What cereals can be given to dogs?

A balanced diet of any dog ​​is a guarantee of its normal growth, development and long life. Often, the owners of these animals are wondering if it is possible to feed their pets with cereals, because it is a source of vitamins and fiber. But which kinds of porridge can be used, far from all know.

Today, professional breeders and veterinarians say that various cereals can and even should be included in some situations in the diet of dogs of all breeds.

The main thing is to follow some key rules.

• Before the introduction of cereals in the diet should consult with a veterinarian. The specialist will assess the state of health of the dog, establish the necessary daily dosage of porridge, its type and size of grinding. The fact is that for the nutrition of small, medium and large breeds, these indicators may differ significantly.
• If the pet has any chronic diseases or allergies to some products (and this is also often the case), then the doctor should be informed about them in advance.
• To independently exceed the daily or weekly dosage of porridge, and also to change its appearance is strictly prohibited. This can trigger a health problem for the dog.

Unfortunately, some breeders believe that they can give their pets any kind of cereal daily or feed the dog with just one kind of cereal. This is not true.

Today, veterinarians allow these kinds of cereals to be included in the diet of dogs of various breeds and sizes.

• Wheat - the most popular. It is such a cheap meal, dogs eat it with great appetite and pleasure. It not only helps to compensate for the deficiency of iodine, magnesium and zinc in the body, but also fills it with vitamins B, C, D, A. At the same time, porridge contains a high percentage of starch. Wheat groats are suitable for feeding only active dogs, large and medium breeds. In other animals, it can become the main cause of apathy, increased drowsiness and weight gain. Barley grits can have the same effect on a dog's body. In addition, it additionally contains such useful substances as fluorine, chromium and silicon.

• Buckwheat - this is not only the most useful croup for a person, but also for his pets. Even after cooking enough minerals and vitamins remain in the croup. The inclusion of such porridge in the diet allows you to normalize the work of the intestines of animals, to improve the work of the heart, strengthen muscles and saturate the body with calcium and fluorine. The big advantage is that such croup is suitable for feeding both large and small breeds of dogs.

• Oatmeal in cereal or whole grain is an excellent source of magnesium, calcium and many vitamins. Quickly causes a feeling of satiety, improves intestinal motility. Groats should be thoroughly cooked and included in the diet of dogs no more than 3 times a week. It is necessary to know and remember that oatmeal is strictly contraindicated for animals suffering from urolithiasis - it can provoke an attack or worsen the general well-being of a pet.

• Fig. Veterinarians recommend to use for boiling porridge only its unpolished appearance.In this case, it will more actively cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, and at the same time, saturate it with magnesium, calcium, vitamins of groups B and E.

But in addition to the list of porridges allowed for dogs, there are also forbidden allergenic ones. They can not only harm the health of the animal, but simply can not be absorbed in his body, that is, they will not have any positive result.

• Semolina - it's just carbohydrates, which are absorbed very quickly in the body of the animal, but at the same time it does not bring any benefit. In exceptional cases, this porridge can be included in the diet of premature and weak puppies, but only until they reach 2 months of age.

• Pearl barley It should also not be included in the diet, especially those dogs that have a weak digestive tract and have a tendency to food allergies. If the owner of the dog wants to enrich the dog's menu with this porridge, you must first obtain permission from the veterinarian.

• Millet porridge do not give any breeds of dogs. It is practically not digested and often becomes the cause of the intestines in animals. Also, the content of any useful substances in millet is practically zero.

• Corn Porridge should also be removed from the dogs menu. When cooked, it contains neither vitamins nor minerals. The intestines of animals are not able to fully digest it, often this croup is the culprit of problems in its work.

If the dog initially eats natural food, that is, cooked with his own hands, then In addition to cereals, such products should also be included in its menu.

• Dairy products should be about one fifth of the total menu volume. Here you can use ryazhenka, cottage cheese, kefir, natural yogurt, varenets.
• Offal, fish and meat. These foods should take up to half of the entire diet. Depending on the breed, age and size of the dog, they are given both raw and boiled.
• Vegetables can take from 5 to 20% of the total daily nutrition of the dog. They are given both raw and boiled.

The rest of the menu, which is about 20-25% should fall on cereals. Of them prepare a special mixture for feeding the animal.

Rice and buckwheat are initially introduced into the diet of small, recently born dogs. Only if the babies are premature, they are fed semolina. But it is removed from the menu as soon as the puppy begins to gain weight according to its age.

When the puppy is 4-6 months old, cereals begin to cook in water. Sometimes, according to the recommendations of the veterinarian, they are boiled with pieces of meat or offal. Once a week you can give boiled fish. As soon as the puppy reaches the age of 1 year, it is completely transferred to the diet of adult dogs. Vegetables are given in boiled form, as well as 1-3 times raw.

When the dog reaches 12 months of age, its diet is enriched with fermented milk products, and also increases the proportion of vegetables and meat. If the animal grows and develops quite normally, then the menu is left so for many years.

Bearing offspring is a heavy load on the animal's body.Therefore, it is important to increase the caloric and nutritional value of the menu and make it as healthy and natural as possible.

Of the cereals prefer buckwheat, oatmeal and rice cooked in milk. A couple of times a week on the menu include dairy products. Meat is preferred to beef, rabbit, and by-products, especially liver. They are given both fresh and cooked. As soon as the dog's lactation stops, it is gradually transferred to the diet that she had before pregnancy.

Dogs over the age of 8 years old need a more gentle diet, but it should be as balanced as possible. The body of older animals is already poorly digested fats and excess carbohydrates. Therefore, the basis of their menu should be lean meat, boiled vegetables, dairy products. Cereals can be given no more than once a week, while dogs older than 12 years should be completely excluded from the menu. The permitted types of cereals are buckwheat and oatmeal.

Such animals will be strong, healthy and active, which means that for many years they will delight their owners.

Many people think that cooking dog cereals is very simple. In fact, here too there are subtleties and nuances that should be observed.

• Cook porridge should be in thick-walled dishes and with a weak boil.
• Adults are cooked only on the water. Exception - pregnant and lactating females, as well as premature puppies.
• The proportions of water and cereal 2: 1. Cooking time from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the type of cereal.

When cooking porridge for an animal, it is important to remember that croup is only an addition to the diet, so its volume can not be more than 30%.

They are put in a container with cereal 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking, but you can put it already in the finished porridge.

In order to visually see exactly how an approximate dog menu should look like, we offer a selection of several porridge recipes for these animals. Such dishes will help to diversify the pet's diet and make it tasty and healthy.

For cooking choose sea fish and boil it in water until fully cooked. Then removed from the broth and free from bones. Cereals are put into the broth and cooked for 20 minutes, then boiled fillet of fish and pulp of fresh pumpkin are put into the tank.

For the preparation will require 300 g of raw fish, 6 cups of broth, 3 cups of cereals and 20 g of pumpkin.

All types of permitted cereals are used here; if necessary, it is fashionable to exclude one of the types. Cook in water until tender, and 2 minutes before being removed from the stove, put raw mince or bone residue. Its volume should be about 60% of the volume of cooked cereals. Fill the mixture with powdered milk, diluted in ordinary water. All thoroughly mixed and put in a sealed container in the oven with a minimum of heating for 100 minutes.

If desired, you can add a bit of grated carrots or zucchini in raw form to the fully prepared mash.

Ideal for puppies, lactating or pregnant dogs. In different containers, boil until full readiness cereal and meat. Then mix them, season with vegetable oil and put carrots, ground on a grater. If pure fillet is used, it can be cooked together with rice in the same container. It is important to remember that even boiled chicken bones are not allowed in the dog’s diet. Therefore, the meat must be removed from the stone.

And in the end, each time there will be a new, tasty and healthy cereal for the animal. And finally, a few words about adding salt to porridge. There is no official strictly prohibiting its use and inclusion in the diet of dogs. Therefore, in small quantities, salt can be added to the already prepared porridge. But if the animal has problems with the kidneys, then it should be avoided. And best of all on this issue to consult with a veterinarian.

About why the dog needs to be given porridge, look further.