Homemade Dog Food Recipes Blog

There is evidence that suggests that behavioral problems in dogs are related to their nutrition. According to an article by the Examiner.com, dogs that are hyperactive, out of control or aggressive may have been fed diets that are not appropriate for them.  Now, just because a dog has these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s their dog food, but it could be.

So how do you find out? Well, obviously the first thing you could try is to change their dog food.  Unfortunately, that’s not a simple process, but is doable nonetheless.  If you decide to change your dog food, don’t do it cold turkey. You have to do it gradually. Mix ¼ of the new food with ¾ of the old food to start for one day. Then slowly, maybe a ¼ at a time change it day by day. Watch your dog for any unusual changes like getting sick, runny stool, etc. If so, either try another brand or keep the same ratio for a few days and see what happens. If not, then continue to introduce the new food slowly.

What type of ingredients do you want to stay away from? If your dog is out of control or hyperactive, then it’s a good idea to find a dog food that has a low level of wheat, corn and corn meal. If your dog is aggressive, then look for a dog food that has complete proteins present. When a dog is fed incomplete proteins they don’t digest well which can lead to undesirable behaviors.

Finding the right mix in a commercial dog food is sometimes hard. Many people therefore look for homemade dog food recipes to try their hand at making their own dog food.  If you decide to go this route, make sure to consult a vet or dog nutritionist before making the change. When you make your own dog food, you can control the amount of wheat, corn, corn meal and types of proteins found in the dog food.

I hope that you’ll see some great positive behavioral changes with your new dog food soon.

To see the original article check out:
http://www.examiner.com/x-13263-Baltimore-Dog-Training-Examiner~y2009m7d6-Homemade-dog-food-may-help-resolve-behavior-problems

Recently, 8 out of 10 dog foods tested by an independent laboratory were found to have between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than recommended drinking water levels of fluoride according to a report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set the levels we are talking about for humans. So the next question that I have is what is the recommended amount of fluoride for a dog? Unfortunately, according to the study, “Scientists have not studied the safety of high doses of fluoride for dogs”. It is also noted that these numbers are just based on the amount of fluoride in the food itself. If your water supply is fortified with fluoride, and many are, then your dog will be getting even more fluoride than what they get just from the food itself.
 
It appears that the excess fluoride is coming from bone meal, which are fillers that are used in commercial dog food. The two brands that had undetectable amounts of fluoride (which was 0.2 mg/kg) in the dog food did not contain bone meal. The eight brands that had high fluoride listed ingredients that included chicken by-product meal, poultry by-product meal and beef & bone meal. What exactly is bone meal? Bone meal is essentially ground up bones of animals.
 
The effects of excess fluoride on humans are mottled teeth (dental fluorosis) and weakened bones, leading to more fractures. There is other evidence in humans that high fluoride consumption is associated with reproductive and developmental system damage, neurotoxicity, hormonal disruption, and bone cancer.
 
So what do you do? Well if you feed your dog commercial dog food, you first need to look at the ingredients. If your dog food has bone meal listed as one of the ingredients, then you have several choices. First, since there are not any studies on the effect of fluoride on dogs, you can make the decision to do nothing and continue to feed your dog your current dog food. Second, you can use the recommended levels of fluoride listed for humans set by the EPA as a guideline and therefore assume dog food with bone meal may have too much fluoride for your dog and look for dog food that contain little to no bone meal listed in its ingredients.
 
Lastly, you can decide to stop using commercial dog food all together and use this report as another reason why you should make your own dog food. Homemade dog food recipes exist for those of you that want to take this route. Most people who contemplate making their own dog food do so mainly because of unhealthy or hazardous ingredients added to the dog food, which was the case in 2007 when dog food was contaminated with melamine. However, Fluoride in proper amounts is not harmful to humans, but excess amounts are. Fluoride is not a listed ingredient in dog food and most people probably would not even think about checking the fluoride level. As many people believe, by making your own dog food, you know exactly what your pet is getting. When you buy commercial dog food, we are finding out that more and more by-products are being added that are not healthy for your dog.
 
The choice is up to you and more importantly the health of your dog.
 
If you are interested in the original article check out:

http://www.ewg.org/pethealth/report/fluoride-in-dog-food

I read an interesting post here that talked about difference between ingredients and nutrition in homemade dog food recipes and I have to tell you, it was a good eye opener. I mean, I usually look at the ingredients that are listed on a commercial dog food product and/or look at the ingredients in a recipe, but I’m mainly looking for those things that are harmful or questionable. I really didn’t consider looking at it as being nutritious.

In the blog post by Garry Neale, he says, “It’s not the combination of ingredients that determines the quality of your dog’s diet and whether or not the dog’s nutritional needs are being met, it’s the blend of nutrients”. So even though what’s listed on the ingredients, it’s really the interaction of those ingredients that really determine if the meal is going to be nutritious for your pet.

In fact, he says, “The ingredients in dog food only have to do with digestibility and palatability. A given dog food can contain certain ingredients that have no nutritional value or that can’t be digested by your dog.” I guess you can think of it like eating at a fast food restaurant or eating at home. The ingredients themselves at a fast food restaurant are not harmful in themselves, but they are not necessarily nutritious for you, especially if you ate at a fast food restaurant every single day.

Nutrition is the quality of the homemade dog food recipe. Ingredients would be the quantity if you will. It’s much better to have quality over quantity and in the same way, it’s better to have nutrition over ingredients if that makes sense. That is why it is advised that you consult with your veterinarian or a dog nutritionist before you use any recipe that you find on the internet. While the recipe you found may have all “valid” ingredients (i.e., nothing harmful), the recipe itself may not be nutritious for your dog. Also, remember, what might be nutritious for one dog may not be nutritious for your dog. Nutrition also has a lot to do with the breed, age, health and activity of your dog.

So play it safe, evaluate the nutritional values of any homemade dog food recipes that you find before feeding them to your pet.

Most people who provide homemade dog food recipes on the internet are usually well meaning people, however they have one problem in general; they are not dog nutritionists. They might be just rehashing a recipe that they found that is indeed healthy and nutritious for your dog, or it might be a recipe that they made up on their own, which could be unhealthy or actually harmful to your dog. How do you know, whom do you trust?

So what should you do? I am by no means a veterinarian, nor am I a dog nutritionist, so I’m very cautious when it comes to homemade dog food recipes because I really don’t know just by looking at a recipe if it is going to be both healthy and nutritious. Therefore, you might want to get educated on the nutrition requirements for your dog. You can find a great pamphlet here: “Your Dog’s Nutritional Needs. A Science-Based Guide for Pet Owners.”

Ok, let’s say that you didn’t want this to be a high school exercise to learn your dog’s nutritional needs. What are your options then? I would suggest first check with a local veterinarian and see if he or she has any knowledge on dog nutrition. However, unless you live in a rather big city, the probability is low that your vet will have the necessary knowledge and experience to help you with your dog’s nutritional needs with your homemade dog food recipes. Nevertheless, it’s a great starting point. The next question is if you find one that has the proper knowledge and experience, what are they going to charge you? Don’t be surprised to be charged anywhere from $100 to $250 per recipe.

If you are going to pay money with your local vet and/or if your local vet doesn’t have the experience or time to help you, another option is to check online. Balance IT is a site that has created software that allows them to create recipes that are custom for your dog. Costs start at $20 for the first recipe and drop to $12.50 for additional recipes. The other site is PetDiets.com, and they too can create custom homemade dog food recipes for your dog. The costs are $25 for the first recipe and then $12 for each recipe after that.

No matter which way you go, make sure to do your homework first so that you can provide your dog with the best nutritious and safe dog food that you can provide them.

1. As I am sure, you can remember back in 2007 when many of pets became severely ill and others died even though a mass recall of pet food was done. The problem was because of pet food that was produced in China being contaminated with melamine. This led to many owners becoming more aware of such problems. The solution is to follow homemade dog food recipes.

2. Another reason to consider homemade dog food recipes is to ensure your pet is as healthy as possible. Commercial dog foods can contain preservatives that are altered by chemical processes, which can be unhealthy for dogs. The main problem with most commercial kibble food is that they contain too much low quality protein that contains a high quantity of ammonia producing agents. Homemade dog food can be healthier than the store-bought variety when it is made correctly, but make sure to consult a veterinarian’s supervision as you go forward and make your own dog food.

3. These days most of us are interested in saving money anyway we can do so. The cost of dog food is ridiculous. If you own several pets or one with a huge appetite, it can be a strain to feed them quality foods due to the cost. When you make homemade dog food though you can be sure they get the quality nutrition that they need. For the quality, you can do so at a much lower cost. You will find it also does not take that much time for you to make enough to feed them all week long.

4. There is some evidence that when you create you make your own dog food, because it is free from preservatives and other chemicals that your dog will live longer. This is especially true if your dog has allergies or other ailments. While I couldn’t find any specific evidence to this fact, it makes sense to me that by preventing your dog from eating preservatives and other chemicals that your dog will live a longer and more enjoyable life.

5. I think that this one is such a great reason to make your own dog food and that your dog will be happier. Don’t you feel better when you’re eating healthy, and doesn’t that in turn make you feel happier? I know it does for me. I think that it translates directly to your dog too. When your dog is eating food that you made, knowing that only good quality ingredients are in the recipe, your dog is going to be healthy and therefore happier. You’ll see it on your dog’s demeanor and in their actions towards you and the rest of your family. Yes using homemade dog food recipes can definitely make your dog happier.

These are just some reasons that I believe that making your own dog food will pay huge dividends over your dog’s life when you make your own dog food.