dog food

3 Basic Rules of Homemade Diet for Dogs

Cooking for your dog is not as complicated as it seems. It’s not rocket science. Of course, as a dog parent you’d want to make sure that what you’re feeding to your furry family member will make him or her healthy.

Dog parent Henrietta Morrison whips up a meal for her dog.

Why Switch to Homemade Diet for Dogs?

It’s hard to trust the dog food industry these days after all the pet food recalls that has been happening plus all the controversies surrounding the ingredients they use in making commercial dog feed. Toxic chemicals such as BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin, Propylene Glycol, artificial food dyes are only a few examples of commonly found cancer causing ingredients in commercial dog food.

There’s also the question of the quality of ingredients used. Meat by products with questionable origin and cheap protein substitutes such as corn and other grains which are poor protein source are all too common ingredients and that’s just scratching the surface.

It’s no wonder that a growing number of dog parents are turning to homemade diet for dogs.

If you’ve just decided to cook for your dogs and you’re not quite sure how to go about it, here are 3 basic rules to remember.

3 Basic Rules of Homemade Diet for Dogs

1. Variety is Key

Don’t stick to just one recipe. Feed your dog lots of different foods such as chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, fish, and eggs. By variety, we also mean feeding your dog different parts like muscle meat and organ meats. Keep in mind that different types of meat and different cuts of meat do carry different nutrient profiles. Add in a variety of fruits and vegetables.

By having variety in what you feed your dog, you are providing your furry family member with a wider range of nutrients. It’s perfectly okay to have a few recipes that are a staple to your dog’s diet. But don’t just serve one or two and exclude everything else.

2. Balance Over Time

I’m pretty sure that you don’t eat a complete and balanced meal all day, every day, the whole year round. Just like us, your dog doesn’t necessarily have to eat a complete and balanced meal every single time. What’s important is their nutritional needs are met over a period of days or weeks. The only time you need to be concerned about feeding your dog a complete and balanced meal every time is if you feed your dog a single recipe. Which is why variety, the first rule we mentioned is very important.

3. Know Which Ingredients Are Safe and Unsafe to Use

Some ingredients that we use for cooking are harmful to dogs. So you should be aware which ones are okay to use in your dog’s meals and which ones are not.

Onions for example are toxic to dogs. So do not ever use onions in a dog’s homemade diet. Avocados, macadamia nuts, grapes and raisins are also toxic to dogs. You might want to take a look at the Dog Food Secrets 5th Edition as it provides a list of Safe Ingredients for Homecooked Meals for Dogs. That’s a great place for you to start especially if you’re new in cooking your dog’s meals.

So these are the 3 basic rules of homemade diet for dogs. They’re pretty simple!

Here’s to your dog’s health, happiness and long life!