Dog Health by LowchensAustralia.com

CHICKEN N' VEGGIES

• 1 package of chicken thighs with skin (family pack)

• Remove chicken skin on half of the pieces and discard.

• 2 chicken bouillon cubes

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1½ cups water

• 1 bag frozen vegetables (use one vegetable)

In crock-pot place chicken, garlic and 1½ cups water. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or until the chicken is completely cooked. Add vegetables. Stir. Meal is complete.

Before serving, carefully remove the bones. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerator for 6 days -- then discard.

CHICKEN N' BEANS

• 1 package of chicken thighs with skin (family pack)
  Remove skin on half of the pieces and discard.

• 1 can kidney beans drained (10 oz. can)

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1½ cups water

• 1 bag frozen vegetables or 2 cups fresh vegetables

In crock-pot place chicken, garlic and 1½ cups water. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or until the chicken is completely cooked. Add 1 bag frozen/fresh vegetables and kidney beans. Stir. Meal is complete.

Before serving, carefully remove the bones. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerator for 6 days -- then discard.

BEEF MELODY

• 2 lbs. medium fat ground meat or cubed steak

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1½ cups water

• 1 bag frozen vegetables or 2 cups fresh vegetables

In crock-pot place beef, garlic and 1½ cups water. Cook on LOW for 6 hours or until the beef is completely cooked. Turn crock-pot off. Add 1 bag frozen/fresh vegetables. Stir. Meal is complete.

Serve at room temperature. Refrigerator for 6 days -- then discard.

The crock-pot is suggested for ease of cooking, but any method can be used.
Cooking, or feeding raw is not convenient for everyone, and you should not feel guilty or feel that you will never get the problem under control. You can still feed a high quality dry or canned food. However, it will take a little longer to get the yeast problem under control.

We suggest feeding your pet several small meals a day. Pets should be fed as we do -- breakfast, lunch, dinner and a light snack before bedtime. A feeding schedule is outlined below which you can adjust to your lifestyle.

    7:00 a.m. or when you get up: Dry food or homemade diet.
    11:00 a.m. Light snack: Vegetable, meat or yoghurt.
    3:00 p.m. Light snack: Vegetable, meat or yoghurt.
    7:00 p.m. Dinner: Dry food or homemade diet.
    Before bed: Light snack: Vegetable or yoghurt.

Supplementing is a Must When Treating Skin Disorders

Low protein diets play a role in the treatment of several conditions, such as kidney disease, advanced liver disease, and some forms of dominance aggression. [If your pet has been prescribed a low protein diet], but doesn’t like any of the commercial preparations, you might consider trying one of these home-cooked recipes.


EGG & POTATO DIET 
(low-protein, low-phosphorous, high-potassium, normal sodium) for Dogs

• 1 egg, large, cooked

• 3 cups potato, boiled with skin

• 1 tablespoon chicken fat

• 1½ calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)

• ½ multiple-mineral tablet 

Provides 600 kilocalories, 15.1 grams protein, 18.5 grams fat. Supports caloric needs of an 18-pound dog.
Provides phosphorus at 53 percent, potassium at 322 percent, sodium at 114 percent of dogs daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 3 bonemeal tablets for the 1 1/2 carbonate tablets.

CHICKEN AND POTATO DIET
(low protein low phosphorus, high potassium, low sodium) for Dogs

• ¼ cup cooked chicken breast

• 3 cups potato, boiled with skin

• 2 tablespoons chicken fat

• 1 ½ calcium carbonate tablets (600 milligrams calcium)

• ½ multiple vitamin-mineral tablet

Provides 689 kilocalories, 18.9 grams protein, 26.8 grams fat. Supports caloric needs of a 21-22 pound dog
Provides phosphorus at 45 percent, potassium at 301 percent, sodium at 54 percent of a dog's daily needs. To feed this diet with a normal amount of phosphorus, substitute 4 bonemeal tablets for the 1 1/2 calcium carbonate tablets.

LOW FAT/LOW PROTEIN DIET FOR DOGS

• ½ pkg. Salad Macaroni (cooked)
• 1 Cup Brown Rice (Cook separately: 1C Rice w/2.5 C water/45 min.)
• 2 Eggs Hard-boiled and chopped up finely 
• 8-10 Tums Crushed (calcium carbonate) 
• ½ pkg. Frozen Broccoli and 
• ½ pkg. Frozen Carrots - steamed until crisp/tender (chop up finely) 

Mix everything together. Can be frozen in small portions. You can also add ½ -1 tablespoon. low calorie cottage cheese. 

I've also added a little bit of cooked ground chicken...and doubled the recipe for ease and frozen it in serving size portions.

TREATS FOR EASY PROCESSING BY THE KIDNEYS FOR DOGS

• 2½ cups whole wheat flour

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder 

• 6 tablespoons low sodium, low fat chicken broth

• ½ cup cold water

• 1 cup cooked vegetable (green beans, carrots or mixed)

Combine flour and garlic powder, mix in chicken broth and vegetable(s). Add enough cold water to form a ball. Pat dough to 1/2" and cut with a dog biscuit cutter, cookie cutter or knife. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet & bake in a preheated oven @ 350F for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Since there are no preservatives, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator if they are not eaten within a week. They can also be made ahead and frozen.


Douglas Island Veterinary Service
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• ¼ pound ground round or other lean meat 
• ½ cup cottage cheese (uncreamed) 
• 2 cups drained canned carrots
• 2 cups drained green beans
• 1½ teaspoons dicalcium phosphate2

Cook beef in skillet, stirring until lightly browned; pour off fat and cool. Add remaining ingredients and balanced vitamin-mineral supplement and mix well. 

Keep covered in refrigerator. Yield 1¾ cups. 

Feeding Guide 
Optimal Body Weight Approximate Daily Feeding

• 5 lb......................1/3 lb
• 10 lb.....................2/3 lb
• 20 lb.....................l lb
• 40 lb.....................1¾ lb
• 60 lb.....................2½ lb

Snacking and scavenging should be absolutely forbidden during the reducing period. However, since many obese dogs are accustomed to begging (and receiving) an occasional tidbit of raw vegetable will add only roughage, vitamins and minerals, not appreciable calories.

Vitamins are organic molecules that generally cannot be made in the body, and therefore, must be supplied in the diet. They have a wide variety of functions, often acting as cofactors for enzyme reactions. Vitamins are of two distinct types: water soluble and fat soluble. 

WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS
The water-soluble vitamins are involved as co-factors in many metabolic functions, especially energy metabolism and synthetic pathways.

 THIAMIN (vitamin B1)
 RIBOFLAVIN (vitamin B2)
 NIACIN (vitamin B3)
 PANTOTHENIC ACID (vitamin B5)
 Vitamin B6
 BIOTIN 
 COBALAMIN (vitamin B12)
 FOLIC ACID
 ASCORBIC ACID (vitamin C)

Deficiencies of most of the water soluble vitamins are rare in dogs and cats, due to the presence of adequate amounts of these vitamins in eggs, milk, meat and cereals. However thiamin, biotin and ascorbic acid can be limiting in practical nutrition of the dog and cat, and are therefore covered here in some detail. 

THIAMIN (vitamin B1)
Thiamin is needed for reactions in glucose metabolism and the oxidation of amino acids and fatty acids. A deficiency in thiamin intake leads to a severely reduced capacity of cells to generate energy. The dietary requirement for thiamin is proportional to energy intake, and feeding a diet high in carbohydrate increases the need for thiamin. 
Thiamin activity is rapidly destroyed by cooking or heating under pressure. Pet food manufacturers supplement prepared foods with thiamin to compensate for degradation during the cooking and canning processes. 
Sulphur compounds, such as sulphur dioxide, are often added to shelf-stable pet food products, sausages and pet mince as preservatives. Unfortunately these preservatives also break down thiamin. Dogs and cats can develop signs of thiamin deficiency when fed pet foods containing sulphur-based preservatives or if these foods are mixed with complete and balanced commercial pet foods. 

Some raw fish flesh and shellfish contain thiaminase which can cause thiamin deficiency when fed to cats. Thiaminase is readily inactivated by heating, so feeding of cooked fish to cats is unlikely to result in thiamin deficiency. 
The signs of thiamin deficiency can occur within two weeks on a thiamin deficient diet and tend to progress rapidly. Typical signs include reduced growth, anorexia, weight loss, seizures, fixed and dilated pupils, progressing to stupor and coma. If untreated, the condition is fatal. 

BIOTIN
Biotin is needed for enzymes that regulate fat and glucose synthesis. Biotin is found in numerous foods and is also made by intestinal bacteria. There is no NRC requirement for biotin in dogs fed natural ingredients, since it is exceedingly difficult to produce signs of biotin deficiency in dogs and cats due to bacterial synthesis in the gut. 
Deficiencies are generally seen only after long antibiotic therapies which deplete the intestinal fauna or following excessive consumption of raw eggs. A protein found in egg white (avidin) prevents intestinal absorption of biotin. A deficiency of biotin results in impaired protein synthesis, resulting in scaly, dry dermatitis. 

ASCORBIC ACID (vitamin C)
Ascorbic acid can be made in the body of most mammals, except for man, primates and guinea pigs, all of which need ascorbic acid in their diet. Vitamin C is required as a reducing agent and for the maintenance of normal connective tissue as well as for wound healing and bone remodelling. 
Severe stress (or trauma) leads to an increased requirement for vitamin C because of rapid depletion in the adrenal stores of the vitamin. 
Dogs and cats do not normally require vitamin C in their diets. However depletion of vitamin C has been shown in greyhounds after exercise, and dietary vitamin C supplements for dogs under severe stress, such as racing greyhounds, sled dogs, and during convalescence from surgery and burns have been recommended. 

FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS
The fat-soluble vitamins ( A, D, E, and K) are stored in the body, mainly in the liver, whereas the water-soluble vitamins are not. 

Vitamin A
Dietary Vitamin A comes in various forms. ß-Carotene is the most important dietary source of vitamin A for most species. Cats lack the metabolic pathway necessary to convert ß-carotene to the active form, and therefore need vitamin A supplied from animal sources. Beta-carotene is a very effective antioxidant and is suspected to reduce the risk of cancers initiated by the production of free radicals. 
Vitamin A is essential in vision, control of bone growth and reproduction. Vitamin A is involved in the regulation of cell growth and cell differentiation and is essential for maintaining the integrity of the skin. 
Dietary excess of Vitamin A by feeding cats for prolonged periods on liver or by over-supplementation with cod liver oil or commercial supplements. Affected cats develop bone defects in the vertebrae. This is usually exhibited as difficulty and pain upon flexion of the neck. 

Vitamin D
The major role for vitamin D is in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus concentrations in the plasma. Vitamin D occurs in relatively large amounts in fish-liver oils, eggs, milk and butter. The active form is produced in the skin of animals under the influence of UV light. The dietary requirement for vitamin D is rather confusing because of interactions with calcium and phosphorus intake and the ability of dogs and cats to synthesise Vitamin D following exposure to UV-light. 
Vitamin D deficiency is extremely rare but toxicity can be produced relatively easily in both the dog and cat with over-supplementation of concentrated sources of vitamin D. Toxic effects of vitamin D include soft tissue mineralisation and damage to multiple organs, including the kidneys. 

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a mixture of several related compounds known as tocopherols. Vitamin E accumulates in cell membranes, fat deposits and other circulating lipoproteins. 
Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant and together with selenium is important in maintaining the integrity of cell membranes by preventing peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes, giving protection against the adverse effects of free radicals and molecular oxygen. The dietary requirement for vitamin E is closely associated with the dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids as this can affect the composition of cell membranes. The vitamins E and C are interrelated in their antioxidant capabilities. Active a-tocopherol can be regenerated by interaction with vitamin C. 
Selenium also functions as an antioxidant, and its dietary requirement is linked with vitamin E. Together with glutathione and the sulphur amino acids, these nutrients have an overlapping role in protecting to some extent against a deficiency of the others. 
The signs of vitamin E/Se deficiency are related to the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In dogs, low vitamin E has been associated with skin disease. It has been recommended to include 0.6 mg vitamin E per gram of unsaturated fatty acids in a dog's diet. The requirement will increase even further if the dietary fat is rancid. In cats, excess intake of rancid fat accompanied by low dietary vitamin E leads to pansteatitis (yellow fat disease). 

Vitamin K
The major function of the K vitamins is in the maintenance of normal levels of the blood clotting proteins. Simple dietary deficiency of vitamin K is unlikely to occur in dogs and cats under normal circumstances, as they can obtain most if not all of their requirement from intestinal bacterial synthesis. Naturally occurring vitamin K is absorbed from the intestines only in the presence of bile salts and other lipids. Therefore, fat malabsorptive diseases can result in vitamin K deficiency. 
Accidental ingestion of rodent poisons is the most common reason for vitamin K therapy in small animal practice. Vitamin K1 therapy is required for up to 4 weeks to treat the effects of poisoning with long-acting anticoagulants used in new generation rodenticides. 

Key points

• Thiamin activity in pet foods is easily destroyed by heat or sulphur-based preservatives

• Vitamin C supplements may be required by animals under severe stress

• Vitamin A toxicity can be caused by feeding too much liver to cats

• Vitamin D is involved with regulation of calcium and phosphorus in the body

• Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, which helps protect cell membranes

• Vitamin K is needed to maintain normal blood clotting mechanisms

Speedy Vet
Web Page

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• Diet for Canine Liver Needs
• Canine Bladder Stones (Struvite Crystals) Diet Recipe
• Canine Epilepsy Diet Recipe
• Basic (No Grain) Raw Diet Recipe
• Sample Raw Food Recipes For Pets
• Feeding Barf
• Raw Feeding Recipes (everything here!)
• Puppy Feeding Schedule from Aniak Siberians
• Recipe for Dogs who are Allergic to Rice or Wheat
• Budwig Flaxseed (Linseed) Oil Diet
• Low Protein Diets
• The Canine Natural Raw Food Diet (PDF)
• Food Allergies (PDF)
• Sunny's Home-Made Miracle Diet

• Nutritional Influences and the Role of Diet

• Supplements for Home Cooked Diets

• Dr. Jean's Easy Dog Diet

• Notes on Cooking, Mixing & Storing Food

• Recipe for a Troubled Digestive System

• Sample Home-Feeding Tips

• Diet & Supplements for Dogs with Arthritis & Joint Problems

• Diet & Supplements for Dogs with Cancer

• Nutrition for Dogs with Cancer

• Diet & Supplements for Dogs with Heart Problems

• Diet & Supplements for Dogs with Ear Problems

• Diet & Supplements for Dogs with Diarrhea

• Diet & Supplements for Dogs with IBD, IBS, Colitis and other Gastrointestinal Disorders

• Diet & Supplements for Dogs with Hypothyroidism

• Supplements For Commercial Diets

• What's Really in Pet Food

• Feeding Grain to Dogs

• An All Natural Diet For Dogs

• List of All Natural Kibble Companies

• Systemic Yeast Infections - Candida Albicans

• Making Yoghurt at Home