NATURAL FOOD FOR DOGS

A healthy diet for dogs is simple. It does not require a lot of cooking or fiddling about.

Feed Your Dog From These Food Groups

RAW MEAT: Beef, Chicken, Mutton, and Fish - do not feed only one type of meat to your dog Try and mix it up and keep to lean meat.

Meat alone is not a good diet for a dog. Even the dingo will eat some fur, bones and the stomach and contents. Meat contains NO calcium and a tiny amount of B vitamins and minerals. The minerals are in the bones.
The Vitamins are in organs and stomach contents (vegetables).
If you give liver, kidneys etc., cook with rice / pasta and vegetables to kill worms if the offal you use has not been cleared for human consumption.
Feed fresh raw meat. Any type of meat: beef, pork, lamb, chicken, fish kangaroo and rabbit if you can find it. It is best to VARY the meat type as they differ in fat content and the type of essential fatty acids.
Commercial tinned foods are convenient but expensive and can contain up to 70% water.
Although canned food for dogs may be  balanced with added vitamins and minerals it is a poor substitute for a natural diet. This applies more if your dog is unwell. Offal should only be added to the meat in quite small amounts, especially if you give cod liver oil
Vary the type of offal and don’t give it to your dog too often, because it is rich in vitamins which should not be over fed. e.g. the liver is high in vitamin-A.

 

CEREALS : Puppy or dog biscuits, human biscuits like Rye Vita.These supply a crunchy texture to the dog’s meal that the dog enjoys. It also adds a new flavour to its meal. Biscuits are a concentrated balanced food source, which can be the entire meal if nothing else is available or when physical demands require it. But remember it is concentrated so it is very fattening to under-active dogs. If kept airtight it will last, stay fresh, is readily available and is a reasonably cheap dog food for large breeds. Added to your dogs diet of meat, vegetables, rice and raw bones. ‘Biscuits’ are a well-balanced tasty treat for your dog Some dogs won’t eat biscuit – if they need the carbs all dogs love rice.
 If you buy dry kibble, ensure you buy the best.. Some brands are just full of bulking rubbish. Meat by products is a fancy name for grinding up bits that cannot be fed to humans and even include animals with tumors (TRUE)

.PUPPIES :At 4-5 months of age when a puppy is shedding baby teeth biscuits may be too hard, it’s gums may be too tender to crunch up the dog biscuits. It helps if you soak some of the puppy biscuits to soften them while it is teething.

EGGS: Egg improves the coat and is a good source of protein; vitamins D and B12, iron, chlorine, biotin  and sulphur. Eggs can be fed whole and raw. Eggs can also be fed with the white removed. i.e. yolks only! One or two eggs mixed with the meal once ot twice a week is good for your dog’s coat and a very good protein and vitamin source. (Raw egg white contains an enzyme that destroys the biotin in the yolk, cooking the egg destroys the enzyme! However, eggs contain a lot of biotin in the yolk. This compensates for biotin lost from the white if fed raw.

CARBOHYDRATES: Rice – brown or white ;  pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, and pumpkin. These are filling and provide extra energy to the dog. Cooked Rice & Pasta or Potatoes for dogs are a high-energy food sources. They  bulk up their dinner without large amounts of meat or fat.
Large deep chest breed of dog like the Great Danes, Boxer etc, should not be fed too much bulk at a time. Because of their anatomy they are prone to stomach torsion (twists), bloat, excess pressure on their heart and lungs. Instead, give small regular meals.

Carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, and pasta etc ), are all suitable diets for an active adult dog.
They may be flavoured with chicken broth, beef stock, a little tinned food. Carbohydrates are often the choice for failing. elderly  dogs. Cooked minced chicken is a good protein source at this stage of life.

VEGETABLES:  Green vegetables such as peas, spinach, broccoli, beans; carrots, pumpkin and cauliflower. Minced fine and added to other food or lightly cooked and chopped. Dogs often adore raw broccoli. These add Vitamin A and most of the B group vitamins.
You can use any vegetable except onions! Onions are toxic to dogs!!  I’m not a fan of garlic either. It may be used as a medicine in small amounts for a short period. It should not be part of the diet. Green vegetables such as peas, beans, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, squash, cauliflower and potatoes
But, be cautious of the amount of vegetables you use that are high in carbohydrates, like potatoes, because your animal may gain excessive weight if it cannot burn it off.
Also too much cabbage does create smelly farts.

The easiest way to arrange the vegetables for your dog, is when you prepare your own vegetables add an extra portion to the pot for the dog. Adjust the amount according to the dog’s size.
Then just mix it in to his / her dinner. Vegetables can be given raw as long as they are blended up into small bits.(pulped, minced or pureed).
Cooking vegetables softens them up and makes them more palatable, but over cooking destroys the vitamin content in them.

Vegetables are cheap and also a good bulking food for large and overweight dogs. Another vegetable  many dogs adore are green beans. My dog eats them frozen as a summer treat!

LIVE ENZYMES : Most dogs do not need this supplement. These increase the ability of the dog, to digest food and absorb it. The overall condition of the dog will improve, especially breeds prone to digestion ailments. Dogs, which are convalescing after surgery or illness and have been on antibiotics would also benefit. Enzymes fed  aily, mixed with the dog’s dinner no harm if they are not needed.
You can get live enzymes for dogs from your veterinarian. It is usually in powder form
Feeding natural unflavored yogurt to your dog is also good for replacing gut bacteria.

RAW BONES: It is very important for every single dog to have at least one meal per week replaced with fresh raw meaty bones. Bones are a natural source of calcium and energy, but they must be RAW.
CALCIUM can come in different forms that suit different breeds and the owner’s finances.

They are:
* Calcium powder
* Calcium Sandoz which is sweet..
* Calcium tablets – which are also flavored.
* Raw meaty bones.

Out of the above only the bones also clean the teeth and keep the dog contented. When bones are raw, the dog can grind up, digest and absorb them.It is also the easiest way to keep your pets teeth and gums healthy while also avoiding painful and expensive dental treatment. Grinding on marrow bones and knucklebones is fun. In  excessive quantities bones cause constipation. Too many bones in the diet will cause white, hard and dry faeces. By cooking bones you destroy the nutritional benefits of bones and cause them to become hard and brittle. This is when bones become a problem to your dog’s health. It not only makes them indigestible but also there is a risk of perforation  through the bowel wall causing injury to organs and the risk of infection from contaminated bowel contents.

In the wild, no one cooks the carcass that a dog has hunted for food. So don’t feed your dog any cooked bones! Raw Bones can safely be fed to your dog as a whole meal 2-3 days per week. Vary the types of bones, as it will be healthier for your dog. i.e.: pork, chicken carcasses, lamb, beef and rabbit.

COD LIVER OIL:  Only limited amounts, as the vitamins it contains are fat-soluble and can be stored. An excess of vitamin A can become a serious problem. 1 teaspoon a day is safe – half that for small dogs. Good for dogs with lung infections – especially repeat infections. Only give more if for a short period and when advised by your veterinarian, or myself.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS:  Most dogs fed natural foods do not need extra vitamins and minerals. They are only occasionally needed - i.e.: working farm dogs, breeding / lactating bitches, malnourished dogs, ill dogs, and bottle fed young puppies..
Vitamins can be added to the as drops or powder. If your vet has an interest in nutrition she should advise if extra supplements are needed. I prescribe herbs, omega 3 fats, glucosamine and MSM but almost never extra vitamins for a dog on this natural diet. If your veterinarian thinks they will help she will supply them. As well as from vets stock feeders will stock them..

If you are feeding a diet containing meat, vegetables, rice, raw bones and dry dog biscuits then a healthy dog will not require any additional vitamins.
Vegetables add vitamin A and most of the B group vitamins.
Eggs improve the coat and are a good source of protein, helping dogs recover from surgery or a period of poor nutrition or poor health. Eggs contain vitamins D and B12, Iron, chlorine and sulphur. I feed my dog 4 free range eggs a week. (raw)
Water-soluble vitamins will simply pass through the dog if they are not needed.
These are: (B Group vitamins, Vitamin C (Calcium ascorbate is best form for dogs – only  ¼ teaspoon for an average size dog.  Fat-soluble vitamins can cause illnesses if too much is given. These are: (A, D, E and K).
Mineral supplements can also do more harm than good if not given in a balanced amount. If you regularly feed raw bones you don’t need a mineral supplement for your dog.

Diana Thurbon Naturopath/Hebalist B.A. Research and Information Science, Ass Dip Soc. Science, Ass Dip Herbal Med, Dip. Counseling,. Senior Fellow AANMP.

16 Sep 2010

Last Update: 6 Feb 2011

Diana Thurbon Profile | Email | Website Diana Thurbon - Keysborough Clinic - Victoria Cost Effective and Confidential Consultations. Naturopath, Nutrition, Stress management, Lifestyle Advice Specialising in Female Health: Pre-Conception - Fertility - Chronic Conditions I can help you balance hormones, lose weight, have a healthy family, enjoy vibrant health; and get the most out of your life. Keysborough Keysborough VIC Australia 3000 03 9798 6862 - 0400 979 868