Home-cooked food,
with the right calories.
Which foods are allowed and which are not, and how much to give when you add cooked food to kibble or when you feed only home-cooked meals.
Plain cooked food is not a complete diet. Meat is high in phosphorus and low in calcium, and without the right supplements your pet can develop bone problems within a few months, especially a puppy. Cats also need extra taurine and other specific nutrients. For a permanent home-cooked diet you need a recipe made for your own pet. We can build it together at an appointment.
Calculator
The plate
Enter your pet's weight so we can calculate the calories.
The calories are approximate (average values for cooked, plain ingredients, without oil or salt). Weigh the food with a kitchen scale: cups and handfuls vary a lot. Consult your veterinarian.
Allowed (cooked, plain)
- Chicken, turkey (cooked, no skin or bones)
- Lean beef
- White fish (well boiled, boneless)
- Egg (well boiled)
- Rice, potato, sweet potato, oats, plain pasta (cooked)
- Carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, green beans, broccoli (cooked)
- Apple without core and seeds, banana, blueberries (a little)
- Cucumber, seedless watermelon (a little)
- Plain yogurt or cottage cheese, a little (if they do not cause diarrhea)
Not allowed
- Chocolate, cocoa, caffeine
- Grapes and raisins
- Onion, garlic, leek, chives (also as powder, in sauces, in baby food)
- Xylitol (chewing gum, sweets, some peanut butters)
- Macadamia nuts
- Alcohol and raw bread dough
- Cooked bones (they splinter into sharp pieces)
- Fatty pieces, fried food, table leftovers (risk of pancreatitis)
- Salty foods, cold cuts, spices, sauces
- Raw meat, raw fish and raw eggs (bacteria and parasites)
- Spoiled food or garbage
Rules for home-cooked food
- Cook everything well and plain: no salt, spices, onion, garlic, oil or butter.
- Weigh the ingredients with a kitchen scale. Cups and handfuls vary a lot from one time to the next.
- Prepare what your pet will eat in one day and keep the rest in the fridge. Do not leave it out in the heat.
- Remove bones, skin and fat from the meat.
- Change the diet gradually, over 7–10 days, to avoid an upset stomach.
- Weigh your pet every 2 weeks. If your pet is gaining or losing weight, change the amount by 10% and ask us.
- Treats and anything you give between meals count towards the day's calories.
- Never replace the food of a puppy, a kitten or a pet with a health problem on your own.
Think your pet ate something from the “Not allowed” list? See our page on toxic foods or call us right away.
General information; it does not replace a veterinary examination. Consult your veterinarian before changing your pet's diet.