Your dog or cat is sitting at your feet, looking up at you with those beseeching eyes as you chop and sauté while preparing your favorite dish. You are aware that they would appreciate it if you prepared meals for them as well, but should you really throw away the canned goods and kibble in favor of picking up your knives and a skillet?
For those of us who have the time, cooking for our pets can be very appealing, but there is no proof to back up claims that home-prepared diets are healthier than commercial diets. Contrary to what you may have read, only a small percentage of pets actually require a home-cooked diet for health reasons, and an improperly prepared home-cooked diet can seriously harm your pet’s health, particularly for a growing kitten or puppy.
Many pet owners are shocked to learn that preparing food for their animal companions isn’t always as straightforward as doing so for their human family. Studies have shown that the vast majority of recipes that pet owners create for their pets or obtain from magazines, books, or the internet are deficient in one or more essential nutrients, despite the fact that all commercial pet foods are required by law to meet or exceed certain amounts of nutrients to be marketed as “complete and balanced foods.” One major issue is that these insufficient nutrient levels may not be noticeable in adult animals for weeks or even years, until the pet develops a serious health issue that may not be easily treated.
Sadly, as veterinary nutritionists, we frequently witness the tragic tales of puppies brought to our hospital’s emergency room with broken bones and seizures as a result of inadequate nutrition and adult cats who develop severe heart disease and blindness as a result of taurine deficiency. If foods toxic to dogs and cats are avoided, occasional home-cooked meals for adult pets on special occasions (holidays, birthdays) are unlikely to cause any health issues other than possibly an upset stomach, but if these kinds of tragedies are to be avoided, more care is needed to make a diet that a pet will be eating on a daily basis.
There are literally hundreds of sources for homemade pet food recipes, some of which are much more reliable than others. These sources include websites, magazines, and books. The best recipes for pet food will call for very specific amounts of particular ingredients (e g. Compared to “1 cup of chicken or fish or pork and 1 cup of cooked vegetables,” 100 grams of boneless, skinless, baked chicken breast and 45 grams of baked, mashed sweet potato will provide additional sources of vitamins and minerals like calcium, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and essential fatty acids. Although a “whole foods” approach is appealing, it is nearly impossible to meet all of a pet’s nutritional needs without adding concentrated supplements. But adding to a pet’s diet requires more than just a trip to the neighborhood pet store.
Many veterinary supplements or numerous human supplements (possibly as many as 7-9 different products, depending on the diet ingredients) are typically required to ensure that all essential nutrients are included in the right amounts in a home-cooked diet. The majority of vitamin and mineral supplements marketed for pets are not sufficient to bring the nutrients in a diet up to the levels to meet pet requirements. The amount of each nutrient required depends on the particular pet as well as the diet’s ingredients.
If you want to try cooking for your pet, the best way to make sure that his diet is meeting all of his nutritional needs is to get the recipe from a veterinarian who has completed board certification in veterinary nutrition, which is the equivalent of a registered dietician for people. acvn. org) or with experience creating pet diets and a PhD in animal nutrition These people will put together the ideal combination of components and supplements using computer software to create a diet that will meet a pet’s nutritional needs. It is even more crucial that you seek the advice of a board-certified veterinary nutritionist if your pet is experiencing health issues.
Once you find a good recipe, it’s your responsibility to stick to it precisely because seemingly harmless changes, like switching one meat for another, can significantly change the nutrients and calories provided by the diet. We recently surveyed our clients who had purchased our home-cooked diet recipes over the previous few years, and we found that sticking to a recipe may be more difficult than it appears. More than 80% of pet owners had altered their recipes—small or significant—without consulting us, and many of these alterations had the potential to result in an imbalance of nutrients in the diet.
In conclusion, feeding our pets home-cooked meals can be a healthy, if time-consuming, option, but it’s important to take caution when doing so. They shouldn’t be given to growing kittens, puppies, pregnant animals, or animals that are nursing. Getting a recipe from a veterinary nutritionist and strictly adhering to it is the best way to make sure that your pet’s home-cooked diet is healthy.
Larsen JA, Parks EM, Heinze CR, et al. Evaluation of home-prepared diets for canines and felines with chronic kidney disease using recipes J Am Vet Med Assoc 2012;240:532-538.
Heinze CR, Gomez FC, Freeman LM. Evaluation of suggested home-prepared diets for cancer-stricken dogs and commercial diets J Am Vet Med Assoc 2012;241:1453-1460.
Stockman J, Fascetti AJ, Kass PH, et al. Evaluation of recipes of home-prepared maintenance diets for dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2013;242:1500-1505.
Johnson LN, Linder DE, Heinze CR, Freeman LM. Analyzing dog owner experiences and dog food regimens prepared at home J Small Anim Pract 2016;57:23-27.
Should You Cook Your Dog’s Food?
While there may be claims that cooking dog food at home is better for your dog, there is no concrete scientific evidence to back this up.
Many sources inform owners that homemade food is superior to manufactured goods. However, there is no evidence to back up this assertion,” says Dr Larsen.
Larsen warns dog owners to be cautious of alarmism in the pet food sector. This is often driven by myths about ingredient quality. Although there are no long-term benefits to homemade diets that have been proven by science, diets based on whole ingredients are preferable. Commercial foods are created to be balanced and complete, says Dr Bartges, albeit not the most exciting of meals.
He says, “Imagine it as eating the same highly processed food for every meal, day in and day out, for years.”
In light of this, it makes a lot of sense to feed your dogs a variety of whole foods. The truth is that there are numerous benefits to feeding your dog homemade meals, according to Dr Larsen and Dr. Bartges.
These include taking charge of your dog’s diet, satisfying picky eaters, overcoming food intolerance issues, being concerned about food recalls, or simply for the joy of creating a home-cooked meal for your dog that will strengthen your bond.
DIY homemade dog food diet isn’t that simple…
Considering the two above studies, its clear that its not necessarily the DIY homemade dog food diet approach thats bad, but rather the lack of expertise and knowledge in preparing homemade diets for dogs.
Owners of pets are unaware of the types of nutrients that are missing from the meal.
To make up for vitamins, minerals, and macronutrient deficiencies, they infrequently give dogs essential dog supplements like fish oil or keep an eye out for nutrient deficiency in the dog’s diet.
To further illustrate this, a 2014 study by the Clinical Nutrition Service, Teaching Veterinary Hospital of the College of Agrarian and Veterinarian Sciences, São Paulo State University, used adequate dog food recipes with 59 dog owners and evaluated the way pet owners prepared the DIY homemade dog food meals.
The study discovered that even though the recipes were good and the veterinarians had provided owners of dogs with clear instructions on how to prepare them, the owners didn’t adhere to the directions closely enough to prepare a nutritious meal for their dog.
The aforementioned study raises the question: is it worth the risk if you’re unsure whether you can follow all the necessary instructions to the letter, even though the DIY homemade dog food diet has the potential to be much healthier for our dogs than commercial dog food brands?
To influence your decision about preparing food for your dog, or at the very least, to better prepare the meals for your pets
Here are 8 potential risks associated with making homemade dog food yourself, but more importantly, how to prevent them while continuing to prepare meals at home.
ALSO READ: 20 Pros and Cons of Homemade Dog Foods
It can save you money.
It may be difficult to match the price of dog food if you buy generic kibble from Costco. However, there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to reduce spending on your dog’s food bill if you’ve committed to premium kibble or one of the more recent freshly prepared, home-delivered meal solutions. You’ll be surprised at how much money you can save if you enjoy looking for deals at the grocery store and/or have a vegetable garden.
FAQ
Why do vets not like homemade dog food?
Despite being common, veterinarians typically advise against making your own raw dog food due to the possibility of bacterial contamination or potential public health risks. Consult a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist if your dog has any medical conditions to ensure the homemade diet is suitable for them.
Can dogs eat homemade dog food everyday?
The majority of veterinarians do not advocate making dog food yourself due to the possibility that you will overlook important nutrients and other health issues. There are some exceptions, and if your dog’s nutritional requirements are specific, your veterinarian may recommend homemade foods to meet those needs.
Is it healthier to give your dog homemade food?
For those of us who have the time, cooking for our pets can be very appealing, but there is no proof to back up claims that home-prepared diets are healthier than commercial diets.
Do dogs live longer on homemade food?
In fact, a statistical analysis revealed that dogs fed commercially produced food live an average of 10 4 years, whereas canines fed homemade food can live an average of 13 years. 1 years. One benefit of feeding your dog a raw food diet is increased lifespan.