Keys To Creating A Homemade Diet For Dogs
There are several types of diets that dogs can follow. Many dogs in the world eat only feed, but if you are thinking of creating a homemade diet for dogs there are a few questions that you should take into account:
Homemade diet for dogs
Until a very few years ago, dogs ate homemade or raw food. I think is a very recent and convenient invention that has displaced fresh food in our animals’ feeders.
The feed has its advantages and disadvantages: on the one hand, we make sure that the animals ingest all the necessary nutrients; on the other hand, in the eyes of the dog it becomes boring and monotonous to always eat the same thing. For this reason, there are people who consider changing the food they give their dog.
There are a wide variety of diets that can be followed: the raw ones, the homemade ones, the ones that combine these two and many more. Choosing which one we should follow will depend on the dog’s palate and the time we have to cook; in cases where there are physical or behavioral changes, also from the veterinarian.
If you are considering changing your dog’s diet, research your options and follow these guidelines:
Dogs are omnivorous animals
Contrary to what many people believe, dogs are omnivores. That is, they need to eat all kinds of food to get all the necessary nutrients to be healthy. Dogs are not carnivorous animals and they need nutritional contributions that only vegetables, vegetables or cereals can give.
The basis of their diet should be meat, but the rest of the food groups cannot be neglected. A plate of rice with vegetables is as necessary in your diet as a bone that you can gnaw on for hours.
The percentage of fruit and vegetables with respect to meat that your dog will need will depend on his age and his physical activity. A nervous young dog will need more protein; however, an elderly dog that enjoys long, quiet naps on the couch will appreciate lighter meals.
The key to finding out this ratio is in you: go testing and observing how your dog reacts. If you notice him more tired or too nervous, you will have to adjust the portions. It is one of the great advantages of a homemade diet for dogs: it is completely customizable.
Make friends with the butcher
Since much of your dog’s diet should be meat-based, it’s time to befriend the butcher. Raw diets advise presenting meat with bone: in addition to eating, you will be cleaning your teeth and covering the innate need that dogs have to chew and tear.
In that the butcher is going to be your best ally: ask him to save you the remains and bones that he was going to throw away. It can even make you a special price, since that meat was not going to take advantage of it in any other way.
When you give a dog a bone, always give it raw. If you cook it or cook it in any way, you dehydrate it: when the dog chews it, instead of being undone, it can splinter. Bone splinters are dangerous as they can stick in and do a lot of damage to you.
Also, do not forget to adapt the size of the bones to that of your dog: if they are too small they may swallow them without chewing, and if they are too large they will hurt their mouth. You can’t give a Yorkshire Terrier the same bones as a German Shepherd, for example.
Do not mix with feed
Although there are dietary plans that mix fresh food with feed, they do not do it in the same meal. That is, a combined homemade dog diet features fresh and pressed food throughout the same day, but not in the same digestion.
This is because the digestion time is different: the feed, being dry and pressed, takes much longer in the stomach to be digested. If you mix cooked food in a bowl and I think you will give your dog a stomach ache.
Use seasonal fruits and vegetables
Take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables to make the shopping basket cheaper as well as the most varied dishes for your dog. There is a wide variety of vegetables available in the markets to choose from.
Since your dog’s diet is variable and does not always depend on the same flavor, experiment with cooking yourself. You can take advantage of this homemade diet for dogs to introduce him to new flavors and textures each season and discover which ones he likes best and which ones he avoids.
Veterinary checks
Don’t forget to get frequent vet check-ups. Whether you lose weight or gain it, your vet should be informed.
In the same way, if you notice changes in his character, if he begins to misbehave or show behaviors that you have never seen before, consult a specialist. Diet is a key element for the health of any living being, and if we are not doing it right we will be causing a problem for our dog.
Never neglect annual checkups or routine blood tests. The health of our pets is the most important thing and only the vet can assure us that they are feeding correctly.
