Nutrition
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Turmeric is a golden yellow spice that’s big in health and wellness due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
What you might not know is that the natural benefits of turmeric also apply to your dog!
So, read on to explore how to harness its powers as a natural supplement, safely add it to your dog’s diet, and want to delve further into its health benefits.
Turmeric is a bright yellow-coloured aromatic spice, most commonly used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
It comes from the root of the turmeric plant, a tropical plant native to South Asia that actually belongs in the ginger family.
You may have seen it in a dried powder form alongside the spices and herbs in your local supermarket, or even as a small, gnarly root in health food shops or greengrocers.
In recent years, turmeric has become popular not just as a spice but also as a health food.
Many add turmeric to smoothies, scrambled eggs, their daily coffee, in order to reap its many health benefits.
Turmeric’s popularity in health and wellness is mainly due to its anti-inflammatory effects.
Studies have shown these properties can benefit dogs as well as humans. In fact, there’s a host of health benefits to turmeric that make it a super supplement for dogs. Here is a full list of ways turmeric can benefit your pooch.
Turmeric’s superpowers are down to its active compound, Curcumin, and this is what has natural anti-inflammatory properties.
Curcumin can:
Turmeric’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects can help soothe irritated skin, reduce itchiness, and support healing from minor wounds.
Over time, in combination with a well-balanced diet, it could also help your dog to have a shinier, healthier coat.
There is some evidence that turmeric has the potential to reduce the risk of cancer by slowing the growth of cancer cells, as well as inhibiting the side effects of aggressive cancer treatments such as chemotherapy.
While it’s not a cure or prevention for cancer, it could play a role as a natural aid in a treatment plan.
Chat to your vet about this for more details specific to your pooch.
The curcumin in turmeric can inadvertently help your dog to digest food, as it stimulates the liver to produce more bile.
Bile aids in the digestion of fats, which form a major part of a healthy dog's diet. Alongside this, Turmeric can help reduce bloating or gas after eating.
Digestion is also directly linked to their gut health. An unbalanced ecosystem of bacteria within their gut microbiome can lead to issues with digestion, as well as symptoms like diarrhoea, anal glands and foul-smelling farts.
We use turmeric within our Gut Detoxifier Supplement. Alongside other natural probiotic ingredients, our supplement targets inflammation, gut wall biofilm resilience, and helps fight against symptoms including loose or irregular stools, constipation, and excessive flatulence.
Turmeric’s antioxidant properties can combat free radicals, which in turn can support a stronger immune system.
These antioxidants help to increase your dog’s resilience to illnesses, helping them recover when they get ill.
Turmeric is a key component in our Immunity Support Supplement, that sits within our Gut Health range. Along with a list of other natural, gut-healthy ingredients, we harness the power of turmeric to help their gut support and develop their immune system, and help fight off harmful bacteria and illness.
For dogs with environmental or food allergies, turmeric’s anti-inflammatory effects may help reduce redness, itching and discomfort that come with allergy triggers.
There’s some evidence to suggest that turmeric may help lower LDL (sometimes referred to as ‘bad’) cholesterol and support healthier blood circulation in dogs, which can boost their heart health over time.
Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities can help ease swelling and redness in the gums, especially if your pooch has gingivitis or periodontal disease. It can also limit the growth of bacteria in the mouth.
Turmeric can be a healthy supplement for lots of dogs!
It’s especially beneficial for:
Be sure to always check with your vet first, as turmeric may not be suitable for every dog.
You can add turmeric powder or paste to your dog’s food manually, or choose food for dogs with turmeric already included in the ingredients.
Whatever you choose, here’s how to safely feed turmeric to your dog.
The best turmeric for dogs will be organic and fresh, with no added preservatives, dyes or extra ingredients.
Don’t feed your dog old or stale turmeric, as this isn’t likely to contain enough curcumin to benefit your pooch.
Beneficial turmeric will be bright yellow, organic and fresh (stored well), meaning higher levels of powerful curcumin.
If you want to manually add turmeric to your dog’s food, start with a tiny amount (about ⅛ of a teaspoon per 10lbs of your dog’s bodyweight) and mix it into a paste, often called ‘golden paste’, with either some water or a healthy fat such as coconut oil.
Some pooch parents add a sprinkle of black pepper, as this helps the turmeric absorb into the body.
Stir it into your dog’s regular food, once or twice a day.
Start small with turmeric so that your dog isn’t overwhelmed by the strong taste, and to test if they can digest it well.
About ⅛ - ¼ of a teaspoon per 10lbs of your dog’s bodyweight is recommended, made into a paste and stirred into their food once or twice a day.
The first time you give your dog turmeric or any dog food with turmeric in it, look out for any untoward side effects for a few hours after they’ve eaten it.
If you don’t want to manually feed your dog turmeric by adding it to their food, you can buy pet-safe turmeric supplements or dog food with turmeric already added in.
Dog-friendly supplements with turmeric may come as powders, soft chews, capsules, liquid drops or even as a ready-made ‘golden paste’.
Many turmeric supplements include healthy fats like coconut oil, sometimes black pepper extract to boost absorption, while others are combined with nutritional supplements such as glucosamine.
Dog foods with added turmeric are usually for dogs with sensitive stomachs or joint issues, as turmeric helps with joint pain or inflammation in the gut.
Whatever you choose, be sure it’s organic, natural, high-quality turmeric or dog food with no added preservatives or nasty ingredients.
Turmeric is generally safe for dogs, but it can cause some side effects if your pooch doesn’t agree with it or if they eat too much.
Some dogs might experience stomach issues like:
Turmeric can interact with certain medications - especially blood thinners or pills for diabetes and gallbladder issues.
High doses of turmeric might affect blood sugar levels or reduce blood clotting, so it’s important to start with small amounts and always check with your vet if your pooch is on medication, is about to have surgery, or has an existing health issue.
If you’re looking for natural anti-inflammatories for your dog, try our Pooch & Mutt Gut-Joint Matrix. It’s made with natural ingredients such as turmeric, glucosamine & chondroitin and boswellia, which you can add to their food for naturally reduced inflammation.
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