Feeding guide for dogs needing a low purine diet
With CompleteMe Hypo Canine
Make low purine therapeutic dog food at home quickly and easily. Choose the ingredients you would like to use with our flexible guide.
Formulated for dogs with a history of urate crystals or stones, or hyperuricosuria.
May not be suitable for dogs with urate stones due to liver failure; please contact us for more information.
Makes 1 kilogram of food, which can be portioned and frozen.
Ingredients
400 grams of:
Cottage cheese with 2-3% fat and 10-12% protein
OR
Whole eggs including white and yolk (no shell)
(It is fine to include a combination, for example, 200 g egg and 200 g cottage cheese)
350 grams of starchy vegetables or grains
(choose from: sweet potato, potato, quinoa, brown rice, or pumpkin. For any included grains, please weigh out the required amount after cooking)
150 grams of non-starchy vegetables and fruit
3 mL omega-3 rich oil (3 x 1000 mg capsules)
(choose from: fish oil, salmon oil, krill oil, or marine algae oil)
18 grams of omega-6-rich seeds
(choose from: sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds)
10 grams of CompleteMe Hypo Canine
Optional:
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
- Steam or microwave the chopped vegetables until very soft.
- If using grains, cook as per the manufacturer's instructions until soft.
- If using eggs, gently scramble in a non-stick pan until cooked (with no added oil, butter etc).
- Grind the seeds in a coffee grinder until powdered.
- Combine the eggs or cottage cheese, cooked vegetables and grains, diced fruit, seeds, oil, and 70 mL water or vegetable broth, and mix well.
- Allow to cool then add 10 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).
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.
Food safety
Please be careful not to include the shells of the eggs, as this could result in excess calcium in the diet. We recommend cooking any eggs included in the diet.
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.
The average kcal/gram for the diet is: 1.0 kcal/gram
The average moisture content is: 78%
The average protein for the diet is:
29% on a dry matter basis
25% on a caloric basis
The average fat for the diet is:
18.5% on a dry matter basis
35% on a caloric basis
All possible combinations are moderate in protein, very low in purines, high in moisture, and high in fibre, antioxidants and omega-3.
FAQs
What proteins can I use?
We recommend only using either cottage cheese or cooked egg, as per the recipe. This is especially important for dogs that have previously formed urate stones.
Purines are organic compounds predominantly derived from the breakdown of DNA and RNA, and include uric acid, allantoin, xanthine, and salts of uric acid.
Foods that are high in purines include seafood and most meats, particularly offal. Dairy products, eggs, vegetables and fruits are low in purines, which is why we have included them in the diet.
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.
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.
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.
My dog needs a low fat diet; which ingredients should I choose?
For a low-fat, purine-restricted diet, we recommend a nutrition consult and personalised recipes. Unfortunately, ingredient options are limited, and it is better that we work with you to formulate a diet that suits your dog's particular needs.
My dog has allergies, can I use novel proteins like emu or crocodile?
For a novel protein, purine-restricted diet, we recommend a nutrition consult and personalised recipes. Unfortunately, ingredient options are limited, and it is better that we work with you to formulate a diet that suits your dog's particular needs.
For quick and easy homemade meals
