Homemade Dog Food From Scratch

By Thomas Henricks

Is your pets health important to you? I would hope the answer to that question is yes, it is important. It might surprise you to read that many studies indicate that commercially prepared dog food is not entirely healthy for your dog, and can even contribute to health issues. To avoid these problems, some people are turning their own homemade dog food. While this might seem like a much unnecessary work, it is a small price to pay to keep your beloved pet healthy.

Baking Basics for Your Dog

If you want to make your own homemade dog food, there are a few basic issues to bear in mind. There are some specific guidelines for homemade dog food that should be followed when you are determing the base products required. These guidelines ensure that the end result will in fact be a healthy alternative for your dog.

The primary elements that make up commercial brands of dog food are protein, fats, fibre and moisture.

To satisfy nutritional requirements, about one third of the components of homemade dog food should be high in protein. This protein can come from eggs, dairy products, or any type of meat. The remaining two thirds of the homemade dog food should consist of grains and vegetables.

It equally as important to know what ingredients you should avoid when preparing homemade dog food. We sometimes have a tendency to think that a dog can eat nearly anything but in fact there are certain ingredients that upset a dogs digestive system. To assure that will not occur, there some products you should never include in a homemade dog food recipe. These include chocolate, onions and onion powder, mouldy foods, garlic, grapes and raisins, mustard seeds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol. These products have all proven to be intolerable to your canines digestive system.

A Sample Homemade Dog Food recipe

Although a number of common household food products are suitable for your own dog food a simple list of ingredients could include the following.

Mix together 6 cups water, 1 pound ground turkey, 2 cups brown rice, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, and a combination of carrots and cauliflower. You can prepare these ingredients for use as your own custom homemade dog food by simply placing them in a large Dutch oven and cooking them for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Let the mixture cool and package in quantities suitable for to satisfy single serving requirements. Be sure to package your servings in a manner that will dispel surrounding air.

Vacuum sealing is a great way to package portions that will remain safe for use for extended periods of time. When preparing large batches, these portions can be frozen until required.
If you want to be sure that your dog is receiving high grade, healthy food products, try making your own. You might be surprised at the satisfaction you feel when cooking up a meal for your dog exactly as you would for any other member of the family.

For more information about Petfood please visit Petfood Resources

Article Source: http://www.bestdogarticles.com

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Dogs With Skin Or Digestive Problems Require Enzyme Support

By Janie Knetzer

Your dogs diet can have a great impact on a variety of factorsin his health. A dog that is not receiving adequate nutritionfrom his diet can be prone to gas, flatulence, lack of energyand skin problems.

The dogs coat may become dull and, if he is a working dog, hisperformance may be affected. This is due, in great part to avariance that many dog owners have imposed on dogs when theydomesticated them. In essence, it is a nutritional deficiencythat, though unintentional, can lead to health and digestiveissues.

In many cases, digestive enzymes for dogs can correct orsubstantially reduce the problems. Enzymes are substances foundin the body that have the ability to induce chemical reactionsor accelerate these processes. Enzymes are broken down into twoparts, one is a protein called apoenzyme and the other is anon-protein. The non-protein can either be a coenzyme orcofactor.
Every cell in every plant and animal contains enzymes. Theyregulate biochemical reactions that aid the system and sustainlife. When the delicate balance of the bodys digestive systemis upset, various undesirable reactions can result.

Enzymes can bring balance, but if they are not presentnaturally in the diet then supplements must be introduced. Asupplement can reduce or even eliminate the undesirable sideeffects of an improper diet in a dog. Gas and flatulence, skinproblems and lack of energy can be turned around and the dogscoat will be shinier.

Dog digestive problems are common even in dogs whose ownersfeed them top of the line dog food. The problem stems from theprocessed diets that most domestic dogs are provided. A dog isnot equipped to digest this type of diet because kibble lacksthe necessary dog digestive enzymes his body needs.

Wild canines, such as wolves, exist on a raw diet. In theirnatural environment, wolves will kill their prey and consume theorgans first. The organs contain the vitamins and nutrientsthat the wolf needs and it is these vitamins and nutrients thatboost their system, aiding in digestion.

A domesticated dog does not have access to animal organs fromprey or a raw diet, so their body requires an enzyme supplementfor proper digestion and a healthy system. A dog is naturallydesigned to consume raw prey. However, with domestication, manhas imposed a diet of kibble which is more convenient and costeffective, but the dog is paying a heavy price because his dietis nutritionally lacking.

In such cases, enzymes for dogs are necessary to provide whatthe dogs diet is lacking. This is true for dogs of all agesand especially important for senior dogs. However, when a dogis started on digestive enzymes as a young dog, it will givegreater assurance to the owner that the dog will be healthier asit ages.

Its never too late to start providing your best friend with anenzyme supplement for dogs.
About the Author: Janie is an avid dog lover with over twentyfive years of dog care and handling experience. She has writtennumerous articles on dog skin, nutrition and care.

Visit http://www.old-dog-treats-and-rawhide.com/dog-skin-problems.html

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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