With many commercial pet foods being recalled in recent times, many pet owners have become increasingly worried about the quality of their dogs' food. The profit-prioritizing methods employed in the manufacturing process, the inclusion of chemicals and preservatives and poor-grade ingredients used by many brands do not help matters. There are two choices in solving this dilemma: switch to a high-grade, organic, expensive product available from some of the more ethical manufacturers specializing in natural dog food, or make your best friend's meal at home.
There are many recipes online for nutritious, natural dog food, and this article will give you a basic recipe to go by, but this article is meant to be a guideline, not professional advice. Also remember that certain breeds have specific dietary needs, and that (like humans) some dogs also suffer from allergies, and there are many conditions, diseases and other ailments that can be helped or hindered by diet. Size, lifestyle and age are also factors that should impact on your choices regarding ingredients, preparation and portion sizes.
Your vet is the best person to advise you and should - always - be consulted (and approve) regarding changes to your pet's diet, recipes and other dietary details - before you implement them.
Basically, a healthy diet for canines contains proportions of proteins, fats and carbs - with vitamin and mineral supplements (according to vet instructions and your dog's weight). The right amount of calcium is crucial, and adding some powdered eggshell or a little bonemeal to your best bud's meal can help. Do not use bonemeal sold for garden use as it contains harmful chemicals - use bonemeal specifically intended for consumption by humans or pets (sold in health stores and pet shops).
Being carnivores, dogs require about forty percent of their diet to be protein. Easily available, good sources of protein include cooked, ground chicken, lamb or beef. Feed your best friend good quality meat that contains no chemicals, hormones or antibiotics. Find out if your local organic butcher has a pet section - many do. Kidneys, liver and other organ meat make for welcome, healthy ingredients to incorporate in your mutt's meal. An egg now and again is a good idea and your four-legged companion is bound to agree.
The remainder of the diet should be a mixture of vegetables and grains. Frozen veggies that can be happily incorporated: corn, peas, lima beans, cut green beans. Recommended fresh vegetables: grated carrots or zucchini, broccoli, baking potatoes, yams/sweet potatoes. Fast-cooking grains: cornmeal, couscous, rolled oats, quinoa, whole-wheat, bulgur. Longer-cooking grains: millet, brown rice, barley, wheat berries.
Please Note - Stay Away From: onions/onion powder, all forms of coffee, tea, alcoholic drinks, almonds, macadamia nuts, raisins and grapes (incl. Juices, oils, etc.), the green parts of potatoes (foliage, sprouts, peels), tomato leaves/stems, rhubarb leaves, fruit seeds and pits - these are all toxic. Veggies containing a lot of oxalic acid are not exactly toxic, but will hamper calcium absorption, so keep away from rhubarb, spinach and swiss chard if you can help it. Never feed your pets table scraps. Let just-cooked food cool down to room temp before feeding - some dogs get upset stomachs or burns when they wolf down hot or too-warm food.
A simple natural dog food recipe/meal plan (for medium to large dogs): roast chicken pieces, chopped into small chunks (1-1.5 cups); cooked barley (1 cup); cooked green beans (half a cup); cooked carrots, grated (half a cup); organic, plain yoghurt (1 tablespoon).
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