Feeding small dogs natural food. What is the right way to feed a natural dog? Meat products in the diet

Preface

Proper natural food for a dog is mostly a monotonous, species-specific diet that does not require heat treatment, mainly consisting of fermented milk products of medium fat content, raw meat or raw offal (heart, tripe, kidneys, etc.) and plant foods (vegetables and some unsweetened fruits) in raw form, as well as in the form of bran from cereals as an additive to the main diet.

Actually, cereals (porridge and other flour products) should not be present in the dog’s diet. Porridges and products made from or with the addition of flour contain easily digestible carbohydrates, which can cause disruption of the intestinal microflora, as well as a decrease in resistance, in all dogs and cats, which are known to be carnivores. The state of the animal’s health directly depends on the state of the intestine, which is a key organ not only in digestion, but also in providing the defense system (resistance and immunity of the body). Thus, the presence of dysbiosis in the intestines, which is facilitated by disturbances in the diet, can lead to the development of a host of pathological processes, including an increased tendency to allergies, disruption of the functioning of internal organs, the occurrence of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases and obesity, often associated with each other.

The health and resistance of animals depends very much on nutrition; the state of the gastrointestinal tract and healthy intestinal microflora play a very important role in this. If your dog's diet includes cereal or commercial dry food that contains from 40 to 55% grains, corn or sweet potatoes, then you cannot expect normal, healthy intestinal microflora. However, even with a natural diet, digestive disorders are possible, indicating a painful condition of the dog.

Meat in a dog's diet

The main meat in a dog’s diet is lean beef, maybe not the first grade. It is not necessary or even advisable to feed your dog tenderloin and other high-quality meats. It is allowed to feed dogs of all ages lamb, horse meat, and rabbit meat, given the high calorie content of lamb and rabbit meat. It is not recommended to give pork.

Chicken, turkey and their offal can also be given, but individually, paying attention to the reaction from the digestive system and skin. It is not advisable to feed chicken skin to dogs.

Meat, both beef and chicken, is always given raw, pre-frozen; there is no need to rinse it with boiling water or carry out other heat treatment on the meat. Meat should not be ground into mince.

By-products and beef tripe

Meat feeding a dog can include not only meat, but also by-products (kidneys, heart, udder, by-products of chickens, turkeys, etc.), which can completely replace meat. By-products must be raw. It should be borne in mind that offal is a less nutritious component of the meat diet compared to meat, but at the same time the udder is significantly higher in calories than meat

The exception is liver and lung; these by-products are not recommended to be given to the dog often, since not everyone tolerates raw liver equally well, and it makes no sense to treat it thermally. However, many people successfully use these components in the diet of dogs and cats. Unprocessed, unpeeled beef tripe deserves special attention; it is often given to dogs. You can start introducing meat into your diet with tripe, then gradually adding beef. Cleaned tripe is simply a lighter organ meat. However, not all dogs tolerate a particular meat component equally well, so if an ingredient is intolerant, which is manifested by diarrhea or vomiting, it should be removed from the diet, as well as if other components of the dog’s natural diet are not accepted.

Of course, one can become infected with one or another disease from one or another product, but rare cases of infection from raw, untested and not frozen meat do not allow one to be afraid of feeding a dog a raw product. It is unlikely that any veterinarian will be able to recall a case of infection from anything from meat. In addition, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach of carnivores is higher than in humans and is sufficient to perform its disinfecting functions in relation to raw meat and fish. We also do not recommend purchasing meat “from hand” at the Poultry Market, where you can buy products obtained from a known sick animal, and even freezing it will not help, and heat treatment of meat reduces the nutritional value of the product for the dog.

Fish in a dog's diet

Dogs can be given raw fillets of sea and oceanic frozen fish, not bony, low-fat varieties, replacing meat with seafood in meat feeding 2-3 times a week. However, it is not recommended to constantly feed fish.

There are several questions that are often asked regarding fish feeding:

1. Feeding fish leads to thiamine deficiency due to the thiaminase it contains;

The problem with thiaminase is relevant for animal farms, where there is mainly a mono-diet and if you feed only raw fish, there will be hypovitaminosis B1, and therefore this is almost not relevant for a home mixed diet.

Dairy products

Dogs can be given fermented milk products with a fat content of up to 9%; not everyone tolerates such fat content well. In many dogs, a fat content of cottage cheese of more than 2% can already cause loose stools. But low-fat dairy products should not be given either.

Also, loose stool may be associated with the brand of kefir, which must be selected more individually for sensitive dogs. Ryazhenka should not be given to dogs, nor should yoghurts with fruit or sugar.

The most optimal fermented milk products are cottage cheese with a fat content of up to 5-9%, kefir with a fat content of 3.5%, and yogurt, with a short shelf life of up to 7 days.

Using Evitalia and Narine starter cultures based on pasteurized milk, you can make a healthy fermented milk product that is useful not only for dogs and cats, but also for humans, and feed it either separately or together with cottage cheese.

Dividing dog food into fermented milk and meat

The main components of the diet are fermented milk products at one feeding and raw vegetables and raw meat with a small amount of butter at another. As mentioned above, vegetables can, if possible, be fed to the dog separately.

This means that fermented milk feeding can include either kefir alone, cottage cheese alone, or kefir with cottage cheese, curdled milk, yogurt, etc. It is advisable to give fermented milk products with a short shelf life, up to 7 days. Only bran and raw eggs can be added to dairy products no more than 2-3 times a week.

Meat feeding may include raw meat, offal or fish. You cannot mix the components of meat and fermented milk feeding with each other.

Vegetables in a dog's diet

Dogs can be fed most vegetables: carrots, white cabbage, bell peppers, pumpkin, zucchini, beets, cucumbers. It is useful to give greens: parsley, dill, lettuce.

Vegetables may be present in the diet as a mono option, or there may be several types of vegetables, but one type of vegetable is quite sufficient, with the exception of cabbage and cucumbers.

Once a week, it is advisable to give the dog a raw clove of garlic, 2-3 times a week a few tablespoons of sauerkraut, which is very rich in ascorbic acid.

Greens and vegetables should always be given raw, finely chopped or grated on a regular coarse grater. In the summer, when keeping a dog at a dacha, you can feed any edible greens, including young shoots of steamed nettle growing in the garden. If the animal eats plants and fruits on its own, then you don’t need to add any extra.

Vegetables and greens should always be given only with meat feeding or separately. There is no need to mix raw plant foods with components of a fermented milk diet, with the exception of bran, which goes well with meat and dairy foods.

As a treat and as a source of raw fiber, dogs can be given vegetables or unsweetened fruit to chew on.

Bran (about bran, see below) in a dog’s diet can complement or even replace raw vegetables, especially in cases where the addition of vegetables leads to various types of indigestion (flatulence, vomiting, diarrhea).

Consistency of dog food

Dogs should not be given food in the form of minced meat or puree. The meat should be cut into pieces, hard vegetables grated on a large regular grater, greens and lettuce finely chopped. Dogs love to chew apples on their own; bran can be added to wet food, both dairy and meat. Dogs and cats do not chew food, but swallow it if the piece corresponds to the size of the animal or they bite off a piece that is accessible for swallowing - this is physiological for them and does not cause harm. In addition, ready-made ground meat contains too much fat. Even if the dog has few or no teeth, food can be given in chunks.

Eggs in a dog's diet

Eggs can be given raw, both chicken and quail, adding to milk feeding 2-3 times a week. Both puppies and adult dogs can and should be given both the yolk and the white, without separating.

Bran

Bran in a dog's diet, like vegetables, is a source of fiber and therefore it is recommended to add them to the dog's diet along with vegetables or replacing them.

The main advantage of bran is its high content of dietary fiber (fiber), which enhances peristalsis, regulates and improves the condition of intestinal microflora.

Bran can be purchased in bulk at health stores, pharmacies or grocery stores and added in this form to both fermented milk and meat feeding.

But fermented milk is preferable, since bran shows its maximum effect when it absorbs liquid and swells. Then, once in the stomach, the bran does not undergo any changes and, retaining water, enters the intestines, accelerating intestinal motility.

Or you can buy bran in the form of crispy sticks or bran plates and pre-soak them. You should not buy bran products, including crispy sticks with added salt. But at the same time, you can give bran combined with fiber from carrots and other vegetables. The amount of bran (in dry form) for a dog weighing 20-25 kg is 1 tsp. without a slide added to each feeding. The dose can be varied for greater effectiveness or for high sensitivity.

Oil in a dog's diet

Dogs can add different types of oils to their meat diet: olive, unrefined sunflower, pumpkin, flaxseed, etc., but exotic ones should be avoided. The main oils are unrefined sunflower and olive. Vegetable oils are added to the bowl where there are plant components of food (vegetables) in a dose of a few drops for a small dog and up to a tablespoon for a large dog.

Fruits and dried fruits

There should be no sweet fruits in a dog’s diet; dogs simply should not be given sweets. Almost all fruits are sweet, the only acceptable fruit is a green apple that is not too sweet, although there is no need to prohibit the dog from eating berries at the dacha.

Bones in a dog's diet

Raw bone is an important source of calcium and phosphorus; they are part of the canine diet and, of course, bones can be fed to dogs that have a full-fledged dental apparatus and do not have chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Large dogs are fed the ends (epiphyses) of bones; smaller dogs can be given spongy raw chicken bones: brisket, neck. It is not recommended to give boiled bones to dogs; they are difficult to digest, as they can cause intestinal obstruction.

Prebiotic and probiotic environment in the intestines. Carbohydrates in the diet

Probiotics are preparations based on living “good” microorganisms: lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which remain viable when passing through the gastrointestinal tract, multiply in it and suppress the development of pathogenic bacteria.

Prebiotics are completely indigestible food ingredients that serve as a substrate, a nutrient medium for the growth and life of beneficial microorganisms in the intestine, and also stimulate its work.

In the absence of a prebiotic environment (indigestible fiber), the number of beneficial bacteria sharply decreases, since they lack the prebiotic environment they need for nutrition and their share in the intestinal microenvironment will be occupied by pathogenic strains of E. coli, yeast, etc., which, in essence, is a dysbacteriosis.

Cereals, bread, pasta are easily digestible carbohydrates (starch); dogs need complex carbohydrates of another type, which are found in raw vegetables or bran and which dogs and cats cannot digest. Carnivores cannot extract energy from complex carbohydrates and raw fiber; ruminants and herbivores “specialize” in this. It is raw vegetables and bran, or rather the indigestible fiber they contain, that create a prebiotic environment in the dog’s intestines, which is the basis and substrate for creating a probiotic environment and the formation of healthy intestinal microflora.

Moreover, if the dog has proper natural nutrition, then the dog, even without the use of probiotics, will eventually develop the correct probiotic environment and intestinal microflora, but only if the animal is healthy and free from congenital and acquired diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that require treatment and independent of the correct diet. It is for this reason that introducing probiotics into the diet of a dog that receives cereal or dry food does not bring the desired long-term results.

The role of the prebiotic environment in a dog’s diet is played by raw vegetables, which are best (but not necessarily) given to animals as a separate feeding, and also, when added to a dairy or meat diet, these components are compatible.

It is better to give dogs veterinary probiotics, only if they are not available, then try using human ones. It is possible to take probiotics prophylactically once every 3-4 months, but prebiotics must enter the digestive system constantly, especially since this is not a medicine, but a regular component of the diet.

At the same time, you need to understand that if the dog has proper nutrition and the dog is healthy, then without the use of probiotics in the intestines, over time, a healthy intestinal microflora will form on its own.

Is it possible to mix dry food and wet natural or canned food?

Mixing different types of feeding does not have any advantages over the strict principles of feeding a dog, in fact, dry food is designed to be fed exclusively. If you add other components throughout the day, then an imbalance is guaranteed. In addition, combining diets does not make any sense: either convenience or a natural diet.

Vitamins and mineral supplements

An adult dog that receives proper natural nutrition does not necessarily need to be supplemented with any vitamin and mineral supplements at all times. In spring and early summer, you can add dry yeast to your food, which is a natural complex of vitamins. You can also give seaweed (kelp) once a year as a natural source of vitamins, but you must take into account the possibility of an individual allergic reaction.

At the same time, puppies and adult dogs need vitamins and minerals during pregnancy and lactation. You can read more in this publication.

The total volume of food from all feedings per day is calculated using the formula: up to 6 months. 6-7% and older than 6 months. 3-3.5% of body weight (body weight is calculated without taking into account body fat, of course, approximately).

The resulting daily volume of food is divided in half between 50% fermented milk products, 50% raw meat and everything related to meat (beef by-products, poultry, fish), raw plant foods are given ad libitum, but approximately 15-20% on the volume of meat portion. For example, for an average dog weighing 20 kg, you can eat a medium carrot, a cabbage leaf, two teaspoons of bran, a medium apple, etc. per day. Please note that vegetables and bran are supplements to the protein diet and are not included in the calculated percentages (6-8% and 3-4%).

An example of calculating the volume of food for a dog weighing 15 kg, age 6 months and older:

15x0.04*=0.6 kg. or 600 gr. Of these, 300 gr. this is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up fermented milk feeding and meat feeding will consist of 300 grams. raw meat, to which about 100 grams are added. raw grated vegetables and 1-2 tsp. unrefined vegetable oil.

An example of calculating the amount of food for a dog weighing 15 kg, less than 6 months old:

15x0.07*=1 kg. or 1000 gr. Of these, 500 gr. This is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up fermented milk feeding and meat feeding will consist of 500 grams. raw meat, to which about 100-150 grams are added. raw grated vegetables and 1-2 tsp. unrefined vegetable oil.

* — Coefficient obtained by dividing 4 and 7% by 100

This formula is not absolute and mandatory, the dog’s feeding regimen, and the amount of food can also vary depending on the physiological state (pregnancy, breed tendency to be overweight, the presence of hormonal disorders, etc.); age: for old and aging animals, the amount of food is reduced to 2.5-3% of weight; from physical activity (duration of walking, office work, swimming); the animal’s habitat (apartment, open enclosure); time of year (more in winter, less in summer); other individual characteristics, etc. Fasting days without meat at all, but also without increasing the dose of dairy foods, are also welcome.

Are there breed specific characteristics of a dog's diet?

There are no fundamental features for a healthy dog ​​of any breed, regardless of size and anatomical discrepancies with the ancestor of canines - the wolf. A sick animal may need correction, but this requires individual work with the pet.

Afterword

As you can see, among the indicated food components there are no dry or wet commercial feeds, cereals in the form of porridges, breads or other carbohydrate foods. They are not recommended for a dog, just as feeding sweet, sugary fruits and everything else is not recommended.

The main mistake that owners make in feeding dogs is overfeeding. Even if the recommended components are kept, but their volume is greater than the norm, then this is as harmful as feeding the dog unacceptable products.

You should follow a simple rule that works in most cases - if after eating food a dog or cat leaves any amount of it in the bowl, this means that the animal is already overfed. The bowl should not be constantly filled, as is often the case. Only an animal with a moderate feeding instinct will not overeat in conditions of unlimited access to food.

An animal that experiences health problems (diarrhea, regular vomiting) while eating natural food is sick and requires treatment. Switching to dry food will only adapt the animal to the disease, and will not relieve it. This is like a diet that makes life easier, which has the right to be used in the practice of a veterinarian, especially in cases where the animal’s health condition is irreparable or the doctor is not able to cope with the pathology with a natural diet. Owners need to understand this.

Therefore, the question - What to feed a dog can be answered this way: only natural food that contains everything necessary for the body of a carnivorous animal. And all the talk about the domestication of the dog is nothing more than talk: the dog, like the wolf, was and will remain a dog and a wolf. It is also necessary to know that the recommendations of breeders or felinologists, as well as the popular literature written by them on keeping and feeding cats, have nothing to do with objectively correct methods of feeding, because the reason for such recommendations is partly due to ignorance and lack of understanding of the biological nature of dogs and cats, and, partly to reduce the cost or simplify the maintenance of the animal.

If you follow all the above feeding rules, your pet will live a long and healthy life.

Health to you and your little brothers.

Despite the fact that now in the assortment of any pet store you can find dry and canned pet food for every taste and budget, many owners, for various reasons, prefer natural feeding of dogs. It is to these owners that the article by Vladimir Nikiforovich Mitin, which was published in the January 1992 issue of the journal Science and Life, is addressed. In this article, he talks in detail about which natural products should be given to dogs and which ones should not be given under any circumstances and why, how to process the products and what to combine them with.

What is most important in this article is that Vladimir Nikiforovich gives a clear justification for each recommendation, which ultimately leads the owner to understand the basic principles of the gastrointestinal tract of pets. And this, in turn, helps to avoid health problems. After all, in order for our pets to live a full and happy life, it is not enough to just love them. To know, understand and be able to help is what is required from a true owner and friend.

It would seem that feeding a dog is not difficult. Any food on the owner’s plate that exudes an appetizing aroma will please the four-legged friend. Of course, he cannot savor the food and will not experience any special taste. But his sense of smell will tell him that a fried piece of meat smells more appetizing than a raw one. The question is, will such food be healthy? The resistance of the liver and kidneys to harmful influences in dogs is much lower than in humans. Therefore, all spicy seasonings, sauces, pickles, smoked meats, confectionery and flour products are harmful to the dog and can lead to metabolic disorders, obesity, shortness of breath, and various diseases of the internal organs. Even if a dog occupies the same place in your life as your closest family members, this does not make it a person and you cannot feed it everything that you eat yourself.

Over the course of 10–15 thousand years of domestication by humans, only the psyche and hormonal system of the dog have changed in comparison with the wolf – its distant ancestor. The digestive system was the system of a predator, a meat-eater, and remains so. The dog does not chew, but tears off and swallows large pieces of food. Its developed predatory jaws require active work; they are not intended for semolina porridge and sweets. A dog has different properties for digesting food than a human, so it needs uniform feeding with concentrated food. There should be no soups, chatterboxes, liquid porridges with a displacement of a bucket, even if you have a very large dog.

In nature, carnivorous predators eat their prey entirely - with the skin, with plenty of blood, with the contents of the stomach and intestines, with small and large bones. Feeding dogs only muscle meat is not recommended. Scientists suggested: replacing the missing blood with water and salted herring, bones with bone glue and raw bones, skin and fur of prey with sheep or rabbit skins, and the contents of the stomach and intestines with boiled rice.

Most of all, the dog loves raw meat (excess of it does not lead, as some believe, to poisoning). But, if he really has to, he won’t refuse raw fish. A desirable delicacy is cartilage and tender beef bones. By gnawing them, the dog strengthens its teeth, and most importantly, satisfies the need for mineral salts.

Meat for dogs should not only be lean. Fat is also required. A dog can tolerate up to 15 grams of fat in its diet per kilogram of its weight, and rancid fats do not cause poisoning. It is quite possible to feed dogs pork; there is no need to worry that it may contain worms. Before going on sale, meat undergoes a sanitary and veterinary examination.

If meat is suffocated in a plastic bag, it is just as harmful to a dog as it is to a person. Under anaerobic conditions, toxic substances are formed in it, which can cause poisoning. Therefore, it is better to store meat in the freezer by wrapping it in parchment paper.

Depending on the individual metabolism, a dog needs from 10 to 25 grams of raw meat per 1 kilogram of animal weight every day. Of course, not all owners can feed their four-legged friend enough meat, but we must try to ensure that it still makes up at least 5% of the daily diet.

From the age of one and a half, the dog is considered an adult. If she does not perform special work, such as hunting or guarding, then for small and medium-sized breeds one feeding per day is enough, which usually coincides with lunch, and for large breeds - two or three feedings per day in small portions.

Place raw meat and raw fish (cod, pollock back, hake) cut into pieces in a bowl in the ratio: 2/3 meat - 1/3 fish. As a supplier of carbohydrates and a filler that causes a feeling of fullness, boiled rice mixed with animal fat or vegetable oil can be added to meat and fish. Rice cannot be given separately, without meat and fish, since the dog’s intestines are not designed to digest grains.

So, meat, fish and fatty rice are mixed and placed in a bowl. Add a piece of raw liver, a very small one - from 5 to 15 g, depending on the weight of the dog. The liver contains vitamins A, D, E.

You can also include cottage cheese in your dog’s diet (but only uncooked cheese; cheesecakes or cottage cheese are not absorbed by the body), boiled eggs, and herring. Bone wood glue is useful. It contains a sufficient amount of macro- and microelements and there are no chemical impurities. But in principle, a raw bone with fat replaces it perfectly.

Milk is useful mainly for lactating females and puppies. It is given only fresh or fermented, and in small quantities. Sour milk can cause severe digestive upset, especially in young animals. Prolonged milk feeding leads to fullness and sluggishness of the digestion process.

There should always be fresh water on the floor in a flat bowl, not contaminated with food debris. The food bowl needs to be wide, since the dog opens its mouth wide and draws food into its stomach like a vacuum cleaner.

Large dog breeds need at least 600 g of meat, 200 g of dairy products, 300 g of boiled rice or bread, 50 g of fat, 40 g of bone meal per day; For medium breeds this diet should be halved, for small breeds – four times and for dwarf breeds – six times.

In cases where the dog's workload increases, the number of calories can triple, but only from proteins and fats, not carbohydrates.

If you feed your dog correctly, it will receive all the vitamins, macro- and microelements it needs. As for pharmaceutical vitamins, a healthy dog, as a rule, does not need them. Excess vitamin D, phytin, and calcium glycerophosphate in the body can lead to exactly the opposite results.

The dog’s body, as well as the cat’s, synthesizes vitamin C on its own. This is why these animals do not suffer from scurvy.

One fasting day a week, when given some crackers and fresh drinking water, will not harm any adult dog. She will always have a good appetite and will not be picky about food.

Dogs instinctively reject leguminous plants - peas, lentils, beans: their intestines are not equipped to digest these products, they cause fermentation and gases.

Of course, you should not give food that is too hot, sour, fermented or frozen.

Boiled bones are very harmful. During the cooking process, their constituent components are so denatured that the dog is practically unable to digest them. Eating boiled bones leads to the formation of calcareous stool, which is difficult to pass and irritates the walls of the rectum. There are also frequent cases of intestinal puncture by boiled bones. Note, exactly boiled. Raw bones, even tubular ones, almost never damage the intestinal walls. Veterinarians came to this conclusion.

Owners often add eggshells to their dog's food. It has been proven that as a source of minerals, this is, in general, a completely worthless product; no more than 3% is absorbed from it. For the same reason, you should not give your dog chalk.

You need to pay more attention to feeding whelping and lactating females. To build the skeleton and muscles, embryos primarily need proteins and minerals. If in the first three weeks you can stick to your normal diet, then in the future it needs to be doubled before giving birth. The food should be easily digestible and not too bulky. If possible, the meat is not very fatty and high-grade entrails, bones with fat, cottage cheese, cheese, boiled egg. The amount of liquid should also be increased.

In the last third of pregnancy, the daily amount of food is distributed over 3-4 feedings, so as not to overload the digestive organs, which are already cramped.

With the advent of puppies, the need for food in a lactating female increases 4 times, since the body loses up to 70 g of protein per liter with mother's milk. To prevent a rich diet from contributing to relaxation of the stomach walls and the formation of a saggy belly, the dog continues to be fed 4 times a day.

Puppies usually suck mother's milk for up to 1 - 1.5 months. From the 23rd day of life they can already lap milk from a bowl. From about this time, the mother's diet is gradually reduced.

Complementary feeding for puppies begins with a mixture of warm cow's milk and raw egg yolk (one yolk per glass of milk). Dogs have a hard time withstanding changes in feeding, so complementary feeding begins even when the puppies are suckling their mother's milk.

It is criminal to sell puppies up to 6 weeks old, as some owners do, taking 26-day-old babies away from their mothers. In the morning they are still fed by their mother, and in the afternoon they are sold without even starting solid food.

The transition to solid food should also occur when the mother is suckling. Gradually, from the 32nd day (not earlier! since gastric juice for complete digestion begins to be produced precisely by this time), the puppies begin to be given raw meat (first scraped meat, then minced meat, pieces of meat), raw fish. In principle, the dog has no need for vegetables and fruits. But if you give them, it is better in boiled or mashed form.

Food for puppies should be high quality. Baby food should not be given, as the balance of essential nutrients in it, namely proteins, fats and carbohydrates, is not suitable for dogs. Most of this mixture consists of carbohydrates, and the dog primarily needs proteins and fats.

During the period of rapid growth, puppies should be fed plenty of raw meat, and only raw meat. Their normal need for nutrition is every 2 to 3 hours.

When changing teeth, puppies desperately need beef bones that they can chew on. They can be given from the 35th day of life. Beware of feeding small and splintering bones to puppies. Puppies that are given bone glue do not chew furniture or search for lime and chalk.

Up to two months, babies are fed 6 times a day at equal intervals (4 times non-meat and 2 times meat foods). From two to four months – 5 times a day (the ratio of non-meat and meat foods is 3:2). From four to six – 4 times a day (2:2), from six to nine – 3 times (1:2). And from nine to twelve months - 2 times a day (1:1).

After each feeding, as well as after sleep, puppies should be taken out into the yard. This way they will learn cleanliness.

With good care, dogs live 10–15 years. The most resilient are up to 20 years, which corresponds to 100 human years. But such records are extremely rare.

One of the important issues in keeping pets is nutrition. The general condition and appearance of the dog depend on the owner’s compliance with the regimen and type of feeding. A well-chosen diet for a puppy lays the foundation for a healthy skeleton, correct posture, beautiful coat, and proper functioning of internal organs in an adult animal. The life expectancy of an elderly pet depends on timely correction of the diet.

Read in this article

Dog nutrition systems

Experienced breeders, dog handlers and veterinary specialists distinguish between several types of feeding their four-legged friends. Depending on the set of products, taking into account their caloric and nutritional content, and the method of processing raw materials, natural, balanced, mixed and dietary nutrition are distinguished.

Natural

Compiling your pet's diet exclusively from natural products is the most preferable in terms of taste variety. The basis of nutrition in such a system is proteins. The best source of complete protein for dogs is meat. The owner should give preference to beef.

It is allowed to include horse meat, lamb, poultry (chicken, turkey), as well as rabbit meat in the diet. You should not feed your pet fatty varieties of pork. It is preferable to serve meat raw, after preliminary freezing.

Offal is a good source of protein, as well as vitamins and microelements. It is useful to include liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, and udder in your dog’s diet. Veterinary experts recommend giving offal in a boiled form in order to avoid infection with dangerous helminths.

Unprocessed beef tripe is beneficial for dogs, as it has a beneficial effect on digestion. This unique by-product is most often used when switching a pet to a natural type of food.

Natural nutrition is not complete without fermented milk products. It is useful to give your dog cottage cheese, kefir, and yogurt. Fat sour cream, cream, and sweet yoghurts are excluded from the diet.

In the absence of an allergic reaction, chicken eggs can be used in feeding the dog. To eliminate the risk of infection with salmonellosis, eggs are given to the animal only in boiled form. Puppies, sick and elderly pets, on the recommendation of a veterinarian, can be given quail eggs, rich in vitamins and microelements.

The natural type of nutrition also includes carbohydrate foods. The source of energy substances are cereals: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal. The share of grain products should not exceed 25% of the diet.

Vegetables and even fruits must be included in the dog’s menu. Vegetables supply the dog’s body with vitamins and microelements and are a source of fiber. Carrots, turnips, pumpkin, zucchini, cabbage, and greens should be present in the dog’s bowl starting from puppyhood. You can give both raw and boiled vegetables.

For better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, vegetable portions must be flavored with vegetable oil (sunflower, olive, pumpkin). You should not feed your dog high-calorie and starchy potatoes, as well as exotic fruits.

Bones (preference should be given to cartilage and bones) should only be present in a dog's diet in raw form. Heat-treated bones pose a danger to the animal: indigestion, development of gastritis and ulcers, injuries to the digestive tract, intestinal obstruction.

Natural nutrition means only fresh and high-quality products. It is strictly forbidden to feed your pet “from the table”. Soups, food waste, sausages and baked goods, canned and pickled foods, and sweets are contraindicated for dogs. Even for encouragement, there are specialized foods that do not harm the health of the pet.

A significant disadvantage of the natural type of nutrition is its imbalance. It is difficult for the owner to provide for all the body’s needs for nutrients and nutrients and their content in products. An imbalance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals can lead to indigestion and metabolic diseases.

Preparing natural products not only requires serious material costs from the owner, but also takes a lot of time.

To learn how to properly feed your dog natural food, watch this video:

Balanced

The shortcomings of a natural type of food can be corrected by switching your pet to a balanced diet. A veterinarian can help solve the problem. As a rule, to solve the problem, a biochemical analysis of the dog’s blood is carried out, which makes it possible to identify imbalances in nutrients and vitamins.

A study of the diet in terms of the content of proteins, energy substances, vitamins and minerals, carried out by a veterinarian, will help to adjust the diet. Multivitamin complexes are used for this purpose.

Essential minerals in food for dogs

Most often, dogs suffer from a lack of B vitamins and ascorbic acid in their diet. For puppies and young animals, it is important to balance the diet with phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. These useful components should be used in the form of a mineral feed supplement from the age of 2 months.

Fish oil, meat and bone meal and fish meal are excellent sources of nutrients for a young pet, helping to strengthen the animal’s bones and muscular system.

• As a dry component of a mixed diet, choose high-quality food from trusted manufacturers.
• The best additions to dry food are vegetables, herbs, dairy products, eggs and raw meat. Porridge should not be used for feeding due to the overload of the diet with grain and ballast substances.

Many breeders and experienced dog breeders use dry food for natural nutrition during trips, at exhibitions, for complementary feeding during walks and training.

Dietary

A therapeutic diet is prescribed to a pet, as a rule, for any disease, as well as after surgery. In each individual case, the veterinarian develops an individual diet. For example, with chronic constipation, the dog’s diet is enriched with vegetables and lactic acid products. If the dog often suffers from diarrhea, then the basis of nutrition is low-fat food.

After surgical intervention on the abdominal organs, the veterinarian also prescribes a gentle diet. The dog is prescribed easily digestible foods that prevent flatulence and constipation.

Feeding a pet is of particular importance in cases of kidney disease, liver disease, and metabolic disorders. Often, special medicinal dry food is prescribed to a sick animal as a dietary food.

To learn how and what to feed your dog, watch this video:

Dog's diet

The health of the digestive system and the entire body as a whole depends not only on what foods your four-legged friend consumes, but also on the diet. Uncontrolled, chaotic feeding worsens digestion processes, leads to constipation, flatulence, diarrhea, and adversely affects the health of all dog systems. Veterinarians and experienced breeders recommend the following feeding rules:

• Meals should be eaten at the same time whenever possible. This regimen promotes proper digestion and regular bowel movements.
• The dog must have a strictly designated place for eating.
• The portion corresponds to the physiological norm, taking into account age and breed. Overfeeding your pet is not allowed.
• Products must be fresh and of high quality.
• Under no circumstances should you feed your dog hot or cold food.

In order to prevent food poisoning, after each feeding you should empty the bowl of food debris and wash it thoroughly.

For a puppy

As a rule, a puppy appears in the house at the age of 2 months. By this time, the responsible breeder had taught the baby to eat on his own. At the age of 2 - 4 months, the animal should receive food at least 5 times a day. Taking into account the physiological characteristics, the pet’s diet during this period should consist of 50% dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, kefir). The source of protein for the puppy should be meat - raw beef or boiled chicken.

At the age of 4 - 6 months, veterinarians recommend feeding your pet 3 - 4 times. Gradually, the structure of the diet should change. The share of dairy products decreases to 20 - 30%, the meat content increases to 50 - 70%. At the age of 4 months, the puppy can begin to be given boiled offal.

Once the dog reaches 6 - 10 months of age, experienced dog breeders recommend feeding the young animal three times a day. Veterinarians do not recommend using industrial feed before 10-12 months.

For an adult dog

By the age of one year, the pet is transferred to two meals a day. The animal should be fed morning and evening at the same time. If the owner decides to use ready-made industrial mixtures for feeding, then the dog should be accustomed to dry food no earlier than 10 - 12 months. An adult dog's diet should contain 25% protein. It is important to maintain an optimal balance of calcium and phosphorus, avoiding an excess of the latter.

Proper nutrition for an elderly animal

As a result of decreased metabolism and low physical activity, the aging dog's need for energy substances decreases with age. In this regard, the amount of carbohydrates in the diet for pets over 7 years old should be reduced by 10 - 15%.

In an elderly animal, digestion processes deteriorate, motor function decreases, and intestinal motility slows down, which is accompanied by constipation. In this regard, the dog’s diet should include fermented milk products and vegetables as an important source of fiber. If you have problems with gums and teeth, dry food should be soaked in water or broth.

An aging dog should be fed small portions 3 to 4 times a day. In this case, the daily dose should be reduced by 5 - 10% of the recommended dose for an adult animal.

Pros and cons of dry food

Before choosing one or another type of feeding a pet, the owner should know the positive and negative aspects of concentrated nutrition. The advantages of dry food are:

• There is no need for heat treatment, which significantly saves the owner’s time.
• Convenient to use while traveling.
• The manufacturers' line includes different foods for any age, breed, and physiological state of the pet. There is a wide selection of medicinal mixtures.
• Dry food is easier to dose, since the dosage is indicated on the package.
• Industrial mixtures are balanced in energy and nutrients.
• Cheaper than natural food.

Dry mixtures also have negative sides:

• Animals often have an allergic reaction to certain components of the food.
• Cheap mass-market products are made from low-quality raw materials and lead to metabolic disorders and digestive diseases.
• Failure to comply with the drinking regime leads to serious pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

The owner must decide whether to switch the dog to dry food, taking into account the pet’s taste preferences and his or her capabilities.

Proper nutrition for your four-legged friend is a diet balanced in energy and nutrients. To maintain a healthy digestive system, the owner should adhere to the feeding regimen recommended by veterinarians and experienced dog breeders.

The specifics of feeding puppies, adults and elderly pets are dictated by physiological characteristics. Before switching your dog to dry food, you need to carefully study the positive and negative aspects of such nutrition.

Useful video

To learn how to feed your dog dry food, watch this video:

What to do if a person still cannot trust factory food? There is a solution - feeding dogs good old natural food prepared at home! This is exactly what we want to talk about, because if you cook it correctly, it will also become a real healthy treat for your pet. However, you need to remember what you should not feed your dog - this is also written below!

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Dog feeding regimen

A dog's feeding schedule greatly depends on its age. And here it doesn’t matter what kind of diet you chose for your dog: natural, home-prepared or ready-made purchased. Question: How many times a day should a dog be fed is usually of interest to inexperienced novice breeders.

And the answer to it is:

• 1 month old puppies are fed frequently - 6-8 times a day;
• at 2 months – 5-6 times;
• from 3 to 6 months – 3-4 times;
• from 6 months to 1 year – 3 times; after a year, the puppy is transferred to the “adult” mode and fed 2 times a day.

Some breeders feed adult dogs three times a day. In principle, this is unnecessary, unless the dog has digestive problems and is on a special diet. There are also such cases: dogs are fed only once a day, but a large portion is given. Veterinarians strongly do not recommend organizing dog nutrition in this way. Most likely, the animal “will not guess” to divide the portion into two doses and will eat it all at once.

As a result, in 6-7 hours all the food will be digested and the pet will spend most of the day with an empty stomach. Even if the dog leaves something for himself “for later,” this food often spoils in the bowl. And eating spoiled food is fraught with serious problems.

Therefore, we strongly reject the scheme of feeding the dog once a day.

As for the volume of the portion that the dog should receive at one time, there is no definite answer. Each home diet is individual, and even seemingly identically prepared food may ultimately have different energy values. Therefore, when preparing dog food at home, you need to find out the nutritional value of the products used (written on the packaging), and also weigh them before cooking.

Knowing the weight of foods and their energy value, you can better calculate the serving size with the optimal amount of calories and figure out how to feed your dog correctly. And the veterinarian will be able to tell you the right amount of calories that your dog should receive, taking into account its breed and physical condition. In the future, you can divide the daily portion into two equal meals. Or give, for example, 1/3 of the volume in the morning, and 2/3 of the volume in the evening, or vice versa. Here everything will depend on the needs and desires of your pet: some have a stronger appetite in the morning, others in the evening.

Making a menu

So, let's assume you have decided on a feeding schedule. Now you need to decide what to feed your dog and select a list of optimal products that are best included in your dog’s natural diet. Please note that feeding dogs does not provide a lot of variety. It is enough to introduce some innovations into the diet infrequently, once or twice a week, or even less often. And several recipes for home cooking that will help make feeding your dogs easier, right now in the video below!

Which porridge is better?

They are most easily absorbed by the dog’s body and carry the maximum energy charge for it. You can sometimes use barley, wheat, corn or barley porridge. However, feeding dogs these types of cereals can cause digestive upset. Of course, this doesn't happen often, especially if you only use these cereals occasionally. However, remember that it is more difficult for the dog’s body to obtain useful substances from them.

It is recommended to dilute dog porridge with vegetables. They will supplement it with the necessary vitamins and antioxidants. Vegetables can be about 10-15% of the total volume of the prepared “dish”. Vegetables can also be cooked, although many dogs are not averse to gnawing on raw potatoes or carrots. The best vegetables to complement dog porridge are carrots, beets, pumpkin, zucchini, peppers, and parsnips.

What about meat, poultry and bones?

It is the meat component that should prevail in the overall menu of your pet. Meat is protein and is a natural and natural food for dogs. Dogs eat raw meat with great pleasure. However, it is not recommended to give it due to the fact that it may be contaminated with helminth eggs or toxoplasma.

To protect your pet, raw meat must be refrigerated. But you can give it to food only when it is defrosted and reaches room temperature. Food that is too cold or too hot can harm your dog.

So what kind of meat should you feed your dog at home? Almost all meat is suitable for dogs, the main condition is that it is not too fatty. It is for this reason that pork is not recommended for dogs, at least its fatty parts. The best choice for four-legged friends is beef, chicken, rabbit, turkey; minced meat is not recommended. An absolutely ideal option is horse meat and venison, but the question is that getting such meat is not at all easy, and it costs quite a lot.

Meat by-products can replace part of the meat volume in the diet. Liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, and stomachs are readily eaten by dogs and make feeding the dog somewhat cheaper. To increase the nutritional value of a dog's diet, you can add meat, fish or bone meal to it. This ingredient is found in almost all dry dog ​​food.

As for bones, this product should not be on a dog’s menu.

Especially when it comes to tubular chicken bones or necks (they can be used for fat, but after the meat has been skinned from them, they should be removed). After all, fragments of such bones are very often removed by veterinarians from the gastrointestinal tract of our pets. And it’s very good if they manage to do it on time.

Bones that have the right to be in a dog’s diet are large beef bones with rounded edges or cartilage; they can also be given raw. Therefore, if you are one of those owners who believe that bones are “vital” for dogs, it is better to choose this option on the market.

Products from the table

Natural food for dogs should not mean that you feed your dog something that you can’t finish eating yourself. If you have chosen this type of feeding as a homemade diet, you must definitely cook for the animal separately! Table products are not suitable for dogs because they contain high amounts of salt, spices and fats.

The most you can offer your dog to eat is potatoes. Add boneless meat or fish and offer it to your dog. Borscht, soups, and pasta will not bring any benefit to your pet, but they often cause digestive upset. Veterinarians are categorically opposed to smoked, fried and spoiled food.

Prohibited products

What should a responsible owner not feed a dog? Under the ban, as you probably already guessed, you can find almost the entire amount of food on the table.

Inexperienced owners are especially warned not to include ingredients such as:

1. Tubular bones (we already talked about them today).
2. Sweets, pastries, cakes, candies. Some owners mistakenly believe that dogs love sweets, but they are most likely simply reacting to the colorful wrappers in which the candy is wrapped. Therefore, there is no need to succumb to provocations from the animal and give it sweets.
3. Pickles and smoked meats.
4. Baking.

And remember that the dog’s diet should be without salt and spices. Each product already contains a certain amount of salt, so dog food can only be added occasionally. But mineral supplements, vitamins and calcium, sold in pharmacies, must be added to your home diet.

Video “Feeding pets with natural food”

A very informative lecture on how to properly feed your pets to complete our review!

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A healthy and active dog is the merit of the owner. Proper care consists of many factors, in which the dog’s nutrition plays an important role. What kind of nutrition allows you to get all the essential vitamins and minerals from food? Do not know? We know, and we want to share this knowledge with everyone. Let me immediately note that in this article there will not be a word about dry food, since, despite their availability, they have significant drawbacks.

The physical and mental development of a dog depends on many factors, in particular nutrition. There are still discussions about the dog's diet. Some argue that cereals should not be introduced into an animal’s diet. However, the dog is a carnivorous animal that eats its prey along with the contents of its intestines. Others insist that all dairy products should be excluded from the diet. How many people - so many opinions. Today we’ll try to find the middle, and let’s start with the rules of feeding a dog.

Feeding dogs requires not only fresh, high-quality products, but also other important rules on which the health of the animal depends.

• Rule one– the pet must know its limits. Overeating, as well as lack of food, will not benefit the dog. Therefore, it is worth finding that ideal dosage.
• Second rule– Put food in the refrigerator in a timely manner. In this way, you can train the animal to eat food on time.
• Third rule– an adult should eat no more than twice a day. In this case, the portions should be approximately the same. It is better if natural food for dogs is taken at the same time.
• Fourth rule– a mandatory element is a bowl of clean water.
• Fifth rule– variety of diet. The diet can be supplemented with new components.
• Sixth rule– vitamins. Vitamins and minerals help to develop fully and comprehensively. Vitamins for dogs are the key to energy, healthy coat, and strong bones. In addition to vitamins, the animal’s body needs microelements such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, iodine. All these components are found in regular foods, however, an additional vitamin intake will not be superfluous.
• Seventh rule– It is not recommended to feed the dog an hour before a regular walk. The same rule should be followed after a walk. In fact, the rules are simple, however, they are the ones that allow you to improve the process of assimilation of certain products.

With natural feeding, the dog receives all the necessary supplies of elements from natural products. This feeding has its advantages compared to dry food.

Percentage

We've sorted out the rules, now let's move on directly to the feeding process itself.

Below, we describe the natural feeding of dogs in the form of a table.

In an ideal ratio, the diet should consist of meat and dairy products. Cereals and vegetables act as a kind of addition to the main diet. As the table above shows, not every person can feed a dog this way. However, if you decide to adopt a dog, then the diet should have exactly this percentage. Instead of meat, you can buy offal. They are cheaper, but no less tasty. It is not at all necessary to give your dog dairy and meat products every day. They can be replaced with others, for example, by-products. Another nuance in feeding.

Do not mix dairy products with meat. Dairy products are given separately, and meat is mixed with vegetables.

Meat products in the diet

Meat products, as mentioned above, are an essential component of the diet. What can you give and what should you refuse? The main meat component in a dog's diet is lean beef. In addition, your dog can also be given rabbit and lamb, which are high in calories. Pork is prohibited. As for chicken meat, in particular turkey, it can be given provided that the body reacts well to this type of meat.

For individuals with a weak digestive system, chicken meat is not suitable. In addition, sometimes your dog should be pampered with offal. By-products are represented by liver and heart. It is preferable to feed raw meat. Of course, raw meat should be stored in the freezer. It can be defrosted in several ways. One such method is using boiling water.

It is worth noting that the dog needs to serve meat products in pieces, so there is no need to grind it into mince.

Fish

Milk products

The introduction of dairy products into a dog’s diet should be gradual and intelligent. Not every animal’s body accepts fermented milk products well. To solve this problem, you can give your dog low-fat products. However, you should not switch to low-fat products.

Fermented milk products are represented by cottage cheese, yogurt, and yogurt. In turn, these products must meet certain requirements. Cottage cheese should have a fat content of up to 9 percent, kefir - no more than 3.5 percent. As for yogurt, the shelf life should not exceed one week. Honey can be added to fermented milk products. The dose is small - 1 teaspoon. It is worth noting that during the period of feeding puppies, fish and cottage cheese are the basis of the diet, since lactation requires significant energy expenditure.

Cereals

The dog is allowed to cook the following cereals:

• Buckwheat.
• Barley groats.

The above cereals can be cooked either separately or mixed with each other.

It is best to cook porridge not with ordinary water, but with meat or vegetable broth. As for meat broth, it is more rational to prepare it from bones. Of course, a dog is unlikely to like porridge in its pure form. Therefore, you will have to use a trick. You can add prepared vegetables to porridges. Thus, even porridge will be a tasty treat.

Vegetables fruits

A dog can eat almost any vegetable, from cabbage to cucumbers. Parsley and dill will benefit the animal. You can supplement and dilute food with one type of vegetable or several. As you know, vegetables are a whole set of vitamins and beneficial microelements. Unfortunately, not every dog ​​likes vegetables. Here you will have to show considerable ingenuity. It is best to accustom your animal to vegetables from an early age. The dog is prohibited from giving potatoes and exotic vegetables.

As you know, it is forbidden to give sweets to a dog. This also applies to sweet fruits. The only thing that can be included in the diet is apples. The apple variety should not be sweet.

Bones

Raw bone contains calcium and phosphorus. It is these components that are the main component of the dog’s diet. Bones can be given only to those individuals that have working teeth. Bones should not be given to animals with chronic gastrointestinal pathologies. It is preferable to give epiphyses of bones to large individuals, and raw chicken bones to small ones. As for boiled bones, they should be excluded from the diet, as they lead to intestinal obstruction.

Eggs

Some dogs simply love eggs, regardless of the type. It is worth noting that over the past few years, cases of diagnosing allergies to chicken egg white have become more frequent. However, this is not a reason to exclude eggs from your diet. You can give quail as an analogue.

Water

An important point is maintaining the water regime. Therefore, the animal must have unlimited access to fresh water. If the animal lives outside, it is recommended to heat the water in winter.

Norms

Now that we’ve sorted out the diet and feeding rules, it’s time to discuss feeding standards. The norm is calculated according to the body weight, age and physiological characteristics of the animal.

According to the norms, a puppy under two months of age should be fed 5-6 times a day. The ideal option is to feed the dog natural food every 2 hours. This option is suitable for those babies who receive breast milk.

A dog aged 2 to 6 months must be fed at least 3-4 times a day. The food eaten should be 8 percent of the pet's weight. After 6 months, the dog is switched to natural dog food twice a day. The norm is 6 percent of weight.

A healthy dog ​​that eats natural foods does not have problems such as diarrhea and vomiting. If, even with a natural diet, a dog has problems of this kind, then it must be shown to a veterinarian.

Compliance with all the above rules and recommendations will turn your pet into a healthy and cheerful one.

Probably, the rules described above for feeding dogs with natural food can put the animal owner into some kind of stupor. Of course, it is quite difficult to adhere to all these rules, however, a dog is a demanding animal. Therefore, the owner can immediately begin to fulfill the requirements and feed natural food or feed the pet dry food. Drying deprives a person of many problems. But does it benefit the animal itself? No one argues that dry food contains certain vitamins, but they are not enough for full development. In fact, it is the owner who decides.