How to Make Your Own Dog Food

With pet food recalls becoming more common people are feeling helpless when it comes to keeping their pets safe. Toxic traces of ingredients have been found in common dog food ingredients such as wheat gluten and most recently, peanut butter. At one point in 2007 there were 180 brands of dog food on a recall list with the Food and Drug Administration. With so many uncertainties surrounding what is in your dog’s food, the only way to make sure you know what he is eating is to make his food yourself. If you are like most people you don’t have a clue as to how to make your dog’s food much less how much of it to feed him. Perhaps we should start with a few food items that should never be fed to your dog?

Most of us know that chocolate is dangerous to dogs, but we may not realize the reasons why. Chocolate contains theobromine, a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. Depending upon the size of the dog and the type of chocolate involved, death can occur within 24 hours of consuming chocolate. Dark chocolate is the most dangerous because it contains higher concentrations of theobromine. Other foods that are bad for dogs are onions and garlic which contain thiosulphate. Onion toxicity can develop into anemia and cause severe illness. Dogs should also never be fed grapes, macadamia nuts or mushrooms. Dogs should also not be given real animal bones to eat. These bones can splinter inside the intestines and cause lacerations.

With so many ingredients out there that are bad for your dog, how can you be sure that you are feeding him something that is safe and nutritious? As a general rule dogs need 40% meat, 30% veggies and 30% starch. Meats should include lean beef, stewing meats, leg of lamb and boneless chicken or ground turkey. Acceptable vegetables include carrots, yams, broccoli, zucchini, sweet potatoes and cucumber. Avoid bell peppers, peas, beans and tomatoes as they can cause digestion problems. Rice, pasta and oatmeal make great choices for starches. There are many recipes out there to choose from; however we have collected a few to get you started and get your dog drooling for more.

Chicken Casserole:

1 cup boiled poultry, chopped
½ cup cooked brown rice
½ cup boiled mixed vegetables
3-4 Tbsp unsalted chicken broth

Combine cooked ingredients and serve at room temperature. Be sure to refrigerate unused portions and discard after 3 days.
Beef and Yogurt Blend:

1 lb cooked ground beef (with fat drained)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 lb bag of mixed vegetables steamed
1-2 lb plain yogurt

Place steamed vegetables in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Combine chopped vegetables with cooked rice, browned ground beef and yogurt. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and discard leftovers after 3 days.

Now that you have a few recipes under your belt you are ready to get started. To determine the amount of food your pet needs simply multiply their body weight by .4 to and the result is the number of ounces of food they need in a day. Adjust up or down if your dog is under or over weight. You might also want to check with your Veterinarian to make sure that this type of diet is appropriate for your dog. Your Vet may recommend a vitamin supplement or other ingredients to maintain optimal health. Resist the urge to add salt or spices as those are best left for the human dinner table. While this bland diet may not seem appealing to you, your dog will dig right in.

This article was generously provided by the authors at Pet-Super-Store - visit this pet supplies site for more great information and savings on orthopedic dog beds.