Common Mistakes When Cooking For Your Dog
Not Using Trusted Sources
There are many inadequate, and sometimes dangerous recipes, available to owners, says Dr. Larsen. There are now many studies demonstrating that most of these are not balanced.
Some of these may cause deficiencies in your dogs diet, while others may lead to an excess of certain nutrients. To avoid encountering unhealthy or dangerous options Dr. Larsen and Dr. Bartges recommend avoiding generic recipes from books or online sources. Some so-called nutrition experts are without proper training, and may do more harm than good.
Larsen and Bartges also suggest consulting BalanceIT.com, a site run by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, to help create a semi-individualized diet.
Not Preparing Balanced Meals
When you dont prepare balanced meals that are individualized to your pets needs, it can come at a cost. Nutrition deficiency can lead to diseases, such as malnutrition or obesity, and can ultimately be fatal.
Each of the ~40 essential nutrients required by dogs has a specific role in the body. When they are provided in inadequate concentrations, the function is not optimal and suffering may result, explains Dr. Larsen. Similarly, nutrient excesses can also cause illness. While the impact of an unbalanced diet may be mild and not even noticed or attributed to the diet by the owner, these problems can also be very severe, and pets do not always survive.
Relying On Multiple Diets To Create Balance
Using Unsafe/Unhealthy Ingredients
Choosing The Right Diet For Your Pet
The diet that you ultimately decide on for your pet will, of course, depend largely on your pet , your budget, and your schedule.
There are meals that can help with diabetes, healthy coats, arthritis, allergies, weight loss, and diarrhea.
There are also recipes specific to puppies or senior dogs.
Here are a few resources:
Homemade Dog Food: Recipe And Cost
Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links from which we receive a compensation . But they do not affect the opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is an independent, award-winning consumer publication established in 2006. Our finance columns have been reprinted on MSN, Yahoo Finance, US News, Business Insider, Money Magazine, and Time Magazine.
Like many news outlets our publication is supported by ad revenue from companies whose products appear on our site. This revenue may affect the location and order in which products appear. But revenue considerations do not impact the objectivity of our content. While our team has dedicated thousands of hours to research, we aren’t able to cover every product in the marketplace.
For example, Wise Bread has partnerships with brands including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Discover, and Amazon.
During the “great dog food scare of 2007” when melamine was found in dog food made in China leading to hundreds of pet deaths many people turned to U.S. made natural dog food. While these foods are nutritious, a down side is that they are exceptionally expensive.
So we looked for and found an alternative: Homemade Dog Food. Here’s the recipe we use.
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Proper Nutrition For Dogs
Like humans, dogs have nutritional needs that must be met in order for them to thrive. Dogs’ nutritional needs differ from our own, so you can’t exactly start sharing your own dinner with your dog. Feeding an incomplete or imbalanced diet can lead to vitamin and nutrient deficiencies in dogs.
Dogs need enough calories to meet their energy requirements. A dog’s daily caloric need depends on the dog’s life stage and activity level. Your veterinarian can help you determine how many calories your dog needs each day.
A homemade dog diet should contain an appropriate balance of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. Vitamins and minerals must be added to the food to ensure it is complete and balanced.
- At least 10% protein, such as chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef
- Up to 50% carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, and potatoes
- About 2.5-4.5% fiber, which can come from vegetables like peas, green beans, and carrots
- At least 5.5% fat, usually in the form of vegetable oil
- Vitamin and mineral supplements
If you are ready to get started cooking for your dog, the first step is to talk to your veterinarian. Your vet may have recipes for you to try. Or you may need a referral to a veterinary nutritionist or a vet that focuses on canine nutrition.
How Much You Need To Feed Your Pooch
This is something I hate determining because, of course, my dog is going to beg for food and act like hes starving even after he sneakily devours the cat food.
So how do you know your poochs pouch is full?
Canine Journal has a great graphic to help you determine your dogs needs.
However, youll want to double-check with your vet to make sure your dog is getting everything it needs.
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Cheap Dog Food Discounts And Tricks To Grab The Best Deal
As a first-time dog owner, I really wish someone would have warned me about the hidden costs of dog ownership.
I knew full well that vet bills would be expensive, but keeping my dogs belly full? That came as a huge surprise.
Im sure many of you will agree with me when I say:
Buying dog food isnt cheap.
In fact, if you are on a tight budget, then feeding your dog can feel like this
Each piece of kibble. Each chunk of wet dog food. Its all paid for with your hard-earned money.
But your doggy doesnt care. He just stares at you with those loving eyes
Yeah, thats the look.
Cute as he may be, your dog is oblivious to the fact that he is eating away your money. Or maybe he knows, but just doesnt care cheeky thing!
But if your furry friend stopped to do some quick doggy math, he would soon realize that his eating habits are quickly adding up.
According to Nutrapooch, feeding a medium-sized dog a mid-grade food will cost you around $95 per month. That means you will spend over $1,440 per year on dog food.
Next, consider that this is an ongoing cost. The average dog lives for 10 years, so if we take this number and multiply it by 10, you will spend $14,400 on dog food over the course of your dogs life!
And if you have two dogs? Double the food, double the cost. I shudder to think about how much you would spend if you more than two dogs Id have to take out a second mortgage!
My dog food bill was around $70 a month, bringing my dog food bill to $840 per year.
Is It Cheaper To Make Your Own Dog Food
Home-cooked meals are delicious and enjoyed by all members of the family. So why exclude dogs from that fun time? You might have been looking into all the facts regarding homemade dog food, because you need to consider every crucial factor before finally making the switch. You might have been wondering whether you can actually create a healthier, more personalized concoction for your dog. And the answer is yes. Yes, you can assemble your very own dog food at home, saving you trips to the store in lieu of healthier, fresher food. But is making dog food cheaper than buying it? Lets find out about preparing dog food at home and how costs compare.
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Swap The Food For Quick Savings
Lets kick things off with the easiest way to reduce your dog food expenses buy a cheaper brand of dog food.
If you currently use canned food, consider making the switch to dry food. It is substantially more affordable.
Yep. Its that simple.
But my dog doesnt like cheaper food, I hear you say.
If you tried to make the switch before, then use these handy tricks to convince your dog to gobble down a more affordable meal.
1. Same but different Buy a similar flavor to your current brand. A familiar taste is more likely to see your dog eat the food.
2. Slow introduction Slowly add the new brand a little at a time to your dogs current meal. Gradually increase the ratio each feeding time until your dog is eating nothing but the new brand.
Dogs are creatures of habit and often prefer to eat what they have eaten before. It is for this reason that if you are budget-conscious, start your dog on moderately priced foods from the beginning. If you start your dog on premium brands, he may not willingly switch to low-priced varieties.
How Do I Decide Whether To Make The Switch To Homemade Dog Food Or Not
As with any choice, you should weigh the pros and cons of each option. Commercial dog foods are required by law to meet certain nutrition standards, so when you purchase commercial dog food, you know your dog is getting all of the vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients they need.
Conversely, commercial dog food often contains preservatives and fillers that arent needed in freshly-prepared dog food. Plus, if your dog has health conditions, they may need particular combinations of nutrients or ingredients that just cant be found in a commercial product. And if your dog has allergies to any common dog food ingredients, it might be easier for you to make dog food for them. But before making a decision, consult with your veterinarian as to your pets health and what types of homemade dog food, if any, are suitable to feed them.
Keeping your dog healthy doesnt have to be frustrating. It is possible to feed them nutritious, delicious, home-cooked meals at a fraction of the price of commercially-made foods. Enjoy experimenting with the many recipes you can use if you go that route!
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Delicious And Healthy Dog Food Recipes You Can Make At Home
As the global outbreak of the COVID-19 outbreak exceeds 660,000 infected people at the time of writing, more governments are implementing stricter movement control orders in a bid to curb the spread and to flatten the curve. This impacts how often we can go out to get daily supplies and a 10kg bag of dog food may not be the best use of the limited space available for stocking up.
However, you can make delicious and healthy dog food right at home from ingredients you already have, and your pet would thank you for it. With your spare time from the lockdown, here are 10 popular recipes that you can try out from home for your pets.
Before You Start Cooking: Homemade Dog Food Needs To Be Balanced
Your homemade meal must contain protein, fiber and carbohydrates. Puppies require about 25 percent protein in their meals, while 18 percent is sufficient for adults. However, protein needs change according to your dogs age and vary according to breed, so check with your vet regarding the right amount for your dog. You might have noticed that commercial dog foods often dont list the percentage of carbohydrates. Thats because the proper percentage of carbs in the dogs diet is still not set in stone by the veterinary community and regulators. If youre making Fidos meals yourself, you have the freedom to purchase the freshest, highest-quality ingredients available. Make sure you weigh your dog frequently to verify he stays a healthy weight. Take your dog to the vet before starting the homemade diet so your vet can determine Fidos ideal weight.
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Things To Look For When Buying Best Cheap Dog Food
To find quality, inexpensive dog food, look at the ingredient list of the product. Believe it or not, many cheap foods use pretty much the same ingredients as expensive foods, only in smaller quantities. So, although the brand may use quality meat as the main source of protein, there will be less of it than in their more expensive recipes. Nothing wrong with this, especially if your pet is not highly active or is vet-advised to avoid high-protein foods. Still, its good to know that typically, cheaper foods do contain less protein just something to keep in mind.
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Complete Nutrition From A Veterinarian
With that being said, homemade dog foods can require a significant amount of time and effort to get right. Homemade dog food needs to contain all the nutrients that your dog needs to be healthy, but those nutrients also need to be included in the right amounts so that your dog doesnt get too much or too little of any nutrient. A veterinary nutritionist has specialized training to help pet parents like yourself make nutritionally balanced meals for your dog. The recipes in this article have all been reviewed by our veterinary consultant with this goal in mind.
Its a good idea to have the recipes in this article handy in case you happen to run out of dog food. Treat your dog as you would any of your other family members by preparing nutritious food from trusted ingredients.
Also Check: How Long Does Dry Dog Food Stay Good
Blood Tests Don’t Lieand Hooch’s Numbers Shifted Drastically In Just The First 6 Weeks We Made These Diet And Lifestyle Changes
He noticeably had more energy, was suffering less from inflammation, was shedding less with a more luxurious coat, and for the first time EVER he had zero bloating! NO GAS for the first time in his entire life! The best news though, was that those stage 4 kidney disease blood levels he had at his yearly checkup had climbed back up to to midrange stage 1 kidney disease blood levels! The extra time and energy invested in making his food and the other small changes we made to his lifestyle have given us more quality time with our beloved Hooch which is more than we could have ever hoped for!
If youve made our Easy Homemade Dog Food for your pup I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours. Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? Its easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on , , , , or to see cooking demos, and peeks into our day to day life.
Home Made Dog Food recipe for the Holidays
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Sweet Potato Fries For Dogs
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- Half a teaspoon of dried oregano
Directions:
Preheat the oven. In the meantime, peel the sweet potato and cut it into strips a quarter of an inch square by 4 inches long. Combine the sweet potatoes, the olive oil, and oregano on a baking sheet and coat the potatoes evenly in the mixture. After that, spread out everything evenly on the baking sheet and place the fries in a parallel position to one another. This will make it easier to flip them. Once this is ready, bake for 15 minutes. Flip the fries and bake them for another 15 minutes.
Once they are done, allow them to cool off before serving them or putting them away for later. This is a treat and not a whole-day meal so dont give this to your dog in large quantities a fry here and a fry there as treats for after training is what this recipe is meant for.
Serving Sizes:
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Disclaimer: This site contains affiliate links from which we receive a compensation . But they do not affect the opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is an independent, award-winning consumer publication established in 2006. Our finance columns have been reprinted on MSN, Yahoo Finance, US News, Business Insider, Money Magazine, and Time Magazine.
Like many news outlets our publication is supported by ad revenue from companies whose products appear on our site. This revenue may affect the location and order in which products appear. But revenue considerations do not impact the objectivity of our content. While our team has dedicated thousands of hours to research, we aren’t able to cover every product in the marketplace.
For example, Wise Bread has partnerships with brands including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Discover, and Amazon.
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Thanks for this, Elizabeth. I’ve been thinking a bit about natural dog food lately and trying to figure out if I’d have the ambition to start making it.
Best Cheap Dog Food Buying Guide & Faq
Finding reliable cheap dog food is no easy task. Often, pet parents feel like they have to choose between quality and affordability, which is understandable, as many dog food brands do tend to sacrifice quality in order to produce cheap foods. However, this is not to say that only the expensive recipes use good, healthy ingredients many affordable dog foods contain everything canines need to be healthy, you just have to dig a little to find them .
Still, cheap dog foods can have many downsides and you have to be careful when picking formulas as dogs need specific macro and micronutrients to thrive. To help you find the best affordable dog food, weve prepared this buying guide and answered some of the frequently asked questions.
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