Natural dog food: is it safe? See the menu

In addition, it is important to pay attention when buying food. According to the veterinarian Júlia Kivel, it is “important to check the origin of the food, especially the meat in raw diets, as there is a risk of contamination by microorganisms that can cause everything from food poisoning to more serious diseases”.

This natural diet can be assembled in three ways: with boneless cooked meats; raw meat with bone or without bone.

Cooked bone-in meats should not be part of the menu, as the bone can loosen pieces and splinters, injuring the animal’s intestines.

Cooked natural food

The cooked diet is the most common for dogs and is prepared with meat, offal, vegetables, carbohydrates and supplements to complete nutrition.

Different boneless meats, such as chicken, pork, beef and fish fillet, can be used for this food. The meat must be cooked, and must be undercooked or to the point.

The heart (chicken, pork, beef or even lamb and duck) is also an excellent option for the diet, because in addition to protein, it provides iron, vitamins and essential amino acids for your puppy.

The egg is also a protein option for dogs’ diets.

The diet should also have viscera, such as liver or kidney. These pieces are indispensable for natural food for dogs, as they are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.

For the diet to be complete, the presence of vegetables is also necessary. They are essential because they provide fiber, vitamins and phytonutrients (substances of plant origin).

Leaves like watercress, lettuce and arugula and vegetables like chayote, eggplant and carrots are good options. The onion should not be used, as it is toxic to dogs.

Then, carbohydrates come in – preferably roots, like sweet potatoes and manioc. They are responsible for providing the puppy’s calories and energy reserve.

Finally, it is necessary to add some add-ons. A vitamin-mineral supplement and a vegetable oil, such as extra virgin olive oil, ensure that the puppy has all the vitamins and minerals it needs.

Raw natural food

The raw natural food, in turn, has bones, cartilage and muscles offered without cooking for the dog.

The proportions are similar to that of natural cooked food, and this is a diet considered more natural because it simulates what the dog would eat if it were not domesticated.

One of the advantages of offering raw natural food is the possibility of including bones, which offer benefits to the dog and, unlike cooked bones, do not represent a risk to his health.

Can you feed the dog human food?

No. To replace all the nutrition planned and contained in a quality feed, many ingredients are needed, offered in the correct proportion and quantity for each dog.

The natural food for dogs is a good option to replace the feed with natural ingredients. However, if the feed is left out and the food offered is only leftover food, the pet will develop health problems due to nutrient deficiency.

Natural food menu for dogs

The ideal diet of natural cooked food for dogs should count with the proportion of approximately 35% of carbohydrates, 30% of meat, 30% of vegetables 5% of viscera and the complements.

The raw natural diet should have approximately 40% of fleshy bones, 30% of boneless meat, 20% of vegetables and 10% of viscera.

Remembering that before offering a natural diet for your pet it is essential to consult with a veterinarian, who will make recommendations according to the particularities of your puppy.

According to veterinarian Júlia Kivel, “another factor that impacts the formulation of the diet is whether the animal already has a disease, for example obesity , food allergy , diabetes . In such cases, there must be even greater care ”.

That is, natural food can only be offered if the veterinarian verifies that the animal is healthy.

So, let’s go to some examples of recipes to feed your four-legged friends in a natural and nutritious way? Check it out below:

Recipe of natural cooked food for dogs

The amount of food should be approximately 4% of your puppy’s ideal weight. Considering a 10kg dog, the daily proportion (divided into two or three meals) should be 400g, and an option would be:

• 120g of cooked beef (30% of the meal);
• 20g of cooked beef liver (5% of the meal);
• 140g of brown rice (35% of the meal);
• 60g of carrot + 60g of eggplant (30% of the meal);
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Recipe of raw natural food for dogs

In raw food, the amount of food should also be approximately 4% of your puppy’s ideal weight. Considering a 10kg dog, the daily amount of food should be 400g, and an option would be:

• 160g of chicken neck (40% of the meal);
• 120g of beef heart (30% of the meal);
• 40g of beef liver (10% of the meal);
• 40g of carrot + 40g of eggplant (20% of the meal);
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

In that text, we saw how natural dog food works.

It is a good option for owners who want to offer a balanced and natural diet to their pets, however, it is necessary to be careful and do it in a way that contains all the nutrients that the animal needs.

Remembering that it is essential to consult with a veterinarian before starting to offer this type of food to your puppy.