What Dog Food Is Best?

For today's dog owners 'What dog food is best' seems to be the hot topic and the most popular answer seems to be homemade recipes for dog food. In my opinion homemade recipes should be the most popular. In my house it's the only answer to the question. I've tried a lot of things over the decades and doing it myself has been far superior in every way to any other solution. I haven't had a single reason to consider trying anything else and I make it a point to stay on top of these things.


You really only need to come up with one generic recipe for main meals and by that I mean a generic blueprint that spells out the quantities and ratios of the primary and secondary nutrients required for your dog.
This recipe requires 2 sources of input.
The first sources of information are the requirements for your breed in general (obviously the needs of a Great Dane might differ from those of a Chihuahua).
The second source will be provided by the veterinarian of your choice; making sure that he is well grounded in nutrition and well as medical expertise. You may discover that your dog has food allergies or other health issue that requires an adjustment to your generic recipe.
I call it a generic recipe because with it you can produce a lot of variety by simply using a different source food for each nutritional component from meal to meal so that your dog gets plenty of variety of taste and texture. You just make a simple list and vary it as you see fit or as your vet suggests.
One thing many articles pass over but is very important is to have a source of clean fresh water made readily available for whenever your dog wants it.
The primary components are:
1. Protein
2. Carbohydrates
3. Fats
The secondary components are:
1. Vitamins & Minerals
2. Medications (if any)
Your list might look something like this.
Protein:
1. Beef = xx amount of ounces = xx grams of digestible protein per serving
2. Pork
3. Fish
4. Chicken
5. Lamb
Do the same for the other ingredients and just take turns as you go down the list. The details will vary some from dog to dog. This also makes it easy to see where you are with shopping (at least for the dog).
If you are currently feeding your dog commercial dog food and want to switch then you will need to follow a set plan for switching out the ingredients over time. Some dogs will need to adjust a bit at a time or they will have digestive problems such as bloating, gas and or diarrhea.
This topic is pretty well covered and easy to find. In general you would switch out a measurable portion of the old food with an equal measure of the new food starting with the proteins. When your dog is comfortable with the new protein source then keep going with the same measures by introducing the carbs and then the fats until the commercial food has been completely eliminated.
You should consult your vet about what you intend to do before starting so that he can help you identify any foods that are commonly a source of allergies as well as a list of foods we eat all the time but are actually very toxic to dogs. You want to be sure that you never give any of these foods to your dog.
Once started, you should be watching your dog closely for signs of distress. If you notice any discomfort you will need to either reduce the portion to half of whatever it was. If it persists, then switch to a different ingredient. If it still persists consult your vet. By discomfort I mean non alarming reactions like vomiting once or twice but no more or the signs mentioned above.
Also while you are doing this you want to keep your dog from being able to roam and possibly find other things to eat. To be honest this is a very good practice in general.

Glenn Huey has been an enthusiastic dog owner for over 50 years. He is sharing all he has learned on his website 'Dog Food Recipes Home'. For more great information on recipes for dog food visit http://www.dogfoodrecipeshome.com/recipes-for-dog-food/
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