Dog Food Recipes - Quality Dog Food Recipes That Are Easy To Follow

Terrific Tips for Choosing and Using Dog Food Recipes

Are you interested in making homemade dog food? As when using recipes to make dishes for humans, there’s virtually an unlimited number of dog food recipes that you can use. Regardless of which ones you choose, here are some helpful tips for making the healthiest and tastiest homemade dog food possible:

1. Remember that Variety Is the Spice of Life

That rule is true for both humans and dogs. So when choosing or creating different recipes for dogs, try using different combinations of proteins and carbohydrates. While the choices are basically endless, here are some popular ones:

• lamb and rice
• beef and potatoes
• chicken and pasta
• liver and cornmeal
• turkey and wheat germ

It’s natural that your dog will tend to like certain combinations better than others. That’s OK! Do some experimentation to learn which ones your canine prefers the most. Even if your dog has a favorite combination, choose several that it likes so you can use a rotation of different dishes. That will keep your dog waiting for its favorite dish, while preventing it from hoping that today isn’t “chicken liver night.”

2. Create the Right Balance of Protein, Starches, and Vegetables

While meat is an essential part of cats’ diets, it’s also a critical part of dog’s diets and dog food recipes. That said, it’s important that your homemade meals for dogs be well-balanced. That means that they should include the right amount of protein, starches, and veggies. While there can be some leeway in the ratio that you use, here’s a good start:

• Protein: 40%
• Starches: 30%
• Vegetables: 30%

As stated, it’s important to mix and match different types of proteins and carbohydrates. Within recipes that contain various combinations, you can also use a blend of different veggies. Also, your dog’s meals should include about 5% fat. As with humans, a small amount of “good” fat is essential for maintaining a healthy diet.

3. Know Which Foods to Avoid Like the Plague

Even if your dog isn’t a picky eater, it’s crucial that you avoid feeding it certain foods that could make it ill. They include:

• cat food
• chocolate
• fish
• garlic
• grapes
• milk
• mushrooms
• onion
• raisins
• raw meat

Dogs can indeed be “Man’s best friend.” However, your canine friend could become quite ill if you were to feed it any of the aforementioned foods. So never include them in your dog’s homemade meals. Maintain this rule even if your dog seems to think that the foods are the best thing since sliced bread (which by the way you could use for dog bread pudding).

4. Always Be on the Lookout for New Recipes

If your dog looks up at you at mealtime as if to say “Do I have to eat this?” then it’s time to start searching for some new and exciting dog food recipes.Fortunately, this Information Age that we live in has made it easier than ever to find a cornucopia of different recipes. Magazines, books, and the Internet are just some of the sources that can provide you with a ton of new recipes for homemade dog food.

Preparer beware! As a word of caution, read any recipes very carefully before you use them. Most importantly, verify that the recipes don’t contain any ingredients that aren’t dog-friendly, or that your dog is allergic to. That’s not all. You should also verify that a particular recipe has a balance of vitamins and nutrients that meet your dog’s nutritional needs. As long as a recipe meets both of these requirements, then by all means consider preparing the recipe.

5. Check with Your Dog’s Veterinarian before Making the First Homemade Meal

There should be no compromise on this rule. It doesn’t matter how healthy your dog is, or whether it has any food allergies. Think about it. You yourself shouldn’t start any new diet without consulting your physician first. Likewise, if you’re planning to start feeding your dog homemade dog food, then you absolutely, positively should consult your dog’s veterinarian before you change its meals from pre-packaged to homemade.

6. Never Refrigerate Cooked Dog Food for More than Three Days

This is a crucial rule regardless of which dog food recipes you use. Yes, you could always freeze or freeze-dry the dog food in order to lengthen its shelf life. However, the problem with those options is that the food will lose much of its nutrients. Consider that one of the main reasons you should consider switching to homemade dog food is that it’s simply more natural than commercial dog food. Freezing or freeze drying the dog food basically defeats that purpose.

7. Daily Provide Your Dog with Clean Drinking Water

As with humans, it’s crucial that your dog consume a sufficient amount of clean water on a daily basis. Feeding your dog homemade dog food while failing to provide it with enough clean drinking water would be counterproductive. How about if the water looks clean after a day? Change it anyway. The reason is that within one day microscopic bacteria can form in the water, thus increasing the chance of your dog becoming ill.

8. Consider a Supplement to Supplement Your Dog’s Homemade Food

When creating dog food recipes, the operative word here is “supplement.” The essence of the nutrition in your dog’s homemade food should originate from the food itself. Using ingredients that are fresh, and natural or organic; and the right balance of carbs, protein, and fat should be the main way of making the food as healthy as possible. That said, adding a multivitamin can add more vitamins and minerals.

9. Consider Meals that Only Contain Raw Foods

Some experts argue that raw foods are the only practical option when preparing meals for humans or canines. What’s the big deal? Cooking foods at a certain temperature might remove many of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. While that claim is debatable, it’s safe to say that uncooked foods can be extremely healthy for your dog. Just be certain to avoid adding raw eggs and meat.