Homemade Dog Food Diet

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Photo by iStock/popphoto2526
Offer your furry friend a morsel of melon from the garden.

I’d like to feed my canine companion DIY dog food. How can I design a dog food diet that meets its needs?

The key to a healthy dog diet is variety. Any single recipe could cause problems if fed exclusively for long periods. Feeding a balanced diet daily isn’t necessary as long as the diet is balanced over time.

The best homemade dog food diets include red meat, poultry, fish, liver, eggs, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and sometimes grains and legumes. The simpler the diet, the more supplements your pup will need. All homemade diets require added calcium (unless the diet includes raw meaty bones that are fully consumed) and vitamin E. These guidelines are for adult dogs. See my resource page Homemade Diets for Dogs for more information, and peruse this list I put together on foods to avoid or restrict when making DIY dog food.

Raw Diets That Include Bones

Raw meaty bones (30 to 50 percent). Raw meaty bones can include chicken necks, backs, wings, and leg quarters; lamb breasts and necks; pork necks and riblets; beef necks (usually only consumed by large dogs); and turkey necks. You can also feed canned fish, such as jack mackerel, pink salmon, or sardines (preferably packed in water rather than oil). Don’t feed much tuna, as it doesn’t include bones and is higher in mercury. When feeding anything round and meaty, be careful that your dog doesn’t try to swallow it whole, which can lead to choking.

  • Published on Feb 8, 2017
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