Homemade Dog foods have many supporters and likewise there are those that see no advantages to the time, effort and cost involved in preparing the many recipes for Dog food that are now available.
We will take a look at the pros and cons of preparing Dog food at home at see if we cannot dispel some of the myths present of both sides. However, we all need to make up our own minds about the benefits of preparing food for Dogs at home and this is by no means a totally exhaustive list of the many factors we need to decide upon when it comes to home made Dog food recipes.
Why To Make Homemade Dog Foods
How to make Dog food at home can take quite a while to master. We have to find a variety of Dog food recipes and learn how to effectively prepare them. However, once we know how to make Dog food there are numerous benefits to our Dogs. Recipes for Dog food, once we have a sizable amount can be endlessly modified so that we will always have a great variety of different meals to serve to our Dogs.
We can always find a diferent Dog food recipe to try to alleviate the boredom that commercial Dog foods never can. We can swap ingredients, change the meats, make a wonderful (or invent) raw Dog food recipe whenever the urge takes us.
Added to this is the concern over many commercial Dog food recipes. We, as the buyer, and lover of our Dog simply do not know what is in the food. Labelling is obscure to say the least. The ingredients are vague and we simply have no real idea about many of the meats involved. By learning how to make Dog food we know exactly what our Dogs are consuming. We know what every ingredient is and we know where it came from. As with our own food this is an important factor. This is one of the main reasons why so many Dog owners are switching to Dog food prepared at home.
Preparing Dog food at home, for many who do it, is actually seen as making a stronger bond with the Dog. The time taken is not seen as a chore, rather as treating the Dog like a more integral part of the family. Preparing food is seen not as a chore but simply as giving the Dog the best food that can be afforded whilst always ensuring the Dog is not getting over fed.
Homemade Dog foods have the advantage in that we can serve raw Dog food. Feeding raw has gained a lot of exposure in recent years and more Dog owners are beginning to appreciate the advantages of a diet that involves more raw meat for Dogs.
Learning how to make Dog food also has one crucial advantage over commercial Dog food and that is the fact that we can supply our Dogs with a more varied diet. Dogs in the wild will eat a variety of foodstuffs depending on what is available. By preparing Dog food at home the variety can be high and we can supply lots of different ingredients that will satisfy the variety of foods that is the basis of a healthy diet.
All very convincing arguments. Now let us look at the opposing view and see what many believe are the negative aspects of natural homemade Dog food recipes.
Why NOT To Make Homemade Dog Food Recipes
Many Vets, Dog owners and those involved with the making, selling of commercial Dog foods are opposed to the growing trend of homemade Dog foods for the following reasons.
Firstly they believe that there is no need to give Dogs a highly varied diet. For many consistency is key when it comes to feeding Dogs. They state that a constantly changing diet can lead to upset stomachs and problems with regulating bowel movements. A regular diet consisting of the same food on a regular basis does not cause this problem. Keeping to the same food means the Dog is used to the diet and has much more controlled movements on a very regular basis.
Added to this is the argument that many recipes for Dog food do not contain a total balance of vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates that commercial foods do. It is claimed that Science has formulated a perfect balance in these commercial foods and that trying to duplicate this at home is nigh on impossible. May home made Dog food recipes, raw Dog food recipe or otherwise as cited as being lacking in one crucial element or another.
Another reason why not to make homemade Dog food recipes is that Dogs live so much longer since commercial Dog food became available. It is argued that this longevity in Dogs is down to the balanced diet that so many Dogs eat, and that is commercial Dog food. Before commercial Dog food was widely available it is argued that Dogs live much shorter lives because of the imbalance in their diets. Our healthy homemade Dog food is claimed to almost always lack one crucial aspect or another.
One of the main arguments against learning how to make Dog food and then applying that knowledge to preparing food at home for your Dog is the cost. By many it is seen as simply too expensive. Commercial foods for Dogs are, for the most part, cheap. Trying to spend the same amount whilst preparing Dog food at home, it is argued, is basically impossible. Why spend more money when you can simply buy it already prepared.
Also the time factor is a large issue. Who nowadays has the tie to prepare yet another meal for a member of the family. It is much quicker and easier to buy already prepared food that is well balanced and takes little to no time to prepare.
Both sides can be seen to have fairly convincing arguments. It is up to us to decide what we believe is right and whether learning how to make Dog food and then making homemade Dog foods really is worth the extra time, effort and possibly cost.
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