How Your Can Help Your Dog Live Longer

Dog Food That Helps Dogs Live Longer?

Budget-Friendly Whole Food Nutrition Plan Gives Dogs Long and Healthy Lives

Did you know that switching your current dog food out with just 25% whole food nutrition can lead to a longer, healthier life for your dog?

That’s right! Just switching out 25% of your pooch’s current diet with healthier options makes a HUGE difference in their overall health and wellness. In this article, we’re going to break down all the reasons why you want to do just that. We’ll also go into the easiest and most cost-effective ways you can give your beloved fur babies the best nutrition.

Read that one again — mindful nutrition that makes dogs live longer without breaking the bank!

Are dogs living longer because they eat better? This method really is the best cheaper dog food option you can get while giving them all the benefits of a whole food diet.

Ready to learn about food that makes dogs live longer? Let’s do this!

The Whole Food Truth Campaign

In recent years, there has been a shift in the way we feed our four-legged friends. People are moving away from the kibble-based, highly-processed diets and toward whole food, nutrition. When we improve the quality of nutrition we feed our dogs, we decrease the incidence of disease and lengthen their lifespans.

As a vet, I love this progressive movement toward switching dog food with more nutritious options. As we continue to see the pet food industry shift from lower quality processed diets to higher quality whole dog food that helps dogs live longer, it is becoming more convenient to feed our dogs better and healthier foods and treats.

Most are concerned: higher quality ingredients can sometimes mean higher costs, which is not ideal for some dog parents.

The good news is that there’s a simple way you can feed Fido better now and give them the benefits of a whole food diet without breaking the bank. All of our furry friends deserve the gifts of good health and the chance to live longer, and we can make healthy living possible even on a budget.

Where do you start with feeding a higher quality diet?

High-quality, healthy food begins with whole food nutrition. Whole food is just as it reads — real food from its original source and unprocessed with no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or chemicals.

Green leafy vegetables or high-quality freeze-dried food are great examples of dog food that makes dogs live longer. Here, the nutrients have not been destroyed in the cooking process.

What are ways to provide better nutrition on a budget?

I am answering this question more frequently as the shift in the pet food industry continues to move toward higher quality food diets.

Higher quality ingredients can cost more, and many pooch parents are looking for ways to get the same health benefits while on a limited budget.

For example, a kibble-based diet that uses chicken byproducts, chicken meal, chicken flavoring, or cornmeal as a protein is generally going to be less costly than a whole food nutrition diet that uses fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried whole chicken breast, salmon, and spinach.

Whole food nutrition may be cost prohibitive at times, especially if you have large breed dogs. So how to keep your dog healthy and live longer?

I recommend switching out 25% of your dog’s current diet with whole food nutrition.

Does substituting just 25% really provide a healthier and longer life for dogs?

Many of the decisions I make to help improve or strengthen your dog’s health are based on science and data. Every day, I see more evidence-based data showing that whole food nutrition improves dogs’ health and lengthens their lives.

Are dogs living longer with the right food? Providing canines with whole food nutrition, with no artificial additives, preservatives, or chemicals, leads to greater health and wellness. It also reduces the cases of obesity and the occurrence of diseases (like diabetes), as well as supports longer lifespans.

In fact, according to a Purdue University Study, simply switching your dog food with just 25% real food, like high-quality freeze-dried food or leafy greens, may decrease the risk of cancer by up to 90%.

A similar research conducted by Belgium scientists, titled “Relation Between the Domestic Dogs: Well-Being and Life Expectancy, A Statistical Essay,” revealed that dogs who had a high-quality, homemade diet (not table scraps or industrial, commercial pet food) extended their life expectancy by 32 months.

So how does substituting 25% whole food nutrition work?

  1. 75% Kibble + 25% Side By Side Free Dried Patties
  2. 75% Kibble + 25% Home-Cooked Food* + Side By Side Freeze Dried Patties
  3. 75% Kibble + 25% Home-Cooked Food* (chicken breast, spinach, carrot, salmon)

*Always speak with your veterinarian regarding the home-cooked food you select for your dog. There are some foods that are toxic. Your veterinarian is always the best resource for this information.

Sign Up for the Whole Food Challenge!

Want to know what you can do to make dogs live longer?

I am on a mission, spearheaded by Side By Side Pet Food, to help dogs live longer through better feeding choices. While high-quality, whole food nutrition is the ultimate best food for your fur babies, we know that a full transition is not always feasible.

You can help your dog live longer by replacing just 25% of their diet with real and whole foods. Your pooch will experience incredible health benefits, including lower blood sugar, more energy, healthier poop, a shinier coat, and better overall health.

We challenge you to take the Whole Food Truth Challenge for the next 30 days! Simply replace 25% of your dog’s current diet with real ingredients, like kale, apples, spinach, and carrots, or supplement with high-quality freeze-dried food, like Side By Side Pet Food. In 30 days, we’re confident that you’ll see huge, positive changes in your furbaby’s overall health and well-being.

Take the Pledge HERE.

Final Thoughts on Switching Dog Food

By being your dog’s advocate, you choose a healthier life for them.

Our dogs rely on us to make the right choices for them. Just like humans, good health starts on the inside, and food is only good if the body can absorb the nutrients. That said, let’s stop filling their bellies with highly processed food that contains additives, preservatives, and chemicals.

To help our furry friends live longer, we should do better.

Providing the best food to our dogs is one of the most important choices we can make for them. It is one of the many reasons I am honored to partner with Side By Side Pet — to provide the healthiest and longest life possible for our furry friends.

Side By Side Pet sources the highest quality ingredients and prepares the food at the lowest temperature for the shortest possible time, thus maintaining all the nutrients within the food source. This cooking process preserves vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients inherently found in whole natural foods.

I truly believe in this brand. They go above and beyond to ensure the best and highest quality food for our furry friends. They do this while also abiding by all safety, preparation, and ethical federal guidelines.

How do you help your dog live longer? Simply care about what they eat. Your dog will thank you for providing them with a premium quality, whole ingredient diet. Expect many years of unfaltering devotion, love, and health.

Want to know more about dog food that helps dogs live longer? Check out the pet assessment tool to better understand your dog’s needs.



Dr. Alison Birken

Dr. Alison Birken is a small animal veterinarian in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. She owns Victoria Animal Hospital, is the co-founder of Forever Freckled, wife to her amazing husband Rob, mom to her 3 greatest accomplishments Luke, Leah & Hayden and dog mom to her Saint Bernard Dory

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