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a. All dogs should be fed, by volume of the total amount fed each meal, 25-50% meatb. The meat can include: i. Beef ii. Chicken iii. Turkey iv. Fishc. The easiest way to start this program is to use ground meats. Take the portion to be fed, mix with water, and cook on the stovetop or in the microwave until the meat is cooked medium (pink) to medium-well. Some animals will thrive on raw meats, but do not start this practice in the beginning. i. Take this meat portion, including the water, and add it to the rest of the ingredients II. Commercial Dog Food Portiona. Although there are many good home-cooking recipes, we feel that most owners have little time or inclination to routinely feed an entirely home-cooked diet for their dog. Good intentions fall by the wayside, and the diet plan is not followed as it should be. Instead, by feeding some meat, some commercial diet, and the rest as outlined below, the dog receives an excellent, well-balanced diet. Costs are kept at a minimum, and the time required to prepare the diet is so moderate that even the busiest person will be able to follow this feeding protocol.b. There are many commercial diets that are good diets. However, none stand out as clearly superior to any other (they are NOT home cooking, after all). There are, however, a large number that are not worth feeding because they are either of too poor a quality or they are not cost effective (remember the average commercial diets that masquerade as premium diets). There are too many of these to mention, but a good clue that the diet falls in this category is if it claims to be "just as good as such and such, but costs less", or the "premium diet costs less than about a dollar a pound".c. We use and recommend the Flint River Ranch diets, and will gladly provide you with information on how to order them.d. The commercial diet, whether dry food or canned, should be of as high a quality as you can afford, and should make up no more than 25-40% of the diet.Your Animal's Specific Recommendations: Only available following a phone consultIII. The Variety Componenta. Since grains and other carbohydrates are not necessary, we recommend they be fed sparingly. Their biggest benefit is that they are inexpensive. Using the plan we are outlining, they are even less necessary, because the commercial diets contain grains. One of our favorite grains to use is white rice. Many dogs have digestive problems, which improve when rice is fed.b. Vegetables should be routinely added. We recommend: i. Carrots ii. Broccoli iii. Peas iv. Leafy greensc. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, yams, and squashes are all excellent additions to the diet. Sweet potato is especially good, inexpensive, easy to prepare, and readily accepted. Sweet potato should be cooked, and can then be used a portion at a time over a few days. They can be mashed and mixed so well into the diet that all animals will accept them. Carrots often need to be cooked lightly or shredded/chopped finely, or they may not be accepted or completely digested.d. Dairy products can be included sparingly. Our favorites are: i. Yogurt ii. Cottage Cheesee. Eggs are great to feed, and can be fed cooked or raw. We recommend no more than a couple of eggs a week, if fed raw. Cooked eggs can be fed a little more frequently.f. Leftovers can be fed as well, as long as they are good food and not excessively fatty or sweet.g. The variety component should be just that: fed for variety, one thing one day, and another thing another day. Don't get caught up in a routine where you are feeding the same things all the time. Variety is just as necessary for your dog as it is for yourself.h. A couple final thoughts: i. Corn is not a vegetable. It is a grain, and it is in plentiful supply in almost all commercial diets. so there is no reason to feed corn.ii. Legumes (beans, peanuts) are good sources of proteins and fiber, but do not have particularly large amounts of vitamins and tend to provide excessive carbohydrates, which leads to obesity
I'm feeding Nutro puppy food right now. I'll probably switch to Costco's Kirkland brand when I switch to adult food. Its made by Diamond and supposed to be good stuff.
