Quote:
Originally Posted by Maximo  If I am feeding kibble that has the right balance of nutrients, is it possible to upset the balance with homecooked supplements like peas and yogurt in small amounts? |
Contrary to the warnings from pet food manufacturers you will not unbalance a commercial diet by adding a moderate percentage of fresh foods. One should be able to replace about 25% of the diet with fresh foods. When you start to feed more than that then it becomes more important to feed variety and proper proportions. If you want to feed 50 % or more as fresh food then you should add organs along with other foods and you should consider adding calcium if you are not feeding bones. The more fresh food you feed then obviously the greater the importance of variety and proportions as well as calcium becomes.
Good foods to add to a commercial diet include eggs and meat (raw or cooked), canned fish with bones (jack mackerel, salmon, sardines), yogurt or kefir, cottage cheese, and healthy leftovers. Raw meaty bones can also be fed although it’s best if they’re not combined with kibble in the same meal. You can add veggies and fruit in small amounts, but commercial foods are already high in carbohydrates, so there is little benefit in adding more. Carbohydrates that are often 50 % or more of dry dog foods are harder to digest than animal proteins and can lead to inflammation in the body. It's better to add foods from animal sources rather than plant foods (grains (wouldn't recommend adding at all to a commercial diet), legumes and vegetables) since commercial diets are usually high in carbohydrates(dogs have no nutritional need for carbohydrates).