Over the years, the idea of a “balanced diet” for humans has received much input and few clear answers. It should come as little surprise, then, that our furry friends’ diets have faced the same fate. From career vets to armchair nutritionalists, every person and their dog (*ahem*) seems to draw a different conclusion on the topic. While the science around dog nutrition can change with the times, there are a few constants that always remain true. Join us as we explore the top tips to prove a balanced diet for dogs!
#1: A balanced diet for dogs must contain protein
As obvious as this point sounds, many Owners neglect to include it in their dogs’ diets. Natural meat-eaters that they are, dogs depend on a certain amount of protein each day. Ideally, at least 50% of your furry friend’s diet will feature meat. Before you lament all the extra cooking you’ll need to do, we have some good news. Unlike humans, dogs are able to eat many kinds of raw meat. Thanks to the enzymes in their stomach, they can generally digest raw kangaroo meat, beef, and chicken – among others. In other words, you can give your pooch the protein they need while cutting down on prep time.
#2: Offal is a magic ingredient for dogs
It may not make your mouth water, but organ meat (or offal) works wonders for dogs. A natural nutrient pill, offal grants our pups the vitamins and minerals they don’t source from lean protein. Chief among offal choices is beef or chicken liver, which provide much-needed omega-3 and omega-6. For the full list of benefits offal offers, visit our offal article.
As excess offal can create a vitamin A surplus, we recommend capping your dog’s intake to 10% of their diet.
#3: Pooch-friendly vegetables always feature in a balanced diet for dogs
While they don’t appear in many dogs’ dinner bowls, there are a few veggies that will improve your furbaby’s life. Among our favourites for Fido are carrot, broccoli, and cabbage – all of which follow offal’s lead in providing the vitamins and minerals that lean meat doesn’t contain. Again, in the same vein as offal, too many veggies can be a bad thing; for this reason, you should ensure they only comprise around 20% of your pup’s daily diet.
Looking for a meal plan that offers a balanced diet for dogs? Put your pooch’s name down for Mad Paws Dinner Bowl!
