How to properly feed your dog natural food on a small budget

Why is natural food better?

Natural food is a similar set of products. You don’t need any skills to prepare a healthy menu for your dog at home. Usually, even heat treatment is not needed.

The standard diet includes:

• fermented milk products;
• raw meat and offal;
• fresh vegetables, unsweetened fruits;
• bran, dried fruits, cereals.

The main advantage of homemade food is the ability to choose a menu depending on the age and physiological characteristics of the pet, as well as its preferences and health status.

Buying products yourself allows you to double-check their quality and freshness, choose a processing method, and limit the duration of storage.

Dogs that eat natural food always have healthy teeth and a healthy jaw. Because thorough chewing allows the muscles to receive the necessary load.

Nutritional value of various offal products (table)

For those who independently compile a diet for their pet, I am posting a table of nutritional values ​​for some offal. It is more correct to take into account the BZHU norms, and not the calorie content.

Prohibited Products

Feeding your dog natural food requires a careful approach. Since there is a high risk of a histamine (allergic) reaction and the development of gastrointestinal diseases (gastrointestinal tract).

This is interesting: What not to feed dogs

It is strictly not recommended to include such cereals and products in your pet’s diet as:

• legumes: beans, corn, peas;
• baked goods;
• pickles and smoked meats;
• cabbage;
• spicy seasonings;
• bananas, potatoes;
• sweets;
• flour and semolina;
• tubular bones.

Expert opinion
Anna Abramenko

An avid dog lover. Experience in veterinary medicine since 2009.

Ask a Question

If there is peeling, redness of the skin, purulent discharge from the eyes and nose, indigestion, or baldness, you should pay attention to the pet’s menu. Most often, the reason lies in eggs, poultry, seafood, products made from wheat or oatmeal, and food additives.

Identifying an allergen is not easy. You will have to “put” the dog on a strict diet, gradually adding new foods to the diet. Keeping a feeding diary helps.

Cat stew.

900 g cat meat, thinly sliced ​​across the grain. 700 g potatoes, boiled and diced. 2 large onions, chopped. 2 large carrots, cut into 1 cm thick slices. 2 leeks, chopped. 2 celery sprigs, chopped. 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic. 1.5 glasses of red wine. Flour. Butter. One pinch each of rosemary, oregano and paprika. Salt and pepper to taste. Parsley or coriander, finely chopped.

Skin the cat and remove the ribs, using only the back. Trim the fat from the loin and slice the meat thinly. Dip the pieces in flour and fry in a frying pan until lightly browned. Boil the potatoes, simmer other vegetables in butter until half cooked. Place the meat in a pot, pour in the wine and simmer for an hour until the gravy turns brown. Add vegetables to the pot and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Serve with polenta, a traditional northern Italian porridge made from corn flour, which can be replaced with corn puree.

Based on materials from the book Extreme Cuisine. Jerry Hopkins.

Eligible Products

The correct menu is the key to not only the physical, but also the psychological health of the animal. Therefore, it is important to feed your dog approved natural food.

Dog handlers recommend including in your daily diet the following foods:

• lean meat (turkey, beef, lamb) and fish;
• vegetables and fruits;
• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, unsweetened yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk);
• bran and oils (vegetable, flaxseed or olive);
• cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal, rice).

Raw meat is allowed for your pet only after treatment with boiling water. The most common foods that cause allergies in dogs are chicken and pork. Therefore, they should be administered with caution.

The fish is served fresh frozen or boiled. But it needs to be deboned or chopped in a blender.

It is important to give your dog meat soups with cereals or vegetables. They are the main source of complex carbohydrates that provide your pet with energy. The exception is cabbage. It causes flatulence and increased gas production in the animal.

This is interesting: 9 vegetables allowed for dogs

It is recommended to give boiled eggs to dogs no more than 2 times a week, and milk is only useful for puppies. Adults replace it with yogurt or kefir.

Pears and apples, as well as dried fruits, are allowed. They contain no less useful microelements than fresh ones, and animals like their taste.

Which cereals are undesirable for inclusion in the diet and why?

Barley, peas, beans and other legumes are not recommended for dogs. Such food is poorly digested. The animal may experience constipation, gas, and allergic reactions.

The dog needs nutritious food. Therefore, food should be varied. Includes cereals, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, lean meats, and grains. But even minor disturbances in feeding lead to metabolic failure. This can be avoided by preparing the correct diet taking into account the age, weight and breed of the animal.

Dog's diet

A dog’s good appetite and digestion depend on compliance with feeding standards and time. Thanks to this, she develops a reflex and synthesizes gastric juice. Adults need to be fed twice a day.

Free access to food is also allowed. At the same time, the dog eats more often, but in small portions. But single meals are prohibited. Regardless of the volume, the duration of processing is from 6 to 8 hours; the animal will be hungry for the rest of the day.

The two meals a day are divided into equal or different parts depending on the animal's preferences. Some individuals prefer to have a hearty breakfast, while others will not fall asleep without a hearty dinner.

Expert opinion

Anna Abramenko

An avid dog lover. Experience in veterinary medicine since 2009.

Ask a Question

Once a dog has developed its own diet, it is impossible to change it. It is worth taking into account her preferences, even if they do not coincide with the generally accepted standard.

There are no rules regarding how to properly feed a dog, before or after a walk. But eating before walking will reduce his interest in street garbage.

But an hour's rest after eating is a guarantee of healthy metabolism. At this time, it is worth protecting the animal from active activities and games with children.

For a puppy

Puppies are fed as soon as their eyes open. This usually happens 14-15 days after their birth. A characteristic feature of the early period of dog development is rapid growth.

Expert opinion

Anna Abramenko

An avid dog lover. Experience in veterinary medicine since 2009.

Ask a Question

By six months, she doubles her body weight. Therefore, a puppy’s daily caloric intake is much higher than that of an adult dog.

In the first month after the birth of the baby, you should strictly adhere to the recommendations of the seller or club, balance the diet and accustom him to the regime.

Interesting article: Feeding a puppy from 1 month to a year: sample menu and nutritional rules

The number of feedings depends on age: 5 times a day - up to 3 months, 4 - before 6 months and 3 - after six months. By one year, the puppy is considered mature and can switch to two meals a day.

Delicious and inexpensive DIY dog treats

You can buy them and use them right away: walk in, take them, put them in your pocket and enjoy them for your health. They work, and, I must say, quite well. But sometimes among dogs there are such fastidious infections that the devil himself is no brother: store-bought treats cause rejection at the genetic level. Simply put, if they don’t want to eat cheese and sausages, give them something cosmic.

And here people's ingenuity comes to the rescue. Many owners have managed to cook absolutely armor-piercing delicacies without spending a lot of time or a lot of money. I saw this, tried to give it to dogs, appreciated the effect and now I want to share it with you. Because I am sure: there are no “non-food” dogs, there are lazy owners who could not offer the dog something that it will really like.

A few years ago I came across a crazy beagle who just didn’t want to eat cheese, sausage, or anything else. It was necessary to invent some kind of magical remedy so that the dog would fly towards us at full speed. I asked the owner what makes a dog drool the most when the family sits down to dinner? It turned out that it was from fried chicken breasts. Bingo!

At my request, the hostess fried chicken breasts for the dog, without oil, without beating, but cutting them into thin slices, about 1-2 cm thick. It took so much time for the meat to become as hard as possible, but not burnt: poorly fried breasts can fall apart into fibers, and this is terribly inconvenient. By cutting them into small pieces, we received a delicious delicacy, which, as we later became convinced, allowed us to achieve significant progress in learning.

Chicken and turkey

Dogs always love chicken breasts. Photo: namenu.ru

I know, I know: chicken can cause allergies. It's clear. In this case, replace the chicken with turkey and get gorgeous, almost 100% hypoallergenic delicacies. By the way, if your dog is particularly picky, you can fry his meat with a little salt, and when the breasts are simmering under the lid, put a couple of bay leaves on them. In a word, make it tasty for you, then the dog won’t refuse.

If you’re too lazy to bother with cooking, but still need to make tasty treats, you can do it easier. Take raw chicken or turkey breasts, cut them into cubes of about 1-1.5 cm, dump them in a colander and pour boiling water from the kettle over them. This will be enough for the meat to simmer and become convenient for working.

Bread crumbs

There are enough crackers from two “Edges” for the lesson. Photo: A. Smirnov

The simplest and safest treat is crackers. The best choice is decent grain bread like Bourget or something like Krayushki: these varieties are very aromatic and dogs like croutons made from them much more than those made, for example, from Stolichny bread.

Cut the bread into pieces approximately 1-2 cm in size, depending on what kind of dog you have, place on a baking sheet and place in a preheated oven. I confess: before writing this note, I tried to make croutons myself (I confess, I used to only use those that clients gave me). It turned out very well. Gas stove, exposure time is about 10-15 minutes, temperature 180-200 degrees. Experiment a little with the time, the task is to lightly simmer the crackers on top, leaving the middle soft. Yum!

Let the prepared crackers cool and pour into a bag or jar. To make them more attractive, add a slice of sausage or cheese: the bread absorbs odors perfectly and you will have a tasty treat with a pleasant aroma for your dog. No extra calories, no fat, just healthy carbohydrates and fiber. Pros: low price, ease of preparation and storage, minimal risk of unwanted side effects or allergies.

The disadvantages include only a narrow scope of application: not all dogs like crackers. Mine, for example, began to turn up her nose at them. Sassy. Okay, let’s say you have a picky dog ​​like me that doesn’t like simple crackers. Let's try further.

Beef tripe

Cooking tripe is fun for the strong-willed. Photo: povarenok.ru

For the brave and desperate, boiled beef tripe is an excellent option. It looks creepy and smells even worse, but the dogs are delighted. I won’t recommend it to everyone, since the neighbors of the experimenting owners will anathematize me. Although this is probably a good way to get rid of them.

So: buy fresh beef tripe, cook it for about an hour (there is no point in taking too long), then cool it. Salt and seasonings may not be added. Cut the cooled tripe into pieces approximately the same size as the crackers and divide into portions. For the lesson, there is enough quantity that can easily fit into a faceted glass, plus or minus half a finger. Place the portions in bags and put them in the freezer. Do you want to exercise in the evening? In the morning you take the bag out of the freezer and by evening you get an excellent treat. Cheap, cheerful, but terribly smelly. No side effects were noticed, no allergies. Brrrr!

Let's quickly move on from tripe to something more satisfying: liver, heart or lung snacks. Beef or lamb by-products are excellent, but it’s better to stay away from pork by-products. What exactly to take depends on the dog’s gastronomic preferences, the availability of a particular product and individual contraindications.

Boiled and dried beef liver

The liver can be boiled or dried. Photo: photorecept.ru

Liver delicacies turn out incredibly tasty, the dogs are absolutely delighted and happily run to their owner to get another piece. Just be sure to keep in mind that liver is a rather capricious product and can cause stomach upset in some dogs. So before you make a bunch of snacks, give your dog some liver and see how he handles it. Plus, boiled liver smells quite strongly and noticeably stains your hands, so it’s not always convenient to work with it. Be careful with the quantity: liver is the most high-calorie of all the listed by-products.

It’s very easy to make delicious treats from it. Cut fresh liver into several large pieces and boil for half an hour. You can add a little salt as an additional preservative, you don’t have to add seasonings, and change the water during the cooking process as desired.

Boiled liver, like tripe, can be cut into cubes, divided into portions and placed in the freezer. In principle, this will already be enough. But the deliciousness potential of liver is much higher, and I would recommend having some more fun with it.

Place the liver cut into pieces on parchment, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven at a low temperature, no more than 60-80 degrees. In a conventional oven, this can be done by lowering the temperature regulator to a minimum and opening the door slightly. To keep the door closed, stick a small piece of wood into the gap - I use an old bottle opener.

Drying time is from 3 to 6 hours, some of my clients simply leave the liver in the oven overnight. The smell is not too strong, and neither is the heat. After three hours, the liver dries out, but remains soft, but overnight it turns into awesome crackers, very convenient for studying. The main advantage of dried liver is that there is no strict need to store it in the freezer. The finished liver sits quietly in the refrigerator, and even if you forget the bag in your jacket pocket after an evening walk, it will not turn into a mass grave by the morning. Yes, the liver dries out, so don’t chop too much when slicing.

Inexpensive, healthy and very tasty! Photo: @Apollinaria

While I was getting ready to write an article, I was suggested another recipe for liver delicacies. Grind 400 grams of liver and 2 raw carrots in a meat grinder, add 2 eggs and small oat flakes with flour, mix thoroughly. Flour and flakes by eye to make the dough tight. Form the resulting dough into balls of a size suitable for the dog and bake for 25 minutes at 200 degrees.

Boiled beef heart

Beef heart: convenient, low in calories and very tasty. Photo: rutxt.ru

The heart is much less fatty and the least messy of all offal when it comes to cooking. It doesn’t smell as strong as tripe or liver, it cooks quickly, but for some reason dogs don’t really like it. However, as they say, it depends on the taste and color.

The heart, like the liver, must be cut into large pieces before boiling. The layer of fat that covers it is easier to remove after boiling. Place in boiling water, cook for half an hour, removing the foam with a slotted spoon, then change the water and cook for another half hour. You don't need to add salt. All the nastiness will be boiled out of the heart and it will be convenient to work with it.

Cool the finished heart, remove the fat, cut into small convenient pieces and divide into portions into bags. Freeze the bags accordingly. The goodies are ready. Perhaps the heart can be additionally dried in the oven, but I have not heard of anyone experimenting with this. Pieces of boiled heart are quite dense, so they are easy to work with and do not stain your hands and clothes too much.

The fat content of the finished heart is low and, accordingly, there are very few calories. But again, it is worth keeping in mind that, like any offal, heart in large quantities can cause stomach upset and, naturally, problems with individual intolerance. I have encountered heart allergies extremely rarely.

Boiled and dried beef or lamb lung

During overnight drying, the lung turns into convenient chips. Photo: A. Vasilkova

Easy is perfect in every way except cooking. Having bought fresh lung, you will have to either boil it or freeze it before you start doing anything with it - cutting, drying, and so on. But at the same time, there is almost no fat in it, it does not boil down or dry out like liver or heart, and dogs go crazy for it. Therefore, if you have free time and products in the store, beef or lamb lung is an absolute priority - these are the most convenient and most effective delicacies of all that I have tried. They work almost flawlessly.

So, before preparing delicious light chips, the product must either be frozen or cooked. With freezing everything is clear, boiling will not cause any particular difficulties either. The lung, cut into large pieces, is cooked for about 20-25 minutes, without adding salt and spices. There is no particular point in soaking it before boiling, but you will have to remove the foam during the cooking process.

Cut the boiled or slightly thawed lung into small portions (do not chop it too much, it will still dry out), lay it out on parchment and place it on a baking sheet in a preheated oven. As in the case of liver, the drying time is on average from 3 to 6 hours, the temperature is about 60 degrees. After 3-4 hours, the lung remains soft, retaining moisture inside; when dried overnight, it turns into gorgeous chips. The advantages are obvious: there are a minimum of calories, the cost is literally a penny, storage does not cause problems, allergies are rare. And most importantly, the dogs are delighted.

Life hack from advanced owners: to dry meat products, you can use an electric dryer for mushrooms and fruits. Just be careful: during the drying process, fat and moisture are melted from offal, which can seriously stain the dryer. If the design of the device allows, then place the food on parchment.

Dried vegetables and fruits

Dried apples also rule, don’t be surprised. Photo: littleshaggeryfarm.co.nz

And by the way, a dog doesn’t live by meat alone. There are quite a few four-legged companions who are not averse to eating dried fruits and vegetables. Apples and carrots, dried apricots, pears and bananas are used. If you already have an electric dryer at home, you can use its full potential. Experiment! Yes, and I will be glad if you share with me your recipes for “dog joy”.

Liked? Subscribe to my YandexZen channel and see pictures on Instagram.

© 2019-2022 Alexander Smirnov @kinologsmirnov.ru. Respect the work of the author: copying any part of the material is possible only with indication of authorship and a link to the source.

Sample menu for the week

Food recipes may vary. But to find out what should be included in the diet of an adult, you can use the table.

A sample menu for a dog may vary depending on its food preferences. Natural food will cost less than premium ready-made food, which is suitable for families on a small budget.

Dog meat in sweet and sour sauce.

450 g dog meat, cut into thin strips 5 cm long. 1 yellow or red pepper, seeded and cut into pieces. 4 onions, diced. 1 tbsp. spoon of ketchup. 2 teaspoons vinegar. 3 tbsp. spoons of red wine. 1 tbsp. spoon of corn flour. 3 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil. Salt pepper. 4 tbsp. spoons of sugar. 1 tbsp. spoon of soy sauce. 4 glasses of water. Oil for deep frying.

Batter:

2 beaten egg yolks. 2 tbsp. spoons of flour. 2 tbsp. spoons of water.

Drizzle half of the red wine over the meat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, then add ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, remaining wine, cornflour and 1 teaspoon salt. Make a dough from eggs, flour and water. Heat the deep-frying oil in a wok or regular frying pan to 175 degrees. Dip the meat into the batter and fry until crispy. Remove meat from pan and keep warm. Clean the frying pan, heat the vegetable oil in it, add the peppers and onions and fry for 1-2 minutes. Then add the previously prepared mixture and, stirring, let it thicken. Dip the meat into the resulting sauce. Serve hot with rice.

Vitamins

Supplements for dogs are usually available in tablet form. They have an attractive aroma and taste. For particularly picky individuals, multivitamin complexes in powder or drops are suitable.

This is interesting: 10 tips on how to accustom a puppy to dry food

They are mixed into food or water, and also applied to the animal’s tongue. The drug is selected on the recommendation of a veterinarian, taking into account the breed and its weight.

Calcium, phosphorus and phytin are needed by puppies and adults for the formation and maintenance of bone tissue. But constantly adding vitamins to your diet is not recommended. They should be given in courses with a break of 2 weeks to 3 months.

For dogs receiving natural feeding, dog handlers and veterinarians advise choosing natural mineral supplements.

But ready-made pharmacological preparations (yeast SFK, Canina, Welpenkalk) can provoke a histamine reaction or indigestion in the animal.

What porridge to cook for a dog on special occasions

The large amount of hydrocarbons in corn porridge helps with intestinal inflammation. Thanks to cereals, rotting and fermentation of food in the intestines is reduced.

For dogs with a diseased digestive system, semolina is suitable, as the low fiber content will play a role.

Wheat cereal contains a lot of starch, which helps cleanse the intestinal walls of undigested residues.

Buckwheat is recommended for liver diseases, rice stimulates digestion. The conclusion suggests itself that any cereal is useful to one degree or another. But in order to introduce cereals into the diet, you need to consult a veterinarian.

Features of caring for a pregnant and lactating dog

While carrying puppies, the female requires a special diet, with an increased amount of vitamins and microelements. Therefore, it is important to know what to give your pet during pregnancy and lactation. Your veterinarian will help you create an approximate menu for the week.

As soon as it becomes known that the dog is pregnant, its portion is gradually increased or an additional meal is introduced.

A month before the puppies are born, the amount of fat is reduced and the amount of protein is increased. When feeding babies, it is necessary to increase the energy value of food for the mother dog.

Eating dog and cat meat, recipes for dog and cat dishes.

Ms Bordeaux's new endeavor came to prominence when the animal rights organization she founded called on football fans to avoid attending the World Cup in Seoul unless the consumption of dog meat was banned by law in Korea. And all restaurants that have dog meat dishes on their menu will not be closed.

If in the so-called West her approach did not seem extravagant at all and was and is shared by many, then in other parts of the world, in particular in many Asian countries, it did not meet with understanding. Not only in Korea, but also in large parts of Southern China, including Hong Kong, most countries in Southeast Asia, and some regions of Latin America, dogs and cats are perceived as an affordable source of animal protein.

, just as Amundsen ate his sled dogs in the last century. In 1975, British correspondent John Swain was held hostage at the French embassy in Phnom Penh after the Khmer Rouge captured the Cambodian capital.

There was no end in sight to our stay as internees, and food shortages were becoming increasingly acute,” he writes in his book River of Time (1996). Reluctantly, the Corsican adventurer Jean Menta and a mercenary named Borella, who tried to stay in the shadows so as not to be recognized, strangled and skinned the embassy cat. The poor animal struggled desperately for life, and both men were brutally scratched. Not everyone decided to try curry cat. The meat turned out to be tender, like chicken.

In 1996, several cats were skinned and roasted in Argentina under the light of media jupiters, causing outrage across the country and attracting the attention of legislators. The press and politicians wondered: Are people really so poor that they are forced to eat domestic animals? The answer, naturally, was positive. That same year, in Australia, Member of Parliament Richard Evans recommended that the public do everything possible to reduce by 2020 the number of stray and domestic dogs and cats, which was estimated at 18 million and was believed to kill up to 3 million birds and other animals each year.

John Wamsley, managing director of Earth Sanctuaries, went further, urging people to catch and eat stray dogs and cats, and advising, in particular, to appreciate the taste of stewed cat tails. The public and press were indignant. The cat does not always end up in the pan out of necessity. In 1996, Mr. Wu Lianguang, owner of Guang's Dog and Cat restaurant in the southern Chinese city of Jiangmen, told reporters. Things are going as well as possible. The richer the Chinese become, the more concerned they become about their own health. And then there is nothing better than cat meat.

In the 1990s, in the northern provinces of Vietnam, in addition to dog meat, cat meat appeared on the menu of many restaurants, which is considered an effective remedy for asthma in this area. They also believe that a dish of four cat gall bladders marinated in rice wine helps to induce or enhance sexual desire. Cat meat was served raw, marinated, grilled, and also stewed in snack pieces with vegetables in a Mongolian cauldron.

According to a report by Agence France Presse, about a dozen specialized cat restaurants have opened in Hanoi district alone, each eating up to 1,800 cats each year. The average price per dish in just two years has increased from 3.5 to 11 dollars. Cat meat, which is generally not as fatty as dog meat, was popular among Hanoi gourmets until 1997, when the government banned the business. Cause?

Nevertheless, dog and cat meat is still considered a delicacy in the country. Dishes from it are on the menus of local restaurants, although this is not advertised.

Tips and tricks

To ensure that feeding your pet natural food is balanced, you should follow the following rules:

1. Follow recommended serving sizes. Excess food, as well as its lack, has a bad effect on the dog’s health.
2. After eating, put the remaining food in the refrigerator.
3. The daily norm is divided into 2-3 times.

It is forbidden to salt dishes for dogs. Spices and seasonings negatively affect their digestion.

1. Buy a bowl and stand. Food should be in front of the animal at chest height. This contributes to the formation of his correct bite.
2. Provide access to clean water. Even with natural feeding, the dog requires a sufficient amount of liquid.
3. Maintain the ratio of meat and other ingredients. Saving on food, increasing the amount of cereals and vegetables at the expense of meat has a bad effect on your pet’s health.
4. Vary the amount of food based on your dog's appetite. However, you cannot indulge constant requests for more.
5. Do not feed your dog the same foods every day.
6. Do not plan active activities before and after feeding.

Feeding your dog natural food does not mean eating food from the owner's table.
It is important to create a balanced menu and take a responsible approach to her diet. At first, you can use ready-made tables or discuss the diet with the breeder from whom the puppy was purchased. Of course, natural food will require time and money, but the benefits from it will be much greater in comparison with ready-made food.

How dogs attack people

The tragedy occurred in Ramenskoye near Moscow. The dog attacked the child and then mauled the Yorkshire terrier the boy was walking. According to the victim’s mother, neighbors had seen Alabai in the yard before.

— The child went out into the street from the entrance, there is video footage. And you can see how the dog from the second entrance rushes towards them,” the woman said.

For one bite-1

Photo: IZVESTIA/Alexander Polegenko

Has a tooth: in Mytishchi a fighting dog was set on a woman

Dog owners neglect safety rules and legal requirements

Later she met with the owner of the alabai. He said that he picked up this dog and does not consider himself guilty. The mother of the injured child has already filed a complaint with the police.

News about attacks by domestic dogs on people regularly appear in the media throughout Russia. For example, in July, a resident of Novosibirsk was injured during such an incident. She was bitten by a dog whose drunk owner was walking him without a muzzle. As the girl walked by, the pit bull jumped up and grabbed her stomach. After the incident, the victim filed a complaint with the police.