NO COMMERCIAL DOG FOOD. what does my dog need, nutritonally?

Question

there is a food pyramid for humans, is there one for dogs? i dont know how much, for ex. meat she needs per day, and how much veggies if any , she needs per day. any guide out there saying what dogs need to eat per day and what they cant eat? (money is no object and i dont mind cooking for her either)........????????

Answer 1

I think this site might be helpful:

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/nutrit2.html#Choose

Answer 2

This site is a great starting point. It discusses what to feed , what NOT to feed, weekly amounts and how to tell if your dog is a healthy weight.

My dog's pyramid would be 5-10% table scraps, 10-15% assorted offal (hearts, kidney etc) 20% raw meat and the rest a variety of meaty bones. This is worked out over the week not daily so it is not as involved as it sounds.

Everything is RAW - no need to cook (cooking destroys or alters the essential enzymes)
It is much cheaper than buying artificial food. I troll for the marked down packs at the butcher and supermarket. It goes in the freezer so the few days of fridge life don't matter.

Good luck and be wary of the scaremongers :) Do your own research, your dog will thank you.

** meat alone is not nutritionally complete. Your dog needs meaty bones and offal too. This is the health of your dog's teeth and gums as well as the rest of them. Peridontal disease has proven links to other health problems.

Answer 3

No need to cook. I've provided you with some great links all about raw feeding.

Personally, I feed about 4-5lbs of meat per day, a few baby carrots and spinach (food processed) and a little yogurt or cottage cheese. My dog weighs 160lbs. Amounts will vary immensely based on age, size and activity level of each individual dog. There are yahoo groups all over the country that are dedicated to providing meat suppliers to all the people that feed raw. And raw is cheaper than high quality commercial pet foods.

Answer 4

It's not only dog food. Human food is just as bad for dogs as their own is. All the chemicals and preservatives in our food is making us sick so what do you think it'll do to our dogs? I've got the same concerns as you and have done an awful lot of research and the fact of the fact of the matter is that unless you have the time and the room to raise everything you eat organically and preserve it yourself you are at risk.Either that or buy everything at a health food store and who can afford that? Every bit of meat at the grocery store is tainted simply because of the way the animals it comes from are slaughtered and processed.So not only must we raise all the produce ourselves in ground that's not loaded with herbicides but we'll need to raise our own animals and feed nothing but organically grown food and when it's time for slaughter it will have to be done the kosher way. Of course there's a conspiracy.But until we force the food and drug administration to stop finding more chemicals for us to consume that they know full well will cause all these major diseases in both humans and animals we are screwed.Until we find a way to stop them all we're doing is making everyone in the food and drug industry rich except for the farmers and ranchers who do all the work.

Answer 5

I cook for my dogs as well, but with 3 big dogs, I was buying meat by the truckload, so I feed half high quality dog food and half homemade food. There is good quality food out there, if that is all you are worried about.
Here;s what I feed them http://timberwolforganics.com/pet-foods

As far as what they need in a homemade food, they need mostly protein. Mainly meat of any kind and eggs are great for protein and cheap. Fish oil is also a good additive.
You can add fresh veggies, brown rice, and oats. Just make sure that the majority is a protein source.

Answer 6

I feed my dog SoJo's. See the website below. They sell to local places so you may be able to get it cheaper at a pet store that carries it.
I feed Europa as my dog cannot have grains. It has apples, sweet potato and many other veggies. It is something people could eat, totally natural. You mix it with meat (supposed to use raw but I cook lean turkey - can but it in a tube for 1.50 or so). He has thrived on it! his coat is beautiful and he has such a great amount of energy. I know this does not specifically answer your question, but this diet fills their needs and is simple to make. You can view the different types of food by clicking the food link. Hope this helps!

Answer 7

Sorry, I don't know...and I'm not sure that it is that easy to understand, without being a vet or pet nutritionist...but I am very curious as to why you don't want to feed commercial dog food? Would a food from the vet or high quality co-op brand be ok?

Answer 8

I recommend RAW food diet, ether you can cook for your self or there is companies out there that have cubed or ground Raw diet meals with nothing but meat, bone meal and very small amount of veggies.
I personally use Natural Balance Raw diet, as it is easier on me to handle it this way, it comes cubed.
Both of my Welsh Corgi's are very healthy, have maintained a good weight and their coat is in good condition. I have had people ask me what I use when they see them, because of the condition of their coats. Also Corgi's are known to be over weight, and I haven't had this problem.
I also have a rescue Kuvasz, she had thyroid troubles and weight gain. Since she has been on the diet, she is able to move easy, has lost weight ( which for her is a good thing), and is chewing on herself less. She had really bad problems with hot spots.
Dogs are meat eaters, and they need to have a diet that is mostly meat.

Answer 9

I know you said no commercial dog food but what about holistic dog foods such as Canidae and Innova Evo. They offer the best quality with a balanced diet. Innova Evo doesn't contain any fillers and Canidae only contains brown rice.

Answer 10

Here is a great starter page for a raw diet. http://community.livejournal.com/rawdogs/120730.html

It is actually quite simple once you get the hang of it. I spend one or two evenings a month preparing food my dogs. I just divide everything up into daily meals and freeze. One of my dogs gets his thawed in the fridge, the other gets his frozen, he's a power eater and that slows him down a little bit.

Answer 11

Look into Flint River Ranch dog food. Dogs LOVE it, all human grade (no by products..) Do some research on it, it's one of the best out there.