09/11/2023
Just feed food !!! 🐶🐾😀
🧆🐕 Dogs Don’t have to Eat “Dog Food” 🐕🧆
“Dog food” could be described as packaged canned or dry commercial food, processed to have a long shelf life and designed as a no-brainer easy “nutritionally balanced” meal for your dog. Often ingredients are pet grade and have significantly lower standards than human grade foods. Depending on which country you’re from, this could mean offcuts and older meat is used, or it could mean dead, dying, diseased or euthanised animals are used (an “acceptable” standard in US pet food production).
But this isn’t your only option as a pet owner. You have a variety of choices of what you can feed your dog based on availability, cost, time and what actually works well for your dog.
A few examples of your options as a pet owner:
🧆 Processed Canned or Dry Kibble:
“Dog food”. Convenient but is often missing some key nutrients not listed as requirements by regulators, such as antioxidants, naturally occurring probiotics, enzymes and fresh omega 3 fatty acids (as these are not stable when exposed to oxygen and become rancid once the bag is opened). Moisture specifically is lacking in dry food, which is a key nutrient for dogs as they would traditionally obtain much of their water intake from prey. Majority of the nutrients are added from synthetic supplements after extrusion, a process of high heat and pressure to “sanitise” and preserve the ingredients. Generally these nutrients meet the minimum requirements, sometimes they’re in excess, and sometimes they’re in dangerously high concentrations. Bacterial and fungal control is also another issue, you can read about this here 👉 https://www.facebook.com/100062215736176/posts/794531195964064/?mibextid=cr9u03
Sometimes these foods are the only option for pet owners. And if that’s the case, that’s okay!
🥩 Freeze Dried or Dehydrated Foods:
With freeze dried being the more superior option, this is another shelf stable convenient food which is made without the high heat extrusion process. Because of this, more nutrients are retained and less carbohydrates are required as they’re not relied upon as “binders”. Still lacking moisture, antioxidants, enzymes and naturally occurring probiotics. These do however come at more of a cost than processed canned and dry food.
🥦 Mixed Feeding:
Still a convenient option as canned, kibble or freeze dried food is added as the base of the meal. Then additional fresh food extras such as vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, dairy, eggs and bones makes up 20-25% of the meal. Sometimes even dog appropriate leftovers from dinner are used. Meeting nutritional guidelines isn’t really a concern here as the base food covers majority of the recommendations. The fresh foods included will add in the missing nutrients which aren’t required by regulatory bodies but are highly beneficial for your dog’s health. Enzymes, probiotics, omega 3, moisture and antioxidants can all be supplied from a few species appropriate whole food toppers. Want to know more about nutritional gaps present in dry food and how to cover them through mixed feeding? Download our free guide 👉 https://jacquelineterez.com/free-content/make-your-dogs-food-better-booklet-8l4js
🥘 Home Cooked Food
These are meals that you make yourself at home for your dog, from ingredients easily accessible in your area. Here, you have the choice to access pet grade, human grade or organic ingredients. Often home cooked foods have higher cane hydrate foods included such as potatoes, quinoa, rice or millet, but they don’t have to. This is an example of a grain free species appropriate cooked meal for those who would like an example 👉 https://www.facebook.com/100062215736176/posts/789695796447604/?mibextid=cr9u03
Most people are following a recipe guideline, nutritional advice or have a store bought multivitamin base to add to the food. You may also find these commercially available, just be mindful of ingredients, preservatives and whether a nutritionally balanced recipe has been followed.
🍖 Raw Foods
Considered the most species appropriate way of feeding. This includes feeding fresh meat, bones, organs and eggs served raw. Any raw plant matter included is designed to mimic the intestinal contents of prey and is either puréed or fermented. Raw feeding can be separated into several different styles (BARF and PMR) and can follow a different recipe calculation formulas (ratio balancing or nutritional balancing). You can read more about these here 👉 https://www.facebook.com/100062215736176/posts/790402696376914/?mibextid=cr9u03
If you’re looking for a great ratio calculator for your dog’s raw meals, I usually refer to ‘s available here 👉 https://perfectlyrawsome.com/pmr-barf-dog-cat-raw-feeding-calculators/
You as the pet owner can choose to select pet grade, human grade or organic ingredients. Through its increasing popularity, there are now commercially available products for those who are unable to make their own food at home. These come with their own concerns around ingredient quality and bacterial content but are often a great, convenient option for those time and or knowledge sparse.
🫐 Fresh Foods:
This combines cooked and raw species appropriate whole foods. Ratio balances and nutritional guidelines can still be followed, but there is more room for flexibility in your dogs diet than in Raw Feeding. This may include the addition of a small amount of appropriate grains, canned sardines, cooked vegetables or boiled eggs. The idea behind feeding fresh foods is to avoid as much processed sources of nutrients as possible.
As a pet owner, you have the option and ability to feed your dog real foods, rather than just “dog food”. A little fresh food can go a long way, just ensure whatever you choose to do is sustainable for you as the owner and suitable for your dog as an individual.
