Classic signs of rickets are rare in puppies and kittens and most often are seen when
homemade diets are fed without supplementation.
Not exact matches
A study conducted on three varieties of «
homemade»
feeding and two commercial raw food
diets found that there
were multiple imbalances that caused concern.
Homemade diets and commercial BARF
diets are often demonstrable unbalanced and have severe nutritional deficiencies or excesses.16 - 18 Dogs have
been shown to acquire and shed parasitic organisms and potentially lethal infectious diseases associated with raw meat, including pathogenic strains of E. coli and Salmonella.25 - 27 Many other pathogens have
been identified in raw
diets or raw meat ingredients, and these represent a risk not only to the dogs
fed these
diets but to their owners, particularly children and people with compromised immune systems.29 - 30 The bones often included in such
diets can cause fractured teeth and gastrointestinal diseases, including obstructed or perforated intestines, and the FDA recently warned pet owners against
feeding bones to their canine companions.
In these instances dogs should
be fed a similar kibble or a
homemade diet that caters to their allergies until a kibble delivery
is received.
This
is why vets got very scared when the big recalls on pet foods happened and everyone started
feeding their pets
homemade diets.
Raw
diets are popular but most experts believe the risks of bacterial and viral contamination in
feeding your pet raw meat overrides the value of a
homemade diet.
The facts about
feeding your dog properly boils down to one simple conclusion: whether it
is commercial dog food or a
homemade diet, always buy the best quality food you can afford.
Feeding a
homemade diet is a major commitment — do your research, read up on the many pros and cons, ask yourself if you have the time and resources to cook two meals a day for your pet, and consider your lifestyle i.e. if you travel a lot with your dog, do you have the means to keep the ingredients or pre-made meals properly chilled for extended periods of time?
As already said,
feeding adult dogs correct, well - balanced
homemade diets is not easy.
If your dog
is fed a
homemade diet, you may need to add supplements to the dog's
diet.
Although the jury
is still out on this argument, there
is some validity to
feeding either a
homemade diet, a less processed commercial
diet, or supplementing a manufactured
diet with whole foods.
If you
're going to
feed raw food or cook a
homemade diet, talk to your veterinarian to
be sure you
are fully educated on how to create a nutrition program that meets all of your cat's requirements for her life stage.
If you
're feeding raw food or doing a
homemade diet, seek advice from your veterinarian or veterinary nutrition expert in order to ensure your cat
is being given a safe and appropriate
diet.
You'd
be surprised how many times I come across cat parents who create inadequate
homemade diets or
feed the cat a
diet that
is missing vital nutrients.
If you
're feeding your dog or cat a
homemade diet, or food that
's not labeled «complete and balanced,» talk to your vet to see whether you need to give him vitamins or other supplements to make sure he
's getting the nutrition he needs for a long, healthy life.
I've often said that you don't need a degree in nutrition to
feed your dog a
homemade diet; if we can
feed ourselves and our children, we should
be able to
feed our pets as well.
Again Vitamin A toxicity, certain vitamins and minerals when your dog gets too much of them and especially if you
're feeding a
homemade diet all the time so he
's getting too much of them on a regular basis it could have some serious consequences, it could even
be fatal.
When you just think about
feeding your dog a
homemade diet and you
're thinking about finding recipes on line, finding recipes in books — go back to that UC Davis research study.
Recipes from veterinary nutritionists
are the
homemade equivalent of poor - quality kibble, not the varied, fresh food
diet that owners would like to
feed their dogs.
If you
're worried about
feeding a commercial
diet, avoid raw
diets and either find a commercial
diet that carries an AAFCO label (read more below) or discuss a nutritionally balanced
homemade diet with your veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist.
Nutritional problems occur most commonly when dogs and cats
are fed imbalanced
homemade diets, when cats
are fed diets formulated for dogs, or when dogs or cats
are fed certain human foods.
If you wish to
feed your cat a
homemade diet,
be sure to check with your veterinary technician or veterinary assistant who can recommend a good balanced
diet.
Dogs with pancreatitis / digestive issues in general should
be fed only cooked
homemade diet before switching to raw.
Feeding a
homemade diet doesn't have to
be hard or expensive.
I prefer
feeding pets
homemade diets because the quality of ingredients in most commercial pet foods
is poor.
Animals
fed raw
diets sustain small abrasions of the GI mucosa from the bone they eat and all raw
diets, no matter how meticulously they
are prepared (commercial or
homemade) contain potentially pathologic bacteria.
Developed by Australian veterinarian Ian Billinghurst, it
is based on the concept of evolutionary
diets and
is about
feeding dogs raw, whole, natural foods including raw vegetables, whole raw bones and supplements instead of commercial dog foods or cooked
homemade diets.
While they do have a couple of health conditions that may need special attention or possibly a prescription
diet at some point, most Birmans should do well on good quality foods that
are available commercially (unless you plan to
feed a raw or
homemade diet).
Choosing freeze dried cat food gives your cat the benefits of
feeding a
homemade raw
diet, just like they
were meant to eat.
Studies have shown that when cats
are fed water - rich
diets (canned or
homemade diets) that mimic their prey (~ 70 % water), they rarely drink from a water bowl yet their intake of water
is double what it
is when dry food (5 - 10 % water)
is fed.
If you choose to
feed little Rascal
homemade puppy food or raw puppy
diet, make sure you know the ingredients which
are safe and recommended, plus which supplements or vitamins / minerals need to
be added and in what amounts.
Learn how to make intelligent decisions about your dog's dietary needs: what food to buy, do you need to use a supplement, what kinds of treats
are healthiest, what to
feed if your dog has a medical condition,
homemade diet or commercial, nutritional requirements, much more.
I
am currently
feeding her a
diet of 1/3 can ID (low fat) mixed with 1cup of
homemade food, twice a day.
If the
diet you
feed lacks variety, especially organ meats, it
's best to add a supplement designed to balance out a
homemade diet.
Many pet owners
are now
feeding their pets alternative dietsDiets including
homemade diets, raw
diets, grain - free
diets, and vegetarian or vegan
diets;
diets that deviate from conventional pet foods such as home - cooked
diets, raw
diets, grain - free
diets and vegetarian or vegan
diets.
Cats on a commercial cat food
diet are not usually at risk for taurine deficiency; however, if you
feed your cat a
homemade diet, your veterinarian may want to test your pet's level of taurine.
A growing problem in my practice
is pets with compromised health as the result of
being fed an unbalanced
homemade diet.
This web page lays out some often - ignored principles of feline nutrition and explains why cats have a better chance at optimal health if they
are fed canned food (or a balanced
homemade diet) instead of dry kibble.
If you
're feeding raw or a
homemade diet be sure to consult with your veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist to add if any changes need to
be made or if you need to tweak things a bit based on your cat's specific situation.
A pet food that
is formulated under the guidelines of the American Association of
Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
is going to
be more nutritionally complete and less expensive than a
homemade diet.
There
are many different possibilities of
homemade, raw or commercial
diet, but it
's important to
feed your cat as high quality food as he will accept.
Choosing to
feed a raw
diet, however can carry significant health risks to both pets and people, and if the
diet is not formulated properly, raw food and
homemade diets can cause serious nutritional deficiencies and predispose pets to a variety of chronic illnesses.
With raw and
homemade diets,
be sure to
feed bones or small amounts of kibble, which clean plaque off teeth.
If you opt to
feed your pet a
homemade diet, first consult a vet who
is knowledgeable about pet nutrition.
One of the worst mistakes I've see with
homemade recipes and even some popular commercial raw
diets is improper amounts of calcium (Ca) and especially phosphorus (P) when
feeding puppies.
Also how much a person should
feed their dog and how often will
be dictated by that dog (On a raw /
homemade diet dogs should consume 2 % of their body weight.
It
's true that just
feeding your dog a juicy steak won't provide all of the nutrients he needs to thrive, but this isn't what a commercially prepared raw
diet or a proper
homemade diet is about.
If you
feed your cat a
homemade diet, however, that cost
is cut in half, if not more.
This often happens when a dog
is fed a
homemade diet over a long period of time.
If you have read
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition along with the first part of this webpage and are convinced that you need to start feeding your cat (s) correctly (low - carb — canned or homemade — food) and want to skip the rest of this paper, please head right to the changing the diet safely and the home testing sections
Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition along with the first part of this webpage and
are convinced that you need to start
feeding your cat (s) correctly (low - carb — canned or homemade — food) and want to skip the rest of this paper, please head right to the changing the diet safely and the home testing sections
feeding your cat (
s) correctly (low - carb — canned or
homemade — food) and want to skip the rest of this paper, please head right to the changing the
diet safely and the home testing sections below.