I have talked quite a bit amount the fact I like to feed the Dogs Raw Meaty Bones on occasion, as well as the Dogs eating Chicken Bones. I like to keep the feeding of the Dogs quite simple, partly from a time point of view and partly an economic one.
There have been so many recalls and reports about what is actually in the commercial foods that we buy (both for us and our Dogs), that I am wondering whether it may be worth rethinking the way we feed our Dogs. Homemade Dog Foods, just as Homemade Food that we eat, means you can control what is in the Recipe. Luckily we grow most of our own Veg so a lot of the time we know exactly what we are eating, and it is great to know that no chemicals have been involved.
Many swear by an all Raw Food Diet for there Dogs, which I really don’t think we can afford to do, especially because it contains a lot of expensive Meat, but I wonder if some natural homemade Dog Food, prepared at least a few times a week may be worth giving a go. Homemade Dog Diets are certainly becoming more favourable.
Homemade Dog Foods
Dogs need a balanced Diet, the same as we do. But how many of us actually eat a perfect Diet? Dog lovers, and Pet Food Companies (who have a vested interest) often tell us that we must give a Dog a very precise Diet that has been tested, analyzed and contains all the recommended daily amounts etc etc. But would it really matter if our home made Dog Food Recipe wasn’t exactly what a Dog should be eating every day?
A Natural homemade Dog Food that was given a few times a week, as long as it is relatively healthy can do no harm, surely? Is homemade food better than commercial Dog Food? We shall see.
Problems With Homemade Dog Foods
As yet I am unsure whether to start making homemade Dog Food. There seems to be quite a bit involved if you wish to switch from just buying bags of dried food. The book that I always recommend, and that is shown in the sidebar, gives a few basic recipes and recommendations for food other than Bones. It is very comprehensive about what Dogs should eat and goes in to great detail about the benefits of Raw Bones, but doesn’t have tons of recipes.
The problems I can see with healthy homemade Dog Food is always fretting about getting the right Food for your Dog. I am not obsessed about being perfect, heck my Diet is far from it, but I wouldn’t want unhealthy Dogs either. There is also the consideration of what Human Foods are safe for Dogs to eat. We do not want to feed our Dogs Human Foods that are dangerous for Dogs.
What Is Involved With Making Healthy Homemade Dog Food?
The problems I envisage are ones of time and ingredients. It will obviously be extra work but will the benefits be worth a few extra hours a week. Many authors believe it is worth the trouble.
If I do begin to feed homemade Dog Foods then there are the Vitamins, Minerals, Oils etc to be considered. It all needs to be balanced overall to ensure the health of the Dogs. I kind of feel like I am talking myself out of it as I write.
The Benefits Of Natural Homemade Dog Food
Advocates of this style of feeding, including the author of Raw Meaty Bones 
The advocates also talk about the fact that the Dogs don’t need to eat nearly as much. The reasoning being that better quality food i.e Raw Meaty Bones and other Raw and cooked foods of high quality are absorbed much better by the Dogs. This cuts down on waste and results in a much better absorption rate.
Can Dogs Eat Human Food?
I am a firm believer in absolutely never feeding scraps to our Dogs. I have been there with our previous Dog and it was nothing but hassle. Nowadays absolutely no one is to give scraps to our Dogs unless we say so. Normally Human Food is saved and fed to the Dogs at their meal times. No begging makes for an easier life.
This brings up the question of whether Dogs should eat Human Food. In reality, for the most part, the answer is no. A few bits and pieces won’t hurt but they have very different needs to ours. For a start, there are many dangerous Foods for dogs. I have listed many Foods that Dogs should not eat, and it is worth a read if you haven’t already. On top of this are different dietary needs and the fact that many Foods should not be cooked if fed to Dogs. If feeding Vegetables for example, they really should be Raw, not cooked. Human Foods that Dogs can eat needs to be considered carefully. Lots of Foods that Humans eat are very dangerous for Dogs and foods that Dogs cannot eat are quite considerable.
A Home Made Dog Food Recipe
I have browsed around the Internet a bit looking for natural homemade Dog Food Recipes and there are quite a few. To be honest though I am not impressed with that many of them.
An awful lot of them consist of cooking all the food. Cooking Chickens and making a Vegetable stock with cooked Rice etc just doesn’t seem right. Is that so different from the Commercial Foods. I think I need to look more closely at an all, or mostly Raw Diet, if I am going to change.
One thing I have noticed is that in Europe all Dog Food must come from Food fit for Human consumption, I could find no such regulations for the US. If this is not right then please let me know.
The basis for the best home made Dog Food Recipes I found were founded on a few basic ingredients:
Raw Meat
Raw Eggs (some with shells)
Pureed Vegetables
Yoghurt
Simple stuff but great for the Dogs. I know Dogs love Raw Eggs, they will nick the Raw Eggs I collect from the Chickens every day given half the chance.
Does anyone already feed mostly natural homemade Dog Food? Has your Dog improved because of it?
Do you think Raw homemade Dog Food is better than cooked?
I am sure many would like to hear your experiences.
May the Doggie Force be with you all.
Feeding Raw Diet’s became very popular in 2007 when we were faced by all those recalls. It’s no doubt that Raw Homemade Food is going to be the best for your dogs health. This does have to be planned out very well and there is a lot of work that goes into this diet such as, portions and keeping your house free of salmonella.
I started up a very successful dog food website in which I wont list, but while reviewing dog food brands I started to realize just what was in commercial dog food and what I was feeding my dogs.
I still do feed dry dog food due to the fact that it is out of my means to feed raw. We feed Wellness Core/ Orijen dog food which are pretty much the closest thing you can buy to a raw diet.
Black Labradors’s last blog post..Labrador Fun Facts
My grandma grew up in rural Poland in the 1910’s, and had lots of dogs on the farm.
I remember asking..what did you feed them? There was no such thing as dog food back then.
Meat, potatoes…whatever we ate, she answered.
Ahh but in 1910 the average lifespan of a dog was much MUCH shorter than the long life spans our pals have now.
I do not feed homemade. I use Nature’s variety, but at half the suggested amount. I then add in cooked green beans, pumkin or squash for fiber and vitamins and to keep my dog’s weight in control. We also feed lots of fresh snacks like carrots and broccoli, and the occassional chicken, cheese etc. All vet approved quantity wise.
Our vet is very pleased with our dog’s health and has remarked how he is one of the healthiest dogs coat/teeth wise he has seen.
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@Jessica
“..occasional chicken…”
Geez..what is you dog? A closet Vegan or something? 🙂
Friar’s last blog post..Stereotype TWITS
Our guys have been 100% raw/homemade since December or so. I don’t know what recipe my wife uses but it seems to be pretty complicated and involves organ meats, cornish hens, eggs, raw veggies, homemade juice and fruit pulp, supplements, etc. I think the dogs eat better than we do!
Dennis the Vizsla’s last blog post..Cruel Jokes Are Never Funny
Black Lab, the more I look in to it, it does seem like it can be an awful lot of work.
Friar, I think Jessica may have a point there, a balanced diet does improve the age all animals live.
Jessica, it sounds like you have a good balance there.
Dennis, this is what I am concerned about. Especially as I an not the Chef in the Family. It sounds like they do eat very well.
I admire folks who can do this, but it’s never going to be an option for me. Frankly, I can barely prepare human food. I don’t trust myself to make dog food. And then there’s the time and effort it takes–going to the store to get the right foods, taking the time to cut everything up, finding a place to store it all (my fridge is full already without dog meal components), making sure the proper balance of nutrients is in there… Whew, I’m exhausted just thinking about it. 🙂
And then there’s Dozer’s stomach sensitivity and allergies to just about everything.
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Yeah Jennifer there is a lot that goes into it. You also have to try and find the best place to buy the cheapest meat without sacrificing quality.
Black Labradors’s last blog post..Labrador Fun Facts
It’s hard to trust anything that is canned these days. We’re using the same recipe as yours, only we add some wheat in the mix.
Mercola’s last blog post..The Dangers of Too Much Red Meat
Well hello 3dog my alf-alfas feed me and my son Spit raw food most of the time and we look and feel great on it. Lady Alf bought Give a Dog a Bone in the charity for 50p and we have never looked back. Sure it can take time and we often eat better then they do – occasionally we get to eat junk food as in dry croc but they complain that we get hyperactive afterwards! There are plenty of recipes in Give a Dog a Bone and even recommendations for a vegan/vegetarian approach
Jennifer, it does seem like a lot of work. We have a similar storage problem, a tiny freezer compartment, which means so much would have to be prepared daily.
Black Labradors, cheap Meat can be a problem to find. You need a regular friendly Butcher to try to keep costs down.
Mercola, sounds good.
Well hello Gnasher The Gnudger, thanks for confirming how good the book is. It sounds like maybe you should start letting the alfas have some of that good food you are always eating.
I’ve just started feeding raw and found it far simpler than I envisaged. Chicken quarters are what he has started on so no need for cutting or chopping so far, although I know we will have a little of that in the future. I’ve researched from the raw feeding group on yahoo. They recommend no supplements just raw meaty bones which should include meat, bone and some organs – pretty simple!
Our boy was abandoned just before Christmas and seems to have an allergy to every type of kibble going – even those special ‘vet’ diets. In fact our vet was at a loss. He had more or less constant diarrhoea for four months and lost loads of weight. He started on the raw and straight away starting producing firm stools and his weight has started to increase for the first time. The only downside I see right now is the cost – I have to figure out how to source cheaper meat as am buying from the supermarket at the mo – but I can see it will be worth it.
Ben n Misha, that sounds great. There is nothing our Dogs like more than some raw chicken. I agree about the cost though. Why not do what our friends who always make homemade Dog food do and get to go to a butchers every week or two.
I am amazed how much food they get given for free or very cheaply if they ask. It is definitely worth a try.
NOT raw salmonilla and bacteria NOT just meat they die faster NOT cooked bones make gourmutt gravy
GOURMUTT GRAVY
water
vegetables
bones
boil together remove bones dump into blender = doggie delight!!!!