Easy Homemade Diets for Cats and Dogs - UPDATED!

By Jean Hofve, DVM

Homemade diets are great for our cats and dogs. By making your pet's food at home, you control the quality of the ingredients, and commercial food additives such as colorings and preservatives can be avoided. Once you get the hang of it, homemade food is both time and cost-efficient. It's definitely worth the effort!

Before you put your companion animal on a home-prepared diet, Dr. Jean strongly recommends that you discuss your decision with your veterinarian or a holistic veterinarian in your area who understands nutrition and is comfortable with home-made diets. For a list of holistic veterinary practitioners by state, visit www.holisticvetlist.com.

Dr. Jean also suggests you obtain one or more of the following books, so that you have a more complete understanding of canine and/or feline nutritional needs. It is essential that you follow any diet's recommendations closely, including all ingredients and supplements. Failure to do so may result in serious health consequences for your animal companion.

• The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care. Dr. Celeste Yarnall and Jean Hofve, DVM. Available from Amazon.com -- or if you'd like an autographed copy, Celestial Pets
• Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, and Susan Pitcairn. Rodale Press. ISBN 157954973X. (Note: cat food recipes are too high in carbohydrates and are not recommended for cats.)
  
• It's for the Animals! Natural Care & Resources. Helen L. McKinnon. C.S.A.
  Inc. Available from It's for the Animals!; P.O. Box 1913; Fairview, NC.
  28730; toll-free 1-888-339-IFTA (4382). http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/
  
• Natural Dog Care. Celeste Yarnall. Available from Celestial Pets.
• The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog. Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, DVM. Howell Book House. ISBN 0876055609.
• Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative. Donald R. Strombeck, DVM. Iowa State University Press. ISBN 0813821495. (Note: feline recipes are too low in taurine, and many recipes are too low in calcium.)

These recipes have not been formally analyzed or tested, but they are reasonably well-balanced for long-term use. Please read and understand all instructions before beginning! NEVER SKIP VITAMINS OR OTHER SUPPLEMENTS--THEY ARE CRUCIAL TO YOUR PET'S LONG-TERM HEALTH!

If you want to make substitutions or try other ingredients, visit www.balanceit.com and use their Abridged Diet Evaluator to make sure you are getting the amounts at least close to what's needed. 

Variety is crucial to your pet's health! (This applies to any and all diets and recipes!) Do not get in the habit of feeding just one or two combinations of ingredients.

To make a large batch of food, increase portions and mix protein source, starch source (for dogs), oil, vegetables, and calcium together. Freeze in meal-sized portions. Vitamins/minerals, enzymes, and probiotics should be added fresh at each meal.

The recipes utilize a good quality human supplement. Some of the cheaper human supplements, particularly those with a heavy coating such as One-A-Day, are not well digested even by people and should not be used for animals.  Cats and small dogs have a higher metabolism than big dogs; animals under 25 pounds should get 1/2 of a human supplement per day; bigger dogs can have a whole human supplement.

Alternatively, you can use a specially made dog or cat vitamin supplement, such as Celestial Pets(There are many good animal supplements available at your local feed store or health food store). Be sure to use the recommended amount.

You can grind up the supplements with a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to add to the food; or get the kind that comes in capsules, and open the capsule and empty the powder into the food.

Probiotics include L. acidophilus, Bifidobacteria, and other "good" bacteria. They help maintain your companion animal's normal bacterial population and prevent colonization by disease-causing bacteria. Digestive enzymes are important to keep the pancreas from being overworked, and to aid digestion so your animal companion gets the greatest benefit from the food she eats. Human supplements can be used at the full human dose; they are impossible to overdose.

Meat may be fed cooked or raw. Meat amounts are given in raw weight. (While many holistic veterinarians recommend feeding raw meat, there are potential risks to your companion animal's health from bacterially contaminated meat. Please discuss this issue with your veterinarian before feeding raw meat.) If feeding raw, it is recommended that meat be frozen for 72 hours at -4 degrees F prior to use to kill encysted parasites. Most meats can be refrozen one time safely, so once you mix the meal, it can be put back in the freezer until thawed for feeding. Raw ground beef is not recommended; if used, it must be organic.

Dogs' nutritional needs can be met using a vegetarian diet, although this is not recommended. See information at the end of the dog section. Cats should NOT be fed a non-meat diet. There are many potential problems and unanswered questions on the issue of vegetarian cats. Evidence is clear that cats are obligate carnivores who do best on a meat-based diet.

For cats, use ONE protein source; and for dogs use ONE protein source and ONE energy source. Meats vary tremendously in fat content; poultry is much lower in fat than any mammal meat, so do not exceed recommended amounts unless you are trying to put weight on your pet! Always follow standard safe meat handling procedures.

Diet for adult cats

Feed adult cats two or three times a day. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Recipe makes 2 days' worth of food for an average 10-lb. adult cat. Increase for kittens, decrease for overweight cats.

Choose one protein source (meat amounts given in raw weight)

• 16 oz boneless skinless chicken white meat, minced
• 16 oz boneless skinless chicken dark meat, minced
  
• 15 oz boneless skinless turkey white meat, minced
• 14 oz boneless skinless turkey dark meat, minced
  
• 12 oz organic ground beef, 95% lean
  
• 12 oz domestic rabbit, minced
  
• 8 oz ground lamb or bison
• 8 oz pound beef, chicken or turkey heart, ground or minced
• 2 chopped hard-boiled or scrambled eggs may be substituted for 1/4 of any meat
  
• Optional: once a week, substitute 4 oz organic liver for 1/2 of any meat
  
• For a lower protein/phosphorus diet, substitute egg whites for 1/3 of any meat and 1/2 cup white rice (not quick-cooking) for 1/3 of any meat.
  

Supplements 

• 1 slightly rounded tbsp bone meal (human grade)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt (sodium chloride)
  
• 1/2 salt substitute (potassium chloride)
• 1/4 multiple vitamin-mineral supplement including choline (human quality), powdered
  
• 1 probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement
• 1 capsule taurine 500 mg, or 1 tablet 500 mg powdered
  
• If using leaner meats including poultry, add 1 tsp  fish oil or cod liver oil per pound of meat
• Optional: 1 jars organic vegetable baby food (sweet potato, garden vegetables, spinach); avoid corn and potatoes due to high carbohydrate content.
  

Diet for adult dogs

Feed adult dogs at least 2 times a day. Amounts given are adequate for one day's feeding of a 10 pound moderately active dog. Adjust amounts of ingredients proportionally for your dog's weight. Bigger dogs need less food because their metabolism is slower. Extremely active dogs need 2-5 times more food. The supplements listed are generally sufficient for the weight specified whatever the activity level. Energy sources may be decreased in case of digestive problems but calories must be made up in added fat or protein; this is not provided for in these diets.

Choose one protein source (meat amounts given in raw weight)

• 16 boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh, chopped
• 3 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 12 oz lean bison, lamb, or organic beef, ground or minced
• Optional: once a week, substitute 4 oz organic liver for 1/2 of any meat source
• For a lower protein/phosphorus diet, substitute egg whites for 1/3 of any meat and 1/2 cup white rice (not quick-cooking) for 1/3 of any meat.

Choose one energy source

• 1 cups cooked macaroni
• 1 cups cooked rice
• 1 cups rolled oats, quick, cooked
• 2 cups steamed or pureed veggie mix, or 2 jars organic baby food vegetables (no corn or potatoes)

Supplements 

• 1 tsp. fish oil (wild salmon, herring, menhaden; or cod liver without added Vit A and D)
• 400 mg calcium (elemental, as calcium citrate or carbonate)
• or 1200 mg (approximately 1-1/2 tsp) bone meal powder (human grade)
• 1/4 tsp salt substitute (potassium chloride) - give 3 or 4 times a week
• 1/2 human multiple vitamin-mineral supplement for dogs under 25 pounds; 1 whole for dogs over 25 pounds. Giant breeds do not need more.
  
• 1 probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement

Dogs can be fed a vegetarian diet if necessary. However, as carnivores, their ideal diet is a meat-based one. See Vegepet for recommendations, recipes and supplements.

Vegetarian dogs should get Vitamin B12, carnitine (250 mg) and taurine (250 mg) once a week. Vegetarian dogs of breeds prone to developing dilated cardiomyopathy should get extra taurine (100 mg) and carnitine (50-100 mg) daily.

For more great articles on important feline health and behavior topics, visit the Publications Page at www.littlebigcat.com