Feeding guide for dogs with osteoarthritis
With CompleteMe Hypo Canine
Make omega-3 and antioxidant-rich therapeutic dog food at home quickly and easily.
Formulated for adult or senior dogs needing joint support. Choose the meat, vegetables and other ingredients you would like to use with our simple, flexible guide.
Makes 1 kilogram of food.
Ingredients
500 grams of meat (2-6% fat)
(see FAQs below for recommended meat types and cuts)
400 grams of cooked starchy vegetables and/or fibre-rich whole grains
(choose from: sweet potato, potato, pearled barley, quinoa, rice, oats, pasta, or couscous. For any included grains, please weigh out the required amount after cooking)
180 grams of colourful vegetables and fruit
6 mL omega-3 rich oil (6 x 1000 mg capsules)
(choose from: fish oil, salmon oil, krill oil, or marine algae oil)
3 teaspoons of omega-6-rich oil
(choose from: hempseed oil, walnut oil, rice bran oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil or sesame oil)
40 grams of fresh-cooked green-lipped mussels
OR
25 grams of dried green-lipped mussels
OR
1-3 capsules (500 mg) green-lipped mussel oil
18 grams of CompleteMe Hypo Canine
Optional:
25 grams of raw offal
(choose from: liver, kidney, spleen, heart, tripe, lung, or gizzards)
1-2 tablespoons of any of the following:
Fresh herbs, bone broth, fermented vegetables, goats milk, natural yoghurt, plain kefir, chia seeds or ground flaxseeds (maximum 1 teaspoon), ginger or turmeric (maximum ¼ teaspoon recommended), rosehip powder, organic soy sauce or miso paste (maximum ½ teaspoon recommended), sardine or mackerel fillets (canned in spring water) or plain cooked egg (no shell).
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.
- If using grains, cook as per the manufacturer's instructions until soft.
- Combine the meat (including liquid from pan), cooked vegetables and grains, diced fruit, mussel, and oils, and mix well.
- Allow to cool then add 18 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
For dogs with joint disease, maintaining lean body condition is really important. This will help to slow progression of the disease and reduce joint pain.
Toy/mini breeds (<5 kg): 150-300 g/day
Small breeds (5-10 kg): 250-650 g/day
Medium breeds (10-25 kg): 600-1200 g/day
Large breeds (25-45 kg): 1100-2000 g/day
Giant breeds (45-80 kg): 1500-3500 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.
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.
The average kcal/gram for the diet is: 1.1 kcal/gram
The average protein for the diet is:
43% on a dry matter basis
105 g per 1000 kcal ME
The average fat for the diet is:
15% on a dry matter basis
35 g per 1000 kcal ME
Average vitamin C: 7.4 - 15.3 mg per 1000 kcal ME
Average EPA + DHA: 1.5 - 2.9 mg per 1000 kcal ME
All possible combinations are moderate in carbohydrate, high in moisture, high in protein, and high in fibre, antioxidants and omega-3. Research suggests that diets rich in omega-3, vitamin C and vitamin E can help to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis progression and cartilage degradation.
FAQs
What meat can I use?
A large number of 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. Don't exclusively feed very lean meats. 5% fat is a good everyday choice, with occasional higher and lower fat meats as well. Try to include different textures as well, for example, chunks, small strips, mince, etc.
- Poultry:
Skinless and boneless chicken thigh, drumstick or breast, mince (2-3% fat), gizzards, hearts (fat trimmed off)
Skinless and boneless turkey or duck breast or turkey mince (6% fat) - Pork:
Lean pork mince or diced pork loin with 5% fat, rump steak (untrimmed) - 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)
Lamb or beef heart (fat trimmed off) - Game meat:
Lean kangaroo or wallaby 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 tail or leg meat - Fish:
Skinless and boneless white fish fillets, like whiting, hoki, ling, or barramundi
Tuna, canned in springwater
(please don't feed fish exclusively) - Other:
Cottage cheese, low fat (2% fat)
Which vegetables and fruits are safe for dogs?
Variety is important - try to feed a range of colours, with lots of leafy greens and vitamin C-rich choices. Vegetables and fruits that are particularly rich in vitamin C are in bold below.
For vegetables, try pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, green beans, green peas, 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 most vegetables, however baking can also work well sometimes.
For fruit, try strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apple, pear, banana, mango, peach, plum, kiwifruit, guava, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, rockmelon or honeydew melon. Please be very careful to remove any pits or stones, and avoid toxic fruit like grapes, raisins or currants.
Which omega-3-rich oil should I choose?
For dogs with allergies or sensitivities, marine algae oil is a good choice. It is also sustainable and low in contaminants and heavy metals. Choose a product that is unflavoured, contains no other additives, and has both EPA and DHA. Human supplements are fine to use. Some options:
- Sports Research vegan omega-3 softgels
- Nordic Naturals algae omega softgels
- Wanderlust plant omega-3 capsules
For fish oil or krill oil, choose an unflavoured product with a high concentration of EPA and DHA per mL of oil. Some options:
- NOW Foods Ultra Omega-3 fish oil softgels
- Sports Research Omega-3 krill oil double strength softgels
- Swisse odourless high strength fish oil capsules
We recommend capsules, rather than bottled products, as the oil is more protected and less prone to rancidity. For tips and tricks on how to use capsules, please see our blog here.
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 diet; which ingredients should I choose?
As this creates an omega-3-rich diet, unfortunately it is not low in fat. For dogs needing a low fat diet, we recommend using our 'low fat' feeding guide for adult dogs instead.
My dog has allergies, can I use novel proteins like emu or crocodile?
Yes, using novel proteins is fine. Please select proteins with 2-6% 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)
Boneless rabbit meat (farmed or wild)
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