It’s time to ditch our very common conception that dogs will eat almost anything we will give them. As you are keeping a dog in your home, you will have to be a very responsible owner and so you can’t give them anything to eat that will actually harm them. So while picking a homemade dog food you will have to be concerned about what you are using in it. There are many important ingredients for homemade dog food recipes that you should obviously include keeping in mind of your dog health.
Important Ingredients for Homemade Dog Food Recipes:
Fruits:
Dogs love fruits and it is very important to feed them with fruits. But you should know that fruits can’t be their staple food, but some fruits are essential for their health. Apple or blueberries are very good for them with the high amount of anti-oxidant and dietary fiber. But keep your dog away from cherries and grapes, as they are actually poisonous for dogs. So know about the fruits good for dogs and include it in their diet.
Vegetables:
Like fruits, vegetables are also not the part of their regular or natural diet, but some vegetables are really nutritional for them. So sometimes you can add vegetables in your regular homemade dog food to meet their nutritional needs. Please avoid garlic, onion and mushrooms and go for vegetables like carrots, kale, broccoli and sweet potatoes.
Grains:
Grains are an essential part of regular dog foods because of the carbohydrate. It also aids in the dog’s digestion process and is a great source of their energy. So it’s a green signal. But you may find that some dogs are very sensitive to grains and show allergic symptoms. In such case, consult with your vet and know about the substitutes.
Animal Protein:
When you are making the dog food on your own, don’t try to make your dog a vegetarian. Humans can survive being a vegetarian but dogs can’t. They need animal protein to survive and function. So it is a must-have ingredient in your food. Now animal proteins come in different form and all of them are useful. Eggs, fish, and meat are the best sources of animal protein for dogs.
Carbohydrate Ingredients:
First of all before including carbohydrate ingredients in your dog meal, be sure that your dog doesn’t have any allergy with it. Some dogs react with carbohydrates but not all. So this carbohydrate comes from soy, beans, rice, oats, corn, barley etc. So these are all you must include in your dog’s food if there are no allergic symptoms.
Vitamin Ingredients:
As vitamins are important for us to live, it is also important for dogs. The vitamins will help a dog with a good immune system and digestive system. So for that, you can consider about some good sources of vitamin for dogs. Pumpkin, beans, sweet potatoes, brewer’s yeast etc are very good for dogs.
Fiber:
Most dogs suffer from constipation problem due to a variety of reasons. So as you are making foods for them, you will have to know about the foods that will help in dealing with constipation. Fiber is very much essential for dog foods in this case. You can consider Oatmeal, bran, pumpkin pulp, shredded wheat etc.
Minerals:
Like all other substances in this list, you will also have to keep in mind about the minerals as it is the main thing behind bone health, muscle functions, and body functions. So, when making a dog food think about the good source of minerals and be sure that your dog is getting the adequate amount of minerals needed for them. Go for popcorn, pineapple, parsley and peas.
Fats:
We always have very bad misconceptions about fats. But fats are not that bad. In details, there are good fats and bad fats. So it is essential to go for good fats. So include sunflower oil, fish oil, pork fat, lamb fat, beef fat, chicken fat all of which are very good for dogs. So as you are making the food at home, be sure that it contains essential fats.
Water:
Yes, we have included water as the last point of keeping in mind of all the above ingredients, we often forget about a very important ingredient that dog survives on. It is a must-have ingredient in your dog’s diet. So provide them with fresh water all the time and notice if they are drinking an adequate amount of water regularly.
So when you are taking the responsibility of making homemade dog foods, you will have to know about all these as the food you are making must be nutritious for them. But it is always recommended that you go for good readymade dog foods as they are always nutritionally balanced. But when you will be making dog foods be sure to add these ingredients in homemade dog food recipes.
Reply