Plain Yoghurt with the living culture present is an excellent food for dogs. This is because it is live. Basically it is milk that has had the milk sugar in it converted to lactic acid by a bacterial culture. It is the presence of this bacterial culture that gives yoghurt some of its most important health giving properties for your dog.
Yoghurt is an excellent source of calcium, high class protein, vitamins including the B vitamins and vitamin A (no vitamin C), enzymes and of course energy as carbohydrates, protein and fat.
The bacteria present in yoghurt are friendly bacteria. They live happily in the bowel flora. In this role it is assumed they will produce more of their probiotics, enzymes (including vitamin K) etc., which will have the effect of keeping the bowel itself healthy on a local level, and also, many of their health giving products will be absorbed into the rest of the body.
If your dog has to take antibiotics, feed it yoghurt. The yoghurt protects against the killing effect that antibiotics have on the normal bowel bacteria. This is particularly useful if antibiotics cause your dog to develop diarrhoea.
One more thing... you do not have to feed your dog the unhealthy sugar filled variety. Use natural yoghurt.
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Apart from all the above, most dogs love the taste of yoghurt
Why a Natural Diet?
Dogs have evolved over thousands of years on a diet of raw meat. They form packs to hunt animals much larger than themselves, but can subsist on smaller animals, down to earth worms, or even on a purely vegetable diet. After a kill, they generally consume the whole carcass, including legs, beak, head, tail, stomach (and contents), bones and fur or feathers. They are also successful opportunistic carrion feeders, so decaying food is perfectly acceptable to them.
Cooked food is not natural, alters the nutritional value and kills enzymes and important vitamins. Additionally, processed pet foods usually contain harmful additives, such as preservatives, colours, etc which are not in a dog’s long term interest.
In some processed dog food, diseased meat is used, along with other rejects for human consumption, giving the overall balance of a very low grade food.
Dogs on a natural diet are less prone to disease and live healthier lives. They are more resistant to fleas and worms. Vet bills can be drastically cut.
Dr Edward Bach (1920’s) and Dr Pottenger (1930’s) both found huge improvements in health in people and animals on a raw food diet. They found that the improved immune system was capable of fighting off severe chronic disease.
My suggestions for a natural diet are based on two meals a day. One is a red meat meal, the other a bone. The red meat meal can be any red meat your dog likes, but bear in might the proportion of different cuts of meat in a carcass. Most of the meat is muscle meat, so base most of the meal on this. Organ meat (liver, heart, kidneys) are a minor part of a carcass, so keep these down in proportion. I make half the meal a medium fat mince or diced meat, varying the other half with liver once a week, kidneys and heart once or twice a week and kangaroo meat once or twice a week. Other cuts include brain and tongue.
Meal One
This is based on a bone, the size of which the dog can handle. A very large dog can handle a cow marrow bone, a medium dog fares well on sheep marrow bones, whereas small and toy dogs are better off on chicken or turkey bones or sheep rib bones. (The idea is the bone should be large enough to keep the dog occupied for a long time, eventually crunching it up - too large they give up easily, too small they eat it too quickly.) This provides some protein, fat, calcium and above all, gnawing and crunching on a bone cleans the teeth and keeps the gums healthy. Bear in mind an older dog may have broken teeth or sore gums, so check them first or have a vet check them.
Remember that cooked bones splinter and can choke a dog, especially cooked chicken bones. It is only raw bones that dogs can cope with.
Puppies at about six weeks can be started off with a chicken wing and will usually take to it straight away. Gradually increase the size of bone as the puppy grows.
Meal Two
This is based on raw, red meat. It needs to be supplemented with calcium and other nutrients a dog will obtain from eating a whole carcass.
Pet mince is often too high in fat, liver and/or preservatives so should be avoided, unless you know what went into it.
Lamb, mutton (and chicken) mince normally has a suitable fat content. Kangaroo meat is very popular with most dogs, although low in fat, so don’t feed exclusively.
Liver is high in Vitamin A, the one vitamin that, if consumed in excess can cause problems.
Dogs can be fed a purely vegetarian diet. Substitute the meat with avocado, whole eggs, tofu, nuts (crushed if the dog eats fast), seeds, cooked legumes (limit this), unsalted cheese.
Proportions for meal two.
Amounts vary depending on the size and activity of the dog. Experiment with the proportions until you find the optimum amount.
As a rough guide daily meat requirements for a small dog (1 - 7 kilo) is 50 - 120 gms, a medium dog (7 - 18 kilo) 120 - 250 gms and a large dog (18 - 80 kilo) 250 - 660 gms.
Ingredients are:-
diced or minced, raw, red meat or chicken
same amount or more of grated or pulped raw vegetable such as carrot, zucchini, pumpkin, green beans, peas or sweet corn or fresh fruit, such as melon, paw paw or avocado. Be guided by your dog. (Not potato, spinach or rhubarb as they contain oxalic acid.)
a small amount of soaked rolled oats, cooked brown rice, barley, polenta, or wholemeal bread (no salt, preservatives, sugar, colour, etc). (Cooking grain simulates the predigestion of the grain found in the prey’s stomach.) Limit this or leave it out altogether in overweight or older dogs.
calcium must be supplemented if the dog is not crunching up bones. The best source is the homoeopathic form (Calc phos or Calc carb 6x, 12x, or 6c). Dose is 2 drops on each meat meal.
kelp or spirulina are great all round natural supplements. Dose about 1/4 tsp small dog, 1/2 medium dog, 1 tsp large dug.
oil (sunflower is best for dogs) preferably cold pressed. Keep in a dark container or in the fridge. Dose is 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on the size of the dog.
moisten with water and occassionally a beaten egg.
Some herbs and a little garlic are beneficial in the diet. Be guided by your dog. Treats can be pieces of their favourite fruit or vegetable. Natural ‘live’ yoghurt helps normalise gut flora after diarrhoea or antibiotics.
General
Quantity of food depends on how your dog looks and acts. Active and younger dogs need more food than older or less active ones. Overfeeding is just as bad as underfeeding. Feed slightly more in winter (about 10%).
Running your fingers down the spine, you should be able to feel the bones, but they shouldn't be prominent. The area behind the rib cage should waste in slightly. Too much shows underfeeding, while bulging shows overfeeding.
The coat should be sleek, glossy, the skin clean, the eyes bright. When you pick up a fold of skin at the shoulders, it should return quickly to normal Slow return means a dehydrated dog.
ALWAYS KEEP A BOWL OF FRESH WATER AVAILABLE - use only food grade plastic, glass or china bowls.
If you shop once a week, the dog can have three or four days of fresh food, the rest being frozen. Although some nutrients are lost by freezing, it is far less destructive than cooking. Bring food to room temperature naturally.
Dogs can happily digest partly rotting food as much as fresh food, so don’t waste any more food. Table scraps are fine to include as long as they are not seasoned or highly spiced.
Free range, organically or biodynamically grown food are best as they are free of growth hormones, antibiotics, fertilisers or pesticides.
Two meals a day is sufficient for adult dogs. Puppies need four until about three months, gradually reaching two at about five months according to appetite and condition.
If all this sounds too complicated, aim for the meat with calcium (one meal) and bone (second meal). The rest can follow as and when you and your dog are ready to try more. It does take time to change, but it is worth it!
For a few days the dog may show detoxification signs - vomiting, diarrhoea, eczema, etc. Don’t interfere as this is normal, natural and of short duration.
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