The abundance of modern dry and canned dog food can get confused. However, not all dog breeders believe that this is the optimal diet for their four-legged friends. Dogs can be fed with regular food and in some cases even necessary. But it is worth remembering that not scraps from the master's table should get into the dog's bowl, but specially prepared natural food.
Meat component
Two-thirds of your dog's basic diet each day should be meat. Veterinarians recommend buying young lamb, steamed beef, horse meat, rabbit meat. Pork should be discarded due to its high fat content, veal - due to the small amount of nutrients compared to beef. Poultry (chicken, turkey) can be given, but they should be introduced into the diet gradually, observing the physiological reactions of the dog (the functioning of the digestive system, the condition of the skin, coat). Remove the skin from the poultry meat before placing it in the bowl, as it contains too much fat that is harmful to your pet's liver. Dogs should not be given any tubular bones. They can injure the esophagus and cause dangerous internal bleeding.
The meat you choose for your dog must be fed raw. If it has been frozen, thaw it at room temperature. It is not worth boiling meat, as most of the nutrients will be lost during heat treatment. Do not cut, chop finely, or mince the meat you are going to give your dog. This can spoil the animal unnecessarily and make the teeth and stomach too "tender".
Instead of meat, you can always use offal or on some specific days. Kidneys, liver, heart, udder should also be fed raw. In some cases, they should be rinsed well, soaked in cold water (if an unpleasant odor is felt) and scalded with boiling water. Remember that by-products are less nutritious food than meat, so you need more of them.
Do not buy meat and offal for dogs "off hand", from friends, at the nearest farm or at a spontaneous market. As a rule, such meat does not pass sanitary inspection and can cause illness of the dog.
Sometimes in the diet of dogs should include sea or ocean fish, first rid them of the bones. Try to choose low-fat varieties: they contain a huge amount of micro and macro elements. Protect the animal from any red fish: it can cause severe allergies.
Other products
Fermented milk products have a beneficial effect on animal health. They should be given to dogs daily. Forget about fermented baked milk, sweet yoghurts, sour cream once and for all. Better stop the choice on low-fat cottage cheese (5-9 percent), kefir (up to 3.5 percent fat), yogurt. 2-3 times a week, raw chicken eggs and bran can be added to fermented milk products. This meal should be a separate meal and should not be mixed with meat.
Vegetables must be given to dogs. Usually dog breeders recommend carrots, cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers, beets, zucchini, eggplants, pumpkin. All of this can be offered separately or together. Vegetables are recommended to be finely chopped, grated or minced. The dog is unlikely to eat such food in its pure form, so it is better to combine it with meat. Try to train your dog for sauerkraut. It contains a lot of vitamin C. 2-3 tablespoons of sauerkraut can be given to the animal a couple of times a week.
Many vitamins and other nutrients are found in lettuce, dill, parsley, cilantro. In addition to them, the dog can be given young nettles, previously scalded with boiling water, a clove of garlic (no more than 1 time per week).
Whether or not to give cereals to dogs, dog breeders still argue. Ideally, it is better to refuse various cereals, however, in order to save money, you can cook rice, millet and buckwheat for four-legged pets. In no case should animals be given oatmeal, pasta and bread. Too much cereal in the dog's diet will lead to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, and later to obesity, decreased immunity, the emergence and development of chronic diseases.
