Incomplete and Unbalanced

I was recently forwarded this article at petmd.com titled Most Home Prepared Diets for Dogs Not Balanced.


It's true – no homemade diet on it's own is "complete and balanced".  However even those recommended by veterinarians don't measure up to the standards - if you don't include any added supplements.  It's the supplementation that is hopefully included in the veterinarian recipes that makes the difference. Which is why I continually stress the importance of supplementation.

We don't need to turn to veterinarians for approval of every morsel we put into our dogs' mouths. If people care enough to cook for their dogs, and they're given good information, I believe they will follow the guidelines. We need to respect and rely on veterinarians for their professional opinion on our pet's health and supplementation rather than requesting that they also act as our Rachael Ray.

In addition, the recipes that are often provided by veterinarians are user-unfriendly, written in formal speak or unfamiliar terms.  Most people in the US do not keep scales in their kitchen so a veterinarian's recipe specifying '200 g of cooked chicken' will most likely lead people to eyeballing it anyways. I've seen dozens of recipes that are handed out that also leave a lot of doubt to serving size.

My favorite way to supplement is with a diet of half commercial food and half homemade.  With most commercial foods being supplemented 200-600% of a dog's recommended daily allowance for all nutrients, a half and half approach provides the best of both worlds.

People can also choose to provide a vitamin tablet, but that's another concern – all on their own many commercially prepared supplements do not provide enough calcium.  I always recommend adding more calcium.In analyzing over 500 homemade recipes from various sources and comparing them to supplements I have yet to find any veterinary formulation that I would recommend on it's own to supplement homemade meals.

The other missing component of a veterinarian recommended diet is variety.  When a veterinarian hands out one recipe, people will stick to that one recipe.  It's important that dogs, like us, receive variety in their diet so that they can receive a large range of phytochemicals and antioxidants as well as pleasure.  Adherence to one diet over a long period of time can also develop allergies in dogs.

I very much respect the work done by veterinarians and am committed to working with veterinarians and nutritionists to help everyone Feed Your Best Friend Better.  Whether your pet is on a homemade diet, commercial diet or raw diet, I always recommend annual checkups to ensure your pet is in the best health and nobody can provide that expertise except your veterinarian.

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