Supporting your dog’s cognitive function as they age is just as important as maintaining his physical health. Certain foods and supplements can serve as “brain food” by providing nourishment to the brain in ways that standard diets cannot. These brain-enhancing ingredients, sometimes called “nootropics” in the supplement industry, can help prevent canine cognitive disorder and support aging dogs’ brain health. For senior dogs, introducing these brain-supporting foods before symptoms appear can be especially beneficial.
Blueberries
Benefits: Animal research showed that after feeding blueberries, the animals lived longer and stayed healthier as they aged. Blueberries help fix damaged DNA, which can slow down aging.
Serving Size: 5 blueberries per 10 lbs of body weight.
Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.
How to Serve:
- Blueberries are on Environmental Working Group’s The 2024 Dirty Dozen™ list. It’s best to buy organic.
- Wash and feed as a healthy treat or directly on food.
- Blueberries can be fed fresh, frozen, freeze-dried, or dehydrated.
- Some dogs prefer blueberries to be smashed.
Lion’s Mane Mushrooms
Benefits: The Lion’s Mane mushroom is known for its potential to stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF) production. It contains unique compounds that can help to support healthy cognitive function.
Serving Size: 1 tsp of cooked mushrooms per 10 lbs of body weight.
Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.
How to Serve: You can serve your dog mushrooms 3 different ways:
- Using store-bought mushrooms, wash then cook them thoroughly to make them digestible for your dog.
- Buy dried mushrooms, soak them in water for several hours until soft, then cook them.
- Sprinkle Real Mushroom’s Lion’s Mane extract capsules directly onto your dog’s regular meals.
Important:
- Do not feed your dog wild mushrooms as they may be toxic.
- Dogs can safely eat any store-bought mushrooms that are also safe for you to eat.
- Store-bought mushrooms must be cooked because it can be difficult to digest in raw form.
MCT Oil
Benefits: Testing with healthy older dogs showed that a diet containing MCT oil, which is derived from coconut oil, helped improve multiple brain functions. The dogs performed better on tasks involving remembering locations, focusing their attention, learning concepts, and solving problems after being fed MCT oil in their diets.
Serving Size:
- ½ tsp per 10 lbs of body weight or ½ tbsp per 30 lbs of body weight.
- Start slowly with a quarter of recommended dosage and increase gradually.
Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.
How to Serve: Pour CocoTherapy’s MCT Oil directly onto your dog’s food.
Apples
Benefits: Research shows that just one serving of a polyphenol naturally found in apples can help to improve cognitive function and lower the risk of cognitive decline.
Serving Size:
- Small dogs (< 20 lbs): 1-2 pieces
- Medium dogs (21-50 lbs): 2-6 pieces
- Large dogs (> 51 lbs): Small handful of pieces
Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.
How to Serve:
- Apples are on Environmental Working Group’s The 2024 Dirty Dozen™ list. It’s best to buy organic.
- Wash and remove the stem, seeds, and core.
- Cut the apple into small pieces (1-inch wide by ¼-inch thick) or mash into applesauce.
Important:
- Remove the apple seeds as they contain cyanide, which in large amounts can cause cyanide poisoning.
Beef Liver
Benefits: Beef liver contains B vitamins, essential fatty acids, choline, and minerals like iron and copper that collectively support healthy brain function and cognitive abilities. These nutrients help produce important neurotransmitters necessary for memory and learning while also maintaining proper nerve function and overall neurological health.
Serving Size: 2-3 oz per 50 lbs of body weight.
Frequency: Limit to 1-3 times per week if feeding as a topper.
How to Serve: Feed raw, gently cooked, or dehydrated.
- To gently cook, simmer the beef liver in a pan over low-medium heat until it starts to brown.
Important:
- If there is already liver in your dog’s diet or your dog’s food contains a synthetic copper supplement, adding more liver may risk exceeding copper intake.
- Excess beef liver can cause Vitamin A toxicity and potentially iron overload.
- Feeding raw meat increases the risk of bacterial and parasitic infections.
Rosemary
Benefits: Scientists reviewed 21 studies about the effect of rosemary on memory and thinking in animals. Their research revealed that rosemary helped improve brain function in both healthy animals and animals with memory deficits. The animals with memory deficits showed the biggest improvements when given rosemary.
Serving Size:
- Fresh herbs: ¼ tsp per 20 lbs of body weight
- Dried herbs: 1 shake with the shaker lid on per 10 lbs of body weight
Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.
How to Serve: Wash, remove any thick stems, and mix into food.
Eggs
Benefits: Eggs contain high amounts of choline, an essential nutrient that helps create acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter, in the brain. This neurotransmitter supports brain function, memory, and may even help treat and prevent cognitive decline in dogs, often called “doggy dementia.”
Serving Size: ½ egg per 10 lbs of body weight. three times per week.
Frequency:
- Small dogs (< 20 lbs): 1 egg per week or no more than ¼ of an egg per day
- Medium dogs (21-50 lbs): 1 egg 2-3 times per week
- Large dogs (> 51 lbs): 1 egg per day
How to Serve: Feed raw, soft boiled, poached, hard boiled, fried, or scrambled.
Important:
- Feeding raw eggs increases the risk of salmonella infection, a bacterial illness that affects the GI tract.
- If buying eggs from a store in the U.S., it is not recommended to feed the shell. This is because they are chemically washed. Eggs from a local farmer who hasn’t washed the bloom off are safe to feed.
Cranberries
Benefits: Cranberries are rich in antioxidants which may help improve memory and prevent age-related cognitive decline in older dogs.
Serving Size: 1-2 cranberries per 10 lbs of body weight.
Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.
How to Serve:
- Wash and chop as they may present a choking hazard for smaller dogs.
- Feed as a healthy treat or directly on food.
Spinach
Benefits: Spinach contains important nutrients for brain health such as folate, vitamin K, lutein, and beta-carotene. Studies show that feeding your dog spinach may positively impact their brain health and maintain cognitive function as your dog ages.
Serving Size:
- Small dogs (< 20 lbs): 1 tbsp or less
- Medium dogs (21-50 lbs): 1-2 tbsp
- Large dogs (> 51 lbs): 2-3 tbsp
Frequency: Safe to feed daily. We recommend rotating toppers for variety.
How to Serve:
- Spinach is on Environmental Working Group’s The 2024 Dirty Dozen™ list. It’s best to buy organic.
- Wash and purée or lightly steam to make it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much of these toppers can I add to my dog’s bowl?
These toppers can be used to boost your dog’s current food using the 90/10 rule, where you feed 90% of your dog’s current food and 10% of the above toppers. Adding only 10% of the above toppers will not “unbalance” your dog’s current food. If you’d like to add more than 10% fresh food toppers, you need to ensure the fresh food you’re adding is a nutritionally complete meal.
Q: How do I calculate how much kibble to replace?
(Daily amount of kibble fed) x (% of fresh food you’re adding)
3 cups of kibble daily x 10% fresh food toppers
= 0.3 cups of kibble to remove
Dr. Lily Chen is the founder of Integrative Pet Wellness Center in Los Angeles, where she combines conventional veterinary care with holistic therapies including acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, and innovative treatments like microbiome and ozone therapy. By addressing the root causes of disease, she promotes emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing for pets. Dr. Chen’s collaborative approach actively involves pet parents in their furry family members’ wellness journey
For more information, check out Dr. Lily Chen’s Concierge Membership.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- 2025 Integrative Pet Wellness Center. The Concierge Membership.
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