[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Little Pea –

While I can’t say that oatmeal, fruit, legumes and wheat germ would be my first choice of foods to feed a dog, if this is what you want to stick with because it’s working then I would suggest adding a multivitamin daily. A human one-a-day (low calcium or calcium free) multi would be fine – 1/4 capsule for small dogs, 1/2 capsule for medium dogs, 3/4 capsule for large dogs, 1 capsule for large dogs (assuming the human dose is one capsule). Oats and legumes do have a skewed calcium to phosphorus ratio (more phosphorus than calcium) and if they’re comprising a large portion of the diet the ratio (which should be between 1:1 and 2:1 calcium to phosphorus will be off) you will want to add about 200 mg. calcium per cup of legumes or oats fed. I would also suggest trying quinoa (sprouted, if you can get it) in place of the oatmeal – it has a more favorable amino acid profile.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.