Pet Blog

You have made the decision. It was a tough one where you balanced the benefits of feeding your dog a homemade diet to the potential deterrents such as the convenience of commercials foods. After much thought, the benefits won out - it time to switch your dog to a homemade diet.

But now what? How do you feed your dog a homemade diet? You have heard nightmare stories of people unknowingly making their dogs sick because they did not know how to provide a balanced diet for their beloved pet. You do not want to malnourish your own pet never mind overfeed or feed foods that are potentially dangerous to him, so what do you do? How do you know what your dog should be eating?

How to Feed your Dog a Homemade Diet

There are many levels of homemade diets for dogs, most dependent on how much time, energy, and cost you want to invest in your dog’s dinner.

Many people choose the ‘best of both worlds’ when it comes to feeding their dog a homemade diet. They replace a portion of the commercial kibble with a portion of homemade food. This is a simple way of guaranteeing your dog benefits from ‘real food’ while still maintaining the ease and convenience of commercial foods. To do this, add meat or poultry, a bit of olive oil, some brown rice or whole grain, and a few vegetables to a high-quality and well-balanced kibble. You may need to adjust the balance of kibble to whole foods to maintain your dog’s ideal weight. This is a simple way to improve your dog’s diet without taking on the full responsibility of feeding a fully balanced and nutrient rich homemade diet.

This ‘best of both worlds’ system is also an excellent way of slowly adjusting your dog’s digestive system to a homemade diet – essential if your pet has a sensitive stomach!

The next level of difficulty in how to feed your dog a homemade diet is buying ‘homemade’ dog food for your pet. This sounds backwards but there are many companies all across the country that produce a natural, often organic frozen homemade diet for dogs. This food is almost as convenient as traditional commercial foods except that it takes up freezer space – not a problem for most of us! This food comes as air tight packages of frozen food and, depending on the company, may or may not require cooking. These homemade diets come with a variety of protein sources so you can choose what your dog likes most or for dogs suffering from food allergies, you can easily avoid problem proteins. Most high-end specialty pet stores carry these foods or can recommend a local provider.

The next level in feeding your dog a homemade diet is cooking their dinners entirely yourself. The easiest way to do this is to start by researching various recipes that are easy to make and designed for your pet’s needs i.e. a weight loss homemade diet for the pudgy pet, a high fiber diet for the diabetic dog, a high energy homemade diet for the canine athlete. Speak with your veterinarian about your dog’s needs, especially in the case of a dog with a medical condition such as diabetes or a history of kidney stones. If they do not feel qualified, ask to see a holistic veterinarian for more information.

The most convenient way to feed your dog a homemade diet is to cook up a weeks worth of meals all at once and then freeze it in meal size portions. It is then easy to thaw out a meal and warm it slightly on top of the stove or microwave.

The final level of dedication to feeding your dog a homemade diet is a raw or BARF diet. This specialty diet is extremely difficult to balance for the average dog and there are always concerns about salmonella, e coli, and other parasites when the meat is not cooked. Switching to a raw diet should only be done after spending ample time researching the process so you know exactly what you are doing and then only with your veterinarian’s help. Many dogs thrive on a raw diet but others do better on a less extreme homemade diet.

How to feed your dog a homemade diet is not as difficult as deciding what level of effort you are honestly willing to give on a day in, day out basis. For people that work long hours, coming home and preparing a well-balanced homemade diet for their pet may not be reasonable. Or for people that travel a lot, homemade diets can be inconvenient if not dangerous if refrigeration of the ingredients is not possible. Look at your lifestyle and adjust how you feed your dog to a way that will work 365 days a year, not just when it is convenient.

Feeding your dog a homemade diet is a worthwhile and satisfying way to guarantee your pet receives the best nutrition they can get, as long as you do your research and ask yourself the often difficult questions regarding lifestyle and time management.