Nutrition: Home-Prepared Diets

What should I know about feeding a home-prepared diet to my pet?

The first inclination of some people when feeding a home-prepared diet to their pet is to simply feed the animal leftovers of what they are eating. However, the nutritional needs of dogs, cats and humans differ.

Humans are omnivores and can maintain excellent health on a meat-free diet with only minimal dietary supplementation. Dogs are facultative carnivores, which means they are well-adapted to a high-meat diet but can also make use of non-meat ingredients. To a significant extent, however, dogs are also well adapted to a high-meat diet.

Cats are obligate carnivores and must consume meat. Veterinary nutritionists have determined that cats have no biological requirement for carbohydrates in their diet, suggesting that a high-meat and low-grain diet may be ideal for their well-being. It is important to realize that cats are not just small dogs.

The optimal diet varies from species to species, and contains an ideal ratio of the major essential nutrients of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as adequate levels of trace nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. The specific requirements of an individual within a species may vary somewhat by age, health, and level of exercise. Over the course of a day, a properly balanced diet should meet the animal's minimum caloric needs for energy and should not exceed its maximum energy requirements.

How do I determine what is a properly balanced diet?

The best way to avoid nutritional deficiencies and excesses is to follow recipes formulated by veterinary nutritionists. When possible, have a veterinary nutritionist formulate a recipe with appropriate ingredient substitutions (and quantities) specific to your pet.  For more general recommendations on a balanced diet, your veterinarian may recommend an online service such as balanceit.com or petdiets.com.  

It is essential to include any specifically recommended vitamin-mineral supplement to avoid trace nutrient deficiencies or excesses. Some vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and collard greens contain high levels of calcium in a bioavailable form and should only be included in a diet if specifically directed. Although spinach is high in calcium, it also contains high levels of oxalates, which may predispose some animals to develop urinary stones.

What are the benefits of home-prepared diets for my pet?

Supporters of feeding pets home-prepared diets emphasize the importance of a variety of fresh, whole foods for the maintenance of health. The benefits of home-prepared diets include confidence in the freshness and wholesomeness of the ingredients, and direct control over food safety – you can ensure ingredients are properly handled, cooked, and mixed. 

Many dogs and cats have improved hair and skin condition and increased levels of energy on home-prepared diets. The exception to this is the pet with pre-existing allergies or intolerances to one or more components of the diet. When an ingredient is included that an animal is intolerant of, or not well adapted to, home cooking does not provide any advantage over commercial dry kibble or canned food.

What are the risks of home-prepared diets for my pet?

As mentioned, it is not enough to just feed a diet of table scraps or to toss some meat, grains, and vegetables into a bowl for your pet. If you do that, your pet could end up malnourished. You can decrease this risk by using recipes that have been formulated by veterinary nutritionists and by adhering strictly to the recipes when preparing the food. Avoid using recipes that are complicated or time-consuming to prepare, since you are more likely to take shortcuts in preparation.

While a recipe for a home-cooked diet may appear to come from a knowledgeable source, ideas about what constitutes the ideal diet for dogs and cats are constantly evolving. Rigid adherence to one recipe over a long time may thus cause severe nutritional imbalances if that diet is later found to be inadequate.

"Animals have different nutritional needs based on their life stage and lifestyle."

Problems may occur if diets are either under- or over-supplemented with certain vitamins and minerals. The most common imbalances in home-prepared diets involve calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and iron. Animals have different nutritional needs based on their life stage and lifestyle. For example, growing animals and animals used for breeding have increased requirements for energy, and require enhanced protein levels and optimal ratios of vitamins and minerals to support growth and reproduction. The advice of a veterinary nutritionist is imperative to decrease avoidable risks to the pet's well-being.

Some popular authors of pet diets recommend feeding grain-free (or carbohydrate-free) diets, raw meat diets, or bones and raw food diets. Raw meat and poultry are commonly contaminated with bacteria, some of which are pathogenic or harmful. Cooking will kill bacteria, although it may not necessarily destroy toxins that were produced by the bacteria.

Freezing does not kill bacteria. In fact, bacteriologists use freezing to preserve bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and improper food storage allows them to multiply. Critics of raw meat diets maintain that bacterial pathogens common in intensively reared poultry and livestock could represent a health risk to animals or their owners, mainly through environmental contamination.

Additionally, antibiotic-resistant bacteria can pose substantial human health risks. To minimize these risks, it is necessary to ensure that ingredients are stored properly, that good food preparation practices are followed, and that you pay strict attention to hygiene, including hand washing after food preparation, sanitation of food bowls and feeding areas, and immediate cleanup of feces.

Both animals and humans with immature or otherwise compromised immune systems may be more susceptible to illness caused by bacteria. Therefore, the risks and benefits associated with raw food must be carefully considered if there are young or old family members or pets, or if any member has health issues such as cancer, immunodeficiency disease, or if anyone is undergoing chemotherapy.

"Cooked bones must never be fed to a pet, since they are brittle and prone to splintering, which can cause obstructions and perforations of the intestinal tract."

With respect to grain-free diets and some other non-traditional diets, nutrition-related heart disease remains a concern. This heart condition is similar to dilated cardiomyopathy. Although the correlation is not fully understood, heart function improves when the pet is transitioned to a more traditional, grain-inclusive diet.

Likewise, raw bones are not without risk; several cases of fecal impaction and intestinal accidents have been reported, such as bowel perforation. Feeding bones also poses the risk of breaking teeth, leading to tooth pain and possible infection. Cooked bones must never be fed to a pet, since they are brittle and prone to splintering, which can cause obstructions and perforations of the intestinal tract.

How can I minimize these risks?

Be honest with your veterinarian, and discuss exactly what you feed your pet, including any treats or supplements that you provide. Your veterinarian can help ensure that your pet's diet is appropriate or can direct you to some appropriate sources for information, including reputable references for healthy recipes for home-prepared meals.

Have your pet examined regularly so that any early indicators of problems may be detected. Since animals age more rapidly than humans, a good rule is to have a complete physical examination every six months. In addition to a physical examination, it is prudent to have a biochemical analysis and complete blood count conducted on the pet's blood at these intervals. 

Periodic radiographs (X-rays) to assess bone density and structure, as well as tissue density, will assist in detecting overt mineral imbalances such as calcium deficiency. By having a baseline and several sets of test results available, your veterinarian can compare results over time and may spot trends that indicate potential problems.

What symptoms or conditions are most often treated with home-prepared diets?

Symptoms such as excessive shedding, itching, skin lesions, and digestive disturbances may be caused by food allergies, intolerances to ingredients in commercial diets, or to the nutritional inappropriateness of the diet for a specific individual, breed or species. Animals with specific dietary needs or health problems are often put on special home-prepared diets that are nutritionally formulated to meet these needs. Pets that have a poor appetite or are 'fussy' may eat a home- prepared diet more willingly than commercial food.

How successful is treatment with home-prepared diets?

Some animals with specific dietary needs or health problems show dramatic improvement in their state of health when fed a home-prepared diet that has been nutritionally formulated to meet these needs.

How do I know if the diet is properly balanced?

For a fee, a sample batch of the diet can be analyzed at a commercial food laboratory to determine its nutritional adequacy. The patient can be assessed by means of blood and urine analysis and radiographs to determine whether the pet is showing any subclinical abnormalities that could be related to dietary deficiencies or excesses.

What is the cost of home-prepared diets?

Home-prepared diets are often more expensive than the equivalent commercial diet.

How can I find out more information about home-prepared diets?

Your veterinarian can provide guidance on where to find balanced recipes specific to your pet’s nutritional needs.