Question
Can I cook for my diabetic dog?
Sunny, owner notes“I wish my dog lived as long as I do.”Updated
I'm an owner, not a vet. This is not veterinary advice, so check anything medical with your own vet.
Short answer
Plenty of people cook for their diabetic dog. The hard part is balance, because every batch comes out a little different. Most vets suggest a recipe written by a veterinary nutritionist. If he already eats home food, tell your vet exactly what goes in the pot. And try not to change his food and his injection times in the same week.
I never give insulin amounts here. Yours comes from your vet's written plan.
What you might notice at home
Chicken, rice and a vegetable is what most people make. Some say their dog looked better on it. Some say the glucose moved and they couldn't work out why. A few got loose stools after switching.
A few good ingredients don't add up to a complete diet on their own. If you want to cook, ask your vet or a veterinary nutritionist to go through the whole recipe with you, including how you cook it.
Where owners and vets don't agree
When a dog won't eat his usual food, many owners start cooking for him. But home food still has to be balanced and the same from one batch to the next, so get a nutritionist and your own vet involved before you change his food.
If he's had pancreatitis too, that can matter more than the diabetes when it comes to food, and a home 'diabetic' meal could be wrong for his pancreas. Ask your vet which comes first.
What to write down for the vet
- Every ingredient, including oil, rice, and the vegetable.
- Whether the recipe is the same every day.
- Who wrote the recipe, if anyone did.
- Stool, weight, and appetite since it started.
Can I home-cook for my diabetic dog? Any recipes?
A recipe from the internet is risky. It's hard to tell from a list of meat and veg whether a meal is complete and comes out the same each time. Other illnesses can change what's right too.
If home cooking matters to you, ask a veterinary nutritionist for a full recipe and a plan for checking how the change goes. Count every supplement and extra, and keep ingredients the same from batch to batch. If a meal goes uneaten near injection time, call the vet instead of cooking something else.
Is boiled chicken and rice OK for a diabetic dog?
Chicken and rice is often the first thing people reach for when a dog is off colour. It isn't a complete long-term diet, though, and it doesn't treat diabetes. If your vet suggests a short bland diet for another problem, ask exactly how it fits with the diabetes care and when they'll review it.
Don't use general bland-diet advice to starve a diabetic dog or to work around a missed meal. If your dog will only eat chicken and rice, tell the vet and ask for a complete food you can stick with.
Sources
- My diabetic dog's glucose looked higher after a food changeIf numbers rise after a food change
- My diabetic dog has had pancreatitis. What about food?Why pancreatitis can change what he should eat
- Are roti, rice, curd, dal or eggs OK for a diabetic dog?Why kitchen foods alone aren't a full diet
- Should I keep my diabetic dog on the same food?Why keeping food steady helps
- Does my diabetic dog have to eat a prescription food?Whether he needs a prescription food at all
Every outside source I used is listed on the Sources page.
Related
Q&A
Does my diabetic dog have to eat a prescription food?
Not always. Most vets say a steady, balanced food can work, but your vet makes the call.
Q&A
My diabetic dog has had pancreatitis. What about food?
Many vets use a very low-fat food. Your vet will choose the right one for him.
Q&A
Should I keep my diabetic dog on the same food?
If he's steady, most vets say stick with it. Another illness can still mean a change.
Q&A
Do green beans, pumpkin, or extra fibre help a diabetic dog?
Vets don't all agree on this one. Ask before you start adding pumpkin.