With homemade dog food, dog owners get the peace of mind of knowing exactly what is going into their dogs' food.

Tips on Homemade Food for Your Dog

In this Springtime Dog Health Spotlight, we examine each of the four major dog feeding styles: dry, wet, raw, and homemade. We'll go over the basics for each style, the pros/cons, best practices, and things to avoid.


Homemade Dog Food: A Growing Trend

During the past decade, the popularity of homemade dog food has increased dramatically. This trend has been influenced by recent recalls of commercial dog food products because of accidental contamination and unscrupulous manufacturing practices. Some dog owners have opted for homemade dog food alternatives to combat allergies or simply to improve their dog's overall well being. Whatever the motivation, homemade dog food gives owners control over the quality of the food they give their dogs; however, these diets require significant research and effort to perfect.


Homemade Dog Food Summary

Pros:

  • Control over the quality of food
  • Improved bioavailability of nutrients
  • Less processing prevents nutrient loss
  • Can help eliminate known allergens
  • Lower carbohydrate content prevents weight gain
  • Improved water consumption improves kidney function

Cons:

  • Time consuming
  • Risk of imbalanced diet causing health issues
  • Can lead to weight gain, if carb intake is not monitored

Benefits of Homemade Dog Food

The main benefit of homemade dog food is the higher quality of its human-grade ingredients. Beyond the incidence of tainted commercial dog food, the ingredients legally allowed in dog food might surprise the average dog owner. Animal-grade meats (grade-4D) allowed in pet food can come from dying, diseased, and even decaying animals. Animal byproduct meals can include indigestible scraps that are only protein in the technical sense. Moreover, commercial dog foods frequently contain carbohydrate fillers, which contribute to obesity and allergies. They also commonly include undesirable additives, flavorings, and preservatives to compensate for the poor quality of the main ingredients. Of course, there are brands of dog food that have higher quality standards, but for the homemade dog food proponent, these standards just do not cut it.


Challenges of Homemade Dog Food

The downside of homemade dog food—aside from the time and expense—is the risk of making a dog sick because of nutritional miscalculations. Achieving a balanced diet for a dog can more difficult than it sounds. In fact, a recent study by UC Davis analyzed 200 homemade dog food recipes from various sources and concluded that all but 9 of them were incomplete or imbalanced, according to the standards set forth by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).


Help From the Pros

Before attempting a switch to a homemade regimen, a canine nutritionist can be consulted to make recommendations on a dog's particular needs and how to make the smoothest transition to a new diet. Perhaps the safest route is to get a little help from a complete dog food mix. These are commercially available kits containing some of the more complicated aspects of a dog's nutritional profile, to which one adds fresh ingredients, such as the meat, eggs, and dairy. This gives a dog owner control over the quality of the protein, while eliminating some of the guesswork on the nutrition—assuming the mix meets AAFCO guidelines.


The Basics of Homemade Dog Food

The correct balance is complicated and should be tailored to the particular dog. There are varying opinions on the appropriate percentages of protein, organ meat, fat, and vegetable content, but alas there is no consensus. Some trial and error is to be expected. Health supplements are strongly encouraged, in conjunction with homemade dog food, to compensate for any nutrients that might be lacking or poorly absorbed. A specialist in canine nutrition, though, can help the owner avoid vast miscalculations regarding supplements for homemade dog food.


The following is a breakdown of the required components of a homemade dog food.

Protein & Fats

The primary source of protein should be muscle meat from such sources as chicken, beef, lamb, pork, or fish. Game animals can also be used as for pets with protein sensitivities. The fat content will vary between the different proteins, as well as the different cuts of meat. It is acceptable to remove excess fat from the meat; however, dogs do need fat for a healthy and balanced diet, because fats and oils will also help avoid any deficiencies in fat-soluble vitamins. Variation in protein sources can also provide a variety of essential amino acids. Table scraps may be used, but these should be proteins that people would eat, not just discarded cuts (e.g., trimmed fat and skin).


Some homemade dog food proponents opt for a raw diet. Raw meat requires special care to for a dog and its owner. Pork, fish, and rabbit, among others, are common a raw diet and you should treat them they same way you would treat food for human consumption—by making sure bowls, utensils, counters, and anything else the meat comes in contact with—is clean and sanitized. Raw bones are packed with valuable vitamins and minerals; however, if the dog is not familiar with eating them, broken teeth or dangerous bone splinters can result. When giving a pet raw bones for the first few feedings, monitor the pet closely until they get the hang of it.


Other good sources of protein include eggs and dairy, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, or cheddar/Swiss.


Organ Meat

A small percentage of the protein should be organ meat to include essential nutrients found only in these organs. Note that the heart is a muscle, so it doesn't count as organ meat. It's important to vary the type of organ meat to prevent hyper-nutrition (e.g., vitamin A toxicity from too much liver). Varying the source of the organ meat will also help provide a variety of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. It's perfectly acceptable to try chicken gizzards one day and beef liver the next. (Variety is the spice of life!)


Calcium

Dogs require high levels of calcium. Unless a recipe includes some form of digestible bone, then calcium should be supplemented. There are commercially available calcium supplements. Alternatively, eggshells can be ground into powder for an absorbable calcium source.


Fiber & Carbohydrates

Unlike humans, dogs can get glucose from meat and fats alone, so they don't "need" carbs. That said, fiber is important for healthy digestion. Brown rice, oats, barley, and quinoa are excellent choices in this capacity; whereas, wheat and corn (common sources of dog allergies) should be avoided.


Fruits & Vegetables

Although dogs are primarily carnivorous, fruits and vegetables can help round out their nutritional profile, providing vitamins, fiber, and protein. Some common fruits and vegetables include: kelp, alfalfa, green beans, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini/squash, celery, bell peppers, blueberries, apples, pineapple, mango, cranberries, beets, cantaloupes, broccoli, and cauliflower. As stated previously, varying the vegetables the dog consumes can help enhance dietary balance.


Some vegetables can prevent absorption of important nutrients, so it's important to research a new vegetable before introducing it to a dog's diet. Onions, leeks, grapes, raisins, and macadamia nuts can be toxic to dogs and should be avoided. If the pet is prone to bladder stones or other metabolic issues, it is best to consult a nutritionist to get the best suggestions for vegetables.


Dog Supplements for Homemade Food

As mentioned earlier, the vast majority of homemade dog food recipes are not perfectly balanced. Supplementation, such as Springtime Longevity and Skin & Coat oil are excellent supplements that can be given during a meal of homemade dog food.



To learn more about another feeding style, click one of the links below...

Dry Dog Food

Wet Dog Food

Raw Dog Food


< 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5


No matter which feeding style you prefer, you can replicate the diet nature intended with these natural supplements for dogs:


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