All dog owners are concerned with providing their pets with optimal nutrition and of course that comes from good quality brands. It is no surprise that many people look for information about dog food recipes online. With most dogs now living in urban areas they are largely fed prepackaged and processed dog food.
It’s no secret that modern processed dog foods sometimes contain less goodness and nutrition than many believe. In fact, there are several health problems associated with some ingredients included in commercial preparations.
That’s not to say that all the processed pet foods will harm your dog.
However, if you want your dog to live an active long and happy life you can be assured that by feeding them homemade meals you will have a healthy pet.
In the same way as humans need a balanced diet and a diet which includes all the essential nutrients for good development of bones and tissues, so do dogs. Poor nutrition and a lack of the necessary nutrients can reduce the life expectancy of your dog and can contribute to slow or stunted growth and slow recovery after injury.
Proteins in Dog Nutrition
Proteins are a very important part of the nutrients in a dog’s diet. Not only are they critical for almost all aspects of growth and development, they contribute to the efficiency of your dogs immune system. It is important to recognize that excess proteins convert to, and can be stored as fat.
Good dog food recipes will include the correct balance of proteins to other nutrients, so if fed at the right amount, your dog will be fit, healthy and not overweight.
There is ample information about dog food recipes available from reputable sites across the net.
Dog owners should understand some of the labeling which pets food companies use on their products concerning the ingredients in their food.
Usually, the level of protein on pet food labels is the total protein content of the food and not the amount of digestible protein. In better quality foods, the level of digestible protein can be above 70%. Some lower quality foods have a digestible protein level of less than 60%.
Meat and chicken byproducts, which most commercial dog foods contain, provide adequate levels of digestible protein. Sometimes, the quality of these foods is not high, but the protein is provided in an acceptable form. Grains can be used in dog food recipes to provide protein, but they are really not providing a high percentage of digestible protein.
In lots of ways, grains simply add to the carbohydrate load of the food. Meat and bone meal, which are commonly used in commercial recipes are lower quality forms of protein and hence contain less digestible protein.
Fats
In the human world, fat intake is seen as a negative, it is a critical part of your dog’s diet. Actually, fats contain quite a lot of energy, and since dogs are very active, the correct amount of fat in dog food recipes is important. Fats also contribute to kidney function and the maintenance of healthy skin and a nice shiny coat.
Carbohydrates
Another critical part of a dog’s diet which provides them with energy, is carbohydrates. Dogs require a clean source of carbohydrate that they can use for energy.
Summary
By discovering good information about dog food recipes, and preparing your dog a well-balanced and nutritional home-made meal, it is possible to closely regulate the nutrients and nutrition you are feeding them. Once you know the correct proportions and correct levels of each food, element, you can give them the correct portion size for their breed and body weight.
You will also know that your recipes contain no artificial flavorings, preservatives or additives. Lots of home-made dog food recipes include ingredients like vegetables, pumpkins, honey, bananas, peanut butter and apples.
Of course they also contain hardly nutritious meats, fish, turkey and chicken. Some people start feeding homemade foods because their dogs might have been diagnosed with some kind of food allergy brought on by the ingredients in commercial foods. Others, because their dog may have a health condition or requires a special diet.
They do all understand that if they find dog food recipe information, they can get away from the low-quality, processed commercial pet food.