The K-9 Diet: A Guide to healthful Home-Cooking for our furry friends

Sasha hiking Acadia National Park, ME

There always seems to be so much conflicting advice behind what we as humans should be eating these days. Raw food, cooked food, gluten free, organic, local, dairy free, raw dairy, grain free, whole grains. A lot of important things to think about. Believe it or not, we should be thinking about these same things when it comes to our furry companions, because if you're anything like me, your pets are part of your family.  My 9 year old aussie-lab mix, Sasha sure does know she is more than just a pet from all the love and attention she gets from everyone she meets.

When it comes to feeding our dogs there are some key things to keep in mind. The size of the dog, the activity level, their general health or preexisting medical conditions, overall personality of your dog, and finally their food preferences (you may find they enjoy or dislike certain foods more than others, and there may be good reason for this). Also keep in mind, when changing your dogs diet, be sure to consult with your Veterinarian (or find a holistic vet at www.holisticvetlist.com ) to assist you for a smooth transition.

I have noticed that more health aware folks tend to feed their dogs a certain way, one thing in common, no kibble or chemical ridden bits in these homes. The first step away from the traditional dry dog food would be an easy switch to an Organic dry (or canned) dog food (ask your local family run pet shop what their favorites are and why). These come in many varieties including grain-free formulas. Some experts believe that dogs should be raised on a diet consistent of that what they ate in the wild, like their wolf cousins, which excludes any grains. Some dogs also have a sensitivity to grains, just like people are sensitive to wheat, so these varieties are excellent for them. Always when purchasing commercially produced foods, be sure to look at the ingredients and make sure that in the top 5, are animal proteins and whole foods (NO animal by-products).

The next step away from commercial dog foods would be home prepared meals (easier than it sounds). Then there comes the question, Raw or Cooked? I personally use a combination of both, since both have great nutritional values that improve the health of our dogs. That brings us to the importance of the quality of our ingredients at home. I prefer to use only organic ingredients for Sasha's food (as well as my own), this eliminates the chance of her getting unnecessary hormones or antibiotics from the meats and harmful chemicals from her fruits and veggies. If you choose to home prepare your dog food and do not want to use organic ingredients, at the very least be sure to get meat that is raised free from hormones and antibiotics.

The partly cooked meals that we prepare include organic meats that get rotated for adequate nutrient fulfillment (beef, buffalo, duck, turkey, lamb, salmon, eggs), and organic vegetables (broccoli, carrots, kale, green beans, celery, mushrooms, squash, pumpkin).  When cooking the meats and vegetables be sure to not over cook, or even cook all the way through.  Typically cooking Sasha's meals the rule of thumb for meats & veggies is cook only 1/2 way.  Dogs digestive systems will be able to get much more nutrition out of the foods when they are not cooked all the way. 
In addition to the whole foods, essential supplements & minerals get added to this. The supplements we add include a high quality liquid multi-vitamin, essential fatty acids (coconut & fish oil), kelp (dried sea vegetable, in a shaker), garlic (tablets), alfalfa (tablets), and pro-biotic capsule (when needed). 

There are some foods to keep in mind that can be extremely harmful to dogs (sometimes resulting in death), and should NEVER be given to them, under any circumstance.

Onions, chocolate, tomato leaves & stems, coffee/tea, macadamia nuts, grapes & raisins, hops, rhubarb leaves, avocados, pits from fruits, and almonds. 

The raw aspects of a dogs diet can be extremely helpful in health for gums, teeth, bones, and overall health. To achieve these health benefits I use organic carrot sticks as treats, and my Sasha goes crazy for them, sweet, crunchy and delicious.  Dried organic meat treats are also great treats (great for training), just be sure to get from a reputable US company and that the only ingredient is dried meat.  The other raw component of her diet is (organic & grass fed) raw beef marrow bones. Not only are the bones good for cleaning their teeth, but bones are important for the health of the dog's bones, makes sense right? If you are weary of feeding them raw bones, you can also supplement with ground bone meal in order to get the adequate calcium they need. Either way they will be sure to thank you for it.

When changing your dogs diet a good way to monitor their health is by monitoring their bowel movements. I know, I know. But, it really is the best way to keep an eye on your dogs health. Make sure it is not too watery, and not too hard and the color should not be too light or too dark. They say the better the diet the less pungent the odor, you can be the judge. In addition to the stool, the health of your dogs skin, coat, teeth and eyes are good indicators as well. If the coat is shining, the skin has no problems, the eyes are bright and alert, and the teeth appear clean and gums nice and pink, its a good sign you've got a happy, healthy dog. Keep up the good work.

So there it is...a very basic guide to how to start your dog off on a healthy paw, 

for a long happy life with YOU!