Dog Food Variety: Home Cooking, Toppers & Treats

To ensure that we live healthy lives, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to maintain a balanced diet. Well, just like us, our dogs need the same thing, but how do we do that? 

Some people prefer to make dog food from scratch, while others choose to enhance their dog’s commercial diet with a meal topper. And doesn’t everyone love giving their dog treats? So, what should you do? 

 While the most personalized recommendation will come from your primary veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist, we’re here to help you investigate some options for your dog. Let’s get started.

 

Cooking For Your Pet 

We’ve all seen the pet food recalls over the years and had moments of worry, right? You may have even thought, “Well, should I just make their food at home?” While there’s no single “right” choice between kibble and home cooked food, there are many important factors to consider before deciding.

Practical Considerations:

·      Time Commitment:  In addition to proper nutrition, one major reason most pet owners buy prepackaged food is that the work’s already been done. Home cooking requires consistent preparation, measuring and monitoring. If your schedule is packed with work, friends, family or other activities, maintaining the routine may be challenging.

·      Cost:  Depending on your dog’s size and recipe ingredients, home cooked meals can be more expensive than commercial diets. You’ll also need to purchase appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure the diet is complete.

·      Storage Space:  If you’ve ever prepped meals before, you know that refrigerator and freezer space can disappear quickly. Cooked diets typically need refrigeration or freezing in pre-portioned containers. If you have a small living space with limited freezer capacity, you may want to reconsider!

Nutrition Essentials:

·      Food Safety:  Many foods that we eat or even the seasonings we use to prepare our foods, aren’t safe for dogs. Ingredients such as onions, garlic, raisins, foods with high fat contents, and certain artificial sweeteners (like xylitol) can cause serious illness.

·      Recipe Sourcing:  Since every dog has different needs based on their breed, weight, size, activity levels, allergens, etc., it’s best to avoid generic online or even in books. Since anything can be “Googled,” that also means anyone can publish information without the proper credentials. A resource trusted by veterinarians is Balanceit.com, which provides recipes formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and ensures that nutrient requirements are met.

·      Complete and Balanced:  Dogs have specific requirements for amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and coming up with an appropriate recipe is not as easy as you might think. Even diets that appear healthy can be nutrient-deficient and cause harm. Working closely with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to come up with a feeding plan is recommended for anyone considering home cooking for their dog.

      

Using Dog Food Toppers

When used appropriately, food toppers can be a great way to add variety without compromising balance. There are many different options available from store-bought to homemade dog food toppers. 

Benefits:

·      Enhanced Flavor: Do you have a picky eater? Adding a dog food topper can instantly change your dog’s opinion of their meal!

·      Added Hydration:  Options like wet dog food or bone broths add extra hydration to your dog’s food.

·      Functional Supplements: Some food toppers include specific ingredients to help support things like skin & coat, joints, digestive system, dental health and more. 

Topper Ideas

·      Fruits/vegetables:   There are lots of dog-safe fruits and vegetables that have many health benefits! Blueberries are filled with antioxidants, and so is pure canned pumpkin! You’d be surprised how many dogs love healthy things like apples, green beans, carrots, and more!

·      Sardines and Anchovies:  These small fish are considered to have anti-inflammatory benefits and are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein and tons of vitamins and minerals! However, only buy them packed in water because any oil or tomato-sauce options can lead to digestive issues and more.

·      Bone broth: Not only can adding bone broth to a meal make it tastier, it can also help provide hydration. Depending on the recipe, there may be some added health benefits too. Just make sure it doesn’t include ingredients that aren’t safe for dogs, like onions, garlic, and is lower in sodium.

·      Fish Oil Supplements: Like the nutrient-rich fish we shared above, fish oil helps support healthy skin and coat, joint health, brain and heart health and more!

 

Adding Treats

Treats can be an important bonding tool and training aid, but treats plus toppers (and anything else you add to your dog’s regular diet) should not make up more than 10% of their total daily caloric intake. More than this can unbalance the diet and contribute to weight gain.

 

Check with your Veterinarian

Toppers and treats should complement, not unbalance, your dog’s meals. Too many additions to their regular diet can dilute the nutritional adequacy and become a problem long-term. Before making too many additions to your dog’s food, it is a good idea to consult with your veterinarian to ensure you are following the best feeding plan for your dog.