Homemade Dog Food - Make Your Dog's Meal
Homemade dog food is definitely a good option for people that don't trust the commercial types you can buy in the store. When you prepare your dog's food you really control all the vitamins and nutrients that they will be getting. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Homemade dog food can be a very good idea if you make sure to give your dog everything they need in terms of protein, vitammins, and nutrients. It can be a very bad thing if you aren't careful or don't know what you're doing because you won't be giving your dog everything and you might not be nourishing them.
Don't go with homemade dog food just as a way to save money.
The reason that homemade dog foods are not a good way to cut back on your spending is because they will actually cost you more money to do right. You will need to buy meats and vegetables and be sure to use them while they are still good. The commercial types are much cheaper, and there are healthy options from brands like Iams and Pedigree.
If you want the best possible food for your dog though, you can't beat the homemade types. By combining meats like chicken and vegetables, you can give your dog the right amount of calories while at the same time making sure they get enough vitamins and protein. How much food they get depends very much on the breed of the dog and how much they weigh.
Here is a general idea about how much food a dog will need based on their weight:
- 10 Pounds or Less - From 1/3 cup to 1 and 1/4 Cups
- 10 to 25 Pounds - From 1 and 1/4 Cups to 2 and 1/3 Cups
- 25 to 50 Pounds - From 2 and 1/3 Cups to 4 Cups
- 50 to 75 Pounds - From 4 Cups to 5 and 1/3 Cups
- 75 to 150 Pounds - From 5 and 1/3 Cups to 9 Cups
In other words, you really need to watch what you're doing with homemade dog food if you want to replace the commercial types.
There are plenty of dog food recipes that you can follow if you want to get really creative, but as long as you remember to include tasty ingredients, your pet will be happy. Here are some of the foods that you should try to mix into each meal you prepare for your pet:
- Ground Beef - Dogs love it and it has plenty of protein and a good amount of fat
- Broccoli - Just like for people, this vegetable is great for our dogs.
- Carrots - Even dogs that are very finnicky will appreciate some shredded carrots
- Brown Rice - Surprising, it's a treat that is both tasty and healthy for our dogs
- Eggs - Dogs can eat cooked eggs and many of them like it. Plus they're loaded with protein.
- Potatoes - Another healthy vegetable that dogs enjoy and they're cheap.
- Celery - Some dogs will eat this if they're chopped up.
- Tuna - Canned tuna is a low fat, high protein food that many dogs enjoy.
- Chicken - Whether you cook it for them or give it to them out of a can, dogs love it.
- Cheese - Cheese is good for the bones of dogs and they like how it tastes.
You definitely want to consult with a veterinarian before attemtpting to make your dog's food on your own. They will be able to tell you whether or not your meal ideas are sound and they might even have some good recipes of their own.
Just make sure you're going with homemade dog food because you want what's best for your dog, not because you want to save money!
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