Homemade Low Fat Dog Food

Homemade low fat dog food is a choice if your dog refuses to eat a commercial low fat dog food or you can't find one that's low enough in fat but high enough in quality protein.

To formulate a low fat dog food, you will need to use about 50% grains and/or vegetables and 50% low fat meats, eggs, and dairy products.

Grains and/or Vegetables Part

If you decide to go grain free, most of the vegetables you select must be of the starchy sort in order to supply sufficient calories. Excellent low-fat choices include sweet potatoes, rutabagas, and acorn and butternut squash.

Non-starchy vegetables such as leafy greens, celery, broccoli, zucchini, etc. and fruit can be added in small amounts, if you like. Starchy vegetables should be thoroughly cooked or baked to increase their digestibility.

If you're making a homemade low fat dog food for a dog with hyperlipidemia, the best source should be oatmeal as the primary carbohydrate source, as I've seen excellent results with that.

The Protein Part

The idea is to add quality proteins while keeping fat levels low.

Skinless chicken breast is one of the lowest fat meat options, but most other chicken cuts as well as turkey are acceptable too as long as you remove the skin and any visible fat.

Wild game meats such as rabbit and venison are usually low in fat, and you can buy ground beef that contains just 3-5% fat. Organ meats are extremely nutrient-dense and vitamin-rich (especially livers), and most of them are low in fat.

Up to 10% of your low fat dog food should consist of organ meats, but no more than half of that amount should be livers or kidneys. Note that fat levels in meat can be further reduced by boiling the meat and skimming off the fat that rises to the top.

Egg whites and egg white omelets are another excellent way to add high quality protein to your homemade low fat dog food. Egg whites contain 57% of the total protein found in an egg, but only 1% of the fat. Note that raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds biotin. This isn't a problem when feeding whole raw eggs, because the yolks contain plenty of biotin, but when feeding egg whites without the yolks, the egg whites should always be cooked to destroy the avidin.

Cottage cheese also makes a great addition to your homemade low fat dog food. You can purchase low-fat and even non-fat cottage cheese that's high in quality proteins and extremely palatable to dogs. Cottage cheese contains very little lactose and most dogs digest it just fine. Digestive enzyme supplements can help dogs who have trouble digesting dairy. Other non-fat dairy products such as yogurt are an option too, but yogurt isn't as high in protein as cottage cheese.

Calcium and Phosphorous

Since meats and grains are high in phosphorous, you will need to add calcium to balance the diet. Aim for a calcium to phosphorous ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 (1.2:1 is ideal). It is difficult for me tell you how much calcium you need to add without knowing the exact composition of your low fat dog food, but as a general rule of thumb, I suggest you add 1200 mg of calcium per 1000 calories of food.

If you use bone meal as a calcium source, you'll need to double that amount because bone meal also contains a lot of phosphorous.

Other Supplements

You should also add 50-100 IU of natural vitamin E per 1000 calories of homemade low fat dog food.

Finally, you'll want to add some salmon oil or other fish body oil (not liver oil) to your dog's homemade diet. Fish oil provides valuable omega-3 fatty acids, reduces inflammation, and can even lower high lipid levels in some dogs.

Since the correct dosage depends to some extent on the underlying cause of your dog's condition, I recommend you consult your veterinarian with regard to the proper fish oil dosage.

Contraindications

Do not use in growing and pregnant dogs. Not without first consult a vet or a veterinary nutritionist which can control the nutritional balance acording the the needs of your dog.