Energy value and chemical composition of some homemade dog food recipes

Abstract

Given the fact that in recent years more and more pet owners have abandoned conventional, commercial diets in search of more "natural" and "homemade" choices, we considered appropriate to evaluate 5 homemade diets for dogs regarding chemical composition and energy value. Following the analyses carried out, the values for protein and fat were within the minimum limit allowed by the Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Food for Dogs and Cats (FEDIAF) recommendations for maintenance. As for calcium and vitamin D levels, which were estimated using a software - HYBRIMIN® Futter 5, the results were well below the recommended level, in the case of vitamin D, values were even 0. The energy value was between 45 - 125 Kcal/100 g product. It is evident that the use of these recipes in this study exposes animals to nutritional deficiencies, which shows how important it is to inform pet owners of the risks involved in providing improperly prepared homemade diets.