Your pooch is part of your family, so it makes sense for him to eat as healthy as you do. However, do not mistakenly think that you can feed him with what you put on the table: dogs have different nutritional needs than people, so you will need to find out about the foods that make up a balanced diet for your furry friend and, once you understand what the nutritional balance, you can start preparing delicious home-cooked meals for him.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Establish a Balanced Diet
Step 1. Learn the difference between how a house dog eats and how a dog that lives in the wild eats
Wolves or wild dogs can survive in the wild without eating a balanced diet. However, their life spans are significantly shorter on average. In addition, they eat very differently than house dogs are used to: while the latter have easier access to the consumption of complete proteins, dogs that live in nature eat organs such as kidneys, liver, brain and even the contents of the intestine, therefore their nourishment is more complex than that which characterizes the simple diet based on meat (proteins) and rice (carbohydrates) that can be purchased in the store.
- If your dog follows an unbalanced diet based on homemade foods, health problems may begin to appear after a few years, as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are likely to be more deficient than other caloric substances.
- For example, a dog may be fine for weeks or years, but after some time it will run the risk of fracturing a leg if there is a prolonged calcium deficiency in its diet.
Step 2. Seek professional help in establishing a balanced diet
Unfortunately, you can't just consider the recipes that seem tastier to you. Since there is no one-size-fits-all rule regarding canine nutrition, to promote the health of your dog it would be advisable to use a diet specially designed by an animal nutrition expert. For example, a puppy needs nearly twice as many calories per kilogram of body weight as an adult dog while growing up, while an older dog needs 20% less than an adult dog.
Basic diets, even those created by veterinarians, often have nutritional deficiencies. One study analyzed 200 recipes devised by veterinarians: most of them proved inadequate in at least one major area of nutrition
Step 3. Learn how to prepare food correctly
Once you have a precise recipe, process the food correctly so that it contains vitamins and minerals in the right proportions. Always make sure you follow the instructions strictly. If the recipe tells you to cook unpeeled chicken, that's what you need to do: don't remove the skin if you don't want to run the risk of ruining the fat balance. Also, you should take care to weigh the ingredients, using a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups, in order to be more precise.
- To preserve nutrients, do not over-boil the vegetables. Instead, try steaming them and serving them partially raw to keep the vitamin content intact.
- Do not improvise and do not substitute ingredients. There is a risk of compromising the balance of nutritional principles.
Step 4. Add calcium to your dog's diet
The nutritional needs of these animals include a high calcium intake. Even if you give your pooch a bone, know that this habit still carries some risk to his health. The bones, in fact, can chip, scratch the intestinal walls and cause painful inflammation that can lead to septicemia (blood infection). Instead, try adding calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or finely shredded eggshells. A teaspoon corresponds to about 2200 mg of calcium carbonate: an adult dog weighing 15 kg needs 1 g per day (half a teaspoon).
The bones can also agglomerate inside the intestine and cause intestinal obstructions that must be removed surgically. It is also very difficult to know when the dog has gotten enough calcium from the bones he is gnawing on
Part 2 of 3: Prepare to Eat
Step 1. Include proteins
A 15kg adult dog needs at least 25g of complete protein per day. They can include eggs (which contain a high amount of the essential amino acids needed by dogs) and proteins of animal origin, contained for example in the meat of chicken, lamb or turkey. It is also possible to integrate high-quality plant sources into the dog's diet, such as high-protein legumes and seeds. Make sure that at least 10% of your dog's diet is made up of quality proteins (i.e. from meat).
The complete protein is made up of small "building blocks" called amino acids. There are 10 amino acids that dogs cannot make on their own and therefore must be provided by what they eat
Step 2. Add the fats
An adult dog weighing 15 kg (about the average size of a Staffordshire bull terrier) needs at least 14 g of fat per day. Make sure your furry friend gets them in the right quantities, including red meat or chicken skin in his meals. It is recommended that at least 5% of your diet be made up of fat (by weight).
Fats contain fat-soluble vitamins, essential for staying healthy. They also play an important role in the proper functioning of the new cells produced by the body
Step 3. Include carbohydrates
They make up the majority of the dog's caloric needs. In particular, half of his diet should consist of carbohydrates. A 13 kg dog leading a fairly active life needs around 930 calories per day. To make sure your four-legged friend gets them, include wheat, rice, oats, and barley in his meals.
Carbohydrates provide a large part of the energy requirement (another part comes from proteins and fats). They also contain fiber, which is necessary for healthy bowel functioning
Step 4. Include minerals
Dogs need calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, iron and copper, to name a few. A mineral deficiency can lead to a number of problems, including weakening of the bones, risk of fractures, anemia, or poor electrical conduction of nerve cells, which can lead to seizures. Each food has a different mineral content, particularly fresh vegetables which require careful research to ensure that the supply of these substances is complete. Try to include the following high-mineral vegetables in your pooch's diet:
- Green leafy vegetables (raw or cooked), such as spinach, kale, kale leaves, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, and Swiss chard.
- Pumpkin (cooked).
- Turnip (cooked).
- Parsnip (cooked).
- Green beans (cooked).
- Okra (cooked).
Step 5. Add vitamins
Vitamins are extremely important in dogs' nutrition. Their deficiency could cause a series of problems such as blindness, weakened immune system, skin lesions and a predisposition to contract infections. Since vitamins are not found equally in all foods, offer your furry friend a variety of vegetables. Generally, leafy greens are a great source of vitamins and minerals, but some puppies don't like the taste and tend to leave them in the bowl. You can serve them raw, but don't underestimate the risk of flatulence.
- Avoid overcooking vegetables, as high temperatures destroy the vitamins contained in food.
- Vegetables that you would not normally eat raw (such as turnips, swede cabbage, parsnips or potatoes) should always be cooked, so that they are digestible and do not cause intestinal obstructions.
Part 3 of 3: Feeding Your Dog
Step 1. Know how much to feed your dog
You will need to do a research to find out how many calories your dog needs to keep him from getting fat and not losing too much weight. The caloric requirement of a dog does not follow rules that are valid for every animal. For example, an 18kg dog does not need to double the calorie intake needed by a 9kg dog just because he weighs twice as much.
- Try looking for various charts that illustrate your dog's daily calorie needs. They will give you an overall idea of the calories your furry friend needs based on his weight.
- Once you have found the general instructions on calorie needs in relation to weight, consider making the necessary changes based on your puppy's lifestyle: keep in mind if he is pregnant, obese, spayed or neutered and how old he is. For example, a 4.5kg puppy who is less than 4 months old needs 654 calories, while a neutered and older one, who always weighs 4.5kg, only needs 349.
Step 2. Learn about toxic dog foods
Many people know that chocolate is harmful to these animals, however there are also other foods suitable for human consumption, but toxic for dogs. When looking for a new recipe, always take care to check that the ingredients are not dangerous for your dog. Therefore, do not give him:
- Raisins.
- Grape.
- Onions (including shallots and chives).
- Garlic.
- Tomato.
- Chocolate.
- Avocado.
- Yeast dough.
- Caffeine.
- Alcohol.
- Artificial sweeteners.
- Xylitol.
- Macadamia nuts.
Step 3. Make a backup plan for when you are low on food
If you cook for your dog every 4-5 days, you definitely won't have any major problems. However, it is likely that you are missing something from time to time or that your furry friend, suffering from stomach pain, will need to eat less heavy meals. Either way, a home-cooked food diet that contains chicken and rice is highly digestible and will provide an immediate fix for when you run out of food. In any case, avoid feeding your pooch exclusively with chicken and rice, as they may suffer from mineral and vitamin deficiencies in the long run.
- To make a chicken and rice meal, combine 230g of boiled chicken breast with 400-600g of boiled white rice. Do not add fat or oil.
- Portion volume should be the same as what you normally give to a dog - based on your judgment. It usually equates to about 75g of chicken and rice per 4.5kg of body weight.
Advice
- For convenience, cook your dog's food so that you have enough supplies for a week. Freeze them by dividing them into daily portions.
- Remember to move the next day's portion from the freezer to the refrigerator. Put a note on the counter so you don't forget.
- Warm the food to room temperature with some hot water, then add the necessary supplements, such as vitamin C, linseed oil, salmon oil, vitamin E, and so on.
