While cooking for your pet may seem like a great way to keep them healthy, there are some risks to consider. Cooking for your pet takes time, and often costs more than commercial feeds. If you go on vacation, you must prepare food in advance to cover the time you are away.
If homemade diets aren’t supplemented with vitamins and minerals, your pet’s homemade meal won't provide them with adequate nutrition. Feline homemade diets are often deficient in Taurine or have an unpalatable fat source. Canine diets often contain excessive protein, but lack carbohydrates, calcium and phosphorus.
Creating a balanced diet for your pet requires time, research and access to the nutritional values of each ingredient.
I recently created a diet for a 55 lb., spayed healthy adult female dog. The dog had been eating a homemade meal that included unmeasured amounts of chicken breasts and rice. The owner sometimes also added some vegetables to the diet.
While well-intentioned, this diet was too high in protein and didn’t provide the dog with the fat or minerals it needed to be healthy. Lastly, the pet owner also didn’t calculate the proper amount of food needed by their dog.
The diet I created included nine ingredients and was broken down into kilocalories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, water, calcium and phosphorus per ingredient. Then I calculated the proper amount to feed the dog each day based on its daily caloric needs.
It’s a good idea to consult with a professional when creating a custom recipe for your pet. Let me know if I can be of service.