Choosing the right homemade food for your dog

Homemade food can be a great healthy, good quality alternative to shop-bought products.

It is important to find the right balance in your dog’s diet; without the correct nutrients, your dog could end up with vitamin and mineral salt deficiencies. Here are a few guidelines to read through before starting your dog on a homemade diet.

The basics of home cooking for your dog

Our dogs need each meal to contain 5 different products in order to obtain the right energy intake.

Choose meat, vegetables (cooked), grains (including rice), vegetable oil (raw) and a vitamin and mineral supplement.

These supplements are important, otherwise homemade food will only cover 50% of your dog’s nutritional needs.

The right portion size

For an adult dog, their day food allowance should be between 2% and 4% of their body weight. Therefore, you will need to adapt your portion sizes accordingly.

A complete portion could consist of 125g of cooked meat or fish, or 100g of meat and 1 egg.

You could then add 150g of vegetables, 20g to 30g of carbohydrates, 5 to 10ml of olive oil, and finally the vitamin and mineral supplements.

Which are the most important foods to include in each portion?

The foods to avoid are: cheese, chocolate, sugary food, and onions amongst others. For more information, have a look at our list of dangerous food for dogs.

When it comes to meet, opt for beef, mutton, veal or poultry.

As far as vegetables are concerned, cooked carrots, courgettes, or green beens are great options. Make sure to avoid any vegetables that contain fermentable vegetables such as cabbage.

From time to time you can add small amounts of milk; butter or brewer’s yeast into your dog’s meals.

Even so, before experimenting with your dogs diet, you should consult a vet. They will guide you through the necessary steps and give you advice on details such as portion sizes and food types.

Do you prefer home cooked meals for your dog? Do you have any recipes to share?