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Your guide to
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Giving Fido a good home-cooked meal doesn't mean cooking a bit extra meatloaf or spaghetti sauce, putting it in his bowl and calling it a day - and that goes double for the apple pie you're having for dessert!
To give your pooch a well-balanced home made dog food you need to include these basic food groups
- Protein
- Carbohydrates
- Fats
- Fiber
- Vitamins & Minerals
The ratio and combinations can vary depending on the age, breed, size and activity level of your puppy or dog. Young puppies grow very rapidly and have specific nutritional needs that must be met in order for them to grow up healthy.
Always consult with your veterinarian before changing your puppy's diet, he or she will be able to make recommendations and give you very valuable advice. Once you've decided and agreed upon a change, be sure to make the actual switch over gradual to avoid little Fido getting an upset tummy.
A home made dog food should be made up in this way
- 50% protein
- 25% grain
- 25% vegetables
That in a survey conducted by the Veterinary Information Network, almost 80% of dog owners admitted to sometimes or often feeding their pooches from their plates
Ingredients
Here's a list of some of the ingredients you can use to prepare your own home made dog food. There are many good books available that are packed with interesting and nutritious recipes for homemade dog food as well as home made dog treats.
Pick up one or two good ones and use them to vary the ingredients, flavors and textures of your home made dog food.
Trial and error will determine which combinations your pup prefers - and if little Fido consistently picks all the squash out of his dinner, try carrots, or green beans!
Lean, boneless meat is a good source of protein, try some of these:
- Boneless poultry - chicken or turkey
- Beef - ground or cubed
- Lamb - ground or cubed
- Fish - cod or salmon are good choices
You can add carbohydrates by choosing from the following:
- Potatoes
- Pasta - white or wholewheat
- Oatmeal
- Rice - white or brown
- Barley
Any of the following vegetables are usually enjoyed:
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Broccoli florets
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash
- Leafy greens such as collards or romaine lettuce
Never give your dog onions or garlic. They're both poisonous to dogs and can cause severe illness and possibly death, even if eaten in relatively small quantities.
Try some of the following fruits as well:
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Melons
- Apples
- Bananas
- Pears
Avoid giving your pup grapes or raisins as both are toxic to dogs and can result in serious illness or death
For a detailed list of toxic foods and symptoms of poisoning see our Poisonous Foods page.
If you want to give a little more variety to your homemade dog food try adding a small amount of natural (unsweetened) yogurt or cottage cheese. Eggs, cooked in any way, are a good source of protein and their shells are full of nutrients too so you can grind them up and sprinkle over the food. Brewers yeast can also be sprinkled over Fido's meals.
Avoid giving Fido foods high in fat or sugar as they're really bad for him! Things like hot dogs, pizza, fried chicken, cake, cookies and ice-cream are all no-no's.
Our aim is to always offer our visitors the very best information and products we can find.
Heavens knows when you've got a new puppy you don't have a lot of spare time to spend surfing around in cyberspace!
We hope you enjoy checking out the following products and hope that one of them is just what you're looking for.
If you're looking for a book that will give you ideas for home made dog food all the way from appetizers to dessert - you need to try this one!
With details on prep time, cooking time and level of difficulty you'll be able to pick the recipes that suit you now and still have plenty to choose from later.
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You'll find: Ready made mixes for dog treats, cookies and cakes - doggy cake pans - dog shaped cookie cutters - recipe and notecards - doggy ice-cube trays and much more!
Perhaps you want to ease into preparing your home made dog food.
Would you like to have the convenience of commercial dog food but the reassurance of being able to add natural, wholesome ingredients yourself?
If this sounds interesting you may want to take a look at Sojourner Farms. They provide top quality, pre-mixed ingredients and you then add the fresh meat, veggies and water. It's the best of both worlds!
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