Venison is the last card in the deck, and the strongest one. Almost no dog in Hong Kong has eaten it, which is precisely why it works when an itchy dog has already been through chicken, beef and lamb. It is also remarkably lean, so this venison pumpkin dog food recipe adds a spoonful of oil to put back what the meat does not carry.
Venison is a novel protein with minimal prior exposure among local dogs, making it a first-line choice for food allergy elimination diets; the meat is extremely lean and iron rich, with olive oil restoring fat to about 18 g per 1000 kcal.
Ingredients (standard batch)
| Ingredient | Amount | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Venison | 1.8 kg | diced |
| Pumpkin | 600 g | peeled, deseeded, diced |
| White rice | 450 g | rinsed (about 2.25 rice-cooker cups) |
| Broccoli | 250 g | small florets |
| Olive oil | 30 g (about 2 tbsp) | stirred in after cooking |
This batch yields about 3.4 kg of food (about 4,091 kcal), roughly 7 days for a 10 kg adult dog. Use a rice cooker of 8 cups or larger; if yours is smaller, cook in two rounds or halve the batch.
Method
- Rinse the rice and add to the rice cooker with about 600 ml of water.
- Layer the venison, pumpkin and broccoli on top and run a normal cycle.
- Rest 10 minutes after it switches off.
- Stir in the olive oil, fluff and cool.
- Portion per the dosing table.
Estimated nutrient analysis (base recipe, before supplements)
| Item | Per 100 g | Per 1000 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Metabolisable energy | 122 kcal | – |
| Crude protein | 12.6 g | 103 g |
| Fat | 2.3 g | 18 g |
| Carbohydrate | 11.9 g | 98 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0.6 g | 4.7 g |
| Calcium | 12 mg | 0.10 g |
| Phosphorus | 111 mg | 0.91 g |
The base recipe supplies only 0.10 g of calcium per 1000 kcal, far below an adult dog’s requirement, so supplementation is essential. Adding Eggshell Calcium Powder as per the table below (this recipe needs about 3.0 g per 1000 kcal) brings calcium to 1.25 g/1000 kcal (the AAFCO adult maintenance level), with a calcium to phosphorus ratio of about 1.4:1 (ideal range 1.2 to 2:1). Daily Multi for Dogs, dosed by body weight, supplies 20 essential vitamins and minerals. Together they make the meal complete and balanced.
Feeding and supplement dosing (two meals per day)
| Dog weight | Daily energy need | Daily food | Batch lasts | Daily Multi (per meal) | Eggshell Calcium (per meal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kg | 251 kcal | about 210 g | about 16 days＊ | 0.5 g | 0.4 g (about 1/8 tsp) |
| 5 kg | 368 kcal | about 300 g | about 11 days | 1 g | 0.6 g (about 1/4 tsp) |
| 10 kg | 619 kcal | about 510 g | about 7 days | 1.5 g | 0.9 g (about 3/8 tsp) |
| 20 kg | 1,040 kcal | about 850 g | about 4 days | 2 g | 1.6 g (about 5/8 tsp) |
| 30 kg | 1,410 kcal | about 1,160 g | about 3 days | 2 g | 2.1 g (about 7/8 tsp) |
*For small dogs one batch lasts beyond the 2-week freezer guideline – scale the batch down proportionally. If you feed once daily, combine both meal portions of the supplements. Stir supplements in only after the food has cooled to just warm. Energy needs follow NRC (2006) MER = 110 kcal x BW(kg)^0.75 and vary about plus or minus 15% with neuter status and activity; weigh your dog every 2 weeks and adjust to body condition score.
Storage
Let it cool, then divide it into daily portions. Three days worth goes in the fridge (4°C) and the rest straight into the freezer, where it keeps for two weeks. Move tomorrow’s portion down to the fridge the night before, and warm it in a bowl of hot water before serving. Skip the microwave: it heats unevenly and leaves scalding pockets next to frozen ones.
Clinical notes
- During an elimination diet the single-protein rule applies to every treat and chew as well.
- Cook all meat and fish right through (core temperature above 75°C), and add no salt, sugar or seasoning at all. It will taste bland to you, which is exactly right for your dog.
- Onion, garlic, chives, grapes and chocolate are toxic to dogs. No amount is safe, and there is no exception to this one.
- Give your dog a week to change over, adding a little more of the new food each day, and keep an eye on stools, skin and appetite as you go. There is no prize for rushing it.
- These recipes are formulated for healthy adult dogs. For puppies, pregnant or nursing mothers, seniors, or any dog with a medical condition, talk to your vet before you start.
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