Senior dog food recipe example

Animal Proteins

Meat, muscle meat, and fish filet are a source of animal protein, and provide protein and all amino acids necessary in the diet of dogs.

You can cook meat of fish in order to reach 70°C for a few minutes, as food safety requires to avoid contamination problems (such as bacteria, parasites…).

Different meats and fish filets differ by their composition in water, protein and fat, and energy. So they are not all the same and substitution of one by another must be guided.
Also, some pets find some tastes more interesting/palatable/attractive than others.

Do not replace without considering the composition or asking to your vet or assess the body weight of your pet weekly

Mineral vitamin supplement

Vit’i5 is a mineral and vitamin supplement formulated by a veterinary nutrition specialist in order to balance homemade diet. It provides the micronutrients that are lacking of in the routine dietary components such has meat+oil+vegetables+carbs.

Vit’i5 has to be added to a diet each time it contains fish or meat. It has been designed in 3 products. Vit’i5 may be adapted depending on age and condition, and with the amount of meat/fish each day. It is neither seasonal nor optional.
If the diet is half homemade and half commercial, give Vit’i5 Half-half instead of any Vit’i5 recommended in the homemade recipe. Adjust to the amount of meat or fish filet to keep the same proportions Vit’i5/meat.

Warning:
Do not heat or cook Vit’i5, in order to preserve vitamins
Do not give Vit’i5 if your dog of cat eats only a complete pet food either dry or wet

Treat

FRUITS are usually more appreciated by dogs than cats.
They may represent a treat or a part of the vegetables. Dogs can eat them raw.

Better offer juicy FRUITS such as apple, peach, watermelon, strawberry, pear…
If doing so, stick to the following equivalence: 50 grams of FRESH FRUIT may subsitute 50 to 100 grams of CARROT.
(Do not offer banana or dry fruit as a TREAT, they are very rich in energy and can replace carbohydrates)

DO NOT REPLACE more than half of the vegetables with fruits as part of fiber source.

For example, in a recipe with 200grams of vegetables, that should not be more that 100 grams (half of 200 grams) of vegetables to be replaced by fruits. Thus so 100/2 = 50 grams of FRUIT such as fresh APPLE in this recipe.

Avoid large amounts of vitamin C-rich fruits such as kiwi fruit, orange… as large amounts of vitamin C would be metabolized in oxalic acid, excreted in urine.

Pet owners also often give DAIRY such as cheese or yogurt. No problem with plain yogurt with only milk and ferments in the list of ingredients (avoid the ones with any other component added), and with plain cheese. However, be very careful at the amount given. Indeed, it brings a lot of calories: consider that 10 grams of cheese bring as much energy as 4 ml of Oil or 15 g of raw Rice!

BISCUITS also are often proposed. They also brings energy, so limit the amount, and substitute the similar amount (in grams) of raw Rice rather than add biscuit to a recipe.

Essential fatty acids

Canola oil, or soybean oil, is a source of essential fatty acids, omega 6 (linoleic acid) and omega 3 (linolenic acid). They may be altered by heat and sunlight.

Don’t heat or cook it, to preserve the fatty acids. Store the bottle in the fridge.

Caps of fish oil may be added to bring also long chain omega 3 fatty acids EPA & DHA, but this does not replace the canola or soybean oil. The fatty acids are different

Fiber source

Vegetables are a beneficial source of fiber.

Give all vegetables cooked, either boiled, or steamed enough to become smooth form, or strained if canned.

Zucchini is a special vegetable. You can give it cooked, but can also cut it and freeze it raw. Once defrosted, you can included it in the diet without cooking.

You can replace carrots by broccoli, green beans, skinless pumpkin or butternut with the same weight basis. Cook these vegetables well enough to be easily cut or mash them..

Last, to offer a bigger amount of vegetables, 100 grams of carrots or equivalent may be replaced by 150 grams of zucchini, tomato, mushroom, asparagus, endives; Make sure to cook them well enough to be easily cut or mash them.

Complex carbohydrates (source of energy from Starch)

Starch is the complex carbohydrate contained is pasta, rice, corn, potatoes, tapioca, chick pees, lentils…
It must be cooked (water boiled) to be digestible and become a source of energy. Pets have individual and variable capacity to digest starch, linked to their genetic and epigenetic production potential of alpha-amylase.
Make sure to boil carbohydrates, such as rice or peeled potatoes, TWICE the time it should be for people. That maximises the digestibility of the starch by pets.

Once cooked, DO NOT freeze carbohydrates as freezing-defrosting process decreases the digestibility of starch, and could

induce digestive issue such as diarrhea and bloating.

In the recipe, a part of Carbs can also be replaced by other carbs or by treats, to provide an equivalent amount of calories.

Equivalent to 10 grams of raw (dry)  OAT FLAKES:

– 10 grams of PASTA or white RICE, cooked
– 40 grams of POTATO or SWEET POTATO, cooked
– 10 grams of any BISCUIT designed for cats
– 5ml (1 spoon) of peanut butter
– 10 grams of Cheese, such as cheddar CHEESE
– 40 grams of Cottage cheese (4%Fat)
– 50 grams of Pure Plain 4%Fat Natural YOGURT (such as Greek or Plain organic yogurt without additional flavours or ingredients)