Home Made Dog Food - a Simple Step Towards Better Health for Your Dog

Have you thought about home made dog food as a better way to feed your dog? There are arguments for and against. In my view, the pros far outweigh the cons with only one possible exception – for some people, the idea is impractical (i.e. too hard). I will come back to this later.

The first difficulty lies in knowing what to feed. The short answer is: animal protein (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products), vegetables, cooked whole grains and fresh fruit.

Secondly, we assume that it must be very expensive to feed a dog on such ingredients. In my experience, this is not so. Our dogs do not need the best cuts of meat; chicken necks, mutton flaps, stewing chops, brisket or shin of beef will do them fine. If you have a deep freezer and can buy meat in bulk lots it can work out to be very cheap. Fruit and vegetables in season and locally grown are economical and healthy, as are plain yoghurt and whole grains. On the plus side, I have found that feeding real, wholesome food has brought such an improvement in my dog’s health that I have had a huge saving in Vet bills.

The next argument usually raised against homemade dog food concerns that rather over used phrase "complete and balanced nutrition." Years of exposure to clever advertising, marketing campaigns and expensive packaging have brainwashed most of us into believing that only processed "artificial food" will provide our dogs with an adequate diet. By implication, canine nutrition is so complex that the average person could not possibly be intelligent enough to do it well. Try telling that to any mother who has raised a healthy family!
With blind faith we have put the key to our dogs’ well being into the hands of a few, profit-driven, multi national companies. Now, you decide: who is going to be more concerned about a dog’s wellbeing – you, as the owner, or the dog food manufacturer with his eye on the bottom line? It’s time to put ourselves in control and take back responsibility for our dogs’ health.

Finally, let’s return to the issue of practicality or, if you prefer, convenience. Obviously, nothing is going to be as quick and easy, or as non-messy, as pouring the kibble into a bowl. However, shopping for the ingredients and preparation of homemade dog food does not have to be difficult. We can find all the ingredients we need while we are doing the routine grocery shopping. I keep an eye out for items like cottage cheese or canned tuna when they are offered at a discount; I buy seasonal vegetables and fruit for the family – the dog’s share of those is minimal. I buy bulk lots of human grade meat from a discount butcher. Some of the meat I will cook in large batches, then freeze in meal sized portions; some of it I just package raw. It hardly takes me any time, slotted into my other food preparation activities. Once it’s all packed and frozen, it’s almost as quick and convenient as packet food (as long as I remember to get it out of the freezer in time).

Since I changed her diet to homemade food, my dog has shown improvements in her health and energy which are nothing short of miraculous. On top of this, I have the peace of mind that comes from knowing exactly what she is eating. That, in my view, is priceless.

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