A dog owner may feed the dog food that the dog owner cooks or a raw food diet. All homemade dog food diets should follow some basic dog nutrition guidelines.

The contents of commercial dog food are vastly different than natural dog diet. Commercial dog food contains thirty to seventy percent carbohydrates even though a dog naturally eats less than thirty percent.

The homemade dog diet should imitate a dog’s natural nutritional needs. Homemade dog diets contain a lower percentage of carbohydrates than commercial dog food.

Rice, grains, and starchy vegetables are examples of carbohydrates that can be included in a dog’s diet. Carbohydrates should be cooked since dogs have difficulty digesting many of them.

Two crucial parts of a dog’s diet are protein and fat. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, an adult dog’s diet should be up to fifteen percent fat. Puppies need slightly more fat than adult dogs.

Twenty-five percent is the recommended amount of protein in a dog’s diet. Protein is essential because dogs need the protein for amino acids. Amino acids are so important that a dog can die if it does not get enough protein.

Chicken, beef, liver, turkey, and lamb are examples of good sources of protein for a homemade dog diet. However, dogs should not eat too much liver.

A homemade dog diet can contain a variety of fresh, finely chopped vegetables. Fiber is not as important as many dog owners think, but a small amount of fiber can help the dog’s digestion and help the dog to maintain a healthy body weight.

A dog owner following a homemade dog diet should not feed the dog grapes, raisins, chocolate, mushrooms, raw eggs, raw fish, or too much salt. If a dog owner has any questions regarding their dog’s diet, the dog owner should consult a veterinarian. Homemade dog diets can be tailored to meet the special needs caused by some illnesses, pregnancy, and obesity.

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