Homemade Diet For Dogs: The Most Recommended Foods

It is important that the homemade diet that you choose for your dog is complete and balanced, that is, that it meets all the nutritional needs that your pet requires. Here we share some tips to ensure that your dog’s diet meets all the necessary requirements.

What foods should I include in the homemade diet?

Homemade diets include a wide variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, and meats. The portion of each of these foods will depend on the needs of your pet, since feeding a puppy is not the same as feeding an adult dog.

Keep in mind that puppies are often more susceptible to problems caused by nutritional deficiencies and those of large breeds are often at risk for excess calcium before puberty.

The foods that are used in the diet of a dog can be raw or cooked. Leftovers from the table can be included, as long as they are healthy products, not leftovers with fat.

Meat and other animal products should always make up at least half of the diet. Many eating plans that are based on raw foods are excessively high in fat, and can lead to obesity.

Another potential danger of diets that contain too much fat is that the dog may be deficient in other necessary nutrients.

Unless your dog engages in regular and intense exercise, it is very important that you use lean meats (more than 10 percent fat free), remove the skin from poultry, and separate the fat.

Chicken heart is a good choice for a pet’s homemade diet, as it is lean and less expensive than other muscle meats.

You can also feed your pet with fish. Provides vitamin D. Other good options are sardines (packed in water, not oil), horse mackerel, and pink salmon. Remember to remove the bones from the fish and never feed your little one raw Pacific salmon, trout, or any other related species. You can feed him small amounts of fish a day.

Beef or chicken liver is especially nutritious. You can include it in your pet’s homemade diet every two days.

Eggs are highly nutritious. Did you know that buts that weigh about 8 kilos can eat an egg a day?

Plain yogurt is a well-tolerated food for most dogs. Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese are also good options. Other types are not recommended, as they tend to have a lot of fat.

Is it advisable to include fruits and vegetables?

Fruits and vegetables provide your pet with a large intake of fiber, which improves digestive health. They also provide beneficial nutrients that contribute to the health and longevity of your little friend. Don’t forget that dark colored vegetables tend to have the most benefits.

Vegetables that contain starch such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash as well as legumes (beans), provide carbohydrates that can be useful to maintain weight in those dogs that are skinny and very active. Amounts should be limited for those who are overweight. Remember that starchy foods must be cooked so that animals can digest them.

Leafy greens and other non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and can be incorporated into your pet’s diet in small amounts. But beware, if they are too hard they can cause gases in animals. Broccoli and cauliflower can suppress thyroid function.

In the case of fruits; Bananas, apples, strawberries, cantaloupe, and papaya are good options. Avoid grapes and raisins as they can cause kidney failure in dogs.

Be very careful with pimples as they can cause inflammation, allergies, arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as well as seizures and other problems. Some cereals contain gluten that can cause digestive upset in certain animals.

Starchy grains and vegetables should make up more than 50 percent of your pet’s diet. Recommended options include oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, and barley. White rice can be used to solve an upset stomach, especially if cooked with extra water, but it is low in nutrition and should not make up a large part of the diet. All grains must be well cooked.