Why homemade dog food may save the dog life? and is it dangerous?

The recent dog food and pet food recall that has claimed the lives of dogs across the United States as a result of eating contaminated commercial dog food tainted with aminopterin, a rat poison, and melamine, a chemical used in making plastics and fertilizer. As a result many dog owners considering homemade dog food as a safe and nutritious alternative for their dog.

In a recent news article, a law professor states that little change is anticipated ( in the dog food industry) after the current onslaught of dog food recall news and attention subsides.

You can't trust the dog food industry to watch out for your dog and the government is not your answer either.

The dog food industry was born in postwar America to meet a need....the need of business interests to recycle slaughterhouse and industrial waste. It is now a common misconception that your dog can not maintain a healthy life unless he is fed commercial dog food. To save your dog's life, you may want to consider making your own homemade dog food. o Euthanized dogs -Toxic chemicals such as Sodium Phenobarbital, the euthanizing agent injected to kill dogs daily at dog shelters. (This comes with the euthanized dog who is ground up at a rendering plant to be added to dog food. What You Should Feed Your Dog

A variety of homemade dog food options are available for you to make your own dog food at home.
Some of these include completely natural dog food diets that are currently the rage with certain dog nutrition experts such as The Bones and Raw Food,( BARF) diet also known as the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food diet.

BARF Diets typically include a variety of uncooked foods such as :

o Eggs

o Vegetables

Vegetarian Homemade Dog Food Diets

Dogs, while primarily carnivores are also actually omnivores. This natural desire for a balanced diet suggests to many dog nutritionists that a vegetarian diet containing sufficient protein sources is desirable. Homemade Dog Food Vegetarian Diets include

o Brown rice

o Dog biscuits

o Eggs

Make a Combo Homemade Dog Food Diet

o Meat

No matter which approach you choose for a homemade dog food diet there are a few pitfalls. One is the difficulty of preparing a properly balanced dog food diet with each batch.

The Whole Dog Journal states that a properly balanced dog food diet should include whole meat, vegetables, fruit, grain and high quality dietary fats.

If you do choose to prepare homemade dog food for your dog be certain to avoid certain foods which can be toxic and potentially fatal to your dog. If the pros and cons, yin and yang, of the various approaches to making homemade dog food for your dog has your head spinning, don't despair. Don't be afraid to get started making homemade dog food if you don't have access to every recommended ingredient. The improvement in your dog's health by simply removing the toxins of his current commercial dog food and his new and improved healthy, nutritious homemade dog food will be worth getting started today!

Is homemade dog food dangerous?

The recent recall of commercial dog food manufactured by Menu Foods and other dog food companies continues to escalate as worried dog parents scurry for alternative, safe dog food choices.

Intent on protecting the health and safety of their dogs, many dog parents have opted to prepare dog food themselves at home. The question on many a dog nutritionist's mind these days is whether homemade dog food is a safe and nutritious alternative to commercial dog food.

It is a long established fact that if commercial or homemade dog food is introduced or changed suddenly, your dog may experience gastrointestinal distress, manifesting symptoms such as diarrhea.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, CVMA, concurs and states that dog owners should become familiar with the risks associated with preparing and serving homemade dog food.

Raw dog food advocates of diets such as the Bones and Raw Food diet ( BARF), point out the natural and nutritious qualities of a diet that most closely resembles food that your dog would find in the wild. For those who make the decision to prepare homemade dog food for their best friend, the following list of foods deemed dangerous by the American Veterinary Medical Association, should be excluded from any dog food served.

Moldy or spoiled foods

Fatty foods

Bones

Raw eggs

Raw or undercooked meat

Some veterinarians challenge the assertion that home made food, even table scraps are inappropriate and unhealthy food for your dog. Many people believe that their dogs needs commercial dog food. Your dog needs a healthy and nutritious diet, whatever the source.

So, is homemade dog food safe for your dog?

Many options abound including high grade holistic kibble found in specialty dog food retailers and preparing your own dog food at home

If you decide to make your own homemade dog food, check with your veterinarian to make sure that the ingredients and recipe include only healthy and safe foods for your dog.