Healthy Dog Home-Prepared Diet Recipe Example

This healthy dog diet plan is designed to feed an average 5 kg (11 pounds) dog.  For larger dogs, just multiply portions for every 5 kg (11 pounds) of body weight.  This is designed to provide approximately 330 kcals for a dog of average activity.  Active dogs may require slightly more while inactive dogs may require less (up to 40% more or less depending on activity).  Monitor your dog and consult with your veterinarian if there is weight gain or loss – we recommend regular weigh-ins with your vet after starting a home prepared diet of this nature.

 

Daily Diet to consist of:

3 ounces (84 grams) of cooked dark meat chicken, cooked 93% lean ground turkey, or cooked 95% lean ground beef

½ cup (~110 grams) of cooked pearled barley, quinoa, sweet potato or brown rice

½ cup (~90 grams) of cooked chopped broccoli, spinach, green beans, squash, pumpkin or sliced apple or pear

½ teaspoon (2 grams) of safflower oil

½ teaspoon (2 grams) of fish oil

ADDED SUPPLEMENTS:

¼ scoop of iViBlend

¼ teaspoon of Calgae (high protein version) or ½ tsp KAL Bone Meal or similar (regular version)

 

This daily portion is usually mixed together with the supplements and fed over two meals.   The supplements can be gradually added in over a 10 day period if your dog is already eating a home prepared diet.   Healthful supplements of this nature can alter the taste and acceptability of diets for more picky eaters, and a gradual introduction often prevents food refusal.

 

The diet above is to be used, per 5 kg body weight, for any healthy dog or dog without any significant organ dysfunction.  The diet provides approximately 30% of metabolizable energy from protein, 30% from fat and 40% from carbohydrate.  The fruits and vegetables in the diet and will provide some polyphenols and/or carotenoids, but more importantly they provide potassium which is important to the diet.  The carbohydrate in the diet can be replaced in the diet with 3 ounces of additional meat for a higher protein and fat style diet.  In this case, we recommend using Calgae as your calcium source to provide a more optimal calcium to phosphorus content.

 

These diets are only to be used under the advice of a veterinarian. Please consult a vet or vet nutritionist on whether this is appropriate for your dog before feeding. Even though this recipe has been designed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, your dog's unique calorie requirements, medical history, and diet history can all affect whether it is the best option for your dog.

 

Happy Feeding!