Dogs are members of the family and therefore should eat a diet that is as good and healthy as the food you eat. However, don't make the mistake of assuming that you can give your dog whatever food you eat. Dogs have different nutritional needs than humans, so you have to understand what it takes to make a balanced diet for them. Once you understand the balance of these nutrients, start making and feeding your dog a delicious home cooked meal.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Making a Nutritious Balanced Food
Step 1. Understand the difference between a domestic dog and a stray dog
Wolves and wild dogs can survive in the wild without a balanced diet. However, the average lifespan is much shorter. Wolves and wild dogs also eat in very different ways from domestic dogs. While you can feed your dog pure protein, stray dogs eat organs such as the kidneys, liver, brain and guts. These organs have more complex nutrients than the meat (protein) and rice (carbohydrates) available in the store.
- If you feed your dog a home-cooked diet that is nutritionally unbalanced, problems can arise for years to come. This is because even though they are not losing calories, the dog may be lacking in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
- For example, the dog may be fine for weeks or years, but the dog may develop fractures in his leg some time afterward due to a long-term calcium deficiency.
Step 2. Seek professional help with the preparation of the meal
Unfortunately, you can't just look at recipes that look good. Since there are no specific indicators for a dog's nutrition, you must have a food specially designed for your dog by a veterinary nutritionist. For example, puppies need twice the calories (per 0.5 kg) that adult dogs need. Meanwhile, older dogs need 20% fewer calories.
Basic foods, even those designed by veterinarians, are often lacking in nutrients. A study analyzed 200 prescriptions made by veterinarians and found that the majority of them were deficient in at least one key area of nutrition
Step 3. Learn how to prepare food properly
After getting a special recipe for your dog, process the food properly so that the vitamins and minerals are preserved. Always make sure to follow the directions carefully. If the recipe calls for chicken meat and skin, then prepare chicken meat and skin. Don't throw away the skin as this can throw off the fat balance. You should also measure the weight of the ingredients carefully using a scale and not a measuring cup as the results can be inaccurate.
- So that nutrients are maintained, do not boil vegetables for too long. Instead, try steaming and serving some vegetables raw to preserve the vitamins.
- Don't improvise or substitute ingredients. This can disrupt the nutritional balance.
Step 4. Complete calcium in dog food
Dogs have high calcium requirements. Although you can give them bones, your dog is at risk for health problems because the bones can scratch the lining of the colon and cause painful inflammation and septicemia (blood infection). Instead, you can give calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or powdered egg shells. 1 teaspoon equals about 2200 mg of calcium carbonate and a 15 kg adult dog needs 1 gram (half a teaspoon) daily.
Bones can also coalesce within the colon and cause blockages that require surgery to remove them. If given a bone, it will also be difficult to judge whether or not the dog is getting enough calcium from the calcium it eats
Part 2 of 3: Making Food
Step 1. Add protein
An adult dog weighing 15 kg needs a minimum of 25 grams of pure protein a day. You can give them eggs (which contain many of the essential amino acids a dog needs), and animal protein, such as chicken, mutton, or turkey. Sources of good quality vegetables such as nuts, seeds, and eggs that are high in protein are also able to complement the diet. Try to make sure that at least 10% of your dog's food is made of good quality protein (meat).
Proteins are made of amino acids. There are 10 amino acids that dogs cannot produce on their own and must be in their diet
Step 2. Add fat
An adult dog weighing 15 kg (approximately the size of a medium Staffordshire bull terrier) needs at least 14 grams of fat a day. You can make sure your dog gets fat from his diet by including chicken meat or skin. Preferably, at least 5% (weight) of dog food comes from fat.
Fat contains fat-soluble vitamins that are important for health. Fats also play a role in cell reproduction, ensuring that cells work properly
Step 3. Add carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a dog's main source of calories. Carbohydrates should account for half of a dog's diet. An active 13.6 kg dog needs about 930 calories a day. To make sure your dog gets it, include oats, rice, oats, and barley in his diet.
Carbohydrates provide energy (though some also come from protein and fat). Carbohydrates also provide fiber which is important for stomach health
Step 4. Add minerals
Some of the minerals that dogs need are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, iron, and copper. Mineral deficiency can cause a variety of problems including weak bones that are prone to fractures, anemia, or weak nerve conduction and can cause seizures. Foods, especially fresh vegetables, contain varying levels of minerals so it is important to find out the full details first to make sure that your dog's food contains enough minerals. Add vegetables with high mineral content to your dog's diet, for example:
- Leafy greens (raw or cooked), such as spinach, kale, spring greens, brussel sprouts, bok choy, and chard.
- Butternut squash (cooked)
- Radish (cooked)
- Sweet potato (cooked)
- French chickpeas (cooked)
- Okra (cooked)
Step 5. Add vitamins
Vitamins are an important part of a dog's diet. Vitamin deficiency can cause problems such as blindness, weakened immune system, skin lesions, and susceptibility to infections. Since vitamins are found in varying degrees in some foods, give your dog a variety of vegetables. Green vegetables in general are good sources of vitamins and minerals. However, some dogs don't like the taste and tend not to eat it. Leafy greens can also be served raw, but be aware of the risk of bloating.
- Do not cook vegetables too long because the vitamin content will be lost.
- Vegetables that you don't normally eat raw on their own (such as turnips, swede, sweet potatoes, or potatoes for example) should always be cooked to prevent the risk of colon obstruction and make them digestible.
Part 3 of 3: Feeding Dogs
Step 1. Know the amount of food to give your dog
You should do some research on the number of calories your dog needs to keep the dog from becoming overweight or losing weight. Calorie needs are different for each dog. For example, an 18 kg dog does not need twice as many calories as a 9 kg dog simply because it weighs twice as much.
- You can look up some basic daily calorie requirement charts for dogs to find out how many calories your dog needs based on their weight.
- Once you've found general guidelines for your dog's weight, also consider any lifestyle changes that require adjustment (such as pregnancy, obesity, dog's age, and whether or not the dog is neutered). For example, a 4.5 kg puppy that is less than 4 months old requires only 654 calories. An older, neutered dog of the same weight only needed 349 calories.
Step 2. Find out what types of food are toxic to dogs
Many people know that chocolate is harmful to dogs. However, there are some other foods that are also toxic to dogs even though they are safe for humans to eat. When trying new recipes, always double-check whether the ingredients are safe for dogs or not. Never give the following foods to dogs:
- Raisins
- Wine
- Onions (including onions and chives)
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Chocolate
- Avocado
- Yeast dough
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Artificial sweeteners
- Xylitol
- Macadamia nuts
Step 3. Make a backup plan in case you run out of food
If your dog's food is cooked every 4-5 days, you probably won't have much of a problem. However, you may sometimes run out of food or experience problems because your dog has a stomach ache and needs a softer food. In both cases, a home cooked meal consisting of chicken and rice can be given because it is easy for the intestines to digest and can be a short-term solution when you run out of your usual food. Do not give rice and chicken in the long term because these foods lack minerals and vitamins.
- To prepare chicken and rice, use 0.14 kg of boiled chicken breast and mix it with 0.3-0.5 kg of rice. Do not add fat or oil to the chicken.
- Give the food in an amount similar to the food you usually give. Use your judgment when doing so. Usually, the amount given is about 0.18 kg of chicken and rice per 4.5 kg of body weight.
Tips
- For convenience, cook dog food to stock up for one week at a time. Freeze the rest of the dog's daily serving separately.
- Remember to move the next day's supplies of food from the freezer to the refrigerator's refrigeration compartment to give out the next day. Keep a note in the refrigerator to remind you to do it every day.
- Warm food to room temperature with hot water. Then, add the required supplements like vitamin C, hemp oil, salmon oil, vitamin E, etc.
- Keep in mind that some foods (like grapes, raisins, chocolate, etc.) are toxic to dogs. So, first check the food you are going to use.
