I watched a video on YouTube last year, which in some ways I wish I hadn’t – you just can’t un-see/hear some things.
If I find it I will update this post with a link to it, because it was quite a shocking report about dog food that every dog owner should see.
It presented good evidence as to why 87 percent of dogs die too early. And it included three easy things that dog owners can do to stop it from happening to their dogs
UPDATE: here is a link to that video: Discover The Deadly Secret The Dog Food Industry Is Spending Millions To Make Sure You Never Find Out
Know What Your Dogs Are Eating
A couple of years ago I got into the habit of making homemade dog food. I did this primarily so that I knew what my dogs were eating.
I’d known for years that over-the-counter dog food is not the healthiest or most nutritious food to be feeding our dogs, but it’s convenient, right!
Over-the counter-dog food tends to be full of fillers, loaded with fats and empty carbs and is missing the nutrients a dog needs to stay happy and healthy.
What Dogs Need in Their Diet
Most dog owners almost exclusively feed their dogs over-the-counter dog food because it’s a) convenient and b) they don’t know any better. What’s good to
A dog in the wild would not eat just meat, but a combination of roots, berries, grasses, and even bugs to supplement their diet.
The latter, more so when meat from game is not available, or in the case of grasses, for medicinal reasons – I will write more on why dogs eat grass in another article. And because dogs are only 75 percent carnivores.
Dogs in the wild often look underfed and unhealthy when compared with domesticated dogs. However, it’s usually the reverse.
Domesticated dogs tend to be overfed and under-exercised compared to the lean, fit wild dogs who don’t have a feed bowl at the ready every day of the year.
Over-the-counter commercial dog food, by and large, contains fillers such as corn, soy, wheat, and meat scraps, which are often not fit for human consumption.
Now that in itself is not necessarily a reason for concern because a dog’s gut and digestive system mean that they can safely eat food that would be harmful to humans.
However, I am of the mindset that if I wouldn’t eat it why should I feed it to my dogs. And as I said earlier, I like to know what’s in the food I feed my dogs.
Call me a softy, but I know my dogs are healthier and better behaved because they get good healthy food. They get a varied diet that includes fresh, whole meats, grains, and vegetables.
Making Your Own Dog Food
The benefits of healthy homemade dog food I think are fairly obvious.
What’s more, making homemade dog food is not complicated, once you have done it once, maybe twice. I make up a bulk lot about once a month, or as often as I need to – I tend to be generous in sharing with my friend’s dogs, to give them a treat.
A good example of this is that often when friends come over with their dogs, the dog will make a beeline for the cupboard where the dog food is stored. They just love it – what can I say 🙂
The good thing is that domesticated dogs eat a similar diet to humans.
Despite the dog food manufacturers advertising blurb, they don’t need all that fancy, strange and exotic meats,
How often would you eat a meal that contained read meat, chicken, and fish – okay, Thanksgiving and Christmas being the exception, it’s not a daily diet. So why feed our dogs with food that does on a daily basis?
Dogs need a well-balanced diet of protein, starch, and carbohydrates. Like humans, if a dog’s diet contains an excess of any one of those three things they will become unwell.
Therefore, the food we feed our dog/s should not include too much heavy meat and too much protein. It should also not include most human flavorings, such as onions, garlic, and foods that create gas because they can lead to digestive issues.
You might be interested in this related article: Homemade Dog Treats Are Cost-Effective, Quick and Easy to Make
What To Put In Your Homemade Dog Food
One of the biggest benefits of homemade dog food, as far as I am concerned, is that I know exactly what ingredients have been used. Another benefit is that I can vary the ingredients to suit my dogs’ tastes.
* A Balanced dog food diet should consist of 40 percent meat, 30 percent vegetables, and 30 percent starches. Many dry foods tend to overcompensate by having too much meat and too many empty carbs. So the goal is to balance them all out evenly.
* Good quality meat. The meat used in dog foods, both wet and dried food, is often of very low quality and therefore one could say is unhealthy for your dog. Now, I am not saying that you need to feed your dog prime beef or a filet mignon, but something decent, something you’d eat.
* The Right Ingredients. I use a lot of rice as Rice is a good staple base, it’s a high-carb food that is incredibly healthy, and is easily absorbed by dogs. And I also add a lot of carrots, a) because my dogs seem to love them and b) I grow them myself and they add texture.
I’ll also use ground beef, turkey, pasta, lamb, and any non-gassy vegetables. It pays to avoid brassicas – cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery due to their texture. However, most vegetables are OK if your dog will eat them.
If you are curious about what your dog might eat naturally, check out the natural or freshly made dog foods sold at an organic pet store. Those foods are often formulated for an optimal canine diet.
The Dog Food Industry’s Deadly Secret
I know I mentioned this video at the beginning of this article, but if you have ever had any concerns about the health of your dog, then you need to watch this amazing video right now. It may contain the answer you have been looking for…
Video link here: Discover The Deadly Secret The Dog Food Industry Is Spending Millions To Make Sure You Never Find Out
Inside, Andrew Lewis, the author of “Dog Food Secrets,” reveals some startling facts about the dog food industry.
Is this guy telling the truth? You decide.
Related topics:
I hope that you found this article about the benefits of homemade dog food useful. Here are some related articles:
Homemade Dog Treats Are Cost-Effective, Quick, and Easy to Make
What Meat Is Really In Your Puppy Food?
What Foods Are Toxic To Dogs
What Can Dogs Eat Besides Dog Food
How Much Should I Feed My Dog
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