Tips On Changing Your Dogs Diet To Homemade Dog Food

Have you ever gotten a whiff of your dogs breath? Of course you have. Have you ever wondered why it had that doggie smell that is just so distinctive?

Believe it or not, that smell is caused by the ingesting chemicals and preservatives in the food. If you give your pet a homemade dog food diet, then this will all change. Yes, just by changing the diet of your pet, you are going to not only get a dog that is less odorous, but you will find that he or she is more energetic and healthier. When we gave our pit bulls this type of grub for the first time, we noticed a big difference. This article describes how to change your dogs diet from commercial to homemade dog food.

Stop and think for a minute… Could you imagine eating that same dry, preservative and chemical laden food each and every day of you life? It is thought by many experts that commercial brand food can adversely affect the health of your dog and may account for most of the illness we see in pets today, so if you value the health of your pet, you might consider making his food at home.

Now, if you think that making your dogs food instead of just dumping it out of a bag is a lot of work, that is not necessarily the case.  In fact, dogs eat the same foods we do, but in different combinations so you can actually use most of the “human” foods you are preparing along with a little extra to feed your pet.

When it comes to making homemade dog food, you should make sure it is well balanced. You want to include about 50% meat, 30% fruits and vegetables and 20% grains like oats or barley or brown rice.  There are some foods you should avoid such as cooked bones, garlic, onions, avocado, potato, nuts, fat trimmings, grapes, raisins, dairy products, mushrooms, sugary and salty foods.

When changing your dogs diet, you want to be sure to do this gradually so as not to cause digestive upset.  Start by mixing in some of the homemade food with his regular food – about 10% homemade to 90% regular for a few days.  Then up the percentage of homemade and lower the percentage of regular for the next few days.  Continue until you are feeding all homemade food to your dog.

Feeding your dog homemade dog food might be a little bit more work, but it is well worth it for a happy, healthy and long lived pet.

An Apple a Day Dog Treat Recipe

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 apple — chopped or grated
• 1 egg — beaten
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 3/8 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray. Lightly dust work surface with flour. Blend flours and cornmeal m large mixing bowl. Add apple, egg, oil, brown sugar and water; mix until well blended.
2. On floured surface, roll dough out to 7/8-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters of desired shape and size. Place treats on prepared sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off oven. Leave door closed 1 hour to crisp treats. Remove treats from oven.
4. Store baked treats in airtight container or plastic bag and place in refrigerator or freezer.

MAKES 2 to 2 1/2 dozen

Keeping Your Dog Healthy With All Natural Dog Food

Have you noticed everything that is going on regarding the commercial dog food industry?

With all of those recalls last year, dog owners are rethinking the type of dog food to give their beloved four legged friends. Have you given much thought to all natural dog food? There is one main issued in the commercial foods and that is quality… Or lack there of. The commercial brands of food that we are feeding our dogs is causing them to get sick.

When it comes to the benefits of feeding your dog natural dog food, you are going to find many. Simply put, it is much more healthy for your pet – just like eating natural foods is more healthy for you. Natural foods do not have harmful chemicals or fillers in them which can cause illness and disease.

There are plenty of natural foods on the market that you can buy for your pet, but before you settle on a brand, you might want to talk to your Vet and see if they have something they recommend. Take note that dogs systems can be sensitive and if you change your dogs diet suddenly it can cause stomach upset and diarrhea. So, if you are switching foods, you’ll want to add in the new food gradually.

So, what exactly should you choose for your pet to eat?

As you know, meat is known for being the main part of a dogs diet. Beef, in addition to chicken and fish are important to make that your furry friend is getting enough protein. In effect, your dogs diet should consists of about 50% protein which should come from full meat products (not by-products).

As stated above, you can buy natural dog food, or you can simply cook the foods for him yourself. Dogs eat a very similar diet to humans so you could include some of your dinner meats along with some grains (oats, brown rice, pasta) and vegetables for a well rounded diet. Dogs need a bit of extra fat for healthy skin and a nice coat so add some fresh fish oil to your pets meal. Finally, don’t forget the veggies – green beans, carrots, peas, apples, blueberries, and spinach are all great foods to feed Fido – they’ll help provide him with vitamins and minerals for health and longevity.