Marlene and her Frenchie Moose in the kitchen
MY FRENCHIE IS 8
People at the park think he's 3.
Free guide · from Marlene & Moose

The Happy
Bowl Guide

Itchy paws, a dull coat, gas every evening? Moose had all of it. Here are the 10 simple things I make for him in my own kitchen, plus the one-chew morning that replaced four jars.

Start with the 6 signs ↓
6 signs + a Frenchie body map Safe vs never foods 3 bowl toppers 5 homemade treats 2 paw care remedies The one-chew morning

Hi, I'm Marlene.
This is Moose.

Marlene in her kitchen

At six, he was licking his paws raw. Red between the toes, a pink itchy belly, scratching half the night. His coat had gone dull and flaky. And he was gassy every evening.

I was doing what the bag told me. Scoop of kibble, twice a day. And I had four jars on my counter. I was skipping half of them.

So I cleaned up his bowl. Simple toppers and treats, made in my own kitchen. And I swapped the four jars for one chew every morning. He's eight now. Look at him.

"I'm not a vet. I'm just the one who watches him every day."

MooseAt 6At 8
Weight28 lbs23 lbs
Pawsred, licked rawclean, calm
Coatdull, flakysoft + shiny
Scratchinghalf the nightsleeps through
Bellypink, itchycalm
Eveningsgassyquiet

This is what I saw with Moose over two years. Every dog is different.

The watch list

Dogs can't tell you what hurts. So you have to watch.

These are the six small things I missed with Moose for way too long. Tap the ones you've seen this week.

If it's sudden, call your vet

Sudden limping, any blood, not eating for a day, throwing up more than once, or a big change out of nowhere. Don't wait and watch on those.

Inside a Frenchie

Where those signs actually come from

Frenchies are built different. Big chest, short legs, short coat, sensitive tummy. Here's the map I wish someone had shown me when Moose was six.

1 1 1 2 3 3 4
3Skin + coat

Short coat, skin folds, paws he licks. The itch you see on the outside often starts on the inside.

Signs: red paws, night scratching, pink belly, dull coat
2Tummy

A sensitive stomach is a Frenchie thing. The good gut bugs do a lot of the work in there.

Signs: gas, loose stool, eating grass
1Joints

Heavy chest, short legs. Every jump off the sofa lands on his elbows, hips and knees.

Signs: slow stand-up after naps
4Everyday vitamins

Energy, eyes, the whole engine. Kibble covers the basics, and a few gaps.

Signs: low energy, picky eating

Here's what tripped me up

Four zones. So I bought four jars. A joint chew, a probiotic, fish oil and a vitamin. Four lids every morning. I skipped half of them, and Moose paid for it.

The recipes below help his bowl. Further down is how I finally covered all four zones without the jars.

Screenshot this part

Safe vs never

The list I keep on my fridge. Everything in this guide is built from the green side only.

Safe in small amounts

plain, unseasoned
Pumpkinpuree, not pie filling
Sweet potatocooked, no skin
Carrotraw or cooked
Cucumbersmall pieces
Green beansplain
Blueberriesa few
Bananaa slice or two
Watermelonno seeds, no rind
Appleno seeds, no core
Eggscooked through
Chickenboneless, plain
Salmoncooked, boneless
Greek yogurtplain, unsweetened
Oatsplain, cooked
Peanut butterno xylitol

Never, not even a bite

toxic or dangerous
Grapes+ raisins
Onion+ chives, leeks
Garlic+ garlic powder
Chocolate+ cocoa
Xylitol"sugar-free" gum, some PB
Macadamias+ walnuts
Avocadopit + skin
Cooked bonesthey splinter
Coffee + teaany caffeine
Salty snacks+ fried food
Ate something from the red list? Call your vet right away, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

How much is enough?

extras stay around a tenth of his day
Dog sizeTopperTreats a day Under 25 lbs (Moose)1 spoon1 to 2 small 25 to 50 lbs2 spoons2 to 3 Over 50 lbs3 spoons3 to 4

A rough guide. If your dog is gaining weight, cut the extras first.

Remedies 1 to 3

Build a happy bowl

His complete food. Most of the bowl. The toppers never replace it.
One spoon of topper. Toppers and treats stay around a tenth of his day.
One chew on top. Every morning. More below.
1

Soft egg + yogurt topper

2 eggs1 spoon plain yogurta pinch of turmeric

Scramble the eggs low and slow in a dry nonstick pan until they're fully set. No butter, no salt. Off the heat, fold in the yogurt and turmeric.

Moose gets: 1 spoonfulKeeps 3 days in the fridgeSoft protein
2

Pumpkin spoon

1 tbsp plain pumpkin puree1 tsp plain Greek yogurt

Stir together and spoon on top of his food. Freeze the rest of the can in an ice cube tray, one cube per bowl.

Moose gets: 1 tablespoonPumpkin, never pie fillingFor his tummy
3

Warm broth pour

2 to 3 tbsp bone broth, no onion or garlic

Warm it (not hot) and pour over his kibble. Let it soak a minute so it softens. Great on picky mornings.

Moose gets: 2 tablespoonsUnsalted onlyExtra water in his day

Moose's topper week

the chew goes on top every day
Monegg
Tuepumpkin
Wedbroth
Thuegg
Fripumpkin
Satbroth
Sunplain
Remedies 4 to 8

Stop buying treats. Make these.

Five treats, 1 to 3 ingredients each. One or two a day is plenty for a Frenchie.

4

Frozen cucumber mint bites

½ cucumber5 to 6 mint leaves1 scoop plain Greek yogurtsplash of coconut water

Blend, pour into a small silicone mold, freeze 2 hours. Let one soften a minute before serving.

Fresh mint leaves only, never mint oil
5

Blueberry lick mat

2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt6 to 8 blueberries

Spread the yogurt thin on a lick mat and press in the berries. Freeze an hour to make it last.

My trick for bath days and nail trims
6

Baked carrot ribbons

raw carrots, nothing else

Peel into thin ribbons, lay on a wire rack, bake at 170°F (75°C) about 2 hours until dry and bendy.

Low calorie · snap in half for small dogs
7

Sweet potato peanut butter bites

1 cooked sweet potato1 spoon peanut butter, no xylitol1 egg

Mash and mix, roll into inch-wide balls, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes until firm through.

Makes about 20 · fridge 5 days
8

Pumpkin banana oat bites

1 ripe banana1 spoon plain pumpkin1 cup rolled oats

Mash the banana, stir in pumpkin and oats, roll small balls, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.

Plain pumpkin, never pie filling
Treats make him happy. They don't replace the four jars.None of these give him the skin, coat and gut support from the body map. That's the part I could never cook.
Remedies 9 and 10

Happy paws

9

The weekly paw wipe

1 tbsp baking soda1 tsp coconut oil1 cup warm water

1. Mix well. Dip a soft washcloth and wring it out. 2. Wipe each paw and between the toes, then rinse with plain water and pat dry so he doesn't lick it off.

Once a weekNever on broken or bleeding skin
10

The warm paw soak

¼ cup Epsom saltabout a gallon of warm water

1. Dissolve the salt in a tub, about two inches deep. Warm, not hot. 2. Let him stand in it for 5 to 10 minutes. Then rinse with plain water and pat dry between every toe.

Don't let him drink it (it upsets the stomach)Never on broken or bleeding skin
The outside

Wipes + soaks

Help his paws feel better today.

The inside

His bowl + one chew

Skin and coat start from what he eats every day.

The 30-second paw check

1. Between the toes: pink or damp fur means he's been licking.

2. Nails: short enough not to click on the floor.

3. Pads: soft, not cracked or dry.

4. Smell: a strong yeasty smell is worth a vet visit.

The part I couldn't cook

What the bowl can't do

Toppers made his bowl better. But go back to the four zones on the body map. A spoon of pumpkin doesn't reach most of them.

ZoneFrom his bowlIn one chew
Skin + coat
Salmon most days of the week? Not happening on my budget.
Salmon oil + quercetin, every single day
Tummy
A spoon of yogurt has some cultures. A little, some days.
Good gut bugs made to survive the stomach, plus a prebiotic
Joints
Nothing in his food or my recipes gives him glucosamine.
Glucosamine 200mg, MSM, green-lipped mussel
Vitamins
Kibble covers the basics.
A, D3, E, B vitamins + CoQ10

My real week

each dot = one jar given
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Four jars
One chew
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓

Four jars was 28 doses a week, and I gave about half. One chew is seven for seven. The best supplement is the one you actually give.

What I saw with Moose

his results, not a promise for your dog
First monthNever missed a morning. Less scratching at night.
A few months inPaws stopped going red. His coat caught the light again.
Now, at 8Clean paws, calm belly, soft coat. He sleeps through.
See the one Moose gets ↓
The one-chew morning

One chew. Every morning. That's it.

Skin + coatsalmon oil + quercetin
Tummygood gut bugs (probiotics) + a prebiotic
Jointsglucosamine, MSM, green-lipped mussel
VitaminsA, D3, E and B vitamins
Hand holding the Pupganics Daily Multifunction jar with one salmon chew
The one Moose gets

Pupganics Daily Multifunction Soft Chews

28 soft chews · salmon flavor · give in the morning with food

Chews a day, by weight
Under 25 lbs (Moose)125 to 50 lbs250 to 75 lbs3Over 75 lbs4
See it on Amazon →
Check first if…your dog is pregnant, on medication or has a health condition. Ask your vet.
How soon will I notice?Give it every morning for 3 to 4 weeks. The routine is what counts.
Still need the bowl?Yes. The chew replaced my jars. The bowl is still his food.

Why I picked this one

Soft chew. Easy for a flat face. No pills, no powder.
Salmon flavor. He thinks it's a treat.
Four jars in one. Skin, tummy, joints and vitamins.
28 chews. Four weeks for a dog Moose's size.
Moose watching Marlene hold up his jar of daily chews and one chew

P.S. Start with one thing from this guide tomorrow morning. One topper, and one chew. Then watch the whole dog: his skin, his coat, his tummy, how he moves.

Marlene + Moose
Get Moose's morning chew →