diet
By Vannessa Rios
If you're currently feeding a kibble diet but want to enhance your dog’s meals, kibble boosters are a great way to add quality nutrients. Whether you’re feeding a puppy, active adult, or senior dog, all ages can benefit from added nutrition! Plus, it’s a way to get creative and bond with your dog in a completely different way. Don’t overthink it—most of what you need is already in your fridge!
Start by choosing a high-quality, nutrient-dense dog food. Look for high protein, low carbs, and no legumes or fillers. If possible, rotate between different proteins and brands to offer variety in ingredients and nutrient profiles. This also helps combat picky eating and allergy development. Here are some high-quality brands you can find in-store:
Since kibble has a low moisture content, soaking it for 5–10 minutes will help keep your dog hydrated and make the kibble easier to break down and digest. Warm water, coconut water, raw goat milk, and bone broth are all great options with tons of nutritional benefits. You can make your own broth or find it at your nearest Puppy Love location:
- Primal Bone Broth – Turkey, Chicken, Pork, or Beef
- Open Farm Bone Broth – Chicken & Beef or Turkey
- Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Bone Broth – Just add water and mix
- Big Country Raw Goat Milk – Available in 3 flavours with added nutrition
Adding fruits and veggies into the diet provides a variety of benefits and helps boost the immune system. Leafy greens should be lightly steamed and pureed, while starchy vegetables should be fully cooked before feeding. Try steaming broccoli, spinach, and green beans, or cooking squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Store them for later and add to meals. Fruits like berries are also great—blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, and strawberries are full of antioxidants, fibre, and hydration.
Short on time? Shop in-store for easy options:
- Primal Fresh Toppers – Power Greens, Awesome Squash, Omega Mussels
- Big Country Raw – Superfood Blend & Fruit & Veggie Blend
- Carna4 – Flora4 Ground Sprouted Seed Topper
Whether raw, cooked, freeze-dried, or dehydrated, offering different proteins, organ, and muscle meats is an excellent way to add protein-rich nutrients. Heart, liver, gizzards, and tripe are popular options found in raw, dehydrated, or freeze-dried form. Companies like Big Country Raw and Primal offer toppers, side dishes, and more. Simply thaw, portion, and serve. Introduce small amounts slowly to avoid stomach upset.
- Balto Bites Dehydrated Chicken Hearts
- Acana Freeze-Dried Morsels
- Stella & Chewy Freeze-Dried Meal Mixers & Toppers
- Big Country Raw – Frozen Beef Organ Mix, Tripe Side Dishes
Boost your dog’s bowl by adding fish or fish oil, which provides omega-3s and vitamin D. Sardines, smelts, and anchovies are great choices and are available frozen, raw, dehydrated, or air-dried. Green-lipped mussels are another fantastic natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin.
- K9 Naturals Dried Green-Lipped Mussels
- Granville Island Freeze-Dried Sardines
- Big Country Raw Frozen Smelts, Salmon Fillets, Sardines
- Thrive Herring Oil or Salmon Oil
Supplements like probiotics or digestive enzymes are also a great addition. Digestive enzymes support kibble digestion, while probiotics strengthen the gut microbiome, helping prevent leaky gut and yeast problems.
- Naturvet Advanced Probiotics & Enzymes
- Thrive Pro Gut
As a general rule, boosters shouldn’t exceed the total amount of food you’re feeding. Take your dog’s normal daily serving size, remove about 20%, and replace it with boosters. Voilà—your dog’s upgraded meal is ready!
Boosters are not only a fun way to improve nutrition, but they also keep mealtime exciting—especially for picky eaters. Get creative with what you add and how you serve it: bowls, toppers, or lick mats all work!
Stop by your closest Puppy Love location to explore the variety of options available.