The puppy is vomiting. Is it possible to give him kefir? Dog's diet: instead of dry food. By-products and beef tripe

We will find out what types of dairy products your dog can consume, and also name the types of dairy products that can cause a negative reaction in the body.

Photo by O. Videnin

If you feed your dog natural products, then the diet must include dairy products - an important source of protein and calcium, especially for puppies and older dogs. But not every dairy product is equally beneficial for a dog. Always pay attention to the fat content of the product; usually dogs tolerate fat content up to 9% well; if it is higher, then the dog may have problems with stool and digestion.

It is very important during puppyhood while the dog is growing. Milk is very filling and a source of calcium. However, in adulthood, not all dogs digest milk, so you need to stop giving milk, taking into account the body of a particular dog. As a rule, after 3-4 months, the grown-up body no longer accepts milk so well, and the puppy gradually stops drinking it himself. But there are exceptions when an adult dog tolerates milk perfectly.

It can and should be given from puppyhood, and after stopping milk, kefir is an excellent replacement for it. This fermented milk product is well absorbed by the dog’s body and helps digestion. Unfortunately, not all dogs love kefir.

An irreplaceable source of calcium, it should be included in the daily feeding of a puppy; it is advisable to give it daily to an adult dog. Cottage cheese is well digestible and has a beneficial effect on digestion. Well suited for a complete one-time feeding.

Suitable as a treat or reward for... If the cheese has no additives or preservatives, and is also low-fat, it can be used in the dog’s daily training. It is undesirable to use a large amount of cheese, optimally no more than 100-200 g.

You should not give your dog smoked cheese, blue cheese or other exotic types of cheese. In addition, if your dog has an allergy to cheese or problems with stool, then this type of dairy product should be excluded.

You should ensure that these products do not contain sugar, preservatives or other harmful substances. Ryazhenka can cause fermentation; yogurt often contains sugar and preservatives. It is best to give your dog kefir instead of fermented baked milk, snowball and yogurt.

This product is too fatty and should not be given to your dog daily. If the dog does not have a negative reaction to the product, you can add a small amount of sour cream to the cottage cheese.

They are often used in artificial feeding of newborn puppies in combination with eggs and milk. For older puppies and especially adult dogs, this type of product is undesirable, as it is too fatty and also upsets digestion.

We looked at the main dairy products that can be used in a dog's diet. When choosing a dairy product, watch out for fat content, the absence of sugar and additives, and also look at the dog’s body’s reaction to the chosen type of dairy product.

Preface

Proper natural food for a dog is mostly a monotonous, species-specific diet that does not require heat treatment, mainly consisting of fermented milk products of medium fat content, raw meat or raw offal (heart, tripe, kidneys, etc.) and plant foods (vegetables and some unsweetened fruits) in raw form, as well as in the form of bran from cereals as an additive to the main diet.

Actually, cereals (porridge and other flour products) should not be present in the dog’s diet. Porridges and products made from or with the addition of flour contain easily digestible carbohydrates, which can cause disruption of the intestinal microflora, as well as a decrease in resistance, in all dogs and cats, which are known to be carnivores. The state of the animal’s health directly depends on the state of the intestine, which is a key organ not only in digestion, but also in providing the defense system (resistance and immunity of the body). Thus, the presence of dysbiosis in the intestines, which is facilitated by disturbances in the diet, can lead to the development of a host of pathological processes, including an increased tendency to allergies, disruption of the functioning of internal organs, the occurrence of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases and obesity, often associated with each other.

The health and resistance of animals depends very much on nutrition; the state of the gastrointestinal tract and healthy intestinal microflora play a very important role in this. If your dog's diet includes cereal or commercial dry food that contains from 40 to 55% grains, corn or sweet potatoes, then you cannot expect normal, healthy intestinal microflora. However, even with a natural diet, digestive disorders are possible, indicating a painful condition of the dog.

Meat in a dog's diet

The main meat in a dog’s diet is lean beef, maybe not the first grade. It is not necessary or even advisable to feed your dog tenderloin and other high-quality meats. It is allowed to feed dogs of all ages lamb, horse meat, and rabbit meat, given the high calorie content of lamb and rabbit meat. It is not recommended to give pork.

Chicken, turkey and their offal can also be given, but individually, paying attention to the reaction from the digestive system and skin. It is not advisable to feed chicken skin to dogs.

Meat, both beef and chicken, is always given raw, pre-frozen; there is no need to rinse it with boiling water or carry out other heat treatment on the meat. Meat should not be ground into mince.

By-products and beef tripe

Meat feeding a dog can include not only meat, but also by-products (kidneys, heart, udder, by-products of chickens, turkeys, etc.), which can completely replace meat. By-products must be raw. It should be borne in mind that offal is a less nutritious component of the meat diet compared to meat, but at the same time the udder is significantly higher in calories than meat

The exception is liver and lung; these by-products are not recommended to be given to the dog often, since not everyone tolerates raw liver equally well, and it makes no sense to treat it thermally. However, many people successfully use these components in the diet of dogs and cats. Unprocessed, unpeeled beef tripe deserves special attention; it is often given to dogs. You can start introducing meat into your diet with tripe, then gradually adding beef. Cleaned tripe is simply a lighter organ meat. However, not all dogs tolerate one or another meat component equally well, so if an ingredient is intolerant, which is manifested by diarrhea or vomiting, it should be removed from the diet, as well as if other components of the dog’s natural diet are not accepted.

Of course, one can become infected with one or another disease from one or another product, but rare cases of infection from raw, untested and not frozen meat do not allow one to be afraid of feeding a dog a raw product. It is unlikely that any veterinarian will be able to recall a case of infection from anything from meat. In addition, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach of carnivores is higher than in humans and is sufficient to perform its disinfecting functions in relation to raw meat and fish. We also do not recommend purchasing meat “from hand” at the Poultry Market, where you can buy products obtained from a known sick animal, and even freezing it will not help, and heat treatment of meat reduces the nutritional value of the product for the dog.

Fish in the diet of dogs

Dogs can be given raw fillets of sea and oceanic frozen fish, not bony, low-fat varieties, replacing meat with seafood in meat feeding 2-3 times a week. However, it is not recommended to constantly feed fish.

There are several questions that are often asked regarding fish feeding:

1. Feeding fish leads to thiamine deficiency due to the thiaminase it contains;

The problem with thiaminase is relevant for animal farms, where there is mainly a mono-diet and if you feed only raw fish, there will be hypovitaminosis B1, and therefore this is almost not relevant for a home mixed diet.

Dairy products

Dogs can be given fermented milk products with a fat content of up to 9%; not everyone tolerates such fat content well. In many dogs, a fat content of cottage cheese of more than 2% can already cause loose stools. But low-fat dairy products should not be given either.

Also, loose stool may be associated with the brand of kefir, which must be selected more individually for sensitive dogs. Ryazhenka should not be given to dogs, nor should yoghurts with fruit or sugar.

The most optimal fermented milk products are cottage cheese with a fat content of up to 5-9%, kefir with a fat content of 3.5%, and yogurt, with a short shelf life of up to 7 days.

Using Evitalia and Narine starter cultures based on pasteurized milk, you can make a healthy fermented milk product that is useful not only for dogs and cats, but also for humans, and feed it either separately or together with cottage cheese.

Dividing dog food into fermented milk and meat

The main components of the diet are fermented milk products at one feeding and raw vegetables and raw meat with a small amount of butter at another. As mentioned above, vegetables can, if possible, be fed to the dog separately.

This means that fermented milk feeding can include either kefir alone, cottage cheese alone, or kefir with cottage cheese, curdled milk, yogurt, etc. It is advisable to give fermented milk products with a short shelf life, up to 7 days. Only bran and raw eggs can be added to dairy products no more than 2-3 times a week.

Meat feeding may include raw meat, offal or fish. You cannot mix the components of meat and fermented milk feeding with each other.

Vegetables in a dog's diet

Dogs can be fed most vegetables: carrots, white cabbage, bell peppers, pumpkin, zucchini, beets, cucumbers. It is useful to give greens: parsley, dill, lettuce.

Vegetables may be present in the diet as a mono option, or there may be several types of vegetables, but one type of vegetable is quite sufficient, with the exception of cabbage and cucumbers.

Once a week, it is advisable to give the dog a raw clove of garlic, 2-3 times a week a few tablespoons of sauerkraut, which is very rich in ascorbic acid.

Greens and vegetables should always be given raw, finely chopped or grated on a regular coarse grater. In the summer, when keeping a dog at a dacha, you can feed any edible greens, including young shoots of steamed nettle growing in the garden. If the animal eats plants and fruits on its own, then you don’t need to add any extra.

Vegetables and greens should always be given only with meat feeding or separately. There is no need to mix raw plant foods with components of a fermented milk diet, with the exception of bran, which goes well with meat and dairy foods.

As a treat and as a source of raw fiber, dogs can be given vegetables or unsweetened fruit to chew on.

Bran (about bran, see below) in a dog’s diet can complement or even replace raw vegetables, especially in cases where the addition of vegetables leads to various types of indigestion (flatulence, vomiting, diarrhea).

Consistency of dog food

Dogs should not be given food in the form of minced meat or puree. The meat should be cut into pieces, hard vegetables grated on a large regular grater, greens and lettuce finely chopped. Dogs love to chew apples on their own; bran can be added to wet food, both dairy and meat. Dogs and cats do not chew food, but swallow it if the piece corresponds to the size of the animal or they bite off a piece that is accessible for swallowing - this is physiological for them and does not cause harm. In addition, ready-made ground meat contains too much fat. Even if the dog has few or no teeth, food can be given in chunks.

Eggs in a dog's diet

Eggs can be given raw, both chicken and quail, adding to milk feeding 2-3 times a week. Both puppies and adult dogs can and should be given both the yolk and the white, without separating.

Bran

Bran in a dog's diet, like vegetables, is a source of fiber and therefore it is recommended to add them to the dog's diet along with vegetables or replacing them.

The main advantage of bran is its high content of dietary fiber (fiber), which enhances peristalsis, regulates and improves the condition of intestinal microflora.

Bran can be purchased in bulk at health stores, pharmacies or grocery stores and added in this form to both fermented milk and meat feeding.

But fermented milk is preferable, since bran shows its maximum effect when it absorbs liquid and swells. Then, once in the stomach, the bran does not undergo any changes and, retaining water, enters the intestines, accelerating intestinal motility.

Or you can buy bran in the form of crispy sticks or bran plates and pre-soak them. You should not buy bran products, including crispy sticks with added salt. But at the same time, you can give bran combined with fiber from carrots and other vegetables. The amount of bran (in dry form) for a dog weighing 20-25 kg is 1 tsp. without a slide added to each feeding. The dose can be varied for greater effectiveness or for high sensitivity.

Oil in a dog's diet

Dogs can add different types of oils to their meat diet: olive, unrefined sunflower, pumpkin, flaxseed, etc., but exotic ones should be avoided. The main oils are unrefined sunflower and olive. Vegetable oils are added to the bowl where there are plant components of food (vegetables) in a dose of a few drops for a small dog and up to a tablespoon for a large dog.

Fruits and dried fruits

There should not be sweet fruits in a dog’s diet; dogs simply cannot be given sweets. Almost all fruits are sweet, the only acceptable fruit is a green apple that is not too sweet, although there is no need to prohibit the dog from eating berries at the dacha.

Bones in a dog's diet

Raw bone is an important source of calcium and phosphorus; they are part of the canine diet and, of course, bones can be fed to dogs that have a full-fledged dental apparatus and do not have chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Large dogs are fed the ends (epiphyses) of bones; smaller dogs can be given spongy raw chicken bones: breast, neck. It is not recommended to give boiled bones to dogs; they are difficult to digest, as they can cause intestinal obstruction.

Prebiotic and probiotic environment in the intestines. Carbohydrates in the diet

Probiotics are preparations based on living “good” microorganisms: lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which remain viable when passing through the gastrointestinal tract, multiply in it and suppress the development of pathogenic bacteria.

Prebiotics are completely indigestible food ingredients that serve as a substrate, a nutrient medium for the growth and life of beneficial microorganisms in the intestine, and also stimulate its work.

In the absence of a prebiotic environment (indigestible fiber), the number of beneficial bacteria sharply decreases, since they lack the prebiotic environment they need for nutrition and their share in the intestinal microenvironment will be occupied by pathogenic strains of E. coli, yeast, etc., which, in essence, is a dysbacteriosis.

Cereals, bread, pasta are easily digestible carbohydrates (starch); dogs need complex carbohydrates of another type, which are found in raw vegetables or bran and which dogs and cats cannot digest. Carnivores cannot extract energy from complex carbohydrates and raw fiber; ruminants and herbivores “specialize” in this. It is raw vegetables and bran, or rather the indigestible fiber they contain, that create a prebiotic environment in the dog’s intestines, which is the basis and substrate for creating a probiotic environment and the formation of healthy intestinal microflora.

Moreover, if the dog has proper natural nutrition, then the dog, even without the use of probiotics, will eventually develop the correct probiotic environment and intestinal microflora, but only if the animal is healthy and free from congenital and acquired diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that require treatment and independent of the correct diet. It is for this reason that introducing probiotics into the diet of a dog that receives cereal or dry food does not bring the desired long-term results.

The role of the prebiotic environment in a dog’s diet is played by raw vegetables, which are best (but not necessarily) given to animals as a separate feeding, and also, when added to a dairy or meat diet, these components are compatible.

It is better to give dogs veterinary probiotics, only if they are not available, then try using human ones. It is possible to take probiotics prophylactically once every 3-4 months, but prebiotics must enter the digestive system constantly, especially since this is not a medicine, but a regular component of the diet.

At the same time, you need to understand that if the dog has proper nutrition and the dog is healthy, then without the use of probiotics in the intestines, over time, a healthy intestinal microflora will form on its own.

Is it possible to mix dry food and wet natural or canned food?

Mixing different types of feeding does not have any advantages over the strict principles of feeding a dog, in fact, dry food is designed to be fed exclusively. If you add other components throughout the day, then an imbalance is guaranteed. In addition, combining diets does not make any sense: either convenience or a natural diet.

Vitamins and mineral supplements

An adult dog that receives proper natural nutrition does not necessarily need to be supplemented with any vitamin and mineral supplements at all times. In spring and early summer, you can add dry yeast to your food, which is a natural complex of vitamins. You can also give seaweed (kelp) once a year as a natural source of vitamins, but you must take into account the possibility of an individual allergic reaction.

At the same time, puppies and adult dogs need vitamins and minerals during pregnancy and lactation. You can read more in this publication.

The total volume of food from all feedings per day is calculated using the formula: up to 6 months. 6-7% and older than 6 months. 3-3.5% of body weight (body weight is calculated without taking into account body fat, of course, approximately).

The resulting daily volume of food is divided in half between 50% fermented milk products, 50% raw meat and everything related to meat (beef by-products, poultry, fish), raw plant foods are given ad libitum, but approximately 15-20% on the volume of meat portion. For example, for an average dog weighing 20 kg, you can eat a medium carrot, a cabbage leaf, two teaspoons of bran, a medium apple, etc. per day. Please note that vegetables and bran are supplements to the protein diet and are not included in the calculated percentages (6-8% and 3-4%).

An example of calculating the volume of food for a dog weighing 15 kg, age 6 months and older:

15x0.04*=0.6 kg. or 600 gr. Of these, 300 gr. this is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up fermented milk feeding and meat feeding will consist of 300 grams. raw meat, to which about 100 grams are added. raw grated vegetables and 1-2 tsp. unrefined vegetable oil.

An example of calculating the amount of food for a dog weighing 15 kg, less than 6 months old:

15x0.07*=1 kg. or 1000 gr. Of these, 500 gr. this is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up fermented milk feeding and meat feeding will consist of 500 grams. raw meat, to which about 100-150 grams are added. raw grated vegetables and 1-2 tsp. unrefined vegetable oil.

* — Coefficient obtained by dividing 4 and 7% by 100

This formula is not absolute and mandatory, the dog’s feeding regimen, and the amount of food can also vary depending on the physiological state (pregnancy, breed tendency to be overweight, the presence of hormonal disorders, etc.); age: for old and aging animals, the amount of food is reduced to 2.5-3% of weight; from physical activity (duration of walking, office work, swimming); the animal’s habitat (apartment, open enclosure); time of year (more in winter, less in summer); other individual characteristics, etc. Fasting days without meat at all, but also without increasing the dose of dairy foods, are also welcome.

Are there breed specific characteristics of a dog's diet?

There are no fundamental features for a healthy dog ​​of any breed, regardless of size and anatomical discrepancies with the ancestor of canines - the wolf. A sick animal may need correction, but this requires individual work with the pet.

Afterword

As you can see, among the indicated food components there are no dry or wet commercial feeds, cereals in the form of porridges, breads or other carbohydrate foods. They are not recommended for dogs, just as feeding sweet, sugary fruits and everything else is not recommended.

The main mistake that owners make in feeding dogs is overfeeding. Even if the recommended components are kept, but their volume is greater than the norm, then this is as harmful as feeding the dog unacceptable products.

You should follow a simple rule that works in most cases - if after eating food a dog or cat leaves any amount of it in the bowl, this means that the animal is already overfed. The bowl should not be constantly filled, as is often the case. Only an animal with a moderate feeding instinct will not overeat in conditions of unlimited access to food.

An animal that experiences health problems (diarrhea, regular vomiting) while eating natural food is sick and requires treatment. Switching to dry food will only adapt the animal to the disease, and will not relieve it. This is like a diet that makes life easier, which has the right to be used in the practice of a veterinarian, especially in cases where the animal’s health condition is irreparable or the doctor is not able to cope with the pathology with a natural diet. Owners need to understand this.

Therefore, the question - What to feed a dog can be answered this way: only natural food that contains everything necessary for the body of a carnivorous animal. And all the talk about the domestication of the dog is nothing more than talk: the dog, like the wolf, was and will remain a dog and a wolf. It is also necessary to know that the recommendations of breeders or felinologists, as well as the popular literature written by them on keeping and feeding cats, have nothing to do with objectively correct methods of feeding, because the reason for such recommendations is partly due to ignorance and lack of understanding of the biological nature of dogs and cats, and, partly to reduce the cost or simplify the maintenance of the animal.

If you follow all the above feeding rules, your pet will live a long and healthy life.

Health to you and your little brothers.

In previous articles, we have already talked to you about the types of meat in a dog’s diet and figured out which vegetables are good for them. The time has come to discuss another building block of natural nutrition - cottage cheese and other fermented milk products. Surprisingly, even this topic is not without myths and heated debates. Thus, many modern veterinarians and nutritionists have spoken out against these products, arguing that they are not part of the natural diet of canines and cannot be sufficiently absorbed by them, that is, they do not provide any benefit. At the same time, breeders and many owners, on the contrary, are sounding the alarm and trying with all their might to stuff a couple of spoons of cottage cheese into their restless child.

Mother's milk predominates in the nutrition of a small puppy during the first weeks of life. One of the first complementary foods to be introduced is cottage cheese and kefir. Many dogs, already in the first half of life, lose the ability to fully digest and absorb milk due to a decrease in the lactase enzyme, which breaks down the milk sugar lactose. That is why fermented milk products are more preferable for dogs after the end of the suckling period. However, if tolerated well, you can sometimes offer a little milk, preferably goat or diluted cow's milk.

At the age of 3-4 months, cottage cheese and kefir are complete feeding and are given in a proportion of 50/50% in relation to the share of meat ingredients. However, as the puppy grows, meat begins to prevail. Up to about a year, it is advisable to maintain one morning fermented milk feeding in the diet. At the same time, the share of fermented milk is about 20-30% of the daily diet. The protein of cottage cheese and kefir is considered dietary and light; it is recommended to give it in the morning as a separate feeding, without mixing it with meat. It is better to offer raw meat and vegetables as the last feeding in the evening, as they require more time to digest.

Many puppies and even adult dogs prefer softer cottage cheese. A very tiny puppy is given it in the consistency of thick sour cream, after kneading it with a spoon and adding kefir.
(whey, yogurt). For better palatability and increased usefulness of the finished product, it is recommended to grate vegetables or fruits, such as carrots, green apples, and sometimes add 1 teaspoon of low-fat sour cream. If well tolerated, you can use honey - 1 teaspoon - no more than 2 times a week.

Also, in the morning feeding, you can beat a couple of raw quail eggs into the cottage cheese, along with crushed shells or the yolk of a chicken egg. It is not recommended to give eggs every day; 2-3 times a week will be enough. Often, it is during the morning “curd feeding” that doctors recommend adding prescribed precursors - vitamins or probiotics.

Although cottage cheese and kefir are not the natural food of canines, we must understand that our domestic dogs have long adapted to life side by side with humans and this is reflected in their diet. The role of fermented milk products in the diet of domestic dogs largely overlaps with the role of vegetables. They create a healthy prebiotic environment necessary for the development of natural intestinal microflora. This promotes more complete digestion of meat and vegetables, improves the functioning of the stomach and helps strengthen the immune system, indirectly preventing gastrointestinal diseases and the development of allergic reactions. Cottage cheese and kefir are also an excellent source of calcium for a growing puppy, which is good for his teeth and bones.

However, cottage cheese is not a vital product in the diet of an adult dog. You can safely replace it with a variety of offal, vegetables, offer your dog kefir or whey, and periodically give raw, unpeeled tripe - this is quite enough for a balanced diet. You shouldn’t go to the other extreme - there is no need to give a dog over a year old cottage cheese and kefir every day. It would be more correct to replace meat feeding with fermented milk 1-2 times a week or just sometimes add variety to the diet in this way. You should neither force your dog to eat cottage cheese nor worry about its intractability. If he doesn't want to, he doesn't eat!

If your dog is overweight, it is recommended to replace one of the feedings with kefir. Cottage cheese is also indicated for dietary nutrition and a special diet with reduced protein, since its protein is lightweight and can partially replace meat in the diet of dogs. It should be remembered that if you are allergic to beef protein, you will also be allergic to cottage cheese, and vice versa - if you see an allergy to cottage cheese, you need to be more careful with beef meat, first of all this applies to drying dogs, they should choose food with a different type of protein .

Milk and dairy products are more beneficial for puppies during the period of growth and change of teeth, as well as for puppy bitches for milk production. Older dogs are given milk sporadically, if tolerated well, and priority is given to cottage cheese and other fermented milk products.

No less often, I see a ban on sour cream - of course, it’s not worth giving it in large quantities, but adding 1 teaspoon to cottage cheese or grated carrots is quite possible. You should choose sour cream that is not too fatty, 10-15%, and not given every day. The same applies to cheese - dogs can be treated to small pieces at home and during training, giving preference to natural low-fat and low-salt varieties, preferably homemade soft unsalted cheese. You should not give your dog smoked cheese, blue cheese or other exotic types of cheese. In addition, if your dog has an allergy to cheese or problems with stool, then this type of dairy product should be excluded.

Cream is sometimes given to puppies at an early age; it is often used in artificial feeding of newborn puppies in combination with eggs and milk. For older puppies and especially adult dogs, this type of product is undesirable, as it is too fatty and causes diarrhea, and also upsets digestion.
For dogs with liver and pancreas diseases, products such as cheese, milk, cream and sour cream are contraindicated. Owners of mini breeds, who often have a weak pancreas, also need to be careful. In this article we are talking only about completely healthy animals.

Dogs receiving dry food or on mixed feeding can and should be given fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, as well as cottage cheese and kefir, always separately from dry food. You should not pour kefir into the croquettes; it would be better to briefly soak the food in warm boiled water. It is best to allocate “natural days” or maintain an interval of 8 hours between drying and dressing. Cottage cheese, kefir and milk are especially important in the diet of first-year puppies and puppy dogs.

Which cottage cheese should I choose?

Very often in articles by different authors I came across a recurring myth about the dangers of fatty cottage cheese. It got to the point that dogs (especially mini breeds) were fed low-fat cottage cheese and kefir. This should not be done! The choice of brand of cottage cheese and its fat content is purely individual and depends primarily on individual tolerance, the loads received, living conditions and the condition of the animal. Dogs are allowed to feed cottage cheese from 3.5-9% inclusive! And puppies and active working dogs can safely take cottage cheese from 9-11%. No dog or person benefits from low-fat cottage cheese, even if you are on a diet or are afraid that the pancreas will not cope. Only vegetable fat is dangerous for dogs; it should not be present in cottage cheese and fermented milk products at all. A lower percentage of fat content is prescribed only to elderly inactive animals, bitches with false pregnancies, sick animals with gastrointestinal problems and obese dogs. But even they should not take cottage cheese with less than 2-3% fat content. Puppies, on the contrary, can be offered a more high-calorie diet, rich in animal fats - cottage cheese, 15% sour cream, diluted cream, unsalted cheese - naturally in moderation. Surprisingly, often a dog’s gastrointestinal tract shows diarrhea or regurgitation in response to a certain brand of cottage cheese or fat content; do not be afraid to experiment with these indicators. Find your good manufacturer and select the % fat content that your dog tolerates best. The most optimal fermented milk products are cottage cheese with a fat content of 5-9%, kefir 3.5%

What should not be in cottage cheese?

If you prefer store-bought cottage cheese, carefully read the ingredients. There should be no sugar, vegetable fats, no dyes, sweeteners and preservatives, soy, starch, palm oil, no E. The composition should be entirely from natural products, as short as possible and the product should be manufactured according to GOST, and not according to the specifications that Each manufacturer has their own. You also need to pay attention to the date of manufacture and shelf life - if the latter is too long, you should refuse to purchase. Be especially careful in the market when purchasing loose cottage cheese and don’t be too lazy to ask for a quality certificate for their products, as well as a veterinary certificate. Unfortunately, very often such cottage cheese hides artificial additives and is a cottage cheese product. Remember, “curd product” is not given to dogs and the low price of cottage cheese should alert you. Curd cheeses and curd mass are also not recommended for feeding. Cottage cheese should not contain raisins or other additives.

Homemade cottage cheese is the most useful and safest for dogs. Here is the recipe given by veterinary nutritionist Rumiya Feyzulova in her book “Lunch for Greyhounds”:

“Put a couple of spoons of any starter into the milk. It can be kefir, yogurt, matsoni. Special starters are also sold in pharmacies - Narine, Vivo, Yoghurtel, etc. Leave in a warm place until the product curdles, then in the refrigerator until the whey is completely separated. This method takes longer, but the product is of better quality - more beneficial lactic acid bacteria and probiotics are preserved. It is also useful to mix them with fresh vegetables and fruits. They act as prebiotics, i.e. food, a substrate for the growth of beneficial microflora in the intestines."

For a puppy up to one year old, especially large breeds, calcined cottage cheese can be made periodically. But you shouldn’t get carried away with this undoubtedly healthy dish, since excess calcium in the body of a growing puppy is even more dangerous than its lack; unfortunately, I have recently seen hypercalcemia in dogs not so rarely.

Recipe for calcined cottage cheese for puppies

Recipe No. 1
A liter of milk usually produces 180-200 grams of cottage cheese. Milk must be natural, not reconstituted from milk powder! You can use cow's milk, but goat's milk is even better. For 0.5 liters of milk, take 1 tablespoon (1 ampoule 10 ml) of 10% calcium chloride or 3 grams of calcium lactic acid powder.
In a clean container, heat the milk to about 40°-50°, then, stirring continuously, pour calcium chloride into the milk or add calcium lactic acid powder. Continue heating the milk until almost boiling so it is hot, but do not boil.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir. After some time, the milk will separate into two fractions - thick curd mass and transparent whey. To separate the curds from the whey, strain through several layers of cheesecloth. It’s most convenient to put it in a colander covered with gauze. Whey is also saturated with calcium and can be used in food, for example, to dilute cottage cheese if it is a little dry.

Recipe No. 2
Take 1 liter of milk, 1 liter of kefir, 2 tablespoons (2 ampoules of 10 ml) 10% calcium chloride, i.e. one tablespoon for every liter of liquid.
Mix milk and kefir in a saucepan, put the mixture on low heat and heat without stirring. When curdled flakes begin to appear, add calcium chloride. Without allowing the curdled mass to boil, remove from heat and cool slightly. Remove the cottage cheese from the pan using a slotted spoon, gently squeezing it on the edge of the pan.
To make the curd more tasty and healthy, you can add fruits, berries, and vegetable puree.
Important: do not store ready-made cottage cheese and whey in the refrigerator for more than 2-3 days; it is better to make a fresh portion each time.

What fermented milk products can be fed to a dog?

For some reason, many breeders and owners have greatly depleted the diet of their pets, limiting themselves only to cottage cheese and kefir. I also often see a list of prohibited foods that include fermented baked milk, yogurt and yogurt. All this is fiction! You can give your dog absolutely any fermented milk product that does not contain sugars or artificial additives, which it tolerates well.
Dogs can safely be fed: kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, Varenets, the drink "bifidok", "acidophilus", homemade or purchased yogurt without additives and sugar, whey, skim cow's milk - skim milk, kumiss, diluted goat's milk. Using the sourdough "Evitalia" and "Narine" based on pasteurized milk, you can make a wonderful fermented milk product that is useful not only for dogs and cats, but also for humans, and feed it both separately and together with cottage cheese. You should be careful with fermented baked milk, as it can cause fermentation. Store-bought yogurt containing sugars and preservatives, “snowball”, fermented baked milk is not advisable in a dog’s diet (depending on tolerance); milk is given individually, but the basis of the fermented milk part of the diet is kefir and cottage cheese.
A very useful product for dogs is whey from homemade cottage cheese!
When choosing fermented milk products, preference should be given to thermostatic, naturally fermented ones with a short shelf life.

When and with what products should you offer cottage cheese and kefir to your dog?

Recently, in the wake of the growing popularity of BARF, I have increasingly begun to see options for mixing fermented milk and meat products in one bowl. There is no direct ban on this. However, following simple logic, I am still against such gastronomic experiments. I traditionally give cottage cheese to my dog ​​twice a week in the morning feeding, on the same days I add a couple of raw quail eggs with crushed shells and rub any suitable vegetable or fruit.
I always give meat and fish as separate feedings!
But there is an exception: when switching dogs from drying to natural food, the problem of low acidity of gastric juice and lack of enzymes is often observed, which leads to an imaginary intolerance to raw meat (stool problems, vomiting, regurgitation). One solution to this problem is to add products with pickling properties to the meat for its partial fermentation. This can be kiwi puree, unsweetened yogurt or kefir. To train the gastrointestinal tract and increase the level of hydrochloric acid, dogs with low enzymatic activity are sometimes offered mature kefir. When switching to natural food, there is often a lack of beneficial fermented lactic bacteria and taking bifidoc, low-fat kefir or acidophilus will come in handy.
In all other cases, it is more advisable to include cottage cheese and kefir in a separate feeding.
In addition to their benefits, fermented milk products are very tasty and loved by many dogs and cats. Sometimes you can pamper them and make “dog ice cream.” For this purpose, place fairly finely chopped fruits in ice molds, add chopped herbs, 3 grams of natural gelatin and 1 teaspoon of honey (if there is no allergy), then pour it all with kefir or homemade unsweetened yogurt and put it in the freezer until it hardens. . This delicacy should be given in moderation, since frequent consumption of cold food can provoke gastrointestinal diseases. This unique popsicle can be chopped up and placed into an interactive toy, such as Kong - dogs love puzzles and surprises like these. This is a kind of “kinder surprise” for dogs that will keep your nerves and your apartment safe)
When choosing a particular fermented milk product, you should be guided by two criteria - composition and individual tolerance. Dogs should not be given products containing soy, vegetable fats, sugars and artificial additives. It is also important to carefully monitor the output and general condition of the skin, eyes and coat. There should be no weakness, flatulence or signs of allergies.

With the right choice, fermented milk products will significantly enrich the natural diet and bring undoubted benefits to your pet.

In most cases, such questions are asked by inexperienced dog breeders. Having placed a dog in the house for the first time, many owners decide to feed it natural food rather than dry prepared foods. In this case, it is worth arming yourself with useful information about the components of the diet, their quantity, and combination. You also need to know about the features of dairy products in your pet’s menu.

Kefir and dog diet

By nature, dogs are predators who previously ate purely animal food. The basis of their diet was meat. It served as the main source of protein. Gradually, as dogs were domesticated, the diet expanded, and people began to feed them food of plant origin. The animal menu was supplemented with dairy and fermented milk products. They are also sources of protein that dogs need. But still, the main supplier of this substance remains meat, and milk is an auxiliary source of protein and calcium.

If we talk specifically about kefir, it serves as a rich storehouse of the above substances for puppies. At the stage of transition from mother's milk to an adult diet, kefir in small quantities will be much healthier than cow's milk. But be sure to give a low-fat product. Homemade yogurt is not suitable for feeding young pets. But 1% or 2% kefir is ideal. Further, as you grow older, you can gradually introduce a product with a higher fat content. At the same time, it is necessary to monitor the dog’s stool, because even a gradual increase in the amount of kefir and its fat content can lead to stool disorders.

The fermented milk product is perfectly absorbed by the animal’s body and promotes good digestion. Experienced dog breeders recommend giving it daily to adult, aging dogs. The product will also be useful for those pets who are prone to constipation or are undergoing antibiotic treatment. In the latter case, kefir will help avoid dysbacteriosis.

About other dairy products on the dog's menu

Cottage cheese is the richest source of calcium among all milks. It has a great effect on digestion. Cottage cheese in puppyhood is well suited for one-time feeding. But it’s still better to cook it yourself rather than buy it on the market.

So, you can do this in two ways. The first is to mix kefir and milk in equal proportions, let the mixture sour, drain on cheesecloth, and strain off the whey. Her puppy will be able to drink it another time, not at the same time as consuming the resulting cottage cheese. The second method of preparing cottage cheese for a puppy is based on the use of a 10% solution of calcium chloride. You need to add 1 tablespoon to a liter of milk - the milk will curdle. Then the mixture is filtered through cheesecloth. The result is calcined cottage cheese, which is recommended for puppies to prepare immediately before feeding.

For adult dogs, cottage cheese can be replaced with pre-soaked feta cheese or unsalted Adyghe cheese. If we talk about hard cheeses in a pet’s diet, they should not be fatty or spicy. Such products are suitable only as a treat during periods of training a dog, to encourage it during training. It is prohibited to give adult dogs more than 100 grams of cheese per day - this is the maximum allowed portion for representatives of medium and large breeds of dogs. You cannot offer them smoked cheese, moldy products or its exotic types. If you notice that your ward is allergic to cheese, then, of course, it must be excluded from the menu altogether.

The owner should always ensure that fermented milk products do not contain sugar. We are talking about curd mass, sweet yogurt.

Ryazhenka can cause fermentation in some dogs, but in most cases it is well tolerated by the animal’s body.

It is better not to offer milk to dogs at all. It is difficult for their digestive system and in most cases causes diarrhea.

As for sour cream, you can add a product with 15% fat content to low-fat cottage cheese, while monitoring the patient’s stool.

In a word, everything is individual. That is why experienced dog breeders always recommend taking into account the taste preferences of your pets: some like kefir, others enjoy eating cottage cheese, and others do not like any dairy products at all.

When buying a puppy, ask the breeder how his parents treated dairy products. Most likely, he will inherit their taste preferences.

It is recommended to add prescribed vitamins and probiotics to “curd feeding” for puppies.

A puppy under one year old, especially if he is a large breed, can be given and occasionally, but without getting carried away with it. Excess calcium leads to hypercalcemia, a very unpleasant disease.

Reference: is a fermented milk product to which a solution of calcium chloride is added (in droppers, ampoules, bottles) or calcium lactate in powder. You can buy it at any pharmacy. This product contains more calcium than usual, promotes healthy growth, strengthens bones and teeth, and maintains muscle tone in the puppy. It is given to prevent rickets.

Recipes with cottage cheese for animals

The main rule is not to mix cottage cheese with meat, but you can mix it with (or) vegetables. Try these recipes:

What if you feel sick from what you eat?

After eating cottage cheese, your dog may develop diarrhea. If the product was stale or of poor quality, poisoning is likely. If these occur, contact your veterinarian. You can help yourself like this:

1. For diarrhea- give