How to Make Homemade Dog Food to Save Money

Information and Recipes for Feeding Dogs Nutritious, Cheap Meals

Aug 1, 2009 Janienne Jennrich

Dog owners can save money by making quality dog food from family meal leftovers. Combined with nutritional ingredients, anyone can make healthy homemade dog food.

Many people need to save money on dog food in order to be able to keep their pets. A sad fact during the recession is that pet owners are being forced to give up family-member dogs because they can no long afford to feed and care for their beloved companions. Making dog food at home may help save cash on feeding dogs while providing good healthy meals.

If a dog is fed quality foods, he or she will surely be healthier. This means less expensive trips to the vet, as well.

According to Dogs4-Life online, “It is now a common misconception that your dog can not maintain a healthy life unless he is fed commercial dog food. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

There are several things to consider when cooking and feeding dogs homemade food. It is important be sure a home diet meets canine nutritional needs. It is vital to avoid foods poisonous to dogs.

Dangerous Foods for Dogs to Eat

One thing of which to be aware of before making homemade pet food is that some foods are not good (and even dangerous) for dogs to eat.

Foods dogs should not be fed include:

chocolate
macadamia nuts
grapes and raisins
garlic
onions
alcoholic or caffeinated beverages
large amounts of raw eggs or fish (raw meats are debated)
and anything not fit for human consumption (for instance, rotten or spoiled foods).

Pet owners should consider their individual animals before picking recipes. For instance, some dogs do not process beef well, yet are fine with chicken or lamb. Some dogs want mainly beef. Others need a vegetarian diet. Some dogs and puppies are also lactose intolerant, making dairy foods (such as cow’s milk and cheese) difficult to digest. Dogs can even have allergies to some foods. An advantage to making homemade dog food is that these individual needs can be taken into consideration.

Many Options Exist for Making Dog Food at Home

Some dog owners prefer to make all their own dog food from scratch. Others mix homemade dog food half and half with canned or dry commercial food. Also available are freeze-dried meals, mixes, and supplements, but these can be expensive.

There are many recipes available for free online, as well as in books. One book recommended by the Whole Dog Journal is Natural Food Recipes for Healthy Dogs: Everything You Need to Know to Make the Greatest Food for Your Friend, by Carol Boyle (To order the newest edition, call 908-728-0010).

With a bit of thought given to nutritional needs, pet owners may develop their own recipes, as well. The link to the Whole Dog Journal includes information on supplements, as well as further information of feeding dogs home cooking. Mary Strauss, from DogAware online writes about remembering three basic rules when feeding dogs healthy meals – “variety, balance over time, and calcium in appropriate amounts,” which will “open the door to improving your dog’s health in the most natural way possible.”

Some Ingredients to Mix and Match in Inventing Dog Food Recipes

Some good food choices to include in a home-cooking dog food diet include: meat, eggs, canned fish with bone (jack mackerel, pink salmon, sardines), finely ground eggshells (or another calcium supplement), cooked brown pasta, bread products, cooked brown rice, cooked grains, cooked lentils, oatmeal, vegetables (no onions), and other healthy table leftovers. Sugary items and excess fat should be avoided.

Note: To make a larger batch of any recipe found or invented, the cook may simply increase ingredient amounts. While still warm, put the pet food into freezer containers (used plastic pre-made frosting containers are about the perfect 'dog food can' size) or durable freezer bags. Store any food not to be used within a few days in freezer and thaw as needed.

A large cooking pot makes about 10 to 15 “cans” of doggy meals for a medium-sized dog.

Resources:

I Love Dogs (a very cute and informational website)

Whole Dog Journal

eHow

DogAware

Seaworld Pet Show

Disclaimer: The writer and owners of this website are not qualified to give health or nutrition advice for your pet. Always consult your pet health care professional for advice on the health of your pet.

The copyright of the article How to Make Homemade Dog Food to Save Money in Dogs is owned by Janienne Jennrich. Permission to republish How to Make Homemade Dog Food to Save Money in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.