Holistic Dog Food Choices
Dog owners who are concerned about the contents of popular commercial dog foods often seek out holistic dog food alternatives. Natural, commercial dog foods and homemade dog food are common holistic choices.
Dog food manufacturers that make dog food with only natural, high-quality ingredients sometimes promote the dog food as holistic dog food. The quality of the ingredients is a common claim that differentiates the holistic dog food from the most popular commercial dog foods.
Most commercial dog foods use animal byproducts as the dog food’s animal protein ingredient. Animal byproducts are pieces of meat that are not considered suitable for human consumption. Some holistic dog food companies claim to only use human-grade meat instead of animal byproducts. Vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants may be added to holistic dog food.
Homemade dog food recipes with natural ingredients can be a holistic dog food option. Easy dog food recipes are not difficult to find. A dog owner should make sure that the recipes do not contain onions, mushrooms, garlic, grapes, raisins, or any other food that can be toxic to dogs.
One basic recipe gives the dog owner flexibility in creating the dog food. The four basic ingredients of this recipe are one and a half cups of cooked brown rice, one half cup of cubed meat, two teaspoons of vegetable oil, and one-fourth cup of cooked vegetables.
Beef, chicken, turkey, ham, liver, or veal can be used as the meat in this dog food recipe. Ground beef or ground turkey need to be cooked thoroughly if used as the meat. The meat should be cooked until well done in the vegetable oil.
The vegetables can be a mixture of cooked carrots, celery, cabbage, broccoli, diced potatoes, or other dog-safe vegetables. Some dog food recipes similar to this basic recipe include a half cup of plain yogurt. The ingredients should be blended and cooled before being fed to the dog.
The dog owner should avoid using the same ingredients for this recipe. The dog’s homemade dog food diet should include variety to ensure the dog is receiving a variety of vitamins and minerals. Liver and other ingredients of homemade dog food should not be given daily, but in moderation as part of the dog’s diet.
