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Making Your Own Dog Food

Ratnashri Dutta
Pet lovers say that cooking for your dog is one of the best things that you can do for your furry friend. Homemade food is safe and contains no chemicals. Here is some more information about the method, the precautions, and the benefits of giving your dog fresh, home-cooked meals...
Just like we humans can't live on just canned food, our pets can't just survive on canned food or packed food, even though it is made specially for them.
It is true that canned food for pets contains formulated nutrition in them, but this food also contains chemicals or preservatives which are harmful for our pets. Some of them are also not nutritious enough for the pets. So what's the alternative?

Dog Food Made Easy

Preparing your dog's meals at home is simple and not at all time-consuming. But there are certain pointers that you need to keep in mind before you start. Here are some of the important ones.
  • Before you start, always have a talk with your pet's vet. Get a proper physical checkup of your dog done, so that you know what it is allergic to, which are the minerals and vitamins it lacks, etc.
  • Make a list of all the products that your dog should be kept away from. Make sure that you do not add any of these in your dog's diet, as it will damage its digestive system.
  • The most important things that you should include in the homemade meals are foods containing vitamins and proteins. Fruits and vegetables are nutrition-dense, but they should make up only around 15-20% of your dog's diet. It should also contain more of calcium (from milk and yogurt), carbohydrates (brown rice or oats and barley), fats (fresh fish oil).
  • It's better if you include raw meat in your dog's diet, as that has been their staple diet for their entire evolutionary history. Do not forget to add the bones from the meats in their diet.
  • Do not repeat the same food items day in and day out. Give them some variety, or else they will just become bored.

Benefits of Homemade Food
Home-cooked meals for your pooch have become quite popular among dog lovers, due to the various dog illnesses that arise due to some of the ingredients present in canned dog food.
It's not that the manufacturers add harmful chemicals in the food deliberately, but your dog might be allergic to some of the ingredients that are present in the food, resulting in various health issues.
If you are in charge of its food, not only can you avoid the ingredients that your dog is allergic to, but you can also add some more nutritional foods that you think will be good for your dog. Still not convinced? Here are the main benefits.

Health Conscious

If you are making food at home, then you can be careful about the ingredients that you use. Some of the sugar-rich commercial dog foods can also cause obesity, but with home-cooked food, you will be able to regulate the ingredients that you use in your pet's food.

Fresh Food

Homemade food will ensure that your best friend gets fresh supply of food everyday, instead of dated food.

Variety

Giving your dog the same canned foods day in and day out will only make your dog lose its appetite. Trying out new recipes at home will give them many options everyday.

Cheaper

If homemade and canned foods were to be compared, the former is obviously cheaper. The price of precooked food is always higher than the price of homemade food. You can buy what you want, you can check what is on sale, and then cook them at home without paying someone to do that for you.
It's cheaper for you, and healthier for your dog! Taking proper care of your dog is your responsibility, and making food for them regularly can be rather more than that―it can actually be quite enjoyable.