Is it better to feed your dog home made food?

Question

I feed my dog homecooked food with Solid Gold vitamin supplements. I cook chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots and broccolli together. (Veggies change from week to week and I somtimes add liver). This diet consist of 1/3rd meat, 1/3rd rice, 1/3rd veggies. I make crunchy home made dog biscuits with wheat germ and brewers yeast for treats. My dog appears very healthy and full of energy but I am wondering if this diet is really better for my dog than commercial dog food? I was feeding my dog California Natural lamb & rice dry dog food (a high quility dog food) until the last couple of months. Now she is completely on homemade food. I am wondering if she is missing any thing in her diet. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I don't know about your dog but I would love to have that diet. Seriously though, your buddy is fine. Our dogs are all top breed and have always been fed home cooked meals. If the meal is well prepared and high in vitamins/minerals/fat/protein- which sure sounds like it is, they are fine. But just to be sure send me a dish or two and I'll try it.

Answer 2

I get my food delivered from the Pet Pantry. You can find them online. The quality of food is great. No imported products and no additives. I was feeding Nutro and this food is comparable in price but much higher quality. I am really mad at Eukanuba right now because California tried to pass a law saying that all dogs over 4.5 months must be spayed or neutered unless you are a AKC breeder or get a special license from the state. Eukanuba stepped in and said that if the law passed they would never hold another dog show there. Needless to say the law failed.

Answer 3

If you're wondering if your dog is missing anything in her diet then she probably is. A dog's nutritional requirements are different than a human's, and unless you really know what you're doing you're probably missing some nutrients that would be very helpful to your dog's health. Personally preparing special meals for your dog is quite an admirable thing, but I've raised dogs for over 45 years, know them pretty much inside and out, and still wouldn't presume to know enough to ensure that meals I made for them would be nutritionally complete.

There are many commercial foods out there that are highly recommended by vets and breeders and which have been formulated by experts on canine nutrition who really do know what they're doing. While some may appear expensive, the amount you need to feed your dog is quite a bit less than with "cheaper" products or home-made foods, so they actually cost quite a bit less per feeding. My personal favorites are Iams and Eukanuba - both from the same company, but I'm sure there are others that are just as good. None of our dogs (or cats) have ever had a nutrition related health problem on these brands, their coats have always been beautiful and their bones and teeth strong. If you are concerned about doing the right thing for your dog, then do what is logically the right thing - trust her nutritional needs to people who know what they're doing and can provide a thoroughly nutritional product that is geared specifically to your dog's size and age.

P.S. The fear of preservatives is unfounded.

Answer 4

Dog food isn't good for your dog. The food you are feeding your dog at the moment is much much better than dog food. However, if you cut out the rice it would be much better. Dogs can't process rice, noodles, bread, etc and dog food is mainly made up of this. Of course vets and companies will recommend dog food, why wouldn't they, they make money from it. I feed my dogs raw meaty bones, mainly chicken. Their fur, teeth and general health is much much better. Take a look at the barf diet it explains it all. None of my dogs have any yellow on thier teeth and they are extremely heathly. one is nearly 13 years old and jumping around like a spring chicken. I would never never go back to giving my animals pet food, it would be like us eating junk food everyday for the rest of our lives. It is convient, but just think how healthy the convient foods for humans are, hummmm. natural is much better. you can also go to B-naturals for suppliements. they are fantastic.

BTW the longest living dog on record was fed on table scraps. And do you thinkthe wolves in the wild are coming down to town to do some shopping ;)

Answer 5

Homemade food is better for dogs because it is free from perservatives. Be sure to add all the vitamins and minerals thought. Pre-packeged food is always not as good as the real thing. From a biological standpoint, our bodies are not incredibly different than dogs. Meaning that fresh, recently picked food is good for us, it is also good for dogs. What if the doctor told you to eat T.V dinners all the time? No one is healthy on that.

Answer 6

A New Zealand friend told me she gave her dog homemade food because dog food is very expensive there. The dog thrived on the real stuff. Several vets have also said it's better. I think your dog's diet is perfect. I should eat so well! :)

Answer 7

Sounds good. But I have a very good book that strongly recommends giving your dog plain low-fat yogurt once a day mainly for the high calcium. I tried it on my puppy and the second day as soon as I took it out of the fridge he was leaping for it before I could even get it into his bowl and on the floor

Answer 8

This is something you need to talk to your vet about. I am sure though that your dog is getting good supplements though. However, you should probably not give your dog biscuits every day like that. It can be fattening. Good work.

Answer 9

well, it seems you have covered all the basic groups a dog needs but, i would check with a vet for reassurance just in case nothing more important that your dogs health.

Answer 10

Know what? I feed my dog scraps every day. Along with some plain ol' dog food type stuff if there's not enough scraps for him. My dog is very healthy, so says his vet, and so don't think you have any worries. Everything there seems pretty efficient, and if he's acting and looking healthy, he should be ok. :)