#dogcooking

Note: Meeting your dogs nutritional needs depends on a multitude of factors, including age, activity level and overall health. Please check with your veterinarian and do your research before deciding on a healthy meal plan. While this is the diet that works for us, every dog is different. 

Bree joined our family after a month stay at a county shelter. She was roughly ten pounds overweight and could barely make it up the steps to our apartment. My husband and I were told she had a luxating patella, meaning her kneecap would frequently dislocate, causing pain and issues walking. The extra weight lent itself to this condition. 

                                                Bree on Adoption Day

We were advised by our veterinarian to feed Bree two cups of food per day, with limited treats. Using the nutritional calculator at Pet Nutrition Alliance (find it here) it was estimated that her daily caloric intake should be 846 calories. In general, treats should make up no more than 10% of a dogs diet (AKC has a great article here) - that means, 90% of Bree’s nutritional needs would need to be met through two well-balanced meals per day. 

When you’re feeding kibble, this is easy. Simply check the calorie count on the bag and feed accordingly. For Bree, it was 3/4 cup of kibble, plus 1/4 cup boneless, skinless chicken breast on top for added flavor. We followed this diet for four months, supplementing her food with a dog-safe probiotic as well as glucosamine and chondroitin for her knee issue. A healthier diet, combined with two daily walks and plenty of playtime, brought her weight down, managing the luxating patella. 

                                             A happier, healthier Bree 

Which brings us to the present; making the switch to homemade meals is a challenge that requires quite a bit of calculating. While Bree’s daily caloric needs will remain the same, I need to figure out how to properly portion a meal full of lean meat, fresh vegetables and grain. Most of my research leads to the same refrain - 50% vegetable, 40% protein, 10% grain. While each individual recipe will require further calculating, this is the standard composition I plan to follow.