A healthy pet is a happy pet. If your pet is as much a foodie as you, add a bit of variety in their meals but only after consulting your vet.
Wondering what to feed your pet this summer? If the summer heat has made them lose their appetite, here are some great cooling foods that can actually help to regain it. What you need to do is create a meal plan for your pets they will love. Keep a few things in mind before you plan a nutritious, vegetarian meal for your pets since it is important that they get the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and supplements to lead a healthy and happy life. TheHealthSite.com spoke to Dr. Ajay Satbige, Senior Veterinary Officer, to understand how you can plan the best meal for your pet this summer.
Add Supplements
The rule of thumb is to always support your pet’s vegetarian meal/diet with supplements after consulting your vet. Vitamins, iron, and calcium need to be included in their meals. You can go for a calcium syrup for healthy bones, joints, and teeth, use a liver tonic to improve appetite and metabolism, keep the liver and kidney healthy, and include an immunity-boosting syrup to reduce stress and avoid infections and also use probiotic pet strips for gut health.
Include Proteins & Carbs
Paneer has high levels of protein which provides energy and is loaded with calcium that helps with a dog’s bone growth and formation. Cook and feed without adding oil or salt. Indian dals like masoor, arhar, moong, urad, and chana are good sources of fiber and protein. Boil them, add to the rice with a pinch of turmeric, without salt and it’s ready. Plant-based sources of protein include sweet potatoes, pea protein, and carbs such as grains like white rice, rice noodles, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, barley, and corn. Include at least 2 ingredients out of these and not all of them. Avoid wheat if your pet is allergic to gluten.
Infuse With Omega 3,6,7 & 9 Fatty Acids
Choose natural sources like flaxseed oils or roasted and powdered whole flaxseeds wherein half a tablespoon can be added to your pet’s diet. You can also include peanut butter for dogs that is xylitol free. Omegas reduce inflammation and lessen the intensity of different types of allergens.
Mix Up Veggies And Fruits
Spinach, carrot, green beans, broccoli, sweet potato, kale, beetroot, cucumber, and celery can be fed to your pets. Blanch, boil, puree, or freeze them once you clean them thoroughly and then feed them to your pets in moderation. Use organic vegetables to retain nutrients and feed along with the peel. Avoid garlic, onions, tomatoes, lemons, and mushrooms. Give your pets fruits like watermelon, banana, apples, mangoes, blueberries, strawberries, coconut, peaches, and raspberries. Always feed after deseeding and in moderation. Avoid giving them grapes, plums, asparagus, and avocado.
Add Extra Water Content
Include vegetable broth, coconut water, fresh, clean water, buttermilk, curd, and rice mixture to add to the water content. Always keep a fresh and clean bowl filled with water for your pets accessible at all times.
Now that you know what needs to be included in your pet’s meal, here’s what we suggest: Your pet’s meal should include 40% protein, 50% vegetables, and 10% starch and fats.
Vegetarian Meal Plan
Breakfast can be a bowl of diluted buttermilk without sugar or salt along with a few chopped pieces of apple or banana.
Lunch can include boiled white or brown rice mixed with cooked paneer pieces along with pieces of boiled or raw carrots and boiled sweet potato topped with a spoon of ghee. Add water to the mixture so that it does not get dry for your pet to consume. Add supplements or then sprinkle powdered flaxseeds on the food.
Evening snacks can be diluted coconut water along with pieces of chopped cucumber or deseeded watermelon cubes as treats.
Dinner can be vegetable broth with a liquid consistency to include more water content or even rice and curd that helps to maintain their gut health naturally.
Dr. Ajay Satbige, Veterinary Officer says, “It is best to consult a vet for the quantity to be fed to your pets and always feed in moderation. A sudden change in your dog’s meals or diet is not advisable. It is better to change their food over a period of 7 days gradually. Every pet is different and their requirements are different. So, feed a vegetarian meal based only on your pet’s requirements and the vet’s advice. Avoid giving those spices, oily foods, salt, and sugar, not just during summer but throughout. Do not feed them table foods – Like pizza, colas, and Indian desserts.”
A healthy pet is a happy pet. If your pet is as much a foodie as you, add a bit of variety in their meals but only after consulting your vet and enjoy being your pet’s own Master Chef.
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