Where can I find a comprehensive list of vitamins and minerals that should be in dog food listed by percentage
This is the main reason Im reluctant to switch to a fully homemade diet. I have a couple lists based on different sized dogs so I used those to convert it to the weight of my dog. They all came out close, but not perfect, so Im worried he’s going to end up with a bit too much of some things and a bit too little of others. Also Im working this out for multiple dogs, so the more precise the better.
Thanks!
Joko on March 2nd 2010 in homemade dog foods
DP said on 02 Mar 2010 at 3:27 pm #
That’s why it’s good to feed a high quality kibble, well balanced, and has the vitamins and minerals necessary for a healthy happy dog.
Goldengal said on 02 Mar 2010 at 3:58 pm #
Wow that’s a daunting task. I don’t know if there is one. If you can’t find one on the web pages of the dog foods your looking at than perhaps e-mailing them for more information may help you out.
I wish I could be more help but I think you may be over analyzing this. I don’t one food will give multiple dogs all the same requirements for each dog because each dog is going to metabolize each thing differently and to their body requirements.
Love to know how you do though.
Personally I’d go with a high quality dog food and then see how it goes with your dogs.
Daniel M said on 02 Mar 2010 at 4:25 pm #
kibble is usually bad or good. there isn’t much of a grey area. pedigree, iams, puppy chow, eukanuba science diet etc. are bad! canidae, orijen, merrick, and others are good. a good way to find this is to check ingredients. there should not be any corn or wheat in the food. orijen has too much protein for a puppy though.
seething13 said on 02 Mar 2010 at 4:41 pm #
Try these links:
APHID said on 02 Mar 2010 at 4:42 pm #
Unlike dog food, homemade food isn’t the same every meal and it does not have to be. You want variety over a period of a week just as with human diets. Commercial dog food is over enriched. It has more than enough vitamins, etc. but it is also lacking in freshness.
Also, dog food is based on a recipe that meets the AAFCO standards either through feeding trials (a few dogs for 6 months) or, most often, through the recipe. That does not mean that every mouthful of kibble comes out exactly the same as the raw ingredients change over time. This is apparently what happened with the Chinese food poisonings where the protein content was boosted with a cheap ingredient so that the food met the ’standard’ but was poisonous.
You can add a doggy multivitamin if you are concerned.
Pet food is a very big industry and there is a ton of misinformation including the ridiculous idea that human food is bad for dogs. Except for some ingredients, human food is excellent for dogs.
walkinglady said on 02 Mar 2010 at 4:49 pm #
Dr. Pitcairn’s book “Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats” will give you all that info and more in detail. I’ve been using the recipes in his book, including supplements, to feed my 3 dogs and they’re totally loving it! And, more importantly, doing really well on it.