Kodi had some gastric issues in the fall and early winter that had us pretty worried. In my usual obsessive way, I spent lots of time researching how we could help support her gut. One of the things we have done is to add fermented veggies to her diet.
I initially looked into using a commercially made product, however, with a pack of four dogs, the products that looked the best to me also came with a fairly high price tag.
Some research on the internet revealed a good amount of information on fermenting vegetables for dogs. The two sources that I relied on as a guideline to create the first batch I made a month ago were:
How to Make Fermented Vegetables for Dogs
Fermented vegetables for dogs recipe – Verm-X
I ended up using the directions in the first link (Adored Beast) and the ingredients (with some minor changes) from the second link (Verm-X). The video in the Adored Beast link was helpful. Here is what I did:
Ingredients: *It is best to use organic produce.
- 8 cups red or green cabbage (I used one whole cabbage)
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 small beet
- 3 whole carrots
- 3 Tbsp fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic* (see link below about safety of garlic for dogs)
- Kombucha to cover (I used Brew Dr. Mountain Ginger. The Lemon Ginger would be great too)
Notes:
- For the ginger, I used the puree/paste you can purchase in a tube in the produce department at the grocery store.
- For the garlic, I used minced, fresh garlic that you can purchase in a bottle and refrigerate.
- The original recipe called for fresh turmeric, but I just used a kombucha that had turmeric as an ingredient.
Peel the outer leaves off the cabbage, rinse and set aside. Wash and peel (or scrub really well!) the beet and carrots. Put the veggies in a high-powered blender and blend them. I used the Ninja blender on "crush" mode.
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| After blending/mixing and before packing into jars... |
Combine all the ingredients except the kombucha in a large bowl and mix everything through. Squeezing the veggies with your hands a little helps release the juices. Scoop the veggies into widemouthed glass jars and pack them down tightly. Once packed, pour Kombucha over the top to cover. You will be surprised how little kombucha you will use! There should be a small amount of liquid covering the top of the veggies.
Use the outer leaves you saved from the cabbage to cover the top of the mixture completely and weight it down. Put the lids on your containers loosely. Let the ferment sit at room temperature. Place it in a clean, dry area.
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| Finished batch, ready to use. |
The batches I have made so far have been ready in about 10 days-time and had a nice sour smell by then. With a 4-dog household, we go through a batch of veggies in around 7-10 days, so I start fermenting a new batch as soon as the old batch has been eaten.
If there is a small amount of mold on the top of the final product, just scoop it off with a spoon and dispose of it.
Our dogs ate their veggies enthusiastically from the start. We feed raw for their evening meals and add about a heaping Tablespoon of the veggies on the side. Their stools, which were always good, seem even better. Kodi, our girl who was having gut issues, is cleaning her bowl consistently again and her playfulness and energy level are great. I feel like adding the fermented vegetables to her diet was the final step to getting her back to optimal health.
Since making the original batch using red cabbage, I've used Savoy Cabbage and Collard greens in subsequent batches. The batch that is currently fermenting has several small, sweet potatoes in it instead of carrot. I plan to rotate different veggies into my mix and will plant some of those I use most in our garden this summer too.
Other veggies that are in one of the excellent commercial blends are Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cilantro, Parsley, Lacinato Kale, Mustard Greens, Jerusalem Artichoke, Dandelion, Turmeric, Papaya, Milk Thistle, Oregano, Blueberries, and Alfalfa.
I'm thinking of trying to ferment some grasses and sprouts also, including Wheatgrass, Alfalfa Grass, Barley Grass, Oat Grass, Broccoli Sprouts, Alfalfa Sprouts, and Cabbage Sprouts.
For those concerned about the safety of using garlic for dogs, here is a link for consideration:
