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Homemade Food Diet

QUESTION submitted by ALY:

I AM WANTING TO FEED MY DOGS AN EXCLUSIVELY HOMEMADE FOOD DIET. I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS ARE INCLUDED IN THEIR DIET TO PREVENT ANY DEFICIENCIES. CAN YOU SHARE A GOOD SUPPLEMENT OR RESOURCE TO HELP MAKE SURE THESE NEEDS ARE MET FOR THE AVERAGE, HEALTHY ADULT DOG?

ANSWER:

I am so glad you reached out for this information. You are correct that recent studies show that homemade dog food is typically deficient in at least one essential nutrient. I am very supportive of people that would like to prepare meals for their pets, as long as they are under the supervision of a boarded veterinary nutritionist. I think the best resource to start with would be a site out of UC Davis veterinary school called www.balanceit.com. You should be able to have a formulated, homemade recipe appropriate for your pet based on age and any possible disease processes. If you are having difficulty with this site, you may always contact the board certified nutritionists at North Carolina State school of veterinary medicine as well. Of course the important part of a homemade diet is that the pet eats EVERY component. This is what makes it balanced. So if your dog is going to pick out the chicken and ONLY eat this part of the diet, it will not be helpful. Please contact us with further questions or concerns.

Submitted by: Dr. Kathleen Spencer

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