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When it comes to feeding our pets, many pet owners are spoilt for choice on the options available. There’s the option for kibble, raw meat, cooked meat, baked biscuits, vitamins and all sorts of supplements. For those of us who like to create homemade meals that include meat for pets, we are often faced with the dilemma of how much of one type of meat we should add to ensure a balanced diet. This article is here to help you understand if it is safe to have different combinations of meat for your pet.
Is it ok to mix different kinds of meats into my pets’ diet?
Meat is often the base ingredient when it comes to making homemade dog food, be it raw or cooked. This is essential as having meat for pets ensures that they are provided with protein, amino acids and other essential nutrients required for them to grow strong and healthy. Such meats include beef, lamb, pork, turkey, fish, chicken and venison among others. It is important to note that meats that are fed should not have overly high fat content.
That being said, should we be mixing different types of meat into one meal? Let’s first talk about how mixed protein diets (MPDs) are important for your pet as it exposes them to as many different proteins possible to reduce the chances of them being intolerant or sensitive to certain meat for pets.
Reducing the risks of developing allergies and having nutritional deficiencies
The earlier we expose our pets to different forms of meats the better, as it doesn’t cause a shock to their digestive system when you try to feed them a different kind of protein no matter how beneficial they may be. For example, if your fur friend has always been on a restricted meat for pets diet and has never eaten salmon its whole life, but is suddenly introduced to a salmon diet, this may cause it to have diarrhoea. This is because your pet might not be used to the fat levels of the salmon despite the salmon having beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Combining different kinds of meat for pets also serve the added benefit of ensuring that they avoid suffering from any nutritional deficiencies. There is currently no known harm in combining different meats into your pets’ diet unless you are aware that they are allergic to certain types of meat for pets.
Another common question pet owners have, might be whether it is advisable to mix meat for pets found in dry kibble with that of raw or cooked meat – and our answer to that is yes, it is perfectly safe, as long as the meat introduced does not come with bone when a fresh or raw meat diet is first introduced as it may require a different pH acidity within your pets’ stomach to digest.
That being said, if you are concerned with how your pet will react to different kinds of meats, consider introducing 1 different type of meat for pets at a time. This can be done via diet rotation for your pets where your pet’s food is intentionally being switched on a planned diet. By periodically switching your pet’s home cooked food, you can minimise the amount of products that may be deficient in certain nutrients. Furthermore, some experts believe that prolonged feeding of the same kind of food for long periods of time can actually lead to allergic reactions in your pet, ranging from itchy skin to upset stomachs etc. That being said, it is important to note that this may not be applicable for pets that have special health conditions that require a prescribed diet as advised by your vet. Do note that single protein does not necessarily mean it is nutrient deficient if the nutrient values of the diet are researched and calculated.
All in all, whether you are a cat or dog parent, it is important to introduce high quality proteins into your pets’ diet as well as ensure that they are exposed to a variety of meats for pets so that their risks of allergy developments are kept at a minimum. You’ll also have the added perk of keeping your pet excited for its daily meals!
To start, you can try out the wide range of proteins by PetCubes – ranging from chicken to crocodile meat! Their product development is also guided by a dedicated nutritionist that has a PhD in wildlife nutrition which serves as a peace of mind for pet owners who are new to the world of fresh meat for pets. Happy feeding!
