How to Prepare Homemade Dog Food

Dogs are considered beloved family members, and you undoubtedly want your dog to enjoy tasty and nutritious food. However, don’t assume you can simply feed them human food. Dogs have different dietary requirements than humans, so it’s important to understand what needs to be included in their balanced diet. Once you grasp the basics of nutrition balance, you can start cooking for your dog.

Understand the difference between the diet of a pet dog and a wild dog. Wild dogs, such as wolves, can survive in nature without a balanced diet. However, their life expectancy is much shorter. Wild dogs also eat differently from domestic dogs. While pet dogs are fed pure proteins, wild dogs may consume internal organs like kidneys, liver, brain, and intestines. This results in a more complex nutritional regimen compared to simply feeding dogs meat (protein) and rice (carbohydrates) from the store.

• If a dog is fed a homemade diet that lacks balance, health problems may take a while to appear. This is because the dog will be deficient in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), rather than caloric intake.
• For instance, a dog might be healthy for weeks or even years, but after some time, it could suffer from broken bones due to long-term calcium deficiency.

Consult a specialist to design a proper diet plan. You cannot prepare food for your dog based solely on what seems tasty. In fact, since there is no one-size-fits-all diet for every dog, you must provide meals tailored by a veterinarian. For instance, growing puppies require double the calories for every 0.5 kg of body weight compared to an adult dog, while older dogs need 20% fewer calories than adults.

• Basic diets, even those created by veterinarians, often lack essential nutrients. A study analyzed 200 recipes developed by veterinarians, and most of these lacked at least one vital nutrient.

Learn how to prepare meals correctly. Once you have a specific recipe, make sure to follow it precisely to maintain the vitamins and minerals. Always stick to the instructions. If the recipe calls for chicken with skin, do not remove it as it may disrupt the fat balance. It’s better to use a kitchen scale rather than measuring ingredients with a cup for better accuracy.

• Do not overcook vegetables to preserve their nutrients. Instead, steam or blanch them briefly to retain vitamins.
• Avoid improvising or replacing ingredients, as it can lead to nutritional imbalances.

Supplement calcium in your dog's diet. Dogs have a high calcium requirement, and although you can feed them bones, there are health risks involved. Bones can splinter, scratch the intestinal lining, and cause inflammation or septicemia. Instead, consider adding calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, or finely ground eggshells. One teaspoon equals about 2200 mg of calcium carbonate, and a 15 kg adult dog needs 1 g per day (half a teaspoon).

• Bones can clump together, causing intestinal blockages that may require surgery to remove. Also, it's difficult to determine when a dog has received sufficient calcium from the bones they consume.

Boost protein intake. An adult dog weighing 15 kg needs at least 25 g of pure protein each day. Protein sources can include eggs (rich in essential amino acids that dogs require), followed by animal proteins such as chicken, lamb, or turkey. High-quality plant-based protein sources like beans, nuts, and eggs can also be added to the diet. Ensure that at least 10% of the dog's meal consists of high-quality protein (meat).

• Proteins are made up of small units called amino acids. There are 10 essential amino acids that dogs cannot produce on their own and must obtain from their diet.

Adding Fats. A 15 kg adult dog (roughly the size of a medium Staffordshire Bull Terrier) requires at least 14 grams of fat daily. You can provide chicken meat or skin to ensure sufficient fat in their diet. Experts recommend that at least 5% of a dog's diet by weight should consist of fats.

• Fats contain essential fat-soluble vitamins crucial for health. These vitamins also contribute to the creation of new functional cells.

Adding Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the majority of a dog's calorie intake. Specifically, half of a dog's diet should be made up of carbohydrates. A 14 kg dog needs approximately 930 calories daily. You should include wheat, rice, oats, and barley in their diet to ensure they get enough calories.

• Carbohydrates provide energy (with some energy also coming from protein and fat). They also offer fiber to support healthy digestion.

Adding Minerals. Dogs need minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, iron, and copper. A deficiency in minerals can lead to a range of health issues, including brittle bones, anemia, or poor nerve conduction leading to seizures. Different foods contain varying levels of minerals, especially fresh vegetables, so it's essential to study carefully to ensure your dog receives adequate minerals from each food type in their diet. You should include mineral-rich vegetables in your dog's meals:

• Leafy greens (raw or cooked), such as spinach, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and rainbow chard
• Cooked pumpkin
• Cooked radishes
• Cooked yellow radishes
• Cooked chickpeas
• Cooked okra

Adding Vitamins. Vitamins are a vital part of a dog's diet. A deficiency in vitamins can lead to problems like blindness, a weakened immune system, skin damage, and increased susceptibility to infections. Vitamins are found in various foods in different amounts, so you should use a variety of vegetables. Leafy greens are often a rich source of both vitamins and minerals, but some dogs may not like the taste and may refuse to eat them. Raw greens can cause bloating.

• Avoid overcooking vegetables as it can break down the vitamins.
• Vegetables that you typically don't eat raw (like radishes, rutabaga, yellow radishes, or potatoes) should be cooked to prevent the risk of intestinal blockages and to help your dog digest them more easily.

Understanding Your Dog's Caloric Needs. It's essential to know how many calories your dog requires to avoid either overfeeding or underfeeding. Keep in mind that caloric needs are not standardized. For example, an 18 kg dog doesn't need twice the calories of a 9 kg dog.

• There are charts available that show daily calorie requirements for dogs. These can give you a general idea of the calorie intake needed based on your dog's weight.
• Once you've found general guidelines based on your dog's weight, consider whether any lifestyle changes may require adjustments (e.g., pregnancy, obesity, age, or if the dog has been neutered or spayed). For instance, a puppy weighing 4.5 kg under four months old needs 654 calories, while the same weight for a neutered dog only needs 349 calories.

Knowing Which Foods Are Harmful to Dogs. We all know that chocolate is harmful to dogs, but many other foods that are safe for humans can be dangerous for them. Always check the ingredients carefully before preparing dog food based on new recipes. Never feed your dog the following:

• Raisins
• Grapes
• Onions (including shallots and chives)
• Garlic
• Tomatoes
• Chocolate
• Avocados
• Yeast
• Caffeine
• Alcoholic beverages
• Artificial sweeteners
• Xylitol
• Macadamia nuts

Preparing a Backup Menu in Case You Run Out of Dog Food. There’s no problem if you cook for your dog regularly (4-5 days a week). However, sometimes you may run out of food or your dog might have a stomach upset and require a lighter diet. In such cases, homemade chicken and rice makes for a soothing, temporary solution when you don't have regular food available. Avoid feeding this for long periods since it lacks essential minerals and vitamins.

• To prepare the chicken and rice, mix 1 cup of chicken breast with 3 cups of white rice. Do not add any fat or oil to the chicken.
• Feed your dog the same portion size as usual, which you can estimate. Typically, it will be about 1 1/3 bowls of chicken and rice per 4.5 kg of body weight.