From their ancestral hunting and scavenging days, to their present-day place as human companions, dogs have a need for diets high in natural meat and organs – the foundations of nutrition for carnivores. However, like all mammals, dogs also have a need for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that can’t be provided by meat alone. At ZIWI, we complete the nutritional profile of our high-meat inclusion recipes by adding selected “Super Foods,” including curly parsley.
Parsley is widely considered within holistic pet nutrition circles to be a “super-herb.” Parsley is well-known to have beneficial effects on reducing “doggy breath,” due to its high levels of chlorophyll, which has antibacterial and deodorizing properties. This alone would be a great reason to include the herb in pet food, but parsley is also a powerhouse of vitamins, including high levels of:
- Vitamin C – Antioxidant which provides support to the immune system
- Vitamin A – Antioxidant which supports the immune system, promotes good vision, assists with organ function and reproduction
- Vitamin K – maintains healthy blood clotting, promotes liver health and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Parsley is high in dietary fiber, which promotes healthy digestion by keeping food moving through the digestive tract, and acts as a diuretic, removing excess fluid from body tissues to promote urinary and kidney health.
Additionally, many pets suffering from arthritis have shown significant improvement when parsley is added to their diets. This is due to the promotion of fluid movement and the anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin K in parsley.
Research conducted by the University of Missouri determined that parsley may reduce the development of cancerous tumors in humans and mice, and follow-up studies are being conducted on similar benefits for dogs.
ZIWI® is the innovator and the global leader in air-dried pet nutrition and is committed to continued nutritional research to enhance the health, well-being, and longevity of pets.
