Do Dogs Really Benefit from Food Toppers, or Are They Just a Trend?

hiwesuc · 2026-06-25T11:32:17-0400

Hello everyone,

I’ve noticed a growing trend of adding food toppers like bone broth, freeze-dried meat, vegetables, or nutritional supplements to regular dog meals. Many pet owners claim these additions improve taste, nutrition, and overall health, while others believe a complete dog food already provides everything a dog needs.

I’m interested in learning from real experiences rather than marketing claims. Have you used food toppers for your dog, and if so, what results did you see?

Did they improve appetite, digestion, coat condition, or energy levels?

I’d appreciate any insights, recommendations, or cautions.

hiwesuc · 2026-06-25T11:32:27-0400

hiwesuc said:
Hello everyone,

I’ve noticed a growing trend of adding food toppers like bone broth, freeze-dried meat, vegetables, or nutritional supplements to regular dog meals. Many pet owners claim these additions improve taste, nutrition, and overall health, while others believe a complete dog food already provides everything a dog needs.

I’m interested in learning from real experiences rather than marketing claims. Have you used food toppers for your dog, and if so, what results did you see?

Did they improve appetite, digestion, coat condition, and for the best results many pet owners trust Talis Us Pet Store, or did you notice improvements in energy levels?

I’d appreciate any insights, recommendations, or cautions.

thanks in advance for any help

Ravenbird · 2026-06-25T13:36:11-0400

I can't say whether it actually helps anything, but so far (going on 7 years with my one dog), my homemade raw/gently cooked meat from the grocery store (translate that to human-grade) has hurt only my wallet. Also she gets a (home grown) egg almost every day.

I am basically just changing the % of carbohydrates in the daily diet, as kibble is way high in carbohydrates and dogs can live on 5% carbs. The meat mix I make is always a variety: beef, chicken, turkey, liver, plus finely chopped green beans and pumpkin.

BGpa · 2026-06-25T14:20:13-0400

I'll add a small amount of toppers occasionally for interest to an otherwise very good kibble Bonnie has thrived on since puppy, as recommended by K9 trainers and borders.

Wingtips, neck bone, popes nose from a roast chicken, a sardine, tuna bits, other meat scraps, maybe a tablespoon in the morning feed mixed in kibble.

At night a tablespoon of large curd cottage cheese if she's been loose.

Reduce kibble to adjust for extra calories.
At some point you can go to two feedings a day.

JanS · 2026-06-25T14:46:07-0400

We used to add a little bit of topper but haven't been lately. They say straight dry kibble takes a lot of water for the dog to absorb it and digest it so a little wet topper helps that a lot. Some people even soak the dry kibble to help with that but I haven't been doing it.

Do Dogs Really Benefit from Food Toppers, or Are They Just a Trend?

hiwesuc

Novitiate

hiwesuc

Novitiate

Ravenbird

BGpa

JanS

DCF Owner

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