Your Own Dog Food
from Good Dog Food Recipes

Make your own dog food

When you make your own dog food you will want to know what to use in it.

Most people know what to use and how to cook their own dog foods, but many people do not know what a dog requires for daily nutrition.

You cannot simply add meat, vegetable, and stock to a dog dish and think this is better than the store bought kibble.

You need to be educated on what your dog needs each day from the food you choose to feed him. If you plan to supplement with homemade food be sure to take both foods into consideration when feeding her.

Percentage Of Protein

The amount of protein your dog gets each day is critical. Making your own dog food is great if you know why and how much meat to actually put in your dog's food. A dog needs no less than 21% and no more than 26% protein each day in his diet. How much will depend on how active your dog is. If your dog is not active then go low, very active dogs should get the maximum amount. This protein should come from a source of meat you would eat.

Skin, hair, and other animal by products are not an adequate source of protein and should be avoided. You should also stay away from soy products and grain proteins. These can effect hormone regulation and kidney function. While your dog's grade of meat can be lesser than what you feed yourself, it should not be anything you would not eat too.

Carbohydrates and Fats

The carbohydrates and fats in your own dog food are what give your dog his energy. His carbohydrate content should be about forty-two percent of his total daily intake. This should come from rice, potatoes, barley, and pastas. You should also add in a small amount of vegetables for fiber. This will aid in digestion and a healthy bowel. The fats your dog eats should be about 20% of his diet. They should not come from animal fats or other types of bad fat sources. Cooking your dog's food in olive oil, canola oil, or fish oil is the best way to get this fat content. Try to avoid dairy as a source of fat as most dogs do not tolerate it well and can cause digestive or allergy issues.

Vitamins And Minerals

An important 1% of your dog's nutrition is in the vitamins and minerals he ingests. This will control his brain and muscle function as well as all his cells. When you make your own dog food you will want to be sure that you use a good enough quality of food that you do not need to supplement with a vitamin solution. If you are scared whether your dog is getting what she should, call your vet and ask what type of daily vitamin you can use to be sure she stays healthy. Your vet can either prescribe one or will recommend a human daily vitamin you can crush up in her food.

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