FOUR HIGH PROTEIN, LOW-AND-BALANCED FAT RECIPES

Here are four high protein, low-and-balanced fat recipes for full time feeding I developed in conjunction with Mary Straus, published in the Whole Dog Journal (January, 2009). We developed these recipes for adult dogs needing low-fat diets, including dogs with pancreas issues. Approximately 43% of the calories come from protein, 22% from fat, and 35% from carbohydrate.

These high protein, low fat recipes may also be ideal for overweight and inactive dogs. Many recent studies have shown that high protein diets help dogs lose weight (see Chapter 1 for details). These recipes are not for puppies, pregnant bitches, or lactating bitches because they are too low in fat and minerals to meet their needs.

Recipe #1: Chicken (no bones)

14 oz chicken thighs, skin and separable fat removed

1 lb sweet potato, baked in skin

½ lb broccoli stalks

2 oz chicken liver

1 oz chicken heart (or use 3 oz of liver and no heart)

1 level tsp eggshell powder

¼ tsp iodized salt

40 to 120 IUs (2 to 6 drops) vitamin E

This recipe yields 1,007 kcal (24 kcal/oz) and has 22 grams of fat per 1,000 kcal. The overall (including short and long chain) omega-6:-3 ratio is 7:1.

Recipe #2: Beef

12 oz ground beef, 95% lean

12 oz white rice, cooked

6 oz red leaf lettuce

1 oz beef liver

1 oz beef heart

1½ tsp bonemeal

¾ tsp hempseed oil (can substitute ¾ tsp walnut oil or 1½ tsp canola oil)

¼ tsp cod liver oil

¼ tsp kelp 20 to 100 IUs (1 to 5 drops) vitamin E

This recipe yields 1,015 kcal (24 kcal/oz) and has 24 grams of fat per 1,000 kcal. The omega-6:-3 ratio is 4:1.

Recipe #3: Mixed, chicken (no bones) and beef

3 lbs whole wheat macaroni, cooked

2 lbs chicken thighs, skin and separable fat removed

1 lb ground beef, 95% lean

1 lb broccoli stalks

1 lb red leaf lettuce

½ lb chicken liver

½ lb beef heart 1 can (3½ oz) sardines

Egg white from 1 large egg

4 tsp eggshell powder (or 6,000 mg calcium from other sources)

1 tsp kelp meal

200+ IUs (10+ drops) vitamin E

This recipe yields 4,206 kcal (28 kcal/oz) and has 24 grams of fat per 1,000 kcal. The omega-6:-3 ratio is 5:1.

Recipe #4: Chicken with bones (serve raw)

6 oz chicken necks, skin and separable fat removed

½ lb chicken thighs, skin and separable fat removed

1 lb sweet potato, baked in skin

½ lb broccoli stalks

3 oz chicken liver

¼ tsp iodized salt

40 to 100 IUs (2 to 5 drops) vitamin E

This recipe yields 995 kcal (24 kcal/oz) and has 24 grams of fat per 1,000 kcal. The omega-6:-3 ratio is 7:1. This recipe must be served raw.

Feeding Amounts: The amount to feed based on the four recipes will vary considerably depending upon your dog’s activity level and metabolism. The chart below shows how much to feed older, inactive dogs.

Substitutions: Almost any green vegetables can be substituted for those listed. However, chicken breast meat cannot be substituted for the thigh meat without upsetting the fat balance. Chicken thigh meats are higher in the long chain omega-3s than breast meat. Any form of calcium can be substituted for eggshell powder at the rate of 1,500 mg calcium per level tsp of eggshell powder. You can also substitute bonemeal for eggshell, but you need to use more bonemeal than eggshell because of the phosphorus in bonemeal. Substitute 1½ to 2 tsp bonemeal (6 to 8 grams) per 1 tsp of eggshell powder, and vice versa.