Many people become wary of commercial brands of dog food. Not knowing what kinds of chemicals are used in the processing methods as well as exactly what meats are classed as ‘by products’, and especially since the recent dog food recalls, they sometimes decide against feeding this food to their dogs. Instead they choose to make their own dog food. However this requires some research and the correct amounts of everything that a dog needs.

It might be a good idea to devise a weekly menu for your dog. This enables you to vary his food, provide him different flavors and give him a rotation of the right nutrients so that he will be getting a balanced diet. Just like people, dogs need a balance of protein, fats, starch and some vegetable intake too. Therefore your menu rotation can involve any mixture of the following things:

Proteins

Any meat, in particular red meat or fish for higher protein.
Poultry will also provide some much needed nutrients.
Organs that many people do not eat are also very good for dogs too, such a kidneys, liver etc.
Eggs. Not only are they a good source of protein but they also help your dogs coat shine too.

Fats

Do not go overboard with these, since there are often fats included in the meat, but you can add a little cheese or a little butter, but no more than flavoring as some people do not like to feed much dairy to their dogs.
Vegetable oil can be added, simply as a fat supplement.

Starch

Potatoes,
Rice,
Oats
Pasta - these are all good sources of starch and are healthy too.

Vegetables

This is entirely up to you. Generally a dog will enjoy carrots, peas, corn, potatoes, beans etc. You can flavor vegetables with gravy if you have a picky eater.

Once you have devised your food plan and concocted a nice menu, you should introduce it gradually to your dog. Try mixing half of your homemade food with half of a tin of commercial food. This way your dog will gradually get used to his new diet. Otherwise he may experience symptoms such as diarrhea or belly ache, because of a sudden change, and the way his system is accustomed to digesting and metabolizing food.

Always cook the food you give to your dog (meats and pasta and vegetables) an egg can be fed raw as can dairy products and oats etc. If you opt for a raw food diet for your dog, be sure to do some research and gather any and all information you can get from your vet. The raw food diet is not for everyone.

Adding a little garlic to their food is a good way to flavor it, since dogs do tend to like it, but not too much since it can be toxic to them. Garlic is also useful as a flea repellant, since they sweat it through their pores and fleas try to avoid it.

A homemade diet for your dog is a good idea for those worried about the contents and mixture of commercial brands, but you must be sure to get the right mixture of nutrients to ensure your dog’s health and well being. It may take some trial and error to find the right ingredients that your dog likes and that is good for him. (By Guy Berg)

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