The healthy foods worth adding to a dog's bowl are the boring ones: oily fish, plain pumpkin, cooked eggs, a few berries, a cooked vegetable. None of them are "superfoods," because that word has no definition, and none of them fix a bad base diet. This post lists ten additions that earn their place, what each one actually does, how much to use, and two popular ones we left off.
First, about the word "superfood"
It is a marketing term. The American Kennel Club's own page on the subject describes superfoods as foods that are nutrient packed and good for your health, and gives blueberries, kale, and salmon as examples, with no standard criteria behind the label.1 AAFCO's labeling rules define what "complete and balanced" means on a bag; they say nothing about "superfood."2 When a topper leads with that word, it is telling you about the marketing budget, not the ingredient. What follows is the list you get if you drop the word and ask what is worth adding to a bowl of complete and balanced food.
One rule applies to everything below: extras stay under about 10% of the day's calories. Past that, you start unbalancing the food that was doing the actual work.
1. Sardines
The best cheap omega 3 source in a can. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists a 3 ounce serving of canned sardines at 0.74 g DHA and 0.45 g EPA.3 Those are the fatty acids with real trial evidence in dogs: the Merck Veterinary Manual reports that EPA supplementation and EPA rich diets improve gait and mobility in arthritic dogs and have an NSAID sparing effect.4 Buy them in water with no salt added. Portions by dog size are in our sardines for dogs guide.
2. Cooked salmon
Same omega 3 case, milder smell, higher price. The NIH table puts 3 ounces of farmed Atlantic salmon at 1.24 g DHA and 0.59 g EPA.3 Cooked and boneless only. Raw salmon in the Pacific Northwest can carry a disease that kills dogs, which we cover in can dogs eat salmon. If you want a precise omega 3 dose for a joint or skin problem, a fish oil that lists EPA and DHA in milligrams beats either fish; the products in our supplements collection print those numbers.
3. Plain canned pumpkin
Fiber and water in a spoon. VCA Animal Hospitals lists canned pureed pumpkin (not pie filling) as a home remedy for mild diarrhea, describing it as high in soluble fiber that can help bind stool, and Merck's constipation chapter lists pumpkin at 1 to 4 tablespoons per meal as a fiber option owners can add.56 One food, both directions. Details and doses are in pumpkin for dogs with diarrhea.
4. Blueberries
A low calorie treat with some antioxidants attached and no downside beyond a choking caution for very small dogs. Fresh or frozen, washed, a few at a time. They are a better treat than a biscuit. They are not a supplement. See can dogs eat blueberries for amounts.
5. Cooked sweet potato
A real food starch with beta carotene and fiber. Cooked, peeled, plain, a spoonful or two. Never raw. Useful mostly as a treat or a way to make a pill disappear. Dogs on kibble are not short on starch, so this one is for variety, not a gap. Our sweet potato guide covers portions and the FDA question people ask about.
6. Cooked eggs
A complete, cheap, highly digestible animal protein that most dogs love. Scrambled or hard boiled with nothing added. Cook them: the ASPCA notes raw eggs can carry Salmonella and E. coli that are harmful to pets and people alike.7 A whole egg is a big share of a small dog's 10% allowance, so a small dog gets part of one.
7. Green beans and other plain vegetables
Steamed green beans, a few carrot coins, a spoon of peas. Low calorie, some fiber, and useful as a filler for a dog on a diet who thinks the bowl looks empty. No sauce, no butter, no salt. Skip onion and garlic entirely; both are on the ASPCA list of foods to avoid.7
8. Bone broth
Mostly water, some protein, a lot of flavor. Its best use is getting a picky or unwell dog to eat and drink, and softening freeze dried food. The evidence for anything beyond that is thin, and store bought versions often carry salt and onion. Make it plain or read the label. Our bone broth for dogs post has a recipe and an honest look at the claims.
9. Plain yogurt or kefir
A spoon of plain, unsweetened yogurt is a popular probiotic topper. The catch is dairy. The ASPCA notes that pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase, so milk and other dairy based products can cause diarrhea or other digestive upset.7 Fermented dairy has less lactose than milk, and many dogs handle a small amount fine, but if the stool goes soft, this is the first thing to stop. Read the label for xylitol in flavored products. If you want probiotics for a reason, a product with named strains and a stated dose is more reliable, and how to choose a probiotic for a dog explains what to look for.
10. Turmeric, with low expectations
Turmeric is on every list like this, so here it is with the caveat attached. The anti inflammatory idea is plausible and the dog evidence is thin, with small studies and inconsistent results. It is also poorly absorbed on its own. If you use it, use a small amount with fat, and do not expect it to replace anything your vet prescribed. Our turmeric for dogs post goes through what has actually been tested.
Two we left off
Coconut oil. The ASPCA includes coconut and coconut oil on its list of foods to avoid feeding pets, and it is pure fat with no omega 3s worth mentioning.7 There are better fats above. Kale and other "power greens." Not dangerous in small amounts, but there is no dog evidence for them and most dogs will not eat them anyway. A green bean does the same job with less drama.
How to use this list
Pick one or two, not all ten. Add one at a time and give it a week so you know what changed the stool if something does. Keep the total under 10% of daily calories. A complete and balanced base food does the heavy lifting; everything here is a garnish. If you are not sure the base food is right, fix that first.
When to call the vet
Call before adding any of these if your dog is on a prescription diet, is diabetic, has had pancreatitis, or is being managed for kidney or heart disease, because extra fat, phosphorus, or calories can undo what the diet is doing. Call if any new food is followed by vomiting or diarrhea that lasts more than a day. And call immediately if a dog gets into onion, garlic, grapes, or anything sweetened with xylitol while you were sharing the healthy stuff.
Sources
- American Kennel Club, "Can Dogs Eat These Human Superfoods? What You Should Know," updated 2026. akc.org
- AAFCO, "Reading Labels." aafco.org
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, "Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals," 2026. ods.od.nih.gov
- Merck Veterinary Manual, "Osteoarthritis in Dogs and Cats," reviewed 2024, updated 2025. merckvetmanual.com
- VCA Animal Hospitals, "Eight Home Remedies For Dog Diarrhea & 2 That Could Be Dangerous for Your Pet." vcahospitals.com
- Merck Veterinary Manual, "Constipation, Obstipation, and Megacolon in Small Animals." merckvetmanual.com
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, "People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets." aspca.org