Natural food for dogs

What can I feed my dog

The correct distribution of the natural diet of a pet involves compliance with the following proportions:

• 50% – protein food (meat, fish, offal, eggs, omelet);
• 30% – cereals (buckwheat, rice, hercules, gray and white bread);
• 10% – fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits;
• 5% – fermented milk products (kefir, sour cream, yogurt, yogurt);
• 5% – vegetable oil, bran.

High Protein Foods

Protein food is the basis of the daily diet of dogs. It strengthens the muscles, ensures the normal growth of the animal. Such food includes:

• meat (beef, rabbit) and poultry. These dishes can be served both raw and boiled. However, it is still preferable to give products in unprocessed form. Poultry can cause allergies, and therefore it should be fed with caution;
• fish. At the same time, marine species absolutely do not require cooking – they are simply cleaned of bones, entrails and scales. As for river products, it is impossible to do without processing here, since a dog can become infected with parasitic worms – helminths. It is not necessary to completely replace meat with fish products. Such eating behavior will lead to the appearance of dandruff, the occurrence of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, slowing down the growth of the pet. According to experts, twice a week will be enough, unless, of course, the tailed does not belong to the number of breeds bred in Japan. Then you can feed the dog with fish at least every day;
• heart, liver and other by-products. In order for the animal not to become infected with parasites, it is necessary to exclude the intake of raw food. Owners are recommended to freeze it, and then heat treatment. We must not forget about the measure – it is forbidden to cook offal more than three times a week;
• eggs. Raw or soft-boiled eggs will be an addition to the meat menu. However, in this case, you should not be zealous. If you give your pet more than two eggs a week, it's easy to earn a diathesis.

Cereal crops

Rice, buckwheat and oatmeal porridge should be boiled in water or in meat broth. Next, it is advisable to fill them with a small amount of vegetable oil. It is not recommended to salt, but if the dog refuses the dish, a small amount of salt is allowed to enhance the taste.

In addition to porridge, the dog is treated to gray bread (no more than 100 g per day) or white bread for the purpose of reward and exclusively in the form of crackers. We must not forget that fresh food is digested many times harder.

Fruit and vegetable menu

Giving the tailed one only porridge mixed with meat every day is not the right decision. Owners need to treat the dog with fruits (pears or apples), fresh herbs (parsley, dill, salad leaves) and, of course, vegetable crops (carrots, beets, tomatoes, cabbage, raw potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini).

Fermented milk products

The use of low-fat kefir, sour cream or yogurt is mandatory. Such food will protect the dog from problems with the chair. For even better stimulation of the intestine, veterinarians recommend combining lactic acid products with bran.

Is it possible to give dice

It would seem that dog + bone = 100% compatibility. But in this case, everything is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

Eating bones has certain benefits for the pet and its health:

• benefits for ligaments and joints due to the collagen contained in the bones;
• prevention of tartar formation;
• fun for a pet.

But it was also not without drawbacks:

• risk of injury to the intestines and esophagus in case of eating boiled rib and tubular bones;
• there is a high probability of intestinal obstruction arising from an abundance of gluten.

Yes, dogs like the product, but is it worth risking the health of a beloved creature?

To avoid negative consequences, spongy (brisket, shoulder blade) and porous bones are used for food.

What dogs can't eat

There are products that should not be given to pets for a number of objective reasons:

• sorrel. Its use causes acute gastritis;
• mushrooms, raisins, grapes. The products lead to the development of kidney failure;
• sausage, sausages, smoked meats, chips, crackers (unnatural). All additives except salt are prohibited;
• pork. Such food is too greasy and is likely to lead to obesity. In addition, there is a risk of infection with helminths;
• chocolate, sweets, any sweets, semolina, citrus fruits. In this case, the pet may have an allergy;
• milk. This product is not suitable due to lactose intolerance;
• pearl barley, peas, beans, millet are poorly digested and provoke flatulence;
• pasta. Because of them, pets gain weight quickly;
• onion, garlic. Their use causes anemia;
• small bones. They lead to injuries of the esophagus and intestines, as well as obstruction.

Vitamins

If the purchased feed already contains all the necessary elements, including vitamins, then in the case of natural food, the owners will have to think about this as well. Owners can give:

• natural products. These include seaweed, fish oil, brewer's yeast;
• complexes in the form of tablets. In this case, the purchase is possible only after passing the necessary tests and consulting with a veterinarian.

Adult feeding rules

Every owner who decides to feed a pet with natural food should know and follow the following recommendations:

• give only freshly prepared food;
• avoid large chunks, chop food in case of feeding dogs of small breeds;
• cooking river fish;
• do not use milk in the process of cooking porridge;
• give food processed the same way. For example, you can not eat raw vegetables together with boiled meat;
• don't season food;
• maintain the same time intervals between meals;
• freeze meat and offal to avoid parasites;
• periodically refresh the bowl with water so that it is always clean and cool;
• serve fish, meat and dairy products separately;
• feed hercules rarely and with caution. Frequent consumption of oatmeal in food can lead to inflammation of the paranasal glands.

Feeding depending on the breed

It is clear that it is not necessary to "comb all dogs under one comb". Each breed has its own characteristics, which is why the diet will be different:

• owners of dwarf breeds should feed them high-protein food;
• owners of very large breeds should give pets more cartilage;
• Japanese breeds, unlike all others, will prefer fish and seafood to meat;
• when feeding dachshunds, English bulldogs, basset hounds, you should pay attention to low-calorie food. These breeds are prone to obesity, so the owners will have to constantly monitor their weight.

Puppy feeding rules

Up to two months, the only food for babies is mother's milk or ready–made mixtures, if breastfeeding is impossible. It is allowed to use goat's or cow's milk, but only in case of urgent need and only for a few days. Feeding such products for a long period of time will lead to beriberi.

At the age of three weeks, puppies receive their first complementary food. These are meat, porridges and vegetables, ground into puree. After one and a half months, it is allowed to give fermented milk products (kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream). From four months – fresh cabbage and sea fish.

Frequency of feedings

Babies up to a year are fed depending on age:

After 1 year, pets are fed twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. More often it is undesirable, because the stomach will not be able to digest the incoming food, and the dog will suffer from a feeling of heaviness. And, on the contrary, if you feed 1 time a day, the rest of the time the pet will starve.

Portion calculation

When calculating the desired indicator, veterinarians advise to focus on some parameters.

In the table below, we will present the portion size depending on the age of the dog:

If you calculate calories, then experts recommend taking into account age for puppies, and breed for an adult dog. Below we present a table of calories per 1 kg of weight for puppies by month:

Next, let's look at how to account for calories depending on the breed:

Calculation of the daily portion (example)

Calculate the norms for husky :

• a six-month-old puppy weighing 15 kg;
• of an adult weighing 25 kg.

After completing the calculations, we will summarize them in the final table:

Menu for 7 days: example

To help the owners, we offer a simple menu for a week:

How to properly transfer a dog to a natural diet

To transfer the dog to a "straight woman" should be gradually. Start with one type of protein and cereals. Then add vegetables, other types of protein, cereals, low–fat dairy products and only at the end - fruits and berries. For example, boiled beef or turkey with a small amount of buckwheat is perfect for the first week.

Divide the daily diet into 7 parts. On the first day, 6/7 should fall on dry food and only 1/7 on natural products. The next day, reduce the proportion of "drying" to 5/7, and allocate 2/7 for products. Continue this sequence of actions, and by the end of the week the pet's diet will consist entirely of "straight".

If the dog is naughty and refuses to eat regular food, don't worry and wait 1-2 days. In many industrial feeds, especially inexpensive ones, manufacturers add flavorings and flavor enhancers. Because of this, the taste of natural products does not seem so rich and bright. When the taste buds are cleared, the dog will taste the food. At first, it is allowed to soak dry food and mix it with food so that it seems more fragrant. For the same purposes, wet canned food is suitable.

Carefully monitor the dog's well-being and its digestion. A slight decrease in appetite, as well as a change in the frequency, time of defecation and quality of stool in the first days are acceptable. In case of more serious violations, consult a veterinarian.