Easy Homemade Dog Food ! To do this, I analyzed the diets and compared them to the National Research Council’s guidelines for canine nutrition. I want to be clear, though: I don’t believe this is a requirement for feeding home- cooked dog food. Just as with the diet you feed yourself and your family, feeding a wide variety of healthy foods in appropriate proportions should meet the needs of most healthy dogs. Problems arise with how this description is interpreted. Too often, people think that they’re feeding their dog a healthy diet when key ingredients may be missing or are fed in excess. Here's how to make dog food at home, and specific guidelines to help ensure that the dog food diet you feed meets your individual dog’s requirements. Complete and Balanced Diets. It’s important that your homemade dog food is “complete and balanced,” meaning it meets all of your dog’s nutritional needs. It is not important, however, that every meal be complete and balanced, unless you feed the same meal every day with little or no variation. Home- prepared dog diets that include a wide variety of foods fed at different meals rely on balance over time, not at every meal. ![]() Similar to the way humans eat, as long as your dog gets everything he needs spread out over each week or two, his diet will be complete and balanced. Don. This approach is similar to how we feed ourselves and our families. A human nutritionist would never expect someone to follow a single recipe with no variation, as veterinary nutritionists routinely do. Instead, a human would be given guidelines in terms of food groups and portion sizes. As long as your dog doesn’t have a health problem that requires a very specific diet, making your own dog food should be the same way. Keep in mind that puppies are more susceptible to problems caused by nutritional deficiencies or excesses than adult dogs are. Large- breed puppies are particularly at risk from too much calcium prior to puberty. How to Make Your Own Dog Food. The following homemade dog food recipe is designed to be a starting point for beginners. You'll need to adjust portions and ingredients to meet your dog's specific needs. Please read the important recipe notes below before feeding this homemade recipe to your dog. There are many more dog food recipes available on Whole Dog Journal. If you are looking for raw dog food recipes, click here. For more ideas and information on cooking for your dogs, follow this link. A dog with pancreatitis or other health conditions may require a low- fat diet - here are some vet- recommended homemade low- fat dog food recipes. Rating: Hill’s Prescription Diet W/D Canine Dog Food is not rated due to its intentional therapeutic design. Once you’ve established a diet which seems to have improved your pet’s health, it’s time to challenge with foods and look for symptoms to return. Success Stories. Our biggest advocates are our fans. The pet parents that have used Steve’s Real Food over the past 15 years will tell you how healthy and happy. This dog food recipe is designed for a 2. It must be supplemented appropriately for your dog. Cooked Dog Food Ingredients: 8 ounces chicken thigh meat (cooked). Dietary intake, proportions, and ingredients must be adjusted for your dog's weight, health condition, and activity level. The amounts can be increased proportionately for larger dogs, and decreased for smaller dogs, but keep in mind that large dogs require less food for their body weight than small dogs. It is good for occasional use, but like most dog food from scratch, it requires supplementation and variety to fully meet a dog's nutritional requirements. For adult dogs, this recipe is short on some vitamins (B1, B1. If you’re like us and have both dog and cat pets, then you have probably experienced what happens when your dog eats cat poop. When they feast on the cat’s. How does the BARF DIET? Should I cook the patties? How much should I feed my adult dog? How much do I feed my puppy? How to make complete and balanced dog food at home that your dog will love! By Mary Straus This advice is ridiculous and so is this website. Clean up your dog poop every time they go! How hard is that? Teach your dog the “LEAVE IT” command so if you. ![]() D, E, and K) and minerals (copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc). A multivitamin and mineral supplement can help ensure that your dog's nutritional needs are met, though it's not a substitute for feeding a balanced diet with a lot of variety. GUIDELINES TO BALANCED HOMEMADE DOG FOOD RECIPESFollowing are guidelines for feeding a raw or cooked home- prepared diet to healthy dogs. No single type of food, such as chicken, should ever make up more than half the diet. Except where specified, homemade food for dogs can be fed either raw or cooked. Leftovers from your table can be included as long as they’re foods you would eat yourself, not fatty scraps. Meat and Other Animal Products: Should always make up at least half of the diet. Many raw diets are excessively high in fat, which can lead to obesity. Another potential hazard of diets containing too much fat: If an owner restricts the amount fed (in order to control the dog’s weight) too much, the dog may suffer deficiencies of other required nutrients. Unless your dog gets regular, intense exercise, use lean meats (no more than 1. It’s better to feed dark meat poultry than breast, however, unless your dog requires a very low- fat diet. Raw Meaty Bones (optional): If you choose to feed them, RMBs should make up one third to one half of the total diet. Use the lower end of the range if you feed bony parts such as chicken necks and backs, but you can feed more if you’re using primarily meatier parts such as chicken thighs. Never feed cooked bones. Boneless Meat: Include both poultry and red meat. Heart is a good choice, as it is lean and often less expensive than other muscle meats. Fish: Provides vitamin D, which otherwise should be supplemented. Canned fish with bones, such as sardines (packed in water, not oil), jack mackerel, and pink salmon, are good choices. Remove bones from fish you cook yourself, and never feed raw Pacific salmon, trout, or related species. You can feed small amounts of fish daily, or larger amounts once or twice a week. The total amount should be about one ounce of fish per pound of other meats (including RMBs). Organs: Liver should make up roughly 5 percent of this category, or about one ounce of liver per pound of other animal products. Beef liver is especially nutritious, but include chicken or other types of liver at least occasionally as well. Feeding small amounts of liver daily or every other day is preferable to feeding larger amounts less often. Fruits such as melon, berries, bananas, apples, pears, and papayas can be included in your dog's food or given as training treats. Eggs: Highly nutritious addition to any diet. Dogs weighing about 2. Dairy: Plain yogurt and kefir are well tolerated by most dogs (try goat’s milk products if you see problems). Cottage and ricotta cheese are also good options. Limit other forms of cheese, as most are high in fat. Fruits and Vegetables: While not a significant part of the evolutionary diet of the dog and wolf, fruits and vegetables provide fiber that supports digestive health, as well as antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients that contribute to health and longevity. Deeply colored vegetables and fruits are the most nutritious. Starchy Vegetables: Veggies such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squashes (including pumpkin), as well as legumes (beans), provide carbohydrate calories that can be helpful in reducing food costs and keeping weight on skinny and very active dogs. Quantities should be limited for overweight dogs. Starchy foods must be cooked in order to be digestible. Leafy Green and Other Non- Starchy Vegetables: These are low in calories and can be fed in any quantity desired. Too much can cause gas, and raw, cruciferous veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower can suppress thyroid function (cook them if you feed large amounts). Raw vegetables must be pureed in a food processor, blender, or juicer in order to be digested properly by dogs, though whole raw veggies are not harmful and can be used as treats. Avoid grapes and raisins, which can cause kidney failure in dogs. Grains: Controversial, as they may contribute to inflammation caused by allergies, arthritis, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); as well as seizures and other problems (it’s not clear whether starchy vegetables do the same). Some grains contain gluten that may cause digestive problems for certain dogs. Many dogs do fine with grains, however, and they can be used to reduce the overall cost of feeding a homemade diet. Grains and starchy veggies should make up no more than half the diet. Good choices include oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, barley, and pasta. White rice can be used to settle an upset stomach, particularly if overcooked with extra water, but it’s low in nutrition and should not make up a large part of the diet. All grains must be well cooked. SUPPLEMENTSSome supplements are required in addition to natural food for dogs. Others may be needed if you are not able to feed a variety of foods, or if you leave out one or more of the food groups above. In addition, the longer food is cooked or frozen, the more nutrients are lost. Here are some supplements to consider: Calcium: Unless you feed RMBs, all homemade diets must be supplemented with calcium. The amount found in multivitamin and mineral supplements is not enough. Give 8. 00 to 1,0. You can use any form of plain calcium, including eggshells ground to powder in a clean coffee grinder (1/2. Animal Essentials’ Seaweed Calcium provides additional minerals, as well. Oils: Most homemade diets require added oils for fat, calories, and to supply particular nutrients. It’s important to use the right types of oils, as each supplies. Give an amount that provides about 3. EPA and DHA combined per 2. Note that liquid fish oil supplements often tell you to give much more than this, which can result in too many calories from fat. Cod Liver Oil: Provides vitamins A and D as well as EPA and DHA. If you don’t feed much fish, give cod liver oil in an amount that provides about 4. Can be combined with other fish oil to increase the amount of EPA and DHA if desired. Top- quality fish body oil and cod liver oil can provide your dog's diet with valuable omega- 3 fatty acids. Be cautious about feeding the amounts suggested on the labels, however; these often supply too much fat. Plant Oils: If you don’t feed much poultry fat, found in dark meat and skin, linoleic acid, an essential omega- 6 fatty acid, may be insufficient. You can use walnut, hempseed, corn, vegetable (soybean), or high- linoleic safflower oil to supply linoleic acid if needed. Add about one teaspoon of oil per pound of meat and other animal products, or twice that amount if using canola or sunflower oil. The Original Top 5. BARF FAQs for Beginners. The Original Top 5. Most Frequently Asked B. A. R. F. Questions. Newcomers Ask! Disclaimer: These . Billinghurst's BARF Diet. How do I get started? I'm really scared to start, and I feel so overwhelmed.. Is it possible to see some sample meal plans? Can I still feed a raw diet? What exactly is the difference between Raw Meaty Bones & recreational bones? Billinghurst's BARF Diet website here. You can also join the main BARF Raw Feeding Yahoo Group, which I highly recommend everyone new to BARF do. I lurked on the Main BARF list for about 6 months before I was ready to take the big plunge. Remember to keep things simple for the dog when you are starting. You might start with chicken or turkey and feed wings, necks or backs for the first couple of days. Let their body get used to the new foods before you start feeding them a huge variety of foods. Some dogs might not know what to do with the bones at first, but they will get the hang of it. If you have a small dog or a dog that doesn't get the hang of it, you can try crunching the bone into smaller pieces, or holding one edge of the bone for them. For veggie meals, I would start with bland veggies with a bit of lean ground meat. I would also wait to start adding any supplements until you are settled into a routine. These are just some of the basics of the diet. This is just a guide to help you get started as each dog is different and so is their activity level. As the days go on put your hand on your dog's rib cage and see if you press lightly you should feel ribs but not see them. If you can't feel ribs, your dog is too fat and if you can see ribs, your dog is too thin. I feed 2x/day, so I split these amounts into 2 feedings but I am giving you a full day's worth for the RMB meal. Golden Retriever - 5. RMB meal - 1# chicken backs, or 1. You can feed lamb, but it is rich so I don't suggest it in the beginning. Lamb riblets (I think in Australia they are called lamb flaps) have soft very chewable bones and this is what I use if I can get it. If yours eats other fishes then serve 'em up. I split one large can or 2 small cans among my four dogs. Offal - Offal (or organ meat, e. Now and then if I have a piece of cauliflower I toss that in too. To most meals I add 1 teaspoon of oil (cold pressed flaxseed, or safflower or vegetable or olive but usually flaxseed for Omegas). Also I add Vitamin C (about 2. Halve the vitamins of yeast, kelp, alfalfa and remember Vitamin C 1. Vitamin E/day. Cocker Spaniel 2. I take a little away or add a little from his meals constantly - as I said, adjust to each dog's activity level and metabolism. E - cocker gets . Billinghurst says - this is not etched in stone. Take is slowly. Try to keep the diet bland and simple at first. This is particularly important for older/middle aged dogs. Don't overload your dog with the 'good stuff' - he may not be able to handle it yet - particularly after a lifetime on kibble. Start with just some lean chicken or turkey necks or backs only for the first couple of days, keeping meals small to begin with and don't let your dog overdo it. Once the dog has settled into this, add some bland veggies with a bit of lean mince (ground meat). The veggies do need to be pulped up using something like a blender, juicer or food processor. You are aiming for something a bit like the vegetable matter found in the stomach of a prey animal. The reason for this is that dogs can not digest cellulose. Cell walls of plants are made of cellulose, so for our dogs to get the nutrients out of them, we need to crush the cell walls. Chopping them up only crushes the cell walls on the outside, leaving the bit in the middle pretty much unavailable to them nutritionally. Cooking them will also destroy the cell walls, but as this also destroys a lot of the nutrients and enzymes in the veggies, it kind of defeats the purpose. You can start adding richer food like eggs and liver (and maybe leaving a little bit more fat on the chicken/turkey) after a week or two once your dog is used to the simple diet. And after you have got the hang of it for a few weeks, THEN start thinking about adding supplements, if you want to. Don't try to do it all at once. It is also suggested that with dogs new to the BARF diet that you stay away from the harder or fattier bones for at least a few months (and perhaps longer, particularly for older dogs). Give them time to develop some 'strength' in their digestive system first. Billinghurt's BARF Diet. Billinghurst's BARF DIET. This means - in addition to containing those nutrients which “must be present” in processed pet foods, the Dr. Billinghurst's BARF DIET. These are the nutrients found only in whole raw foods. Furthermore, all of these nutrients are present in their biologically available form. In other words, this is a diet that goes well beyond the standards laid down for modern processed pet foods. Another alternative I'd like to recommend is Life's Abundance, 1. Harvey's, a prepared raw diet like Oma's Pride or even Verve, Force or Embark, which is a dehydrated holistic dog food line. So, if you want to feed half & half, feed kibble one meal, raw the next. Jane Bicks, nationally recognized holistic veterinarian. That is chicken necks, wings, backs etc. Go back to the 2% of his body weight again and multiply that number by . For example: One of my Boxers weighs 7. Lbs. Patty mix.- -- -- 4. Veg. Patty mix. Remember this is only a place to start - adjust everything up or down, depending on your dogs condition. I would suggest adding some probiotics to the diet to help restore good bacteria into the system to fight the bad bacteria and help increase immunity. You can do this by adding yogurt with live cultures in it to the diet or by getting some kind of probiotic supplement. The message? Salmonella is everywhere - not just in raw meats. Employ basic hygiene practices, wash your hands and keep surfaces clean - just as you would when handling your own food. Simple, really! It takes a lot of water to re- hydrate those little nuggets! Back to top of page. I must admit I prefer the 'cold turkey' approach of switching rather than a slow switch. When carbohydrates and proteins are eaten at the same time, the protein enzymes go to work first, and the digestion of carbohydrates must wait. While the carbohydrates are waiting around to be digested, they ferment and release toxins in the body. Proper food combining might more aptly be called not combining foods: Give only meat (or other heavy proteins such as eggs or milk) at one meal; give carbohydrates (fruit & grains) for the other meal. Also, grains and meats should not be fed together but veggies can be feed with either, with no loss of nutrients. It is not something they would eat in the wild. Those grains they would have access to would be in small quantities eaten from the stomachs of prey animals who had (in the right season) eaten some grasses that had seeded. These grains would also not look like our modern grains - more like wild rice (check it out at the supermarket and compare to domestic types). Billinghurst seminar: grains are not a natural food for dogs; dogs do not, in fact, need carbohydrates; carbohydrates are easily converted into sugars which feed cancer. Remove the carbs and the cancer has less/nothing to feed on; and grains are one of the major causes of allergies in dogs, and can also cause flatulence (gas. PHEW!!!)! Back to top of page. I haven't cut supplements out totally, although IMO a lot of people tend to over- supplement. This was something Billinghurst suggested too at a recent seminar here, and he mentioned that he only supplements his own dogs every now and again. I think if you are providing a good varied diet you will be providing pretty much what your dog needs - all in a highly bio- available form. My first preference when looking to a certain vitamin/mineral will always be to provide it in its natural form first. So if I feel I need to provide more Vitamin B for example, I would consider what foods contain that vitamin first (e. As we don't necessarily feed the whole animal for example (eyes, brains, stomach and intestines etc etc as well) the addition of things like EFA's (e. I would include yogurt in this category too - it contains good bacteria which a dog may otherwise have got from eating stomach contents/intestines etc (but green tripe can help here too). I like to add a bit of Kelp every now and again for its trace elements. Kelp adds back these trace elements into the diet. I add Vitamins C and E every now and then for their antioxidant properties and their value to optimize health - particularly in our modern polluted environment. Vitamin C is particularly good in times of stress and I am more likely to include it then than at other times. Now realize that while I do include these supplements, I do not include them every day. I don't believe they are necessary every day except some in certain circumstances and perhaps only for short periods. Of course every dogs and every situation will be different (if I lived in a city I might give more C and E for example to combat higher pollution). But remember you are providing a much more nutritious product to begin with with raw natural foods. They are probably getting more nutritional value now out of a varied BARF diet without the supplements that they ever did on kibble. If you do use herbs and vitamins on a regular basis (whether it be for you or your pet), may I suggest you checkout My Herbal Corner, where you'll find the highest quality herbal, vitamin, mineral and nutritional supplements worldwide! You basically cannot . According to Kymythy Schultze in her book, . It reduces tissue damage from radiotherapy, helps bleeding disorders, has antibacterial action against salmonella and has a protein with known anti- tumor activity. It's used as a general tonic, to detoxify the body and to treat colon disorders, hemorrhages, diabetes, ulcers and arthritis.
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