According to Donald R. Strombeck (DVM, PhD.) in the book Dog and Cat Diets; The healthy alternative: most commercial foods incorrectly contain carbohydrates as their PRIMARY source of energy.

It also says that while dogs can digest some carbohydrates, an estimated 20% goes undigested.

The excessive levels of carbohydrates in some commercial foods are there primarily to add bulk, and since they are not fully digested, only space in the can or bag is wasted!

The beauty of homemade dog food is that you control the amount of carbohydrate and can vary it according to your dog’s individual needs!

Several homemade dog food recipes have a rice component because it is one of the best assimilated carbohydrate sources for dogs.

White rice is digested faster, while brown rice is digested much more slowly, due to the protective husk of the rice. Diabetic dogs benefit from the slower energy release of brown rice or a mixture of the two.

I’ve also used pasta, either white or whole wheat, depending on what I’m making. But will you find that dogs, like us, prefer white paste?

Try to use fresh vegetables and frozen mixed vegetables – home-brand frozen vegetables are convenient and very cost-effective. The studies I’ve read for humans show that frozen vegetables are almost as nutritious as fresh.

These days, we choose to cook our dog food, and dogs LOVE it, but if you prefer the concept of a BARF (bones and raw foods) diet, you can also leave it raw, especially if you’re using human-grade meat sources!

One of the main reasons many veterinarians recommend cooked meat over raw meat is food safety. Cooking meat kills many harmful bacteria; however, if you start with quality human-grade meat or verified fresh pet meat, the risk is greatly reduced.

On page 26 of his book, Stromberg says, “Wild dogs and cats select diets that contain negligible fiber. Therefore, dogs and cats have low fiber requirements.”

Most homemade dog food recipes have small amounts of plant fiber, this will be more than enough for your dog.

Recently it has been discovered that Omega 3 and Omega 6 are useful for human health, and also for dogs. Dogs need more Omega 6 than Omega 3. Homemade dog food recipes should always contain good sources of Omega 3 and 6 in LSA (flaxseed, sunflower, almond).

I also supplement additional fish, olive, and sunflower oil to provide additional sources to help maintain skin and coat in good condition. Our Staffordshire Bull Terriers are known to be prone to some skin conditions and grass allergies, using these oils can help reduce these issues.

When using my homemade dog food recipes, you can pretty well use any herb you like in moderation, BUT be careful with pepper and chili in large amounts as it can cause irritation to some dogs, especially puppies.

I use curry powder, additive-free bouillon powder, and tomato paste in my recipes, these are added for flavor only.

NEVER add any type of onion to dog food as they lack the ability to digest it and can make them sick. Enough onion can kill your dog!

If you’re ready to give your dog the BEST food you can; while SAVING REAL $$$ compared to the putrid stuff they pack in cans and bags, then visit my site to learn more!

Thanks for your interest!

Steve