We all want our pups to eat quality, well-balanced foods. There are numerous options in the commercial food market. We’ve listed several of them on the Food Allergies page of the website.
But what if you’re looking to take your dog’s meal in to your own hands? A homemade dog food.
Many pet owners are preparing the food themselves. Let’s take a look at some of the options for homemade dog food.
Homemade Dog Food: Where to Start?
You should probably start with talking to your vet. They can help you make a plan and let you know if you need to consider a certain type of diet based on your dog’s health.
Another good step is to find out what your dog may be allergic to. There is a great home test that can show you which food and environmental allergens are affecting your furry friend. Then you can take the necessary steps to remove those allergens.
We used it with Norman and it was very simple to do. And we got the results back in a week. We found out that his dog food had several ingredients that was causing him issues. So we were able to use the results to switch his dog food to something that worked much better for him.
It didn’t eliminate all his itching, but it was a great improvement! It is definitely worth a try.
How Do I Start Making My Own Dog Food?
Obviously making your own dog food is going to take a little effort as well. It’s easy to scoop out a cup of kibble and put it in a bowl. And generally speaking, commercial dog foods do provide a fairly well-balanced diet.
But if your dog has allergies, skin conditions, or other medical issues, it may be beneficial for you to control more of what your dog eats.
When you’re getting started, be sure to transition slowly. Just like you would when switching to any other dog food. Start by adding just a little bit of the homemade food to the current kibble your dog is eating. Then slowly add more and more of the homemade food and less of the kibble, until your pup is completely transitioned to the new diet.
Commitment
If you couldn’t tell by now, making homemade dog food is going to require a bit of time and consistency. You may have to visit a few different grocery stores to get all the ingredients you need. And then there’s actually cooking the food.
I would recommend making batches large enough to last about 2 weeks. Oh, did I mention you’ll need some storage space?
You will also need some kitchen equipment. If you don’t have a decent meat grinder, you should probably get one. Also recommended would be a food scale.
What Recipe Do I Use?
Probably all of them! Variety will be your best friend when it comes to homemade dog food. In order for your dog to get all of the nutrients they require, you will want to use several different recipes.
You will want to try to follow the rule of 25%-35% protein and 20% fats.
Every meal doesn’t necessarily need to meet that exact nutrition balance. Just as long as the meals are well-balanced over the course of a week or so. I’ve linked to a couple articles at the end of the post that have several recipe ideas.
As you are starting on your homemade dog food journey, be sure to follow the recipes exactly. It’s not quite the same as cooking for yourself. Don’t experiment. You could change the nutritional value of the meal. Remember, you’re trying to keep it balanced, so be precise.
Also, there are a number of foods that dogs absolutely should not eat. Grapes, chocolate, and onions are just a few. Here is a good list of foods they should NOT eat.
Supplementing Homemade Dog Food Recipes
It is very likely that you’ll need to use supplements with your recipes. Remember when making large batches too, the longer the food is frozen, the more nutrients are lost. Here are some supplements to consider:
Calcium – This is a must. You can use natural calcium supplements like ground eggshells, or Animal Essentials makes a natural seaweed calcium supplement that can be sprinkled in. 1 teaspoon per pound of food is all you need.
Omega 3/Omega 6 Oils – We’ve talked about these through the website and blog due to their benefits to the skin and coat. If you don’t include much fish in your dog food, you might add one of these supplements. You can find them in liquid or pill form.
Vitamin E – Homemade dog food diets often lack enough vitamin E. Here’s a multivitamin that covers it, as well as several other beneficial supplements.
This should be enough to point you in the right direction. Be sure to do your research. Check several sources before getting started. You need to know what exactly you’re getting into and have a game plan.
If you do jump in to the homemade dog food game, let us know. We’d love to see your creations. Tag us on social media. Links are at the bottom of every page.
Good Luck!
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