Feeding guide for dogs with diabetes mellitus
With CompleteMe Hypo Canine
Make low carbohydrate, fibre-rich therapeutic dog food at home quickly and easily.
Formulated for dogs with diabetes mellitus. Low fat and novel protein options available.
Makes 1 kilogram of food, which can be portioned and frozen.
Ingredients
750 grams of lean meat (1-5% fat)
(see FAQs below for recommended meat types and cuts)
200 grams of cooked non-starchy vegetables
(avoid potato, corn, peas and sweet potato)
2 mL omega-3 rich oil (2 x 1000 mg capsules)
(choose from: fish oil, salmon oil, krill oil, or marine algae oil)
2 teaspoons of omega-6-rich oil
(choose from: hempseed oil, walnut oil, rice bran oil, pumpkin seed oil, canola oil or sesame oil)
25 grams of fibre
(choose from plain oat bran, barley bran, rice brans, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, or psyllium husk)
16 grams of CompleteMe Hypo Canine
Optional:
1-2 tablespoons of any of the following:
Fresh herbs, bone broth, fermented vegetables, chia seeds or ground flaxseeds (maximum 1 teaspoon), ginger or turmeric (maximum ¼ teaspoon recommended), organic soy sauce or miso paste (maximum ½ teaspoon recommended), sardine or mackerel fillets (canned in spring water).
Directions
- Gently pan-fry the diced meat with 50 mL water until cooked.
Omit this step if you would prefer to use raw meat. - Steam or microwave the chopped vegetables until very soft.
- Combine the meat (including liquid from pan), cooked vegetables, and oils, and mix well.
- Allow to cool then add 16 grams of CompleteMe Hypo Canine and mix again.
- Portion and refrigerate, or freeze as desired.
Storage and safety
For homemade diets only
Do not add to any commercial dog food, or use with any other nutritional supplements (containing vitamins and/or minerals).
Raw feeding safety
For raw meat, freeze for 10 days before use to destroy parasites like Toxoplasma. In areas with Trichinella, please freeze pork for 3 weeks before use.
Storage and feeding
Larger batches can be made and frozen for convenience. Keep refrigerated food for 3 days, and frozen food for 3-4 months. Please discard any uneaten food after 30 minutes.
Feeding guidelines
Toy/mini breeds (<5 kg): 150-400 g/day
Small breeds (5-10 kg): 270-700 g/day
Medium breeds (10-25 kg): 600-1250 g/day
Large breeds (25-45 kg): 1100-2100 g/day
Giant breeds (45-80 kg): 1550-3500 g/day
Feeding quantities are estimates, and are based on fresh food which contains significantly higher moisture than dry food. The energy density of the diet will also change depending on the ingredients you select (lower fat = less energy dense = more food is needed).
Adjust up or down the amount of food based on your dog's size, body condition, age, and activity level.
If your dog gains unwanted weight, reduce the amount you are feeding by 10-15% and reweigh after a week. If they have unwanted weight loss, increase the amount you are feeding by 10-15% and reweigh after a week. Continue to adjust until the right amount of food is determined. Please consult with your dog's veterinarian as needed, especially if your dog is underweight or has poorly controlled diabetes.
Learn how to quickly body condition score your dog here.
Nutritional information
Food made as per the instructions above is complete and balanced, and meets the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profile for maintenance in adult dogs.
It is not suitable for growth and should not be fed to puppies or reproducing females.
All possible combinations of the ingredients listed above have been checked to ensure that the diet contains high protein, moderate fat, restricted carbohydrate, and is enriched with fibre and omega-3.
The average kcal/gram for the diet is: 1.2 kcal/gram
The average protein for the diet is:
56% on a caloric basis
The average fat for the diet is:
35% on a caloric basis
The average carbohydrate for the diet is:
7% on a caloric basis
FAQs
What meat can I use?
A large number of lean meats and cuts can be used with CompleteMe Hypo Canine. Variety is important; we strongly recommend feeding a range of different meat types and cuts. Because there is a lot of meat in this diet, it is important to use leaner meats, otherwise the fat in the diet will be very high. Unfortunately, fish is too high in vitamin D to be a good choice for this diet. Try to include different textures as well, for example, chunks, small strips, mince, etc.
- Poultry:
Skinless and boneless chicken thigh or breast, mince (2-3% fat), gizzards, hearts (fat trimmed off)
Skinless and boneless turkey or duck breast - Pork:
Lean pork mince or diced pork loin with 5% fat, rump steak (trimmed) - Lamb, beef, goat, or venison:
Extra-lean diced lamb or goat meat (including heart or tongue) with 5% fat
Lean venison fillet or steak (e.g. shoulder, backstrap, rump eye, leg steak)
Extra-lean (5 star) beef mince, gravy or chuck beef with 5% fat, blade, round or rump steak (fat trimmed off), eye fillet or topside roast or steak (fat trimmed off) - Game meat:
Lean kangaroo mince or steak with 2-3% fat
Wild or farmed boneless rabbit or hare meat
Emu, fan fillet or flat fillet (1-3% fat)
Wild boar backstrap, boneless leg, or loin chops
Crocodile, leg or tail (2-4% fat)
Horse meat, steak or fillet (3-5% fat)
Which vegetables are preferred for diabetic dogs?
Please avoid starchy vegetables like potato, sweet potato, corn and peas. Instead, try pumpkin (Jarrahdale, Kent or Queensland Blue preferred), broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrot, zucchini, squash, spinach, kale, turnips, parsnips, watercress, Asian greens, mushrooms, tomato, capsicum or cabbage.
Both fresh and frozen vegetables are fine. We recommend steaming or microwaving for vegetables. Locally sourced, regeneratively farmed vegetables are a great choice, if possible, as they are both more delicious and more nutritious.
How can I store the food?
This makes just over 1 kilogram of food, which can be portioned and fed immediately, or stored in the fridge (max 3 days) or freezer (max 3 months) until needed.
Can I use raw meat?
You can include the meat raw or cooked, depending on preference. For raw human-grade meat, be sure to freeze the meat for 10 days prior to use. For pork (in areas with Trichinella), freezing for 3 weeks prior to use is sensible. Please discuss raw-feeding with your dog's veterinarian; raw feeding is not suitable for all dogs or households.
My dog needs a low fat diabetic diet; which ingredients should I choose?
For a low fat diet, select leaner proteins. The following are the lowest fat combinations:
Skinless and boneless turkey breast + pumpkin/broccoli/kale/carrot
73% protein, 19% fat, 8% carbohydrate on a caloric basis
Venison fillet or steak, very lean, 2% fat + pumpkin/broccoli/kale/carrot
73% protein, 19% fat, 8% carbohydrate on a caloric basis
Kangaroo mince, extra lean, 2-3% fat + pumpkin/broccoli/kale/carrot
66% protein, 22% fat, 9% carbohydrate on a caloric basis
Skinless and boneless chicken breast + pumpkin/broccoli/kale/carrot
67% protein, 25% fat, 8% carbohydrate on a caloric basis
My dog has allergies, can I use novel proteins like emu or crocodile?
Yes, using novel proteins is fine. Please select proteins with 2-5% fat only. Some options could include:
Emu fan or flat fillet, or full rump
Crocodile tail or leg meat
Venison fillet or steak
Wild boar shoulder (deboned) or mince
Lean diced boneless goat (visible fat trimmed off)
For quick and easy homemade meals
