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On the other hand, homemade meals will provide you with the follow- Another benefit of cooking food is that it kills germs and bacteria
ing: which may be present in the meat or vegetable. This is not a major
problem with dogs though as they have stronger digestive acids
Homemade pet food contains the freshest and healthiest ingredi- which can kill these microorganisms and even digest bones and other
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ents. When making homemade meals, you will have to visit the local tough materials. It is only recommended for those who cannot bear
market or grocer where you can find locally raised vegetables and to think of giving raw food to their pets or if their pets are not used to
meat products. This means a higher nutritional content since they eating raw meat.
have not been stored for months and they have not travelled hun-
dreds of miles to slowly lose their nutrients during the long transit. Raw Dog Food – Supporters of this type of pet food also have several
bases in doing so. First, not cooking food helps to retain its essential
Aside from that, shopping for local produce gives you the opportunity nutrients such as enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It also
to look for organically raised meats, vegetables, and fruits which are helps to maintain the natural moisture content of food which allows
truly healthier for your pet. This way, you can be assured that your pet dogs to digest it much easier compared to cooked ones.
is not eating antibiotic, steroid and hormone-laden foods.
One of the best examples is meat bones. Cooking bones dehydrates
Homemade pet foods are less likely to lose nutrients by cooking them and makes them susceptible to splintering when chewed. Raw
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methods. Since the food is cooked in small batches, they are cooked bones, on the other hand, are more pliable and digestible for dogs.
in less heat and water and so they also lose lesser nutrients during the They also retain their nutritional components better than cooked
cooking process. Compared to commercial food preparation, home ones. This is also true in cooking vegetables or fruits.
cooking also makes use of lesser heat whereas industrial grade com-
mercial cooking use extremely high temperatures. To prepare raw dog food, you just need to toss the ingredients to-
gether and serve. This is highly recommended for those who cannot
There is also lesser stand-by time for the food before it is served to find the time to prepare their pet’s meals.
your pet so nutrients which are lost through light or air-exposure are
better preserved. Main Ingredients Of A Healthy Dog Meal
If you are also going to judge by the look and texture of homemade When preparing your pet’s dinner, it is important to consider its nu-
versus commercially bought dog food, you will notice the difference – tritional needs. Remember that their dietary needs are different than
commercial dog food does not resemble any normal food at all.
yours. Dogs require a larger amount of calcium every day compared to
humans and they also need more protein than carbohydrates. Many
Homemade dog food does not contain preservatives. This is times, pet owners think that vegetarian meals are the best for their
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perhaps one of the most valuable health aspects of making your pet’s pets since it provides a lot of health benefits in humans. The problem
food at home. The only way you can lengthen the shelf life of home- is that a dog’s digestive system is made for a carnivorous diet instead
made food is by storing it in the freezer, which does not pose any seri- of an herbivorous one.
ous health risks for your pet unless you serve the food frozen. You will
definitely give a large chance for your pet to gain better health if you
serve foods that are not contaminated with these toxic chemicals.

Different Types Of Homemade Dog Food Recipes

There are different ways to prepare your pet’s homemade meals but
generally, they are classified into two types: cooked and raw meals.
There are advantages and disadvantages in both types but they
are definitely a better option compared to store-bought pet foods.
Cooked pet foods can be prepared using the same methods that you
use to cook your own meals: baking, frying, steaming, boiling, and
grilling to name a few. In case of raw foods, they are the easiest to
prepare.

Just clean your ingredients by washing them with water and then
combine. You can also opt to cook the ingredients briefly in high heat
in order to kill any germs or bacteria that are present in the surface of
the food. Let us take a look at some of the advantages and disadvan-
tages of these two types of homemade pet foods.

Cooked Dog Food – Cooking does a lot of things to your pet’s food.
First, it makes certain nutrients more readily available for your dog.
Dogs do not have enzymes
that break down carbohy-
drate in their mouths so
cooking them makes it easier
for your pet to digest them.
Vitamin A in carrots and
tomatoes has been shown
to become bio-available
through the cooking process.

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