Complete And Balanced Homemade Dog Food Recipes

What Is The Best Dog Food Nutritionally

The best dog food provides all the nutrients your dog needs to be healthy. It also has the right amount of calories for the amount of food your dog needs to feel full. This all depends on your dogs age, breed, metabolism, size, and activity level. This is why you should always consult your vet when deciding on the right diet for your dog.

Foods Not Safe For Dogs:

The most important thing to know when making homemade dog food for your dog are the foods they should NOT eat.

You can do a quick google search for an all-inclusive list or buy a doggie cookbook for reference. Heres a list from the Humane Society of foods that can be poisonous to pets. Be sure to take the necessary precautions if you plan to start cooking for your dog, but also know, theres really not that much to worry about!

Here are some common human foods that should not be fed to your dog:

Charlie LOVES his homemade food and Im excited to experiment with new recipes and treats for him, so if you want to see more recipes for your pup, let me know in the comment section below!

Improving Your Dog’s Health With A Homemade Diet

Balancing the diet is the most important factor. If the meal plan is not balanced, it can ultimately lead to many deficiencies. If there is an imbalance of vitamins or minerals in the diet, dogs can run into health problems quite quickly. Especially in puppies, it can happen in just a few months. This is the main reason that vets are opposed to homemade meals, they are the ones who witness all the deficiencies firsthand.

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The Ultimate Dog Food Formula

* Gizzards and hearts are considered muscle and organ meats. They have many benefits for your dog, but should be supplemented with strict organ meats like liver and kidney. ** Recent trends show that some dog owners are choosing to feed grain-free diets, and youve probably even seen some commercial foods advertised this way. According to the AKC, most dogs do just fine eating wheat and other grains but, as always, figure out what works best for your individual dog, including whether he or she has a gluten intolerance.

Nutritionally Complete Homemade Dog Food

A DIY dog food diet can be an excellent choice for your dog, but you may need to add supplements to the food or give your dog vitamins to make sure hes getting all the nutrients he needs each day. Homemade meals may not always have the nutrients your dog needs in a 24 hour period. If you have a question about this, be sure to check with your veterinarian for their advice on making sure your dog gets all the nutrients he needs.

Also, be sure to check with your vet for the proper portion size to give your pup! This will vary from commercially manufactured pet food. Your vet will have the best advice on how much to serve your dog to keep him happy and healthy.

Now, were ready to look at some homemade dog food recipes!

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How To Transition Your Dog To A Raw Diet

Understand, some dogs have sensitive GI tracts. So, to prevent stomach issues, you need to transition to raw dog food, gradually.

Consider the following as a starting point:

Week 1: 25% new food and 75% old foodWeek 2: 50% new food and 50% old foodWeek 3: 25% new food and 75% old foodWeek 4: 100% new food

Some dog owners choose to start at 50% to simplify things but if your dog is hypersensitive, start at 25% . Extend the transition time to 5 weeks or longer if you feel it will make it easier for your dog to adjust.

Do not abruptly change your dogs food. It might cause upset stomachs, diarrhea, or vomiting.

How To Prepare A Nutritionally Complete Homemade Dog Food

October 7, 2021// by Estrella Bolton//

Preparing homemade dog food for pet owners to give their canine companion a great treat or healthy way of life is really not that hard. Many dogs love human food and sometimes a homemade dog food diet can appeal to a picky pooch more than any commercial dog foods, like generic canned food. Its also a safer option than simply feeding your pup raw food. However, a healthy diet for a human is likely not very healthy for a dog. Meeting and understanding dog nutrition is highly important to keep your buddy healthy and happy in the long term. This guide will help you learn how to feed your dog nutritionally balanced diet using homemade dog food recipes.

Article Summary

• How Do I Switch Over?

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Complete And Balanced Dog Food Diets

Its important homemade dog food is complete and balanced, meaning it meets all of the dogs nutritional needs. It is not important, however, that every meal be complete and balanced, unless you feed the same meal every day with little or no variation.

Home-prepared dog diets that include a wide variety of foods fed at different meals rely on balance over time, not at every meal. Similar to the way humans eat, as long as your dog gets everything he needs spread out over each week or two, his diet will be complete and balanced.

A human nutritionist would never expect someone to follow a single recipe with no variation, as veterinary nutritionists routinely do. Instead, a human would be given guidelines in terms of food groups and portion sizes. As long as your dog doesnt have a health problem that requires a very specific diet, homemade dog food should be the same way.

For more on homemade dog treats, see DIY Gifts for Dogs: Homemade Dog Treats & Healthy Recipes.

Keep in mind that puppies are more susceptible to problems caused by nutritional deficiencies or excesses than adult dogs are. Large-breed puppies are particularly at risk from too much calcium prior to puberty. See Puppy Food: Nutritional Guidelines to Maximize Health, for more on puppy nutrition.

Is It Cheaper To Make Your Own Dog Food

Whether or not it is cheaper to make your own dog food depends on the dry food, you typically buy and the ingredients you get.

You can save money making homemade dog food, especially if you make it in bulk and store it in an airtight container.

Buying meat like ground chicken on sale and freezing it in batches can also reduce your costs. Just be sure to also account for the cost of your time, especially if you have a busy household or many dogs.

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What To Watch For When Feeding Homemade Dog Food

It’s important to monitor your dog closely when changing to homemade dog food. Stay in contact with your veterinarian regarding any changes you notice, whether good or bad. For best results, keep a record of your dog’s weight and body condition over time. Weigh your dog at least once per week and contact your vet if you notice unintended weight loss or gain. Watch for vomiting or diarrhea that may occur if your dog is sensitive to one or more ingredients. Note and report these or any other signs of illness to your veterinarian.

Dietary Supplements For Home

Some supplements are required in addition to natural food for dogs. Others may be needed if you are not able to feed a variety of foods, or if you leave out one or more of the food groups above. In addition, the longer food is cooked or frozen, the more nutrients are lost. Here are some dog supplements to consider:

Calcium

Unless you feed RMBs, all homemade diets must be supplemented with calcium. The amount found in multivitamin and mineral supplements is not enough. Give 800 to 1,000 mg calcium per pound of food . You can use any form of plain calcium, including eggshells ground to powder in a clean coffee grinder . Animal Essentials Seaweed Calcium provides additional minerals, as well. And here is a good list of calcium-rich foods your dog may like. Just please note this list is for humans and includes orange juice, which is not a good thing to give your dog as the acidity can cause stomach upset.

Oils

Most homemade diets require added oils for fat, calories, and to supply particular nutrients. Its important to use the right types of oils, as each supplies different nutrients.

Fish Oil: Fish oil for dogs provides EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids that help to regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. Give an amount that provides about 300 mg EPA and DHA combined per 20 to 30 pounds of body weight on days you dont feed fish. Note that liquid fish oil supplements often tell you to give much more than this, which can result in too many calories from fat.

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Homemade Recipes For Raw Dog Food

Its time to get cooking! Here is a list of our favorite balance, vet-approved and complete homemade raw dog food recipes.

As a bonus, we added a recipe for a special treat that is tasty and packed with impressive health benefits. This recipe can do a lot for your canines health and wellness. It has our favorite secret ingredient, dog CBD oil.

For even more BARF diet recipes for dogs and cooking options, this raw dog food cookbook can come in handy to have at your disposal. Or better yet, you can have an entire dog raw diet menu at your disposal thanks to the brands we recommend on our Raw Dog Food Guide.

Note: Please consult with your pets veterinarian & use personal judgment when applying this information to your dogs diet. The recipes below do not include serving size because portion sizes will vary depending on breed, weight, activity level, age, and health of your dog.

CBD Infused Treat | Ground Beef Raw Mix | Raw Boneless Turkey |Organ Patties | Chicken & Greens

Bee Pollen Raw Dog Food Meal Idea

Studies have shown that Bee Pollen helps withâ¦allergies and is effective in upper respiratory ailments. Bee Pollen can improve performance, strength and stamina .

This raw food meal contains: Ground beef, green tripe, duck neck, beef kidney, vegetable cube , green Lipped Mussel Powder, and local Bee Pollen.

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Transitioning To Homemade Dog Food

Most dogs dont have a problem making the switch to homemade food. If yours is prone to digestive issues, start slowly by mixing a little bit of the homemade food with the commercial food.

Over the course of a week or two, gradually increase the amount of homemade food while decreasing the commercial food.

If your dog vomits or has diarrhea, try introducing only a couple of new ingredients at a time until their systems are well adjusted to the fresh diet.

For dogs with health issues, please consult with a veterinarian if you arent sure what kind of supplements are needed. Use your best judgment, the way you would when feeding yourself or your family.

Ingredients Needed For This Homemade Dog Food Recipe:

This DIY dog food made at home is filled with rich protein, vegetables, and healthy grains. Heres what youll need:

• Coconut oil provides a variety of health benefits for dogs, such as improving the skin and coat, increasing energy, aiding digestion, and reducing allergic reactions, just to name a few. And just like us, your dog needs healthy fats in their diet.
• Ground turkey will add necessary protein to your dogs diet, as well as important vitamins and minerals.
• Veggies this homemade dog food recipe uses a mix of zucchini, spinach and carrots. All are safe for dogs and will provide your baby with a variety of nutrients.
• Turmeric a dog-safe seasoning that also provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Egg for extra protein and nutrients.
• Rice a complex carb that provides energy and aids in gastrointestinal function.

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Raw Dog Food Delivery Service

If you are a dog owner with a busy lifestyle and dont have much time to cook for your pet but wish your pup could enjoy the benefits of eating raw food, a raw dog food delivery service is for you.

BARF World is one of our favorite options and the best BARF diet recipes for dogs available in the market.

This raw dog food company is the pioneer of raw diets for dogs. They deliver Biologically Appropriate Raw Food straight to your door. Their formula is a balanced blend of raw meat, fruits, vegetables, organs, and bone. Plus, its supplemented with 4 other key ingredients.

BARF World states their food has helped generations of dogs become free of allergies, itchy skin and coats, digestive problems, obesity, and weight problems, among other issues.

All of their ingredients are USDA sourced, and their formulas are developed with the input of a veterinary nutritionist to meet the nutritional guidelines for dog food.

The best part of feeding BARF World is that you never have to worry about balancing ingredients, portion sizing,grinding, chopping, measuring, mixing, potential pathogens in raw ingredients, and all the risks and hassles involved in cooking raw dog food on your own.

In our experience, its a huge time-saver, and you can spend time on more important things like walks or training. We think its worth the cost after you add up the prices of all the ingredients youll need to cook a recipe and the convenience of it.

How Much Raw Food Should Puppies Get

Puppies need more calories than adult dogs. Puppies should eat about 5% to 10% of their current weight to support their growth.

As a general raw feeding guideline for puppies, feed:

Puppies 2 to 3 months: 8% to 10% of body weight dailyPuppies 4 to 5 months: 6% to 8% of body weight dailyPuppies 6 to 8 months: 4% to 6% of body weight dailyPuppies 9 to 12 months: 3% to 4% of body weight daily

Puppies should be fed 3 to 4 times per day. When they mature , you can feed twice a day.

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Is Homemade Dog Food Better

Homemade crockpot dog food can be better, but that is not always the case. You will have to put more effort into choosing ingredients and ensuring the food is balanced.

You may need to talk to your own veterinarian and look at various food recipe ideas for your furry best friend to meet his nutritional needs.

That being said, homemade dog food can be better, especially if your pup is on a restricted diet or has allergies.

Why We Love This

• Quick and easy to prepare in 5 minutes.
• Made with 5 wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients.
• Recipe can easily be adjusted and customized to suit your pups breed and/or nutritional needs.
• Feeding your dog fresh food ensures that there is nothing artificial nor harmful preservatives.
• Better and cheaper than anything store bought.
• Dogs think this DIY recipe is delicious!

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Do Your Portion Research

You will need to do some research on how many calories your dog needs per day based on your dog’s activity level and your dog’s weight. There are so many factors to consider that will vary due to the breed, size, age, and activity of your pet. My dog needs about 400 calories a day and is a small dog weighing just 11 pounds.

Ground Beef Chicken Liver Veggies Mix

This raw meat food recipe for dogs is among our favorite. Easy to digest and packed with all the essential nutrients dogs need.

Ingredients

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What Foods Should Dogs Never Eat

Before crafting a raw recipe for your pup, learn which foods are safe, and which can send your dog straight to the emergency vet.

Avoid these toxic dog foods in your recipe.

• Raw bread dough

For a more extensive list, check out this handy list you should consider having on your refrigerator as a reminder.

Should You Feed Homemade Food To Dogs Alternatives

If you have the time to cook for your pup and are confident in creating a balanced diet, home-cooked meals can be an excellent way to provide your dog with optimal nutrition. Just consult with your veterinarian to get approval and guidance when cooking for your dog.

However, if youre not comfortable in the kitchen or dont have enough time to prepare fresh meals daily, a fresh dog food recipe delivery is your best alternative. Ultimately, the decision of what to feed your dog is up to you and depends on many factors, including your lifestyle, budget, and pets individual needs.

For instance, if your dog is prone to food allergies or food-related health issues, vegan dog food is becoming increasingly popular for dogs with food sensitivities and other health issues.

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