How To Make Homemade Dry Dog Food
Making Dry Dog Food
Finding the Right Balance of Nutrients and Taste
Homemade dog food is much healthier for your
pet than most store bought food. There's no argument
about that. Homemade food is made with fresh food ingredients t
hat your dog needs in order to maintain his or her best health. Not
to mention the money you'll save with making your own homemade
dog food. The best brands of dog foods are expensive to buy!
With all the pet food recalls over the past few years many people
have thought about making their dog’s food. What’s daunting about
this is finding the right foods to put together for a nutritious, delicious
meal. If you plan to make the dog’s dry food, there are two things to
consider: Does the dog eat only dry food or is the dry food a supplement
to wet food. If it’s a supplement to wet food, the content requirements are
not as restrictive as those for the dog who eats only dry food.
The basic recipe for both is the same: flour, fat, apple source,soy milk,
The flour can range from all-purpose flour to potato flour to whole
wheat flour or rye flour. There are all kinds of flour. Fats can come
from canola oil,olive oil, safflower oil, corn oil. Like flour there are all kinds of oil.
6 cups of any combination of flours
1 cup of soy milk
1/3 cup oil
2 ½ cups liquid (milk, water, ou carrote juice or other veg dogs can eat)
Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients.
Mix the wet with the dry ingredients. The dough should be thick
and moist (not too wet) like bread dough. Add water or flour
(or some other additive), if necessary to get the consistency.
Spread the dough on a cookie sheet about a 1/2 –inch thick.
You can perforate the dough in the shape you want now or just
break the cooked kibble into pieces after it’s cooled. You can cook it
slowly at 200 degrees for about an hour, or at 350 degrees for
about 45 minutes. Let it cool and harden.
Now, this isn’t going to taste very good, which is why you may
want to add goodies to the recipe after the basic ingredients are
mixed. You can add cooked and pureed ,
vegetables (green beans, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots)
and/or fruit (apples, pumpkin), even peanut butter or
whatever your dog likes. The main focus, however,
is to keep the dough thick and moist so it smoothes easily in the pan.
You can even add herbs and spices, such as salt, turmeric or parsley,
or other additives, such as brewer’s yeast, rice, corn l, bran
and oats. Anything your dog likes and can have is on the menu.
No-No Foods
You should never feed your dog the following foods:
- Chocolate
- Garlic (occasionally in minuscule amounts because they do like it)
- Onions
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Artificial sweeteners or fats
Full-Meal Kibble
If your dog eats only kibble, then it’s not quite as easy as kibble
that’s a supplement to wet food. Since this food is his only food,
it must HAVE all his nutritional requirements for protein/amino acids,
complex carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Protein should account for from 16 to18 percent of the diet (dairy);
complex carbohydrates (vegetables) should comprise about 45 percent,
fats about 12 percent. If you think the dog isn’t getting enough minerals
and vitamins, you can supplement the dog’s food with AKC RenewTrients
Dog Multi-Vitamin, available at www.dogsupplies.com.
So, take for a complete meal,
Ingredients - Basic recipe
1 can plain pumpkin (not pie filling)
(You can drain it if you want or use it in your fat count)
4-5 cups vegetable/fruit, cooked, drained and pureed
Add flour if the mixture is too soupy or tacky; add water or more oil if the
mixture is too dry. You can increase the oil to 1.5 cups and still be
OK with the fat content, depending on whether you’re using the meat’s fat.
Use your knowledge of your dog and your creative cooking juices to
find the recipe that works for you and your dog. When you’ve found it,
stick to it because dogs like and need routine.
Can I give my dog fruits and vegetables?
Ask the Vet
Many people assume that being carnivores, dogs should only eat meat. However, fruits and vegetables are also
good for your animal, since they provide important nutrients for your dog’s health. Particularly green leafy vegetables – spinach,
celery, cabbage, carrot - should be apart of your dog’s diet. Fruits like apple, pear, grapefruit and orange make healthy choices.
Eggs and a touch of garlic can also be added to the bowl.
Be aware that this is only a supplement and should only be given in small amounts. Too much fruit can cause diarrhea to the dog.
Never give the fruit’s seeds to a dog, since they are toxic. There are also poisonous plants and fruits, so stick to these suggestions.
Generally, dogs can eat raspberries, blueberries, bananas, pears, mangoes, pineapples, apricots, peaches, and strawberries,
as well as many other types of fruit. You will want to stay away from citrus fruits as they may upset your dog's stomach. As for vegetables,
you can give your dog carrots, cabbage, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, beets, zucchini, peas, green bell peppers and the list goes on.
It's important that you figure out what foods your dog likes best.
However, there are also some fruits and vegetables that you will want to avoid at all costs. When it comes to fruit, you don't want to give
your dog grapes, raisins, and citrus fruits like oranges. Grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs. You will want to avoid giving your dog
raw onions as they can also be toxic. It's also important to never give your dog seeds or pits from fruit.
When you figure out which fruits and vegetables your dog likes, you can easily incorporate them into his food, give them as snacks,
or use little pieces of it as a treat. The good thing about fruits and vegetables is that they are healthy. Of course, everything should
be given to your dog in moderation, so don't overload! If you do give your dog too many fruits or vegetables, it may change
the pH levels in his stomach.
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NAMASTE!NANCY,THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT!
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