There’s an old saying: “Porridge is our mother!” Indeed, it’s difficult to underestimate this kind of food. Regular consumption of porridge improves metabolism, normalizes gastrointestinal work, provides important vitamins and minerals, charging a good mood and even serves as a prevention of cancer. There is no doubt that porridge is essential for small and adult people. But is porridge needed for dogs? Or is it better not to include it in your dog’s tail?
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Should I give my dog porridge?
Before determining whether dogs need porridge, we will first agree that porridge should only be fed if the animal is kept on a natural diet. If the doggie eats ready-made dry or wet food, it should not give him porridge, so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract and prevent vitamin and mineral imbalance. In quality industrial food already have all the useful substances that are necessary for the health of your pet.
Oatmeal
But those dogs for whom the owner himself cooks dishes, porridge is not just necessary, but even necessary. And that’s why:
- Porridge removes toxins and slags thanks to its fiber, improves bowel and stomach peristalsis;
- Boiled cereal keeps the animal’s immunity high;
- Porridge promotes proper absorption of fats and carbohydrates;
- Oatmeal in dog diets is key to a strong nervous system;
Finally, even a small amount of porridge quickly and lastingly gives your pet a sense of satiety, saturation. This gives your dog an energy boost all day long.
In addition, it is worthwhile to brew porridge for the sake of the economy as feeding diet meat alone will seriously ‘beat’ your dog’s pocket.
Oatmeal that dogs can eat
So, is it okay for a dog to have porridge? Absolutely, yes, but not all, just some:
Buckwheat porridge
is a product that is useful for most dogs due to its Hypoallergenic. Buckwheat is good for recovery from illness or surgery. It contains vitamins A, B, E, H, PP and minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, boron, iodine, nickel plus essential amino acids. If buckwheat porridge is present on the dog’s menu all the time, it will be in the heart and blood vessels, digestion, brain, bones, and teeth;
Rice for dogs
is a dish that is known for its antitoxic properties. Rice porridge contains vitamins B, E and PP, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium. This product is especially indicated for stomach diseases, although it is also useful for healthy dogs. However, rice porridge should not be given to dogs with diabetes mellitus and overweight due to high starch content (especially in ground rice);
Hercules
Oatmeal porridge is considered to be a healthy and dietary supplement, due to its high gluten content, dogs suffering from inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, after the poisoning, infections accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea need it especially.
Whole oats are considered particularly useful, although oat flakes are not contraindicated for dogs.
Oatmeal contains vitamins B, E, H, PP, manganese, silicon, cobalt, selenium, copper, chrome and zinc. But it should be noted that oatmeal for the first time should be given to the dog in small amounts, as the product in some animals causes allergies.
Why Dogs Should NOT Eat Oatmeal?
Pearl porridge
is a barley product containing vitamins B, A, K, E, iron, calcium, potassium, zinc, manganese. Pearl porridge is useful for bones, liver, skin and immune system. However, porridge is a calorie, so it should not be given frequently to dogs prone to obesity. In addition, the frequent use of pearl porridge in many pets will provoke constipation;
Wheat porridge
contains vitamins PP, B, E, A, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, aluminum, titanium, fluorine, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, chrome, sodium. Such porridge is shown to dogs with heart disease, but often it is not worth giving it, as it is poorly digested. And what is also considered one of the allergenic porridges? Can I give my dog wheat porridge? Yes, you can, but not more than a couple of times a week if he is intolerant;
Barley porridge
is another barley dish that should not be given to dogs more than 1-2 times a week due to poor digestibility. But barley porridge should not be completely rejected: it contains vitamins B, E, PP, phosphorus, copper, manganese, iron, calcium and magnesium. The dog needs this product for the normal functioning of the endocrine system, liver, and kidneys. It is good for crushed barley porridge and joint diseases.
The most useless and harmful porridges for dogs
Well, which porridge to give to the dog often and which is not, we found out. And now it’s time to discuss which porridge shouldn’t be fed to the dog at all:
Manna porridge
Bean, lentil or pea porridge – pulses should not be given to dogs because of their extremely low digestibility. A dog who has eaten pea porridge, for example, may have a colic, bloated stomach, constipation. By the way, you should not eat pea porridge regularly and people who are prone to kidney and gastrointestinal diseases;
Corn porridge
eating it carries the risk of developing a wrapped gut. The fact that porridge made of corn is poorly digested, lumpy in the digestive organs. In addition, it is considered one of the most allergic;
Tasted wheat porridge
is not as dangerous as it is useless to the dog’s body. The only strong argument for the use of semolina is weight loss in animals. You can’t say that semolina is dangerous, but if your dog eats it often, he may have digestive problems;
Any instant porridge is undesirable in a dog’s diet because it contains low levels of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals after treatment. Plus, instant porridges are often rich in sugar, flavors, and preservatives.
How much oatmeal can I give my dog?
If cereal dishes for animals are indispensable, how much porridge should I give my dog per day? The norm is that the amount of cereal in a dog’s diet should be 25-35% of all food consumed per day. For example, if an animal is supposed to eat 800 grams of food per day, then the amount of porridge will be about 200-280 grams. In cases where the doggy does not like porridge, the portion can be reduced to 15-25%.
What can I add to porridge for Yorkshire terrier?
Although many of the porridges are good for dogs, a rare dog will eat ’empty’ porridge with no additives. Let’s see how we can improve the flavor of the cooked porridge:
1.Meat – nonfat varieties: veal, turkey, chicken. Dog porridge with meat can be cooked on the meat broth rather than on water to enhance its nutritional value;
2. Sub-products – porridges can also be given to dogs by adding them to the menu 2-3 times a week. Boiled liver, heart, rumen and lungs will do;
3. Fish 1 or 2 times a week instead of meat, you can give your dog porridge with non-fat boiled (or well-frozen) sea fish;
4. Vegetables – You can also add boiled or raw (if the dog is not prone to diarrhea) vegetables to your dog’s porridge: courgettes, carrots, and pumpkins. In addition to vegetables, you can also add some parsley to his food;
5. Vegetable oils are good for digestion. Butter can be added in small quantities to ready porridges with vegetables or meat;
6. Milk (preferably goat milk) – if you do not plan to add vegetables, fish or meat to your porridge, you can boil it with milk instead of water or broth. It’s only important to consider: Milk porridge is contraindicated for dogs with lactose intolerance. Vomiting and diarrhea after eating it is a reason to give up milk. If your dog does not eat porridge with milk, you should not force him to.
What you can’t add to porridge?
- Salt – do dogs get porridge? Yes, it is possible, but only in small amounts and only if your dog’s kidneys, heart, stomach and musculoskeletal system are 100% healthy. If you’re not so sure, you shouldn’t salt porridge;
- Sugar should not be added to his dog’s porridge at all. Regularly eating porridge with sugar is likely to affect his weight. Dogs that eat sweetened foods also have a high risk of developing diabetes;
- Spices – peppers should not be added to cereal due to their deleterious effect on the stomach walls. Plus, pepper food is very thirsty. Nutmeg is harmful to the nervous system. Coriander and turmeric are considered safer for dogs, but should be added in the smallest quantities possible;
- Onions and garlic can cause poisoning and anemia if consumed regularly;
- Creamy butter – Regular consumption of butter is bad for a dog’s liver;
- Margarine – This fatty product is harmful to your dog’s heart, blood vessels, and gastrointestinal organs. Margarine is particularly dangerous for overweight dogs.
How to cook porridge for your dog properly?
Finally, let’s find out how to cook porridge for the dog using buckwheat, rice, and oatmeal as examples:
The most useful buckwheat is steamed.
For this, you need 1 part buckwheat and 2 parts of boiling water. Pour the buckwheat into the pot, pour boiling water, cover with a lid and wrap it in a warm towel. In such a wrapped form let to insist on porridge 1.5-3 hours;
Cook rice porridge as follows:
take 1 part of cereal and 2 parts of water. Pour water into a saucepan with thick walls, put it on the fire and wait for boiling. When the water boils, pour rice in a thin stream, stir, make the fire medium and cover the pot with a lid. 20 minutes later, when all the moisture has evaporated, the porridge will be ready;
Everyone knows how to cook oatmeal flakes:
they are poured into 1:2 boiling water (1 part of the flakes and 2 parts of the water) and then boiled when stirring for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the flakes). But with whole oatmeal porridge, you will have to work longer: oat must first be soaked for 3-4 hours in slightly warm water. Then drain this water, add fresh (for 1 part of oats takes 3 parts of water) and put on a small fire for 1.5-2 hours when stirring, as needed, adding a little water.