Red Alpha Canine - Dog Nutrition & Training Essentials

06/06/2026

Secret Benefit of Raw Feeding 🤫👇

One hidden benefit of raw food is the water content. Did you ever notice that your dog doesn't drink as much when eating raw?

Kibble averages around 10% moisture, which makes dogs drink much more than normal. It's actually surprising how much kibble fed dogs drink.

I know feeding a raw or cooked diet only isn't feasible for everyone, but it is at least important to keep this in mind: Raw meat contains up to 70% water which full of electrolytes and proteins that support hydration at the cellular level. Also feeding fresh, moisture-rich meals protects the kidneys from working overtime. Kibble diets can often lead to a permanent state of dehydration and this is why it's so important to rehydrate your dogs dry food 🫶

03/06/2026

🌿"HELP, my dog is eating grass all the time!" Or "Why do dogs eat grass"🌿 👇

I get asked about this so much throughout the year so while eyes are on the page I thought I'd explain...

As we know a dog's sense of smell is exceptional and it's the scent of the grass that identifies it as valuable during certain times of the year. Dogs will generally eat grass in the Spring and in the Autumn as it contains sugar, protein and tryptophan as well as many other nutrients.

Dogs are not grazing animals so they don't have a way of eating grass that doesn't look "frantic" therefore many owners often worry something is wrong when they see this type of behaviour but it is in fact completely normal.

Some dogs eat grass even though it upsets their stomach because they enjoy the taste and texture of it.

Regurgitating grass is not the same as vomiting, it is not sickness, it is the dog choosing to throw up the bits that don't digest well and more often than not we as owners panic and medicalise this unnecessarily. Some dogs don't regurgitate and end up with grass hanging out of their bum, which you then may have to pull out 🥴

So in short, just because your dog is eating grass does not mean you need to panic that they are unwell or their diet is lacking because it's not always the case 🫶

02/06/2026

🌿We're open today until 6:30pm🌿

Eggs are such an overlooked whole protein source, did you know Costco sells pasture raised eggs 🙌

🥚These eggs have twice as much vitamin E and a longer chain of omega 3 acids than normal shop bought eggs do. Meaning they are much better for you and your dog's with them being more nutritionally dense 🫶

🥚We always serve raw so we are not cooking off any nutrients but dogs can have them scrambled, poached, soft boiled or hard boiled and some dogs prefer it one way over another.

🥚Feed the whole egg remembering the membrane

🥚And don't forget duck and quail eggs, they are equally as beneficial!

31/05/2026

❄️Cooling Foods for Hot Dogs ❄️

It's been so hot and humid lately so I thought I'd help you guys start offering your dog more cooling and neutral foods either as toppers or treats.

Cooling foods is terminology used as a part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to health and diet. Foods fall into 1 of 3 categories in TCM - cooling, neutral and warming/hot foods.
Offering more cooling and neutral foods and avoiding warming/hot foods can help your dog keep cool.

Cooling Foods: White fish, duck, rabbit, whole fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, cranberries, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers and celery, as well as mushrooms. Cold-pressed sesame or flax seed oil, and a dollop of greek yogurt will also go along way.

You could also offer a small drink of organic coconut water at the beginning or end of a hot day to hydrate and replace lost potassium but do remember this does not replace regular water this should still be offered. Bone broth is also excellent for hydration as long as you avoid lamb as that's considered a hot protein.

30/05/2026

🌿I didn't know you offered written meal plans?!🌿

How gorgeous are these little potatos 😍 We had the honour of meeting these beautiful litter mates again today to increase their feeding increment!!

Their owners originally contacted me before they arrived at their forever home with them and asked me to support their RAW journey and they've now been on their diet a whole month and are absolutely loving it!! Those of you that know or have met me will know how excited I get over things like this 😅

We either offer basic transitions like these or you can purchase actual in depth meal plans which break down all nutrients and necessary building blocks within a dogs diet.

What do you get from a written meal plan? 👇👇👇

🥩 A written diet, specifically tailored to your dog's breed, age and if they have and special dietary requirements - suffers allergies or joint issues ect emailed straight to you

🥩 We work out the exact amount of food your dog will need to thrive in accordance to their weight, age and exercise routine

🥩Offer advice on supplements and natural remedies that will aid your dog

🥩Lifetime support with their diets

🥩 Actual meal rotation ideas because variety is the spice of life

🥩Advice on specific vitamins or minerals that your dog may need extra of depending on their breed

🥩 Broken down advice to help support your dog's coat, heart, vital organs, joints, teeth and gut health

If you'd like anymore information on a written diet plan for your furbaby then please send us a message ☺️🐾

30/05/2026

👏👏👏

🚨 YOUR DOG IS NOT A SMALL HUMAN

And they were never biologically designed to live on bowls filled with starch, legumes, cereals, and synthetic powders.

Yet modern marketing has convinced millions of pet parents that this is “balanced nutrition.”

So what is your dog actually❓️

Not a strict carnivore like a cat. Not a true omnivore like a human.

👉 Your dog is a facultative carnivore.

That distinction matters more than most people realize.

A facultative carnivore is an animal biologically designed to thrive on animal tissue, but capable of surviving on plant matter when necessary. Survival capability, however, does NOT equal optimal physiology.

Your dog’s entire anatomical blueprint still reflects a carnivorous design:

🦷 Teeth Designed for Flesh, Not Grinding Plants Dogs possess sharp premolars and carnassial teeth built to tear meat and crush bone, not flat molars meant for prolonged grinding of fibrous plant material.

🦠 A Carnivorous Digestive Tract
Dogs have a short, highly acidic gastrointestinal tract designed for rapid digestion of animal protein and fat. Unlike true herbivores or omnivores, they lack the extensive fermentation chambers needed to efficiently process large amounts of cellulose and plant fiber.

🧬 Metabolic Adaptation Does Not Rewrite Biology
Yes, dogs can digest some starch.
Yes, they produce amylase.
But adaptation for survival during domestication does not suddenly transform a carnivore into a grain-dependent omnivore.

A dog being able to tolerate carbohydrates is very different from carbohydrates forming the foundation of the diet.

⚠️ And this is where modern feeding has gone profoundly wrong.

Ultra-processed kibble often contains massive starch loads from peas, lentils, corn, wheat, potatoes, rice, or legumes because starch is necessary for extrusion manufacturing.
Not because it is biologically superior for canine health.

When highly bioavailable animal proteins are displaced by excessive carbohydrates and synthetic fillers, we increasingly see the consequences reflected in modern canine disease patterns:

✔️ chronic gut dysfunction
✔️ obesity and metabolic stress
✔️ inflammatory skin disease
✔️ unstable blood sugar regulation
✔️ poor muscle maintenance
✔️ microbiome disruption

Species-appropriate nutrition is NOT about feeding “only meat.”
And it is not about fearing every vegetable.

It is about respecting biological design.

Animal tissue should form the nutritional foundation of a canine diet because that is what their anatomy, physiology, and evolutionary history still support most efficiently.

Dogs may have adapted to survive beside humans.
But they never stopped being carnivores at their core.

And surviving is not the same thing as thriving. 🐾

— The Holistic Canine 🐾 theholisticcanine.us

NRC balanced meals at home:
👉 Fresh feeding explained—finally.
"Fresh-Food Feeding Explained" eBook
Available on our website❗️
https://theholisticcanine.us/ebook/

​

29/05/2026

🚨The Danger of Cooked Bones🚨

It's extremely important that you do not cook any complete raw food, not only because once it's cooked your dog will not be able to obtain the maximum benefits of the food, but because it contains bone and once cooked the bones becomes brittle and could splinter which makes it potentially lethal.

I feel like I bang on about this constantly but more and more people are coming into the shop and saying "my dogs fussy so I cook their food" or "my dog will only eat warm food". A new customer came in yesterday and unfortunately I wasn't there to explain why cooking the meat we sell here is such an issue so I wanted to make a post and hopefully they'll be able to have a read and then make an informed decision on what to do next. I'd also like to say my staff will pass on basic information that I have asked them to so if you have a more in depth question please see me directly.

Ultimately I absolutely will not sell any meat containing bone to you if you are going to cook it.

This is purely my decision as it's a huge safety concern for your dogs and so loosing custom or money over it is something I'm willing to deal with. A rogue piece of cooked bone could potentially cause your dog to end up at the vets with a serious, if not fatal problem. Dogs are born to eat and process raw food. There is no more risk of getting salmonella from your dog eating raw than there is from you preparing the Sunday roast if you are following the correct hygiene standards with storage and preparation.

PLEASE Please do not cook, boil, bake or microwave any marketed raw dog food minces, you are not doing your dog any favours by cooking it, you could be harming them. If you would like to put your dog on a home cooked diet then call in to see me or use boneless minces ONLY! Thanks, Beth 🐾

28/05/2026

Every summer the internet turns into two extremes…

One side acts like dogs need to live inside a refrigerated bunker with 37 Amazon cooling gadgets, frozen towels, cooling mats, cooling vests, ice baths and a £400 portable air con unit…

And the other side brush it off completely, thinking everyone’s being dramatic because “dogs survive fine abroad” and “they’ll be reyt”.

But what’s the reality?

Hot weather can absolutely be dangerous for dogs, and heatstroke sadly still kills dogs every year. Most cases come down to timing, overexertion, and owners underestimating how quickly conditions can change. A dog can over heat in as little as 10-15 minutes.

But not every dog you see outside in summer is automatically in danger, a quick toilet break in a shaded area is very different to prolonged activity in peak heat.

Panting itself is NOT automatically an emergency.
Dogs are designed to regulate heat. Their primary cooling system is panting. When a dog pants, moisture evaporates from their tongue, mouth and respiratory tract, which helps release body heat and cool them down naturally.

A warm dog panting after being outside, after playing, after travelling in the car, or after a walk is completely normal.

BUT… common sense still matters.
☀️ Skip the walk if it’s too hot
🚶‍♂️ Adjust routine (Walk early or late)
🌡️ Avoid hot pavements and direct sun
💦 Shade and Water is a must
🪟 Close curtains/blinds at home
💨 Use Fans, create airflow
🧊 Frozen enrichment/Kongs/lick mats
💤 Let dogs rest

⚠️The times you SHOULD worry are when panting becomes excessive, frantic or doesn’t stop even after rest.
Things like:
• struggling to breathe
• glazed eyes
• collapse or weakness
• vomiting
• bright red/pale gums
• disorientation
• drooling excessively
• inability to settle

Summer with dogs doesn’t need panic or denial… just awareness, balance, and a bit of common sense to keep them safe and comfortable.

Be mindful.☀️

28/05/2026

Biggest Mistake When Raw Feeding 👇🚨

🚫Defrosting your dogs food on the kitchen side 🚫

Please stop, not only is the outcome horrific for your dog but also you are giving the whole feeding community a bad name because when you take your dog to the vet it's automatically the food's fault which isn't the case, it's owner error.

"Raw made my dog ill" and "my dog won't eat raw" or "my dog just went off raw" are the most common phrases I hear in the shop. Your dog went off raw because it could smell the bacteria in the meat because you didn't prepare their food correctly. I always advise defrosting in the fridge or if you've forgotten to take food out and submerge the food in cool water. We need to do better!

I have been inundated with messages this last week that the dog is now ill or the dog won't eat and the main reason is because the foods are not being thawed correctly and also while I'm at it don't microwave it either 🫠 This should be common sense because you surely wouldn't defrost your packet of chicken in direct sunlight in the festering heat?

Now the rant is done here's the facts 👇👇👇

Defrosting raw meat on the kitchen side is risky because the outside of the meat can warm into the “danger zone” — roughly 5°C to 60°C (41°F to 140°F) — while the inside is still frozen. In that temperature range, bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacteriosis, and Escherichia coli infection can multiply quickly. Some harmful bacteria can multiply every 20–30 minutes at room temperature.

The UK food.gov.uk advise against thawing meat at room temperature and so do I!!! 🙃 Please just ask or pop in if your unsure about something we are here to help 🫶

27/05/2026

✨Nutrient Dense Enrichment✨

Lickimats are great mental stimuli that aid the production of those happy endorphins! We have a range in the shop that will help keep the puppers entertained while they are missing out on some walks due to the weather being hotter than Satan's ass crack! 🥵

I thought I'd help you guys with a list of good lickimat ingredients you could combine into something fabulous and all are great for freezing onto the mats to help cool the dogs down too! 👇👇👇

✅ Full fat natural greek yoghurt

✅Fruit/ vegetable only baby food

✅Cottage cheese

✅ Peanut butter

✅ Actual food: raw, wet and hydrated biscuits

✅ Dog friendly apple sauce

✅Squashed fruit and veg ie banana, any berries, cucumber

✅Kefir

✅Bone broth

✅Pumpkin puree

✅ Sweet potato

✅Honey

✅Dog friendly pate