Homemade healthy food for your pet

In the United States we are seeing more frequently that families decide to change the balanced diet of pets towards a homemade diet. Besides this is an interesting trend, there are some tips you need to know before getting into the kitchen to prepare a dog meal. For sure your dog will thank you for altering its everyday diet but you must pay attention to what to buy at your grocery store.

Your pet and his life stage

The very first thing you need to analyze is the life stage of your pet. A young dog will have a very different diet from an older dog, for instance. In addition, it is necessary to explore whether your pet is a high-energetic one or it has a more sedentary routine. Other aspects such as race, health condition and weight are important to look at. Before going to the store and getting into a homemade diet, please check with your vet for correct guidance.

More control

One of the key advantages when cooking food for your dog is that you have more control over the ingredients and types of nutrients you are giving to it. Most of the times when we go shopping for balanced food at a store in the United States, we don’t look at the ingredients used. If we don’t pay attention we might be affecting the health of your dog. In order to know exactly what your best friend is getting, homemade diets are great.

3 key components

When it comes to cooking there are three elements you need to take into consideration: protein, fiber and carbohydrates. The correct mix of these will guarantee the good shape of your dog. As for proteins the most common thing to use is high-quality animal protein. As for fibers and carbs there are a bunch of vegetables and grains to choose from. Sweet potatoes are excellent options as well as raw carrots. Green beans, broccoli, pumpkin and apples are other goods to buy at a store in the United States. Corn, quinoa, oatmeal and rice are some grains to use too. Always remember that waste is not real food, that means that leftovers can’t be considered as a daily diet.

What to avoid

There are a number of ingredients that are not suggested for dogs. Chocolate, grapes, coffee, walnuts, avocados, racins, onions, garlic, cinnamon and high-sodium foods are all in the not-to-buy at the grocery store list. Dog’s digestive system is not the same as ours so we have to be very careful on what we incorporate on its diet. Some of these foods can cause big trouble and compromise the wellbeing of your dog..