14/04/2024
What Dogs Need
I get a lot of questions asking for recipes, what do dogs need in their diet, how can I balance my dog’s meals?
They seem to think feeding their dog is difficult, takes a spread sheet, computer program, spread sheet or a ‘special ‘nutrition degree.
I have people show me recipes they were given, either by a book they read, or a that a ‘canine nutritionist’ sold them as a recipe or spreadsheet (i.e. there is no such thing as a canine nutrition degree but there are several weekend certifications). The prices are way out of bounds in most cases. Human nutritionists generally charge $80 to $125 and have college degrees. I have seen some weekend certified folks ask for as much as $350. It is absurd. My initial response is what a racket! Further, many sites recommend continued consults for more and more money. Not even human nutritionists try that racket. It is not hard to feed your dogs, and I can make it very easy for you! It is no harder or any more of a mystery than feeding ourselves.
And please note, feeding a raw or home cooked diet can make your dog much healthier! But no diet will bring longevity. That, unfortunately, is genetic. There is not a magic bullet, and don’t let anyone convince you there is such a thing.
I have seen every variation of these “paid for” diets. While most at least have meat, the bulk add such things as fruit, starches such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, beans, peppers, tomatoes and more, along with fruits, flax, herbs like parsley, thyme and dandelion and celery (and note, dandelion, celery and parsley are all diuretics). The recipes seemed to resemble a human recipe. Others would give their recipes names such as “meatloaf”, “stew “or even “casserole”. The meals that have the brightest colors has an appearance that appeals to people and used as sales points. Many dog owners seem reassured their dog’s meals look like their own (or at least what humans should eat) that appears to have meat, salad and a vegetable. One salient point though. Dogs are carnivores and have the need for three types of ingredients in a raw diet. Meat, bones, and organ meat. Half the diet needs to be meat with bones, and the other just meat and organ meat. Cooked diets need 75% animal-based foods such as muscle meat, organ meat, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese with 25% non-starch vegetables with NO fruit or starches. These can include zucchini, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans, to mention a few. These are simply included for their fiber, to produce formed stools, not for their nutrition or to ‘balance’ a carnivore meal. All the minerals needed are in the meat (naturally balanced) except the cooked diets need 900 mg of calcium carbonate per pound of food served. The bone in the raw diets provide the appropriate amount of calcium.
I see new books written with ‘new’ and ‘better’ recipes, which is absurd. We don’t change nutrition and diets for people, or suddenly come up with better, more advanced, and complex nutrition. We may change ideas on fat amounts, or types of protein for people, but this is not an issue for dogs. Dogs need animal fat and do not get plaque or clogged arteries. Dogs and people do differ. People are omnivores. They can grind food with flat molars and their jaws go up and down, as well as back and forth. That helps fiber foods to digest. Dog’s jaws can go up and down, but not back and forth. They have no flat molars to grind food (ie fibers, such as grains, vegetables, and fruits). Dogs’ teeth are designed to take down prey and rip and tear flesh to eat in great gulps. They are not built to chew and masticate foods.
PLEASE NOTE, according to the NRC (National Research Council), the gold standard for canine nutrition, dogs have NO nutritional need for carbohydrates. NRC is who decides canine nutrition needs and provide these to AAFCO. Although it seems AAFCO appears to ignore much of NRC’s information.
I see ‘nutritionists’ claim dogs need vegetables and grains, as they state dogs eat stomach contents of prey. That is also absurd. Stomach contents are bathed in digestive juices and are too bitter to consume. Dr Mech discovered that when he followed wolves for 25 years. After a killing, the stomach contents, and the skull were left over. The stomach contents are too bitter to be of interest and the skull is the hardest bone in the body. Please remember. Dogs need muscle meat, organ meat and bone. All of these can be ground for small dogs and even bought premade, but larger dogs are quite handy chewing chicken backs, turkey necks, pork neck bones, duck necks and pork tails! No need to add fruit, peppers, carrots, potatoes, or the rest of that nonsense. Give your dog the food they need.
Raw Diets: half of the diet needs to be consumable raw meaty bones such as chicken necks, backs, leg quarters, turkey necks, pork ribs or pork neck bones. The other half is muscle meat (beef, pork, wild game meat, rabbit, goat to name a few, green tripe) with 5-10% organ meat of either liver or kidney. Yogurt, eggs or cottage cheese can be added.
Cooked diets: 75% animal protein and fat based such as muscle meats, eggs, yogurt and some organ meat, with 25% low glycemic veggies such as zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and green beans. Add 900 mg of calcium carbonate per pound of food served.
You may add up to 50% fresh food to 50% kibble. Adding fresh food to any commercial dog food is an upgrade!
I suggest adding Bertes Immune Blend to any of these diets, and fish oil capsules (one per 10-30 lbs. daily.
https://b-naturals.com/products/bertes-immune-blend-1-lb
If you still have questions, I do nutritional consults. And I teach YOU how to make your dog’s meals. I don’t sell recipes; I teach you how to do it and in a simple and understandable manner. No spreadsheets, no computer-generated programs, just common sense. You can contact me on this at [email protected]. One fee, $99 and usually one consult does the trick. No hidden costs.
I also have a book with all this information in an easy-to-read format.
https://www.amazon.com/Raw-Natural-Nutrition-Dogs-Revised/dp/158394947X
AND, I have written articles once a month since 1998 and they are no cost and you can find them here: https://k9nutritionwithlew.com/newsletter-directory-by-topic
Bone Appetit! Please all the sources above, feeding your dog is quick and easy. It does not take rocket science, spreadsheets, or special programs. Your dog will love you for it!
Lew Olson started sharing her canine health information to her readers in the form of Newsletters in 1997 and over the past 23 years, she has shared 215 of them with her readers. This month we compiled and organized Lew’s Newsletters into in alphabetized categories. We have done this a couple of t...
