Guidelines For Nutritious Homemade Natural Dog Food

The recent recalls on many commercial dog foods have made many pet owners very wary about their best friends' diets. The profit-prioritized manufacturing process, preservatives and other chemicals, and sub-grade ingredients found in many commercial brands also leaves a lot to be desired. The solution to this dilemma is to either switch to one of the high-quality, organic, pricey products that are available from more ethically-minded manufacturers who specialize in creating natural dog food, or to cook your best bud's meal at home.

You can find many recipes online for nutritious, wholesome dog food, and you will find a sample recipe below for you to try, but remember that these (including this article) should be considered as guidelines, not professional advice. Certain ingredients, processes and amounts may not be right for your specific dog. Some breeds have particular dietary requirements. Like us, individual dogs can suffer from allergies, and there are ailments, diseases and other conditions that can be affected by diet. Lifestyle, age and size play a part in determining portion sizes, preparation and ingredient choice.

Always consult with your veterinarian about your special buddy's specific dietary requirements, and get his/her approval of any recipes, changes or additions to your pet's diet.

As a general rule, a healthy canine diet should contain a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. A supplement of minerals and vitamins should also be included, according to your animal's weight and your vet's instructions. Dogs require calcium, and bonemeal (human/dog-consumption grade - never use gardening bonemeal, as it can contain dangerous chemicals and other toxins) or powdered egg-shell can be added to your dog's food to make sure he/she gets the required amount.

As carnivores, dogs need a diet that is around forty-percent protein. Cooked ground lamb, beef and poultry are excellent sources of protein. Use good-quality meat, free of chemicals, hormones and antibiotics. Many organic meat butchers have pet sections to fill this particular need. Liver, kidneys and other organ meat are very good, and an occasional egg also will not go amiss and your furry friend will adore you for it.

The remainder of the diet should be a mixture of vegetables and grains. Frozen veggies that can be happily incorporated: corn, peas, lima beans, cut green beans. Recommended fresh vegetables: grated carrots or zucchini, broccoli, baking potatoes, yams/sweet potatoes. Fast-cooking grains: cornmeal, couscous, rolled oats, quinoa, whole-wheat, bulgur. Longer-cooking grains: millet, brown rice, barley, wheat berries.

Please Note - Stay Away From: onions/onion powder, all forms of coffee, tea, alcoholic drinks, almonds, macadamia nuts, raisins and grapes (incl. Juices, oils, etc.), the green parts of potatoes (foliage, sprouts, peels), tomato leaves/stems, rhubarb leaves, fruit seeds and pits - these are all toxic. Veggies containing a lot of oxalic acid are not exactly toxic, but will hamper calcium absorption, so keep away from rhubarb, spinach and swiss chard if you can help it. Never feed your pets table scraps. Let just-cooked food cool down to room temp before feeding - some dogs get upset stomachs or burns when they wolf down hot or too-warm food.

A basic natural dog food recipe for a medium to large individual: a cup/1.5 cups of roasted chicken chopped into small pieces; a cup of cooked barley; half a cup of cooked grated carrots; half a cup of cooked green beans; a tablespoon of organic plain yoghurt.