What to Feed Your Dog When You Run Out Of Dog Food
The ease of buying all different kinds of dog food is simpler today than it has ever been. When you consider the number of pet shops, supermarkets, veterinary clinics and even online shops there are, the likelihood of stumbling across an empty bag is a rare event. That being said, even the most organised of us sometimes get caught off guard for one reason or another and fail to have enough, only to notice after all the shops are shut!
In that scenario, it is always helpful to know what you can feed your dog in an emergency situation in order to tide them over until you can get to the shop. Therefore, we’ve put together these handy options so you’ll know what to do!
A Few Things to Note
Granted that you will most likely be able to rustle up a suitable meal for your pet out of the things you have at home, it is vital that you note that the guided options are to use only in these rare situations. They are not advised to replace its regular diet as it simply won’t contain the nutrients a dog needs. The aim here is to fill your animal stomach in a sticky situation so that they won’t go hungry. You obviously don’t want to give them anything that will upset their stomach but the replacement food needs to be served immediately so they aren’t starving.
In addition, please be aware that these options will be mostly bland and suitable for the majority of dogs, however, if your pet suffers from allergies or a specialist diet, it may not be suitable. If your dog does require a specialist diet and suffers from things like diabetes, a home-made meal might not be appropriate so always seek a vet's advice on what is best to do!
Your Options
The first good option is Brown rice. This can stand as the main bulk and fibre for their meal and you can additionally throw in other things to make it a bit more attractive for your dog. Adding meat or fish would be a good supplement and then you can mash it all together so he or she’s no picking the bits they want out! Make sure you leave it to cool before serving it.
You could also try plain skinless, boneless chicken breasts boiled in water or try using sausage meat or sausages – that is if they don’t contain any potential toxins such as onion. The same can be said with plain lean mince or hamburger meat and un-smoked white fish. You can throw in some veg such peas, broccoli and carrots – again as long as you mash them up, you shouldn’t have any problems.
As a general rule, white meats and fish are better than red meats as they tend to be fattier and leave to an unfortunate case of the runs. Also, make sure you aren’t adding any seasonings and to boil your meats rather than frying or grilling them.
Toxins to Steer Clear Of
There is a long list of foods that may be fine for you but not your dog, either because they’re too rich, too high in fat or salt or simply because they don’t agree with your dog’s digestive system. Therefore, before you being making anything, make sure you check all of your ingredients to ensure they’re not toxic to your dog as you don’t want to cause any harm to her or him.