4 Tasty Tips for People Who Want to Cook for Their Dogs

Some pooches just don’t love kibble and get extremely picky about brands and flavors. Others need a special diet that involves only homemade meals. And, in some cases, pet parents simply prefer cooking for their dogs- it might be a bit more hassle than just pouring out the kibble in the bowl, but they want to know exactly what goes in their furbaby’s meals. Whatever the reason, cooking for your dog doesn’t have to be hard. Check out these 4 tips that will make cooking homemade pet food easy peasy!

Before you become your pupper’s personal chef, it’s crucial to make sure your cooking will meet all of their nutritive needs. While it won’t seem so at the first glance, even the most wholesome home-cooked diets can end up lacking essential vitamins, as well as micro and macronutrient your pet needs to stay healthy. To make sure that their new diet won’t be unhealthy for them in the long run, consult with a vet, ideally one who specialized in pet nutrition. They will be able to guide you through everything and give you the info you need to get cookin’ for your four-legged baby.

Once you have your meal plan ready and the main foods for the diet sorted out, you’ll see that it’s not always easy planning and preparing quality meals on a daily basis. The easiest and most convenient method is to prepare your dog’s homemade food in bulk and freeze it- about a week’s worth in advance should do the trick. Not only you won’t have to go through the hassle of hunting down fresh ingredients and then preparing them each day, you’ll do all the work in one afternoon.

When it comes to cooking your dog’s food, the key will be to try and include as much of food groups as possible. You’ll need to use different protein sources (not just stick to chicken or beef forever), and combine them with fruits, veggies, and grains that are recommended for canine consumption. Sometimes, due to health concerns, dogs will have a special regime that excludes certain food groups (e.g. grains or poultry) and supplements included, but for most, ensuring a well-balanced diet will be enough for a happy tummy. Our recipes for homemade dog food are a great example of how to make a tasty meal for your dog that’s healthy to boot- check out tried and true goodies such as Bow Wow! Beef Dog Stew Recipe, Chicken Casserole Dog Food Recipe, or Homemade Beef Liver Dog Stew Recipe.

If you happen to switch your pooch from kibble to home-cooked meals overnight, you’ll be making a crappy decision. And I mean that literally because it’s highly likely that the sudden change will upset your pet’s stomach, leading to diarrhea or even constipation. To make the transition as smooth as possible, start by mixing in a tablespoon or two of cooked food with their kibble, and gradually increase the amount until your pet is eating just the food you lovingly prepared.