The North American Veterinary Conference - 2003 Proceedings

MAKING HOMEMADE DIETS WORK formulations in print are on average mathematically

complete and balanced, owners do make their own food
Rebecca L. Remillard, PhD, DVM, Diplomate ACVN substitutions, selectively omitting items due to personal
MSPCA Angell Memorial Animal Hospital preferences or conveniences and do make preparation
Boston, MA errors which can result in an unbalanced formulation.
Making homemade diets requires knowledge, motivation,
Public awareness of nutrition is steadily increasing and additional financial resources, and careful attention to
clients are understandably interested in the nutrition of recipe detail to insure a consistently balanced intake of
their pets. Veterinarians discussing the benefits of good nutrients.
nutrition and feeding practices is an essential component It is difficult to characterize the common nutritional
of good medicine, and is a reasonable extension of their problems with homemade diets because so few are
role, for veterinarians are regarded by owners as the best properly described; however, in general, most formulations
source of pet health care. There are several advantages are excessive in protein and fat, deficient in calcium and
to feeding a commercially prepared pet food, which are micro minerals. Foods made at home are typically
primarily based upon convenience, cost and in providing designed with a variety of table foods, prepared by various
a consistent nutritionally balanced food to the pet. means using mo st inaccu rate measu rements .
The vast majority of dogs and cats in the USA are fed a Inconsistency is the rule. The second most common error
complete and balanced product in that 90% of their is for owners to eliminate or change supplements based
calories are from commercially prepared foods.1 However, upon convenience, expense or failure to understand their
there is a growing number of clients that intentionally want importance. Owners mistakenly think that a pet can
to feed their pets a homemade formulation as their sole consume sufficient quantities of fruits and vegetables to
source of nutrition. Veterinarians will also need to provide meet their vitamin or mineral requirements. This is simply
advice on home cooked pet foods to owners who either not possible for most pets. These published recipes that
choose to eliminate or include specific ingredients due to were once crudely balanced diets do become grossly
personal preferences. unbalanced when owners eliminate the supplements.
Regular veterinary checkups are not only necessary to
REASONS FOR HOMEMADE DIETS monitor the patient's progress and response to the food,
Clients have expressed several different reasons for but to monitor the owner's level of compliance as well.
wanting to prepare homemade pet foods and those
reasons are relevant to your final recommendation. ASSESSING THE RECIPES
Veterinarians should first attempt assess owner's Veterinarians encounter a wide range of recipes
motivation and reasons in order to make the proper dietary published from breeders and the popular press. It is
recommendation. In many instances the pets may be unlikely that any practitioner would seriously take the time
better served by helping owners find a commercially and effort to properly evaluate and then improve a recipe
prepared food that meets the client's criteria. if necessary. Yet,a simple method of evaluating and
Some owners wish to avoid or control the potential correcting a homemade formulation is to adjust the
additives, preservatives and/or contaminants in proportions and(or) change the ingredients in the recipe.
commercial pet foods. Others are confused and Most homemade diets can be grossly checked for
sometimes angered by the terms found in the ingredient nutritionally adequacy by asking five simple questions:
list, which promotes them to find a simpler dietary
alternative. There are clients who simply want to cook for 1. Are there five food groups in the recipe?
their pets and are willing to spend the extra time and ANS:
money required for meal preparation. Others find they A. a carbohydrate source from a cooked cereal grain
began feeding table foods for some reason and it is now and fiber
not possible to retrain the pet. For yet others, a B. a protein source, preferably an animal source
therapeutic or elimination diet is not available or C. a fat source
acceptable to the patient or client. D. a source of minerals, particularly calcium
Published or recommended recipes could be flawed E. a multi-vitamin source
even when followed exactly and consistently. In one
survey, 90% of the homemade elimination foods 2. Is the carbohydrate source a cooked cereal and
prescribed by over 100 veterinarians in North America present in a higher quantity than the meat?
were not nutritionally adequate for feeding the adult dog or ANS: The carbohydrate to protein ratio should be at
cat long term.2 Interestingly, not one of the veterinarians least 1:1, but preferably 2:1 for cat foods and 3:1 for dog
currently selling recipe books to pet owners is a foods. Carbohydrate sources in either dog or cat foods is
nutritionist, and no assurances are offered that their used for energy and is usually a cooked cereal grain such
recipes have been determined complete or balanced via as corn, rice, wheat, potato or barley. These carbohydrate
laboratory analysis or feeding trials. In effect, each owner sources have similar caloric contributions, are nearly 90%
is performing the feeding trial on each recipe. Given some digestible but some may also contribute a significant
amount of protein, fiber or fat.

646
 Small Animal - Nutrition

3. What is the type and quantity of the primary protein stores in various size tablets. Crushed eggshells may be
source? used but only after boiling to avoid salmonella poisoning.
ANS: The overall protein quality in a homemade food The diet of a growing pet most often requires bone meal
can be improved by changing from a vegetable or white at approximately the same dose as calcium carbonate.
fish to a red or organ meat animal source. Skeletal Supplements providing individual vitamins and micro
muscle protein from different animal species has very minerals can be obtained although they are cumbersome
similar amino acids profiles. The protein content of to feed and add greatly to the expense of the food. An
various mammalian and avian skeletal muscle tissues is adult over the counter vitamin/mineral tablet containing no
generally equivalent on the water-free basis and there is more than 200% of the Recommended Daily Allowances
no nutritional advantage to feeding one source of meat for people works well for both dogs (1-2 tablet/day) and
over another. Providing some liver in the meat portion is cats (1 tablet q 2-4 days). At these dosages, an adult
recommended once a week or as 25-30% of the meat product will NOT over supplement the pet with calcium,
portion on a regular basis. Liver not only improves the phosphorous, magnesium, vitamins A, D or E, iron,
amino acid profile over vegetable and skeletal meat copper, zinc, iodine, or selenium according to AAFCO
sources, but also contributes essential fatty acids, maximums. No veterinary or children's supplements have
cholesterol, fat, vitamins and micro minerals. If an yet been found suitable for balancing homemade diets.
ovo-lacto vegetarian food is requested, egg is the best Clients must be made aware of these food safety issues
ingredient; whereas if a vegan (no animal products) food when feeding raw meat and eggs, and preparing
is requested, soybean and garbanzo beans provide the homemade foods particularly if the pet, owner or another
next best option. The animal protein sources should be family member is immunosuppressed. Owners should be
cooked to increase digestibility and decrease the risk of encouraged to use a dietary gram scale to weigh out these
microbial and parasitic infections. Microbial infections are foods until they become familiar with the approximate
on the surface of a meat slab; therefore, searing the volumes of each food. All items should be blenderized
outside and feeding rare is preferable to feeding raw. together to prevent the animal from picking out single food
Ground meats should be thoroughly cooked. The final items, and understand that dietary formulation only
food should contain 25-35% cooked meat for dogs and approximates the recommended nutrient intake of their
cats (1 part meat to 3 or 2 parts carbohydrate, pet. Owners should be warned that sources of vitamins
respectively). and minerals, particularly calcium, although small
quantities, are very important and not optional. If there is
4. Is the primary protein source lean or fatty? a history of food rejection or GI upset with food changes,
ANS: The fat content of different cuts of meat varies. feed the homemade food without supplements for a week
W hen the specified protein source is 'lean', an additional or so, and then add the supplements one at a time
fat source of animal, vegetable or fish should compose at (one per week) to avoid or better identify a problem. The
least 2% of the formula for dogs, and 5 % for cats to patient should be examined by a veterinarian regularly
ensure an adequate energy density. Dogs and cats have (2-3 visits/yr) while eating a homemade food.
an essential fatty acid requirement for linoleic acid. The
addition of cooked beef or chicken fat, poultry skins, ASSESSING THE PATIENT
vegetable or fish oils (tuna, mackerel, sardine) can The effectiveness of a food can be grossly evaluated by
significantly raise the caloric density and linoleic acid noting the patient's body weight, condition and activity
content without adding other nutrients. Changing the cut level. Laboratory data such as albumin, red blood cell
of meat can raise the fat content of a diet as well. Most number, size and hemoglobin concentration are only gross
vegan diets lack sufficient caloric density (fat) and linoleic estimations of the animal's nutritional status and can be
acid; adding corn or safflower oil may meet this used in association with other clinical observations to
requirement. evaluate the homemade food. More specifically, the
skin/hair should be examined closely and an ophthalmic
5. Is a source of calcium, trace mineral and vitamins examination including the lens should also be performed.
supplements described? These tissues, relative to others, are more sensitive to
ANS: A homemade food is almost never spontaneously nutritional status.
balanced in minerals and absolute calcium deficiency is In summary, the veterinarian should 1) encourage
common. Unfortunately, adding cottage cheese, cheese regular (2-3 visits/yr) veterinary checkups and always,
or milk is erroneously assumed to provide adequate 2) offer to have the recipe evaluated by a nutritionist, and
calcium. Most diets require a specific calcium 3) suggest the feeding of a consistent complete and
supplement. Usually only calcium carbonate is needed at balanced product if possible, particularly if the pet has a
0.5 g per 5 kg BW of cat per day and 2.0 g per 15 kg BW medical condition in which dietary management depends
of dog. Calcium carbonate, containing 40% Ca and <1% upon the highest level of product consistency and quality
P, is available in most pharmacies, health and grocery assurance.

647
Downloaded from https://cabidigitallibrary.org by 2401:4900:6340:806:6574:9b75:281e:44dd, on 12/09/24.
Subject to the CABI Digital Library Terms & Conditions, available at https://cabidigitallibrary.org/terms-and-conditions
 The North American Veterinary Conference - 2003 Proceedings

References Other Readings

1. Lund EM, Armstrong PJ, Kolar L, Klausner J. 1. Remillard RL, B Parragon, S Crane, J Debraekeleer,
Distribution of disease and diet type in a natural C Cowell. Making Pet Foods at Home. In: Hand MS,
population of geriatric dogs and cats from private Thatcher CD, Remillard RL, Roudebush P (eds). Small
veterinary practice, in Proceedings. Symposium of Animal Clinical Nutrition IV, Mark Morris Institute,
Health and Nutrition of Geriatric cats and dogs. Topeka KS. Chap 6. Pp163-181.
1996:56. 2. Miller EP, Cullor JS. Food Safety. In: Hand MS,
2. Roudebush P, Cowell CS. Results of a hypoallergenic Thatcher CD, Remillard RL, Roudebush P (eds). Small
diet survey of veterinarians in North America with a Animal Clinical Nutrition IV, Mark Morris Institute,
nutritional evaluation of homemade diet prescriptions. Topeka KS. Chap 7. Pp184-198.
Veterinary Dermatology 1992;3(1):23-28.

648
Downloaded from https://cabidigitallibrary.org by 2401:4900:6340:806:6574:9b75:281e:44dd, on 12/09/24.
Subject to the CABI Digital Library Terms & Conditions, available at https://cabidigitallibrary.org/terms-and-conditions