How To Make Complete & Balanced Meals

Many dog parents love the idea of making their own homemade fresh dog food. After all, you have complete control over ingredient choice and quality. While homemade dog food recipes can be very nutritious, your dog still needs a complete, balanced diet. Here are some tips and facts to help you prepare the best possible food for your furry companions.

1. Keep It Protein-Packed

In general, a low carb dog food is the best option for most dogs. Carefully chosen carbohydrates can be beneficial, providing energy and important nutrients, but your dog's diet should be fairly protein-heavy. For instance, the dog food recipes we provide on our website include two cups of protein, combined with one cup of grains and one cup of vegetables, so half of the diet is protein.

We also recommend feeding most dogs a low fat dog food. Many commercial foods, including high-quality fresh dog food and raw dog food options, add organ meat to their foods. Organ meats are very high in fat, which can be difficult for many dogs to digest.

If you are searching for a dog food for digestive problems, it is especially important to select lower-fat proteins, such as turkey breast or lean beef. However, as veterinarians, we do not recommend fatty cuts of meat and organ meat for any dog. For a chicken or turkey dog food recipe, we recommend opting for breast meat. For a beef dog food or pork dog food recipe, we recommend opting for the leanest options available.

2. Add A Dog Food Supplement

When we talk about providing a balanced and complete dog diet, this means that if you only feed your dog the recommended amount of dog food daily, all of their nutritional and caloric needs will be met.

With home-cooked dog food recipes, you can choose quality ingredients, but this is not enough to ensure that they have all of the vitamins and minerals that they need. Therefore, you will need to add a dog food supplement to their food to ensure that you are providing truly healthy dog food.

For dog parents who wish to cook their dog's meals, we do sell a vet-formulated supplement on our website. This supplement is safe for daily use, and can be used in place of bone meal, which is often added to homemade food. We typically do not recommend bone meal, as it can cause digestive upset in some dogs, and you also must ensure that the bone meal is 100% pet safe.

3. Cook Food Gently

Commercial canned food and kibble are heavily processed and heavily cooked, which reduces the nutritional value. Raw food, of course, maintains the nutritional value, but raw ingredients can be difficult for dogs to digest. Gentle cooking is the perfect middle ground, preserving nutrient value and moisture, while also being highly digestible.

When it comes to protein, such as ground beef or ground turkey, we recommend adding enough water to cover the bottom of a pan and then cooking ground meat at a gentle simmer until it reaches a temperature of about 165 degrees.

With veggies, we recommend cutting the vegetables into small, evenly sized pieces and then placing them in a steamer basket above simmering water. Veggies such as carrots and sweet potatoes take about 10 to 15 minutes to become fork-tender, while veggies such as broccoli or spinach only take about 5 to 8 minutes to cook. To save time, add harder veggies, such as carrots, first and then add the softer vegetables later in the cooking process.

4. Consider Each Ingredient Carefully

One of the biggest advantages of creating your own homemade dog food recipe is that you can select only high-quality proteins, grains, and veggies. Opting for meats raised without added hormones or antibiotics is a smart choice, and you can even opt for organic options. Most commercial dog food brands don't use organic ingredients simply because there is not a consistent enough supply chain for bulk dog food production.

You also can formulate a truly holistic dog food recipe, one that supports your dog's unique health needs. For instance, if you need a low copper dog food, you can select proteins and carbs with controlled copper levels. If you need a dog food for kidney problems, you can select ingredients that support healthy kidney function.

We recommend talking to your veterinarian about the best ingredients to include for your specific dog. We do offer three dog food recipes on our website, and each is based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, which classifies food as cooling, warming, or neutral, according to their traditionally understood effects on the body.

For our homemade Cooling Diet, we recommend mixing together 2 cups of cooked ground lean turkey, one cup of brown rice or millet, and one cup of cooked broccoli and zucchini (1/2 cup cooked of each vegetable).

For our Warming Diet, we recommend mixing two cups of cooked lean ground chicken with one cup of cooked oats and one cup of carrots and sweet potatoes (1/2 cup cooked of each vegetable).

Our homemade Neutral Diet includes two cups of cooked lean ground beef mixed with one cup of cooked barley and one cup of cooked green beans and spinach, again about a half cup of each vegetable.

In general, we recommend the following feeding instructions:

• 10lb dog: 1/4 cup twice a day
• 25lb dog: 1/2- 3/4 cup twice a day
• 50lb dog: 1- 1.5 cups twice a day
• 75lb: 3- 4 cups twice a day

Of course, while homemade dog food recipes can be a great option, there's no getting around the fact that it's a lot of work to prepare these meals! At Chi Dog, we offer an easy alternative. We offer a dog food subscription service and deliver healthy, holistic, vet developed dog food right to your door. This can be a perfect choice for busy dog parents, and we have five unique dog food diets that support optimum health and will please even the pickiest eater.

While our fresh dog food can be a great option to consider, if you do decide to craft your own dog food recipes, we encourage you to add a supplement to ensure that each meal is balanced and complete. You can purchase the supplement on our website, or ask a trusted veterinarian for supplement suggestions.

FAQ's

1. What should a balanced homemade dog food recipe include?

A balanced homemade meal should be protein-heavy. Our dog food recipes combine two cups of protein with one cup of grains and one cup of vegetables, so half of the meal is protein. We recommend lean proteins and a low-fat approach for most dogs, and a supplement to fill any nutritional gaps.

2. Do I need to add a supplement to homemade dog food?

Yes. Quality ingredients alone don't guarantee your dog gets all the vitamins and minerals they need. A dog food supplement helps make sure each meal is truly complete and balanced. Chi Dog sells a vet-formulated supplement that is safe for daily use, or you can ask your veterinarian for recommendations.

3. What is the best way to cook homemade dog food?

Gentle cooking is the best middle ground between heavily processed commercial food and raw food, because it preserves nutrients and moisture while staying easy to digest. Simmer ground meat in a little water until it reaches about 165 degrees, and steam vegetables cut into small, even pieces. Carrots and sweet potatoes take about 10 to 15 minutes, while broccoli and spinach take about 5 to 8.

4. What proteins are best for dogs with sensitive stomachs?

For dogs with digestive problems, choose lower-fat proteins such as turkey breast or lean beef. As veterinarians, we don't recommend fatty cuts of meat or organ meat for any dog, since high fat can be hard to digest. For chicken or turkey recipes, use breast meat, and for beef or pork recipes, use the leanest cuts available.

5. How much homemade food should I feed my dog?

Our general guidelines are:

10 lb dog: 1/4 cup twice a day

25 lb dog: 1/2 to 3/4 cup twice a day

50 lb dog: 1 to 1.5 cups twice a day

75 lb dog: 3 to 4 cups twice a day

Talk to your veterinarian about the right portion for your dog's individual needs.