Food Pyramid for Dogs

Dog Food Pyramid

Generally neutral foods will tonify Qi and blood and harmonize Yin and Yang. They can be used in combination with other types of foods to add vareity and choice or to decrease the harshness of a very cold or very hot diet.

  • Meats
  • Beef
  • Beef Liver
  • Goose
  • Pork
  • Pork Liver
  • Pork Kidneys
  • Pork Feet
  • Quail
  • Tripe
  • Bison
  • Fish
  • Carp
  • Catfish
  • Herring
  • Mackerel
  • Salmon
  • Sardine
  • Sturgeon
  • Tuna
  • Vegetables
  • Aduki Bean
  • Black Soy Bean
  • Beet Root
  • Broad Bean
  • Cabbage
  • Carrots
  • Green Bean
  • Kidney Bean
  • Pea
  • Pumpkin
  • Potato
  • Red Bean
  • Shitake Mushroom
  • String Bean
  • Yam
  • Fruits
  • Papaya
  • Pineapple
  • Pomegranate
  • Raspberry
  • Grains
  • Brown Rice
  • Lentils
  • Rye
  • White Rice
  • Etc.
  • Cheese
  • Chicken Egg
  • Cow’s Milk
  • Flax Seed
  • Peanut
  • Peanut Oil
  • Sesame Seed

Yin is qualities of inward, quiet, nighttime, maternal, cool and fluids. Yin tonics are foods which tonify the coolness and fluids of the body. Signs of Yang excess include seeking cool places, panting, thirst, red eyes, panting at night, dry skin, dry cough and restlessness.

  • Meats
  • Duck
  • Rabbit
  • Fish
  • Clam
  • Cod
  • Crab
  • Scallop
  • Whitefish
  • Vegetables
  • Bamboo
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Chlorella
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Kelp
  • Lettuce
  • Mushroom
  • Seaweed
  • Spirulina
  • Tomato
  • Yellow Soy Bean
  • Fruit
  • Apple
  • Banana
  • Cranberry
  • Kiwi
  • Lemon
  • Mango
  • Orange
  • Pear
  • Strawberry
  • Tangerine
  • Watermelon
  • Grains
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat
  • Job’s Tears
  • Millet
  • Mung Bean
  • Wheat
  • Wild Rice
  • Misc
  • Duck Egg
  • Flax Seed Oil
  • Marjoram
  • Peppermint
  • Salt
  • Sesame Oil
  • Tofu
  • Yogurt

Qi tonic foods are foods that warm the body allowing the body to develop and maintain warmth. Qi deficiency is seen as general weakness, fatigue, exercise intolerance, poor appetite, chronic diarrhea, loss of body weight, muscle atrophy, shortness of breath, asthma and/or urinary or fecal incontinence.

  • Meats
  • Chicken
  • Chicken Liver
  • Ham
  • Pheasant
  • Turkey
  • Fish
  • Anchovy
  • Lobster
  • Mussel
  • Prawn
  • Shrimp
  • Vegetables
  • Black Bean
  • Squash
  • Sweet Potato
  • Fruit
  • Cassio Fruit
  • Cherry
  • Date
  • Peach
  • Longan
  • Grains
  • Oats
  • Sorghum
  • Sweet Rice
  • Nuts/Seeds
  • Chestnut
  • Coconut
  • Pine Nut
  • Walnut
  • Etc.
  • Basil
  • Bay Leaf
  • Brown Sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Clove
  • Dill Seed
  • Dried Ginger
  • Fennel Seed
  • Ginger
  • Goat’s Milk
  • Molasses
  • Nutmeg
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Turmeric
  • Vinegar

Yang is the opposite of yin. Yang qualities include outward, active, male, daytime, heat and inflammation. Yang tonic foods are the hottest or most heat generating foods. Yang deficiency animals are heat seeking, i.e. lie in front of fires or under bedcovers, have coldness to ears, nose, back and limbs.

  • Meats
  • Lamb
  • Mutton
  • Sheep Kidney
  • Venison
  • Fish
  • Trout
  • Vegetables
  • Cayenne Pepper

Signs of Yin deficiency include seeking cool places, panting, thirst, red eyes, panting at night, dry skin, dry cough, and restlessness.

  • Meats
  • Beef
  • Duck
  • Pork
  • Pork Feet
  • Pork Kidney
  • Rabbit
  • Fish
  • Clam
  • Cod
  • Crab
  • Oyster
  • Sardine
  • Whitefish
  • Vegetables
  • Asparagus
  • Beet
  • Black Bean
  • Chlorella
  • Kidney Bean
  • Mung Bean
  • Pea
  • Spirulina
  • String Bean
  • Tomato
  • Fruit
  • Apple
  • Banana
  • Blackberry
  • Lemon
  • Mango
  • Mulberry
  • Pear
  • Pineapple
  • Raspberry
  • Watermelon
  • Grains
  • Barley
  • Millet
  • Quinoa
  • Rice
  • Wheat
  • Wheat Germ
  • Etc.
  • Cheese
  • Chicken Egg
  • Cow’s Milk
  • Duck Egg
  • Goat’s Milk
  • Honey
  • Tofu
  • Yogurt

Signs of blood deficiency include History of blood loss/anemia, pale white gums, dry flakey dandruff coat, dry cracked paw pads, lack of stamina.

  • Meats
  • Beef
  • Bone Marrow
  • Heart
  • Liver
  • Pork
  • Pork Skin
  • Fish
  • Oyster
  • Sardine
  • Vegetables
  • Aduki Beans
  • Alfalfa Sprout
  • Artichoke
  • Beet Root
  • Carrot
  • Dark Leafy Vegetables
  • Kelp
  • Kidney Bean
  • Parsley
  • Spinach
  • Watercress
  • Fruit
  • Fig
  • Date
  • Longan
  • Grains
  • Barley
  • Corn
  • Oats
  • Rice
  • Sweet Rice
  • Wheat Bran
  • Etc.
  • Black Sesame Seed
  • Chicken Egg
  • Duck Egg
  • Parsley
  • Molasses
  • Soy Milk

Signs of phlegm include Stinky greasy dog coat, “Dog smell”, goopy eyes, ear discharges, hot spots, gooey cough.

  • Fish
  • Clam
  • Crab
  • Lobster
  • Prawn
  • Shrimp
  • Vegetables
  • Kelp
  • Olive
  • Pepper
  • Radish
  • Seaweed
  • Shitake Mushroom
  • Water Chestnut
  • Fruit
  • Apple
  • Grapefruit Peel
  • Lemon Peel
  • Orange Peel
  • Pear
  • Nuts/Seeds
  • Almond
  • Walnut
  • Etc.
  • Basil
  • Caraway
  • Cardamon
  • Fennel Seed
  • Ginger
  • Marjoram
  • Pepper
  • Peppermint
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme

Signs of dampness include stiffness (worse in damp weather), obesity, weepy lesions without heat, and loose stool. Some examples of foods that form dampness are sugar, yeast, wheat, saturated fats, roasted peanuts, dairy products, bread, pork, bananas, and concentrated juices.

  • Fish
  • Anchovy
  • Mackerel
  • Sardine
  • Vegetables
  • Aduki Beans
  • Alfalfa Sprout
  • Asparagus
  • Celery
  • Kidney Bean
  • Lettuce
  • Mushroom
  • Pumpkin
  • Radish
  • Seaweed
  • Turnip
  • Fruit
  • Cranberry
  • Lemon
  • Papaya
  • Grains
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat
  • Corn
  • Job’s Tears
  • Lentils
  • Rye
  • Etc.
  • Green Tea
  • Horseradish
  • Jasmine Tea
  • Marjoram
  • Parsley
  • Pepper
  • Liver
  • Sweet Potato
  • Spinach
  • Cantaloupe/Melon
  • Carrot
  • Butter
  • Collard Greens
  • Egg
  • Broccoli
  • Kale
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Apricot
  • Milk
  • Pea
  • Mango
  • Papaya
  • Animal Livers
  • Citrus Fruits
  • Rose Hips
  • Seeds/Seed Oils
  • Tomato products
  • Rockfish
  • Broccoli
  • Nut/Nut Oils
  • Pumpkin
  • Mangoes
  • Papayas
  • Green, leafy vegetables
  • Sweet Potato
  • Asparagus
  • Olives

Foods that are toxic to animals and should not be fed are:

  • Alcohol
  • Apricot Pit
  • Avocado Peel
  • Cherry Pit
  • Chocolate
  • Grape/Raisin
  • Macadamia Nut
  • Mustard Leaf
  • Mustard Seed
  • Onion
  • Persimmon
  • Plum
  • Scallion
  • Raw Yeast/Dough
  • Xylitol