There are a lot of dog owners worldwide, and anyone of them can tell you that dog is indeed man’s best friend. Offering unconditional love, dogs can be a steady companion for people ages 2 to 92. However, caring for your family pet isn’t as simple as it may seem. Learning what is fit and unfit for our dogs should be an important priority for those with man’s best friend. What we feed our dogs can have an adverse or beneficial effect on the health of our canine companions.
Dogs of today are very much different from wild animals that roam around the wilderness. Having been domesticated by humans, dogs now lack the necessary elements in order to survive alone for very long without problems. As such, their diets must be carefully monitored to ensure that our faithful companions are always fit and happy. This is where homemade dog food and homemade dog treats come in.
Dog foods bought from the supermarket are a dime a dozen. Some boast special vitamins that make the coat shinier, or protects from worms or other parasites. However, some studies have shown that a steady diet of particular dog foods may be unhealthy for the house pooch. In fact, the vast majority of dog foods out there are deemed unfit for human consumption.
Recipes for homemade dog food and dog treats can be found online, they offer good tips for starters and advice on the preparation of doggie meals. Dogs can actually eat most of the foods we eat, however with dogs the simpler the better. With a little adjustment anyone can prepare healthy dog treats!
Recipes for dog food can be readily found online, and offer some basic starting tips. A few good tips that can be learned are that raw or spoiled garlic may be poisonous to dogs, thus if you make homemade dog food be sure to keep them out. Another important tidbit is that, as much as we humans enjoy cooked food, so too dogs. Because a minority of experts believe that dogs no longer have the necessary elements to properly digest uncooked meat, serving your dog cooked meat prepared with natural cooking oils are great! Two more things to watch out for are cooked bones or chocolates, never serve your dog these as chocolates can cause skin problems, and cooked bones may sometimes lodge in the digestive tract.
An important tip for future dog treat chefs is to remember to mix in 40% meat, 30% vegetables and finally 30% of starch to maximize the nutrients and vitamins found in each food type and keep your pet in tip top shape!
Homemade dog food, when prepared properly, can actually be a healthier alternative for your everyday doggie meal. These dog treats can be prepared right in the comfort of your own home care of recipes for dog food that can be found on the internet. Besides being the healthier choice, this way of dog food preparation will also save you that few extra bucks.
– Melinda Smith
there is a lot of BAD information on the web about dog treats, some containing ingredients that are toxic or can lead to accidents… ie: give your dog carob, and just wait for an accident involving chocolate.
Some have rosemary as an ingredient, which can cause seizures in sensitive dogs.
When my first dog got sick, I took a course in animal nutrition,one that most vets don’t take because it covers large animals, but it’s more extensive than the one dealing with small animals. I also took a course in food chemistry.
If you don’t know what is toxic or can be sensitive to dogs,buy your treats.
I’ve never made homemade dog treats before, but I have made the Homemade dog food using recipes I have found on the Healthy Happy Dogs website. My dogs loved it!! I need to get off my “duff” and get busy doing it again. Because if my dogs love it… then I love it.
thank you Bridgette
Thank you for the dog treat information. I have a standard poodle who is now 3 years and 5 months old. She has a lamb shank raw each night Poodle ‘ears’ are very common because of the wool in their very convaluted ears and they have to be kept very clean. I found the colouring in most dry dog food makes her ears flare up. There is only one very inexpensive crunchy dry food that has no colours that is o.k. I make porridge very thick and add linseed and grated carrot . Press it into a flat baking tray and sprinkle just a LITTLE cheese over the top and bake it in the oven. Cut into squares for treats.
I make my own wholemeal and grain bread and she gets all the crusts for breakfast spread with canola spread.
If you want to make a healthy treat for your dog, and your dog can tolerate chicken, here is one for you.
Take 2 chicken breasts, and any veggies the dog likes. Put it into a pot with the veggies and cover with water; boil until cooked.
Squeeze out any liquid from the chicken, put them in the food processor with the veggies (you can wait until it’s cool) and process until a paste. Spread the paste onto a cookie sheet, twice as thick as you want it in the end. Place in a 225-250F oven for an hour, then take out the sheet and score it into bite size pieces, than put back in the oven over night.. you will know it’s ready when it’s the same colour all over. The stock is a gift to you for soup or sauces, or you can freeze it into pupsicles for your dog.
It’s a healthy treat and you know what’s in it.
If your dog can’t tolerate chicken, do the other protein your dog can tolerate.
Great recipe suggestion, Gale.
Thanks.