Homemade Dog Food Recipes to Improve You Dog's Health

I was shocked to learn that my two small dogs had developed tooth decay problems after I had fed them good quality commercial dog food from the supermarket. My vet warned that most dog foods you buy contain inferior ingredients and are loaded with sugar and fat. The situation is very similar to the processed foods that we humans eat. My vet suggested feeding the dog with fresh meat soft bones or a good quality homemade dog food. Shown below are some advice and recipes to get you started.

The recent recalls of commercial dog food and other pet products in America and other countries after several dogs died high highlighted quality control and contamination problems. The pet food industry is poorly monitor and regulates and there are only rudimentary controls and checks on quality and ingredients. Clearly you cannot the dog food industry to self-regulate and self-monitor the quality of their products and government authorities are no help.

I am not going to go into the scary details about the ingredients used for dog food as they are too disgusting. You can do your own research if you are game.

It is worth considering making your own dog food at home to suit your dog's size and breed. This is perhaps the only way to guarantee your dog's a healthy and safety.

Ideal Ingredients for homemade dog food

• Rice is a good source of basic carbohydrate for dog food. Brown rice is best as it has lots more nutrients than white rice.
• Brewers yeast is a great source of vitamin B and Bakers yeast is also very good.
• Whole wheat flour, corn flour or soy flour - wholemeal preferred.
• Small amounts of flaxseed, wheat germ or Cod liver oil in small amounts that boosts the omega 3 fats in the food and helps maintain a shiny coat.
• Various meats can be used such as a combination of two or more of liver, beef, lamb, tuna, or chicken (ground meat is easier to handle).
• Some chopped meat attached to soft bones such as ribs.
• Most dogs love peanut butter and simple dog biscuits can be made by combining flour, brewers or bakers yeast, bone meal and/or powdered milk, and some vegetables such as carrots. (Peanuts are one of the rare nuts that are safe for dogs.
• Vegetables such as carrots, spinach, sweet potato, beans, cauliflower and broccoli are fine but they should be put through a food processor to help with digestion.
• Bone meal can be added to boost the calcium. Raw meaty bones are also an excellent source of calcium and help keep the dog's teeth clean. Powdered milk is also a very popular key ingredient for calcium in dog food.

Ingredients to Avoid in Homemade Dog Food

• Chocolate is dangerous for dogs.
• Grapes and Raisins can cause kidney problems
• Nutmeg is also dangerous and can trigger seizures in dogs.
• Raw eggs could contain salmonella and maybe risky if the food is not cooked.
• Onions are not a good idea.
• Macadamia nuts and many other nuts can harm dogs.
• Keep garlic to a minimum.
• Avoid any moldy foods such as old bread.
• Coffee and tea can cause similar problems as chocolate.
• Preservative such as Ethoxyquin, BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene), BHA (Butylated Hydroxysanisole) and Sodium Metabisulphite are dangerous.
• All added sugars are useless ingredients and should be avoided; -corn syrup, cane molasses, sugar, sorbitol, sucrose, fructose, glucose

The Basic Bones and Raw Food (BARF) Diet
One of the most popular dog food options that many people believe in is the Bones and Raw Food Diet( BARF). BARF Diets typically include a variety of uncooked foods such as :

• Bones with meat and flesh attached
• Offal and Organs
• Muscle
• Fruit
• Yogurt
• Eggs
• Herbs
• Vegetables
• Various Supplements
• Various Cereals

You can use virtually any type of meat including: beef, goat, buffalo, chicken, pork or whatever is fresh and available.

Various vegetables can also be used with emphasis on availability, freshness and variety.
While many pet owners are very pleased with BARF diets, some vets have claimed that BARF diets can lack essential minerals and nutrients and they recommend that users be careful to add a complete supplement .

There are many websites with recipes and many excellent books with fabulous information.

© janderson99-HubPages

Some example are provided below.