Reviewed by Dr. Fiona Lee
Your dog's diet is an important part of keeping your pet healthy. For some pet owners, this means making home-cooked dog food in their own kitchen. But dogs are not small humans and have different nutritional requirements than we do, so tackling a balanced meal at home has the potential to be a challenge!
Whether you just want to serve your furry family member a special treat or you prefer a daily home-cooked diet, these tips can help you get started whipping up a nutritionally balanced feast in the kitchen.
Benefits of home-cooked dog food
If you enjoy cooking for your loved ones and you have the time, you might like cooking for your dog, too. There are some benefits to homemade dog food.
1. Control over the quality and ingredients
Many pet owners love the idea of controlling the quality of their dog's food.1 You'll know exactly where the homemade dog food ingredients are sourced and have less worry about recalls. Instead of highly processed food, your pup will get fresh ingredients every day.2
2. Customization to meet your dog's specific needs
Another benefit is customizing the food based on your dog's needs.3 Change up the ingredients every day if your pup prefers variety.1 Or customize the recipes based on your dog's weight, allergies or taste preferences.
3. Potential cost savings compared to commercial diets
Sometimes, homemade food is cheaper if your dog is small. Commercial raw or fresh dog food can be more expensive than homemade.3 However, kibble is usually more cost-effective, especially when you factor in the time involved.
4. Potential health benefits
Is homemade dog food better? The verdict is still out, but it certainly has some potential health benefits.2 For example, home-cooked food can help improve digestion for dogs with sensitive stomachs.4 You can also avoid triggers if your pup has allergies.
Risks and challenges of home-cooked diets for dogs
While there are some benefits to homemade dog food, there are risks and downsides as well.
1. Ensuring balanced nutrition
Commercial dog foods have been exhaustively researched and are guaranteed to be nutritionally balanced. While simply cooking a tasty treat can be easy, if you're foregoing commercial pet food completely, talk with your veterinarian about how to create a balanced diet.1 This is crucial for pets with specific dietary needs, such as growing puppies and older pets with underlying diseases or illnesses. Cooking for dogs can be hard work, and it's important that it's done right.
Dogs are not obligate carnivores, meaning they need more than just meat to be healthy! If you're making dog food at home, a healthy canine diet should include vegetables, grains and a meat protein source. The exact balance will depend on your dog's age, size, breed and health.5 The following components are a good jumping-off point (after consulting your veterinarian):
- At a bare minimum, 10% of your dog's diet should be from protein sources, such as lean meats3 with 10 essential amino acids.5 Most nutritionists agree that 20% to 30% of a dog's calories should come from protein in order to be optimally balanced.6 Good sources include chicken, turkey, beef and some fish, like herring or flounder.5
- Up to 50% of his diet should be from carbohydrates, such as potatoes, pasta or rice.3 Oatmeal and quinoa are also good options.5
- About 2.5% to 4.5% should be fiber from vegetables like carrots, peas or green beans,3 or from fruits like apples and pumpkins.5
- About 5.5% should be from healthy fats.3 Good sources include plant-based oils like soybean, corn, canola and flaxseed. Fish oil can also be good.
- To be well-balanced, your dog also needs vitamin and mineral supplements (which your veterinarian can recommend).3
2. Meeting your dog's daily calorie needs
Your dog's daily calorie needs are based on his activity level and age.3 Too many calories can lead to obesity (it is estimated that over 50% of dogs in the United States are overweight),7 which can cause a slew of health problems.
When planning your dog's meals, you'll need tools to help determine the right amount of food for your pet. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention provides charts to let you know if your dog is overweight,8 and tips for determining your pet's ideal daily calories.9 Your veterinarian can also calculate the right daily caloric requirements and suggest the best foods to help your pet lose weight, if needed.
3. Potential nutrient deficiencies or toxicities
Cooking has inherent risks. Watch out for these:
- Your dog needs just the right balance of about 40 essential nutrients. Too little or too much can lead to serious—even life-threatening—consequences.2
- Avoid any human foods that are toxic to dogs. Many people know chocolate is toxic to dogs, but you should also avoid grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic and avocados.2 Pets Best's guide to toxic and safe foods can help.
- Uncooked meat can carry harmful bacteria, such as salmonella, E. coli or even internal parasites.10 To avoid these issues, cook your dog's food thoroughly. Human-grade grocery store meat is labeled safe only if cooked, and therefore should not be fed raw.
4. Time and effort required for preparation and planning
Cooking homemade dog food requires a lot of research and prep.1 Your ingredients should be high-quality, and you'll need to follow recipes closely. Even switching from boiling to roasting can throw off the nutritional balance.
If you have trouble finding enough time to cook for yourself and your family, adding your dog into the mix might be difficult. But if you can find the time, just remember to make the switch slowly, over the course of a few days, so your pup's stomach has time to adjust.1
Vitamins, supplements and other additions to home-cooked diets for dogs
There's a lot to remember when cooking homemade dog food, so you might need supplements in addition to home-cooked meals. Here are just some of the vitamins and minerals your dog needs:5
- Vitamins A, B, D, E, K and choline
- Calcium and phosphorus (a very precise ratio is needed for bone health)
- Magnesium, potassium, sodium and chloride (for nerves and muscles)
- Sulfur (for coat and nails)
- Iron (for red blood cells and the immune system)
- Iodine (for the thyroid)
- Zinc (for a healthy coat and immune system)
- Selenium (for the immune system)
- Copper (for healthy bones)
Ask your veterinarian if your dog would benefit from a good multivitamin, probiotics, omega-3s or other supplements.1 Your veterinarian may have more recommendations if your pup has certain conditions, like urinary tract problems, or is pregnant.2
Recipes and meal planning for home-cooked diets
Do your due diligence when researching dog food recipes online. One great option is Balance It®, which is run by veterinary nutritionists.1 This website lets you build a balanced recipe based on your pet's species, age (puppy or adult), weight and dietary needs.11 You can even pick the specific ingredients you'd like to use.
Once you're ready to get started, don't forget to meal prep to save time.1 You can try cooking your dog's food on Sunday, dividing it into daily portions for the week. Some recipes can even be frozen.
Working with a veterinarian or nutritionist
Always consult your veterinarian before starting a home-cooked diet, and then make sure your pup has regular checkups to ensure the diet is going well.3 You may also want to enlist a veterinary nutritionist to help you craft recipes. You can find one near you using the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine's online directory.12
Pets Best is here to help
Cooking for your dog is a nice way to show you care. If you're planning to cook every day, do your research first. It can be fairly involved to ensure a balanced diet that meets all your pup's nutritional needs. If you're just interested in a special feast for a birthday or another special occasion, these tips can help ensure a safe and yummy meal that's guaranteed to bring a smile.
Investing in pet insurance can help you be ready for life's unexpected surprises, including issues that could arise from his food. At Pets Best, our dog insurance plans can be customized for your pet's unique needs. In addition, Pets Best policyholders can speak to a veterinary expert anytime through a 24/7 Pet Helpline.
Sources/Citations
1. Ardente, A. Homemade Dog Food: Is It Healthy to Cook for Your Dog? PetMD. Published June 30, 2020. https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/how-make-sure-your-homemade-dog-food-delivers-right-nutrients
2. Kearl, M. Cooking for Your Dog: Do's & Don'ts of Homemade Dog Food. American Kennel Club. Updated September 16, 2021. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/cooking-for-your-dog-dos-and-donts/
3. Stregowski, J. Vet-Approved Homemade Dog Food Recipes. The Spruce Pets. Updated October 19, 2022. https://www.thesprucepets.com/homemade-dog-food-recipes-5200240
4. Is Cooked Food Healthy For Dogs? Care First Animal Hospital. Published September 27, 2021. https://www.carefirstanimalhospital.com/news-events/is-cooked-food-healthy-for-dogs/
5. Meyers, H. Homemade Dog Food Recipes: Choosing Balanced Ingredients. American Kennel Club. Published November 22, 2021. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/homemade-dog-food-recipes-choosing-balanced-ingredients/
6. Buff, P.R. et al. Natural Pet Food: A Review of Natural Diets and Their Impact on Canine and Feline Physiology. Journal of Animal Science. Published September 1, 2014. https://academic.oup.com/jas/article/92/9/3781/4702209
7. Larsen, J. A Big Deal: Prevention and Management of Obesity. Southwest Veterinary Symposium 2019. https://lsbvm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Download-File.pdf
8. Pet Weight Loss Tools: What Is a Body Condition Score? Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. https://petobesityprevention.org/pet-weight-check/
9. Pet Weight Loss Tools: Dog and Cat Daily Caloric Needs. Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. https://petobesityprevention.org/pet-caloric-needs
10. Nutritious and Delicious: Your Guide to Homemade Dog Food. Oakland Veterinary Referral Services. Published December 31, 2020. https://www.ovrs.com/blog/homemade-dog-food/
11. Build a free custom balanced recipe in seconds. Balance It. https://balance.it/recipes
12. Welcome to VetSpecialists.com. American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. https://vetspecialists.com/