Buckwheat porridge for a puppy. What grains can be given to dogs? Are grains good for dogs? What cereals should not be given to a German Shepherd?

Just 30 years ago, meat and cereals for dogs were the basis of the diet. But with the massive increase and active advertising of commercial feed, the concept of natural nutrition or simply “natural” appeared. Unfortunately, many people do not understand it entirely correctly, or even completely distort it to their advantage. A lot of questions and debates arise on this topic, including: is it possible to feed a dog cereal?

Natural nutrition is not food from the master's table! The term refers to feeding that is as close as possible to the natural diet of a certain species, in our case a dog. For example: is meat a natural product? Of course yes! For a dog, but not for a cow. Hay is also a natural product, but only for cows, not for dogs.

Feeding bread, sweets, “natural” fried potatoes, pasta and other things to carnivores is not related to natural nutrition, just like feeding dogs only cereals or seafood.

A dog is a predator, but!

A dog should only eat meat, like a wolf - another misconception. Let's take a general look at the diet of wolves, the closest relatives of our four-legged friends.

In addition to food of animal origin, wolves also eat fruits, berries, roots, amphibians, large insects, eggs (if they are lucky enough to destroy the clutch) and herbivore excrement. Grays eat small prey whole; in large prey, they first eat part of the skin, naturally with fur, the intestines and stomach along with the contents, then they feast on the giblets, and leave some part of the fillet for dessert.

Your pet will not eat roots or moose excrement, but the diet should include carbohydrates and fiber, which means it should include cereal. Answering the question whether it is possible to feed a dog porridge, we say “it is possible.”

What kind of cereals can dogs eat?

Healthy animal nutrition involves strict selection of products. The rule also applies to cereals; not all of them are equally healthy. Let's figure out which cereals are given to dogs and which ones are best avoided.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is one of the healthiest grains. It contains microelements, vitamins and proteins of plant origin. Buckwheat porridge has a positive effect on metabolism. In addition, it is rich in lecithin, and therefore recommended for liver diseases. The rich composition of the cereal is both an advantage and a disadvantage; it causes an allergic reaction in some dogs.

Rice

Rice, especially unpolished rice, is a natural sorbent, rich in fiber, macro and microelements, and vitamins. Rice porridge stimulates digestion and is well absorbed by the body.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is no less healthy, it contains vitamins, macro and microelements, has an enveloping property and stimulates peristalsis. Oatmeal in the form of cereals or flakes is not recommended to be given in its pure form, so as not to provoke digestive upset, only in combination with the above-mentioned cereals. Porridge contains a lot of carbohydrates and can cause obesity in dogs that lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Oatmeal is contraindicated in animals suffering from urolithiasis.

If your pet has health problems, be sure to consult your veterinarian about which porridge is best to feed your dog.

Semolina

Semolina contains a lot of carbohydrates, but microelements and vitamins are not included in the composition, so cereals are not given regularly. Veterinarians can introduce semolina porridge into the diet for stomach diseases. Semolina with milk is allowed in the diet of puppies to meet their high energy needs.

Corn grits

Corn grits are a very popular product in the production of ready-made dog food, and many dog ​​breeders have begun to introduce corn grits into their pets’ diets.

In terms of the amount of nutrients, the product is far from a leader; moreover, it is characterized by low digestibility, but in small quantities it will be a useful addition, since it inhibits fermentation processes in the intestines and stimulates hematopoiesis due to the high content of nickel, iron and copper.

Barley grits

Barley groats are not inherently harmful, but are considered an inferior product for dogs. It is difficult to digest and does not replenish the necessary energy reserves.

Millet

Millet is difficult for dogs to digest. In large breeds, large volumes of wheat porridge can provoke intestinal volvulus.

Barley porridge

Pearl barley porridge is practically not digestible and is a serious allergen. The nutritional value of cereals is low, and the fiber content is very high, so it is indicated for obesity or constipation, if it does not cause allergies.

Pea porridge

Pea porridge, like other legumes, is strictly contraindicated in dogs due to the likelihood of causing bloating. Flatulence is much more difficult for dogs than for humans due to their anatomy.

Now you know what kind of porridge to cook for your dog, all that remains is to find out how much porridge your pet needs and how to prepare it.

How much porridge should you give your dog?

Now that we have decided on the cereals, let’s calculate how much cereal to give the dog at one feeding? The main dish is porridge with meat products and vegetables, given to pets at the rate of 60-70 grams of food per 1 kilogram of weight per day. This norm is divided into 2 or 3 doses.

The ratio of products is as follows:

  • 50% stringy meat and offal;
  • 30% porridge;
  • 20% vegetables and fruits.

Thus, per kilogram of dog weight, you need 30-35 grams of meat, 20-25 grams of porridge, and 5-10 grams of vegetables and herbs per day.

A dog that weighs 15 kg, with two meals a day, should eat 150-190 grams of porridge per feeding or 300-375 grams per day.

How to cook porridge for a dog?

First and foremost, dog owners need to understand that their pets do not need an extremely varied diet. Dogs do not need to constantly taste new dishes and, on the contrary, the gastrointestinal tract of a predator adapts to one type of food and is tuned specifically to its digestion.

Sudden changes in diet will, at best, cause indigestion. You need to decide what kind of porridge to cook for your dog and settle on the chosen option.

Now let's move directly to the question of preparation. To properly cook porridge for a dog, you need to follow a few simple rules. Porridge can be one-component or cooked from several cereals. Cook the porridge in water without salt and spices. Any cereal should be well-cooked and crumbly, not glue-like. Only it is recommended not to cook oatmeal, but to steam it. 5 minutes before readiness, add finely chopped or grated vegetables and raw meat to the porridge. By-products are also added at the end, but pre-cooked. Giblets are prepared separately from the porridge; broth is not used.

  • The ratio of cereals and water is 1 to 3;
  • Any spices are contraindicated, even if it seems that with them the pet eats its portion faster;
  • Porridge should not be salted, especially for animals prone to or suffering from urolithiasis.
  • When the porridge is cooked, leave it to steep under the lid for at least half an hour.
  • Add a little vegetable oil or fish oil to the finished porridge.

Porridge is important in a dog's diet. Cereals are a storehouse of mineral salts, vegetable proteins and vitamins, especially group B. Carbohydrates provide the body with energy, and fiber will ensure normal intestinal function.

Why is it better to cook porridge in water?

Why porridge cannot be cooked in broth is a topic that is being discussed very vigorously today, and people, as happens in such cases, often defend extremes. Meanwhile, it is really undesirable to give broth to dogs, especially the kind we are used to: richer, but richer...

As a result of prolonged cooking, undigested fats, toxins and other substances unnecessary for the dog remain in the broth. All this goes from the stomach to the liver, where it causes cell damage. In addition, any dilution of gastric juice upsets the balance and does not have the best effect on digestion. Constant feeding of rich broths can provoke the development of erosive gastritis.

Low-fat double- or triple-cooked broths can sometimes be given to dogs. But it is not advisable to cook cereals on them. The dog gets used to porridge with the smell of meat and then refuses the one cooked in water, and the owners certainly follow its requirements and continue to buy soup sets.

What porridge is best to feed a dog? Fresh from quality products with meat, vegetables and herbs. If you are a caring owner and decide to give your dog a natural diet, follow simple rules so that your pet lives a long, and most importantly, healthy life.


Is it possible for dogs to have oatmeal, how to prepare it correctly, and what other grains are allowed – we’ll tell you in the article.

No one doubts the benefits of oatmeal for people - many nutritionists call it the most valuable porridge. But for our four-legged pets, not everything is so simple.
The main porridge in a dog’s diet is usually and.

Oatmeal differs from these cereals by being higher in calories and containing more fat and fiber. Fiber in small doses is very useful for dogs - they are given porridge primarily to compensate for its deficiency.

Oatmeal also contains:

  • amino acids;
  • vegetable protein;
  • vitamin B group, vitamin E, as well as A, K and PP;
  • minerals - iron and magnesium, iodine and fluorine, nickel, phosphorus, sulfur, manganese;
  • potassium and calcium.

All of these elements are also beneficial for animals, and it is because of them that many veterinarians recommend this cereal as mineral support.

Another advantage of oatmeal is that it is a dietary cereal due to its wonderful enveloping property. It is distributed over the walls of the stomach, preventing gastric juice from affecting them. As a result, oatmeal will be the optimal food for dogs suffering from gastritis or gastrointestinal disorders, weakened and sick pets, as well as puppies.

And finally, the advantage of oatmeal for dogs, which is unlikely to be appreciated by the pet, but the owner will definitely be pleased with it - this cereal is inexpensive. It's no secret that oatmeal is often introduced into the diet simply to create a feeling of satiety in the animal.

This especially applies to large breeds, which are problematic to feed with clean meat. But you shouldn’t be overzealous: porridge should account for no more than 20-35% of a dog’s diet.

Harm

Despite the obvious benefits of oatmeal, a number of breeders speak extremely negatively about this porridge. The common argument “You don’t give a horse meat, so why does a dog need oats?”, despite its wit, is neither scientific nor reasoned. Let's figure out what's going on.

First, oatmeal is high in calories and carbohydrates. Its approximate composition per 100 g:

  • carbohydrates – 65.4 g;
  • proteins – 11 g;
  • fats – 6 g.

Calorie content of 100 g of oatmeal – 359.6 calories. Therefore, if your pet often eats oatmeal and does not lose enough energy, he will quickly begin to gain weight.

This will definitely harm the dog, so you should not feed your inactive pet oatmeal. If the animal walks for 2-3 hours a day, oatmeal will only be beneficial.

Important: Oatmeal is contraindicated in castrated and sterilized animals, as well as those suffering from urolithiasis.

Allergy

Secondly, dogs are often allergic to oatmeal (due to vegetable proteins), and some also experience stomach upset. In case of allergies, this porridge is completely excluded from the diet. But if your dog begins to feel weak, you can try mixing oatmeal with other cereals, for example, rice.

There is also an opinion that dogs cannot digest anything from cereals, they are poorly digested and remain in the stomach for a long time. It's just ballast that makes you feel full. But in reality this is not so - cereals are important at least as a valuable source of fiber and carbohydrates.

How to steam flakes?

The best option for a healthy dog ​​is steamed oatmeal, since with this method of cooking it retains useful elements, but does not lose its cleansing properties.

Steaming oatmeal is simple: you just need to pour it into a saucepan and pour boiling water over it. It is important to note that oatmeal swells greatly and absorbs a lot of water, so you should not pour too much flakes.

Then close the pan with a lid and leave for 10 minutes; if desired, you can wrap it in a towel - this will speed up the process. The oatmeal is ready, all you have to do is cool it and offer it to the dogs.

Advice: for puppies, you can take not water, but meat broth or hot milk.

How to cook porridge: with water or milk?

For puppies, it is preferable to cook oatmeal in milk or broth. Adult dogs do not need milk; most of them do not digest it.

Whether it is necessary to cook porridge in broths is a controversial issue. Such a dish will be more aromatic and satisfying, but it may be too heavy food for the animal and will put a lot of stress on the liver. If your dog is overweight, it’s definitely not worth it.

Another option is porridge with vegetable broth. It is cooked without salt, spices, onions and garlic, from carrots, beets, bell peppers and other vegetables allowed for dogs. But, if your pet is not a fan of plant foods, convincing him to eat it will not be easy.

Recipes

Oatmeal can be cooked in two types: viscous and liquid. For 500 g of porridge you will need:

  • 100 g of oatmeal, 300 ml of water - the result is a viscous porridge;
  • 100 g oatmeal, 400 ml water - liquid.

If you use Hercules oatmeal, you need to take a little more water, 400-500 ml.

The cooking process is simple: pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour in the porridge, add a little salt (4-5 g of salt, the dog doesn’t need more), wait for it to boil again and reduce the heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Advice: the later the porridge is removed from the stove, the thicker it will be.

Another recipe option for dogs is rice-oatmeal porridge. For it you will need (for one medium saucepan):

  • 1.5 cups rice;
  • 0.5 cups oatmeal;
  • 3 glasses of water (you may need more during cooking);
  • salt.

The rice is washed. Water is boiled in a saucepan, then rice is poured into it and the lid is closed tightly so that steam does not escape. Cook the porridge over high heat for 10 minutes. Then you need to reduce the heat and add the oatmeal, cook for another 10 minutes. After this, remove the pan from the stove, wrap it and leave for about 20 minutes. The porridge is ready, it will turn out liquid, but appetizing.

How to give?

The animal will not be happy with oatmeal in its pure form. Therefore, after cooking or during cooking, the porridge is mixed with meat and vegetables.

You can also fill it with kefir, season it with sunflower, olive or linseed oil (a little at a time), add flax seed (but not often and no more than 1/3 teaspoon for large breeds). From time to time it is useful to beat a chicken egg into the porridge.

Advice: when serving porridge for the first time, add a small amount to your usual food or hypoallergenic food (for example, buckwheat). Observe the animal’s reaction for 24 hours to see if there are any clinical signs of allergy. If everything is fine, oatmeal can be introduced into the diet.

There are two different views on whether it is worth mixing porridge with both meat and vegetables. The option when finely chopped meat, carrots and herbs are added to the oatmeal will be successful for those who like to choose something tasty from the porridge and refuse vegetables. The oatmeal will stick to the meat and the dog will have to eat it all. If your pet is not picky, it is better to give the meat in a separate bowl.

Oatmeal may be offered as a staple in quantities sufficient to satiate the dog (depending on its size). But it is not advisable to give it to an adult animal more than once a week.

For puppies

Many breeders feed their puppies oatmeal. This is not surprising: porridge is cheap, and babies quickly gain weight from it. However, there is an opinion that up to 8 months of age, oatmeal is undesirable for a puppy: it will cause loose stools.

Whether or not to feed a puppy oatmeal is up to each owner to decide for himself. If after the first feeding no allergies appear, the dog’s digestion remains normal, then you can feed it - don’t forget about all the beneficial substances that oatmeal contains.

At the same time, the puppy should not eat exclusively oatmeal; he also needs meat, offal, fish, milk, fermented milk products, and vegetables and fruits.

Oatmeal begins to be introduced into the diet from the first month of life. At this time and up to three months, the puppy requires 6 feedings a day. Porridge (oatmeal) with water or broth with meat is given twice, oatmeal with milk or dairy products twice, milk or cottage cheese once.

Further, up to six months, oatmeal with milk can remain in the diet on a daily basis so that the puppy gains weight. You definitely shouldn’t be afraid of obesity in an active baby. Afterwards, the number of feedings of this cereal should be reduced, and by the time the dog is fully grown, bring them to the prescribed once a week.

Advice: if at an early age the puppy reacted poorly to oatmeal, you can try to treat him to this porridge again, when he reaches 8-10 months of age. But before that, those porridges that the body accepts normally (rice or buckwheat) are given.

Pregnant and lactating

It is not necessary to exclude oatmeal from the diet of a pregnant or lactating dog if the animal has eaten it before. It will even be useful, since the expectant mother, like the nursing mother, will need a lot of energy. At the same time, the bitch should receive a varied diet, including meat, vegetables and vitamin preparations. You won't get healthy puppies on oatmeal alone.

Is it possible for all breeds?

Whether a dog can have oatmeal or not depends not on the breed, but on the body’s reaction to this cereal. Both a “pocket” dog and a respectable mastiff will gobble up oatmeal with meat with equal appetite. Another thing is that in the diet of large breeds - St. Bernard, Alabai, Caucasian Shepherd - it will be difficult to do without inexpensive and satisfying oatmeal.

What to do if things get bad?

Fortunately, a dog cannot be poisoned by oatmeal (unless the owner kept the dish for a week, as a result of which it turned sour). If after treating this cereal the animal’s health worsens, this may be due to:

  1. food allergies. It appears as an itchy rash starting from the face, ears, paws and gradually spreading throughout the body, possibly causing digestive upset. In this case, oatmeal is excluded from the diet. In case of severe allergies, the pet is given an antihistamine (Tavegil, Suprastin, Cetrin, Claritin), but it must be prescribed by a veterinarian;
  2. upset stomach from oatmeal. Some dogs digest this grain, but some do not. If your pet falls into the second group and has diarrhea from porridge, you should make sure that he has access to drinking water and change his diet. No additional treatment is required.

What other grains can I feed?

Most often, in addition to oatmeal, dogs are given rice and buckwheat, less often - wheat porridge. Semolina is also allowed, but it is not very useful. But corn grits, pearl barley and millet are prohibited - they are poorly digestible and cause allergies and diarrhea.

Advice: the best option would be an assortment of cereals or alternating porridges - feeding only one type is not useful.

Conclusion

It is difficult to say whether a particular dog will eat oatmeal. But it’s worth trying to introduce this porridge into your diet: as we found out, when used wisely, its benefits are greater than their harm.

In contact with

Many owners remain ardent fans of natural nutrition for their pets, and under no circumstances accept industrially produced food. Sometimes veterinarians themselves advise switching the dog to natural food: cereals, meat, cottage cheese, vegetables, etc. (indication, for example, a therapeutic diet). However, despite all the charm of such a healthy diet, some cereals are not allowed for mustaches. What grains can and cannot be given to dogs? And which ones are completely contraindicated? What cereal is the healthiest for a dog? How and with what is it better to cook it so that it is tasty and balances the diet?

Let's first figure out what kind of cereals there are. Almost everyone has buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, semolina, pearl barley, and less often barley and corn porridge in their kitchen. Each has its own pros and cons.

Buckwheat

One of the healthiest porridges for both humans and pets. It is full of iron, vitamins B and E, calcium, magnesium, and complex carbohydrates.

Satiety remains for a long time, the body receives enough energy. Despite the fact that even after heat treatment, buckwheat retains all its beneficial properties, it should not be pre-fried.

What are the main advantages of buckwheat porridge? Speeds up metabolism, helps support the cardiovascular system and even recover after surgery, lose excess weight, get rid of allergies, increase immunity, strengthen bones and teeth. Buckwheat for mustache is the best option. You can either cook it without salt (1 part cereal and 1.5 parts water), or simply pour boiling water over it overnight (this will preserve even more useful elements).

Rice

Of the beneficial elements, rice porridge is rich in magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, as well as vitamins not only from group B, but also antioxidant E. Lipids (fatty acids) are also present.

An excellent natural adsorbent: it absorbs toxins and removes them from the body. Therefore, it is great for dogs that have had intoxication. For diarrhea, one of the best “dishes” because rice porridge has astringent properties. If your pet has inflammatory processes in the digestive tract, then the presence of this cereal in the diet will help reduce pain (due to its enveloping properties).

However, you should not overuse rice, as it contains a lot of carbohydrates (starch), and often frequent feeding of this cereal causes constipation. It is forbidden to give it to dogs with diabetes or obesity.

But for a change, sometimes you can pamper your pet with rice. Give preference to unpolished (more vegetable protein and less starch compared to polished). Before cooking, rinse the cereal, soak for an hour and a half in cold water (polished for about 20 minutes). Boil as usual, without adding any spices or salt. You can add a little vegetable oil only if the porridge is too thick.

Oats

There are oats, and then there are rolled oats (flattened grains). But both porridges will be very useful, since they contain amino acids, vitamins (A, PP, B, E), micro- and macroelements (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium), fats and vegetable proteins.

Ideal for “starting” digestion after prolonged fasting or illness (especially if it was accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea). “Gluten” envelops the walls of the digestive tract, which significantly reduces pain during the inflammatory process. Remember that nutritionists prescribe oatmeal for those who have gastritis or enteritis.

Despite all the advantages, it is not suitable for some dogs, causing digestive upset. Often causes the development of allergies. Yes, yes, no matter how surprising it may sound, oatmeal can be an allergen for a dog. Therefore, before serving porridge for the first time, add a small amount to your usual food or hypoallergenic food (buckwheat, for example). Observe the animal’s reaction for 24 hours to see if there are any clinical signs of allergy. If everything is fine, you can introduce it into your diet, but do not overuse this cereal.

And give preference to non-flakes (they contain significantly fewer useful components than whole grains). To boil oats faster (in 40-50 minutes), pre-soak them in cold water for several hours.

Pshenka

Despite all its usefulness, millet is not the best choice. Firstly, it is absorbed and digested poorly. Secondly, it often causes severe allergies in the animal. Even mixing it with other cereals will not benefit the mustache. Therefore, exclude millet from your dog’s diet.

Semolina

Another “empty” porridge that is of no benefit to either animals or humans. It contains practically no useful elements, but there are plenty of carbohydrates.

A veterinarian can prescribe it if the animal has insufficient body weight (especially good for careful feeding of premature or newborn puppies) or inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract, so as not to “strain” it while treatment is underway.

It is forbidden to give to dogs with a tendency to gain excess weight, those who are sedentary and those with diabetes mellitus (sugar will rise sharply in the blood).

Pearl barley

Pearl barley is barley that has undergone processing (grinding, polishing). For this reason, the digestibility of this cereal is extremely low. Yes, it is full of vitamins and microelements. We can say that in terms of their quantity, pearl barley will give odds to many other cereals. However, the body does not absorb even a third of them. In addition, eating pearl barley porridge leads to constipation and even allergies in dogs.

Wheat

Despite the fact that it is rich in vitamins (group B, A, D and even C), magnesium, iodine and zinc, this cereal is not suitable for all dogs. It is not completely digested (and, therefore, absorbed), however, and does not clog the intestines. Therefore, it must be fed with caution and not often. It is better not to give it to dogs with digestive problems (especially those with a tendency to constipation).

Is it possible to give dogs wheat cereal? Due to the large amount of carbohydrates (wheat, after all), it should not be given to animals with obesity (or a tendency towards it), diabetes mellitus and leading a sedentary lifestyle. But absolutely healthy mustaches can cook it, adding vegetables to it so that the fiber they contain prevents the intestines from becoming clogged.

Barley

Rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements (the main ones being fluorine and silicon). This cereal is not suitable for daily feeding to a dog, despite the fact that it is very filling. Not all useful components are absorbed by animals. It’s good to mix it with other porridges that are healthier (buckwheat, rice, for example).

Give only freshly cooked food (cooled to room temperature), since after standing for a while, the pan and bowl will just be a sticky, useless mess (nothing will be absorbed).

Corn

Can dogs have corn grits? The answer is clear – no, you can’t. Like semolina and millet, this porridge is not suitable for feeding the mustache. Even though the pet gets full quickly, it does not contain any nutritional value. “Empty” porridge for pets.

In addition, it is extremely poorly digested, forming into “lumps” that are very difficult to move through the gastrointestinal tract. In particularly active individuals, this can cause volvulus. If the dog already has digestive problems, then after feeding him corn porridge (even if not regularly), they will worsen. It’s better to let him chew on an ear of fresh corn (just make sure your pet doesn’t get carried away and eat the core). But be prepared that even its grains will come out undigested in the feces.

Bean porridge

Prohibited. Do not feed dried peas, beans or beans.

They are not digested: the dog does not have enzymes that will completely break down such porridge. But the stomach will swell due to accumulated gases, which will greatly disturb the pet (even to the point of colic and acute abdominal syndrome). As a result, peristalsis slows down, which leads to even greater bloating (a vicious circle results). Constipation develops.

You can only give a few pods of green fresh peas.

What grains can be cooked for dogs?

So, what kind of cereal can you cook for dogs in order not only to provide your pet with all the essentials, but also not to harm him? The best options would be buckwheat and rice. Less often you can give oatmeal (provided that the dog is not allergic to it), rolled oats, wheat, and barley.

You can cook just “monokashi” from one type of grain, or mix several types of cereals in different proportions so that your dog doesn’t get bored of the same thing. But you should not change the “menu” often, as digestive upset will begin. It is best to give one cereal as a base, and mix the rest in smaller quantities into it. And another important point - the porridge should only be crumbly. This way it is better digested.

However, to make your diet balanced and complete, you must understand that cereals make up only a third of the daily menu. Therefore, you need to add other products to cereals. Which ones exactly, read below.

What grains should not be given to dogs?

It is not recommended to feed pearl barley, corn, millet, semolina and legume porridge. All of them not only do not bring any benefit to the dog’s body, but can even cause harm. They are not even absorbed by the body, are poorly digested and lead to indigestion.

Also, for example, corn and pearl barley porridge cause allergies. Therefore, you need to be very careful when planning your pet’s diet. Semolina, millet and corn can lead to volvulus (especially if you immediately go for a walk after feeding).

Now you know what cereals can and cannot be given to dogs of large and small breeds.

What can you use to cook cereals for dogs?

Never add salt and spices, be careful with oils (extra fats will not benefit the mustache’s liver). But you can’t give “naked” porridge either. It is best to add vegetables and meat to it.

For your pet to be healthy, its nutrition must be complete and balanced. And for this you need to know what needs to be given daily and in what ratio:

  • Meat, offal. This should be the basis of the daily menu. The percentage of content is from 35 to 50%. Read above about what you can give with cereals. Sometimes you can feed boiled fish (no more than 2 times a week). Be sure to be lean and boneless. Small bones can get stuck between the teeth, scratch the tongue and gums, and large ones can stand across the esophagus, thereby causing discomfort.
  • Vegetables. They should make up 5-20% of the main daily menu. Fiber is very beneficial for digestion. Coarse fibers are a kind of intestinal scrub. Don’t forget about the vitamins contained in vegetables.
  • Cereals. There should be 25-35%. Read about what cereals can and cannot be given to dogs in this article above.
  • Dairy products. The remaining 20-30% comes from them. It is forbidden to give milk (whether fresh or purchased pasteurized). Only fermented milk products. It is much better absorbed by the body. Beneficial bacteria populate the intestines and help normalize the digestion process. Just watch the fat content. High fat content is a “blow” to the liver. What can you give your dog? Kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt (without additives and sugar), yogurt, fermented baked milk.

Instructions

Take the meat or offal and rinse it thoroughly. Pork should not be used to feed puppies, because... she is very fat. Be sure to remove all small bones and bone fragments to avoid damaging your puppy's stomach. If you use offal, then take 1.5 times more of it than meat, because... they have less value for the body. Pour water over the meat products and boil, then remove the broth and boil thoroughly. You can add a little iodized salt to the broth. Offal is cooked at half the rate of meat.

Take cereals: oatmeal, wheat, buckwheat, barley, rice or millet. It should make up about forty percent of the entire dish. Oatmeal and barley cereals can cause stomach problems, so you must add other names to them. Whole wheat and pearl barley cause digestive upset in most dogs, so it is better not to give them to your puppy.

You can make porridge from several types of cereals at once. For example, take one quarter each of rice, millet, barley and buckwheat. Add them to the boiling broth and cover with water. Porridge for puppies (and for adult dogs too) should be cooked twice as long as for people. Therefore, more liquid must be added.

At the end of cooking, add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to the porridge. You can replace it with a small piece of butter, but be careful because butter can cause diarrhea. When the dish is ready, scoop it up with a spoon: the porridge should fall off it in a lump and not drip. Only in this case will the food be suitable for the dog. If the porridge is runny, cook it a little more.

In a separate pan, simmer fresh vegetables. You can take carrots, beets, pumpkin or turnips. Add them to already prepared porridge. You can also add some fresh chopped herbs: dill, parsley, cilantro, spinach or carrot tops. Then all the products need to be mixed, cooled and only then given to the dog.

note

Meat products for porridge should be free of fat.

Helpful advice

You can also add wild herbs to the porridge: dandelion or nettle.

Dogs are quite omnivorous, and you can feed them almost any type of cereal. By the way, cereals can be mixed and various ingredients can be added to them, such as vegetables, cheese, meat, so that the dog receives all types of vitamins and microelements. Rice porridge is the most versatile dog food and a worthy alternative to dry and wet commercial dog food. Moreover, it contains all the nutrients that a dog should receive for the day.