What is the Best Food for Dogs?

The "real food" revolution is here! Informed pet owners are making BIG CHANGES to their pets' daily diet.

A Happy Dog is a Healthy Dog. There are much healthier options than the convenience of commercial kibble pellet diets, which are loaded with unhealthy carbohydrates, grains and preservatives — even "top brands" have been subject to product recalls?!

Real food may cost slightly more, but money spent on natural ingredients and proper nutrition can often be saved on vet bills and could add priceless years to your pet's life!

WholeThe Best Food For Your Dog Should Be:

  1. Fresh Wholefoods
  2. Natural Ingredients
  3. Unprocessed
  4. Varied
  5. Balanced
  6. High Protein
  7. Low Carbohydrate

DID YOU KNOW? That the widespread adoption of commercial pet foods has led to a significant increase in the number of dogs worldwide suffering from chronic allergies, infections, obesity, digestive issues, and serious illnesses?

Dogs that are fed processed kibble often face a chronic deficiency of essential nutrients, which compromises their health and shortens their lifespan.

These processed foods are typically loaded with cheap carbohydrates, fillers, artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives.

The commercial dog food industry is a thriving multi-billion dollar business that prioritises profits through marketing gimmicks and the use of inexpensive ingredients.

While dogs are resilient and can tolerate foods that may not be biologically suitable for them, mere survival is not synonymous with optimal well-being and thriving.

Best Food For Dogs South Africa

Recommended intake: Up to 80%

Protein

Protein is the single most important nutrient to a dog. Canines need protein to develop their muscles and to maintain organ health and functionality.

Nutrition is not an exact science. Every dog's biological needs will also change based on their age and activity levels. Furthermore, certain athletic breeds require significantly more protein in their diet.

Recommended intake: No more than 10%

Dietary Fibre

Dietary fibre is essential for maintaining a dog's gastrointestinal health. A healthy dose of fibre can keep a dog regular, prevent constipation, and help avoid any unnecessary weight gain.

The great thing about fibre is that it's found in a wide range of ingredients. The most common source of fibre is fruits and vegetables. Fruits and mixed vegetables (green, yellow and red) can be used to create fibre-rich diets while also introducing essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Recommended intake: 15%

Complex Carbohydrates

High GI Carbohydrates (refined grains: corn, wheat, sugar, white rice and white potatoes) contribute to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Left untreated chronic inflammation can cause allergies, autoimmune disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, heart disease and cancer.

Low GI (healthy) complex carbohydrates such as phytonutrients (plant compounds) provide antioxidants to enhance your dog's immune system, repair free-radical damage and help prevent cancer.

For maximum health benefits, you should only use organic fruits and vegetables. Foods laced with pesticides or foods that are genetically modified will defeat the whole purpose of serving healthy home-cooked foods. Also, most vegetables need to be cooked to be properly digested. 

Home-Cooked High Protein Diet for Dogs

NATURAL BALANCED NUTRITION

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PROTEIN

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DIETARY FIBRE

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LOW GI CARBS

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FAT

It is no secret that eating fresh, whole, raw foods instead of processed and packaged foods is the key to unlocking health, mobility and longevity.

Moreover, natural whole-food diets play a significant role in preventing a plethora of chronic health conditions, including obesity and other metabolic diseases. Try our Homemade Dog Food Recipe today to start your pet on a path to wild health.

Our recipe is expertly formulated by veterinarians to provide a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet using fresh whole foods.

It adheres to both the nutrient standards for adult dogs set by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) in the USA and the European Pet Food Industry Federation (FEDIAF) in Europe.

The food can be served either raw or lightly cooked and gently steamed for added convenience and palatability.

Recipe ingredients:

MAKES: ± 4.5 Kg

Total Calories (kcal) 4338

1. Protein: (Total weight = 2.24 kg)

1.5 kg Minced Beef
250 g Chicken Breasts (de-boned)
60 g Ox Liver
180 g Tuna (1.5 cans packed in water)
3 Large Eggs (150 g)
100 g Chia Seeds

2. Low-GI carbohydrates ( Total weight = 200 g)

200 g Gluten-Free Oats

3. Vegetable & Fruit Mix (Total weight = 970 g)

125 g Pumpkin
125 g Carrots
1 Red Pepper (170 g)
125 g Kale
125 g Butternut
250g Spinach
1 Apple (small size) (50 g)

4. Healthy Fat (Total weight = 10 g)

10 ml Cod Liver Oil

5. Micronutrients (Total weight = 80 g)

50 g Fresh Parsley
15 g Kelp Powder (Do not add kelp powder if using NutriFlex® DentaMax)
15 g Egg Shells ( 3 Large egg shells finely crushed/powdered)

6. Salt (added Sodium) (optional) 6.5 grams

This recipe contains 90mg (0.09g) sodium per 100g, which is ideal for dogs requiring a low-sodium diet.

Dogs require sodium to maintain healthy cell function (fluid balance, acid-base balance and nerve signal transmission), and the minimum recommended amount of sodium for a dog is approximately 100mg per 100 Calories (0.3%)

If you wish to add salt, we recommend adding 1.5g per 1kg of raw ingredients (eg 6.5 grams for the above recipe of 4.5 kg)

Excess salt or high salt intake within a short amount of time can present health risks.

Daily Food Requirements

This table is only intended as a guide for a dog's daily energy requirements. It is based on adult animals in good health with an ideal weight and typical activity profile. Every dog is different and if there are any concerns a vet should be contacted.

Ideal weight can mean a longer and happier life

Achieving and maintaining a pet's ideal weight is shown to reduce the risk of illness and add to the longevity and general well-being of the animal. As animal advocates, we take on the challenge of educating our pet-owner community about nutrition and best practices in feeding.

10 Kg 550 Calories (kCal) 10 DAYS (2 x 220g Servings per Day)
15 Kg 750 Calories (kCal) 8 DAYS (2 x 270g Servings per Day)
20 Kg 900 Calories (kCal) 6 DAYS (2 x 350g Servings per Day)
25 Kg 1100 Calories (kCal) 5 DAYS (2 x 437.5g Servings per Day)
30 Kg 1250 Calories (kCal) 5 DAYS (2 x 455g Servings per Day)
35 Kg 1400 Calories (kCal) 4.5 DAYS (2 x 500g Servings per Day)
40 Kg 1550 Calories (kCal) 4 DAYS (2 x 583g Servings per Day)
45 Kg 1700 Calories (kCal) 3 DAYS (2 x 700g Servings per Day)

Ingredient Cost

Depending on where to shop, expect to pay around R250 for ingredients to make 4.5 Kg.

This will provide 20 servings (2 per day) which will feed a small dog (10 Kg body weight) for 10 days.

That works out at just R25 per day for 2 x 220g servings of nutrient-dense goodness and priceless health benefits.

 

Calories (kCal) 124 273
Energy (kJ) 519 1142
Protein (g) 18.5 37
Net Carbohydrates (g) 3 7
of which total sugar (g) < 1 < 1
Total Fat (g) 9 20
of which saturated fat (g) 3 7
Dietary Fibre (g) 2 4
Total Sodium (mg) 90 198

Instructions:

You will need a large-diameter cooking pot.

  1. Cook and drain the oats and set aside in a large bowl
  2. Add the chicken pieces to a pan and fry. Allow to cool and tear into smaller pieces.
  3. Hardboil the eggs, finish them in cold water and peel off the shells. Blitz the eggs in a food processor and add to the oats
  4. Drain the tuna and add the tuna meat to the oats
  5. Add the beef mince to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
  6. Add the beef liver to the food processor and blitz until smooth and creamy. Add to the minced beef and cook until lightly done.
  7. Remove the core and pips from the apple and dispose of them.
  8. Remove the seeds from the red pepper and dispose of them.
  9. Blitz the Pumpkin, Carrot, Kale, Butternut, Spinach, Red Pepper and Apple into small pieces and add to the Beef Mince. Reduce the heat, put a lid on the pan, and let them steam gently until soft.
  10. Add the Chia Seeds to 200ml warm water and set aside
  11. Add the fresh parsley and eggshell to the food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
  12. Add the beef mince, chicken, eggs, chia seeds, vegetables, fresh parsley, kelp powder and finely crushed eggshell to the oats mix and stir to combine. (do not discard any meat or cooking juices)
  13. Calculate a pet's daily meal requirements from the table opposite and add 2 (daily) servings per freezer bag.
  14. Seal, label, date and freeze the pet food until required.
  15. To prevent oxidation and nutrient loss, add cod liver oil when feeding. Simply divide 10ml cod liver oil by the number of servings. Eg Recipe provides 5 days of food for a 20 Kg Dog. Give your pet 2ml of cod liver oil per day.

This food has more taste when it is warm. Dogs prefer their food served slightly warm (not hot).

NutriFlex Natural Joint Support Collagen For Pets

For best results, sprinkle or mix 1 serving of NutriFlex Maintenance or Advanced daily with the dog's food.

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Nutriflex Collagen For Dogs, Cats And Horses. Vet-Recommended Natural Joint Support.

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The information appearing on this website is for educational and informational purposes only. Information and products are not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any disease or condition.

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