Feeding a dog - recommendations and useful tips on proper natural feeding of a dog. Natural feeding: basic rules, prohibitions, pros and cons Natural feeding dog menu for the day

Feeding a dog is a serious matter. After all, every owner wants to see their pet healthy and cheerful, and this largely depends on the correct organization of feeding.

The dog is practically an omnivore. However, anyone who believes that a dog’s diet is no different from the food on our table is mistaken. The dog does not have a refined human taste and does not require all kinds of herbs and spices; moreover, in this way the dog’s taste can be distorted.

Nutrition should be balanced according to physiological needs animal. Both insufficient and excessive feeding are harmful to the dog’s body. Feeding determines the rate of growth and development of dogs; the nature of feeding affects their health. Improper feeding of puppies worsens the dog’s physique and negatively affects growth and weight. For the same reason there are various diseases digestive organs and metabolic disorders. Poor nutrition in males and females has a negative impact on the offspring.

Dogs' need for nutrients ah different. This is due to factors such as time of year, place of residence, age, workload. A dog needs proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts and trace elements. Complete diet includes animal and plant foods in certain proportions. In addition, the dog needs water.

A healthy animal should eat enough food to keep the bowl empty. Adult dogs should eat once a day, as their energy expenditure is minimal. Dogs living outside are given food twice a day in winter. Dogs are fed twice a day at high physical activity and in some special cases.

The volume of food and its calorie content are different concepts. The easiest way to determine whether the volume of food is sufficient is on the sides of your dog: if the sides after eating are significantly rounded (there is a sharp increase in the abdomen), then the volume of food is sufficient or even large. You may need to change your diet, which will be discussed below.

Periodically, the animals are given a fasting day to cleanse the body of toxins. This should be done at least once a month and no more than once a week. In principle, a healthy animal, feeling the sludge in the body, arranges for itself to starve. If your dog has no appetite, you should not force feed it or give it treats. But if loss of appetite continues for several days, you should contact your veterinarian to find out the cause.

Both under- and over-nutrition of dogs is harmful. If the dog is not naturally inclined to be overweight, you can add more to the food. pasta, cereals, rolled oats, which all dogs love very much, but you can get by with bread. Overfeeding an animal can lead to obesity and concomitant diseases. Such an animal evokes pity.

An adult dog is fed once or twice a day at the same time. In nurseries, animals are fed once a day, usually in the afternoon. The peculiarities of feeding puppies, males during mating, and whelping and lactating females are discussed in separate sections. Working (working and hunting) dogs are fed two to three hours after returning, when the dog is well rested. In general, dogs should be fed after a walk - then they have a better appetite.

Dogs are carnivores by nature. This determines the characteristics of their digestion. Digestion begins with oral cavity. The food is chewed and at the same time moistened with saliva. The intensity of saliva secretion depends on the nature of the food: less saliva is secreted for watery food than for dry food. Unlike other animals, food in a dog’s mouth is almost not subject to chemical digestion. Food begins to be digested in the stomach. The dog's stomach is single-stone and quite spacious. It is secreted in the stomach gastric juice having enzymes that digest food. Different foods are digested at different speeds. The food then passes from the stomach to the intestines in portions, where it is acted upon by intestinal juice, pancreatic juice and bile. The time it takes for food to pass through the digestive canal is approximately 12–15 hours, while plant foods are digested much faster – in 4–6 hours. The dog digests meat by about half in two hours, and almost completely after 12 hours. Under normal feeding conditions healthy dog clears the rectum two to three times a day.

Meat is the most nutritious food. Any meat is suitable for dogs: beef, pork, horse meat, lamb, meat of wild animals, birds, rodents, etc. Raw meat is healthier than boiled meat. Lean meat of lower grades is more suitable for feeding. Fatty meats can cause digestive upset. The daily intake of meat varies and depends on age, body weight, physiological state and loads. Approximate norm for adult dog with average physical activity with a body weight of 35 kg, it is approximately 400 g per day.

Meat by-products are actively used to feed dogs: liver, kidneys, brains, lung, tripe, udder, meat trimmings, fetlock joints, heads, etc. Dogs are also fed blood obtained during slaughter. Fresh pure blood of large cattle fed raw within 3-4 hours after receiving it. In other cases, they give boiled or dried blood (blood meal), but in small quantities (up to 50 g per day).

To avoid the possibility of infecting your pet with helminths, meat can be heat treated. .

When feeding a dog natural food the diet must contain bones, and they begin to produce bones with quite early age– puppies from two to three months. When teeth change at four to five months, the bones are replaced with cartilage. The most nutritious bones of young animals with cartilage. Long absence bones in a dog's diet leads to a weakening of the skeleton. Tubular bones should not be given, as they splinter easily and can injure the animal’s mouth and throat. It must be remembered that eating a large number of bones leads to constipation. In the fourth or fifth year of life, the bone ration is usually reduced by half. You should not give bones to dogs after suffering from gastrointestinal diseases. Boiled bones have virtually no value.

Stale meat (“smelly”) is quite suitable for feeding to dogs and is easier for them to digest.

Meat and bone meal and meat and bone sawdust are usually added to feed. Fish and fish waste are a great addition to a dog's diet. In terms of nutritional value, they are not inferior to meat and meat by-products. For feeding, they use low-grade fish that are of little use to humans. Dogs can be given both raw and boiled fish (boiled in water without seasoning). Before feeding, sharp bones are removed from the fish. big fish freed from scales. You need to be sure that the fish is of good quality.

When feeding a dog natural food, the diet contains milk, dairy products and their waste. Better to use dairy products: kefir or yogurt. Milk is fed raw. Skim milk (skim milk) is also fed raw or fermented; Skim milk serves as a source of protein instead of meat. From dairy waste, whey and buttermilk are fed to dogs and used to make porridge.

Cottage cheese is an excellent food. Adult dogs are fed cottage cheese instead of meat. Cottage cheese is wonderful dietary product for sick dogs.

It must be remembered that dairy products cannot be stored in galvanized containers, since the combination of lactic acid with zinc causes catarrh of the mucous membranes gastrointestinal tract, can lead to stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Raw foods are used as additional nutrition. chicken eggs(only the yolk is given); boiled eggs fed whole.

Animal fats are given to dogs in the cold season as additional food to the main diet and in small quantities.

A significant part of the diet consists of feed products plant origin. These include primarily a variety of cereals - oatmeal, rice, buckwheat, rolled oats, etc. Bread, cereals and flour cereal plants– a valuable source of carbohydrates and minerals.

Porridges are cooked in meat and bone broth or in whey or water. Bread is added to milk, stew or soup. It is preferable to feed stale bread. Wheat bread higher in calories than rye. The amount of bread fed to an adult dog should be limited to 200–300 g. Bread is a heavy food, it is difficult to digest and lingers in the stomach for 3–4 hours. Feeding large amounts of bread causes gas in your dog's intestines and can lead to constipation.

Flour is used to prepare stew or mash. A significant part of a dog’s diet consists of vegetables and root crops - up to 10 percent of the daily calorie content of food. Potatoes are the most popular because they have the highest nutritional value. However, it is difficult to digest, so it is fed boiled in combination with other vegetables. Cabbage is used to feed dogs, both fresh and pickled. The dog must be given raw grated carrots, and sometimes freshly boiled beets. Crushed as feed additives fresh salad, carrot and beet tops. Fresh nettle is extremely useful: young shoots are hydrated hot water and crumble into food. Dogs can be fed sorrel, tomatoes, small amounts of onions and garlic. You can give your dog raw fruit in reasonable quantities.

Yeast is used as feed additives, vitamin preparations, bone flour, fish fat, passed through a coffee grinder eggshell, salt and so on.

A variety of meat, meat-vegetable and other products are widely used. As a rule, canned food is fed along with cereal products. Good effect give dry food. In principle, a dog does not need much variety in its diet, much less seasonings and spices. Dogs feel better when they have food they have adapted to. New products or components must be introduced into the diet very carefully, observing the behavior and condition of the animal. If your dog feels well, always has a steady appetite and properly disposed excrement, then you have found the optimal diet for your pet.

At any time of the year, the dog needs fresh drinking water. Water should be in a separate bowl and available to the animal at any time. You should not allow your dog to drink water from puddles and swamps while walking, as this is fraught with diseases.

During feeding, you should not disturb the dog, much less try to take food away from it. Only hunting dogs must unconditionally move away from the bowl at the request of the owner.

The dog's food should not be hot or cold, not dry, but not liquid. The dishes must be unbreakable and of sufficient volume. Inner surface The bowl should be perfectly smooth. The place for feeding should be determined once and for all. The feeder should be at the level of the dog's elbow. After eating, be sure to wash the dishes, throw away any leftover food or store it in the refrigerator.

It is almost impossible to specify the exact diet for feeding dogs. As already mentioned, it depends on many factors. Approximate feeding norm for service and hunting dogs per day is as follows: meat – 400–600 g, cereals – 400–800 g, vegetables and root crops – 200–400 g, table salt – 10–15 g.

An empty and cleanly licked bowl indicates that your pet has enough food. If the dog looks at you pleadingly or barks, next time you need to slightly increase the portion. Eventually you will find the optimal amount of food.

You should not give dogs table scraps containing herbs and spices, or large amounts of salt. You should not give your dog sweets, especially chocolate and candy.

There are some peculiarities in feeding breeding dogs. Thus, male dogs are constantly maintained in factory conditions. During the period up to two years, the diet of such males is practically no different from the diet of other dogs. But then their diet is changed somewhat so that the dog is, as they say, “in the body.” Males begin to be prepared for mating two months before use. The diet includes at least 70 percent meat and meat by-products. Easily digestible and not very bulky feeds are preferred. During the mating season, males are given a raw egg daily or every other day. The diet must include raw liver, as well as raw vegetables: lettuce, sorrel, nettle. The frequency of feeding also changes: as a rule, male dogs are fed two to three times a day during the mating season, without, however, increasing the volume of food. After mating, the male is fed two to three hours later.

Feeding bitches has its own characteristics. They begin to prepare for mating two months in advance. During the period of preparation for fertilization, animals are fed vegetable stews with the addition of a small amount of meat and offal. The stew is replaced twice a week low-fat cottage cheese with addition raw egg, give raw fish.

After mating, the diet is not changed for about a month, but the number of feedings per day is increased to 3–4 times. In the third week of pregnancy, bitches often vomit and sometimes refuse to feed. There is no need to worry as this is normal physiological reaction body, everything goes away on its own in about a week.

At 5–6 weeks, the nutritional value of the diet should be increased by approximately one and a half times by adding mainly meat or meat by-products, fish and cottage cheese. The animal is usually fed three times a day. Crushed calcium lactate tablets, feed chalk, Activated carbon; all this is about half a teaspoon once a day.

In the last two weeks, the bitch is fed up to five times a day. A significant portion of the diet at this time consists of meat, fatty cottage cheese and milk. Exclude Rye bread, potatoes and grains. To avoid constipation, add half a teaspoon of ground flaxseed to your diet.

The period of lactation (milk secretion) in bitches lasts from one to one and a half months. It depends on the individual characteristics animal and its feeding.

In the first six hours after whelping, the dog is not fed, but only a drinking bowl with clean water. Over the next two days, the food should be easily digestible. Feed is given five to six times a day. From the fourth day they switch to the usual diet with the difference that the animal is given more cottage cheese and milk, fresh vegetables and herbs are desirable, fish oil and bone meal must be added. To improve lactation, it is useful to give surrogate coffee with milk and honey as a drink 2-3 times a day, as well as feed walnut. It is also necessary to give 0.5–1 tablet of apilac 4 times a day.

The diet and feeding of puppies are very different. In the first week of life, puppies feed exclusively on mother's milk. Feeding should begin from the moment the puppies become sighted. Puppies are fed fresh whole cow's milk, preheating it to a temperature of 25–30 degrees. You can add a raw chicken egg to milk at the rate of one egg per liter of milk. Milk is fed from a bottle with a nipple, and later the puppy is taught to lap from a bowl. To do this, pour a little milk into a small bowl and carefully poke the puppy’s muzzle into the milk. In the first week of starting feeding healthy puppy eats approximately 200 g of milk per day. Starting from day 14, crumble into milk White bread and start giving chopped meat– approximately 20–30 g per day. In the third week, liquid porridges made from semolina or pureed rolled oats are added to the diet; Now the puppy requires about 250 g of milk per day. At this time, they begin to give grated carrots as a source of vitamin A, which is very necessary at this age.

The norm for feeding puppies at the age of 10–15 days is approximately 100 g, at the age of 16 to 20 days the norm increases to 150 g, at the age of 21–30 days it is 200 g. (We are talking about large breeds; for small puppies the norm is half the amount given above.) Puppies are fed 3-4 times a day in equal portions. At 30-40 days of age, puppies are weaned from their mother.

One of important issues Keeping pets is food. The owner’s compliance with the regimen and type of feeding depends on general state And appearance dogs. A well-chosen puppy diet lays the foundation for a healthy skeleton, correct posture, beautiful wool, proper work internal organs in an adult animal. The life expectancy of an elderly pet depends on timely correction of the diet.

Read in this article

Dog nutrition systems

Experienced breeders, dog handlers and veterinary specialists distinguish between several types of feeding their four-legged friends. Depending on the set of products, taking into account their caloric and nutritional content, and the method of processing raw materials, natural, balanced, mixed and dietary nutrition are distinguished.

Natural

Compiling your pet's diet exclusively from natural products is the most preferable in terms of taste variety. The basis of nutrition in such a system is proteins. Best source A complete protein for dogs is meat. The owner should give preference to beef.

It is allowed to include horse meat, lamb, poultry (chicken, turkey), as well as rabbit meat in the diet. Don't feed your pet fatty varieties pork. It is preferable to serve meat raw, after preliminary freezing.

Offal is a good source of protein, as well as vitamins and microelements. It is useful to include liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, and udder in your dog’s diet. Veterinary experts recommend giving offal in a boiled form in order to avoid infection with dangerous helminths.

Unprocessed beef tripe is beneficial for dogs, as it has a beneficial effect on digestion. This unique by-product is most often used when switching a pet to a natural type of food.

Natural nutrition is not complete without fermented milk products. It is useful to give your dog cottage cheese, kefir, and yogurt. Fat sour cream, cream, and sweet yoghurts are excluded from the diet.

With absence allergic reaction Chicken eggs can be used in feeding the dog. To eliminate the risk of infection with salmonellosis, eggs are given to the animal only in boiled form. Puppies, sick and elderly pets, on the recommendation of a veterinarian, can be given quail eggs

, rich in vitamins and microelements.

The natural type of nutrition also includes carbohydrate foods. The source of energy substances are cereals: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal. The share of grain products should not exceed 25% of the diet. IN mandatory

For better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, vegetable portions must be flavored with vegetable oil (sunflower, olive, pumpkin). You should not feed your dog high-calorie and starchy potatoes, as well as exotic fruits.

Bones (preference should be given to cartilage and bones) should only be present in a dog's diet in raw form. Heat-treated bones pose a danger to the animal: indigestion, development of gastritis and ulcers, injuries digestive tract, intestinal obstruction.

Natural nutrition means only fresh and high-quality products. It is strictly forbidden to feed your pet “from the table”. Soups, food waste, sausages and bakery products, canned and pickled foods, sweets are contraindicated for dogs.

Even for encouragement, there are specialized foods that do not harm the health of the pet.

A significant disadvantage of the natural type of nutrition is its imbalance. It is difficult for the owner to provide for all the body’s needs for nutrients and nutrients and their content in products. An imbalance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals can lead to indigestion and metabolic diseases.

Preparing natural products not only requires serious material costs from the owner, but also takes a lot of time.

To learn how to properly feed your dog natural food, watch this video:

Balanced The shortcomings of a natural type of food can be corrected by switching your pet to a balanced diet. A veterinarian can help solve the problem. As a rule, to solve a problem it is carried out biochemical analysis

dog's blood, allowing you to identify imbalances in nutrients and vitamins. A study of the diet in terms of its content of proteins, energy substances, vitamins and minerals carried out by veterinary specialist


, will help adjust your diet. Multivitamin complexes are used for this purpose. Necessary for dogs minerals

in food Most often, dogs suffer from a lack of B vitamins and ascorbic acid . For puppies and young animals, it is important to balance the diet with phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. These useful components should be used in the form of a mineral feed additive with 2 one month old

animal. muscular system animal.

  • As a dry component mixed nutrition choose high quality feed trusted manufacturers.
  • The best additions to dry food are vegetables, herbs, dairy products, eggs and raw meat. Porridge should not be used for feeding due to the overload of the diet with grain and ballast substances.

Many breeders and experienced dog breeders use dry food for natural nutrition during trips, at exhibitions, for complementary feeding during walks and training.

Dietary

A therapeutic diet is prescribed to a pet, as a rule, for any disease, as well as after surgical intervention. In each individual case, the veterinarian develops an individual diet. For example, when chronic constipation The dog's diet is enriched with vegetables and lactic acid products. If the dog often suffers from diarrhea, then the basis of nutrition is low-fat food.

After surgery on organs abdominal cavity The veterinarian also prescribes a gentle diet. The dog is prescribed easily digestible foods that prevent flatulence and constipation.

Feeding a pet is of particular importance in cases of kidney disease, liver disease, and metabolic disorders. Often as dietary nutrition The sick animal is prescribed special medicinal dry food.

To learn how and what to feed your dog, watch this video:

Dog's diet

Health digestive system and the whole organism as a whole depends not only on what foods the four-legged friend consumes, but also on the diet. Uncontrolled, chaotic feeding worsens digestion processes, leads to constipation, flatulence, diarrhea, and adversely affects the health of all dog systems. Veterinarians and experienced breeders recommend following rules feeding:

  • Meals should be eaten at the same time whenever possible. This regimen promotes proper digestion and regular bowel movements.
  • The dog must have a strictly designated place for eating.
  • Portion - match physiological norm taking into account age and breed. Overfeeding your pet is not allowed.
  • Products must be fresh and of high quality.
  • Under no circumstances should you feed your dog hot or cold food.

For the purpose of prevention food poisoning After each feeding, you should empty the bowl of food debris and wash it thoroughly.

For a puppy

As a rule, a puppy appears in the house at the age of 2 months. By this time, the responsible breeder had taught the baby to eat on his own. At the age of 2 - 4 months, the animal should receive food at least 5 times a day. Taking into account the physiological characteristics, the pet’s diet during this period should consist of 50% dairy products (milk, cottage cheese, kefir). The source of protein for the puppy should be meat - raw beef or boiled chicken.

At the age of 4 - 6 months, veterinarians recommend feeding your pet 3 - 4 times. Gradually, the structure of the diet should change. The share of dairy products decreases to 20 - 30%, the meat content increases to 50 - 70%. At the age of 4 months, the puppy can begin to be given boiled offal.

Once the dog reaches 6 - 10 months of age, experienced dog breeders recommend feeding the young animal three times a day. Veterinarians do not recommend using industrial feed before 10-12 months.

For an adult dog

By the age of one year, the pet is transferred to two meals a day. The animal should be fed morning and evening at the same time. If the owner decides to use ready-made industrial mixtures for feeding, then the dog should be accustomed to dry food no earlier than 10 - 12 months. An adult dog's diet should contain 25% protein. It is important to maintain an optimal balance of calcium and phosphorus, avoiding an excess of the latter.

Proper nutrition for an elderly animal

As a result of decreased metabolism and low physical activity With age, the aging dog's need for energy substances decreases. In this regard, the amount of carbohydrates in the diet for pets over 7 years old should be reduced by 10 - 15%.

In an elderly animal, digestion processes deteriorate, motor function decreases, and intestinal motility slows down, which is accompanied by constipation. In this regard, the dog’s diet should include fermented milk products and vegetables as an important source of fiber.

If you have problems with gums and teeth, dry food should be soaked in water or broth.

An aging dog should be fed small portions 3 to 4 times a day. In this case, the daily dose should be reduced by 5 - 10% of the recommended dose for an adult animal.

Pros and cons of dry food Before choosing one or another type of feeding a pet, the owner should know the positive and negative aspects of concentrated nutrition.

  • The advantages of dry food are:
  • Convenient to use while traveling.
  • The line of manufacturers includes different feeds for any age, breed, physiological state of the pet. There is a wide selection of medicinal mixtures.
  • Dry food is easier to dose, since the dosage is indicated on the package.
  • Industrial mixtures are balanced in energy and nutrients.
  • Cheaper than natural food.

Dry mixtures also have negative sides:

  • Animals often have an allergic reaction to certain components of the food.
  • Cheap mass-market products are made from low-quality raw materials and lead to metabolic disorders and digestive diseases.
  • Non-compliance drinking regime leads to serious pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

The owner must decide whether to switch the dog to dry food, taking into account the pet’s taste preferences and his or her capabilities.

Proper nutrition four-legged friend- This is a diet balanced in energy and nutrients. To maintain a healthy digestive system, the owner should adhere to the recommended veterinarians and experienced dog breeders feeding regime.

The specifics of feeding puppies, adults and elderly pets are dictated physiological characteristics. Before switching your dog to dry food, you need to carefully study the positive and negative aspects of such nutrition.

Useful video

To learn how to feed your dog dry food, watch this video:

A caring owner always chooses for his dog only better food. Some people have a preference. It’s worth buying at least premium class, since such products contain the necessary useful material in the right proportions. If the pet is accustomed to natural food, the diet should be enriched with vitamin supplements. The dog will not be able to get vitamins from food in full.

Can be found different kinds feed additives for animals. Eat multivitamin complexes and having a narrowly targeted effect - for skin and wool, of cardio-vascular system, digestive system, etc. In addition, the manufacturer takes into account the condition of the dog:

  • breed;
  • puppy growth period;
  • excessive physical activity;
  • sedentary lifestyle;
  • pregnancy;
  • allergies and some other chronic diseases;

Based on these data, it is convenient to select suitable specialized complexes for each pet.

Be sure to read the directions on the package to give your dog exactly the right one. vitamin complex, which will be useful to her. If in doubt, it is better to consult with professionals.

Feed additives are most often produced in the form of tablets. They have a pleasant taste and an attractive aroma for your pet. The tablets become not only a useful addition to the diet, but also a favorite treat. Powdered vitamins are also popular - they are mixed with food. You can also find vitamins in drops that are added to water or applied directly to the tongue.

E (tocopherol)

It is important for the pet’s muscular system, skin and coat, and is involved in the process of fat absorption. Contained in cereals, meat and offal.

PP (nicotinic acid, niacin)

Essential for healthy skin, as well as proper metabolism and digestion. Obtained from offal, fish, nutritional yeast, legumes.

K (phyllochonon)

Takes part in hematopoiesis and is important for the musculoskeletal system. Contained in seafood (fish, seaweed), egg yolks, vegetables.

In this article I will tell you how to properly feed a dog on natural food. You will find out what it is based on natural diet and is it worth choosing this feeding option? I will consider the rules for calculating the diet, nutrient balance and diet. I will review permitted and prohibited products.

Whether to feed the dog natural food or not is up to the owner to decide.

Natural food has many advantages. This is a variety of diet, the ability to control nutrients, confidence in the quality of ingredients.

However, natural feeding requires more time for selecting and purchasing products, calculating balance and daily food preparation.

It should be taken into account that the pet will need fresh meat, cereals, vegetables, dairy and other products every day. You need to buy vitamins periodically.

What is natural feeding

Over thousands of years of human habituation, the psychology and behavior of dogs have changed, but the physiology has remained approximately the same as that of their ancient ancestors.

The dog is a predator who wildlife ate animals. From a completely chewed victim, the animal’s body received: protein and vitamins from meat and offal, carbohydrates from undigested plants, minerals from bones.

Dogs are based on approximately these, only in more advanced principles. This type of diet is natural for pets, does not change the functioning of the digestive system, and fully satisfies instincts and physiological needs.

The range of necessary and permitted products for dogs is small. But pets don’t need variety.


Mode

First, calculate the volume of the daily diet: 2-3% of the weight of an adult dog, 5-10% for a puppy, 3-5% for a teenager, 1-2% for obesity. For example, with an animal weighing 20 kg, the volume of food is 600 g. These are average data for a low-active dog.

The calorie content of the diet is increased during intense exercise, during the cold season, during pregnancy and lactation.

Approximate calorie intake

Calorie requirement (kcal):

Dog weight (kg) Low activity Average activity Intensive loads
20 1300 1700 2150
25 1500 2000 2500
30 1700 2300 2800
40 2100 2700 3400

Every day a dog per 1 kg of weight should receive:

  • proteins 3-4 g;
  • carbohydrates 10-15 g;
  • fats 1-2 g.

Based on this, the dog’s daily diet should consist of: 2/3 meat, fish and offal and 1/3 vegetables and cereals with the addition of vegetable oils or other fat.

Puppies and adolescents up to five months are fed 5 times, at 6-7 months - 4 times, up to 10-12 months - 3 times. Adult dogs are fed twice a day - in the morning and in the evening at the designated time. To do this, the entire daily ration is divided into two equal parts.


Permitted and prohibited products

Sources of protein - meat, sea fish, eggs, milk. The basis of the food is meat, it is given raw.

Preferred: beef, veal, rabbit and poultry without skin. Also bone products: chicken wings, lamb ribs, beef and turkey necks. When purchased from a dubious place, the product is scalded in boiling water, boiled or frozen in the freezer.

Offal: liver, tripe, heart, kidneys are given 1-3 times a week - instead of meat. The bones are removed from the fish, boiled or fed raw. For a complete diet, the pet is given milk, bio-yogurt (without filler), cottage cheese, yogurt or kefir. Raw yolk is mixed with cereals or dairy products.

Carbohydrates and vitamins:

  • rice, buckwheat, barley, oatmeal, corn cereals;
  • broccoli, carrots, zucchini, beets, potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, cucumbers;
  • dill, dandelion, spinach, lettuce;
  • crackers, biscuits, rye bread;
  • any berries and fruits without seeds.

The need for fat is covered vegetable oils, rendered beef fat and milk. Oils are mixed with porridges cooked in water.

There is no need to overload your diet with cereals. The dog's body is not designed to digest grains, so porridge is always given together with meat and fish.


The dog should not be given:

In spring and autumn, the dog should be given. To find out which vitamin is needed at a certain period, consult a veterinarian.

Most often these are cereals, dairy products, vegetables and fruits. Therefore, new foods are introduced into the diet gradually, in small portions.

Sample menu for a dog

This is the diet of a dog weighing 20 kg and undergoing average physical activity.

Meat day


  • chicken necks 300 g;
  • bio-yogurt 50 ml;
  • fish oil or olive oil 0.5 tsp.
  • beef 200 g;
  • rice porridge with water 100 g;
  • fresh pumpkin 50 g;
  • linseed oil 2 tsp.

Fish

  • chicken backs (or other bone products) 300 g;
  • yogurt 50 ml;
  • linseed oil 0.5 tsp.
  • sea ​​fish 250 g;
  • fresh vegetables 120 g;
  • egg yolk 1 pc.;
  • olive oil 2 tsp.

Fruits are best given between feedings during the day. For example, as a reward.

With the advent ready-made feed Many owners of their pets use mixed feeding. Veterinarians believe that this is not true. The dog’s body gets used to one type of food, so combining it can lead to gastrointestinal diseases. In addition, the balance of nutrient intake is greatly disturbed.

How to feed


To avoid problems with your pet’s health and behavior, you need to follow the recommendations of veterinarians.

  • feed at the same time;
  • remove the bowl of uneaten food after 20 minutes;
  • give food room temperature only(18-20 degrees);
  • the food should be thick, liquid food is not compatible with the dog’s digestion;
  • should always be nearby bowl of fresh water, it needs to be changed at least 2 times a day;
  • do not give food before intense exercise, interval of at least 1-2 hours;
  • You cannot distract your pet while eating: petting, calling, cleaning.

You should not feed your pet leftovers from dinner or teach your pet to take food from strangers.

Veterinarians do not advise fanatically copying template menus. This can lead to difficulties in selecting products, take a lot of time and affect the maintenance of the dog. Just find out your dog's needs, study recommendations for products and daily food volume.

Pay attention to your pet's condition: behavior, coat, skin and well-being. Poor nutrition, even if it is a natural woman - a deficiency or an excess always manifests itself externally.

The main debate among dog lovers is dry food or natural food? It is comparable to the debate between vegetarians and meat lovers, and most likely will never be resolved.

Veterinarians give the right of choice to the pet owner. And if you are one of those who prefer to prepare food from natural ingredients, you need to clearly know what is allowed and what is better to exclude from the diet.


The cornerstone in the question of how to feed a dog natural food is the correct distribution of products and selection of the optimal volume

Before making a choice, keep in mind that switching your pet’s diet from one mode to another is undesirable and difficult. Firstly, this will have to be done gradually, and secondly, the dog may refuse the “new” food.

Needs and diet

To ensure normal metabolism, daily norm nutrients require protein, carbohydrates, fats and water. The selection of quantity and volume is individual, depending on age, weight, breed, season. On average, the amount of protein and fat should be half of the total food, the rest should be carbohydrates. Don't forget about vitamins and mineral supplements.

The cornerstone in the question of how to feed natural food is the correct distribution of products and the choice of the optimal volume. Up to six months, the dog should eat food in the amount of 7% of its body weight; after a year, the volume should be halved.

As a rule, the straight menu is monotonous. Only the type of food and the order of distribution changes. Main ingredients: low-fat fermented milk products, lean meat and offal, vegetables and fruits. Cereal products are used as additives, which are not recommended to be given too much and too often due to harmful influence on the body. Carbohydrates contained in cereals are easily absorbed by the body and can disrupt the intestinal microflora.

What to feed your dog naturally

  • Low-fat meat dishes from chicken, turkey, beef. The meat can be given raw or scalded with boiling water. Do not feed pork to your pet. It is recommended to alternate with boiled sea ​​fish. Liver, hearts, and lungs should be given no more than once a week.
  • Porridge. Give preference to buckwheat, rice and millet. Eliminate the rest.
  • Thermally untreated vegetables - cabbage, zucchini, carrots, fruits - apples. Greens (parsley, dill) are useful.
  • Kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese are used as snacks and tasty additions. You should not pour milk to your dog - it is poorly digested and negatively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Menu for the day

So, a dog’s diet consists of three food groups. They need to be included in daily meals. Menu example:

Breakfast. After a walk, give your pet corn grits porridge (alternate weekly with other types). It can be cooked in water or broth. Then add the grated apple, but not the sweet one. This fruit contains, in addition to easily digestible iron, various useful acids, preventing the development of obesity, liver and gall bladder diseases.

The third breakfast ingredient is cottage cheese, which can be flavored with fermented baked milk. Fermented milk contains more protein than meat. In addition, it is processed more quickly by the stomach and reduces the accumulation of fat in the liver.

Dinner. The second meal must be expanded to four components: meat dish, buckwheat, vegetables, bran.

The meat should be cut into not too small pieces. If the dog doesn’t particularly like raw food, it is recommended to pour boiling water over it for 3 minutes. Thus, upper layer It will be boiled and the middle will be raw.

From vegetables, choose carrots, a week later cabbage, after another time - beets, etc. Season corn oil. It is better to mix small portions of bran with porridge. Also add herbs.


From vegetables, choose carrots, after a week cabbage...

Foods that should be excluded:

  • Sweets, coffee, tea - contain caffeine, which affects the heart and nervous system.
  • Citrus fruits, grapes, raisins, persimmons - in large quantities cause nausea and vomiting.
  • Potatoes and rhubarb have a detrimental effect on digestion.
  • Raw eggs and fish lead to a deficiency of vitamins or impede their absorption.
  • Onions and garlic cause anemia.