4 ideas for home made dog food.

1. Managing the diet is the most important point to consider. If the diet is not balanced, it goes from the best food to feed, to not so good at all. If there are no vitamins or minerals (especially calcium) in the diet, puppies run into deficiencies very quickly. Puppies can show vitamin deficiencies within months. For this reason, many vets dont believe in hand made dog food. 2. Meat Selection: The base ingredient for making your own dog food is some form of meat, whether its cooked or raw. Dogs are carnivores and thrive on a meat based diet. The meat can be whatever is available, turkey, chicken, venison, beef or pork among others. Be sure the meat is fresh and fit for you to eat yourself. Dont use any super fat meats, the most you want is 15 to 20%. Fish is good, just not as the main ingredient. 3. Veggies: Somewhere around 25% of the diet should be vegetables. This will add minerals, fiber and of course vitamins. The vegetables will be of more help if they have been steamed abd then chopped or pureed Vegetables to include: squash, pumpkin, zucchini, carrots, peas, beets, yams, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and sweet potato. Vegetables to avoid: onion, white potato, tomato, bell peppers, , raw beans, leek, chard and beet greens. 4. Carbs are not required for dogs. Dogs are missing the digestive enzymes to break down and metabolize carbohydrates. Carbs are the main cause of many canine diseases, including obesity, inflammitory bowel disease, kidney disease and allergies. The reason they are added to commercial pet food is that it cuts down on the manufacturing cost. 5. Be safe while you try different diets, remember your dog will need a balanced diet! Play around with different meat/vegetable combinations. Watch your pet and you will learn their favorites. home made dog food