Hamburger & Rice Diet for Puppies

A balanced diet for a puppy requires more than hamburger and rice. But a temporary diet of nothing but boiled hamburger and rice may be appropriate when a dog of any age is suffering from digestive distress. Check with your vet before serving just riceburger. For the long term, premium kibble or canned food that contains rice and hamburger is suitable as long as it has a wide array of other nutrients as well so you puppy grows big and strong.

A plain diet of boiled hamburger and rice diet is often recommended when your puppy has diarrhea or other digestive ailments. The "Dog Owner's Veterinary Handbook" suggests you withhold all food and encourage your puppy to drink as much water as he’d like. If the diarrhea resolves with intestinal rest, a diet low in fat made up of easily digestible foods can help your puppy recover. Try using 1 part drained and boiled hamburger to 2 parts cooked rice. Cook the meat separately and drain it thoroughly to rid it of most of the fat.

While a hamburger and rice diet may help your puppy recover from intestinal upset, ease him back into a more well-rounded diet after two to seven days. For the long term, boiled hamburger and rice lack some essential nutrients needed for puppies, and even full-grown dogs. Kibble or canned products that contain hamburger and rice are fine on a daily basis, as they usually are supplemented with other nutrients.

Dr. Martin Goldstein, known as Dr. Marty, is a pre-eminent holistic veterinarian who recommends you feed your puppy a diet of fresh raw meat, organ meats and very small amounts of fresh vegetables. Supplement with omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon oil and vitamin supplements. If you aren’t able to prepare your puppies meals regularly, look for ultra-premium commercial canned foods that are mostly free of grains; some rice is okay, but you want your dog's diet to be predominantly meat, says Dr. Marty. You can supplement an ultra-premium diet with cooked or raw veggies such as carrots and strawberries.

If you choose the homemade meal route, use hamburger and rice for the meat and grain portions of the meals. Most types of hamburger contain a lot of fat, however, especially raw. Fat might aggravate digestive problems in puppies. If you want to use a fresh diet consisting of meat and rice, consider using skinless chicken as an alternative so the overall fat content is lower. Boiling and draining the hamburger reduces the fat content, which is why this method is recommended when a puppy's digestive tract is off.

While a hamburger-and-rice diet may help your puppy recover from intestinal upset, he needs more nutrition on a regular basis. Dr. Martin Goldstein, known as Dr. Marty, is a preeminent holistic veterinarian who recommends you feed your puppy a well-rounded diet of fresh raw meat, organ meats and very small amounts of fresh vegetables. Supplement with omega-3 fatty acids that can be found in salmon oil. If you aren’t able to prepare your puppies meals regularly, look for ultra-premium commercial canned foods that are mostly free of grains. You can supplement an ultra-premium diet with cooked or raw veggies such as carrots and strawberries.