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Many pet parents are still skeptical about commercial dog food, and rightly so, especially when it comes to the ingredients and preservatives.
Making the best homemade dog food is a topic that comes from a good place, which is that we always want the absolute best for our canine friends.
When done right, DIY dog food will eliminate worries about kibbles, ingredients, and processing, thanks to pet owners’ control over what’s in their dog’s bowl.
The advantages aside, this control of taking over your dog’s diet comes with a significant share of responsibilities on your part.
Balancing the protein, fat, calcium, and all other nutrients right without guesswork requires more work than most people expect.
In this best homemade dog food guide, we will focus on appreciating the promise and also the complexity of getting dog food right, nutritionally speaking.
8 Benefits of Homemade Dog Food
1. Transparent Ingredients and Quality Control
The best part about preparing dog food at home is that you get to see every ingredient that goes into your dog’s bowl.
You know the exact quality of the meat, the freshness of the vegetables, the fat level, and every other little component that always remains a mystery in commercial dog food bags.
There’s no guessing about reaping the benefits of homemade dog food with such a hands-on approach to canine dieting.
2. Tailored Nutrition for Special Needs
Building up your dog’s recipe from scratch is where the homemade approach shines. Just think about how you can customize your dog’s diet for specific nutritional needs.
If your dog has a chicken allergy, you just don’t use that ingredient in any of their recipes. If they need extra support for aching joints, you can add targeted ingredients and supplements.
This level of diet tailoring and customization is almost impossible to achieve when you rely on commercial dog food.
3. Improved Digestibility
Lightly cooked whole ingredients are way easier to digest when compared to highly processed ingredients found in kibble.
Dog owners who switched to home cooking often report seeing improved digestibility in more consistent stool and less gas.
4. Fewer Artificial Additives
Another huge advantage of going homemade is the chance to use fewer to zero artificial additives in your dog’s food.
Cooking your dog’s meals using fresh ingredients means you are removing all the synthetic preservatives, food colorings, and artificial flavors from their bowls.
Removing these chemical additives can sometimes ease itchy skin for dogs with sensitivities and allergies.
5. Increased Palatability and Appetite
A warm aromatic meal should not be a preserve of humans only. The sweet aroma of cooked red meat and broth is more appetizing to dogs than dry brow pellets.
This is especially beneficial to picky eaters or older canines whose sense of smell might need a little encouragement.
6. You Get Direct Control Over Food Safety
Having direct control of food safety is another huge reason why you should consider going homemade.
When making your dog’s food, you’re always in charge of the entire process, from sourcing quality ingredients to cooking them thoroughly.
This significantly reduces the widespread risk of dealing with food recalls that can affect commercial foods.
You also control the freshness by preparing smaller batches and storing them properly in a refrigerator or a freezer.
7. Opportunity for Variety and Seasonal Produce
Another benefit of home-cooking your dog’s meal is the chance to offer them a variety of foods within a short time.
Rotating your dog’s food sources helps offer a broader spectrum of nutrients and keeps mealtime interesting.
8. Potential Cost Efficiency for Multi-Dog Homes
Purchasing bulk ingredients and cooking large batches of pet food can make more economic sense than relying on bags of premium kibble.
This is especially true for pet parents caring for multiple dogs in one home or those with extra-large dog breeds.
You can grow your savings when using discounted cuts, that don’t compromise quality, or seasonal produce that are plenty in the market.
Best Homemade Dog Food Supplements
Even the most well-planned whole-food recipe may fall short on some important nutrients that support your dog’s joints, organs, and immune system.
Here are a few vet-approved canine supplements that can take the place of those gaps without altering the dogs’ flavor profile.
1. Complete Multivitamin Powder
An advanced canine multivitamin supplement is an excellent option to fill the nutritional voids that remain when dogs eat homemade meals.
Look for a complete multivitamin with essential vitamins A, D, E, and B-complex, and trace minerals such as zinc, copper, and selenium.
Stay away from human supplement products because they may contain hazardous levels of vitamins/minerals or detrimental ingredients like xylitol.
2. Calcium Supplements
Calcium is one of the most important dietary components when it comes to preparing homemade dog food.
If your home-cooked recipe is void of raw bones, it is relatively easy for dogs to become calcium deficient.
Crushed eggshell powder, bonemeal, and calcium carbonate are some of the popular options you have in this regard.
3. Fish Oil (EPA/DHA)
Fish oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that provide joint support, and improve skin quality, heart function, and brain development.
Whole foods, such as salmon and sardines, are great sources of omega-3, but concentrated sources supply more predictable levels.
Always look for fish oil supplements that are specifically made for pets and should ideally be third-party tested for purity and potency.
4. Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that supports heart and eye health, it is commonly recommended for cats but our canine friends may benefit from it too.
Dogs can synthesize an ample amount of taurine in the body as long as they are eating meat, but not always if a dog eats a diet low in meat or high in legumes.
If your dog is on a meatless diet and you have put them on foods rich in legumes, your vet may recommend adding taurine supplements to the recipe to make the meal complete.
This is especially the case if you have a breed that is highly associated with canine dilated cardiomyopathy.
5. Canine Probiotic
A suitable canine probiotic supplement can help promote gastrointestinal health, nutrient absorption, and build proper immune defense.
Look for a canine-specific product that lists multiple strains of bacteria and a guaranteed count in CFUs.
Probiotics can be particularly helpful for dogs who are switching diets from commercial kibble to homemade foods.
Dogs coming from antibiotic treatments and those who typically have a sensitive stomach can also benefit from probiotics.
Best & Worst Ingredients for DIY Dog Food
What to Feed Dogs
Before preparing to make DIY dog food, you should always double-check to ensure you are including the right homemade dog food ingredients only.
Some of the foods dogs can eat every week include lean chicken or turkey, extra-lean beef, salmon, and sardines provide amino acids plus natural zinc and iron.
You can also include some small portions of organ meat, such as liver, heart, or kidney, which help with vitamin A, copper, and taurine.
For the complete profile, remember to include complex carbohydrates such as brown rice or oats, and add fiber-rich vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Your vet nutritionist will advise on switching the varieties and using the best preparation methods, such as light cooking for easier digestion and to preserve the nutrients.
Remember to chop or shred large ingredients or food pieces so they cook evenly and become easy for your furry friend to chew.
Ingredients to Avoid When Home-Cooking for Dogs
Certain ingredients or foods may be completely fine or harmless for humans, but they are toxic to our furry friends.
We always recommend skipping any food items seasoned with large amounts of salt, or anything with added sugar or spices.
Never include grapes and raisins in your dog’s diet because they can cause sudden kidney failure. Onions, garlic, and chives can damage a dog’s red blood cells, leading to anemia.
Anything chocolate and caffeine are also to be avoided because they contain active compounds, known as methylxanthines, which can overstimulate the heart and nervous system.
Artificial sugar substitutes, such as Xylitol, are found in many sugar-free products like gum and some peanut butter and are incredibly dangerous to dogs.
Xylitol, a sugar alcohol, has been shown to cause a rapid and potentially fatal drop in blood sugar and can also bring about liver failure in dogs.
Raw bones are safe for dogs, but cooked bones can be a major hazard because of the risk of splintering, which can eventually cause intestinal blockage or blockage.
Fatty trimmings are also risky ingredients for dogs because they can trigger painful pancreatitis and also cause obesity.
Vet nutritionists also warn against excessive liver intake due to the risk of vitamin A toxicity if fed in large amounts every single day. Moderation is needed there when using this ingredient.
Other food items to be cautious with dogs include macadamia nuts, raw yeast dough, alcohol, and any food with heavy preservatives.
If you are in doubt about whether an ingredient is safe for dogs or not, do not include it. Stick to the ingredients that you know are completely safe.
Dog Nutrition in DIY Foods
The benefits of homemade dog food are compelling, but many people pause when trying to understand canine nutrition.
Making your dog’s food at home is not about throwing leftovers into a bowl; it’s rather a science that you should aim to understand.
The Three Major Nutrients
Protein, fats, and carbohydrates are the three macronutrients that should always feature in your dog’s home-cooked food.
Protein is the most important food constituent because it helps in building muscles and repairing broken tissues.
Vet nutritionists recommend that proteins should always form a significant portion of your dog’s food regimen.
Healthy fats act as a concentrated energy source for our canine friends and also help absorb important vitamins. It also needs to be present in adequate amounts.
You may be surprised to know that, unlike humans, carbohydrates aren’t considered essential nutrients for our canine companions.
Then again, complex carbs from sources like fresh vegetables and grains are packed with fiber, which is needed for gastrointestinal health.
These complex carbs can serve as energy sources, which will allow your dog to use protein for more critical bodily functions.
Important Vitamins and Minerals
Our furry friends need many nutrients to maintain healthy bodies, and we strongly recommend you pay critical attention to the following vitamins and minerals.
Your pup needs sufficient calcium and phosphorus for bones, vitamin A for vision, vitamin D for regulating calcium, zinc for thyroid functioning, and selenium as an antioxidant.
The good news is that you can always get a good measure of these critical nutrients in whole foods, prepared at home.
Energy Needs Across Life Stages
Your dog’s energy needs vary across different life stages, sizes, and activity levels. For context, a small lap dog will require much fewer calories than a working large dog.
Most healthy adult dogs will averagely burn about 25 – 30 kilocalories per pound of their body weight every day.
On the other hand, puppies and nursing females may require almost double that amount, while older or spayed dogs may need about 15 – 20 kilocalories per pound of body weight.
If you have a heavy-working breed or an agility pup, they may need upwards of 35 kilocalories per body weight when training hard.
Remember this is just a starting formula based on your dog’s actual weight, but we strongly recommend that you monitor your individual dog’s body condition.
Monitor for fluctuations in weight. Is your dog gaining or losing weight? This should be your ultimate indicator of whether you’re feeding the right portion.
The Calcium-to-Phosphorus Ratio
Balancing essential micronutrients such as calcium and phosphorus is where many dog owners go wrong when home cooking.
Achieving a good calcium-to-phosphorus ratio should be a priority, especially for growing puppies, to achieve proper dog nutrition.
The homemade dog food staple, meat, is packed with sufficient phosphorus, but it’s low in calcium.
So, without adding enough dietary calcium from other sources, you’re likely to create a dangerous imbalance.
One of the major consequences of this imbalance if there’s too much phosphorus relative to calcium, is that it can lead to weak bones and serious skeletal problems over time.
We recommend achieving a target of roughly 1.2 to 1.4 parts calcium for every part phosphorus.
The most common sources of calcium include finely ground eggshell powder or a veterinary-formulated mineral blend specifically intended for homemade diets.
How to make nutritionally balanced homemade dog food
Now that you understand the why and the basic science behind dog nutrition, here’s how you can make nutritionally balanced homemade dog food in your kitchen.
The 80-10-10 Framework
The 80-10-10 rule is a general guideline that you can use to design nutritionally balanced homemade dog food at home.
In this guideline, you are going to include about 80% lean muscle meat, like turkey thigh or beef, and 10% organ meat, like liver or heart in your dog’s food regime.
Vet nutritionists always recommend rotating these base ingredients for a variety of nutrients. The last bit represents about 10% lightly cooked vegetables or fruit for fiber and antioxidants.
This feeding guideline works for many owners because it keeps the high-quality proteins high while maintaining the fat and carbs at moderate levels.
Calculating Key Supplements
Whole foods, as good as they are, alone will rarely include every micronutrient target, so you should also consider adding some dog food add ins for that balanced feel.
The most critical canine supplements are calcium sources, like eggshell powder, to correct that K-P ratio.
Fish oil for omega-3s, added after cooking and cooling to protect the fats. Your vet may also recommend supplemental taurine, depending on the meats used in your recipes.
Most dogs also need a complete canine multivitamin to cover trace micronutrients and minerals that are hard to guarantee with whole foods alone.
If you’re wondering how to make dog food homemade, complete with supplements, we recommend checking out nutrient calculators such as Balance It®.
Such online tools are important for fine-tuning these supplement amounts based on the specific ingredients you are using.
You don’t have to do all the complex math yourself, but you need to know what to calculate and add to your desired recipe.
Why a Slow Cooker Dog Recipe Works
We always recommend using a slow cooker when making homemade foods for your canine companion.
Slow cookers are favorable because of the steady low heat, used cooks everything thoroughly and safely without requiring constant attention.
It tenderizes meat and softens vegetables just enough for easy digestion while helping preserve the key nutrients.
You’ll also notice that slow cooker dog food recipes are economical because these devices are energy efficient compared to ovens and traditional stoves.
The other beauty of slow-cooking dog food is that you can use less expensive cuts of meat because the slow cooking makes them tender over time.
You’ll also love that it’s mess-free and the fact that it frees up your time while the food is cooking.
Our Top Dog Food Maker Pick
A good quality 6-to-8-quart slow cooker model with a ceramic insert is ideal for typical batch sizes needed in most homes.
A typical cooking process using a slow cooker involves prepping ingredients, maybe the night before, for convenience.
You will then load the pot and set it on low heat for about 6 to 8 hours as you wait for the food to cook.
Once it’s done, let the food cool down completely and stir in your supplements if using, and then portion the right sizes for immediate feeding efficient storage.
Never cook bones in the slow cooker because of the splintering risks involved once they become very tender.
If you are looking for an appliance designed for daily cooker dog use, we recommend choosing a countertop unit with built-in scales and stir paddles.
The Chefpaw dog food maker is our favorite model, and we love it because of the many features it packs at an affordable price.
Many pet parents will appreciate the over 30 suggested recipes with step-by-step instructions and nutritional breakdown included in the app to get you started.
We’ve secured an exclusive $50 discount just for our readers. Enter code FURSNPAWS at checkout to enjoy this exclusive deal!
Best Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Specific Needs
1. DIY Dog Food for Kidney Problems
Dogs with decreased kidney function have dietary needs that keep phosphorus to a minimum while still being enticing for picky eaters.
These kidney-friendly homemade dog food recipes replace red meat with lean turkey or egg whites.
Some of the recipes also have pumpkin and cabbages for the gentler fiber and are void of salt or seasonings.
Healthy calcium sources are included for balanced minerals, and fish oil can be added and dosed to keep the anti-inflammatory omega-3s in check.
2. DIY Recipes for Diabetic Dogs
Our homemade dog food recipes for diabetic dogs show you how you can use safe ingredients to manage dogs with this condition.
Make sure to know the carbohydrate counts per cup on each recipe to make insulin adjustments easier.
3. Homemade Dog Food for Large Breeds
Bigger bodies have extra gravity to bounce around on their joints, so this homemade dog food collection contains recipes that optimize joint nutrition without increasing caloric intake.
4. Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Small Breeds
For small dogs, the energy burn is fast, but their stomach space is limited. So, we have designed homemade food recipes for small dogs to make it easier for you.
Each feeding equivalent has more fat-calorie density than regular fare, so small breeds can reach their daily calorie requirements without overeating.
5. Grain-Free Homemade Dog Food
If your furry friend scratches after every mealtime, adopting nutritious homemade grain-free dog food recipes should help.
6. Vet-Approved Slow-Cooker Recipes
Batch cooking saves time and allows for changing recipes to prevent monotony, but nutritional balance is equally important.
Our vet-approved slow-cooker dog food recipes include programmable pot recipes for turkey thighs, brown rice, peas, carrots, and many more ingredients.
How Much to Feed Your Dog
The easiest method to calculate how much to feed using a daily ration is to use a body-weight formula: Calories = 30 × (weight in lb) + 70.
A healthy adult neutered dog generally burns about 25 – 30 kilocalories per pound of body weight each day.
The chart below shows what this looks like in cooked food when each cup (or equivalent) accounts for an average amount of 350 kcal.
| Dog Weight | Daily Calories | Cups of Food* | Ounces of Food* |
| 5 lb (2.3 kg) | 170 kcal | 0.5 cup | 5 oz |
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 340 kcal | 1.0 cup | 10 oz |
| 20 lb (9 kg) | 570 kcal | 1.6 cups | 16 oz |
| 35 lb (16 kg) | 860 kcal | 2.4 cups | 24 oz |
| 50 lb (23 kg) | 1,140 kcal | 3.2 cups | 32 oz |
| 75 lb (34 kg) | 1,500 kcal | 4.3 cups | 43 oz |
| 100 lb (45 kg) | 1,850 kcal | 5.3 cups | 53 oz |
*Portion sizes assume 350 kcal per cup. Make sure to recalculate if your recipe tests higher or lower.
To make sure your dog is eating the right portion, feed the starting amount for ten days then weigh your dog.
If your dog’s weight fluctuates by more than two percent, it indicates that you need to change the portion.
Keeping a notebook log of the grams, you serve and your dog’s weight every week will help you see the trends earlier rather than later.
Our comprehensive article on how much homemade dog food to feed your dog has an easy daily-calorie calculator for you to use.
All you need to enter is your dog’s weight and activity level, and you will get estimated details of your specific target in estimated caloric equivalent.
Conclusion
Cooking homemade foods for your furry friend indeed calls for more work than offering them a bag of kibble, but the benefits outdo the work.
In our best homemade dog food guide, we have shown you everything you need to know when planning the switch from commercial foods.
As you do everything, always remember to consult with a board-certified nutritionist before adding any new ingredients to your dog’s diet.
You should also plan routine follow-ups with your vet, which may include some blood work, to ensure the new diet is meeting your dog’s needs over the long term.
Making your dog food at home is more than following a recipe from a book or online, it’s also about becoming your own dog’s nutritionist.
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Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.
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