Homemade dog food is far healthier for dogs compared to commercial dog foods. It will add years to the life of your dog. Dog owners need to be aware of the dangers that certain commercial dog foods can pose. They should know how to provide their pets with a balanced diet. There has been a steady increase in the number of dog owners who are opting for homemade food diets.
Homemade food for dogs became more popular after the incident in 2007 when several dogs became ill and died after eating dog food with melamine. Many pet have stated that homemade food is far healthier and fresher apart from being safer than commercial products. There are now pet food recipe books available over the internet. Many vets have recipe books as well.
These recipes have been specifically devised by experts in order to make sure that dogs get a well-balanced diet. They have been devised for owners that prefer to make their own homemade dog food. The only challenge that owners face is the nutritional standpoint. Dogs and other pets have the same nutrition requirements as humans and don’t have a need for preservatives but nutrients. Even though homemade meals are the best, there are several excellent commercial dog foods that do provide the dog with adequate nutrients.
Dog food made at home must contain protein, carbohydrates, essential fats, vitamins and minerals. Homemade foods can include chicken, pasta, beef, potatoes, rice and lamb. For instance, carbohydrates are a good source of energy. Proteins, on the other hand, provide essential fatty acids and amino acids. Owners can make small adjustments to their homemade food due to the cost of ingredients, but this should not result in malnutrition.
Homemade dog food can also be prepared with the use of a variety of vegetables excluding garlic and onions which are toxic to dogs. There are foods that should not be fed to dogs as they are toxic, so before starting to prepare homemade meals for your dog, you need to make sure that you will not be using these ingredients. A vet can supply a list of foods that are toxic to dogs. All meats should be cooked as certain raw meats expose the dog to E Coli and salmonella.
The experts have suggested that dog owners should have their pet’s diet assessed by their vet at least every six months. Dogs that suffer from an illness will require specified diets. If you are looking for nutritional information and diet sheets a good website is petdiets.com as well as balanceit.com. There you can get ready diet plans for dogs with medical conditions as well as diet plans for healthy dogs.
Pet owners making their homemade dog food need to be aware that inadequate nutrition can lead to health problems. Many homemade diets lack calcium and when pets do not get sufficient calcium they can become prone to nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, which causes bone damage and increases the risk of fracures. In addition, dogs also require zinc, iron and magnesium. Additional vitamins and supplements manufactured for dogs can be purchased online or from a vet.
