Cooking Our Way To A Healthier Dog Diet
Ever since I started raising my own dogs, Id always wanted to make their food at home but thought it would be too expensive or too time consuming, or that they wouldnt get the nutrition they needed.
During the month of Bugs doggy depression, I vowed to make her precious life as comfortable as possible.
Both of my pugs had a range of health issues growing up, which I unfortunately found out were common for the breed.
My older one had persistent hot spots and itchiness that no commercial dog food could cure .
Bug was overweight for a while when she was younger, even though she ate the recommended amount of food for her target weight. Eventually, I settled on Wellness kibbles and they did well with that brand.
But, I wanted to explore other options. I wanted to give them real food fresh, nutritious ingredients that I recognized and could even eat myself.
Ive mentioned in my post on homemade whole grain chicken feed that the entire household all share the same whole grains and seeds that we buy in bulk, as well as the bounty that comes from our edible garden.
Everything our animals eat, we can eat.
When it comes to homemade feed for our laying hens, we stick to a tried-and-true formula that works for every layer: 16 to 17 percent protein , vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from a wide variety of grains and seeds, and free range of a pasture for weeds, greens, and insects.
Dogs, on the other hand, arent bred for a standard function the way chickens are.
Taste Of The Wild Prey
Taste of the Wild describes the Prey line as a simplified approach to pet food based on the animals native diet. All of the foods in this line contain no more than four key ingredientsthese include one animal protein source, along with lentils, tomato pomace, and sunflower oil. This line includes only two formulas for cats, and both of them are dry foods.
A General Guideline For Preparing Homemade Dog Food
My DIY dog food recipe is more of a general guideline, rather than an exact meal plan that I follow each week. My dogs diet changes the same way ours does, depending on what we do and what we buy or grow.
However, we almost always stay with this basic formula:
- 50 percent cooked protein
- 25 percent cooked complex carbohydrates
- Fats and supplements
- Eggshells
Protein is always meat and usually chicken, though weve also used turkey, pork, and beef. We feed any and all parts of the animals, but most commonly, we saute chicken breasts or chicken thighs in coconut oil and ground turmeric.
Coconut oil has a host of health benefits for dogs, such as improving the skin and coat, increasing energy, aiding digestion, reducing allergic reactions, promoting wound healing, preventing yeast and fungal infections, and supporting arthritis or ligament problems.
Turmeric has long been studied for its powerful medicinal properties, including its use as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
We add it to the coconut oil since it is fat-soluble, and use it to support our pugs joint health.
Speaking of dark meat, we feed thighs and breasts interchangeably. While well remove the skin from poultry and trim off excessive fat from red meat, we dont worry about buying the leanest meat possible for our dogs.
A little fat is necessary for a well-rounded diet.
They tend to be the leftovers in our produce bin, so we never have to buy, say, a whole head of cauliflower just for the dogs.
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Where Can I Buy Taste Of The Wild
Online at Petco.com and in Petco stores. You can also shop online and pick up your order at your neighborhood Petco, or sign up for Repeat Delivery. Taste of the Wild works with a network of vetted, authorized retailers who share their commitment to providing the best nutrition to pets, at a great value to pet owners. Because of this, Taste of the Wild can only guarantee quality and consistency of product when it is purchased from an authorized retailer. Please take care to ONLY purchase from authorized retailers.
Tip: Give Your Dog Supplements
My vet said this recipe was very well balanced.
However to assure me that my dog was getting all the proper vitamins that my dog might need, he suggested I give my dog VetriScience Canine Multi Pro – Extra Vitamins, Minerals, Essential Fatty Acids, and Probiotics – Important for Homemade and Raw Diets – 60 Soft Bite-Sized Chews
He would suggest this supplement for my dog if he was eating store bought food as well.
You can find cheaper supplements if you do some research. This is just the brand we use.
My dog is also older. He is at the age where he needs joint supplements.
He is a picky eater and has snubbed his nose at several different joint supplements that I have tried to offer him.
I buy the beef flavor. It is all natural with great ingredients.
He thinks he is eating a treat when I give him his little square chew!
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Preparation Of Our Homemade Diet
All of the information above might seem intimidating, but I assure you that making the actual meals for our dogs takes no more than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.
First, we cook our complex carbs, whether theyre grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables.
While that pot is simmering on the stove, we cook the meat in a separate pan in coconut oil and ground turmeric. After its cooled a bit, we add chunks of meat to our food processor and pulse until theyre broken down into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.
Then, we gather whatever vegetables or fruits we have in the kitchen , chop them up as needed, and toss them into the food processor.
We also add a few clean, crushed eggshells to the mix. A few pulses turns all this food into smaller pieces, making them more digestible for our dogs.
Finally, we add the cooled, cooked carbs to the food processor and do a couple more pulses to combine. Everything should have a finely crumbled texture by this point.
Since dogs have short digestive tracts, its crucial that you break down the food to increase its bioavailability that is, making all the nutrients in those wholesome ingredients more digestible in a dogs system.
I prepare enough food to last my two pugs an entire week. Its unbelievably easy, and I like knowing exactly what goes into their food. Friends will watch us feed our pugs and remark that it looks good enough for them to eat!
Does Petsmart Sell Taste Of The Wild Dog Food
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Bravo Packing Performance Dog
We normally like raw pet food because most of these are free from fillers and the meat included are in their purest forms, free from processing of any kind. However, in the case of Bravo Packings raw diet, wed have to rethink this.
Bravo Packings Performance Dog and all of Bravo Packings other raw diets have undergone a recall this year.
Although no deaths or illnesses have been associated with the food, it is troubling that the brand has once again been involved with a recall.
From 2011 to 2015, Bravo had 7 recalls, which included expanded recalls.
There was another in 2018 and another in 2019 before the one for 2021. All of the past recalls were due to the possible presence of Salmonella or Listeria.
Recall Info: On March 3, 2021, Bravo Packing, Inc. issued a voluntary recall of two of their raw pet food products for possible cross contamination after samples collected during a US Food and Drug Administration inspection tested positive for Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.
The brand expanded the recall on March 16 to include ALL of its pet food and bone products of all sizes. No lot code or date code has been provided for the recent recall so assume, for the safety of your pets, that all are possibly contaminated.
Where Is Taste Of The Wild Cat Food Sold
You can buy Taste of the Wild cat food in pet retail chains, independent pet specialty retailers, health food stores, and other stores around the world. To find out if its sold in your country, for a list of global distributors.
Various retailers sell Taste of the Wild online. Online retailers include , Chewy, Petco, and Tractor Supply Co.
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Homemade Dog Food Sources
- Meats: chicken, turkey, beef, bison, pork, lamb, venison
- Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, summer squash, spinach, kale, collard greens, chard, thawed frozen peas
- Complex carbohydrates: brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, lentils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, winter squash
Recommended Serving Amounts
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Every dog’s dietary needs are different. Please consult with your veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Recommended Serving Amounts For Homemade Dog Food
As a general rule, dogs will eat around 2 to 3 percent of their ideal body weight in fresh food daily. Larger breeds may need as little as 1 1/2 percent, and smaller breeds may need as much as 4 percent.
This works out to be approximately:
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
There is much variation in what the ideal amount should be as it depends on how much your dog weighs and how active she is.
I feel that the best approach is to feed and watch if your dog is losing weight, give more, and if your dog is gaining weight, give less.
For our pugs, we feed a scoop each in the morning and a scoop each in the evening, plus all their supplements.
We have an easy system for this: homemade food is refrigerated in a sealed container with a measuring cup , and all the supplements are lined up together in a cupboard in the kitchen. Keeping your ingredients organized and accessible will make feeding time fast and smooth.
Compared to feeding commercial food, where you might scoop out kibbles or open up a can, feeding homemade food with all the supplements takes maybe 10 seconds more. And even if it took 10 minutes more, fresh wholesome food for our furbabies is worth it.
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Key Differences Between The Worst And Best Dog Foods
- The best dog food will exceed the minimum nutritional requirements Whilst all commercially available foods will reach the minimum required nutritional levels, the minimum is not enough to make your dog fully thrive.
- Protein According to Kate Barrington at Petsumer.com, the best dog food will have over 25% protein. This should be ideally from all animal sources, without using vegetable protein.
- Fat The best foods will have at least 10% fat content.
- Enriched with Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
- The first five ingredients on the label should not contain any fillers, by-products, or additives.
Blue Buffalo Life Protection
Budget-friendly grain-inclusive dog food
This formula features lamb as the #1 ingredient and includes healthy whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal while leaving out the corn, wheat, and soy.
- LifeSource Bits. The Blue Buffalo Life Protection brand offers LifeSource bits. These are specially formulated bits of dog food that contain a blend of the healthiest ingredients, with whole grains, antioxidants, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals all blended precisely to create a healthy food option for dogs.
- 30 Pound Bag. Blue Buffalo offers a 30 pound bag of food for owners who want their dog food to last. It also comes in smaller bag options if you dont want to commit to the 30lb bag.
- Breed and Size-Specific Offerings. One big thing that sets Blue Buffalo apart is their wide array of choices and customization for different dog breeds and sizes, from the best food composition for senior dogs, to the best chow for puppies. You have many options to choose from with Blue Buffalo, and youll probably be able to find the perfect blend of dog food for your individual dogs needs.
- Lamb and Brown Rice. One of the best options for ingredients is the lamb and brown rice. It pairs a lean meat choice with a whole grain option. There is also a healthy weight chicken and brown rice option, as well as other lean meat choices.
Pros
Cons
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About Taste Of The Wild Cat Food
Taste of the Wild is owned by Diamond Pet Food, a US company founded in 1970 by brothers-in-law Gary Schell and Richard Kampeter.
Diamonds brand family includes Taste of the Wild, NutraGold, Nutra-Nuggets, and several varieties of Diamond brand food. In addition to making and selling their own pet foods, Diamond is one of the United States leading manufacturers and acts as a co-packer for numerous pet food companies.
Diamond Pet Food is headquartered in Meta, Missouri.
Is Taste Of The Wild Dog Food Safe
Taste of the Wild is highly recommended by most reviewers. Here’s what others have to say. Dog Food Advisor Taste of the Wild is a plant-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meats as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 out of 5 stars highly recommended.
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Why Customers Love It
You must the wondering: is the taste of the wild a good dog food? These days there are a lot of recipes on the market. Therefore, its tough to find an appropriate meal for your pooch.
However, here are a couple of reasons why customers love this brand:
- The meals contain real meat or fish as the number one ingredient
- Humans breed meat and fish
- All components come from sustainable sources
- No additives, artificial flavors, or preservatives
- All formulas are grain-free
- Excellent nutrient and caloric profile
- All products include a taste of the wild feeding chart
- The majority of the ingredients are produced in the U.S.
Sportmix Premium High Energy 26/18
This makes the top of our worst dog foods list because of the sheer number of dogs that were affected by the aflatoxin levels found in several Sportsmix products, including this one.
Many pets have died and many more were left ill.
But even without the aflatoxin situation, this recipe was not a particularly good one to begin with. We normally like dog foods that start with a meat ingredient because that shows that meat makes up the most volume in the recipe. However, we arent sold on byproducts, and this recipe starts with one.
When byproducts are mentioned, it means this is what is leftover after the meat is removed. So a chicken byproduct meal is essentially dried out chicken leftovers that may include organs but also other stuff like hide, hair, or intestinal contents .
Are these harmful to your dogs? No. Are these nutritious? They can be. But are these high-quality ingredients? Definitely not.
Aside from the byproduct meal ingredient, this recipe also contains meat meal. But that ingredient is ambiguous. What animal was used? Which part/s?
The thing about unnamed ingredients is that it could mean anything. The meat could be sourced from one animal or it could be sourced from several. Its not a quality ingredient, thats for sure.
The recall involved 50- and 44-pound bags of Premium High Energy with an expiration of either March 2 or 3, 2022. The recall was later expanded to include more recipes and the updated toll numbered over 70 dogs dead and at least 80 more ill.
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Taste Of The Wild Dog & Puppy Food
The attention and dedication to detail to ensure that your dog receives dog food of the best quality – makesTaste of the wild one of thedog food brands with the best dog food.Taste of the wild pet food goes into detail when it comes to their ingredients, carefully selecting each ingredient based on their benefits – maintaining and boosting your dogs overall health.
Even with a variety of products,Taste of the wild dog food is dedicated to providing your dog with the bestdog kibble of the best quality. An example of their dedication would be the probiotics, known as K9 Strain, included inTaste of the wild grain free food recipes. Taken from probiotic strains that are present in dogs gastrointestinal tract, K9 Strain are species appropriate – meaning they are suited for your dogs body. K9 Strain also helps to support a dogs immune system and aids in digestion. Antioxidants and DHA are also included inTaste of the wild grain free food recipes to help support your dogs overall health and development.
If you have no ideawhere to find taste of the wild dog foodor you are worrying abouthow much is taste of the wild dog food – you can stop worrying. At gooddogpeople.com, you can find attractive offers on theTaste of the wild dog products you need.