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Whats the correct ratio for making dog food

linderbelle

Well-known member
I have been making dog food for approximately 1 1/2 months now. Still reading and learning. The more I read the more confused I get. There are sooooooo many ratios out there. What do you all think. Been doing

40% meat
30% veggies
30% starch

Have read of other ratios like I said. Even 70/25/5. uggghhh. Am I doing the right thing? I also supplement a daily vitamin and calcium tablet. Feedback???? I've searched on this site but couldn't find something. I swear I saw awhile back Karlin post a ratio but I can't find it on here.
 
Linda, I looked into cooking for my dogs, but decided, at least for now, that I don't have time. I did research it extensively and liked the idea of it, but for now it just won't work for me.
What I did read was that you either feed the meat raw, or if you cook the meat, you have to add back enzymes. The meat has enzymes in it that help the dog digest it, but those are destroyed when the meat is cooked. Also, there should be quite a bit of organ meat since muscle meat alone is insufficient to give them a balanced diet.
Then there was the whole aspect of having to add bone meal or, better yet, finely ground, dried eggshells to the food if you don't give bones so they get enough calcium. Dogs are supposed to have a 2:1 ratio of phosphorus (meat is naturally high in phosphorus) to calcium, and a problem with bone meal is it also contains phosphorus, which can throw the ratio off when you feed meat and use bone meal. This can be bad. 8 large eggshells is the appropriate amount for approx. 1lb. of homemade dog food. They should be set out to dry first and then ground up thoroughly or the nutients won't be absorbed. Most things I read don't think a calcium supplement by itself is very well absorbed.

Good luck. I know what you are doing is the best thing for your guys. Just keep doing your research. You can order some dog cookbooks off amazon that might be helpful.
 
I''d recommend getting Monica Segal's books on preparing a home diet. She is a qualified nutritionist. Far too much of what is out on the web has no basis whatsoever in fact and you can end up with a very poor diet indeed and it isn't any guarantee of a better or healthier or safer diet simply to make a dog's food at home. Getting the right balance is involved and does take time and commitment. (For example, I have never seen huge amounts of starch recommended for a dog's diet myself...).

Dogs are omnivores and can and will eat a wide range of foods but some household items are poisonous or risky for dogs, and other foods in the wrong combination actually reduce the nutritional value of the food and can even strip out nutrients entirely.

That's why I'd really recommend using professional advice and avoid taking anything read on online food discussion sites as gospel. If you don't know on what authority someone is recommending feeding one way or another, then be extremely cautious.

I'd recommend:

www.monicasegal.com

She also has info specifically for cavaliers in her pamphlets series.
 
Yes Karlin like I said the more I read the more confused I get. I thought I was doing the best I could do for my dogs. Now not so sure--I'm even saying I might be hurting them. I'm going to order her books and go from there. I truly think it has helped my tri though because she used to stink 2 days after bathing her and now she doesn't and can go longer between baths so thats a good sign. My main concern is all the nutrients --are my dogs getting it. Thanks for the link. I have seen many ratios on the net and thats what finally got to me.
 
I won't write my opinion on dog food.... But I would like to say 3 things:

1. I entirely agree with Karlin. There is an enormous amount of junk on the Internet, especially about dog food.

2. The calcium/phosphorus ratio is a very important one, as an imbalance can cause all kinds of health problems.

3. Enzymes are found in your puppy's stomach and intestines, just like you. There is no need for an outside source.

Dr Zeltzman (surgeon)
www.DrPhilZeltzman.com
 
I've read that increased vegetation (including starch) may be good for a dog as it is much more alkaline than the acidic mostly meat diet. This would be for certain conditions in the dog. I also wish I remembered what condition I read about in class where the dog looked like it had bad neurological problems, but recovered very well after eating a vegetarian diet.

I think the ratio would depend on the individual dog if you are doing a homemade diet. My vet was just telling me about online software that would tell you if your diet was deficient in anything, will try to look up where I put the URL...
 
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