How to Make Your Own Dog Food Recipes?

The importance of homemade dog recipes is that they are directly related to your dog's health and nutritional status. A well-balanced homemade recipe ensures that your dog receives essential proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals that work together to support growth and development, immune system function, skin and coat health, and the maintenance of normal physiological activity.

Nutritional Value

• Recipes can contain a variety of vegetables and grains.
• High protein and low fat.
• Helps your dog to grow up healthy.

Basis for recipe adjustment

• Adapt recipes to your dog's breed.

Different breeds of dogs may have different body sizes, metabolic rates and nutritional needs. For example, small dogs may need more protein to support their rapid metabolism, while large dogs may need more energy and calcium to support their bone development. Therefore, it is important to choose a food that is appropriate for your specific breed.

• Depends on the age of the dog.

Dogs require different nutritional support at different life stages. Puppies need high-energy and high-protein foods to support rapid growth and development, adult dogs need balanced nutrition to maintain a healthy weight and vigor, and older dogs may need easily digestible foods and additional nutritional supplements such as joint care and digestive support ingredients.

• Individualized recipes

Individual differences in each dog will also affect their nutritional requirements, including activity level, health status and personal preferences. Therefore, recipes should be adjusted with these factors in mind and may need to be fine-tuned to suit your dog. If a dog has specific health problems or food allergies, a specially tailored food recipe may be required.

Daily Diet Making for Dogs

Making your dog's daily diet, also known as “doggy meals”, is a fun and healthy activity. Here are some basic steps and suggestions to help you create a well-balanced meal for your dog.

1. Choosing the right ingredients

   The key to healthy recipes is to choose fresh, additive-free ingredients. We can choose lean meats such as chicken breast or lean beef, and we can choose vegetables that are rich in vitamins and mineral types such as carrots and broccoli. You can also choose grains such as brown rice or oats that can provide energy and dietary fiber as part of your recipes. Be careful to avoid seasonings such as salt and sugar that are added to human foods.

2.  Focusing on Nutrition   

  Provide your dog with enough protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. You can adjust the ratio of ingredients appropriately according to your dog's size and activity level. It is recommended to supplement your dog with some pet calcium tablets, fish oil and other nutritional supplements on a weekly basis.  

  Cooking Methods  

      Cut ingredients into appropriate sizes and cook by steaming, boiling or roasting. Avoid high-temperature cooking methods such as deep-frying to retain more nutrients.

Making a Sample Recipe

When making dog meals, you should make sure that the ingredients are fresh, additive-free, and focused on nutrition. Below is an example of a simple dog meal recipe for the average adult dog.

• Lean meat (such as chicken breast, lean beef): 50%
• Vegetables (such as carrots, broccoli): 20%
• Grains (like brown rice, oats): 30%
  When ready to cook, meats and vegetables can be boiled and grains and legumes can be boiled or baked. Mix the cooked ingredients together and add as much seasoning as your dog's taste and needs.

You can follow the steps below to make a perfect dog meal.

1. Cut lean meat into small pieces and cook by steaming until well done.
2. Wash and cut the vegetables into sizes suitable for your dog to chew, either steamed or lightly sauteed.
Once cooked, the grains can be mixed with the meat and vegetables.
3. Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly cooked to avoid the risk of food poisoning.
4. Mix the cooked ingredients well, you can adjust the ratio of ingredients according to your dog's preference.

How to Make Dog Treats Recipe

1. To begin with, mix homemade dog recipes with your dog's existing dog food in certain proportions, and gradually increase the proportion of dog recipes until they are completely replaced.
2. Try adding some of your dog's favorite condiments to recipes, such as chicken broth and ground chicken, to increase the appeal of the food.
3. As your dog adapts to the recipe, watch for signs of discomfort, such as diarrhea and vomiting. If there are problems, it may be necessary to adjust the diet or consult a veterinarian.
4. Dogs should have plenty of water available to drink while they are acclimating to the recipes to keep them healthy. 

By following these steps, your dog can adapt to homemade recipes more smoothly while ensuring that he or she is getting the necessary nutrients. It is important to remain patient and consistent throughout the process.

Additional vitamins or minerals

Pet owners can determine if additional vitamins or minerals are needed by observing a variety of signs in their dog.Here are some specific bases for judgment.

• If your dog loses his appetite or loses weight, this could be a sign of nutritional deficiencies.
• Dry skin, dull or shedding hair in dogs may indicate a deficiency of protein, the micronutrient zinc, or essential fatty acids. 
• Frequent illness or constant fatigue may indicate a compromised immune system in your dog, which may be related to poor nutrition. 
• Omnivorous behaviors such as eating dirt and chewing on wallpaper in dogs may be a sign of micronutrient deficiencies.
• Bleeding gums can be a sign of vitamin C deficiency, while dry eyes or conjunctivitis can be a sign of vitamin A deficiency.

If a pet owner observes any of the above symptoms, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian for professional evaluation and advice. The veterinarian may recommend blood tests or other diagnostic procedures to determine the exact nutritional deficiencies and provide supplementation recommendations accordingly. Vitamin or mineral supplements should not be given freely to a dog without veterinary guidance, as they may cause over-nutrition or imbalance.

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Prohibited Foods for Puppy

Dogs have a different digestive system than humans, and certain foods that are harmless to humans can be toxic to dogs. Here are some common foods that are toxic to dogs and should be avoided in recipes in the following categories.

• Chocolate. It contains theobromine and caffeine, which can lead to poisoning of your dog with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat, and in severe cases, can even be fatal.
• Grapes and raisins. It can cause kidney failure in dogs, and even small amounts may pose a threat to your dog's health. 
• Onions and garlic. These types of foods contain sulfides that can destroy your dog's red blood cells and cause anemia in puppies.
• High-salt foods. Too many high-salt foods in your recipes may lead to dehydration and increased kidney burden, and even an increased risk of cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure.
• Nuts. Certain nuts can cause digestive problems or are high in fat and phosphorus, which can be detrimental to your dog.

Healthy and safe recipes are the only way to extend the life of our dogs and keep them with us longer. Pet owners should ensure that their dog's diet is safe, avoid feeding them the toxic foods mentioned above, and always provide clean, fresh drinking water. When introducing new foods, it should be done gradually and the dog's reaction should be closely monitored to ensure that the food is suitable for their digestive system. If you suspect that your dog has ingested toxic food, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Owners should also cultivate good eating habits in their puppies by feeding them regularly and at regular intervals and avoiding feeding them random human food. 

Conclusion

Providing your dog with a well-designed recipe that takes into account its breed, age, activity level, and health status is therefore key to ensuring its long-term health. Pet owners should choose or prepare a food that is suitable for their dog based on these factors and consult their veterinarian or pet nutritionist for professional advice when necessary.