How a Whole Food Diet Helps My Dog Thrive
By Keith Weingardt, DVM
For more than twenty-five years I have been advocating for a simple idea, that fresh whole food nutrition can transform the health of our pets. My own journey into this way of feeding did not start in a classroom or a conference room. It started with my dog Max. When Max was diagnosed with a brain tumor, I found myself searching for anything that might help him feel better and live longer. I turned to real food, and what I witnessed changed the way I practice medicine. I saw firsthand how nutrition could support healing in ways I had not fully appreciated before. That experience planted a seed that has grown into a career long commitment to helping pets eat outside the bag of processed food.
I have encouraged my clients and patients to move beyond ultra processed food whenever they are able. For many families that starts small, with fresh food added as a topper. For others it becomes a full transition to the most whole and real diet their pet can eat. I do not believe in an all or none approach to feeding. Some of my favorite success stories come from clients who simply enhanced their pet's existing diet in whatever way fit their budget and their schedule. For some this was as simple as adding some goat milk or bone broth to their kibble. For others, the veggie blends caused a shift in their health and many other pets moved toward a complete, minimally processed, whole food diet. Every step, no matter how small, toward real food matters.
In my own home I avoid processed foods for my animals and my family whenever possible and I build meals around a rotation of fresh whole food options. One of the foundations is a rotation of whole food probiotics. This approach helps support a diverse and resilient microbiome, which I consider one of the true foundations of long term health. Bam's beets have become a staple in my routine, and I also rotate in Lua’s fermented turmeric paste to help upregulate the pathways that modulate inflammation, support a healthy immune response and encourage the gene pathways associated with longevity.
Whole Food Probiotics
I find whole food probiotics, like Green Juju Soil, Farm and Leaf, fascinating for reasons that go beyond convenience. Unlike many commercial products built from a handful of lab isolated strains, Green Juju whole food probiotics offer a genuinely diverse population of organisms. That diversity varies across products and even within the same product from batch to batch, which mirrors the kind of variability we see in nature. This is a very different approach than trying to recreate a single engineered strain, and I believe it better reflects how a healthy microbiome develops and thrives.
Veggie Blends
Green Juju's veggie blends have also become a foundation of how I feed, both for my own animals and for my patients. Whether a pet is eating a raw diet or working from a bag of kibble, these blends provide a solid source of fiber that many diets are missing. The polyphenol antioxidants found in the blends offer additional support for the microbiome while also contributing to overall healthspan, which is something I think about for every patient regardless of their age or current health status.
One piece of feeding philosophy that I find gets overlooked is how much a pet's individual constitution and the season should shape protein and food choices. My own dog Otis, tends to run warm, so during the heat of summer I steer away from proteins like lamb, venison, goat and chicken. Once the weather turns cold and damp, those same proteins often become a good fit for him again. Paying attention to these patterns has made a real difference in how balanced and comfortable Otis feels throughout the year, and I encourage clients to think about their own pets in the same way.
If you are researching alternatives to kibble, or are fresh food curious, my hope is that this gives you a starting point rather than a rigid set of rules. Whole food feeding does not have to be complicated or expensive to make a meaningful difference. Start with what feels manageable, whether that is a fresh topper, a whole food probiotic, a fiber rich veggie blend or a full transition to a fresh diet. Your pet's body will tell you what is working, and that feedback is often the best guide of all.
