General principles of feeding
Before feeding your dog natural food, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic principles of formulating diets, depending on the breed, age, and condition of the pet. Not all owners are ready to devote a lot of time and attention to menu creation. Without this, such food can become harmful and even dangerous.
What should the diet consist of?
It is necessary to think in advance about the diet for adult dogs and puppies. Natural food for dogs should include the following products:
- Meat. It is not necessary to cook meat or offal, as they can be given to animals raw.
- Vitamin complexes. Must be included in the diet of purebred dogs and ordinary mongrels.
- Fermented milk products. These foods should be included in your dog's daily menu.
- Vegetables. They are given along with vitamin complexes. At the same time, you need to feed the dogs vegetables, grated on a fine grater.
- Cereals. They must first be boiled and only then given to the pet.
Important! Only meat products that have been frozen in the freezer for at least three days can be given raw.
Product percentage
Meat is the basis of any dog’s diet
Before thinking through a menu with natural food for dogs, you need to understand the optimal ratio of products.
The basis of the diet of any dog, regardless of breed, should be meat. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that for each kilogram of weight there is no more than 30 grams of meat products. Based on this, a dog weighing 15-20 kilograms should eat 350-400 grams of meat daily.
Important! If by-products are used instead of meat products, they will have to be given twice as much.
In percentage terms, natural dog food is as follows:
- 50% meat products or offal;
- 20% cooked cereals;
- 20% fermented milk products;
- 10% vegetables with fruits.
It is allowed to give lean sea fish instead of meat once a week.
Meat component
It is imperative to purchase quality meat from the market. This can be good meat trimmings, liver, lung, spleen and cartilage. There should be fewer by-products, but they are also very important. You can boil them in advance and freeze them in portions, then cooking will not take much time. For daily feeding you will need 40% (of the total daily diet) meat, and 30% each of cereals and vegetables.
The best vegetables to take are carrots and beets; you can add potatoes, zucchini, and onions. It is best to simmer vegetables in meat broth until completely softened. Porridge for dogs also plays an important role in nutrition, so we will now talk about the grain component in a little more detail.
Meat: what and how much to give
Chicken is the best dietary meat for dogs.
Do not forget that dogs are considered predators and therefore you need to prepare meat dishes for dogs more often. They contain a lot of protein, which the dog's body needs. Among the most common meat products given to dogs are the following:
- Beef. Beef meat is considered a good homemade dog food. They can be fed to Labradors, bulldogs, Spitz dogs, Chihuahuas and even dachshunds. Beef contains a lot of vitamins, proteins and fats.
- Chicken. Many dog breeders prepare chicken food for their dogs. This is quite nutritious meat, which contains many useful components. However, you need to be careful when feeding your dogs chicken, as it sometimes causes allergies.
- Turkey meat. You can prepare tasty and healthy food for your dog using fresh turkey meat. It contains a huge amount of vitamins, ash and acids. The doggies' body absorbs this meat well and quickly digests it.
Important! You should not give your pet only turkey meat. Along with it, you should give the dog other meat products.
How to cook tasty and healthy porridge for your pet
To prepare a dish that will arouse your pet’s appetite, and also allow you to convey all the wealth of vitamins and microelements contained in the cereal, you must follow some rules when preparing porridge:
- Taking into account the nutritional value and composition of cereals for a specific animal (sex, activity, health);
- Using clean utensils and quality products;
- Cooking with water (milk is acceptable for puppies);
- Long cooking time compared to the human version;
- Minimal use of salt;
- Elimination of spices and seasonings;
- Cooking a dish with meat, vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, bell pepper, carrots), herbs;
- The addition of vegetable oil (sunflower, flaxseed, etc.) and bran will have a positive effect.
It is allowed to use one grain during cooking ( monokashi ), as well as a mixture of the healthiest types of grains. For example, you can add 2 parts of oatmeal, 0.5 parts each of rice and buckwheat to the required volume of water and boil until tender.
The following recipe will also be delicious:
- Pour water into a saucepan.
- Place finely chopped meat on the bottom and boil until half cooked.
- Add 150 grams of rice and buckwheat.
- In 20 min. Before the end of cooking, add diced vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, sweet pepper, carrots).
All feeding masses must be fresh; it is not recommended to store them for more than a day. In the interval between feedings, it is necessary to put the product in a cold place, warming it up before serving.
It is not recommended to serve ice-cold or too hot food.
Best Recipes
With proper preparation of food from the recommended cereals, the pet will eat it with appetite, storing energy and useful elements. There are several popular recipes.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is rich in iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, proteins, vitamins B and P. It can be consumed by animals from a very early age.
The recipe for making the perfect porridge is as follows:
- Sort and soak the cereal for 15 minutes in water.
- Drain the liquid.
- Pour 2 parts water and boil.
- Add 1 share of buckwheat and add a little salt.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes. By reducing the heat, it is possible to increase the time if the kernels do not crumble.
- Add ready-made chopped meat and vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, sweet pepper, carrots) or feed it to your pet in its pure form.
Rice cereal
Rice is one of the healthiest types of cereals, which also has a hypoallergenic composition. It contains vitamins of groups B, P, K, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, and vegetable proteins.
To prepare porridge, you must adhere to the following scheme:
- Take 1 part of rice , rinse several times until the water runs clear.
- 2 parts of water into a thick-walled saucepan and boil.
- Add rice and add a little salt.
- Cook for 7 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low, simmer for another 15 minutes. without disturbing.
- In 5-10 minutes. Before readiness, you can add chopped vegetables.
- Remove from the burner, add boiled meat if necessary, and place in a warm place for another 20 minutes.
Barley
Yachka is rich in fiber, iodine, phosphorus, iron and calcium, but is not very high in calories. Porridge recipe:
- Sort and rinse 1 part of the cereal .
- Pour 2.5-4 shares of liquid .
- Fill the cell, stir, remove floating particles.
- Bring to a boil, add a little salt and vegetable oil if necessary.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Simmer the porridge for 20 minutes. , stirring so as not to burn.
- In 5-10 minutes. Before the end of the process, you can add vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, sweet pepper, carrots), and add chopped boiled meat to the finished dish.
Wheat
This cereal contains fiber, starch, choline, vitamins A, E, C, H, and has a low glycemic index. The recipe for preparing the dish is completely identical to barley porridge.
Millet
This millet product is rich in phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamins E, PP. The cooking process looks like this:
- Sort and rinse 1 part of the cereal .
- Pour the product into the bottom of a deep container.
- Pour 3 shares of water .
- If necessary, add salt and oil.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for about 40-50 minutes .
- Shortly before readiness, you can add vegetables, and at the end of the process - meat.
Semolina
This product is very nutritious and promotes weight gain . However, it is not particularly rich in useful elements, although it contains calcium, iron, and zinc.
Recipe for making porridge:
- Take 1 liter of water.
- Mix half the serving with 6 tbsp. semolina, adding it in a thin stream and stirring.
- Leave the mixture for 5 minutes.
- Place the second part of the water in the pan on the stove and bring to a boil, reduce the heat.
- Pour the semolina liquid into the pan little by little, stirring well.
- Cook for a couple of minutes , then remove from the stove and let it brew in a warm place.
If semolina is being prepared for a puppy, you can make it with milk. The process looks like this:
- Pour approximately 40 ml of water into the bottom of a stainless pan.
- Add 1 liter of milk.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
- 6 tbsp in a thin stream or through a sieve. semolina, stirring constantly.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes. , then remove from the stove and leave warm for 20 minutes.
The porridge burns quickly, so it must be constantly stirred with a fork and cooked at the lowest temperature.
Useful article on the topic: “Puppy nutrition: diet planning, daily menu, features and important nuances.”
Corn grits porridge
Corn dishes contain healthy fatty acids, nickel, copper, phosphorus, iron, and many vitamins.
Recipe:
- Sort and rinse 1 part of the cereal .
- Pour 2.5-3 shares of liquid .
- Add corn grits and stir.
- Bring to a boil, add a little salt and vegetable oil if necessary.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Simmer the porridge for 20 minutes. , stirring so as not to burn.
- In 5-10 minutes. before the end of the process, you can add vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, sweet pepper, carrots) and add chopped boiled meat to the finished dish.
Oatmeal or rolled oats
Oat products contain betaglucan, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamins B, A, E.
Oatmeal is an unprocessed whole grain; rolled oatmeal is the trade name for small flat flakes obtained from raw materials.
The latter require less time of heat exposure and form a more tender porridge. Whole oatmeal cooks for at least an hour, but has more benefits.
Porridge is prepared from regular cereal as follows:
- Pour 1.5-2 parts of water into a saucepan and boil.
- Add salt if necessary, reduce heat.
- Add 1 part of the flakes .
- Cook for 10-15 minutes .
You can add boiled vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, cucumber, bell pepper, carrots) and meat to the finished dish. Hercules is prepared in the same way, reducing the cooking time to 5-7 minutes. , or simply steaming them with boiling water. Whole grains require cooking for at least 60 minutes.
Grains in the diet of a domestic dog
When preparing a menu for a dog for every day (natural), the list of dishes must include boiled cereals. With their help, you can supply your pet’s body with energy and a large amount of useful microelements. There are several grains that dogs should eat regularly:
- Millet. You can cook millet porridge for your dog, which is considered very healthy. It cleanses the body of accumulated toxins and also improves the digestion process.
- Rice. Rice porridge is suitable for dogs who need dietary nutrition. It can also be given after a pet has been poisoned by food.
- Buckwheat. Buckwheat flakes are ideal for thin dogs, as they will help them gain weight faster. Also, such food improves the functioning of blood vessels and the heart.
Chicken treats
Ingredients:
- 200–300 gr. chicken fillet (diced).
- ½ boiled rice.
- 3 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped).
- 1 egg.
Preparation:
- Mix rice, flour, egg and parsley.
- Dredge the chicken in the mixture.
- Place the pieces on a baking sheet.
- Bake at a temperature of up to 130 degrees until cooked and crispy.
Vegetables in dog food
Vegetables are the main source of vitamins.
Vegetables are the main source of vitamins. They also contain fiber, which helps remove toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. Even though dogs are considered carnivores, there are several vegetable foods that should be included in their diet:
- zucchini;
- carrot;
- sweet pepper;
- beet;
- pumpkin.
Important! In addition to the above vegetables, broccoli and cucumbers are added to the daily diet. You can also periodically give tomatoes and cabbage leaves.
Fermented milk products
Dogs can get protein not only from meat, but also from milk or fermented milk products. However, milk is not for everyone. For example, spaniels should not be given boiled or fresh milk. Also, fermented milk products should not be fed to older dogs. They do not produce lactose and because of this, dairy products are digested less well.
Many veterinarians recommend giving fermented milk products instead of milk. You can add the following to your diet:
- yogurt;
- fermented baked milk;
- kefir;
- curdled milk.
The above products promote digestion and also improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. But you shouldn’t give them a lot. 10-20 ml per day is enough.
Focus on the individual characteristics of the pet
When choosing a pet for yourself, be sure to consult a breeder or veterinarian about its proper feeding. A healthy, adult dog without any family history can eat almost any cereal without harming its health. An example is the German Shepherd, which can adapt to almost any diet.
The correct dog porridge should be chosen much more carefully if we are talking about small puppies or a breed with digestive problems. These are the majority of decorative breeds that have a long path of genetic mutations behind them. Animals with congenital pathologies, metabolic disorders, or those who have suffered serious illnesses are no exception. In any of these cases, the choice is limited to buckwheat and rice. If an allergic reaction is observed (redness of the ears, itchy skin), then the cereal component is limited to brown or brown rice.
Fruits in a dog's diet
Fruits are ideal for strengthening your pet's immunity.
People who don't know what to cook for their dog can feed it fruit more often. Such natural food will saturate your pet’s body with vitamins and also help strengthen the immune system.
Fruits should be given chopped or grated. It is better not to give whole fruits to dogs, as they can choke on them. Among the berries and fruits that are given to pets, the following are distinguished:
- gooseberries to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- apples to strengthen the coat;
- blueberries to improve vision;
- currants to strengthen blood vessels;
- pears to prevent heart disease.
Yachka or wheat
These are the cheapest cereals, which are often chosen for feeding pets based on their price. Barley porridge sticks a lot after cooking, so it is recommended to cook it only for one time. Wheat porridge also suffers from this, although its composition is more interesting. It is advisable to season it with oil after cooking so that it does not stick together too much. In terms of protein and amino acid content, as well as in terms of nutritional value, these cereals are much inferior to those described above, so they are recommended to be used as an additional rather than a main feed.
Acceptable Additives
Eggshells are a good way to strengthen bones.
There are several inexpensive nutritional supplements that can be given to dogs:
- Fish fat. This supplement is very useful as it contains vitamin complexes and antioxidants. Adding fish oil to the diet improves the condition of the coat and also helps restore damaged tissue.
- Egg shell. Eggshells are considered a good source of protein, which is necessary to strengthen muscles or coat. It also contains a lot of calcium, which strengthens bones.
- Bran. They contain fiber, which promotes digestion. Therefore, it is necessary to add bran to your pet’s diet.
- Seeds. You can give your pets sunflower seeds, which contain a whole range of beneficial microelements. They contain amino acids, as well as manganese, calcium, magnesium and iron.
- Vegetable oil. It is also quite often added to the diet of small and adult dogs. It has a beneficial effect on blood vessels, hair and skin. You can also get rid of constipation using vegetable oil.
- Garlic. It is given to dogs to prevent the appearance of parasites. It is necessary to give your pets half a garlic clove every week.
Buckwheat is the main source of protein
When talking about what kind of porridge to cook for a dog, first of all we need to mention this queen of the cereal kingdom. It contains an optimal amount of protein, a set of essential amino acids, is easily digestible and does not put too much strain on the digestive organs.
It is recommended to soak buckwheat in cool water before cooking. After about 20 minutes, the water can be drained along with the husks. Now the cereal is ready for cooking. Pour it into a saucepan and fill it with water in a ratio of 1:2. Cook until the liquid evaporates, then cover with a lid and leave to brew. By the way, the butter we all love will not be superfluous if the cereal is boiled in water. If you use meat broth, then do not abuse additional fats.
What to cook for a dog by day of the week
To organize natural food for dogs, a menu for the week, you can prepare the following dishes for your pet:
- Monday. Breakfast should be light. You can prepare some milk porridge. In the evening, it is better to feed your pet broth with a small amount of meat.
- Tuesday. The second day of the week should start with boiled vegetables. After lunch, the dog is fed fermented milk products.
- Wednesday. In the morning you can feed the dog grated vegetables and beef. In the evening you need to feed the dog kefir.
- Thursday. For breakfast, fish and vegetables chopped in a blender are given. Your pet can have yogurt for dinner.
- Pyatnik. In the morning and at lunchtime, you can give your dog stewed vegetables and meat. In the evening, the dog can snack on bran or oatmeal.
- Saturday. For breakfast, cereals with meat are given. For an evening snack, dried fruits and dairy products are used.
- Sunday. You can make the end of the week a fish day and feed your pet fish.
Many dog breeders want to feed their pets natural food. However, before doing this, you need to familiarize yourself with recipes for preparing dog food or, for example, with a table of natural dog feeding.
Cheese treats
Ingredients:
- 4 cups whole wheat flour.
- 2 cups grated cheese.
- A little sunflower oil and water.
Preparation:
- Mix flour and cheese.
- Add liquid to obtain a very thick mass.
- Place in mounds and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.