New to Feeding Homemade? 3 things to note
Common question asked is, "What should I look out for when starting to feed my dog homemade?"
1) nutrients & deficiency
This was one area that I did not understand till I went back to school to study canine nutrition.
- vitamins, minerals and fats need to be fed in certain minimum amounts
- if these are not in fed in sufficient amounts, nutrient(s) are deficient
- long periods of nutrient deficiency can cause health issues ~ things in the body start malfunctioning / breaking down
- insufficient zinc can lead to weakened immune systems & skin issues
- calcium deficiency during puppyhood can lead to growth issues
- 5 nutrients need attention when making homemade meals - find out what these 5 are in our basic homemade meals for dogs course (click for link)
Summary from a research study - nutrients deficient in 200 homemade recipes (click for link):
More about calcium:
2) how frequent to feed complete & balanced
- a recipe with all nutrients at minimum recommended levels is complete & balanced
- you do not need to feed complete & balanced recipes 100% of the time
- minimum nutrient levels recommended for dogs are buffered quite a bit to accommodate pet food ingredients used which have lower bioavailability
- if using real whole foods, ensuring you feed using a complete and balanced recipe 50% of the time for adult dogs will avoid nutritional deficiencies
- for puppies up to 13 months old, it is best to feed complete & balanced recipes at least 75% of the time
FEDIAF 2021 Guideline (page 26) - excluded in 2024 update (click for link):
More about complete & balanced:
3) use different recipes frequently, especially during seasonal changes
Some dog parents tend to feed the same recipe or 2 or 3 recipes over and over again. The thought is this is sufficient as it provides all the nutrients needed. On paper, from a minimum nutrient perspective - all nutrients are present ~ but it overlooks the emerging importance of what is good for the gut.
- we advise using a different recipe every month at least ~ we try to feed our dogs at least 30 different ingredients each week
- food diversity is linked with health aging in dogs (click link)
- seasonal produce develop with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support the specific health requirements of each season
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seasonal ingredients is a natural and intuitive way of feeding to provide the right nutrients at the right time
Our 'Basic Homemade Meals & Dog Nutrition' course demystifies canine nutrition. Comes with a meal creation tool that helps you create nutritionally balanced recipes. Click here to find out more.
