A dog accumulates waste products in its body when it can't process them. These can be residues from deworming, vaccinations, antibiotic treatments, etc. But also certain substances in food that don't belong in dog food, such as fragrances, colors, flavors, preservatives, wheat, and other fillers that are sometimes useful for kibble production, but not for the dog.

Healthy Dog pressed kibble doesn't contain these substances and therefore puts less strain on the liver. This allows the liver to "cleanse": a process known as detoxification. In some cases, this can temporarily worsen any existing symptoms. This is because the body removes the foreign substances. So, this is actually a positive development. Your dog may initially shed more or have temporarily larger or thinner stools. This is temporary, can last for some time, and is not serious. The released waste products are processed by the kidneys, so your dog may drink more than usual. After this process, your dog's digestion will be healthier and stronger. Your dog will have better immunity, a healthy coat, and compact stools.

This is a very difficult question to answer. Every dog ​​reacts differently, and the speed at which a problem is resolved depends on several factors.

Of course, the dog's general health is crucial. But age, how long the problem has been present, its severity, and how the transition was made also play a role. Our advice assumes that all medical causes have been ruled out and the problem is therefore purely diet-related. Roughly speaking, the gut flora needs at least three weeks to adjust to a different food. We then always count at least one month for every year a problem has existed. For example, a dog with skin problems for eighteen months: after three weeks plus one and a half months, the problem is usually largely resolved. Naturally, you'll already see a difference in the intervening period.

It is important that the transition takes place as we advise and that there are no deviations in food and/or snacks during this period.

There are always at least two ways to address a problem. We distinguish between a holistic approach and a conventional approach. With a conventional approach, a (veterinarian) examines the problem itself and often works by addressing the symptoms. With a holistic approach, we look at the problem and find its cause, working on the cause, not just the symptoms. This approach often takes a bit longer but is usually more sustainable in the long run. Of course, one often cannot exist without the other. We also always recommend monitoring your dog's health. We are happy to help you make the transition and guide your dog towards a healthier lifestyle. If in doubt, always consult a veterinarian.

First, it's important to ensure the dog doesn't have a medical cause for being overweight. Obesity is a common problem in dogs these days and can cause many (health) issues.

There are several reasons why many dogs are overweight. Lack of exercise is, of course, a major cause. Increasing your exercise intake should be done gradually! In addition, many dogs eat the well-known foods on the market that are heated to high temperatures, known as "extruded food" (when it floats in a glass of water). This food is heated from around 130°C to 140°C. This can create substances that put an extra strain on the body. The ingredients are heated so intensely that many (essential) nutrients are lost. If a food contains few easily absorbable substances, you can imagine that the dog has to eat a lot of it to get the right nutritional value. The dog stores the "non-absorbable substances" in the body and gains weight. When the dog is fed the right healthy food, it needs much less to get the same nutritional value. Moreover, a healthy, natural food like Healthy Dog doesn't contain any fiber that the dog would unnecessarily store in its body. Well-known "light" foods often lead to even more weight gain in the long run, because they contain a lot of fiber, which "fills" the stomach. The stomach adapts slowly and thus becomes increasingly larger! The dog therefore becomes increasingly hungry! This is therefore not recommended! Healthy Dog recommends temporarily feeding less of the amount your dog should be eating. (Note: lose weight slowly!) You can divide the food into several meals a day so your dog doesn't feel hungry too quickly. Because Healthy Dog breaks down low in the stomach, your dog also feels full more quickly, which also addresses "emotional hunger"! It's also important to keep an eye on the snacks and training treats! If your dog is significantly overweight, we recommend working with your veterinarian to help you lose weight! Of course, more exercise always helps.

First, it's important to ensure the dog doesn't have a medical cause for its weight loss (think deworming and dental problems!). You also need to rule out stress as a cause. Dogs under (a lot of) stress often eat poorly.

When a dog needs to gain weight, it needs to consume more energy than it needs. If you want your dog to gain weight, for example, after recovering from illness or surgery, it's important to feed it a diet with a high energy content.

The Healthy Dog Sport variant contains the same ingredients as Healthy Dog Regular, with the added benefit of higher fat and protein content. Due to the higher fat and protein content and the easy, readily absorbable nature of the pressed food, the dog can more easily absorb and store more nutrients without having to eat much more. Healthy Dog Sport can also be used (temporarily) for pregnant or lactating bitches and/or dogs that are reluctant to eat. The higher fat percentage makes it even more readily accepted! We recommend not increasing the feeding too quickly and dividing it over several meals to ensure consistent protein intake.

Itching is even worse than pain! First, we must rule out external factors for the itching and/or skin problems. So, we must first rule out parasites and the like! When was your dog last checked for ticks and fleas? When did you last use flea treatment? If your dog suddenly has itching and/or skin problems, consider carefully whether you've recently changed anything in their food or treats. Or, for example, changed the detergent you used to wash your clothes or your dog's. If it's none of these, there's a good chance the skin problems and/or itching are food-related.

A dog accumulates waste products in its body when it can't process them. A healthy dog ​​can handle quite a lot. However, if the dog is sensitive or the proverbial "bucket full" from overexertion, this can cause problems. This can be caused by residues from deworming, vaccinations, antibiotic treatments, etc. But also certain substances in food that don't belong in dog food, such as fragrances, colors, flavors, preservatives, wheat, and other fillers that are sometimes useful for kibble production but not for the dog. Itching and/or skin problems are usually caused by preservatives. Preservatives present in food and/or treats that are eaten by the dog often cannot be excreted by the dog.
These are stored in the skin. The skin becomes irritated, and the dog often scratches. This further irritates the skin. Sometimes the skin even breaks open, and the cycle is complete. So we need to break the cycle. Feeding Healthy Dog makes this possible.

The two Probiotics and Wild Menu variants are particularly suitable for sensitive dogs. Healthy Dog Probiotics contains live microorganisms that help boost immunity and strengthen gastrointestinal flora. These probiotics are also found in the Wild Menu variant. This variant is also very suitable as an elimination diet, because practically all the ingredients in this variant have never been eaten by the dog. This allows you to give your dog a "fresh start," so to speak.

Healthy Dog pressed kibble doesn't contain these substances and therefore puts less strain on the liver. This allows the liver to "cleanse": a process known as detoxification. In some cases, this can temporarily worsen any existing symptoms. This is because the body is removing the foreign substances. So, this is actually a positive development. Your dog may initially shed more and/or experience itching, or have temporarily larger or thinner stools. This is temporary, can last for a while, and is not serious. The released waste products are processed by the kidneys, so your dog may drink more than usual. After this process, your dog's digestion will be healthier and stronger. Your dog will have better immunity, a healthy coat, and compact stools. Hopefully, your dog will feel "well again" soon!

First of all, it is important to make sure that your dog does not have a medical cause for his or her diarrhea.

Diarrhea is actually a sign that something's wrong with the intestines. The dog isn't digesting its food properly. Diarrhea or loose stools have a very negative impact (in the long term) on the dog's overall health. Besides potential dehydration, many important nutrients cannot be absorbed (or not absorbed properly), causing an imbalance. When the bacteria in the intestinal flora are out of balance, this is called dysbiosis.

Dysbacteriosis (also known as dysbiosis) is a term used to describe an imbalance in the bacterial flora of humans or animals. This flora is normally present in the large intestine of most animals and humans, and in the forestomachs of ruminants. It consists of various "beneficial" bacteria, which therefore do not cause illness in the host (human or animal). Dysbacteriosis involves a disruption in the number or type of microorganisms, with the potential to cause illness in the host. Causes of dysbacteriosis include antibiotics that have also killed the beneficial bacteria, a change in diet, or a diet unsuitable for the animal, which allows pathogenic bacteria to grow more rapidly. Dysbacteriosis is often the main cause of loose stools/diarrhea and/or sensitive intestines.

Sometimes probiotics or prebiotics are used to restore balance. Healthy Dog dog food contains prebiotics in the form of inulin in all its varieties. The Probiotics variety also includes added probiotics. These are living, natural microorganisms (natural bacteria) that promote intestinal flora and immunity.

From the stomach onward, the food pulp remains a thin, moist substance. Only at the end is the moisture absorbed from the food pulp, becoming the (firm and compact) stool we know. If the intestines (for whatever reason) don't have the chance to absorb this moisture, the food pulp remains wet and thin, and we call it diarrhea. This is usually the reason why beet pulp is used in many foods! Besides its sweet flavor, beet pulp is especially known for its enormous absorption capacity! So, if the food isn't easily absorbed/digestible for the dog and the food pulp remains too moist, it is nicely absorbed by the beet pulp. In our opinion, this is an ingredient that absolutely shouldn't be necessary in dog food!

A pressed natural food like Healthy Dog ensures that the food is easily absorbed by the dog and prevents waste buildup, meaning less food is needed for proper absorption. This also results in less waste after digestion (the stool), and the dog gets nice, firm stools. If you want to switch because your dog suffers from frequent and/or loose stools, you should consider the "cleansing effect." This can temporarily worsen the situation, so your dog will then have better, firmer stools that are significantly less frequent.

See also the question "Why do my dog's symptoms sometimes get worse before they get better?" and the question "My dog ​​has a lot of stool. Why is this?".

Simply put, feces is "the food that hasn't been absorbed and/or digested by the body." More simply put: everything that goes in beforehand and isn't absorbed comes out afterward. Large amounts of feces are therefore a sign that the dog hasn't been able to absorb much of the food, or that there were too many fibers in the food that the dog can't use. When food is heated to very high temperatures (most extruded foods heat to around 130/140 degrees Celsius), most of the natural ingredients are destroyed and must be synthetically added back to make the diet complete again. Synthetic (additives) are much more difficult for a dog to digest than natural ingredients. Furthermore, many foods frequently use artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives. These are substances that are certainly not suitable for dogs, but only serve to enhance the kibble's appearance and/or extend its shelf life. You can imagine that these are substances the body wants to "expel." Or it often accumulates in the body where it can often cause skin problems (see “My dog ​​has skin problems”).

We feed our dogs increasingly sterile food (due to the high temperatures used during extrusion), which causes the intestinal flora to become "poor"/sterile. A dog's body is naturally adapted (think of the wolf) to digest carcasses from which maggots crawl. When we feed extruded kibble (see the water test explanation on our website: if kibble floats in a glass of water, it is extruded), the stomach struggles to digest it quickly and easily. As a result, the food pulp that arrives in the intestines is not yet properly digested or has not yet absorbed enough nutrients. A dog's intestines are designed only to absorb nutrients for themselves and to reabsorb the moisture from the food pulp, not to actually absorb many nutrients for the rest of the body. The intestines are startled awake and suddenly have to work hard, causing it to become too much for them and a lot of food passes through the intestines (lots of feces) and/or not enough fluid can be reabsorbed in time (diarrhea).

Dogs are often advised to eat a "light" diet, which, in our view, worsens the problem because the intestinal flora becomes increasingly sterile and "lazy." The problem is (usually temporarily) resolved, but the underlying cause remains.
Healthy Dog dog food is cold-pressed, making it easier for dogs to absorb. Because Healthy Dog doesn't use high temperatures, all the natural ingredients are still present, so we don't need to add them back synthetically. This means most nutrients have already been absorbed by the body before the food pulp reaches the large intestine. The large intestine only needs to absorb the nutrients and can easily absorb the moisture from the food. (NOTE: There are some foods on the market that still use beet pulp in their food. Beet pulp is traditionally known for its excellent absorption properties. This is a nutritional component that is completely unsuitable for dogs; it only produces nice, compact stools. This gives the impression that the dog has good, firm stools (and therefore, we assume, well-digested stools), because beet pulp absorbs all the moisture! Just put a handful of beet pulp in water: it's shocking!)
Simply put: "When more nutrients can be absorbed from food, less remains. When less remains, there is also less stool."

See also question “My dog ​​has diarrhea”.

A bad breath odor from your dog could be caused by plaque, irritated gums, or gingivitis. Bad breath can also be caused by kidney problems, for example. Incorrect gut flora can also produce gases that can cause an unpleasant odor. Foods that support healthy gut flora help prevent these problems.

By feeding good dry kibble, you help prevent plaque and gum problems. Did you know, by the way, that inflamed gums can lead to heart problems? Bacteria can enter the bloodstream through the inflammation in the mouth and then travel to the heart. Once there, the bacteria can damage the heart valves.

Teeth can be cleaned by the vet. And there's a lot you can do yourself to keep them clean. Brushing is helpful; various tools are available at pet stores.

See also question “Dental problems”.

My dog ​​has dental problems. What can I do?

You can solve/prevent various dental problems yourself, or at least help solve them.

Problems like misaligned teeth and the like are a matter for a veterinarian or specialist. However, there are several common problems we can help prevent and/or address!

Dental problems can be recognized by swollen gums, often red in color. Inflamed gums bleed more easily and often give off a foul odor. Some dogs drool (more). The dog finds hard food painful and chews differently, even though they are hungry. The cause of most dental problems is plaque. Plaque consists of bacterial residue, food particles, and saliva. Plaque forms primarily at the junction between the tooth and the gums. When plaque remains present for a long time, it can cause the dreaded tartar. Plaque and tartar often create a breeding ground for bacteria, and these bacteria often cause gum disease. (Did you know, by the way, that inflamed gums can lead to heart problems? The bacteria can enter the bloodstream via the inflammation in the mouth and then travel to the heart. Once there, the bacteria can damage the heart valves.)

Inflamed gums gradually recede, exposing the tooth root more and more. This can even cause teeth to become loose later on. Teeth can be cleaned by the vet, but (less invasively) you can also do a lot yourself to keep them clean! Brushing is effective; various tools are available at your pet store.

See also question “My dog's breath stinks”.