How-to: Make Your Own Dog Food
When I twittered about cooking meals for my dog recently, Maria inquired about how I make food for Rufio.
I started preparing Ruf his own small meals when I began researching what most dog food is really made of. There are lots of good reasons to feed homemade dog food, but for me, a large part of it is that I enjoy preparing it!
There is no set recipe for what is served to Rufio. Typically, my husband or I cook up a batch of meat and vegetables in a large pan in the morning. This can be reheated and rationed throughout the day. The mix may be thickened up with rice, pasta, bits of bread, or egg. Meat can be purchased on the cheap a day or two before expiration – Use immediately or separate and freeze in small zip bags for later use. For veggies and other items, I just throw in a bit of whatever I’m making for myself that day.
The most common foods we cook up for Ruf:
- Ground beef
- Cheap steak
- Green beans
- Egg (chopped up hard boiled, or scrambled in with meat)
- Small amounts of organic non-fat yogurt
- Frozen blueberries (as a treat)
It is recommended that meats are cooked, but I routinely feed bits of raw or seared beef and fish. Basically, if I would eat it rare, that’s how I feed it. I always cook chicken and pork thoroughly. As in a human diet, less heat generally results in more nutrients. If you think about what dogs eat in the wild, it is only logical to feed meat and vegetables instead of “dog food”.
Some other foods that are great for dogs:
- Flax seed
- Pumpkin
- Sweet Potato
- Salmon
- Apples
- Oatmeal (plain cooked)
If you want to have more fun cooking for your pup, there are lots of dog food cookbooks out there that offer not only meal ideas, but specific recipes. For those of you who love to bake, many even include recipes for biscuits and other treats!
Side note: Did you know that dogs eating grass is the equivalent to you snacking on a salad? As long as the plants aren’t poisonous, he can nibble away.
Having a bag of dog food (kibble) on hand for emergencies is a good idea. A dog sitter may not want to fuss with preparing food, and kibble may also upset the system less if your dog is ill. (For doggie tummy troubles, plain white rice is a great choice as well.) When choosing a dog food, look for a meat (not “meat byproduct”) as the main ingredient. The more ‘human’ ingredients you recognize in the list, the better.
A quick Google will bring up a list of foods considered toxic for dogs. My dog and many others I know have regularly eaten “toxic” items without consequences, but obviously it is better to be safe than sorry. Just as humans react to foods differently, a food that might be fine for one dog could be dangerous for another.
One food that I’ve seen listed as poisonous is garlic, yet my dog consumes garlic all the time, and it’s included in many pup recipes. When feeding your dog any food they haven’t had before, start slowly and keep an eye out for any unusual behavior. I try to let small amounts of new food complete the digestive process (ahem), and if everything seems healthy I continue feeding that item. If anything seems off to you, consult a vet you trust.
When I switched my dog to real food during puppyhood, the increase in his energy was almost immediate, and his coat is now healthier as well. Some people complain of worsened breath when feeding real food, so you may want to invest in a doggie toothbrush, but that’s a small price to pay for a happier, healthier pet. =)
I am not a veterinarian. Advice is based on my own reading and personal experience. This is merely a breakdown of my thoughts on the subject and what I feed my dog. When it comes to the health of your pet, use your own judgment, or consult a vet you trust.
LOVE the astroturf there on the last picture.
another food that is toxic to dogs is chocolate. one time our dog when i was younger broke into my moms closet and got into the christmas candy stash. she had to stay overnight at the vet to have her stomach pumped
My dad cooks our dogs’s food, too! Well, he buys “sawdust” from the supermarket and cooks it with rice and a bunch of other things. It makes our mommy dog really fat lol. She’s always been a bit big, even though she gets a ton of exercise!