Supplement/Amount/Schedule
Fresh Chopped Garlic-1/2tsp-1x daily
Breakfast-Adults
Grain Free Kibble-1 to 1 1/2 cups, depending on the individual. There are many excellent grain free dry foods available. We are currently using Wellness Core.
Dinner-All
Raw chicken thighs, drumsticks or backs plus about 25% organ meat/muscle (beef/chicken heart, gizzard, liver) (10-12oz total) with about 1/4 cup pureed veggies, or 10-12oz other raw meat (beef/lamb with bone) with veggies. I have used lamb breast for bone instead of chicken. Ideally the meat portion includes about 25% organ meat (organ meat/muscle-heart/kidney).
For puppies-initially chicken necks or wingettes and drumettes are preferred, with 50% organ meat/muscle. After a week or 2 of success with these easier to chew bones, puppies can then graduate to chicken thighs. I wait to feed drumsticks and backs for few weeks until thighs have been mastered.
3-4x weekly, I'll include an egg (raw or cooked). If you're using organic eggs, you can include the shells. If using a prepared raw diet, such as Bravo or Oma's, the addition of chewable bone as a snack 4-5x weekly, is vital for maintaining healthy teeth/gums.
Substitute 10-12oz canned mackerel, sardines in water or wild caught salmon (because of PCBs) at least 1x weekly-but NEVER tuna, because of mercury content . Bumblebee and Geisha brands canned salmon are wild caught.
For canines, leaner isn't "better." (You can use fatty chopmeat & mackerel is a fatty fish.)
Breakfast-Puppy
1 cup grain free kibble + 1/4 cup raw goat's milk (until age 4mos)
Lunch-Puppy (until 6mos)
1 cup grain free kibble with 1/4 cup goat's milk or a little water
Dinner-Puppy
Raw food as described above
Veggies/Schedule
Baked (peeled) yam-approx 1x weekly, depending on availability-either chopped broccoli florets, pureed raw stringbeans, pureed raw spinach, pureed raw beet greens, steamed pureed brussels sprouts, pureed raw carrots, boiled pureed beetroot, pureed cauliflower, pureed raw romaine/red/green leaf lettuce or other available greens, or other imaginable/obtainable raw veggies, usually pureed, or baked squash (acorn or butternut). Note: root/"sweet" veggies like yam, carrot, squash & beets should be fed sparingly, once or twice a week. In general, quantity of veggies is 1/4 cup per dog.
Use defrosted pureed frozen veggies, NEVER canned veggies, as substitutes for fresh veggies. Wash ALL veggies (including frozen) to eliminate pesticides. Before pureeing veggies, I prepare a 4 cup rinse of a few drops of organic cider vinegar and either a veggie washing solution or dishwashing soap and rinse the veggies in clear water afterwards.
For travel/convenience: canned foods to substitute for the meats, in order of my personal preferences: Evo, California Natural Lamb & Rice, Wellness (assorted flavors), Canidae (assorted flavors), Solid Gold (assorted flavors). If you are using these canned products, note the ingredients carefully, as some contain rice or other carbohydrate ingredients. If this is the case, they are more fattening, so keep your eyes open & cut back on the amount before your dog starts to look too tubby. Also, please note that I have, to date, never purchased the Solid Gold canned products, so I can't personally recommend them. (I have read the ingredients listed on the labels.) There are also dehydrated raw diets available at feed stores. These are expensive, but very convenient.
Your general guidelines are that you want the first ingredient to be some type of HUMAN GRADE meat or fish. You want to avoid foods containing corn, soy & wheat, as they are highly allergic & are of questionable nutritional value to canines.
Also, for anyone who doesn't mind spending bigger bucks to feed their dog, there are several premixed raw diets sold frozen: Steve's Real Food, Oma's Pride and Bravo, to mention just those with which I'm familiar. Please note that if you're using one of these prepared raw diets, although they contain chopped bone, you still need to provide chewable bones several times weekly as part of the diet, since chopped bone doesn't help to clean teeth/gums. Beef marrow bones are NOT �chewable� bones. They are for recreational chewing only, since the dog cannot chew them up. All bones MUST be raw or they are brittle and dangerous.
Happily, at this point in time, there are so many high quality dog foods on the shelves of any well-stocked feed store, that they are too numerous to mention, and making decisions when confronted with so many options can feel both confusing and overwhelming. The Whole Dog Journal reviews and recommends quality foods, but just like with purchasing products for your human family, you do need to read up before going shopping and pay attention to the list of ingredients. Remember too that the most expensive food is not necessarily superior, but for certain, when it comes to dog food, the cheapest brands are to be avoided.
The best system with the dry foods is actually to rotate between 2 or 3 good ones regularly, since no food is complete or perfect. My dogs have had no problem with doing this rotation.
Note that I don't usually use puppy food. All puppies are weaned onto adult dog food and raw meats and veggies.
In researching dry and canned foods and premixed raw diets, you can simply follow the recommendations of the Whole Dog Journal. They publish an annual list of the better dry and canned foods. There are many excellent choices available.
If your tap water contains chlorine or fluoride or salt, your dog should be given only bottled water. Wash ALL veggies (including frozen) in mix of dish soap or veggie wash combined with a few drops of organic apple cider vinegar. All food/water dishes should be either stainless steel or ceramic, provided that the decoration on ceramic dishes is lead-free.
AVALYDE FIELD SPANIELS
(Revised 3/12)