[This post is a continuation from Part 1 which can be found here.]
Last post we talked about homemade pet food and how there’s some important factors we need to consider before embarking on this path. Here’s a few others:
Do I understand that if for some reason I’m no longer able to prepare my pet’s meals that he will have a difficult time switching back to commercial pet food?
Donald Strombeck, DVM, PhD, author of Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets—The Healthful Alternative, states that many pets develop an intolerance for commercial pet food after being fed a home-prepared diet.
Am I willing to make additional visits to the veterinarian to ensure that my pet remains in good health?
Pets that eat a homemade diet should be brought in for regular veterinary exams at least two to three times per year to ensure they are not experiencing any nutrient deficiencies or excesses. These visits may involve the cost of routine blood and urine tests or x-rays.
Am I willing to accept the risks involved in feeding my pet a homemade diet?
There are potential short-term and long-term risks involved with feeding pets a homemade diet, especially if the owner decides to omit ingredients that supply the pet with essential levels of vitamins and minerals. Clinical signs may not occur until the pet has been fed the inadequate diet for an extended period of time—several months or in some cases several years later.
Remember that certain table scraps should never be feed to pets. Gravy, meat fats, and poultry skin can cause serious digestive upset. There is also the potential for pancreatitis, a life-threatening disease, to occur. Bones can also splinter when chewed and have the potential to cause intestinal blockages and perforations.
Other ingredients that should not be fed to pets include chocolate, raisins, grapes, onions, garlic, avocados, coffee, macadamia nuts, salt, tea leaves, raw yeast dough, and xylitol, a common sweetener found in baked goods, gum and candy.
Who will prepare meals for my pet should I become ill or go on vacation?
Pet owners should instruct a friend or family member on how to properly prepare the pet’s diets.
Many pets do very well on a homemade pet food, and some do not. But then again, the same can be said for commercial pet food. Owners who are considering feeding their pet a homemade diet should always consider the validity and nutritional training of those recommending a particular diet or recipe.
If you’re certain you want to cook for your pet, consult first with your veterinarian and do plenty of research on the topic, both online and offline.
© 2007 Amanda K. Jones
5 Responses to “Homemade Pet Food
Important Factors to Consider Before Feeding–Part 2”
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Minh Werner…
I did read the link about what\’s in dog food, and it didn\’t really help me out much more to want to buy it. Personally, I have big issues with how our food-economy works for people food — basing everything on big-agriculture corn and soy based…
Since the pet food recall, I have spoken to other dog owners who have or know someone who attempted to go the way of preparing homecooked meals for their dogs. I also heard of a number of those people who unknowingly and unintentionally made their dogs ill by doing so. I will continue to feed my dogs Brave Dog holistic dog food (made by Laughing Dog). I am exremely happy with the results and my dogs love it!
Yes Chris, many people assume that they can feed their dogs the same way they feed themselves. Unfortunately, our diets are not so healthy either! I think commercial pet food is a necessary “evil” just because it allows us to feed our dogs a diet as close to “complete and balanced” as possible. Perhaps one day there will be a similar diet for humans.
I do not agree that feeding commercial dog or cat food is a necessary evil pet owners have to live with. Consulting with a veterinarian that has experience formulating home cooked diets based upon age, breed, condition, geographic area, and specific needs using fresh and wholesome food is the way to prevent most diseases pet people spend lots of money on at veterinarians.
Animal food is not inspected for presence of heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals. Dry food is mostly carbs and why you see so many fat dogs and cats running around.
Thanks for visiting Dr. Basko. You’re right, consulting with a veterinarian that has experience with home-prepared diets is a great alternative if the pet owner is able to invest the time and money required to commit to a homemade diet. However, in my experience I’ve found that a lot of pet owners are not willing to go this route and would rather search on the Internet for free recipes that may or may not be healthy or nutritionally balanced in the long term. I’m not quite sure what you mean when you say animal food is not inspected for certain substances. Do you have any resources to help support your claims? I know a few pet companies who routinely inspect all their ingredients. Unless you raise and produce your own chickens, beef, vegetables, vitamins, etc. you’re also taking a risk (albeit a smaller one) feeding your pet ingredients purchased at the grocery store or through a supplier. I’m sure there’s a lot going on in the human food industry that we don’t know about.
Yes–there are a lot of overweight dogs and cats running around. People too. The reason is too many calories and not enough exercise. I’ve seen a lot of obese pets at our clinic that are fed 100% homemade food. Whether a pet is fed a commercial diet, a homemade diet, or a combination of both, the pet parent has to learn how to monitor their pet’s weight and feed a healthy proportion of nutrients.
BTW–I visited your website and you have some good information there.