Feeding guide for healthy senior dogs
With CompleteMe Canine
Make balanced and nutritious dog food at home quickly and easily. Choose the meat, vegetables and other ingredients you would like to use with our simple, flexible guide.
Makes 1 kilogram of food, which can be portioned and frozen.
Ingredients
500 grams of meat (2-5% fat)
(see FAQs below for recommended meat types and cuts)
250 grams of cooked whole grains or starchy vegetables
(choose from sweet potato, potato, quinoa, rice, barley, oats, wholewheat pasta, or couscous. For any grains, please use the cooked weight)
240 grams of cooked vegetables and fruit
4 mL omega-3 rich oil (3 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, or sesame oil)
10 mL (2 teaspoons) of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
16 grams of CompleteMe 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), organic soy sauce or miso paste (maximum ½ teaspoon recommended).
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, and oils, and mix well.
- Allow to cool then add 16 grams of CompleteMe Canine and mix again.
- Portion and refrigerate, or freeze as desired.
Storage and safety
For homemade diets only
CompleteMe Canine should not be added to any commercial diet, or used with other vitamin and mineral supplements. This could cause harmful excesses of some nutrients.
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): 150-300 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, or dogs with medical conditions.
This guide produces a diet that is high in protein, high moisture for maintaining hydration, moderate in phosphorus, and enriched with omega-3 fatty acids, medium-chain triglycerides, and antioxidants (especially vitamin E and C). This may help to maintain cognitive function and support joint health.
The average kcal/gram for the diet is: 1.2 kcal/gram
The average protein for the diet is:
60% on a dry matter basis
45% on a caloric basis
The average fat for the diet is:
14% on a dry matter basis
31% on a caloric basis
FAQs
What meats can I use?
A large number of meats and cuts can be used with CompleteMe 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 (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)
Lamb or beef heart (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 - Fish:
Skinless and boneless white fish fillets, like whiting, hoki, ling, or barramundi
Tuna, canned in springwater
(please don't feed fish exclusively)
Which vegetables and fruits are safe for dogs?
For vegetables, try pumpkin, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, 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.
Vitamin-C-rich choices include: kale, broccoli, cauliflower, red capsicum, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, rockmelon, kiwifruit, and papaya.
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?
For a low fat diet, we recommend using CompleteMe Hypo Canine with our low-fat feeding guide. This will produce a diet with a fat content similar to prescription low-fat diets.
My dog has allergies, can I use novel proteins like emu or crocodile?
Yes, using novel proteins is fine. Please select proteins with 2-8% fat only. Some options could include:
Emu fan or flat fillet, or full rump
Crocodile tail or leg meat
Venison mince, fillet or steak
Wild boar shoulder (deboned) or mince
Lean diced boneless goat (visible fat trimmed off)
For quick and easy homemade meals
