Thursday, April 4, 2013

Homemade Dog Food - A Personalized Treat for Your Dog

By Geraldine Dimarco


Many people today realize that home made dog food is a great alternative to provide for all your pets nutritional requirements. Because you can prepare the meals, you can make it as healthy as it can be for your canine. Not only that, it can also be quite economical when planned beforehand. Here are some great tips on how to make dog food the best way.

1. Consult your veterinarian first. There are many canines that have special needs and some food might be particularly harmful to them. Get your dog a thorough check up to find out their present condition and prepare the necessary food and nutrients into their meals.

2. Learn about the food that you do not feed canines. There are food that might be a cause of allergy to your pet (hence the prior consultation with the vet); however, there are regular things we see in our cupboards and refrigerator that are potentially dangerous to these animals. The shortlist of this includes: chocolate, onion, caffeine, baby food, grapes/raisins, macadamia nuts, citrus oil and mushrooms.

3. Some people believe that it is good to feed animal fresh and natural fare. However, it seems a wiser course of action to thoroughly cook the food to avoid any possible infections raw food might give. You can also keep the cooked meals in air tight containers and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Fresh ingredients should be frozen until you decide to use them.

4. Feed the canine the appropriate amount of starch, meats and vegetable. Many recommend a 50% starch, 25% meat and the remaining 25% for vegetable ratio; with some fruits thrown in as a healthy treat. You will need to find out what mix will work best for your dog. Potato and rice are good sources of starch for the dog. Almost all kinds of meat are acceptable for feeding. Keep in mind though that liver and other organ meat will be unsafe if used too much. Tomatoes, carrots, peas and green beans are excellent additions to the canines meal.

5. Animals have different lifestyles, as preordained by their breed or their owners personal practices. Some have a more active routine and will need a larger quantity of high protein food; while others have to watch their weight. Consult the vet on the appropriate portion size and the best feeding schedule for your dog.

6. When transitioning the dog from store bought pet food to home made dog food, make sure that you do this slowly. Feed the canine the new dishes little by little and decrease his regular pet food gradually. If there is no adverse reaction to the new food, increase the home made fare until it becomes his standard meal.

It is best to switch up the menu and meals every so often to give your dog the nutritional requirements he needs as well as keep him interested. Sometimes people find it a challenge in learning how to make dog food, but it is a worthy endeavor, one your pet will be glad you pursued.




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