All About Natural Dog Food

Natural food or ready-made food - each dog owner decides this issue independently. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. The pros and cons of natural food will be discussed in this article.

The main advantage of natural dog food is its variety. In addition, the owner sees what ingredients make up the menu and, most likely, will not feed the animal with expired or low-quality products. While in most feed of economy, premium and even super-premium, it is not always possible to track the quality of the original component.

Natural food is usually recommended for dogs with allergies, pets with a weak gastrointestinal tract.

This is the disadvantage of such food - the owner must know what products are allowed on the dog's "table", be able to combine them in the correct ratio. In addition, such food will cost more than most feeds (with the exception of holistic feeds and some super-premium brands).

In addition, natural nutrition requires time and effort from the owner. It is necessary to take care in advance about the disinfection of meat (if it is given raw), about the preparation of porridge, fish. Of course, for a loving owner, if he made a choice in favor of a straight woman, this will not be a big problem. Difficulties can arise if there is a need to leave and leave the animal in a zoo hotel or in the care of friends or relatives.Not every “successor” has the desire and ability to continue feeding as usual.

To answer this question, experts and experienced breeders recommend turning to the BARF system developed in 1993. It is based on the idea that the dog needs to be fed with meat products, and his diet should be as close as possible to the diet of a predator in the wild. To be more precise, it is meat and poultry, together with cartilage, veins, eggs, herbs, roots.

In the diet according to BARF, several products occupy a leading position.

• Raw meat with veins, cartilage (beef, lamb, horse meat, chicken, turkey meat, rabbit meat).
• Bones - they are given raw. Moreover, there should be approximately the same amount of meat and bones in the diet of a tailed friend. This is also the necks and heads of birds, it is important to always remove the beak, cow's tails, mosles.
• A fish - a source of phosphorus and Omega-3. Fish, unlike meat, should be given only boiled, hake and pollock are preferred here.
• Offal - poultry offal, heart, lung, trachea, liver, beef trimmings.
• Vegetables - in this system, vegetables are also given raw. Carrots, zucchini, bell peppers, pumpkin, cucumbers, cauliflower are allowed, tomatoes, beans (green beans, not beans), white cabbage should be present in a smaller amount in the diet. Within the framework of this food system, it is proposed to puree vegetables, although it is permissible and simply to chop them finely.
• Fruits and berries represented by apples, pears, blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries. Most fruits, even the named ones, contain a lot of fructose (sugar), which is detrimental to the health of the dog. Apples should be green, sour, and pears are the same.
• Fresh herbs It is also a source of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, improves digestion, promotes the removal of wool lumps from the intestines. These are young dandelion leaves, nettle leaves (first pour over them with boiling water, then cool), parsley, lettuce, and seaweed.
• Eggs - there are several restrictions, since this product is given raw, and only the yolk, so 1-2 times a week is enough.
• Dairy products allowed in the dog's food system. They can be represented by kefir, natural (unsweetened) yogurt, yogurt.

Carbohydrates can come with cereals, especially since they provide satiety for the animal. However, you should not give empty porridge - you will get a "skew" towards carbohydrates and a "shortage" of protein. In addition, the digestive system of the dog is not designed for grains, they are still predators.

The main cereals allowed on the dog menu are rice and buckwheat. They can be given daily, alternated or mixed. The palm tree belongs to buckwheat, and rice can be recommended to dogs with inflammatory bowel processes, after poisoning. Rice is a natural absorbent, but rice porridge contains a lot of starch, so for dogs with excess weight or diabetes mellitus, this cereal should be "cut back" in the diet.

Once a week, provided that the dog is not allergic, it is allowed to feed the dog with rolled oats (long cooking), barley and millet porridge. Porridge should not be sticky, in such a consistency it is less digestible. Recipes can be found in cookbooks for each type of porridge. In general, this is 1 part of cereal for 1.5-2 parts of water.

You should not cook semolina, corn, pearl barley porridge, as well as analogs from legumes. They do not carry nutritional value to the body, moreover, they are not absorbed by the animal's body and can provoke indigestion. Corn and pearl barley, in addition, often provoke the appearance of dermatitis and other skin reactions. A semolina even cause volvulus.

In addition to food, you should take care of nutritional supplements for your pet, in particular - healthy fatty acids. They can be obtained from special fish oil for dogs, burdock, olive or flaxseed oil. It is recommended to take care of vitamins B, C and E, and bran is usually given to improve intestinal motility.

It is believed that dogs can be fed with compound feed. This is a big misconception. The compound feed is suitable for birds and herbivores, but dogs are predators, they have a different structure of the digestive system.

You should not give pets bread and baguette, buns, buns:

• there is a risk that the crumb will close the throat and the pet will begin to choke;
• the same soft lump will be digested for a long time, which means that the risk of fermentation in the intestine increases;
• Finally, the bread treats do not bring anything useful to the dog.

Potatoes are also controversial in the dog's diet. It should be noted right away that if the root vegetable is the only vegetable and even more so - the basis of the diet, the latter cannot be called useful.

But as a supplement, baked or boiled potatoes will not harm your pet. In a week for an adult, 1-2 tubers are enough; for puppies, this dose is reduced to 1 / 2-1 of a potato. Many dogs love a raw root vegetable, so from time to time you can pamper them with a couple of slices of uncooked potatoes (it is necessary to peel and rinse).

Young potatoes are considered the most useful, since a dangerous substance - solanine - accumulates in tubers during storage. It forms under the skin and can cause food poisoning. Starting at the end of winter, it is better to refuse potatoes in the dog's diet, or at least peel the root vegetable before boiling or baking.

As for pasta, they (like potatoes) do not carry great nutritional value for the dog's body. However, for a change, this product can be included in the pet's menu, especially since a quality product gives a feeling of satiety for a long time, while 1-2 times a week will be enough. An important rule is that pasta should be of hard varieties; they should be offered to a pet only in boiled form.

A little higher we have already said that bones are good for the dog and even recommended by the BARF system... However, this applies to chicken heads (they are carefully plucked and the beak must be cut off), necks, wings. Dogs should not be given chicken legs, since they are tubular, which means they can cause injury to the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus.

You can not give the dog raw river fish, because in most cases, in this form, it becomes a source of helminthiasis. However, even boiled river fish is not the best option, as it contains a large number of small bones and does not provide the dog with Omega-3... Sea fish can and should be given to a dog, but raw is also undesirable.

The following should be strictly prohibited:

• sweets, including biscuits (with the exception of special dog biscuits) and sweet fruits;
• smoked, spicy and salty foods;
• onion and garlic;
• fried foods;
• from cereals - soybeans, semolina, pearl barley, corn;
• grapes and raisins;
• raw egg white can provoke dermatitis and "unplanned" molt (raw yolk is given only, in boiled - both white and yolk).

When compiling a menu, it is important to take into account not only the daily calorie intake and the number of meals, but also the ratio of useful nutrients. The simplest formula for a proper home-based diet for a dog is as follows:

• meat - 60-70% of the diet;
• vegetables and herbs account for 15-20%;
• for fermented milk products - 15-20%.

Already from the age of one month, the puppy can be accustomed to meat, giving 100-200 grams per day. For an adult, this figure can grow up to 0.5 kg per day. Bones with offal can also be classified under the “meat” category, but it is unacceptable to completely replace meat with them. Meat pieces should not be lean, the best option is a small percentage of fat. Otherwise, fat can be added to food separately.

Some pets may be allergic to certain types of meat. Most often, cases of intolerance are provoked by chicken. Fatty lamb can be poorly tolerated by puppies and young dogs whose digestive systems are not yet fully developed. But rabbit meat for puppies will be an excellent option, since it is considered hypoallergenic, but at the same time a very nutritious type of meat.

The best option is to feed the meat raw. You can avoid infection of the dog by first freezing the pieces for 12 hours, and before giving them to the dog, defrost the meat at room temperature or scald it with boiling water. An important point - this type of disinfection is not suitable for pork and pork offal. The risk of preserving parasites even after scalding with boiling water is very high, so pork is given only in boiled form.

Periodically, you need to pamper your four-footed friend with cartilage, for example, a beef scar. It is useful for the formation of the cartilage tissue of the dog. Beef tripe is a section of a cow's stomach that is covered with muscle fibers. In appearance (for a person) it looks very unappetizing, resembling a bag covered with nap, the smell also cannot be called pleasant. Before treating your pet, the scar must be thoroughly frozen. You can also boil it (3-4 hours over low heat). It will be possible to reduce the unpleasant smell during cooking if you buy an already peeled tripe.

During feeding, meat should be combined with vegetables and herbs. You can give vegetables as a separate meal. It is imperative to add unrefined sunflower or olive oil to the vegetable component. For puppies and dogs of small breeds - a few drops, for large individuals - up to a tablespoon per day.

It is unacceptable to offer fermented milk products to your pet at the same meal. The latter usually serve as an independent snack, sometimes combined with cereals. The fat content of the "sour milk" should not be high. Optimally - from 2 to 5%, but completely low-fat foods are also not suitable, they are poorly absorbed by the intestines. It is better to refuse fermented baked milk, ayran, as they can cause fermentation in the intestines.

There is no need to purée food (an exception is food for sick, very old dogs and puppies up to a month old). The pieces should be quite large, which allows the dog to train the jaw system during the meal, to clean plaque from the teeth. Dogs do not chew food, but immediately swallow a piece or gnaw off a piece of a suitable size. Cut into pieces, taking into account the size of the animal's jaws.

Raw vegetables can be chopped or coarsely grated. Apples and carrots can be cut into cubes or strips, the dog will chew them on its own. It is better to add bran to fermented milk products.

When drawing up a menu, it is important to remember not only about permitted and prohibited products and their ratio, but also some other principles:

• components are prepared separately (disinfected or boiled, cut), and mixed only in a bowl;
• dog food does not require salt and spices;
• one of the most important principles is that you cannot combine ready-made food and natural nutrition, this is fraught with the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in addition, in this case, it is difficult to control the amount of food eaten, the ratio of nutrients in the dog's diet.

A dog on a natural diet must be given additional vitamins. Preference should be given to ready-made vitamin and mineral complexes, since their composition is maximally balanced and suitable for a particular dog.

Several individual vitamins are most essential for a dog.

• Vitamin C. Vitamin C is not produced by the animal's body, so it must come from outside. Since food usually lacks "ascorbic acid", it is necessary to give it separately.
• Vitamin E (tocopherol). It is an antioxidant, found in large quantities in vegetable oils. Since they do not form the basis of the dog's diet, the body may be deficient in vitamin E.
• B vitamins. They are contained in cereals, but if the dog eats according to the BARF system, there will be an obvious lack of these vitamins in the diet. The solution is to buy the pharmacy version and add to food following the instructions.
• In winter, vitamin D is also recommended for dogs. But as soon as sunny days come, it is much more correct to walk with your pet in the sun, since vitamin D is actively produced at this time.When using a pharmacy counterpart, the dosage should be carefully observed, since hypervitaminosis in the case of vitamin D occurs very quickly.

To calculate the amount of food you can use the formula:

• daily dosage of food for puppies up to 6 months - 6-7% of its weight;
• the daily dosage of an adult (over 6 months) is 2-4% of its weight.

For example, for an adult dog over 6 months old weighing 15 kg, the calculation of the daily amount will be 600 grams (15 multiplied by 0.4). For a puppy of the same weight, but under 6 months old, 1050 grams of food (15 times 0.7).

It is important to observe the balance of the BJU when building the daily pet menu. The table will help to calculate the required amount of food:

In this case, the lifestyle of the animal, its age, state of health and even the season should be taken into account. In the heat of summer, the dog may eat less. Young, active and working dogs eat more, pregnant and lactating females can also increase the daily dosage by 4-5%.

The portion must be eaten by the dog at one time. If food remains in the bowl, you are likely overfeeding the animal, which can lead to obesity over time. If the portion size has not changed, and the dog suddenly cannot "master" it, it is logical to suspect that the pet is unwell. In this case, you need to carefully observe his behavior.

If the dog is undernourished, then the bowl with the leftovers should be removed after 20 minutes. They will have to be thrown away and the leftover food should not be given to the animal during the second meal. Food for the animal should be at room temperature.

An adult dog after 8 months is usually fed twice a day - morning and evening. In the first half of the day, you can give cereal with a fermented milk product, in the second half - meat with vegetables. Puppies up to 5 months old are fed 5-6 times a day, at 6-7 months 3-4 meals a day are enough. After 8 months, they switch to 2 meals a day.

It is important to feed your dog at the same time. This is useful for digestion and for accustoming the animal to the regimen. As a rule, after feeding, the dog is taken outside for a walk and for natural needs. If you are planning intensive training with a pet, then they are allowed only an hour and a half after eating.

For tips on natural feeding for dogs, see the following video.