Benefits of Homemade Dog Food

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 8 August 2021
Update Date: 15 December 2024
Anonim
The health benefits of homemade dog food
Video: The health benefits of homemade dog food

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If we think about the dog food, it's easy to think of rations and different varieties of canned wet food. Our current fast pace of life makes us feed our dogs in a way as fast and comfortable as that which allows us to open a package or a can and put the food ready in the feeder. But is industrialized food the best option?

In this article by PeritoAnimal we will talk about Benefits of Homemade Dog Food, the foods they can consume and the different forms of presentation that exist. So we can choose, with all the information, how to feed our partner.


Basic concepts about dog feeding

Dogs have a lower number of taste buds than humans, but it is believed that they can distinguish between flavors such as sweet, sour, bitter and salty. In addition, they are able to establish preferences or animosities marked by certain foods, which we must take into account when preparing their menu, which must be balanced and, for this, include the ten amino acids that are considered essential for the dog because he is not able to synthesize them. Therefore, it will be critical that they ingest such amino acids into their daily diet.

In this sense, a good combination will be one that mixes vegetable proteins with others of animal origin, as this will guarantee the presence of all the amino acids. This point is basic, because if the dog has deficiencies in these essential amino acids, it may manifest developmental changes, anemia or problems in the immune system.


On the other hand, a balanced diet must include adequate amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins to ensure optimal health. It is also important to keep in mind that each individual is different and therefore it is advisable to adapt the diet to each case. For example, growing animals or pregnant or lactating females have higher protein requirements. Dogs with illnesses will also need an adjustment of their ration.

With regard to the foods themselves that should make up your diet, we must emphasize that, despite being a optional carnivorous animal due to the evolution of the species after domestication, meat and fish continue to be its base. Thus, experts recommend that 70-80% of your diet is devoted to these products, and the remaining 30-20% is divided between fruits, vegetables, vegetables and cereals, as they are also foods that the dog's body needs to eat. keep healthy.


Benefits of Homemade Dog Food

After reviewing the general considerations to take into account when establishing the diet, we see how among the benefits of homemade dog food is the possibility to choose food with which we will compose the menu. However, it is not the only advantage and we will explain the rest below:

  • By selecting the ingredients ourselves, we ensure that we use quality food and to establish the percentages of each product fully adapted to our dog.
  • As we said, through a homemade diet for dogs we can ensure that they are all essential amino acids present that your digestive system is unable to synthesize.
  • We offer the animal a diet with unprocessed ingredients, which translates into an improvement in its general state of health by ingesting all natural products. This is because, as the food is less treated, the nutrients are kept much better, they are easier to assimilate and have almost no artificial chemicals, the latter being in some cases non-existent.
  • By including meat, fish, fruits or fresh and natural vegetables, the dish becomes much more appetizing for the dog.
  • É much more digestible due to all this, because the use of products adapted to the dog's needs, fresh, quality and natural, makes your body assimilate them without problems.
  • It allows us to establish a variable and complete menu, so that the animal does not get bored of eating the same thing over and over again or show nutritional deficiencies.

Finding Balance in Dog Food

In order to enjoy all the benefits of homemade dog food we must take into account that not everyone has the same nutritional needs, as we already mentioned. Thus, we will distinguish lactating women, puppies, adults, pregnant women, lactating females, geriatric and sick. Dog size is another factor to consider, as puppies of larger breeds will be healthier with slower growth. In any case, it is advisable to consult our veterinarian before making any changes to your diet.

The following are general considerations that we should keep in mind, depending on the age or condition of our dog:

  • One mom at the time of delivery must consume 1.5 times your usual ration.
  • You growing animals require more protein and calories than adults. Although it can keep the proteins in the adult dog's diet high, this won't be a problem, if the caloric intake doesn't decrease we will end up having an obese adult.
  • You puppies up to 6 months require twice as many calories per kg of weight as adults.
  • in old age less calories are needed, approximately 30% less than in youth. In addition, at this time it may be beneficial to include vitamins such as E, C and selenium in the dog's natural diet, due to its antioxidant effect.

On the other hand, for the diet too we will take into account the level of activity developed by the dog in its everyday life. For example, a dog that exercises a lot may consume a greater amount of fat, while a dog with a more sedentary lifestyle should control its intake very well.

Finally, snack rewards should never exceed 5-10% of the recommended daily calories. Remember that positive reinforcement can also be done with petting, words of encouragement, or play.

For healthy adult puppies, the key to finding balance in home cooking is in meet the animal. Therefore, we advise you to try and experiment to give the right amounts to our dog, to detect which foods he likes best and how to combine them.

Nutritional needs of dogs

In order for the dog to benefit from homemade and natural food, we must take into account the approximate percentage of nutrients that he needs, which, for a adult dog with a normal activity would be[1]:

  • 26% protein
  • 36% carbohydrates
  • 38% fat

Of course these percentages are totally guideline, as we will have to adapt them to the dog's lifestyle, age or condition. As we said, a dog that performs little exercise should consume less fat, while one that practices sports can increase this amount. Again, knowing our dog is the most important thing to offer you the best food.

About the number of daily meals or rations, will also depend on each dog, as some usually eat once a day while others prefer to eat two or three times. Now, if we have just adopted a puppy, it is advisable to divide the food into several meals throughout the day. Of course, in all cases it is essential to leave fresh, clean water available at all times.

Good food for dogs

A balanced diet based on good quality proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins and minerals will provide all the benefits of homemade dog food. We can choose from the following ingredients, as an example, as there are many alternatives:

  • Between the proteins we can find the of animal origin, such as beef, chicken, lamb or fish, which should form the basis of the dish, and the vegetables such as corn, soybeans or wheat.
  • The carbohydrate group also includes corn and wheat, rice, oats, etc. Here the fiber, which is not digested, but facilitates intestinal transit. Highlights include beetroot, chicory, yam or bran.
  • You lipids or fats, like proteins, can also be animals or vegetables, such as those obtained from seeds.
  • Vitamins and minerals will be present, in different percentages, in all foods. We just have to check how much, in case we have to supplement or increase their doses and make sure they don't inhibit between them. Important sources are liver, dairy and yeast.
  • Foods such as vegetables, eggs, fruits or vegetables can be provided in a complementary way.

It is important to consult your veterinarian when developing our dog's home cooking menu to ensure that all of your dog's needs are well met. On the other hand, this article shares a complete list of fruits and vegetables recommended for dogs and their benefits.

How to make homemade dog food?

The benefits of homemade dog food are optimized by taking into account the cooking methods. Meat, fish and poultry are always recommended cooked to prevent the transmission of parasites. can also be grilled. Of course, we must remove all bones capable of producing obstructions. Although there are types of homemade diets for dogs that offer raw foods, such as the BARF diet, we cannot always guarantee that the products are in optimal condition and, therefore, we advise cooking or pre-freezing the food.

So, we will have to plan our dog's feeding to ensure it is balanced.

Tips for the best homemade dog food recipes

  • Foods with lactose, such as milk or cheese, can cause diarrhea, so we must control their consumption or, in obvious cases of lactose intolerance, remove them from the diet.
  • We can prepare it, freeze it and take it out as needed, which will facilitate our daily logistics.
  • We must never add salt or sugar or foods like chocolate or stimulants like coffee.
  • To enhance the flavor of the dishes, we have the option of incorporate spices beneficial to puppies, such as turmeric, oregano, rosemary and thyme.
  • Olive oil is also indicated due to its dermoprotective, antioxidant and digestive properties, so we can serve homemade dog food with a string on top.

If we don't have enough time to cook, but we are sure we want to improve our dog's diet, there are brands on the market that manufacture dehydrated dog food, totally natural and highly beneficial. While all puppies can benefit, dehydrated food is especially recommended for puppies and the elderly.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Now that you know what to consider about making natural dog food, you've seen that it's very simple to figure out what foods to include and what foods to exclude. In this way, you can prepare dishes such as: chicken rice, meat and vegetable stew, grilled fish, etc., always bearing in mind the percentages mentioned above.

On the other hand, when choosing the pieces of meat for homemade dog food recipes, it should be noted that in addition to being able to choose the most common ones, such as chicken breast or veal, the viscera are also very beneficial for dogs because they offer a higher percentage of protein and a lower calorie intake.

Thus, bodies such as the heart, lungs or kidneys offer many possibilities and can be used to prepare any homemade dog food recipe. If you still don't know where to start, at PeritoAnimal you'll find assorted recipes for homemade dog food and simple ones like these:

  • Homemade Recipes for Puppies
  • How to prepare chicken liver for a dog?
  • Dog Cake Recipes
  • Christmas Recipes for Dogs
  • Natural dog food - Quantities, recipes and tips

And remember that lack of time shouldn't be an excuse! Below is a video with a natural recipe for dog food: