Homemade Raw Dog Food

Serving a diet of raw food for dogs isn’t such a big deal. But pet owners are a bit fussy when it comes to having homemade dog food for their pets. Some specifically worry about four things: That their dogs will become man-eaters or that they may become “vampires” by craving for blood, they might choke on their food, they may become spoiled, or that they may get salmonella/E.coli or other food bacteria.

While these are all reasonable, you should rest assured that letting your dog eat homemade food will not turn him into a carnivorous monster. Although in reality, he is part carnivore, he is also an omnivore. Besides, your pet has already been domesticated. Canines have been eating raw food, and whether we like it or not, they will continue to do so as it is simply in their nature and we can’t change that.

Also, your pet’s digestive system works differently than ours. Rare is the dog who contracts a case of salmonella – I actually haven’t even heard of one. There are some raw foods that have enzymes which enable him to process his food faster since his digestive system is more acidic. So it is nearly impossible for dogs to get sick from raw food. Ever wonder why wanderer dogs seem to live long enough? It’s because the road kill they helped themselves to may have given them a couple of worms, but it doesn’t stay long in their system since they digest it as soon as they ate it.

Choking is a valid reason too – which is why, should you decide to start your dog on a raw food diet (which will most likely have some bones in them), you should wean him into it gradually, especially if he was so used to kibble and other commercially bought dog food. Dogs normally have rip-and-tear eating habits (hence, their teeth); chewing as if they have molars aren’t exactly a pet’s way of eating his food. Letting him eat raw food will gradually make him remember how and what he was supposed to eat.

Try one kind of protein source first. Chicken is recommended because these are digested easily. And while food variety is suggested, don’t try too many foods at the beginning of his switch because some dogs can possibly develop an allergy to a certain food. The ideal diet to give him for starters would be one-fourth of the new food and three-fourths of the old food. This will give you a chance to monitor his progress. You can progress by changing his diet weekly until you reach the 4th week where he will usually be switched over completely.

Should you finally decide to give your pet his first bone, make sure that it comes from your grocer or the local butcher. Commercially-made pet food brands are often dangerous because they have already been cooked and boiled, so they splinter easily. There are 2 reasons why bones are perfect for your dog: It gives him additional calcium, and is perfect for natural teeth cleaning. Additionally, it also strengthens your pet’s gums and mandible, making him less susceptible to dental problems. The best bone is the just-dead one; as much as possible, never feed your dog very old bones. And never cook or even so much as boil them; give them to your dog as is to achieve optimum and safer benefits.

Some vets are now currently espousing a raw dog food diet, provided that the change is done gradually, so as not to scare your dog away. Depending on your dogs weight and body mass, your vet may recommend some food your dog can take based on the following daily dietary needs: