Do’s and Don’ts: Home Cooking for Canines

Hello all, and welcome to another guide to canine happiness! Today, we are discussing the trend every pet parent has seen at least once:

Home cooking for their dogs

While I am glad to see pet parents take initiative when it comes to their canine companion’s diet, home cooking for your dog requires careful balance. Dogs have specific dietary needs, which at times may be similar to our own, but nonetheless still differ greatly. A common mistake I see owners make is feeding them left overs, or cooking them “dog versions” of human meals. While this isn’t really the worst thing when done occasionally, meals that are too high in fat and salt contents or meals that lack full nutritional options are more likely to lead to obesity, malnutrition, pancreatitis, and other issues.

However, when done in a way that promotes full nutritional balance, home cooking can be life changing in the best way possible. Dogs are what is called “facultative carnivores,” meaning they eat a diet of not only meat, but non-animal food as well. This opposes a common sentiment that dogs are what is called “obligate carnivores,” meaning they could rely entirely on meat.

In reality, it goes a bit deeper than that. Most meats and vegetables do not possess adequate levels of minerals, like calcium, that are vital to the body. Because of this, it is absolutely necessary to introduce supplemental vitamins and minerals. This can be done by adding supplements such as Nutrived Calcium Plus. It is not recommended to add vegetables that are high in calcium (such as broccoli, kale, and collard greens) unless directed by your veterinarian or nutritionist. It is important to remember to add supplements after the cooking process to avoid them being denatured or deactivated. Calcium can be added at any point during the cooking process.

When following a well balanced diet, you may see the following improvements: softer/shinier coat, improved skin condition, and/or increased energy levels. However, this may not always be the case for a pup with any preexisting allergies or intolerances. When feeding a home cooked diet, adding foods the canine is not well adapted to, or is allergic to, removes any benefit it may have over a traditional kibble.

However, the potential benefits do not mean much (to me at least) before weighing the potential downsides. Improper home cooking practices can lead to a slew of issues, from malnutrition to bacterial infection from incorrect storage. It is important to keep a home cooked diet full of variety to avoid nutritional imbalances caused by rigid feeding practices. Issues may arise if your canine companion’s home prepared diet is under or over the necessary vitamin and mineral requirements. Home cooked meals most commonly possess calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and iron imbalances. It is important to factor in different nutritional needs based on lifestyle and life stage. Think about working dogs, like Police K9s. Working K9s require an amount of proteins and minerals/vitamins greater than that of another dog, like a senior dog, due to the amount of energy exerted daily.

Ultimately, when it comes to home cooking, the benefits can be worth the effort. However, it is incredibly important that an owner works closely with their vet (or a vet who is well educated in nutrition) while formulating, feeding, and modifying a home prepared diet. It is also quite pertinent to research vitamin and mineral requirements and supplements to ensure a well rounded diet.

When following an established home cooked diet, working closely with a veterinarian, and keeping decent variety, home preparing food for your furbaby could truly be the change you are looking for.

For now, I will be including a link to the Nutrived Calcium Plus tablets if anyone is interested in adding any dietary supplements. As always, thank you for joining me… oh, and pet your dog for me.

NutriVed Calcium Plus via Amazon