Is homemade dog food better for dogs than store bought
Homemade Dog Food vs Store-Bought: Pros & Cons
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Learn moreDog owners want to give their dogs the best food possible, which may lead some people to wonder which is better for them: homemade or store-bought food? In this article, we compare both in detail.
In almost all aspects, store-bought wins over homemade dog food. Its certainly the more popular option and has more benefits for dogs and their owners. If youre looking to save money, time, and effort while making sure your dog is getting quality nutrition, store-bought dog food is the way to go.
Homemade dog food requires meticulous planning. Gathering the ingredients to use can cost more than a bag of dog food from the store, and busy dog owners may not have the time necessary to dedicate to cooking. If you run out of time, your dog has no food.
While some dog owners choose homemade food because they believe that its healthier than store-bought, this isnt always the case either. Read on for more information about both options to see which one is right for you.
At a Glance
Homemade Dog Food
- You can see and know all the ingredients in the food
- Appeases picky eaters with fresh flavors
- No filler ingredients
- No preservatives
- Can be a healthy option
- You can tailor recipes for dogs with health issues
Store-Bought Dog Food
- Convenient
- Vast array of options
- Formulated with correct nutrients
- Approved for safety
- Affordable
- Lasts for a long time
Overview of Homemade Dog Food
Cooking for your dog enables you to give them various flavors each day so they dont get bored of the same thing. You can also feed them fresh food for every meal, which some dog owners feel is healthier. Homemade dog food includes no preservatives because it isnt made to last for weeks on a shelf. If your dog is allergic to certain ingredients, you can make sure these foods arent included. Recipes can also be customized for weight loss and other health concerns.
However, homemade dog food has to have the right balance of nutrients in it, or the results can be devastating. You cant just cook chicken and vegetables for your dog and call it a day. You may need to use supplements to fill nutritional gaps, and these can be expensive.
Before you begin, you need the right advice from a veterinary nutrition expert who can offer scientifically backed recipes that will give your dog the correct nutrients. Homemade diets often lack iron, calcium, riboflavin, and vitamins E and B12. These are all necessary for a dogs health. To prevent this, you can purchase a DIY homemade food package like the one offered by The Farmers Dog.
Making homemade food can also be time-consuming, and if you run out of time, you wont have any food for your dog. Keeping store-bought food on hand in case of this circumstance might seem like a solution, but dogs can get stomach issues and diarrhea from switching foods too quickly.
Pros
- Ingredients are always fresh
- You know whats in the food
- Recipes dont include preservatives
- Dogs wont get bored of the flavor
Cons
- Time-consuming
- May lack necessary nutrients
- Ingredients need to always be kept on-hand
- Nutritional supplements can be costly
- Requires a great deal of work
- Education on dog nutrition is needed before starting
Overview of Store-Bought Dog Food
Store-bought dog food offers the right amount of nutrition for dogs of all breeds, sizes, and life stages. If you look for a food that meets the requirements of the Association of American Feed Control Officials, you can trust that the manufacturers followed the proper nutritional guidelines for the foods targeted dogs. Senior dogs need different nutrition than puppies, which is another advantage that store-bought food has over homemade food. The life stages are already balanced appropriately to provide dogs of all ages with everything that they need.
Store-bought dog food is convenient. Unopened dry and wet food can stay on a shelf for a long time. Its best to check the expiration date printed on the label to see how long this period is, but the fact that its shelf-stable enables you to buy it in bulk or stock up when the food is on sale. No preparation is involved. You can just open it and feed your dog.
One major issue with dog food, though, is that it can have recalls. Companies can discover that their manufacturing process may have resulted in food contamination. In these cases, the food should stop being offered to your dog immediately and be returned to the place of purchase for a refund.
If your dog suffers from allergies, reading through countless ingredient lists can be time-consuming. Dogs with specific health issues need certain types of food, which can be hard to locate even among the seemingly endless number of options.
Pros
- Nutritionally balanced and complete
- Shelf stable
- Cost-effective
- Available for all life stages, breeds, sizes, and ages
- Convenient
Cons
- Occasional recalls
- May be difficult to narrow down a selection
- May go stale before its used once opened
What Are the Differences Between Them?
Health Benefits
Both homemade and store-bought dog food have health benefits. Homemade dog food contains only the ingredients that you choose to add, and you know everything that your dog is consuming. The nutrition is controlled by you. However, sometimes it can be impossible to include every nutrient that is essential for your dogs health in a homemade recipe if it is not properly supplemented.
Store-bought dog food is required by law to meet nutritional and safety standards in production. The food is nutritionally complete and balanced. Learning how to make homemade recipes requires a great deal of time, dedication, and education to be sure that youre not eliminating anything essential from your dogs diet.
Nutrition
Store-bought food provides an easy solution to offer a complete and balanced diet to your dog. Homemade food also offers benefits: If you make a nutritionally complete recipe for your dog, they will get the proper amount of nutrition. But this is difficult to do, you need balanced, approved recipes and supplementation to guarantee that they are receiving the right number of vitamins and minerals.
Safety
In a homemade dog food recipe, you can see everything thats included. While that doesnt mean the food is never at risk of contamination, even in your own kitchen, the risk is reduced when you can control the food and how its prepared.
Store-bought dog food can always be recalled if there is an issue in the production, so we give the edge to homemade dog food when it comes to safety but only slightly.
Price
Store-bought food is an easy way to offer a complete and balanced diet to your dog. Homemade food also offers benefits: if you make a nutritionally complete recipe for your dog, they will get the proper amount of nutrition. However, this is difficult to do, as you need balanced, vet-approved recipes and supplementation to guarantee that your dog is receiving the right amount of vitamins and minerals.
Keeping up with these ingredients can be expensive. You also want to make sure youre adding the correct number of vitamins and minerals to the food, which means you likely need to purchase supplements. If youre making two or three meals every day for your dog, the costs of the meat, produce, and supplements can add up quickly.
Conclusion
When it comes to homemade dog food vs store-bought dog food, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Store-bought food stands out as the better choice in terms of price and convenience.
Homemade dog food requires a great deal of work, both in learning how to make it correctly and then preparing the recipes. That doesnt mean you should be discouraged from trying it, just that you should do it the right way. If done correctly, you will know exactly what you are feeding your dog and mix in some love, too. We recommend that you get advice from a veterinary nutritionist and speak to your vet before switching your dog to a homemade diet.
We hope that this article was informative and helped you decide which type of food is best for your dog.
Is Homemade Dog Food Better than Store Bought? Vet Approved Advice
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Learn moreIf you enjoy a good home cooked meal, you might be wondering if Fido can enjoy the same culinary delights as you do instead of his run-of-the-mill kibble. While your dog would probably find your cooking more appealing than their traditional fare, the question of whether you should feed your dog homemade or a commercial diet isnt as obvious. Likely, the answer will depend on factors such as time and budget. While homemade recipes may benefit from having natural ingredients, they can be dangerous if the meals arent balanced, lack certain nutrients, or are prepared in unsafes ways.
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No matter what diet you choose for your dog, their food should include a good amount of protein, a moderate amount of fat, and a low amount of carbs. Finding minimally processed, non-GMO food without artificial ingredients and with real meat as the first ingredient should be the basic goal. You might want to expand the list as you research more, such as avoiding grain-free diets unless medically necessary. Some popular commercial foods brand a grain-free diet as being holistic and healthy, but recent studies show a correlation with this diet and dogs who have a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, leading many nutrition experts to advise not skipping out on the oats.
All dogs need a core group of vitamins and minerals. Severe health problems can occur if they are deficient or if they intake these nutrients in excess. The specific needs for your dog will depend on their individual health condition, as well as their age and size, so be sure to ask your vet what to consider when planning their meals.
Why It Might Be Better to Cook for Your Dog
There are some definite benefits of cooking instead of buying commercial food. Just like for humans, cooking for your dog will give you the peace of mind about what exactly is in your dogs meals. You may cut out questionable preservatives, and you will escape the dreaded periodic pet food recalls. You should seek a veterinarians advice for how to concoct a well-balanced homemade recipe (to ensure that Fido is getting the requisite nutrients), confirm that is okay for them to be on such a diet, and feed appropriate portions.
While homemade meals wont be cheaper than supermarket brands of dog food, they could be less expensive than human-grade formulas such as The Farmers Dog. This company cooks your dogs food for you and ships it to your door. Fresh and convenient, it combines the wholesome rewards of homemade cooking with the simplicity of pre-made meals. However, the biggest pitfall with this concept is the price. The meals are customized according to your dogs age, weight, and health condition, so the price varies, but the subscription plans start at $2.50 per meal and can go up to $12 a day!
If you cooked for your dog yourself, you could buy ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and brown rice in bulk, which could save money down the road. However, this option isnt for everyone because it will cost you time and will require some planning ahead, such as when you go on trips. Youll also need ample room in your refrigerator and freezer unless youre cooking for them daily. And, youll need to have knowledge as to what foods, seasonings, and spices are safe for dogs so that you dont accidentally feed your dog something that is bad for them.
Wholesome Commercial Food Saves You Time, But Will Cost You Money
Highly processed, supermarket dog food will probably not be as tasty for your dog as a home-cooked meal. However, there are healthy formulas on the market for a price comparable to what youd pay at the grocery store. And most importantly, there are well-balanced diets available to meet your dogs specific dietary needs depending on the life stage.
Whether or not commercial food may be better for you might depend on:
- Time and budget. Do you live a busy lifestyle with little time to prepare meals? Or can you afford the time but not the money to spend on high-quality, commercial diets?
- Storage space. Do you have room in your refrigerator or freezer for pre-made meals?
- Lifestyle. Do you like to plan spontaneous trips with your pet? Or do you have a frequent pet sitter to step in while youre at work or out of town? If you and your pet dont like to have a super consistent schedule, then cooking isnt probably the right choice for you.
- What to do in case of emergency. Do you live in an area prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes or snowstorms where the power might go out for days or weeks? If you decide to cook for your dog in these situations, youll either need a generator to back-up the lost electricity or have some alternative food on hand for when disaster strikes.
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Final Thoughts
The question of whether homemade is better depends on whats for dinner. While homemade recipes may steer clear of preservatives and other unwanted ingredients, they can be dangerous if the meals arent balanced, skip vital nutrients, or are prepared in an unsafe manner.
Cooking for your canine could save you money if youre going to give them wholesome food like what the Farmers Dog or other companies offer, but it will take consistent effort and wont be more affordable than the cheaper brands. If you decide to cook for your dog, find recipes developed by a vet or a canine nutritionist rather than random internet recipes so that you can feel confident youre giving Fido what they need.
Lastly, dont be afraid to try something new. Theres a bit of fear in both choices, whether youre skeptical of the ingredients in commercial food or unsure if you can provide our canine with the proper nutrition. With the right tools and guidance, either way you choose can work for you and your dog.
Featured Image Credit: stockcreations, Shutterstock
