Tips for Giving Your Dog a Homemade Diet
There are many different diets a dog can follow. A lot of them just eat kibble, but maybe you’re thinking about making their food at home. If you are, here are some things to keep in mind:
Homemade diet for dogs
Until recently, dogs ate homemade or raw food. Kibble is a recent invention that made feeding dogs easier. That’s why it has replaced fresh food in the lives of so many of dogs.
Kibble has its pros and cons. On the one hand, you’re making sure your dog gets all the nutrients he needs. On the other, your dog will get bored of eating the same thing all the time. However, some people are changing this and going back to the old fashioned way.
If you’re thinking about changing your dog’s food, look into your options and follow these rules:
Dogs are omnivores
Unlike what most people think, dogs are omnivores. This means that they should eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients they need to be healthy. Dogs aren’t carnivores, so they need to receive nutrients that only come from fruit, vegetables, and grains.
Meat should be the main part of a dog’s diet, but that doesn’t mean you should leave out the other food groups. A bowl of rice and greens is just as important to them as a bone is.
The proportions of fruit and vegetables your dog needs compared to meat depend on how old your dog is and how much exercise he gets. A young, restless dog needs more protein. Meanwhile, an old dog that takes long naps is better off eating lighter foods.
The owner is the one responsible for figuring out what proportion to feed his dog. Start by trying out different foods and seeing how your dog reacts. If you notice if your dog is getting more tired, then you can make a few adjustments. Customizing your dog’s food is one of the biggest advantages of a homemade diet.
Become friends with the butcher
Due to your dog’s diet is meat-based, it’s a good idea to become friends with the butcher. Raw diets work best when the meat comes with bones. Your dog can clean his teeth while he eats and fulfills his natural need to chew.
This is where the butcher comes in. Ask him to hold onto the scraps and bones they would usually throw away. They might even give you a special price because they weren’t going to use it anyway.
If you give your dog a bone, it should always be raw. You dehydrate bone when you boil or cook them. It might splinter instead of dissolving as your dog chews on it. Bone splinters are extremely dangerous, because they can be very sharp and hurt your dog.
Of course, don’t forget to think about your dog’s size. If the bones are too small, your dog might swallow them without chewing. If they’re too big, they might hurt your dog’s mouth. For example, you can’t give the same size bones to a Yorkshire terrier than you could to German shepherd.
Don’t mix with kibble
Some diets say you can mix fresh food and kibble, but never within the same meal. This means that you can give your dog fresh food and pre-made food on the same day, but not during the same digestion period.
That’s because they take different amounts of time to digest: kibble is dry and dense so it takes much longer to digest in the stomach. If you mix homemade food and kibble you’ll only give your dog a stomachache.
Use seasonal fruits and vegetables
Make use of any in season fruits and vegetables to save some money at the store. Use these foods to provide your dog with a wide variety of food, because stores offer a lot of produce to choose from.
Try experimenting and use different flavors to give your dog some variety in his diet. You can use this homemade diet to show your dog new flavors and textures every once in awhile and see which ones he likes the most.
Veterinary check ups
You also need to fun do frequent check ups by your vet. Whether your dog gains weight or loses it, you need to keep the vet current on his health.
Likewise, if you notice a change in his personality, or if he starts misbehaving in ways you’ve never seen before, then you should take him to the vet. A good diet is crucial for the health of any living creature and usually dogs have health problems due to diet related issues.
Never forget to run annual check ups or routine blood tests. Your pet’s health is of utmost importance and only a veterinarian should provide you with dietary advice and authorize any changes you wish to make in it.