Homemade dog food — Want some recipes?
The sheer amount of dog food choices available to the consumer nowadays can be overwhelming, and with the added paranoia of poisonous preservatives and pet food recalls, some pet owners might want to opt for a more traditional menu.
However, before making any kind of change that will impact the health of your dog, you should always check with the vet first. The two of you could work together to come up with a meal plan that’s complete and nutritionally balanced. A good ratio would be 40% meat, 30% fruits or vegetables, and 30% starch.
Another reminder: never feed your dog raw meat. While some people may advocate a raw diet, it is actually inadvisable. Dogs can be susceptible to bacterial infections from salmonella and E-coli obtained from raw meat, which they could then potentially transfer onto their humans. Not only is it a danger to your pet, but it can become a danger to you as well.
You can prepare chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, duck, salmon, even eggs. Just make sure all the skin and bones are removed and only the meat remains. Steaming is always a good idea. It’s not as lethal to some nutrients as, say, boiling.
As for vegetables, organic would be preferable. Keep in mind, however, that not all veggies are good for your dog. What may be healthy for us might actually be toxic to them. Good choices are broccoli, squash, carrots, cucumbers and zucchini. Avoid peas, beans, onions, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms. You can provide fruits as well, such as apples, peaches and apricots, but be sure to remove the seeds and pits first. Do not include grapes, raisins and avocados. Fruits and veggies may be given raw, but you may steam the harder ones like squash for easier digestion.
Rice is an excellent source of starch/carbohydrates. Brown rice even more so. Potatoes are a good option as well. As with the meat, cook these as well before serving.
There are several combinations you could try. Here are but a few of them. Just keep the 40% meat, 30% fruits or vegetables, and 30% starch ratio in mind:
turkey + carrots + rice
beef + broccoli + potatoes
salmon + squash + brown rice
Once all the ingredients are prepared and cooked, mix them together (the pieces should be very tiny). Some dogs may not be able to digest beef properly, or lamb for that matter, so it’s up to you to keep an eye on your dog’s adverse reactions, if any. Try several different combinations of your homemade dog food and see which ones your dog prefers. It’s good to have a variety of meals at hand.
Make enough dog food to last three days. Any longer than that and the food won’t be as fresh. To compute for how much you should prepare, take your adult dog’s body weight and multiply it by 0.4. The answer is more or less the number of ounces he should consume in a day. Keep the formula refrigerated when not in use. You may want to store the ingredients separately, and mix them only during mealtime. That way, if one of them should spoil, the others won’t be affected.
Any new food should be introduced little by little over a span of several days. For instance, on the first day, give him ninety percent of his regular commercial dog food and only ten percent of the new mixture. On the second day, make it 80:20, and so on, until the homemade formula completely replaces the commercial one.
Not only is homemade dog food tasty, it’s healthy as well. If it’s good enough for you to eat, it’s good enough for your dog, too. And you’ll never have to worry about dubious ingredients and indecipherable pet food labels ever again.
