Balanced Dog Diet: Foods You Must Include In Your Pet's Daily Diet- Homemade Recipes

Feeding your pet an appropriate amount of a well-balanced diet is vital to its overall health and well-being. Here are tips and recipes to keep your pet's health at best with the changing season.

A balanced diet for your pet decides it's overall health and well-being

Dog cat food diet: The dog is a species that belongs to the broad family of mammalian creatures known as carnivorous animals, or the scientific order Carnivora. The food requirements of the many animals in this order vary. 

Some members of this group (referred to as obligatory or true carnivores) must consume meat in their diet daily, but others (herbivores) can satisfy their dietary needs by consuming plant matter or a combination of meat and plants (omnivores). An example of an obligate carnivore is a cat, a cow is an example of a herbivore, and two instances of omnivores are dogs and humans.

Dogs' tooth structure and intestinal system have evolved to support an omnivorous diet due to their nutritional requirements. This means that dogs can typically eat a variety of plant and animal foods to suit their nutritional demands. 

The quality and digestibility of these vital diet staples for dogs are more important than where the proteins and fats come from. If given a properly balanced vegetarian diet, dogs can flourish. An all-meat diet, however, would be imbalanced and fall short of meeting all of a dog's nutritional needs.

The ABCs of a balanced dog food diet

The six basic nutrients are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins.

Fibre: Dogs need fibre in their diet to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) system and prevent weight gain. Carrots, pumpkin, apples, dark leafy greens, brown rice, and flaxseed are excellent sources of fibre for dogs.

Vitamins: Vitamins are necessary for growth and maintenance. Vitamin deficits can lead to several health issues, but excessive much of them can also be harmful.

Water: No dog food contains enough water for your dog, even though we occasionally forget about this critical component of a healthy dog's diet. Always keep fresh, clean water outside.

Minerals: There are 12 essential minerals for dogs- Calcium (tofu, green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower), Magnesium (fruits, vegetables, whole grains), Sulfur (meat, fish, molasses), Iron (red meats, poultry), Iodine (dairy, kelp, seafood), Zinc (eggs, lamb, liver, brewer’s yeast), Selenium (meat, vegetables, seafood, brown rice), Copper (whole grains, seeds, and seafood).

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates, which comprise sugars, starches, and dietary fibres, provide some of the energy for dogs. Rice, pasta, muesli, and quinoa are some of the sources.

Fats and fatty acids: Animal fats and plant seed oils are the two main sources of fat in a dog's diet. Fatty acids promote the structure and function of cells, maintain the health of the skin and coat, and improve the flavour of food.

Protein: In addition to chicken and turkey that have been boneless breast, skinned, and fattened, other sources of protein include beef and lamb, pig in moderation, salmon, and some other fish like whitefish.

What to look for in dog food?

Consulting a veterinarian is the best way to select the diet for your dog. But, the following basic tips can help you choose what to put in your dog's food bowl:

- Choose meals that include entire, identifiable foods. Choose another diet if you aren't familiar with the majority of the label ingredients.

- Decide on a diet low in calories. Most adult, indoor, neutered or spayed dogs have low energy needs. Ideally, less than 350 calories per cup should be present in your dog's food. 

- If your dog weighs 20 pounds and your dog food has 500 calories per cup, the recommended serving size is low (and disappointing!). Even a few more kibbles from high-calorie foods can significantly increase weight gain, making the situation worse.

Human foods you can feed your cat or dog

- Salmon

- Bread

- Eggs

- Spinach

- Chicken

- Broccoli

- Yogurt

- Peanut butter

- Cottage cheese

- Carrots

- Bananas

- Cheese, especially hard cheeses like Gouda, Cheddar, and Swiss

- Pumpkin

- Apples

Human foods you should never feed your cat or dog

- Chocolate

- Coffee

- Soft drinks

- Avocados

- Foods containing Xylitol

- Chewing gum

- Macadamia nuts

- Grapes and raisins

- Onions

- Garlic

- Yeast dough

- High-sodium foods, including bacon

How much should you feed your dog?

The formula that is typically used to determine how much energy an average adult dog requires to survive inside your home, get some light exercise every day, and be spayed or neutered is:

30 x weight in kg (or pounds divided by 2.2) + 70 = daily caloric needs

Homemade dog food recipes

Salmon Treat

Ingredients

You will require two carrots and potatoes, one broccoli head (with stem), a squash, two salmon portions (with skin) and olive oil.

Direction

Cut the squash and the broccoli stem into pieces. Peel the potatoes and carrots, saving the peelings. In a pressure cooker, combine the broccoli stem, squash, carrot, and potato peelings. Give it a few whistles. A wok or saucepan should be filled with oil and heated to medium. Put the salmon chunks in the pan and cook them. After the salmon skin becomes crisp, remove it and put it in the dog bowl. Put the pressure cooker's cooked contents in the dog bowl. For your dog to enjoy, mix everything well.

Frozen Banana Delight

Ingredients

To make this tasty dog treat you will require four cups of plain unsweetened yoghurt, three ripe bananas (peeled and mashed) and two tablespoons of peanut butter.

Direction

Mix the ingredients to create a silky texture. Pour the smoothie into the desired number of cups. Put them in the freezer until they are firm.

(Disclaimer: This article is based on general information and does not substitute for an expert's advice. Zee News does not confirm this)