Homemade Dog Food | How To Homemake Your Dog’s Food The RIGHT Way
What do you feed your dog? For most people this answer is simple. “I feed them dog food”. Some more involved owners may confidently explain what brand of dog food they feed and why it’s the best. And then there’s the select few that feed an alternative diet. They’ll give you a complete, unsolicited masterclass about the raw diet, grain free diet, or vegan diet that they swear by and could write a book about why their method is better than yours. So what’s the deal with these alternative homemade diets? Should you feed your dog a homemade dog food? Well…it depends…
Why should you feed your dog a homemade dog food?
By far the biggest reason people feed a homemade dog food is it allows you, the owner, to hand select every aspect of what your dog consumes. If it’s important to you that your dog eats only natural or organic foods then you can buy only those ingredients to prepare. A homemade diet also allows your dog to eat a much wider variety of foods. Variety is the spice of life after all, and would you be willing to eat the same thing day after day? Like many foods we as people have access to on a daily basis, most major dog foods are packed full of preservatives, additives, and potentially harmful chemicals. Why would these companies do this? Shelf life. Food rots, and in order to get it to a state that allows it to be put in a bag or can it must be synthetically preserved with additives. Now, this doesn’t mean that all preservatives are bad or all dog food companies are evil; it’s just about convenience for pet owners and sales for companies. Lastly, feeding a homemade diet lets you know you’re feeding the best food possible without the worry of deciphering confusing pet food labels. (which we help with here)
All these reasons are great, but unfortunately feeding your dog a homemade diet is always going to be more challenging than buying premade wet or dry kibble. Formulating a diet for your dog is not just about what they like to eat. It’s a balance of what is safe, what is nutritious, and what is palatable. According to studies, 95% of homemade dog food recipes tested by veterinary nutritionists were deficient in at least 1 essential nutrient with 84% lacking multiple required nutrients. These inadequacies were mainly in calcium, phosphorous, potassium, copper, zinc, as well as vitamins A and E. A deficiency in any of these vital nutrients can lead to severe health problems down the line including osteodystrophy (issues with bone growth), osteopenia (bone loss), and hyperparathyroidism (overactive thyroid) just to name a few. Don’t let these scare you though! When done correctly, it is very possible to feed your dog a homemade dog food that is better than any alternative.
How do you formulate a homemade dog food?
Creating your own homemade dog food that’s nutritionally sound is actually a straightforward process. It all comes down to determining the nutritional requirements for your dog then selecting the ingredients that meet these requirements. So what are these requirements? Well, for a full breakdown on canine nutrition check out this post, but in a nutshell nutrients are broken down into 2 categories, macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Macronutrients are what your dog uses for energy, and micronutrients are the substances needed to keep your dog’s body balanced and operating properly. Healthy dogs need a specific amount of every type of macronutrient and most micronutrients. You can read our full guide on how to calculate your dog’s nutritional requirements here and create your own recipes, but to simplify the entire process you can use the website below to derive custom recipes for your dog. https://secure.balanceit.com/recipegenerator_ver4/index.php?rotator=EZ
How to prepare a homemade dog food?
Now that the hard part is done and you have all your ingredients in the correct quantities, it’s time to prepare your dog’s food. First, cook all meat via your preferred method for a minimum of 10 minutes to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 Celsius). All carbohydrate sources should be boiled to make it easier to digest, and all vegetable sources can be steamed and pureed to improve absorption. Thankfully, dogs do not care about presentation, so once everything is cooked you can then blend it all together before feeding or putting away (this also helps give a nice, even distribution for those picky eaters who like to select their favorite parts and leave the rest). Any vitamin or mineral supplement can then be added after cooking and blending. Remember not to drain any excess liquid in your dog’s food as this keeps the food high in moisture, and store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer because there are no preservatives in this food.
What about a raw diet?
The raw diet is exactly what it sounds like, it’s feeding your dog a diet of uncooked ingredients such as muscle or organ meat, whole or crushed bones, and/or raw eggs. Occasionally, people will also include fruits, vegetables, or dairy (all uncooked of course). Proponents of the raw diet claim it has given their dogs a shinier coat, healthier skin, cleaner teeth, and more energy among other benefits. Be aware, however, that these claims are almost entirely anecdotal and not backed by any peer reviewed research. Even if we assume these claims to be true, the raw diet is still highly risky to not only your dog’s health but yours as well. Raw ingredients, particularly meat, can host a wide variety of bacteria and pathogens that could make your dog sick, and when your dog licks you or a surface you touch those same pathogens can easily end up infecting you. Cooking the meat first kills these bacteria and almost completely eliminates these risks. Additionally, many who feed a raw diet also feed the bones of the animal. Objects like chicken bones can puncture internal organs or worse and cause serious intestinal damage that could be fatal. If you decide to feed a raw diet, be sure you are extra careful with contaminants and aware of all potential risks.
What about a vegetarian or vegan diet?
Some people who would like an alternative to feeding their dogs meat products may elect to feed a vegetarian or vegan diet to their dogs? While this is not considered the most ideal diet due to dogs’ predatory biology, it is still possible to feed this diet and prevent any serious health problems in your dog. The primary reason a plant based diet is suboptimal is because any diet excluding animal derived ingredients may not provide sufficient levels of critical nutrients. Therefore, to make sure your dog is receiving all the macro and micronutrients they require it is imperative that you supplement their diet with synthetically produced essential nutrients when feeding a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Last thoughts
For most pet owners, feeding your dog a manufactured dry food is a convenient, simple, and economic way to ensure your dog is receiving a nutritionally complete diet. For those pet owners who feel inspired to go above and beyond by taking their pet’s health in their own control, a homemade diet that is well prepared and meets all the nutritional requirements can be a fantastic alternative that will provide your dog with everything they need to live a long and healthy life.
