Detailed Explanation of Feed Formulas and Preparation Methods for Meat Dogs

The feed for meat dogs is made from a reasonable combination of animal-based feed, plant-based feed and mineral feed. The nutritional standards in the feed are: protein 17%-25%, fat 3%-7%, fiber 3%-4.5%, carbohydrates 44%-49.5%, calcium 1.5%-1.8%, phosphorus 1.1-1.2%, as well as trace amounts of copper, chlorine, potassium, magnesium, manganese, cobalt, zinc, iodine and vitamins, etc.

Now, drawing on the experience of 12 dog-breeding specialized households including Yu Jianwei of Pulandian City, here is an introduction to the feed formula and preparation for meat dogs.

I. Feed Formulas

1. For suckling dogs: 500 g of animal meat or organ meat, after being minced, add 3 eggs, 300 g of cornmeal, 500 g of green vegetables (chopped), an appropriate amount of growth hormone, and add a small amount of concentrated bone-and-meat broth; a small amount of raw milk or rice water may also be given as a supplement, and some thin gruel may gradually be added, along with a small amount of bone meal and fish meal. At first, feed 30-50 ml of thin gruel and meat broth each time, gradually increasing to 200-500 ml (the above is the amount for 6 puppies).

2. For weaned puppies: cornmeal 21%, broken rice 15%, bran cake 15%, flour 5%, soybean cake 14%, wheat bran 15%, rapeseed cake 5%, fish meal 6%, bone meal 5%, growth hormone and table salt 0.5% each. For weaned puppies, it is best to add meat broth, that is, boil 5 g of pork per dog per day into broth and feed it together with the meat, feeding 3 times a day, with 1 additional feeding at night, and providing plenty of drinking water.

3. After young dogs have been fed for 35 days, male dogs are castrated and enter the young-dog feeding stage. For young dogs: cornmeal 30%, broken rice 20%, bran cake 20%, soybean cake 10%, wheat bran 10%, rapeseed cake 5%, bone meal 4%, growth hormone and table salt 0.5% each. Because young dogs grow quickly, a certain amount of mineral feed should also be added, feeding 3 times a day, mixing the feed with warm water. If conditions permit, an appropriate amount of animal-based feed may be added.

4. After fattening dogs have been fed for 70 days, they enter the adult fattening stage. The feed formula for this period is: cornmeal 27%, broken rice 27%, bran cake 20%, soybean cake 10%, wheat bran 10%, rapeseed cake 5%, fish meal 2%, growth hormone and table salt 0.5% each. If conditions permit, some fatty feed may be added.

II. Feed Preparation

The purpose of feed preparation is to improve the palatability of the feed and to preserve or enhance its nutritional value. The general requirements for feed preparation are: be hygienic, preserve nutrients, be liked by dogs, be easy to digest, and avoid waste.

Dogs are carnivores. Although they were later kept by people for a long time and became omnivores, they still cannot directly digest raw starch. Therefore, the feed must be cooked before feeding. The common method is to boil the feed into a semi-liquid porridge. During processing, the following points should be noted:

(1) When cooking, do not cook the feed until it is underdone or burn it, otherwise it will affect the palatability of the feed and the dog's digestion and absorption of the feed.

(2) When preparing meat feed, try to keep protein loss to a minimum. Wash the meat by soaking it in cold water, and the time should not be too long. The length of boiling time should be just enough to sterilize and cook the meat, and it should not be boiled until broken apart or overcooked. The meat broth should be eaten together with starchy feed.

(3) For grain, simply rinse away sand and soil with clean water; there is no need to pass it through water multiple times. If soaking is needed to let it swell, after soaking, pour the grain and water together into the pot and cook, so as to ensure that the nutrients are not lost.

(4) Vegetables should first be washed and then cut, and cooked thoroughly over a stove fire. Radishes, potatoes and similar items do not need to be peeled.

(5) Feed should be prepared and fed immediately, and should not be left overnight.