If I had to give the number one question that I get about feeding dogs a plant-based diet, it would definitely be, “How do I know my dog will get all the nutrients he/she needs?” And I’m glad so many people are asking this question because, after all, nutrition is a key to optimum health and diets that contain deficiencies or excesses certainly aren’t what we’re looking for – for ourselves or our canine companions. On the other hand, I find that many people make feeding their dog a balanced, nutritious diet far more complicated than it has to be. I can’t say I blame them, when for decades mass-market commercial pet food companies have drilled words like “complete and balanced” into our heads and made us paranoid that every meal we feed our dogs must contain 100% or more of the RDA of every nutrient. How exhausting! It’s no wonder people get “analysis paralysis” just to give their dogs fresh, nutritious food!
If you’ve been scared away from preparing your dog’s meals for fear you won’t be providing all of the essential nutrients, then you definitely want to read on. In a unique article written just for Plant-Powered Dog, my friend and colleague Jan Allegretti, D.Vet.Hom., divulges the secret to preparing fresh, nutritious meals to help your dog thrive — all without stress or a scientific calculator!
And Jan certainly knows what she’s talking about. She holds a Diploma in Veterinary Homeopathy and has been a consultant in holistic animal health care since 1989. She is also the author of one of my absolute favorite books on dog health and nutrition, The Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions.
So, what’s Jan’s secret? Feed your dog the Fresh & Flexible way!
By feeding according to the principles of the Fresh & Flexible™ Meal Plan, your dog will reap the benefits of a variety of fresh, wholesome foods and optimum nutritious throughout life — the best of both worlds!
The Fresh & Flexible™ Vegan Dog Meal Plan
We all know how important it is to eat a healthy diet—and that’s equally true for our canine friends. But how can you be sure your dog is getting the nutrition he needs? Even more to the point, how do you know any given dog food or home-prepared recipe is right for him?
It might seem safest to choose a high-quality packaged food that’s been professionally formulated to meet the nutritional needs of every dog. After all, that’s what we’ve been told is the right choice.
But take a step back for a minute.
Does a couch-potato Great Dane have the same nutritional needs as a feisty Chihuahua? Can a diet that’s right for a mellow Golden Retriever also be right for an active Border Collie? Does your senior dog need the same balance of nutrients today as she did when she was a feisty adolescent?
For that matter, with new guidelines emerging seemingly every week, does precise information about your dog’s unique nutritional needs even exist? Probably not, on all counts.
And even if that professionally-formulated packaged food did manage to provide exactly the right balance of nutrients to meet your dog’s needs…it’s still a packaged food. Do you get all of your own meals from a package or a can? Of course you don’t, because you know how important it is to consume fresh, whole, unprocessed foods as much as possible.
Perhaps even more of a concern is the lack of variety in that commercial food. Do you eat exactly the same foods every day? Certainly not — you know the value of getting your nutrients from a variety of foods.
In fact, variety may be the single most important ingredient in any healthy diet, for two reasons. Since we know that every individual has unique nutritional requirements, there’s no single formula—in a dog food or any other food—that has precisely the right combination and balance of nutrients for every individual. Whether your dog’s meals come from a package or from a recipe you prepare yourself, if she eats the same thing every day, there’s a risk that formula won’t meet her needs, so she may develop a nutrient deficiency or imbalance over time. There’s even a chance she’ll get an excess of certain nutrients, which is equally dangerous. Also, when we eat the same ingredients every day—whether that’s corn or wheat or soy or strawberries or anything else—there’s an increased risk of developing a sensitivity to that ingredient, which can lead to digestive disturbances, skin eruptions, mood disorders, immune dysfunction, and more.
It makes sense, then, that the same principles you use to make sure you eat a healthy diet also apply to your dog. For the same reasons you rely on fresh, wholesome ingredients for good nutrition, your dog will be healthiest if he eats that way, too. And, just like you, the more varied your dog’s diet is, the more easily his body will be able to draw precisely the nutrients it needs in the unique balance it needs to optimize his individual health, rather than just satisfying a set of generic standards that may only provide the bare minimum to get by. After all, we don’t just want our beloved canine companions to “get by”; we want them to thrive!
That sounds good in theory, but figuring out how to apply those principles to feeding your dog may seem daunting. If you’re not feeding him from a package labeled 100% nutritionally complete, or following a recipe that meets a standardized nutritional profile, how will you make sure your dog is getting everything he needs?
It’s simple, really. You feed your dog the way you feed yourself, by choosing from a wide variety of fresh, wholesome foods, just like the foods you eat yourself.
Think about it: You probably don’t worry about getting exactly the right balance of nutrients every day from your own meals, but you feel confident that if you eat a range of healthy foods over the course of a few days or a week or two, your body will have access to all the proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to meet your unique nutritional requirements. The same approach works for your dog, using the Fresh & Flexible™ meal plan. In fact, it’s actually the easiest way to make sure your dog gets everything he needs to thrive.
The Fresh & Flexible meal plan is an easy guide to feeding your dog a healthy diet, so he can draw exactly the nutrients he needs from a variety of good foods, just like you do. It lists each type of food you need to put in your dog’s bowl, and some suggested guidelines for how much of each one to feed.
Here’s how the Fresh & Flexible Meal Plan works:
- Choose a protein source, something different every day or every few days. Tofu, tempeh, split peas, lentils, and other legumes are excellent choices. Soak beans overnight, then drain, rinse, and cook them until they’re soft; puree those with firm skins to be sure they’re easy to digest.
- Add a carbohydrate source like whole grains, quinoa, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, or winter squash. Cook grains until they’re soft. Be sure to use a different carbohydrate source every day or every two or three days.
- Include fresh fruits and vegetables, including plenty of raw, leafy greens. Puree them if necessary. And yes—feed “all the colors of the rainbow,” something different every day. (Avoid feeding onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, hazelnuts, and nutmeg, as those are potentially toxic to dogs.)
- Top off the meal with a healthy source of essential fatty acids. Ground flax seeds are a good choice, as are flax seed, olive, hemp, and coconut oils. Be sure to vary the type of oil you use at each meal.
- Add nutrition boosters like spirulina, nutritional yeast, wheat germ, hemp seeds, and probiotics. Rotate among the options listed.
- To make sure you’ve covered all the bases, it’s wise to include a vitamin-mineral formula made from whole foods. If your dog is vegan, it’s also a good idea to supplement with taurine, since some breeds may be predisposed to a deficiency. Or choose VegeDog, an all-in-one vitamin-mineral supplement made specifically for vegan dogs (If your dog’s primary source of protein is meat, you’ll need to add a calcium supplement.)
Since every dog is different, the Fresh & Flexible meal plan doesn’t include precise amounts for each ingredient — that’s because there’s no formula that tells us the exact proportion of protein, fat, carbohydrates, or any other nutrient that’s just right for your dog’s body type, metabolism, age, health status, lifestyle, environment, and a multitude of other factors that are unique to her.
But if you use the Fresh & Flexible guidelines as a starting point, then observe your dog to see how she responds, you can make adjustments to create a plan she’ll thrive on. For example, a brittle coat, low energy, or weak muscles may be a sign your dog is not getting enough protein. If so, be sure the protein source is easily digestible and of good quality. Cook beans a little longer or puree them; increase the amount of protein, or try different sources such as tempeh or tofu. A dull coat or dry skin may be a sign she needs more essential fatty acids. Try increasing the amount, or make sure you’re using a variety of oils.
On the other hand, you may find your dog’s coat becomes softer and shinier, her energy increases, her breath is fresher, she’s calmer and less excitable or fearful, and that nasty buildup on her teeth seems to be going away. If that’s the case—celebrate and carry on!