It’s important to follow homemade dog food recipes exactly as they are instructed. Please do not attempt to substitute ingredients as you might for yourself or your family. Dogs have different nutritional needs than humans do. It’s important to cook all animal products thoroughly to kill all harmful bacteria. Thoroughly cooking all grains, beans, and starchy vegetables will make the food easier for your dog to digest. Make sure to watch out for these foods that can harm your dog.
All of us at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique want the very best for your pup.
Why make homemade dog food?
One of the most beneficial parts about making your own dog food is the comfort in knowing exactly what your dog is eating. Dogs are apart of the family, they should be treated like family. You wouldn’t want anyone in your family eating harmful food, why would you let your dog?
The truth is, dog food isn’t well regulated. Feeding your pooch commercial dog food consistently results in massive recalls, sick pets (or worse), and even potentially increasing food allergies from the dog’s commercial brand food. Also, there is no one size fits all type of food for a dog, they come in many shapes and sizes and need to be fed accordingly.
Commercial dog foods make use of non-human grade food ingredients. If you look at a common dog food product’s label, you’ll notice ingredients such as meat protein which actually include parts of an animal which you would never eat yourself.
The problem with feed-grade dog food is that they often contain organ meats such as feathers, hooves, entrails, and other animal by-products. The worst thing about these feed-grade ingredients is that the FDA actually allows animals that have died by causes, such as ailments and diseases, to be included in dog foods. Dogs can’t just eat anything that is put on their plate, they need a healthy diet just like humans do.
Dog Nutrition
Making homemade dog food and homemade dog treats may sound like a daunting task at first, however after going through this guide you’ll realize how easy of a task it can be after educating yourself further. Just like we have the food pyramid showing us the specific food groups and guidelines we should follow, there is an entirely different food pyramid required for dogs to get the correct nutrients they need to be healthy pups.
Depending on how much time you’re willing to commit, homemade dog food can completely substitute any other type of supplements, while still feeding them all the nutrients they need to be healthy dogs.
The basic nutrients needed for a healthy dog are:
- Protein (Basic building blocks for cells, organs, and are essential for growth)
- Fats (The most concentrated form of food energy)
- Water (Essential to life, water accounts for 65-70% of an adult dogs body weight)
- Carbohydrates (No minimum requirement for carbs, however glucose is needed to supply energy to critical organs such as the brain.)
- Vitamins (Tiny amounts of vitamins are necessary in dogs for normal metabolic functioning)
- Minerals (Nutrients that cannot be synthesized by animals and must be provided in the diet)
Artificial preservatives in commercial pet foods
Commercial pet food products contain ingredients that you can’t pronounce just so that they can artificially preserve their dog food for as long as possible to ensure minimal loss of profits. There are many dangers with processed dog food, one of the main ingredients found is propylene glycol, which is used to maintain moisture (also a chemical used in car anti-freeze).
This type of practice may be good for their bottom dollar, but it can be very harmful for your dog. The truth is that the slow accumulation of these toxins will eventually lead to serious damage on your dog’s kidneys, liver, and heart.
All of us at Splash and Dash believe dogs should be fed the very best, they are family after all. Which is why we only use 7 Human-Grade Ingredients or less in our Keepin’ It Simple dog treats.
All of our treats are sourced in the USA and USDA approved.
Dog Recipes that We Love
Pumpkin Dog Biscuits
Looking for a doggie digestive aid? Pumpkin is easy on sour stomachs and can help alleviate your dog’s digestive issues. These homemade dog biscuits are a great way to introduce an all-natural tummy aid into your pup’s diet.
Ingredients
1/3 cup extremely cold water
2/3 cup pumpkin puree (canned or home-made)
2 cups whole grain brown rice flour
1 large egg (you can omit this if your dog is allergic to eggs)
2 1/2 tablespoonful flax-seed oil or olive oil
Total: Makes approx. 24 1 oz balls (or 24 fluid ounces)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 320 – 350 degrees.
- Use two baking sheets and baking paper to avoid sticking.
- Mix lightly beaten egg and pumpkin in a separate container until smooth. If you don’t want to use egg then just smooth the pumpkin puree separately and proceed to the next step.
- In a larger bowl, combine flax-seed oil and brown rice flour.
- With constant stirring, add the pumpkin mixture to the rice mixture and slowly add water. Be sure to leave some of the rice to be used as some sort of toppings for the cookies.
- Hand mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Using two pieces of baking or waxed paper, roll dough out to desired thickness.
- Remove the top baking paper.
- Evenly pour rice flour onto the top of the dough and lightly press it to the waxed baking paper.
- Remove the paper and cut to desired sizes.
- Place in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is completely dry.
- Cool and store in a dry plastic or glass container until ready to be served.
Don’t have the time to make these treats? Try the Pumpkin Patch flavor of our Keepin’ It Simple All Natural Dog Treats!
Frozen Banana Treats
After a long walk in the hot sun, what pooch wouldn’t want a refreshing treat? We absolutely love this simple recipe – yogurt, banana and peanut butter. It’s a frozen smoothie for your dog. Need we say more?
Ingredients
4 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 bananas, ripe, peeled & mashed
Total: Makes approx. 8 1 oz treats
Directions
- Blend all ingredients together into a puree.
- Pour into 4-ounce plastic cups (ice trays or toddler popsicle trays work well).
- Freeze until firm.
- Can be kept in freezer for up to two week
Don’t have the time to make these treats? Try the PB N\’ Jelly Crunch Flavor of our Keepin’ It Simple All Natural Dog Treats!
Don’t Forget the Fruits & Veggies
While your dog doesn\’t need to choke down a big salad everyday, it\’s still vital to their health to eat a few well-chosen veggies. We recommend using a wide variety of frozen vegetables because it\’s the easiest and most economical way for me to make sure your pups are eating their vegetables. (Veggies for dogs = fiber for healthy poops and fat-soluble vitamins.)
We recommend buying frozen California Medley veggies (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli). Three 12-ounce bags is the perfect amount for this homemade dog food recipe.
If you can\’t find the California Medley or you want to mix it up a bit, combine any or all of these vegetables, either fresh or frozen, to equal 5 cups:
- zucchini
- green beans
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- carrots
- cucumbers
- celery
- cabbage
Fruits contain vitamins, antioxidants, and valuable fiber for our pups. So we recommend 12 ounces (or 1-1/2 cups) to each batch of food. You can choose one of the following, fresh or frozen, and stir it in after cooking:
- blueberries
- diced apple (but not the seeds)
- banana
Although less common, these fruits are also acceptable add-ins for your homemade dog food:
- fresh pineapple (with all spines and skin removed)
- mango (without the pit)
- watermelon (rind and seeds removed)
- peaches (pit removed)
- strawberries
- raspberries
*Do NOT Add These Foods To Your Homemade Dog Food*
- grapes
- raisins
- cherries
- avocado
- anything with chocolate or cacao
- onions or leeks
- anything with xylitol
- macadamia nuts
- garlic (unless directed by your vet)
- brewer\’s yeast
- raw bread dough
For the most natural dog products visit Splash and Dash, every dog treat is sourced in the USA with 7 human-grade ingredients or less.
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