Making your own puppy food can save you some cash. It also lets you tailor a diet to suit your pup’s specific needs. But before diving in, it’s crucial to understand what your growing puppy requires. This includes daily calories and the essential vitamins and minerals for their development.
Feeding your puppy homemade food involves commitment. You’ll need to consistently prepare meals and ensure they’re balanced. Here’s what you need to know before starting your homemade puppy food journey.
Is Homemade Puppy Food Healthy?
Just like humans, dogs have specific caloric needs and require certain nutrients to stay healthy. Puppies, in particular, need a diet that supports proper growth. The food you prepare must be complete, balanced, and designed to meet these growth needs.
A common mistake pet owners make is not following the correct recipes—or any recipe at all! It’s not just about feeding enough calories. The diet must also have the right balance of protein, fat, and other nutrients. Ensuring your puppy gets everything they need will help them grow and stay healthy. The best way to achieve this is by consulting your veterinarian, who might refer you to a veterinary nutritionist.
Working with a vet, you can create a diet that meets all of your puppy’s nutritional needs. They provide recipes or direct you to websites like BalanceIT.com or PetDiets.com, which offer nutritionist-developed recipes. These sites can help you select a balanced diet. They can also accommodate specific needs. This is useful whether you have large breeds or puppies with allergies.
How to Prepare Homemade Puppy Food
Puppies generally require twice as many calories as adult dogs. For instance, a 10-pound puppy expected to reach 33 pounds in adulthood needs about 990 calories per day. Additionally, puppies need more protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals than adults.
A balanced homemade puppy diet should include:
- Protein: Chicken, turkey, fish, or lean beef
- Carbohydrates: Rice, pasta, or potatoes
- Vegetables: Peas, green beans, or carrots
- Fat: Often from vegetable oil
- Vitamin/Mineral Supplements: Ensure they’re from a reputable source
Once you’ve chosen a recipe, it’s time to prepare it. Many owners who opt for homemade diets create a schedule, preparing meals weekly or monthly. You can make food in bulk. Portion it into containers (one per meal is convenient). Keep it refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for several months. When your pre-prepared meals start to run low, it’s time to cook another batch. If you like to offer variety, you can make different batches and rotate them.
Remember to adjust portions as your puppy grows. Weighing your puppy every week or two will help you ensure they’re getting the right amount of calories.
Homemade Puppy Food: Cooked vs. Raw Diet
Homemade puppy food can be healthy when done right, but what about raw diets? There’s a lot of debate around feeding raw food to dogs. The AVMA and other organizations warn about the risks of pathogens in raw pet food. While some experts see potential benefits for healthy adult dogs, puppies are a different story. Raw food can contain dangerous pathogens that young puppies might not be able to handle.
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The Pros and Cons of a Raw Food Diet for Dogs
If you think you can safely manage raw food and are aware of the risks, discuss transitioning to raw food with your vet when your puppy is older. Initially, you might try a combination of cooked and raw foods to see how your dog responds.
It’s important to note that raw diets are not recommended for dogs that come into contact with immunocompromised humans or for dogs with weakened immune systems.
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