More and more dog owners are starting to feed their beloved canine companions homemade meals, either because they feel that the commercially available pet food is sub-standard, or because they have enough time at their disposal to be able to cook for their dogs. Most owners consider this to be the ultimate sign of affection after all, if we worry about our own diet and health, shouldnt our dogs receive the same treatment?
While the intention is sweet and admirable, cooking for animals is not an easy task by any stretch. Dogs like any animal require a healthy, balanced diet containing all the necessary nutrients for their survival and growth. And while most owners read up in books or on the internet in order to find recipes for good homemade meals, but some focus instead on incorporating certain ingredients, believing those to be the key.
This is the wrong approach, unfortunately. Your dog does not need to eat a certain type of meat or a particular fruit in order to be healthy it needs the right ingredients. A balanced meal containing the right combination of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fat is the ultimate goal when it comes to homemade dog food. How you achieve this combination matters very little, and is ultimately up to you and what you have available.
This does not, however, mean that every single meal you feed your dog needs to be perfectly balanced and contain everything. Unless you feed your canine companion the same thing every single time (which you shouldnt do), you can focus on achieving balance over time instead. Consider you dogs diet on a weekly basis: if it receives all the necessary nutritional ingredients in the right balance over the course of a week, you did your job well.
So what you should be doing is researching, establishing, and following a certain set of guidelines when creating your dogs meal plan and diet:
* Firstly, remember that dogs are ultimately carnivores and thus require at least half of their diet to be made out of meat. While not obligate carnivores like cats which cannot properly digest anything but meat dogs can adapt to a wide range of foods, allowing them to also eat vegetables and carbohydrates as well. Always separate the fat from the meat, however, and try to use lean meats when possible.
* Boneless meat (such as heart) and fish are also a good choice as well. Providing vitamin D, fish is an excellent substitute for artificial supplements, containing many of the nutrients dogs would otherwise not normally get, and thus improving their diet and health greatly. Regardless of what type of meat you feed your dog, ALWAYS cook it first.
* Eggs are a great addition to any diet. Large dogs over 20 pounds can eat a whole egg every day without any problems, while smaller ones require less. Dairy products provide little nutritional value and are often a source of fat, so can be avoided entirely.
* Fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber which aids the dogs digestive process greatly. Antioxidants and other nutrients are also a big plus. Feed your dogs fruits and vegetables for the same reason you eat them yourself, but be careful to not overdo it meat should make up 50% of their diet at all times.
Keep these tips in mind and also ask for more advice from your vet, to ensure a healthy, balanced diet for your furry friend.
