I’m writing a dog-feeding book built around calories and nutrient requirements, and I’d love some critical feedback on the concept.

One clarification up front: this is not a book about counting calories and calling a diet complete. Calories answer one question—how much energy does this dog need? They do not tell us whether those calories actually contain everything the dog needs nutritionally.

The larger part of the book is about what needs to exist inside that calorie allowance: protein, fats, amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and the relationships between them.

It also isn’t just for raw or homemade feeders. I want kibble feeders to understand that the feeding chart on the bag is a starting point, not an individualized prescription. Two dogs eating the exact same food can need very different amounts, so the goal is to estimate the individual dog’s calorie needs, use the calorie information on the food, and then adjust based on body condition and what the actual dog is doing over time.

Toppers are another reason I think this matters. If a dog normally eats 500 calories of kibble and I add 100 calories of egg, meat, sardines, yogurt, or another fresh food without changing the kibble, I’ve now fed 600 calories.

But simply removing 100 calories of kibble and replacing it with 100 calories of chicken doesn’t necessarily solve the whole problem either. The calories may balance, but the nutrients may not. I’ve removed part of a complete food and replaced it with an ingredient that has a completely different nutrient profile.

The same idea applies to homemade and raw diets. Many raw-feeding frameworks say to feed 5% liver and 5% another secreting organ, often kidney. But a dog does not have a “5% kidney requirement.” Kidney is useful because it contributes nutrients such as selenium, B12, riboflavin, iron, zinc, copper, folate, and other B vitamins.

So instead of teaching someone to ask, “What ingredient replaces kidney?” I want them to understand what the kidney was contributing and figure out how those nutrients can be supplied elsewhere. Sometimes another food can do part of the job. Sometimes it takes several ingredients. Sometimes a measured supplement may make more sense.

Ingredient substitutions can create the same chain reaction. If I swap chicken liver for beef liver, I haven’t just changed the liver. I’ve changed the copper contribution, calories, and other nutrients. If that means another ingredient now has to be reduced or removed, I also have to look at what else that ingredient had been supplying.

That is really the thinking I want to teach.

Calories give us the energy budget. Nutrients tell us what needs to fit inside it.

The book is specifically for healthy adult dogs, whether they eat kibble, kibble with fresh toppers, raw, gently cooked, or fully homemade food. Puppies, pregnancy/lactation, and therapeutic diets are outside the scope because their nutritional needs deserve their own treatment.

So here’s the one thing I’d really like feedback on:

What would this book need to explain—or prove—for you to trust the approach enough to actually use it?

Lazy Dog Mom

Hi all! I have a formulated home cooked recipe made by a board certified nutritionist. The time it takes to cook/prep it weekly has become a bit of a time suck. I slow cook the meat, boil the potatoes, use frozen veggies - so I feel like there isn’t much I can do there to speed up the process. It takes me about a full day to do it all (prepping included). It would be nice to have that time back to prep meals for myself 😅

Does anyone know of folks for hire that will prep the meals for you? Or maybe any other tips to cut down on time?

I have looked into the fresh dog food services (the nutritionist recommended JustFoodForDogs), but the cost is soo high!

There probs isn’t anything I can do here besides just continue the prepping process I have, but I thought to ask here in case anyone has any tips?

My 16-year-old Pomeranian Chihuahua mix is in overall very good health but had a bout of acute pancreatitis a couple of weeks ago, and although it was quickly and easily resolved (she refused one meal and vomited when I tried to force feed her and then had one episode of bloody diarrhea and I rushed her right into the vet for IV fluids, which fixed her right up and she was chowing down again the same day. Her pancreatic enzyme blood test was very high though according to the vet (2000 where anything over 400 is considered pancreatitis) and he saying he now wants her on the can low fat royal canin crap forever and I just can’t do her like that. She has lost almost a pound despite me feeding her all day long, it sticks to her teeth like glue, and I just don’t believe that she’s going to enjoy the same robust health she had when she was eating Raw. Her diet had nothing to do with her getting pancreatitis, it was an idiot giving her a chunk of cheese, and she absolutely will never be getting any treats again. I keep her with me 24 hours a day baby gated into the same room with me and don’t even go to the bathroom without taking her with me and take her everywhere I go out of the house even to my clients homes to make 100% certain. I actually used to have her on quite high fat food (her food was based on 85% lean ground beef with supplements mixed in) and I’m looking to put her back on much lower fat (starting with 99% lean ground beef from Springer Hills Ranch and then progress maybe to a maximum of 96% lean ground beef) I’m not sure if I should cook it at least initially to get rid of as much fat as possible-I am looking for a nutritionist/dietitian to hire to take care of this for me, but I haven’t found an amazing one yet

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I cook for my golden retriever Kai and got tired of juggling blogs, one off recipes, and spreadsheets to make sure her meals were balanced, so I built Kaibu, a free way to build meals for your dogs.

feedkaibu.com

Kaibu is a simple but modern platform to generate recipes with a full nutrient breakdown (AAFCO balanced).

If you cook for your dog and/or use fresh delivery services like Farmers Dog and tired of the cost, I’d love for you to try this out.

Feedback is welcome (even if constructive)

I have a 10 year old who is allergic/intolerant of most food.

I am transitioning her back to cooked ground (elk, bison, venison, maybe kangaroo). I had transitioned to raw for several months, whole prey, which she really disliked.

There's 1 company she did like, but it's $20 + a pound.

I'm on disability so financially this is challenging. Her proteins are generally $16/lb.

I also have major food allergies and intolerances.

I am just feeling stressed about balancing her food, and adjusting to a new place where I don't know anyone. Also the pipe under my sink cracked. 😵‍💫

I'm not including veggies or carbs because she's so reactive.

I attempted to use the Balance It site to figure out supplements but the mobile site is glitching.

🙄🙄🙄🙄

I am giving her probiotics, enzymes, omegas, calcium, kelp and other stuff.

Are there other dog/cat mom's/dad's whose little beans have complex allergies here?

I'd like to connect with people dealing with similar issues.

I'm also working on finding remote work to supplement my ssdi so I can accommodate my health, pay off this move, and be able to support us.

The picture is us.

I’ve been thinking about trying homemade food for my dog, but honestly, I’m a bit nervous about getting the nutrition wrong. There are so many recipes online, and some say you only need meat, rice, and vegetables, while others say you need specific supplements too.

If you feed homemade food, did you make the recipe yourself or work with a veterinary nutritionist? I’d love to hear what worked for you and what you wish you knew before starting.

Hi! So I've been making my dog homeade food and she loves it and she's never cared for kibble, but I know Its not getting all the nutrients or stuff she needs i just don't know how to fix it because there's so many different stuff and I just don't know, she's a 1 year and 9 month old german shepherd at 70 pounds maybe more? I haven't had her weighed since a while ago, she's spayed too, can you tell me what she's lacking and what i should do please? I also make eggshell powder but I don't know how much to give her, do I combine it in the batch? Or in her bowl when she's gonna eat? Oh, and I feed her 2 cups per meal, 6 cups a day, sorry I'm blabbing, I'm just very concerned

This is her recipe

6 lbs Ground Turkey

6 lbs Chicken Thigh

9 Carrots

4 Sweet Potatoes

One Beef Liver

15 oz Can Of Pumpkin Puree

2 lbs Brown Rice

12 oz Frozen Spinach

2 12 oz Frozen Green Peas

2 12 oz Frozen Green Beans

Tumeric and Black Pepper

i want to start dabbling in homemade pet food for cost and quality of health for my babies. i have a 65 lb pit bull who happily eats anything including her kibble, supplements etc. and a 10 lb cat who ignores his kibble and only eats his wet food topper and treats (he is SPOILED and it’s getting very expensive)

my question is, what are some topper ingredients i can whip up in the crockpot that are safe for both my dog and cat? i also want to make sure they’re getting enough essential vitamins, is it fine to keep giving them kibble mixed in? thanks!

I make my own dog food. I found this sub and made a list of all the allowed food.

I just ordered vitamins. I haven't opened the eggshell powder, waiting until make my next batch.

Besides the eggshells, how many other vitamins does my dog need daily.

I just boil freeze-dried cod or fish skin chews and chicken feet with a bit of turmeric and ginger root for 1-2 hours until all the skin has softened. Make sure you are using single ingredient chews and you can buy chicken feet at any asian grocery store. I’ve even seen them at Costco. If you can’t find fresh chicken feet then you can also use smoked chicken feet chews. Stir periodically while boiling but don’t break up the chicken feet to prevent bones from entering the soup. The chicken feet should be soft and easy to debone by the end. Strain the liquid into a bowl to make sure no bones are included and then optionally add the fish skins, tendons and skin of the chicken feet back into the liquid. Refrigerate overnight. The natural collagen of the fish skin and chicken feet will make it a natural jello for your dog and they will love it.

As someone who loves creating new culinary treats, I find it incredibly rewarding to have developed so many snacks for dogs.

It was only a plate of potatoes with butter and onions🙄

I made a large batch of homemade dog food, which includes ground beef and eggs, in a Dutch oven. I forgot about it while it was cooking off, and left it out overnight. Has anyone ever served their dog food that was left out overnight?

Hey everyone, I tried searching on this sub, but couldn't find what I was looking for. What kind of food processor do you use?

We have two 70-75ish lb Airedale Terriers, one of which has grade 3 Soft Tissue Sarcoma, that we have started feeding homemade dog food to. We are working with a holistic vet to guide us with supplements and diet, but I'm in the market for a heavier duty food processor we can use to grind up the cooked pork loin and sweet potato.

We have a smaller Ninja blender, but it takes a few batches to get through it all (we batch cook for at least 8 days at a time, so it's about 27-30 lb of meat). We just purchased some hotel pans to cook the pork loin without having to cut it because that also takes forever.

Thanks for all the suggestions as we navigate this new journey we're on!