Healthy Natural Dog Food – Grant Your Dog A Longer Life
Healthy Natural Dog Food – Grant Your Dog A Longer Life
A few years ago, we changed the diets of our two dogs from Kibble to home-cooked and then to raw food.
This healthy natural dog food prolonged our older dog's life by a few years. She passed away at the age of about 17. She was a rescue, and we did not know her exact age.
Cloe, our younger dog, has been on this healthy, natural dog food diet for almost all her life.
She is 12 now, still full of energy and very beneficial. She does not need antibiotics or any other medications.
The next paragraphs provide some ideas for ingredients and recipes for the healthy natural dog food we are using for our dog and, very recently, our cat.
Update: Cloe passed away at 13 years old. She was active and energetic until only a few days before she left us.
I feel that natural food is good for humans and our four-legged friends. In nature, illnesses like cancer, inflammation, or stomach bloats don't exist, and you don't find any obese wild animals.
Sadie, our new family addition, is now 4½ months old. She is a Bernedoodle.
We have had her on this healthy diet since joining our family.
Our neighbour's puppy, Princess, eats the same raw food as Sadie. They both love it.
Update: Princess and Sadie are now almost 9 months old and love playing with each other. They both thoroughly enjoy our homemade raw dog food.
Update: Princess and Sadie are almost 3 now. They still love their food and play together regularly.
Variety Is Very Important In Healthy Natural Dog Food
Variety in a dog's diet can be beneficial, providing a range of nutrients and preventing boredom.
You can include different types of protein (like chicken, turkey, lamb, venison, goat, or rabbit), herbs (like basil, dill, cilantro, mint, and parsley), and vegetables (like lettuce, celery, zucchini, baby arugula, and spinach) over two to four weeks.
Our Healthy Natural Dog Food Contains The Following Ingredients:
Meat 50% Of Your Dog's Body Weight
The preferred meats are chicken, turkey, goat, rabbit, sheep, lamb, camel, kangaroo, and venison.
Beef, bison, and buffalo are not recommended because they contain too much acid, which causes inflammation. Dogs do not do well with these large animal meats.
In nature, they do not hunt large animals. They kill and eat the small ones.
Bone 20-25%
Our dog, approx 16 lbs, gets mainly lamb bones from the local farmer's market. We purchase a bag of them at a low price and freeze them.
Cloe gets a defrosted bone when I am outside doing garden work. She loves them. You can also feed your dog goat bones.
Large bones with marrow are not good for them. They are too hard and may damage your dog's teeth.
Chicken bones or whole chicken wings are good for them, too, as long as they are raw. We add crushed chicken bones to their food.
Remember, watch your dog while eating bones to ensure he or she does not choke on them.
Please do not feed your dog cooked chicken bones. They splinter easily and get stuck in their intestines.
Healthy Natural Dog Food Should Contain Approx. 15-25% Vegetables
Vegetables should be raw, except for squash, yams and pumpkin, which must be steamed or cooked. The ideal vegetables are:
50% leafy greens, like dandelion leaves, lettuce, spinach, arugula, beet or carrot tops, basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, sprouted seeds
and 50% sweet vegetables, for example, zucchini, celery, green beans, green peas, red beets, yams, squash and pumpkin.
They have to be finely ground or puréed. In nature, dogs eat predigested veggies. Vegetables like squash, yams, and pumpkin have to be cooked.
Do Not Feed Your Canine The Following Vegetables
Nightshade plants, like potatoes, tomatoes (greens are highly toxic), peppers and eggplant
Onions, avocados, carrots, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower are very difficult to digest.
You can include 5% fruit or less in their diet. Feed only local and organic fruit.
Note: You should feed fruit 1 hour before feeding meat because it takes a lot less time to digest and will cause bloating if fed with meat or after a meal. This is the same for humans.
These Fruits Are Good For Dogs
Apples, pears, melons (such as cantaloupe and honeydew), watermelon, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, and cucumbers are all fruits that can be beneficial for dogs.
These fruits are rich in essential vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, making them a healthy addition to your dog's diet.
However, it is important to remove any seeds, pits, or cores before feeding, as these can be harmful.
Additionally, introduce new fruits gradually to ensure they agree with your dog's digestive system.
Please Do Not Feed Your Pooch
Citrus fruit or pineapple because they are too acidic.
Grapes, raisins, currants and hedgerow berries are toxic for dogs.
Organs 5%
The heart, lungs, tripe, and small and large intestines are good. We feed them chicken hearts containing lots of taurin the cat needs for heart health. They both love it.
Please note: The liver is bad for them because it contains too many toxins and vitamin A. So please do not feed them the very popular liver treats.
Our Own Healthy Natural Dog Food Recipe
We make our food approximately every four to six weeks and freeze it in glass containers.
We don't use plastic containers or bags because plastic is toxic and bad for the environment.
We use organic vegetables and meat from a local farm with pasture-fed animals.
Below are two batches we made recently. Since we just changed our cat's food from cans to raw food, we wanted him to get used to the vegetables first.
Therefore, we used fewer vegetables in our July batch. As you know, cats are a lot fussier regarding food than dogs.
July 25th: We put the following ingredients through the meat grinder:
- 3.5 kg (7.5 lbs) rump roast
- 2 kg (4.2 lbs) chicken thighs with bones and skin
- 300 g (10 oz) mixed greens
- approx. 300 g (10 oz) of baby spinach
- 1 small zucchini
- Basil and mint from our garden
- 2 stalks of celery
- 6 whole eggs
- 1 butternut squash cooked and mashed
August 29th: This time, we put the following ingredients into our healthy natural dog food and put it through the meat grinder:
- 2.4 kg (5.2 lbs) of rump roast
- 1.4 kg (3.0 lbs) lamb (both from our local farmer's market)
- 5 kg (11 lbs) chicken thighs
- 300 g (10 oz) field greens
- 600 g (20 oz) baby spinach
- 300 g (10 oz) baby arugula
- 2 heads of iceberg lettuce
- 2 bunches of kale
- 450 g (16 oz) of brown mushrooms
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 12 eggs
- Some celery
- 1 butternut squash cooked from frozen and mashed
We had to make two batches this time since there was much more meat and vegetables. I think this food will last approximately two months. Both our pets, cat and dog, love it.
We will use less beef for our next batch and add other meats like goat, venison, turkey, camel meat, duck, kangaroo, pheasant, and goose.
These meats are all available locally and are either organic or pasture-fed. They don't contain pesticides or antibiotics. I also want to add some organs like lungs, tripe, intestines and chicken hearts,
Update: Our Latest Batch Of Healthy Natural Dog Food We Made On November 02, 2020:
- 2.4 kg (5.2 lbs) chicken thighs (boneless and skinless from a local farm) (next time, we have to make sure that bones and skin are in)
- 834 g (2 lbs) chicken thighs (boneless and skinless, grain-fed and air-chilled from a store)
- 1.35 kg (2.9 lbs) rabbit (whole with bones from a local farm)
- 2.7 kg (5.8 lbs) venison (bottom round roast from a local farm)
- 312 g (10 oz) baby spinach
- 284 g (9 oz) baby arugula
- 540 g (1.2 lbs) red dandelion (1 bunch)
- 426 g (14 oz) field greens
- 950 g (2 lbs) iceberg lettuce (1½ heads)
- 365 g (12 oz) kale (1 bunch)
- 20 g mint
- 119 g (3.5 oz) parsley (1 bunch)
- 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs) red beets with tops (2 bunches)
- 604 g (20 oz) celery
- 12 eggs
- 1 butternut squash cooked from frozen and mashed
We made two batches of this food, which will last us approximately 2 to 2 1/2 months.
Update: Our Latest Batch Of Healthy Natural Dog Food We Made On March 12, 2022:
- TOTAL MEAT: 21 KG
- Chicken (2 large whole): 4,3 kg
- Chicken or turkey hearts (8 packs): 3.6 kg
- Lamb (8 packs, ground, lean): 3.5 kg
- Rabbit (2 whole): 3.1 kg
- Turkey (8 packs, ground, lean): 3,2 kg
- Veal (4 packs, ground, lean): 1.7 kg
- Venison (4 packs, ground, lean): 1.6 kg
- LEAFY GREENS (ORGANIC IF POSSIBLE)
- Herbs – basil, dill, cilantro, mint, parsley, etc.: ~250g
- Baby arugula: ~600g
- Lettuce, mixed: 650g
- Mixed baby greens: ~600g
- Baby spinach: ~600g
- Baby spring mix: 900g
- SWEET VEGETABLES (ORGANIC IF POSSIBLE)
- Celery stalks: 1-2 bunches (depending on the size)
- Squash (butternut): 2 cubed and cooked
- Turmeric: 8 roots (2 per batch)
- Zucchini: 8 = 1,8 kg (2 per batch
We divide this mixture into 4 batches and freeze them in glass containers.
Note: We are making food for Princess, our neighbour's dog (10 lbs) and Sadie, our Bernedoodle (36 lbs).
Sadie gets approx. 360 g of our food a day. We make double the quantities we used to make, which lasts about 6 weeks.
Dr. Peter Dobias's Supplements
We add Dr. Peter Dobias' vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and omega-3 to each mixture serving. I highly recommend them.
We have been using them for many years, and our dog, now 12, is very healthy.
Please check out his website for more details. He also has a wealth of information about keeping your dog healthy.
SoulFood® – Certified Organic Multivitamin For Dogs
SoulFood® is a unique multivitamin for dogs, certified organic and naturally fermented for optimal absorption.
It supports overall organ health, including the heart, liver, kidneys, and more. Its gentle formulation is suitable for dogs of all ages, from puppies to seniors, promoting vitality and well-being.
GreenMin® – All Natural, Calcium–Rich Mineral Superfood
GreenMin® is an all-natural, plant-based superfood for dogs, rich in calcium and other essential minerals and amino acids.
It is designed to refuel and energize your dog's body, supporting overall health and vitality.
GutSense® – Probiotic For Dogs
GutSense® is a specialized dog probiotic formulated with all-natural, non-dairy ingredients and canine-specific strains.
It supports healthy digestion, promotes regular bowel movements, and enhances immune system function.
FeelGood Omega® – Pure and Sustainable Omega-3 Oil
FeelGood Omega® is a high-quality Omega-3 oil sourced from Calamari, known for its purity and sustainability.
It is abundant in EFAs, or essential fatty acids, which promote the general health of your dog.
The oil is put through a rigorous testing process to make sure it is devoid of heavy metals and contaminants, giving your pet a dependable and safe supplement.
Note: The cat also gets Taurin, which he needs for his heart health.
Princess is our neighbour's puppy at 12 weeks old. She is also on our natural dog food.
Conclusion
Healthy, natural dog food is much better for carnivorous pets than kibbles, which are sometimes stored for months and years. Kibbles contain lots of filler products and low-quality meat.
Our pet population provides a place for recycling in the human food industries, i.e. grains that have failed inspection, un-inspected parts leftover from the seafood industry, restaurant grease, deceased farm animals, and animals that died along the road.
Large pet food companies buy these products, process them at high temperatures and sell them to us for a lot of money.
Wouldn't you want to feed your beloved four-legged friends and family home-cooked or homemade healthy natural dog food instead of store-bought kibbles?
Our 12-year-old dog has been on this healthy natural dog food diet almost all her life. She is full of energy and very beneficial. I highly recommend feeding your dog this raw diet.
Update: On September 27, 2021, we had to put our beloved dog Cloe to sleep. I guess it was her time to leave this world.
Update: On October 12, 2021, we got our 11-week bernedoodle puppy, Sadie. We started feeding her this diet from day one. She loves it.
We will feed her this natural dog food all her life. It will save a lot of money on vet visits and medication. I firmly believe in eating species-specific foods and loved writing this article.
I trust you enjoyed this article on Healthy Natural Dog Food—Grant Your Dog A Longer Life. Please stay tuned for more blog posts soon. Take care!
JeannetteZ
My #1 Dog Training Recommendation
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A very good description of healthy food for the Pooch.
Thank you for your comment. Yes, we have been feeding our dogs this food for almost 10 years. Our 4-months-old puppy loves it.