Homemade Dog Foods

There are plenty of great homemade dog food recipes out there to try. Your pet will be healthier and you will feel good knowing exactly what is in the foods they consume. You will also like prefer this process as it is more affordable than buying food at the grocery store.

The main reason to consider homemade dog food recipes is to ensure your pet is as healthy as possible.

When you buy packaged dog food you don’t always know what you are going to get. Many of them contain fillers which your pet really doesn’t need in their diet. They can also be hard for your dog to digest, and that can lead to discomfort after each meal.

Many people began seriously searching for homemade dog food recipes after some of these pets became ill. They possibility is that they had consumed name brand dog foods that had contaminated ingredients in them. Many of these pets became severely ill and others died even though a mass recall of the food was done. This led to many owners becoming more aware of such problems. The solution is to follow homemade dog food recipes.

People aren’t the only ones that suffer from food allergies.

If your pet is often found sick, you should discuss that possibility with your veterinarian. Chances are it has a reaction to one or more of the ingredients found in packaged dog foods. Your veterinarian can help you to identify what they are. When you use homemade dog food recipes you can be certain none of them will be included when you pet is eating.

These days most of us are interested in saving money anyway we can do so. The cost of dog food is ridiculous. If you own several pets or one with a huge appetite it can be a strain to feed them quality foods due to the cost. When you make homemade dog food recipes, you can be sure they get the quality nutrition that they need.

Yet, you can do so at a much lower cost.

You will find it also doesn’t take that much time for you to make enough to feed them all week long.

Chances are you have friends and family members that could benefit from homemade dog food recipes as well. You may be able to offer them free samples of what you have made for your own pet. It would be great if you can sell it to them so that their pet is getting the best nutrition as well. You can make enough money to pay for all the ingredients needed to feed your pet as well. Then you will be offering them the best food for free!

by Niko Silvia

If making homemade dog food sounds like a pain or another big expense added to the food budget, don’t worry! Homemade dog food is quickly made and inexpensive. Best of all, when you make your own, you know exactly what’s in it and can be sure your dog is getting a healthy dinner.

Here’s a fast and simple recipe for homemade dog food:

How to make homemade dry dog food? Many all natural diet recipes exist for dogs. While once upon a time owners who chose not to feed their dogs kibble were limited to feeding food that they had prepared themselves, they can now choose from a variety of commercial natural diets. In addition, dog owners who choose to prepare their own foods have a greater variety of recipes to choose from, many of which have been developed through research in support of their health benefits.

These all natural dog foods are available in cooked or raw form.

In addition, they can organic, vegetarian, grain free, or holistic, as well as many having other specialized forms. This site will introduce you to some of these foods. “All-Natural” Dog Food: The term “all-natural” dog food encompasses a wide selection of dog foods, raw or cooked, all of which are presumed to be free from chemical additives.

These foods may or may not contain grains and may or may not take the form of kibble or semi-moist foods. Although the label “all natural” is assumed to imply higher quality food, this assumption does not always prove true. This variability comes from the lack of federal requirements for labeling dog foods as “all natural.”

Organic Dog Food: Organic dog food differs from all natural dog food in that organic food must meet certain minimal requirements to make this claim. However, three different levels of organic pet food exist, ranging from “made with organic” foods (70% organic content) to “organic” (95% organic content) to 100% organic pet food. Made with organic foods can contain both organic ingredients and non-organic ingredients; however, both kinds of ingredients must be identified on the label.

Vegetarian Dog Food: Most vegetarian or vegan dog foods are soy based products. This kind of dog food may contain a variety of fruits and vegetables and may or may not contain some grains. Vegan dog foods will not contain any animal products at all; however, vegetarian dog foods may contain eggs, cheese, yogurt, or other similar ingredients.

Grain Free Dog Food: Grain-free dog foods may contain as little as 20% carbohydrates. These products are good for dogs that have allergies and sensitivities to corn, wheat, or other grains.

Holistic Dog Food: The term “holistic dog food” is similar to that of “all natural” dog food in that it is a generic term that describes a wide variety of foods. “Holistic” is a word that that refers to taking an organisms entire body under consideration when providing it with food or treatment, rather than just the need or the disorder. There are no regulations that strictly define the term “holistic” in pet foods.

by dog-diet.net

The health benefits of feeding your dog a homemade dog food.

Most dog owners are seriously concerned about the safety of the commercial pet food that they are using. With the pet food scares and recalls that are all over the news recently, more and more dog owners want to prepare their own homemade dog foods for their loving companions. However, a balanced diet for you or I is not the same as the one required by our furry friends. Their nutritional requirements are slightly different and these differences need to be taken into consideration for them to have a healthy balanced diet. The 3 major ingredients are discussed below.

Protein

Dogs require a significant quantity of protein in their diet, whether from a concentrated meat source or some other vegetable protein source. This is the first and foremost ingredient in a dog’s diet. Examples of good protein sources would be chicken, beef, lamb (including organ meat) as well as fish, eggs and cheese.

Essential fatty Acids

The second most important requirement is fatty acids. Of these, Linoleic Acid (Omega 6) is the most important as it is the only one that dogs can’t make themselves. Examples of good Omega 6 sources would be vegetables, vegetable oils, grains and fruits.

Calcium

Calcium is another important requirement for dogs. They actually need significantly more than their human companions. Examples of good sources of calcium for dogs would be animal bones which they can chew and calcium supplements obtained from vegetable sources. The disadvantages of calcium from bones are that they may contain disease (”mad cow” disease), have a high amount of phosphorous and contain toxic elements like arsenic, lead, mercury, & radioactive strontium.

Foods to Avoid

There are several foods that you should avoid when making meals for your pet dog:

· Onions and garlic – the thiosulfates in these foods are actually very toxic to animals and can potentially cause the red blood cells to burst resulting in haemolytic anaemia;

· Chocolate and cocoa products – chocolate contains theobromine which can be poisonous to dogs when eaten in large quantities;

· Raisins and grapes – large quantities of these can cause liver failure;

· Macadamia nuts – small quantities can cause temporary paralysis;

· Avocados- the plant and the fruit are toxic to dogs;

· Raw meat – the book is out on this one as many people advocate giving raw meat to their dogs. However, there is a chance that your dog (and you) will get sick from food-born parasites. Remember, if you do feed your dog raw meat, to practice safe food handling procedures. Also practice safe handling of your dog’s waste as, although salmonella rarely affects dogs, they can pass it in their feces;

· Cooked poultry bones – these bones can splinter and kill your dog.

If you are thinking of changing your dog’s diet to a home made one, you should consult with your dog’s veterinarian, just like humans consult a physician for major changes in their diet. He/she is your best source of information on pet nutrition and can advise you on creating a balanced home diet. Dietary changes should be made gradually as rapid changes in diet can cause stomach upset or discourage your dog from eating. Just remember that to stay fit, healthy and active your dog needs a nutritious and well balanced diet.

by Mike Mathews

Why homemade healthy dog food recipes are better for your dog? The latest pet food recall demonstrates that pet food can be unhealthy and that our pets are at a great risk of being poisoned. Our pets depend on us for their health and safety and pet owners are now beginning to look more closely at a safer and healthier alternative. This alternative is in preparing their own homemade dog food recipes.

The Recall

The latest recall was initiated by an increased rate in the sudden deaths of cats and dogs. Investigations discovered that the main cause of death was linked to kidney failure, which in turn, was linked to our pets eating infected and toxic food products.

Commercial Dog Food

It has been no secret to veterinarians and dog handlers alike, that commercially processed dog food has been linked directly to thousands of dog deaths each and every day in just the United States alone.

As many believe, the cause is a combination of unbalanced nutrition and the use of preservatives, dyes, chemicals, fillers and animal by-products. The animal by-products are usually from diseased meat and the fillers are often made up of corn, a substance that dogs can not digest.

Again, it is this inferior grade of dog food and it’s heavily loaded toxins, that cause kidney failure, which results in death.

Most of this low quality grade of food should of been thrown away in the very beginning and should of never been placed on the grocery food shelves.

The cheaper brands may be loaded with way to many calories and not enough of vitamins, minerals, proteins, or carbohydrates and most all of the premium brands are found to be either to high, or to low in protein, calories and other nutrients for particular dogs.

Homemade Dog Food

Many animal experts recommend homemade recipes for dogs. These recipes can range from a natural diet consisting of raw meat to vegetarian diets that contain naturally balanced vegetable ingredients.

Although the menu requirements may differ from that of humans, they are still not that much different and some meals, such as the vegetarian diet, can be prepared just as easily, creating a natural, tasty and nutritionally balanced meal.

Both dogs and cats do extremely well on the natural nutrients and enzymes that are produced in raw meat. Like humans, each dog may have their own specific nutritional needs.

Dogs do not require much of carbohydrates to maintain their health, so a diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in protein is the ideal diet.
A healthy dogs diet will consist of approximately 40 protein and about 30% starch.

Tips to Help Maintain a Balanced Homemade Diet

During the process of changing and maintaining our pets diet for a healthier one, we may find that in our busy, fast paced lives, that we don’t always have the time to prepare nutritious meals for them.

Quite often however, when we’re preparing our own meals, it really isn’t that much more time and effort into making up several day’s worth of meals for them all at the same time.

When we’re short on time, an alternative to preparing healthy meals is to serve the ‘commercial’ variety. HOWEVER, to help maintain the quality of a homemade diet, it is IMPORTANT to serve only the most healthiest food available.

To find the healthiest selection, choose foods with an AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) guarantee. This guarantee insures that the food was tested using feeding tests.

Avoid all foods that contain ‘by-product meal’ or ‘meat & bone meal’. Also avoid those foods that have ‘by-products’ as it’s main source of protein.
Choose the foods that list meats by their name such as ‘chicken’ or ‘chicken meal’ instead of just ‘meat’ or ‘meat meal’ as their first ingredient.

Conclusion

The choice to insure your pets health and safety, is of course, yours. You can take the chances of finding the more expensive ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ pet foods, with hopes that they do indeed contain natural ingredients, or you can use what you have in your own kitchen to easily prepare healthier meals. These homemade recipes are fresher, cheaper, healthier and most often can be prepared without difficulty.

Most important of all, is that you’ll have the comfort of knowing that your pet is receiving the perfectly balanced food that they were meant to receive.

by Amy Gordon