June 10th, 2009 · No Comments

A place to start is a look through the report “Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs. A Science-Based Guide for Pet Owners.” Produced by the National Research Council of the National Academies, the authors are a veritable Who’s Who of the pet nutrition world. There is much to be gleaned from this report, but it is clear that dogs require different types and amounts of nutrients than humans. They need amino acids from protein, fatty acids and carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water, and they need them in proper proportions.

The report offers daily recommended allowances for proteins and fats, a certain number of calories a day, specific vitamins such as Vitamin K for bone protein and folic acid to avoid weight loss. In addition, there are 12 minerals that dogs need in their diet, including zinc and magnesium.

It is possible to feed Scruffy a vegetarian diet, but pay close attention to the percentage of calories he derives from the protein you feed him.

Before you begin, consult your veterinarian. Every dog has different food needs, based on age, weight, activity and health. If your vet isn’t trained in the science of creating nutritionally balanced organic dog food, there are trained experts willing to help.

One such expert, Dr. Susan Lauten of the University of Tennessee’s Veterinary Nutrition Center (according to a TimesNews.net story) reportedly studied 100 homemade dog food recipes in books and discovered that even though most were adequate nutritionally, they were imbalanced. Most often, the story says, Lauten found the recipes lacking calcium.

There are resources and suggestions for creating healthy natural food for your dog from the American College of Veterinary Nutrition and the University of California Veterinary Medical Center (San Diego).

On the UC Veterinary Center link, there are a number of frequently asked questions about homemade dog food. Among their key points:

• Older recipes may not reflect current scientific knowledge about dogs’ nutritional needs. For example, tuna was once recommended but no more because of possible mercury toxicity. Other ingredients once thought safe, such as grapes and raisins, can cause renal failure in dogs.
• Human supplements or multi-vitamins do not always work for dogs. Their needs are different.
• The Veterinary Center’s Clinical Nutrition Program can create recipes for your dog that contain the 40 or more essential nutrients a balanced dog food should have.
• They recommend specific supplements and advise where to get them in order to augment the homemade chow.
• Your dog’s recipe could include anything from fish oil, to Tums for calcium and Metamucil for fiber.
• One dog’s food is probably not right for another, and it’s suggested that you slowly introduce the new menu over a period of about a week.
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