Top 5 Foods To Carry For Your Dog For A Road Trip

At A Glance: Keep your dog happy and your road trip enjoyable by packing healthy, energy-boosting snacks for your canine companion. Our list of dog-friendly snacks includes peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, bananas, watermelons, and carrots. These five snack suggestions are convenient to take along with you and have lots of health benefits for dogs.

What can I feed my dog on a road trip? If you’re planning a road trip with your dog, there’s one thing you should never forget — snacks!

You’ll have a lot of stops along the way where you and your four-legged companion will burn a lot of energy exploring. Apart from your dog’s regular meals, it’s a good idea to pack healthy snacks for your dog. If you’re wondering what should I feed my dog on a road trip, these five dog-friendly snacks will ensure that your canine will have a good supply of delicious, nutritious, and energy-boosting food.

Peanut Butter

Rich in protein and fiber, peanut butter isn’t just good for humans but tasty and nutritious for man’s best friend as well. Peanut butter is cheap, easy to bring along with you, and a good source of plant-based protein, which comprises 35% of its weight.

You’ll want to ensure that your dog has access to protein because it builds and repairs muscles and tissues, forms new skin cells, aids hair growth, and builds muscle. Peanut butter is also an excellent source of fat, which can help a dog maintain its coat and skin health.

A convenient way to give your dog peanut butter when you’re on the road is to spread peanut butter on a small piece of bread or cracker. They’ll readily lap it up and enjoy it!

Watch out for bottles with xylitol, salt, and added sugar. Xylitol is a sugar substitute used in gum, chewable vitamins, and baked goods. Consuming xylitol can quickly release insulin in dogs, resulting in an unhealthy and considerable drop in blood sugar that can be lethal if left untreated.

If you happen to give your dog peanut butter with xylitol, you should try to make your dog throw up as soon as possible.

Hard-Boiled Eggs

Another great road trip snack is hard-boiled eggs. Eggs are a good source of protein, lutein, vitamins A, B, and D, selenium, and choline which are important for brain development and eye health.

Did you know that some owners like feeding their dogs eggs with the egg shells still on? Egg shells are good for dogs because of their calcium content.

Most doctors advise cooking eggs before giving them to your dog to prevent salmonella. Packing hard-boiled eggs is also a wise choice when you’re on the road since there’s minimal mess involved.

However, be mindful of how many eggs are ideal for your dog to eat. While they have a lot of healthy nutrients and vitamins, it’s recommended to give big dogs just one egg per day while smaller dogs should have no more than a quarter of an egg daily and no more than one small egg each week.

ALSO READ: Dog 101: Important Facts About Dog Care

Bananas

For those wondering what can I feed my dog on a road trip, bananas are a delicious treat for dogs and an amazing source of potassium. Potassium keeps your dog’s muscles and nerves healthy. Plus, the fiber in bananas aids digestion and helps dogs with gastrointestinal problems.

Bananas contain high amounts of vitamins B6, C, and E. They promote overall health by regulating hormones, enabling the neurological system to operate properly, and acting as an antioxidant that reduces inflammation and eliminates free radicals.

Moreover, its magnesium content supports bone formation and helps their bodies absorb vitamins.

When using bananas as a snack, how do you feed a dog when traveling? Save yourself some time and cut them in advance. Make sure to store cut bananas in an airtight container or freezer bag, then stick them in the freezer so they don’t get mushy while you’re on the road.

Giving your dog snacks while on the road is more convenient if you cut them up before you go. You can then store them in resealable bags. You can also freeze them first to give your canine a refreshing treat!

Watermelons

Watermelon is good for us humans, great for dogs, and doesn’t spoil easily. Plus, it’s packed with nutrients and can keep your dog hydrated since it’s made up of 92%  water. If you’re traveling in hot climates, watermelons should be one of your go-to snacks.

In addition, watermelon is low in calories and sugar. It’s fat-free and almost all dogs love it. Just make sure to remove the rind and seeds before giving watermelon to your canine companion. The hard green outer rind can induce gastrointestinal distress, which can cause vomiting and/or diarrhea while its seeds can cause intestinal blockage.

You can feed it to them as frozen chunks or purée it and freeze it in an ice cube tray.

Watermelons are handy and easy to bring with you since they don’t spoil easily. You won’t have to worry about them going bad and storing them at the right temperature.

ALSO READ: Why do you Need to Pick up your Dog’s Poop?

Carrots

It may surprise you to know that carrots are one of the best snacks for dogs. They’re light and easy to pack too. Carrots have a lot of fiber and beta-carotene, which helps dogs produce vitamin A, promotes a healthy immune system, and improves eye, skin, and coat health.

They’re also low in calories. With only four calories per baby carrot, it can easily satisfy the sweet and crunchy cravings of dogs with diabetes or pets that need to lose weight.

In addition, their crunchy texture helps your dog’s dental health by acting as a dental chew. When bits of carrots brush up against your dog’s teeth, they help remove tartar and plaque.

What can I feed my dog on a road trip? Peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, bananas, watermelons, and carrots are all healthy and yummy snacks for dogs but you don’t have to take them all with you. Just pick your canine’s favorites when planning a cross-country road trip with a dog.

Along with your dog’s regular meals, water bottle, and favorite toys, knowing what to give a dog for a long road trip as snacks can help you maintain its health no matter where your journey takes you.

Just remember to dole out snacks in moderation. Most vets recommend that snacks and treats should comprise no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calories. As long as you pick healthy snacks and don’t serve them too often, you and your four-legged friend can have an enjoyable and memorable road trip!