That can be extremely frustrating. Honestly, it depends a bit on the recipe and your dog's case - so I'd probably touch-base with the nutritionist you worked with. But typically we can either go with a "savory" or "sweet" flavor. Something like organ meat puree (ground chicken hearts with water to make a paste), or something sweet like honey to mask the taste. Because yeah - it doesn't taste great. Another option is to see if you can reformulate the recipe using more organ meats and reduce the supplementation.

I had a similar experience SMH! Followed the recipe to a T...Mine turned out to be a large pot of oats with two thin slices of meat,a few blueberries, and an exorbitant amount of salt. Dumped the whole pot in the garbage!

@@marcusv7881 Internet hugs to you, you at least tried it whereas I didn't bother. What's sad is a vet tech friend I know was the one who said the vets she works with suggest it, which is how I got onto it.

Same question about the oils!

@@IamCree I have sought ought cold pressed canola oil but I still wish for an alternative because I wouldn’t cook with it or eat it. It’s fancy metal bottle from Amazon. But I’d love to talk with you if you want.

This recipe is about 1000 calories. I'm not sure how many calories your pup is currently eating per day - knowing that info would allow me to calculate how much to feed of this recipe. Your dog's estimated daily caloric needs are 184-369 kcals per day. So this recipe might last your dog 2 1/2 to 5 days? My recipe book which has an additional 4 recipes also contains a calorie and batch calculator to help with these calculations (linked above).

Max my dog can eat in one meal is 50 grams of homemade dog food. She is a toy breed (Pomchi 19 months old

The recipe is in the description.

If you mean in something like a instapot - yes it can be. However, some of the foods would be overcooked (like the eggs and the fish) if you cooked them with the same cook time as the regular meats. So you might want to cook those separately. Obviously cook times would also be different.

I don't sell this product, I don't have an affiliate link to this product, and I'm not sponsored by them in any way. I often work with people looking to cook for their dogs who want to make sure they are giving them a complete and balanced meal. BalanceIT is one of the only FREE softwares you can use to formulate a homemade diet for your pet. So yes - I'm doing free advertisement for a free software you can use to formulate food for your dog (or cat). You don't even have to purchase their multivitamin to use this formulation software - you can choose "human supplements" option instead.

Darn right it's an advert!👍

Try to do an allergy test. I just did it for my dogs and found out lots of things they are allergic to.

A quick check to see if you're feeding the right amount is to look at the bag. Typically the bag is based on an active dog's caloric needs - so if you are feeding at bag recommendations, your dog would have the caloric needs of an "active dog". If you're feeding less, then your dog likely has the caloric needs of an "inactive dog" or a dog who just maintains weight better with a lower amount of calories fed. If you are feeding below recommendations on the bag, it's possible your dog could have deficiencies in not just protein, but vitamins/minerals. This is because the diet is proportionally designed to meet needs at a certain amount of calories fed (give or take about 10-20% typically). Aka - diet supplies 60g protein per 1000 calories, but say your dog needs 50g or protein, but only eats 700 calories. By eating only 700 calories your dog is now only consuming 42g of protein (30% less calories = 30% less protein) which is below their minimum needs of 50g. I hope that makes sense!

Thanks for the detailed reply ! ♥️ Yes, it makes perfect sense to me. Thank you for sharing!

I actually have a new tutorial since they recently had an update. Most of the things are the same, but many of the buttons have moved from the original version. New Tutorial: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZjWjU_pKlGo.htmlsi=Nr30WN4REY2wYDaa

As for the second part of your frustration - I totally understand - if can be very frustrating to use the software when you don't know what to add to fill in nutritional gaps. Hopefully, the tutorial and my other videos/blog posts can be useful. This Blog Post on Common Deficiencies may be useful: As for the %s - BalanceIT is an all-in-one - so it's limited by the nutrient you are lowest in, along with the proportions within the supplement of calcium to phosphorus. So if you make a very low-carb recipe, you'd need to add a lot of the BalanceIT to balance the calcium to phosphorus, even though you might not actually need that much of anything but calcium (if that makes sense). Typically in those situations, I'll actually specifically add just a calcium supplement so I can adjust the ratio without adding more of everything.

Using something like potatoes is possible but it will create a more calorically dense recipe. Grains have more volume per calorie which is why I chose them for recipes in this category. But if you'd like - you can check out my regular recipe book - the pork and potato or beef and potato would be another option. You can find that one here: thecaninehealthnut.com/dog-food-recipe-ebook-free/

I plan to continue this series and cover both moderately active and endurance athletes. ☺

I'll have to include Farmina in my next set of reviews - but most of their recipes fall into the "calorically dense" category. So generally speaking I tend to reach for their recipes for more moderately active dogs. They do have a nice prescription weight loss diet that would work well for an inactive dog though.

You can search for organ meats to add to the recipe. Just keep in mind that organ meats are very nutrient-dense (especially liver) and should be only added at a small amount of the overall diet. I'd also check your copper if you're using beef liver at some point - AAFCO doesn't have a current max of copper, but previously they did, and FEDIAF still does. I like keeping my copper below 7mg / 1000 kcals as that's the upper limit in the UK with FEDIAF currently.

Of course - I do create recipes through balanceIT for clients, but I more often actually create recipes using individual human supplements. It really depends on ingredient choice to if a multivitamin or individual supplements are a better option. You can learn more here: thecaninehealthnut.com/dog-food-consultations/

The only way you could really do this for 6 dogs is to create a base recipe that is say 1000 kcals, then do the math based on individual calories fed. You'd cook the food, then add supplements and mix them together, then portion to feed. You wouldn't be able to portion each dog's supplements the day of. Basically what you'd be doing is creating a "balanced recipe" like a bag of food, and dividing it between the dogs. This is assuming all the dogs have the same nutritional needs though (same age, activity level, no medical conditions). If they were all the same breed/weight/activity level you could create an individual recipe and multiply it and add supplements the day of, but based on personal experience, I find this typically isn't the case.

Totally fine if you don't want to use BalanceIT - but saying that the body does not recognize the supplements isn't true. Many, many people don't have the ability (ingredient availability, cost, time) to do a minimally supplemented recipe or use chelated supplements only. BalanceIT is the only multivitamin on the market currently that has formulation software associated with it's use to allow for the creation of balanced recipes. All other premixes or multivitamins you'd need to either use a premade recipe (limited options), or work with a nutritionist to balance the recipe. Also totally fine if you don't want to feed carbohydrates, but I think it's important to understand that nutrition and nutritional needs are not "one size fits all" - the general demonization of carbohydrates is not science-based and isn't supported by scientific literature. Some dogs will do best on certain compositions or including different ingredients over others based on many different factors.

@@nikkipetnutrition Thanks for your reply, but working within the medical field, befriending a Registered Dietitian with a Doctorates degree in biology and herbal medicine as well as a nutritionist within the field for 50 years now I'll go with synthetics are not suitable for consumption. Also my dog gets carbs, but much like humans starchy carbs should be eaten sparingly and not mandatory for Carnivores, best to go with low glycemic for these meat eaters.

​@@christinaedwards356 Again, totally fine if you want to avoid them yourself, or for your dog. If you've spoken to friends to discuss this within the field of canine nutrition - awesome! If you'd like to further discuss with me, I'd be more than happy to review research studies on the topic/s with you to potentially provide another perspective as it's much less clear-cut than you seem to believe. Outside basic needs described within the NRC, canine nutrition is highly individual. 1. There are less bioavailable and more bioavailable supplements on the market. I believe they both have a place depending on individual needs - aka cost concerns, availability, etc. When I speak with clients about supplementation in recipes I give options and pros/cons of these options - I think that conversation is important. You can use less bioavailable forms of supplements that are less expensive as long as you adjust accordingly within the recipe. 2. Dogs aren't Carnivores, they are Omnivores by scientific classification. Omnivore vs Carnivore actually doesn't have to do so much with the proportion of meat within a diet, but how nutrients are obtained and if nutrients in plants can be converted to bioavailable forms. Dogs can make these conversions, thus are omnivores. There are many wild animals classified as carnivores that actually do consume large portions of their diets as plants. 3. Saying "low glycemic" carbohydrates are best isn't really accurate. It depends on the individual pet and their particular needs as to what is best. I can think of many reasons why a low-glycemic option might actually not be a good choice especially when we get into the nutritional management of disease.

It really depends on what you are trying to replace and the ingredients in your recipe? I will admit that the auto-generator is pretty "clunky", and you need to know what ingredients will provide the nutrients you need in sufficient amounts. Without seeing the recipe and what you are trying to do it's a bit hard for me to say what you're missing or might need to try. But this is a free software so it's not perfect. Most other software to do this type of thing is hundreds to thousands of dollar.s

That might not be because the diet is necessarily unbalanced as it might be due to inadequate calories or fiber. I'd recommend plugging the recipe into formulation software or working with someone who can help you double-check that the recipe is balanced and giving your pup adequate calories.

We do have some research that suggests that plaque buildup happens slower on dry food in comparison to a moisture-rich diet. But dry food doesn't really clean teeth unless it's specially designed to do so? Typically if you are brushing your dog's teeth my recommendations are as follows regardless of what diet you feed: brush twice daily for any dog under 20 lbs, daily for 20-50 lbs, and every other day for >50 lbs.

Hi! If you want to email me you can at thecaninehealthnut@gmail.com and I can set you up a day/time for a consultation to discuss what a food elimination trial looks like, and recipe options. You can also check out my free ebook in the meanwhile - it has several recipes that may be options. :)

Balance.it is very particular about the ingredients included in its software. Some ingredients like seeds have high nutrient variability and poor nutrient absorption so they are not included - many seeds fit into this category as storage can greatly affect fats, and they contain certain anti-nutrient compounds which affect zinc, manganese, and magnesium absorption. You can minimize this by soaking/sprouting for the minerals, but then it affects the fatty acids present causing oxidation. Others may not be included because we don't have full USDA nutrient profiles (aka they lack key nutrients), or because there isn't actually a USDA profile on the ingredient. With a premade diet you could use these ingredients then double-check "spot check" for variability of key nutrients on each ingredient batch, then double-check digestibility with digestibility studies. But for a homemade diet, there is a risk - and generally, I find the Balance.it software to be more risk-averse as it's leaving formulation up to people who may or may not have full nutrition knowledge for dogs/cats. There are other formulation softwares where you will find these ingredients, however, sometimes they are added in my people using the software by hand or they have incomplete nutrient profiles. They also typically don't provide additional information to increase bioavailability to discuss potential issues. These softwares I find are either not as risk-adverse or expect only those with detailed nutritional knowledge to be using them for pet food creation, which would be potentially double-checked for quality control. I hope that makes sense?

Hi. Wow what a quick reply, thank you so much. For the seeds I did kinda wonder if that was the reason. It makes sense. I only use organic and do soak and grind them to a fine paste. Your explanation totally makes sense thank you. This is something I would definitely like to use occasionally. However I generated two recipes yesterday and they formulated them with 5 deficiencies and the other with 6 deficiencies, of those they were what I would expect using those ingredients. I have tried to replicate today, and its coming up with "our ingredients didn't quite balance" (although they did yesterday) I've tried on my mobile and my pc and no go. I can't get my head around that as it generated recipes yesterday just fine. Surely the database wouldn't change using common food. Most uncommon ingredient I used was pork pancreas and dandelion greens, in my opinion. One last thing, I use fine green beans occasionally, do you have those in th USA do you know, perhaps you might call them something else? Thanks again.

@@margsimpson I've had that happen before as well - alas - it's a free software and it does have issues with the "autogeneration" feature sometimes when creating recipes. You can purchase more robust software like Concept 5 if you plan to make a career out of recipe formulation - pet food companies typically use software like this (which has a larger ingredient database, allows for custom supplement additions, supply chain management, etc). But it's cost-prohibitive, and more tech than most people who are looking to cook for themselves (also not really user-friendly). You can also hand-formulate using Excel if you know the math (this is what I do), but again this is more advanced and can be prone to typos/error. You could try something like Animal Diet Formulator - but just be careful because it's open-source, meaning anyone can add ingredients/supplements so things might not actually be accurate. From my google search - fine green beans are the same as regular green beans in the USDA.

Omg you are so helpful thanks. Just to let you know and your viewers too as it may help them... I've just tried again and it's created two recipes using those same ingredients. So at least o know its worth it to keep trying. Its a great tool for free, hope you don't think I was bashing it, wasn't my intention just wondering if there were blips from time to time. Oh I am not as clever as you to use spread sheets or formulate for others. I'm old enough to be your mammy, didn't get taught all that stuff. Although perhaps I should try and teach myself. Your never too old to learn. Thank you so much for your help. You really are a sweat heart.

@@margsimpson Definitely never too late to learn. :) I'm currently going back for my Masters at 34 after working as an RVT for 10 years, so I'm not exactly a "traditional" student. And it's totally fine - Balance.it still has issues that weren't corrected in the recent update - but I love that there is a free resource available to create recipes. I've been using this software for almost 9 years (when I started to cook for my own dogs) - you should have seen how simple it was when it started out. It only had a handful of options of protein, fats, carbs, and fruit/veg - and no database search option.

I'd have to look at both your recipe, diet history and learn more about your dog to know what the issue might be. But no - your dog shouldn't be much more hungry on fresh food than on a kibbled diet if given the same amount of calories & composition. But if you switched calories or composition, or even frequency of feeding it can cause more begging behavior.

I actually sent Balanceit an email about this because I couldn't figure out why they are adding more to recipes. I'll update you when I know more!

@@nikkipetnutrition Ah Oke I’m not the only one who did not understand then. thanks a lot..! :)

They specify iodized salt so I suspect it is an iodine supplement.

Thanks!

I'm not sure I understand what you're asking? Do you mean to give general proportions of ingredients for balanceIT to create a recipe? That's a bit hard as the proportions of ingredients will change depending on the overall composition you are looking for within the diet. Typically protein ingredients will make up 25-75% of the recipe by weight (depending on composition?) I do find that recipe creation for small dogs can be difficult if you're looking at it on a daily basis. Instead, I'd recommend changing to creating recipes for a week or two weeks. If not you're going to need 5g of this meat, 1g of that meat, 30g of the third meat in a minimally supplemented recipe.

BalanceIT Canine or Canine Plus are both multivitamins created specifically for balancing out homemade diets. Using their software you can either use their multivitamin to balance out recipes, or a combination of human supplements (as I explain in part 1 & 2 of this video series). Typically if a recipe would require more than four human supplements (most that include beef organ meats need at least - calcium, iodine, vitamin E and zinc) then I recommend a multivitamin (like BalanceIT Canine) just because it's easier. Poultry organs used in a recipe typically you will also need to supplement copper, sometimes copper depending on the cut of meat. But say you aren't using organ meats (due to availability or allergies), then a multivitamin is also a good option. If you'd like to use similar formulation software so you can use other multivitamin blends, premixes, or human supplements you can - but you'd either need to understand all the calculations to create an excel spreadsheet or purchase formulation software. Purchasing software that does the calculations and allows custom supplementation input costs thousands of dollars. BalanceIT formulation software is free.

*Poultry organs used in a recipe typically you will also need to supplement copper, sometimes iron depending on the cut of meat.

Yeah, you can add liver, it's just not in the list they provide up front.. it does decrease the amount of supplmentation you need by A LOT.. but you still need some supplementation. I did not see bone broth either.. and I agree with you ... but adding some supplementation seems like a good idea anyway. if you get what they offer.. you can always just read what they send you, and maybe you can find a better/cheaper option in bulk somewhere else and supplement at the level they suggest.

I prepare homemade in which I learned through well known online holistic vets who know nutrition. When looking into Balance It I was not satisfied with being forced to feed certain foods or the fact that the supplements are synthetic. I have seen a few people within certain Facebook groups complain the same. I'd rather feed variety over time using an array of dog approved ingredients and supplement with non synthetics where needed.

I'm so glad this was useful! Let me know if you run into any issues with the excel spreadsheet and using it!

First double-check that the recipe calls for 6 3/4 tsp of the BalanceIT plus, not the BalanceIT regular. Since the amount of the two supplements in a recipe is different. Next, I'd need you to look at your batch size, and how you are portioning for the week. Typically I create a meal plan for one week. Then portion into seven containers. If this is how you do it - you simply divide the 6 3/4 by 7, and that will give you the daily amount to add. This is a bit less than 1 tsp per day (0.96 tsp), likely the software would round the amount up to 1 tsp per day for measuring purposes. For your next batch - You can mix BalanceIT plus into your weekly batch before you portion it out for the week. If you plan to reheat it, just add it after allowing the batch to cool to room temperature in your fridge. The BalanceIT plus can only be heated one time, not repeatedly.

Very simple, mash the meat with the veggies by hand. People still don't get this, but using your hand will make the difference. Try it, and you will see it works Remember to wash your hands with non-chemical soap (non-phosphate, etc...) and rinse carefully to avoid releasing soap into the food.

Typically I will puree the veggies and mix them with the protein. You also might want to consider the vegetables you are using - some have a stronger taste than others. Something like kale might not be as well accepted as Spinach for example.

Thank you! :)

You don't know what you're talking about...

@@Unknown-hu4gf Research Dr. Karen Becker

@@patwebb2375 I don't need to as I have more training and veterinarian education than she ever will...

@@Unknown-hu4gf that's a joke because she's a holistic vet. Vets don't get taught about health and how to prevent diseases..same as doctors. Candy bar companies are the ones behind all the big pet food companies and are paying for the vet colleges. They want parents to always feed their dog unhealthy food because they make money that way. Big brand dog food is mostly carbs and that is why dogs are dying earlier and having issues before they are 7!

@@patwebb2375 Pat you have to be joking me! I'm a board certified veterinarian nutritionist and have much more educational back ground then Dr. Becker when it comes to animal nutrition. Karen Becker is making money off of people by getting you to believe what she say's to sell her products. Pat, your suffering from the Dunning Kruger effect!!! P.S. I was trained in vet school about animal health and how to prevent diseases in them...

Hi Jeff! Unfortunely I'd probably need a bit more information before actually making a recommendation? I'd need to do an analysis of what you are currently feeding to see where improvements could/should be made. Are you currently feeding an unbalanced homemade recipe? Or are you using a commercial product? Are you having to top-dress food a lot to get your pup to eat that could be unbalancing the diet? As far as using balanceIT and heating it. The BalanceIT regular if you'd like to heat the food can be added after you heat the food right before feeding.

I love the nutrient breakdowns from BalanceIT! I highly recommend clients bring those into vet visits - they can be helpful to have on file, and vets like seeing that you are feeding a balanced diet. :)

@@nikkipetnutrition Good idea! I was going to run it by them as well to see if they had any tips as we are just starting a homemade dog food diet.

On the recipe printout, the ingredients weights are for cooked ingredients right? I feel like I remember reading that but now I’m second guessing myself.

@@maryeagnew Yes! All the ingredients are in cooked weights. This means you will need to start with a bit more raw-weight for meats, and a bit less dry-weight of carbs like oats. I typically cook 30% more than the recipe gives for meats, 40% more for fish. Then about half the volume listed for the dry grain. Then you will measure everything after cooking.

@@nikkipetnutrition Thank you!