Home-Cooked Food for Dogs — what’s safe, how much protein & fiber they need, and a ready-to-edit sample chart for a 5 kg dog

Feeding your dog home-cooked meals can be a great way to give fresh, high-quality ingredients — but it’s easy to under- or oversupply nutrients (especially calcium, vitamins and minerals) unless you plan carefully. Below I give practical, evidence-backed guidance on what to feed, safe portioning, protein & fiber targets, a fully worked sample menu for a 5 kg dog (with exact grams and nutrition totals) and a simple scaling method so you can edit it for any weight.

> Short caveat: Home-cooked diets are fine short-term or as part of a vet-approved balanced plan. For a lifelong homemade diet you should consult a veterinary nutritionist (they’ll add the exact supplements to meet AAFCO/NRC nutrient targets). The Merck Vet Manual and major veterinary bodies advise care when replacing commercial “complete” diets.

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1) How much energy (kcal) does my dog need? (quick formula you can use)

Energy needs are calculated from body weight using metabolic scaling. Two commonly used maintenance options are:

Less-active / neutered adult (typical pet):

MER ≈ 95 × BW(kg)^0.75 kcal/day.

Active / working adult:

MER ≈ 130 × BW(kg)^0.75 kcal/day.

(Those factors and the BW^0.75 scaling are used in WSAVA / FEDIAF guidance and veterinary nutrition literature — pick the factor that fits your dog’s activity).

Example (5 kg dog):

MER (typical pet) = 95 × 5^0.75 ≈ ~318 kcal/day.

MER (active) = 130 × 5^0.75 ≈ ~435 kcal/day.

(From here we plan portions to meet the chosen kcal target.)

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2) Daily protein target (how much protein does a dog need?)

Per-bodyweight practical rule (clinic-friendly):

Many clinicians use a simple per-kg rule for everyday planning: ~2.5–4 g protein per kg body weight per day (higher end for active dogs, seniors, athletes or recovery; lower end for inactive adults). This is easy to apply and widely taught in vet nutrition resources.

Which to use?

For a quick, practical target use the per-kg rule (2.5–4 g/kg).

If you’re calculating from calories or designing a formula, use NRC’s grams/1000 kcal.

Example — 5 kg dog:

Per-kg: 2.5–4 g/kg → 12.5–20 g protein/day.

> Bottom line: for a typical 5 kg adult dog aim for ~13–20 g protein/day (adjust upward for very active dogs, growing puppies, or dogs recovering from illness — those need more protein and different nutrient ratios).

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3) Fiber: general guidance

There isn’t a single “must-have gram/day” universally published like for protein; fiber recommendations depend on the dog’s goal (weight loss, GI health, constipation).

General maintenance: most commercial adult diets contain ~2–5% crude fiber (DM). A practical household guideline for small dogs is ~3–6 g total fiber/day (roughly 1–2% of a small dog’s daily food weight).

Therapeutic high-fiber diets (for weight loss, some GI conditions) may provide 40–60 g total dietary fiber per 1,000 kcal — much higher and usually only done under veterinary direction.

Practical approach: include a small serving of vegetables or a teaspoon of canned pumpkin/psyllium when extra fiber is needed — and discuss with your vet if you’re treating diarrhea, constipation or weight loss.

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4) Safe ingredients you can use (home-cooked staples)

Use plain, unseasoned, cooked ingredients. Examples that work well in balanced home meals:

Proteins: cooked chicken breast/turkey/beef/fish (firm white fish), lean cooked lamb — remove fat and all bones.

Carbohydrates: cooked brown rice, quinoa, cooked potatoes or sweet potato (no seasoning).

Vegetables (small amounts): cooked carrots, green beans, peas, pumpkin (canned plain).

Fats & oils (small): fish oil or small amount of vegetable oil for essential fatty acids.

Supplements: a canine multivitamin/mineral and calcium source (see note below).

Important: Do not feed onions, garlic, grapes/raisins, chocolate, xylitol (sweeteners), macadamia nuts, raw dough, or raw bones — these are toxic or dangerous for dogs. Also, avoid unapproved doses of human supplements. (More on cautions in section 7.)

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5) A balanced, practical home-cooked menu for a 5 kg dog (one full day)

We’ll use MER ≈ 318 kcal/day (typical pet).

Goal protein target: ~13–20 g/day (we’ll aim for ~20 g to give a comfortable margin).

> Daily menu (single-day recipe — split into 2 meals):

Cooked, skinless chicken breast — 50 g (cooked weight)

Cooked brown rice — 90 g

Cooked sweet potato — 80 g

Cooked green peas — 20 g (or green beans)

Fish oil or vegetable oil — 5 g (≈1 teaspoon)

Nutrient totals (approx; from USDA / food databases):

Calories: ≈ 314 kcal/day

Protein: ≈ 20 g/day

Fiber: ~3–4 g/day (from rice, sweet potato, peas)

Calculations used (rounded averages from USDA Food Data): cooked chicken ≈165 kcal & 31 g protein per 100 g; cooked brown rice ≈112 kcal & ~2.3 g protein per 100 g; cooked sweet potato ≈86 kcal & 1.6 g protein per 100 g; peas ≈84 kcal & 5.4 g protein per 100 g. (I used those values to compute the totals below.)

How to feed:

Split into 2 meals/day: ~157 kcal each (e.g., morning & evening).

Serve at slightly warm (not hot), no salt, no onion/garlic, and do not add seasonings.

Always provide fresh water.

Why this works for a 5 kg dog: it supplies an energy close to the MER estimate and provides ~20 g protein (within the clinic recommended range). The recipe contains natural fiber from vegetables and starches, and essential fat from a small oil addition.

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6) How to scale the sample menu to any weight (editable formula)

1. Multiply each ingredient gram in the 5 kg recipe by factor.

e.g., for a dog with factor 1.415, chicken becomes 50 g × 1.415 ≈ 71 g, rice 90 g → 127 g, etc.

2. Check protein: ensure the scaled menu gives roughly 2.5–4 g/kg protein or at least matches the clinic/vet target. If protein is low, increase lean meat slightly; if too high (rare), reduce meat and add carbs/veg to balance calories.

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7) Supplements & critical micronutrients — don’t skip these

Home recipes often lack adequate calcium, phosphorus balance, vitamins and trace minerals. Important points:

Calcium: home diets without bone or proper supplementation are routinely low in calcium and will cause bone problems over time. Do not rely on eggshell powder unless you (or your vet) calculate the exact amount and sterilize/grind it properly. A commercial canine calcium supplement or a veterinary multivitamin/mineral is strongly recommended for long-term home feeding.

Taurine & essential amino acids: generally dogs make taurine but some breeds and certain home diets (grain-free, high pea/lentil) have been linked with DCM concerns — discuss with your vet.

Vitamins & trace minerals: a “complete” canine multivitamin/mineral supplement is advised for regular home diets so you don’t create chronic deficiencies (vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, copper etc.).

If your dog is a puppy, pregnant, working or geriatric — nutritional needs are different and you should use a veterinary nutritionist plan. Puppies especially need higher protein and energy density.

Authoritative reminder: long-term home cooking without professional balancing can cause problems; the Merck manual and veterinary nutrition guidelines recommend veterinary oversight for lifetime home diets.

Ask Shivraj Pet Clinic for expert guidance.

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8) Practical cooking & safety tips

Cook all meat thoroughly, remove bones (cooked bones can splinter and are dangerous).

Never add onion, garlic, xylitol-containing sweeteners, grapes/raisins, chocolate, or macadamia nuts.

No added salt. Keep sodium low.

Keep raw feeding separate (raw meat carries bacteria — if you choose raw, do this under vet advice and strict hygiene).

Freeze batch portions, label date, use within recommended storage times.

Introduce new foods gradually over 7–10 days to avoid GI upset.

Weigh portions, not “eyeballing” them — a kitchen scale is inexpensive and accurate.

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9) Quick “what to avoid” list (household foods & mistakes)

Onion/garlic/leeks (all forms) — red blood cell damage.

Grapes / raisins — acute kidney injury in dogs.

Xylitol (sugar-free gum, some peanut butters) — hypoglycemia and liver failure in dogs.

Chocolate & caffeine — neurocardiac toxicity.

Cooked bones — splinters/choking.

Excess salt or fatty table scraps — pancreatitis risk.

Unbalanced, long-term diets without supplementation — hidden deficiencies (calcium, trace minerals, vitamins).

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11) Final advice & next steps

Short-term fresh meals are usually fine and loved by dogs.

Long-term: get a balanced plan from your veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist (they’ll add the calcium & micronutrient mix so the diet is “complete”). The Merck Vet Manual warns about nutrient gaps if supplements aren’t used.

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Sources & further reading (key references I used)

WSAVA / caloric guidance for dogs (MER formulas).

NRC / Pet nutrition recommended allowances (protein per 1000 kcal).

Merck Veterinary Manual — feeding & warnings about home-cooked/unbalanced diets.

USDA FoodData Central / standard food nutrient entries (chicken, rice, sweet potato etc.) for ingredient macros.

Royal Canin / Today’s Veterinary Practice papers on fiber and nutrition roles.

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