How to Add Bran to a Dog’s Diet

If your dog is having problems with their digestion then adding bran to their diet is a popular fix. Bran is a natural substance made of the pieces of wheat kernels that are usually sifted out of flour. It is very high in fibre and this means that it can pass through the digestive tract and ‘clear out’ blockages and problems along the way. This also means that bran can have a range of other health benefits in order to help your dog to have more regular bowel movements, to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and increase energy levels.

Increasing Your Dog’s Bran Intake

To increase bran in your dog’s diet buy yourself some normal bran cereal. This can be found in most supermarkets and the clue could very well be in the name (for instance ‘All Bran’ is a bran cereal that is not hard to identify as such).

Now the trick is simply getting your dog to eat the bran cereal, so moisten it in a bowl with warm water in order to soften it up, and then mix it with your dog’s usual dry or wet food. Normally it won’t notice any difference to the flavour. Be sure though to add the bran gradually to your dog’s diet as it is a laxative and if you suddenly increase the amount of bran it can cause your dog to suffer from an upset stomach. Meanwhile remember that bran will add some calories to your dog’s diet so counter this by slightly decreasing your pup’s portions.

Alternatively you can also try increasing your dog’s fibre intake by looking for high-fibre dog food and this may very well in some cases include bran as part of its high-fibre ingredients list.