- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Nothing says “I love you” like a homemade meal. But home cooking is a little more complicated for dogs than for your human family members. Can you make your own dog food? Yes, of course. But whether you should is another matter.
The truth is a nutritionally balanced homemade dog diet is difficult to achieve. It’s one thing to prepare a safe snack to tide your dog over when you run out of dog food. Meeting all your dog’s daily nutritional needs and maintaining their long-term health with only fresh ingredients and supplements to rely on is another matter entirely.
If you’re really committed to cooking for your dog, or if necessity is forcing your hand, we’re here to help. Here we discuss the pros and cons of homemade food and explore the cases where it might be a good idea (or a really bad one). We’ll wrap up with simple guidelines to help you craft a safe homemade diet for your pup.
Is Homemade Food Better for Your Dog?
If you’re wondering whether homemade dog food is the best choice for your dog, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve heard the hype about it on social media. Or perhaps you’ve got a picky eater or allergy-prone pup and have run out of commercially available options.
Before you commit to making the switch, be sure you understand the issue from all angles. A homemade diet isn’t as simple as throwing out your commercial pet food and replacing it with a bowl of chicken and veggies.
When we talk about homemade dog food, we’re not referring to snacks of human food or emergency meals for when you run out of dog food. These options are generally fine because they’re supplemental or temporary—you’re not relying on them as your dog’s sole source of nutrition.
What we’re talking about here is a full daily diet prepared at home, typically from raw ingredients. Let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of homemade diets.
Pros and cons of homemade dog food
Surveys of American pet parents consistently indicate that people, now more than ever, think of their pets as family members. Pet parents spend billions of dollars each year to give their pets the very best food, supplies, and veterinary care.
People who believe homemade dog food is healthier than commercial dog food often make the following claims:
- Homemade diets give you complete control over the type and quality of ingredients you’re putting into your dog’s body.
- You prepare your dog’s food in limited quantities so it’s always fresh and there’s no need for synthetic preservatives.
- Homemade diets can be tailored to your dog’s preferences for flavor and texture.
- You can incorporate a variety of ingredients into your dog’s homemade diet to keep them from getting bored with their food.
- Homemade diets can be individualized to meet your specific dog’s nutrient and calorie requirements.
- You don’t have to keep track of dog food recalls—you’ll always know where the ingredients in your dog’s food come from and how the food is prepared.
Proponents of homemade dog food have their hearts in the right place. After all, a nutritionally balanced diet is one of the most important investments you can make in your dog’s long-term health. The truth is, however, that there’s no hard scientific evidence to show that homemade diets are inherently healthier than high-quality commercial dog food. In some cases, they can even be dangerous.
Homemade dog food risks
In 2013, a group of veterinarians partnered with the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN) to complete an evaluation of home-prepared maintenance diets for dogs. Among other concerns, their report revealed that many homemade diets have major nutritional imbalances.
Here are some of the potential risks associated with homemade diets for dogs:
- Many recipes available online aren’t formulated by veterinary nutritionists and may not provide complete and balanced nutrition.
- It’s difficult to achieve the optimal balance of necessary nutrients, even with the help of synthetic nutrient supplements.
- Handling raw ingredients, even if you later cook the food, comes with a risk of exposure to food-borne pathogens.
- Recipes readily available online aren’t always complete or lack clear instructions, which creates opportunities for mistakes or misinterpretation by pet parents.
- It’s a time-consuming and often expensive process—making your own dog food isn’t necessarily cheaper than buying commercial dog food.
When You Shouldn’t Feed Your Dog a Homemade Diet
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to feed your dog a natural, healthy diet. Whether homemade dog food is the best way to accomplish that goal depends on numerous factors.
Here are some indications that a homemade diet might not be the right choice.
You don’t have the time or resources
Good dog food is expensive, but not all expensive dog food is good. Commercial dog food prices fluctuate, but when you buy a bag of dog food, that’s the end of it. When you’re buying individual ingredients, nutrient supplements, and equipment to make dog food at home, the costs add up quickly. In other words, it takes time and money to make good dog food at home.
Your dog has a health condition
If you’re able to dedicate the time and resources to do it right, homemade dog food could be a viable option for a healthy dog. When you throw health problems into the mix, however, things get complicated. Some conditions—like pancreatitis or kidney disease—are best managed with a therapeutic diet overseen by a veterinarian.
You have a puppy or a growing dog
Young puppies and juvenile dogs who are still growing require a delicate balance of nutrients to ensure proper development. Too much or too little of even a single key nutrient could be damaging. For example, excesses of dietary calcium may put large-breed puppies at a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in adulthood.
You have a senior dog
Senior dogs have the same nutrient requirements as adult dogs, but they’re more likely to experience health problems that may require dietary adjustments. Older dogs may also benefit from a reduced calorie diet as their activity level declines. Achieving balanced nutrition while adjusting specific nutrient values can be challenging with a homemade diet.
Your dog (or someone else in your family) is immunocompromised
Handling raw ingredients comes with a risk of exposure to food-borne pathogens. If your dog or someone in your family is immunocompromised, it’s worth considering the risks of making your own dog food at home. Even when you store the food properly, there may be more opportunity for exposure than with a commercial diet.
Good Candidates for a Homemade Diet
Not all dogs are going to be a good fit for homemade food, but there are certain cases in which it might be appropriate. Never attempt a homemade diet without your veterinarian’s approval. Ongoing monitoring of your dog’s health and body condition is also a must.
A nutritionally adequate, vet-approved homemade diet might be the right choice in the following cases.
Your dog has severe or multiple food allergies
In many cases, dog food allergies can be managed with commercial dog food free from the ingredients that trigger your dog’s allergies. If your dog has multiple allergies or is sensitive to the trace amounts of their allergen that can result from shared processing equipment, a homemade diet might be the best way to completely eliminate exposure.
Your dog struggles with digestive issues
Some dogs struggle to digest certain ingredients or tolerate specific types of food, even if it isn’t a full-blown allergy. If a commercial food formulated for dogs with sensitive stomachs doesn’t do the trick, homemade food might be an option. In this case, it’s particularly important to work with your veterinarian to identify the cause of your dog’s underlying digestive issues.
Your dog requires a special diet to manage a health problem
Many health problems can be managed with a veterinarian-approved prescription diet. If your dog isn’t improving on such a diet or if the only commercially available options aren’t adequate for some reason, your veterinarian may suggest a homemade diet.
Your dog is recovering from surgery or illness
If your dog is recovering from surgery or a temporary bout of illness, your veterinarian may recommend a bland, easily digestible homemade diet. Such diets can be beneficial for dogs with acute vomiting or intermittent diarrhea but may not be appropriate for more than a few days. Follow your veterinarian’s guidelines for how long to feed the homemade diet.
Your dog is a picky eater
With countless options available, there’s a commercial dog food product out there for almost every taste and preference. If you’re dealing with a particularly picky eater, however, a homemade diet may be the last resort when you’ve run out of other options.
How To Make Homemade Dog Food Safely
Making your own dog food isn’t for the faint of heart. Neither is it something you should take on without the approval of your veterinarian. Even once you’ve perfected your recipe and gotten into the swing of your homemade diet, it’s important to work closely with your vet to monitor your dog’s health. It may be necessary to adjust your dog’s diet at times.
If you’re committed to making homemade dog food, here are some guidelines to do it safely:
- Start with a thorough veterinary exam to determine if a homemade diet is appropriate for your dog and whether they have any specific nutritional concerns.
- Do your research on canine nutrition to ensure you understand your dog’s requirements along with the potential consequences of a nutritionally inadequate diet.
- Work with your veterinarian to select a nutritionally balanced recipe—consider a premix supplement to simplify the process.
- Follow the recipe instructions carefully in regard to ingredient preparation, cooking, storage, and portioning.
- Slowly transition your dog onto the homemade diet by mixing small amounts with their current food over a period of several weeks.
- Keep track of your dog’s portions and monitor their weight and body condition so you can make fine-tuning adjustments as needed.
- Have a backup plan in place in case your dog can’t tolerate the homemade food or starts showing signs of negative health effects.
Not ready to commit to a full homemade diet for your dog? Consider dipping your toes in the water with homemade dog treats to get a feel for the process.