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How To Make Healthy Homemade Dog Food
A lot of people wonder if it's okay to feed your dog homemade dinners. Well, of course it's okay…but you do have to be careful with the ingredients you serve and the amount of food you serve. After all, commercial dog food is just a company throwing together ingredients and telling you how much to serve your dog. You can actually do that yourself, probably even better than they can.
What are the best ingredients to include in your dog's homemade dog food?
Hearty soups and stews made from a combination of slowly simmered meats or fish, easily digested veggies, and a whole grain such as potatoes or brown rice, for bulk, will be well received by your dog's taste buds and digestive system.
Dog burgers, too, that contain a bit of healthy starch like potato or brown rice, some carrots and peas, and a simple gravy, would make a nice meal for your mutt.
You may find that your dog is better able to digest doggy dinners that have been mashed up into a pate of sorts. Some dogs of course appreciate some savory chunks of meat, smothered in gravy… yummm. But others may not be able to digest chunky food, and if yours is one of them then stick to ground or mashed homemade dog food recipes.
Main ingredients of homemade dog food:
- Leftover meat from your own meals – chicken, pork, beef, venison, fish
- Organ meats – liver, kidney
- Fish – fresh, frozen or canned
- Grains such as potatoes, and rice (avoid pasta or bread as much as possible)
Do not season your dog's meals with onion or garlic! These can make him very sick. Only small, well-cooked amounts that he might ingest in human leftovers once in a while, should be okay for him. We recommend consulting this list of foods that are toxic to your dog to ensure you're feeding only the best ingredients.
How many meals should your dog eat per day?
Some vets advise that your dog only needs to eat one meal per day. This of course is debatable and will depend on your pet and his or her needs/preferences.
Smaller dogs often need to eat smaller meals more frequently. Sometimes their blood sugar can dip, and if your dog goes without a meal for too long he may vomit bile, which is disgusting for you, and unpleasant for him, but it can be avoided. If this happens, you will know to offer your dog two meals per day rather than just one.
How much homemade dog food should you feed to your dog?
If you've been a dog owner for some time, then you know the right amount of dog food that he'd eat if you were feeding him bagged or canned, store-bought food. The amount of homemade food that you feed him will be about the same.
A larger dog's bowl will be larger, to accommodate his size and dietary needs.
A smaller dog's bowl will be smaller, to accommodate his size and dietary needs.
If you would normally fill the bowl halfway for your dog, then do that with your homemade dog food meals as well. Pay attention to his overall health and weight and you will come to the optimum feeding level. A visit to your vet after you've changed your dog's diet is also recommended to ensure everything is a-okay with your dog
