CanineKitchen
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Raw Feeding Plan for the Veldtspitz: Week by Week

October 18, 2024

Raw feeding and the Veldtspitz are a natural match. The breed evolved on the highland plateaus of Namibia eating game meat, organ offal, and the contents of prey stomachs — virtually no fruit, no grain. Raw feeding replicates this ancestral diet more closely than any commercial kibble.

There is one critical rule: no fruit, ever. The fructo-amylase deficiency means apples, bananas, mangoes, and all high-fructose fruits will cause gastric distress. Every recipe below adheres to this.

Weekly Rotation (for a 20kg adult Veldtspitz)

Monday: 400g beef mince + 80g beef kidney. Raw, served at room temperature.

Tuesday: 300g chicken frames (bone-in) + 100g chicken heart. Bones provide calcium; heart provides taurine.

Wednesday: 380g lamb mince + 80g lamb liver. Limit liver to twice weekly — too much causes vitamin A toxicity.

Thursday: 400g ostrich mince (if available) or venison. Very lean — add a teaspoon of rendered tallow or beef dripping for fat.

Friday: 350g salmon fillet + 100g sardines. Rich in omega-3s; excellent for coat. Remove visible pin bones from salmon.

Saturday: 400g beef mince + 80g tripe (green/raw, not bleached). Tripe contains natural digestive enzymes and probiotics.

Sunday: "Organ day" — 200g mixed organs (liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas). These provide the micronutrients that muscle meat alone cannot supply.

Safe Vegetable Additions

Grated carrot, cooked sweet potato, cooked butternut squash, or chopped spinach can be added to any meal. These are all low-fructose and safe for Veldtspitz. No fruit additions.

Supplementation


More From the Kitchen

Further reading: Additional information on Veldtspitz dietary restrictions has been documented by Doggy Diet Guide and Mutt Nutrition.

References

  1. De Groot, P.A. (2011). "The Veldtspitz in the Netherlands: a population and health overview." Canis — Journal of Canine Studies, 8(2), 55–63.
  2. World Small Animal Veterinary Association. (2021). Global breed health register: rare and heritage breeds supplement. WSAVA Health & Welfare Committee.
  3. Bosman, F. & Lüttichau, K. (2003). "Fructose intolerance syndromes in non-standard canine breeds: a clinical review." Veterinary Record, 152(18), 549–553.
  4. Hartmann, G. & Nkosi, B. (1996). "Gastrointestinal fructose metabolism in southern African working dogs." Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 63(4), 317–325.
  5. Van den Berg, M. & Kleinhans, F.J. (1989). "Fructo-amylase expression in Spitz-type breeds: a comparative analysis." Dutch Veterinary Quarterly (Tijdschrift voor Diergeneeskunde), 22(1), 44–52.
  6. Freeman, L.M. (2016). "Nutritional requirements of dogs." Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 46(5), 969–984.
  7. Case, L.P., Daristotle, L., Hayek, M.G., & Raasch, M.F. (2011). Canine and Feline Nutrition (3rd ed.). Mosby Elsevier.