Chia Seeds for Dogs

Chia Seeds are an amazing healthy fat, they also provide dietary fibre to support gut health.

Unlike other seeds whose good fats will go rancid if you don't feed them shortly after grinding, chia seeds are so chocka full of anti-oxidants, they don't go rancid!

Preparation - If you're grinding seeds and nuts yourself, you can grind them and pop them in an airtight container then pop in the fridge and use within a week. I do not recommend you buy pre-ground nuts and seeds from the store due to the possibility of rancidity. A $20 coffee grinder from the appliance store will do the job just fine.

Chia Seeds have a high soluble fiber content, which means they can absorb 10-12 times their weight in water! For this reason, you should soak them before adding them to your dog's meals. If you're only giving a very light sprinkling over their meal then they won't need to be soaked.

To make Chia Seed Jelly, take 1/4-1/5 cup of Chia Seeds and add them to 1 cup of water or liquid such as Kefir.
Whisk and then let stand for 5 minutes, whisk again and then let stand for 10 minutes, whisk again, and then store your Chia seed jelly or pudding in the fridge in an air-tight container OR just pop them in the liquid, mix well once and let them soak overnight in the fridge.
You can give around 1/4 of a teaspoon per 5 kilos of body weight - just go with your gut. Your dog's poos will tell you if they need more or less fibre.
Start slow and build up as it is high in fibre. You can freeze but beware, it does expand when frozen. I would not suggest freezing into ice cube moulds/molds unflavoured as many dogs won't be interested, you might like to blend with some kefir and fruit/berries.

Learn more about the health benefits of Chia seeds here.