I see more and more recipes for cooked diets on the Internet. It seems meal preparations for dogs are popping up on cooking sites. I do think most of these people are sincere, but many have no idea about what dogs need, versus what people need.

People comment how much their dogs love these recipes and gobble them down! Of course, anything tastes better than kibble, fresh food has flavor, it is moist and smells better! But it isn’t the idea of cooked diets being posted all over the Internet, it is the proportions. Consistently I see low protein content, and a poor choice of fiber (i.e., carbohydrates are vegetables, fruit, and grains) that often is in a larger proportion than the animal protein.

All the peas, carrots, rice, spinach, broccoli looks like a lovely salad, with a side of chicken or turkey. Tossed together, it could be chef salad! Great for us, but not great for dogs. So why is that?

So, to put these recommendations in perspective:

The type of carbohydrate used is not so important (except please avoid starch vegetables for ease of digestion for a dog), as vegetables are most useful as a fiber choice, not for nutrition. I do recommend using at least 4 protein choices a week. That can include beef (including yogurt and cottage cheese), chicken (and eggs), pork and turkey. Other choices are lamb, rabbit, venison to mention a few.

It easy to make up large batches and freeze in meal sized portions. These can be taken out the night before to thaw. I do suggest two meals a day for the best digestion and don’t forget to use variety!

For supplements, I suggest the Bertes Immune Blend. It is a blend of vitamins A, B, C, D3 and E, along with probiotics, digestive enzymes, and l-glutamine. I give healthy dogs half dose, and dogs with health issues the full dose. I would use the Fish Oil Capsules at one per 20 lbs of body weight daily. Fish oil contains omega 3 fatty acids, which are liver, heart and renal protective, and help with coat and skin.