THE LOVED DOG™

Years ago, UC Davis conducted what was then the largest evaluation of the nutritional quality of home-prepared dog-food recipes.

Researchers analyzed 200 recipes from 34 sources, including websites, pet-care books, veterinary textbooks, and recipes written by veterinarians.

The results were alarming.

Ninety-five percent of the recipes were deficient in at least one essential nutrient. More than 83% had multiple deficiencies.

Only nine of the 200 recipes supplied all essential nutrients at concentrations meeting the minimum standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Only five met the National Research Council’s minimum requirements for adult dogs.

The study also found that 92% of the recipes contained vague or incomplete instructions that forced families to make assumptions about ingredients, preparation, or supplements.

That research confirmed something incredibly important:

A bowl can be filled with beautiful, fresh, wholesome ingredients and still be nutritionally incomplete.

Variety alone does not correct missing nutrients.

Rotating recipes does not reliably correct missing nutrients.

Meat, vegetables, fruit, starch, broth, and oil do not automatically supply the correct amounts of calcium, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids a dog needs.

That is why my foundation does not end with the food. My approach is based on the UC Davis research, properly formulated recipes, decades of working with and observing dogs, and ongoing conversations with nutritionists, naturopathic practitioners, veterinarians, and other animal professionals.

This is not a replacement for your veterinarian. Do not give your dog anything your veterinarian has not approved.

This is not one rigid recipe intended to look exactly the same for every dog. It is a practical starting foundation that can be adapted according to:

The ingredients may change…but the responsibility to provide a nutritionally appropriate completed diet does not.

Every ingredient should answer one question:

“Why does this belong in my dog’s bowl?”

I also routinely use plain Greek yogurt, pumpkin seeds, and small pieces of fresh pineapple lightly dusted with turmeric as treats and additional food experiences.

Use 3 pounds of ground or finely chopped meat.

The meat may be one appropriate protein or a thoughtfully selected combination of proteins.

Different meats contain different amounts of protein, fat, phosphorus, calories, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

Changing the meat changes the nutritional calculation.

Use 1½ cups of dry oatmeal, white rice, or brown rice.

Measure the starch while it is dry.

These starches are not nutritionally identical. The selection can be adapted according to the individual dog, digestion, texture, the other ingredients being used, and the complete nutritional plan.

Use 3½ cups of water, unsalted bone-marrow broth, or another appropriate cooking liquid.

Any broth must be unsalted and free from onions and other ingredients that are unsafe for dogs.

Use 6½ cups of dog-safe vegetables and fruit.

This amount can be divided among several appropriate ingredients to provide different colors, textures, aromas, fiber, and food-based nutrients.

Choose ingredients because they have a purpose…not simply because they appear on a list of foods dogs can eat.

Watch what your dog enjoys, what is left behind, how the food is digested, and how the dog responds over time.

Begin with 1 tablespoon of oil.

The amount can be adjusted up to 3 tablespoons depending on the meat’s natural fat content, the other fats already in the bowl, the oil selected, and the individual dog’s needs.

A very lean meat may require more added oil than a naturally fatty meat.

Oil is not an afterthought. It is another purposeful layer of The Layered Bowl™. The goal is not to add every good oil.

The goal is to understand why the selected oil belongs in this dog’s bowl.

Consider:

These oils are not nutritionally identical, and they do not all need to appear in the same recipe.

This is the part that cannot be guessed. Fresh ingredients do not automatically supply every essential nutrient in the correct amount.

Meat is naturally high in phosphorus and does not provide enough calcium to create the required nutritional balance on its own.

The completed recipe requires a properly calculated canine vitamin, mineral, amino-acid, and calcium supplement.

Do not use a random human multivitamin.

Do not sprinkle supplements into the bowl by sight.

Do not assume that rotating different foods will eventually correct a nutritional deficiency.

The Foundation Layer™ must be selected and measured for the actual ingredients and completed batch.

The six Foundation Layer™ choices are:

When a probiotic is appropriate, add it only after the food has completely cooled.

Heat can damage or destroy many of the living organisms in a probiotic.

The probiotic should be selected for the individual dog and measured according to its directions.

I routinely use:

These are treats and additional food experiences. They do not replace the nutrients required in the main diet.

Treats and extras should generally remain within approximately 10% of the dog’s daily calories unless they have been included in the complete nutritional calculation.

Vague measurements and incomplete instructions were among the serious problems identified in the UC Davis research.

That is why we are developing the Ruff Ruff Ranch™ calculator.

The calculator will help families account for:

Until the calculator is available, do not guess at nutritional supplementation or assume that one measurement is appropriate for every combination of ingredients.

Watch how your dog eats.

Notice what is eagerly chosen and what is left behind.

Watch:

Keep watching. Keep learning. Keep adjusting.

The Layered Bowl™ is not about creating one perfect bowl and feeding it forever. It is about becoming a student of your own dog and making thoughtful decisions throughout that dog’s life.

One ingredient. One observation. One conversation with your veterinarian. One improvement. Then another.

Layer by layer.

The goal is not perfection.

The goal is thoughtful stewardship.

UC Davis…Homemade Dog