Homemade diets may lead to nutritional deficiencies if they aren’t balanced correctly, posing serious health concerns for dogs.
To avoid such issues, it is a good practice to blanch and finely shred veggies using either a food processor or box grater in order to make them easier to digest and increase nutrient absorption. This will make sure that nutrients from each vegetable reach every part of your body!
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1. Nutritional Benefits
Many dog owners are concerned about the ingredients found in commercial pet foods. A homemade diet can give you peace of mind that your pup is eating nutritious food.
Homemade recipes for dogs are widely available online, yet often lack information regarding essential nutrients like protein, fats and vegetables. A 2013 study conducted by UC Davis researchers revealed that 95% of recipes studied fell short of meeting minimum essential nutrient intake recommendations.
The term dogfooding may have originated during the 1970s when actor Lorne Greene appeared in TV ads for Alpo dog food and said that he fed it directly to his dogs. Another possible origin might be from 1988, when Microsoft manager Darin Fender challenged a test team to increase internal usage by creating what became known as server “dogfood”. This term stuck.
2. Reduced Waste
Purchase of bulk dog food from co-op grocery stores or health food stores means less waste from packaging. A smaller bowl can also help limit how much food is wasted as pets will pick out only what they like to eat from it and leave behind what remains.
Conducting one’s business as you advise is the defining principle behind “eating your own dog food.” Although its exact source remains uncertain, many believe the phrase originated with actor Lorne Greene’s Alpo dog food ads in the 1970s. Later, Microsoft employees who used company operating systems and tools for personal work popularized this expression during the 80s.
Dogfooding your own product intensively is the key to understanding its quirks and shortcomings, and uncovering areas for improvement. Dogfooding also allows companies to cultivate more empathic customer service by placing employees in customers’ shoes – it provides invaluable feedback that could be used to repair or enhance features.
3. Less Stress
Home-cooked diets provide your dog with an assortment of protein sources to keep him from becoming bored with eating the same thing every day, and if any develop intolerance (itchy ears or diarrhea) to any one protein source you can easily find an alternate source.
Homemade dog food recipes found online or in books often provide vague instructions for ingredients, which could result in harmful errors if fed to your pet. For instance, many don’t realize that feeding their chicken cooked with onions could result in an illness known as dilated cardiomyopathy if fed too frequently.
Your dog needs a diet rich in proteins, vegetables and fruit as well as healthy fats to achieve proper nutrition. Failing to do this could lead to obesity, disease and malnutrition; additionally some foods (chocolate, raisins and macadamia nuts) are unsafe and toxic if consumed in large amounts.
4. Better Health
Your dog needs vitamins and minerals in their diet to stay healthy; feeding him/her their own meals is also an excellent way to cut back on ingredients that might upset their stomachs. Many commercial dog foods contain corn and wheat in large quantities that can upset sensitive stomachs; by making homemade food instead, you can avoid these grains while opting for healthier ones such as oats and brown rice instead.
However, it is essential that your pet receives a nutritionally balanced diet and does not make substitutions based on personal preference alone. Working with a professional nutritionist who can tailor recipes specifically tailored for their unique needs is best as inadequate nutrient levels may cause issues like obesity, disease and even death in animals. Recipes including organ meat (liver, heart, gizzard and spleen cuts) as well as human grade muscle meat can provide vital vitamin B, folic acid phosphorus copper iron magnesium and iodine which may otherwise be difficult for vegetarians alone to access.
