Natural Treats and Remedies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural history of dogs, Canis familiaris

Domestic dogs are descended from wolves and are closely related to them. Wolves usually hunt in packs and prey on medium to large animals such as deer and moose. Solitary wolves feed on rodents and other small mammals. The skin, fur and most other parts of animal prey are eaten. Wolves also eat insects, fish, fruit, nuts and grasses.

During their 15, 000 years of association with humans, dogs have mainly subsisted on waste animal and vegetable products and vermin.

Commercial dog food

It is only comparatively recently that commercial dog food has been available, beginning with dog biscuits in the 1800’s. 

Commercial dog foods are made from various meats, cereals and soya beans. Chemicals are added to provide nutrients, colour, flavour and preservatives.

Low cost  foods usually  contain mainly plant protein rather than protein from animals. Plant protein is generally lower quality and less digestible than animal protein. Low cost foods can also contain undesirably high levels of some nutrients.

 

Common-sense feeding

 

Dogs are adapted to eat a wide range of foods. Just as for humans, eating a wide variety of food makes meals interesting and healthy. Feeding only one type of food (especially a low cost food) can result in your dog eating too little or too much of certain nutrients or additives, and single-food diets may be very boring. Dogs enjoy eating real foods such as meat and eggs and they are very good for them.

 

An affordable and healthy diet can be made using a variety of commercial foods as a base, supplemented with careful feeding of meat, raw bones, fish, eggs, milk, vegetables, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. (See Foods suitable/unsuitable for dogs, below.) Cooking a bit more when preparing your own meals is a convenient way of adding healthful variety to your dog’s diet. If these foods make up more than 10% of your dog’s diet, then take extra care to provide the right balance of nutrients (see table below). Nutritionally balanced recipes for dogs are available in books and on the internet. A good way to assess how well your dog is digesting his/her food is to inspect the faeces which should not be overly runny (diarrhea) or hard and dry (the dog may be constipated).

 

Cooking meat increases its digestibility, palatability and food safety (there should be no safety issues anyway) but destroys some nutrients.

 

Identifying Food Allergies

 

Feed a novel food for 12 weeks (e.g. minced chicken meat & bone, and venison). If signs of allergy (e.g. generalized skin irritation) reduce, return to the original diet to see if it was the cause.

 

Important nutrients for dogs

 

An average adult dog needs:

 

Protein: 20-25% of diet

Fat: 9-15% of diet

Vitamins: A, D, E, K: in liver, fats, oils, cereal germ

Calcium (Ca):  1000 mg/day (9kg dog)

Phosphorous (P): 880 mg/day (9kg dog)

 

Nutrient contentS of Foods:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note that:

Providing Ca:P in the ratio 1:1 to 2:1 is important.

Supplementation (e.g. with Ca) can cause health problems, so seek veterinary advice before using supplements.

 

Growth & lactation are critical times when extra nutrients are needed, from good quality formula feeds or well-informed diet planning.

 

Aged pets can’t easily deal with a poor diet or excessive nutrients. In general they need highly palatable, digestible food, with reduced protein, phosphorous and sodium. They can become reluctant to eat dried food due to decreased secretion of saliva. If you feed dried food ensure there is a readily accessible, continuous supply of clean water.

Foods not suitable for dogs

Sudden changes in diet

Raw fish (some have harmful organisms and toxins)

Onions & garlic (large amounts are toxic)

Raw egg white on its own (ok with raw egg yolk)

Chocolate (feed only sparingly, and do not feed dark chocolate)

Xylitol sweetener (e.g. in some chewing gum) 

Grapes (toxic at 32g/kg dog), raisins (toxic at 11g/kg dog)

Macadamia nuts (even just a few can be toxic)

Cooked bones (can splinter), or more than 1-2 large raw bones/week (can obstruct the digestive system)

Excessive milk (milk is very nutritious but give no more than 20 ml/kg of body weight, and make sure it’s not causing diarrhea - some dogs can’t digest it)

All-meat, or all-fish diets (deficient in calcium and other important nutrients)

Excessive liver (can cause vitamin A poisoning, so feed liver only 1-2 times/week)

Foods suitable for dogs

Whole eggs, cooked or raw

Milk (most dogs can enjoy small amounts) & cheese

Meat (cook or deep freeze offal, pork or mutton)

Large raw bones (nb: unsuitable for dogs that swallow large pieces or become constipated from bones)

Vegetables (cooked or raw)

Fish (cooked, boneless)

Fats & oils (no more than 10% of diet)

Grass (have clean, long, green grass available)

Starchy  foods e.g. potatoes, pasta, and rice (rice is considered the most digestible of these 3).

Venison for dogs

Deer are one of the wolf’s most sought after prey and it seems that domestic dogs share this love. Dogs go crazy over Happypet’s venison treats! These treats are high in protein and supply a multitude of natural nutrients. No additives at all.

 

In addition to being a favourite for dogs, New Zealand venison is an ethical food produced under high quality assurance programmes that protect animal welfare and the environment. Venison treats that are relished by dogs are generally made from parts of the deer that humans would otherwise waste.