Are you thinking about taking control of your dog’s diet and start preparing homemade dog food? Your dog is part of your family and if you cook for your family, why not cook for your pooch as well?
As fun as it can be to prepare your dog’s food from scratch, it’s not as simple as cooking for humans. There are some differences and things you need to know before you take things to the kitchen.
Article contents
Why would you want to make homemade dog food?
Preparing your dog’s food at home is a great option if you have a dog with a sensitive digestive system. Whenever a dog has an upset stomach, vets usually tell owners to feed them a bland diet. Usually something like poached chicken and rice without any seasoning. Preparing homemade dog food can be the best and safest option for your dog. Especially if it tends to have any problems related to stomach sensitivity.
Dry dog food is highly processed. So its ingredients tend to lose nutritional value during production. By taking matters into your own hands you’ll know exactly what is going in your dog’s diet. Because you’ll be using fresh foods, you’ll avoid additives and preservatives. These can be harmful to your dog’s health.
Even if you end up not feeding your pooch homemade dog food every day, it can still be handy to keep around some recipes. That way you’ll have an alternative in case you run out of dry dog food.
What you should know before preparing your dog’s food?
Every dog is different which means each dog will have different nutritional needs. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution. You’ll need to take into consideration several factors when choosing what’s right for your dog. Some of these factors are your dog’s weight, health conditions, size, and activity level.
The next step is to guarantee that your dog’s diet is complete and balanced. But this doesn’t mean that each meal will have to be complete and balanced on its own. It means that your dog’s diet needs to be complete and balanced over time.
This means that your dog’s diet should include a wide variety of foods so it can get everything it needs to be healthy. Unless you’re planning on feeding your dog the same homemade dog food every day with little to no variation.
What you should avoid when preparing your dog’s food?
The first thing you shouldn’t do is planning your dog’s diet on your own. Even recipes created by veterinarians can fall short in certain nutrients. Before your hit the supermarket, make sure you pick recipes created by an expert in pet nutrition.
Check out BalanceIT. It’s a website run by a pet nutritionist that can help you build a semi-individualized diet for your pooch.
It’s already complicated enough to prepare homemade dog food for a healthy dog. But if your dog has any health problems it can need a special diet. If this is your dog’s case, talk to a certified pet nutritionist that has experience making dog food. You’ll need specialized to create the best diet for your dog’s needs and creating custom recipes. If you don’t know where to find one, ask your vet.
Do you like to try new things in the kitchen? That’s great but do that when your cooking for yourself and your family. When it comes to homemade dog food you shouldn’t improvise. If you’re looking to mix things up in your dog’s diet save it for the treats. You can feed your dog some fresh fruits and vegetables as treats. But before you do, always look up what foods your dog can and cannot eat.
Make sure you cook every animal product that you feed your dog. You’ll want to kill any harmful bacteria. Also make sure you cook grains, beans, and starchy vegetables so they become easier for your dog to digest.
Making sense of it all
Cooking your dog’s diet isn’t simply preparing one more serving when you cook for the whole family. Your dog has different nutritional needs and some human foods can be toxic for dogs.
Do your research and create a complete and balanced diet for your dog with the help of a pet nutritionist. After that, you’ll be able to start cooking for your four-legged best bud.
Watch your dog’s weight closely in the first 2 to 3 weeks after your start making homemade dog food. You don’t want your dog to gain nor lose too much weight. That way you’ll know if you’re feeding your dog everything it needs.
Preparing homemade dog food is not for you after all? That’s alright, it’s not for everyone and there are other options. You can buy pre-made meals for your dog. Choose meals prepared with whole ingredients and with the same principles in mind.
