Homemade food in general is delicious. Cooking for your dog is not as difficult as you think. Being the parent of your dog is hard and rewarding work. Your loyal companion deserves to have an active, healthy, and long life.
Why Switch to Homemade Dog Food?
The dog food industry is very difficult to trust these days. It seems every few weeks, a major brand of pet food is recalled. Why are these foods being recalled? Simple, the ingredients that are being used are killing your dog.
Toxic chemicals like Propylene Glycol, BHA, Ethoxyquin, BHT, and fake dyes have been found to cause liver damage, kidney disease, and even cancer. It has gotten so bad, even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has had to step in and recall many pet foods products.
(Dog Food Recall Video Courtesy of Veterinary Secrets)
Low-quality ingredients
There have been many questions about the quality of the ingredients used for dog food. Meat whose origin is questionable. Cheap proteins like low-grade corn and grains. Many of the ingredients that have been banned for human consumption are still legal to put in dog food.
More and more dog parents are leaving commercial dog foods on the shelf and are turning to make homemade dog food.
Making your own dog food may sound scary to make your own dog food but it is easier than you think.
1. Variety is Key
Dogs are a lot like people. I love lasagna. If I ate lasagna every day of the year, I would get sick of it. Dogs are the same way, they need variety. Feed your dog all different types of meat like chicken, lamb, fish, beef, and eggs.
Not just different types of food, but also different cuts of meat and organs. This will give your dog a wide variety of nutrition. Don’t forget to add in fruits and vegetables.
The variety of food your dog will enjoy will keep them very healthy. It is okay to have three or four recipes you rotate for your pet, just realize the goal is nutrient and variety.
2. Balance Over Time
Try as we might, it is very difficult to eat a balanced meal every day, at every meal, the whole year. Take the pressure off yourself and feed your dog balanced nutrition over time. Over a period of days and weeks, your dog should be getting proper nutrition.
The only time this rule does not work is if you feed your dog a single recipe. If that is the case, it better has everything in it. That is why having a variety is so important for proper nutrition.
3. Know Which Ingredients Are Safe and Unsafe to Use
There are just some ingredients that you should never feed your dog. An example of this is onions. Onions may add flavor to a human dish, but onions are toxic to dogs.
Here are a few more toxic items to stay away from to ensure the health of your pet. Avocados, macadamia nuts, grapes, and raisins. These foods may be delicious to humans but absolutely terrible for dogs.
Here is what a great dog meal looks like.
Courtesy of Damndelicious.net
It looks so delicious that it would be great even for humans to eat.
4. How much food does my dog need?
These are not hard and fast rules for homemade dog food, but use them as a guideline of what to do. If your dog is super active you may need to feed them more food.
| Dog weight | Food per day |
| 12 pounds | 1 cup |
| 25 pounds | 2 cups |
| 50 pounds | 4 cups |
| 100 pounds | 8 cups |
If you are uncertain check with your veterinarian. Every dog has slightly different nutritional needs. Some dogs like purebreds and French Poodles can be more prone to allergies.
Transition your pet slowly to human food. Although they will beg you with the sad dog face that can move you to do anything, hold firm. You want to protect your dog from upset stomachs.
Dog Food Secrets is an amazing resource to guide you through recipes, dog health, vitamins, and minerals.
Make the switch, your dog will love you for it.
Here is a fun article about how some dogs eat.
