Have you had a dog that has had dietary issues or just don't eat very well? I have had this issue more times than I care to count. It's frustrating and it can be worrisome. After talking with my vet on multiple occasions about my dogs eating habits, she gave me this information to try a homemade diet. I wanted to share this because there are a lot of people that want to possibly try a homemade diet for their pet, but don't have all the information to make sure that their pet is getting a balanced and nutritious diet, as well as getting all of the required vitamins and minerals that they need.
Food Groups:
All homemade diets should contain the following food groups:
A carbohydrate and fiber source from a cooked cereal grain and/or a vegetable.
A protein source, preferably of animal origin, or if more than one protein source is used, one should be of animal origin.
A fat source.
A multi-vitamin, mineral (particularly Calcium) and a trace of mineral source.
Daily Requirements:
The following are guidelines for a 40-pound dog.
Carbohydrate - 240g
Fiber - 10-30g
Protein - 120g
Fat - 10g
Ingredient Lists:
When substituting ingredients, pay attention to gram differences. (Ex. 25g of rice does not provide the same carbohydrate amount as 25g of wheat.)
Carbohydrate/Fiber (Cooked):
The following foods, in these amounts, contain 15g of carbohydrates with 3g of protein and 80 kcal.
25g - Wheat, rye or white bread, bran cereal, shredded wheat
30g - Pita, tortilla, bran flakes, Chex
50g - Baked beans, sweet potato
75g - Rice, lentils
80g - Corn
100g - Cooked cereal and grits, barley, pasta, potato, lima beans, green peas
150g - Squash
200g - Pumpkin
Additional fiber source (grams of dietary fiber per 100g of these foods.)
Low (0-2g) - Asparagus, cucumber, zucchini, alfalfa sprouts, eggplant, mushrooms, celery
Med (2-4g) - Bamboo shoots, carrots, peas, string beans, bean sprouts, chickpeas, pinto beans, summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, spinach
High (5g or more) - Beans (red, white, black, lima, broad, soy)
Protein (weight is after cooking with bone, skin and excess fat removed.)
Low fats: Food in these amounts contain 7g of protein with 3g fat and 55 kcal
30g - beef (rump cuts, trip, ground beef (>90% lean), chipped beef, flank tenderloin, round, veal, cottage cheese, tuna or mackerel (frozen, fresh, or canned in water), low fat luncheon meats, chicken or turkey without the skin, lamb (leg, loin, rib, shank, shoulder), crab or lobster, pork (tenderloin, ham, Canadian bacon, venison.)
90g - egg, whites
Medium fats: Food in these amounts contain 7g protein with 5g of fat and 73 kcal.
30g - ground beef (>80% lean), mozzarella, ricotta cheese, tuna or salmon (canned in oil, drained), organ meat.
50g - egg, whole
120g - tofu
High fats: Foods in these amounts contain 7g protein with 8g of fat and 100 kcal.
30g - beef (ground beef (<80% lean), brisket, chuck , ribs), cheese (american, blue, cheddar, Monterey, Swiss), lamb (breast, ground), cold cuts, sausages, pork (ground, sausage, ribs), peanut butter.
Fats - food in these amounts contain 5g of fat and 45 kcal.
5g - margarine with soybean, cottonseed, partially hydrogenated oils, peanut oil, olive oil, soft tub margarines, oil (from a plant source), chicken, beef or backon fat, lard, butter, shortening.
15g - diet margarine, heavy cream, cream cheese
30g - sour cream, nondairy substitutes, gravy
45g - light cream, half and half
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements:
(Almost all homemade diets are deficient in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium.)
Calcium supplement: A calcium supplement in addition to a vitamin/mineral supplement should be provided. Dicalcium phosphate can be found at your local pharmacy and should be supplemented at 2g per 35 pounds.
Multivitamin and trace mineral supplements: Several multivitamin/trace mineral supplements are available for dogs. An alternative to using a dog multivitamin is to give 1 adult multivitamin (that contains no more than 200% of the daily recommended allowances for people) per day.
Fatty acid supplement: A fatty acid supplement may be added if desired. Fatty acids count as fat and should be factored into the daily fat requirements.
Salts: Iodized salt and salt substitute (KCL) should be supplemented at 0.5g each per 40 pounds.
Cooking homemade diets:
Starches and proteins in homemade diets need to be cooked. Most starches are not easily digestible when raw. Protein and starch sources should be cooked separately as most starches required longer cooking to improve digestibility than proteins. Meats should not be over cooked to avoid protein denaturation. All meats and eggs should be cooked for at least 10 minutes at 180°F. Contrary to some beliefs dogs are susceptible to bacterial infections and other food borne illnesses caused by feeding under cooked meats. Fruits and vegetables should be washed and rinsed, and cooked if desired. Also foods prepared without preservatives and antioxidants should be kept refrigerated for no longer than 3-7 days. Large quantities of food may be frozen (<0°F) for 3-6 months. Vitamin, mineral, and fatty acid supplements should not be cooked, heated or stored with meals. Vitamins and fatty acids can be destroyed by heat and oxidation. These should be kept separate and added to meals just before feeding.
Assessment and Monitoring:
The nutritional profile of homemade diets can vary quite dramatically. Electrolyte imbalances, red blood cell abnormalities and other deficiencies and imbalances can severely affect your pet's health. Pets fed homemade diets should receive comprehensive physical examinations and blood work (including blood chemistry with electrolytes and a complete blood count) once or twice a year. Your veterinarian may suggest specific supplements or other changes to correct any inadequacies or imbalances.
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