Some dog owners choose to make their pet’s food at home instead of buying commercially-prepared dog food. If you have the time to prepare a meal for your canine friend, it’s always better to do so as homemade pet food is better for your dog. You can also follow some tips to prepare healthy dog food and give your pet a fresh meal. Additionally, preparing your dog’s food at home gives you more control over the quality of the ingredients used as well as the proportion of each ingredient in the meal. This article lists out a few tips to follow to ensure that you prepare healthy dog food:

• Follow good recipes
  The nutritional requirements of a dog are different from ours, and many commonly used dog food recipes do not meet them. Consult your vet for advice or follow recipes published by experts in the field. Generally, a dog would need protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. The protein intake can be in the form of dairy, eggs, seafood, or meat, while fats and calcium are added to dog food with oil and dairy or eggshells, respectively. Essential fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins can be included either with ingredients or supplements. Each dog’s needs are different, so it is best to fine-tune your pet’s menu by consulting your vet for healthy dog food tips.
• Fruits and vegetables
  Certain fruits like grapes, raisins, and plums are absolute no-nos for dogs, but slices of fruits like apples, bananas, and watermelon are healthy for them. Remove pits and seeds before feeding your pet fruits as they are toxic. Fresh vegetables are also good as both fruits and vegetables have a lot of fiber and enzymes that are beneficial for your pet.
• Weigh
  It is easier to stick to the recipe recommended by your vet when you are aware of both your dog’s weight and the weight of each ingredient. So, weigh your pet regularly so that you can increase the feed amount with the dog’s size. Accurately weighing the ingredients also ensures that you are not missing out on anything.
• Do not swap ingredients
  Though it might be tempting to swap ingredients if you are in a hurry, it is not advisable as it may change the nutritional balance of the meal.
• Add supplements
  If your pet is unable to meet its nutritional requirements through home-cooked food alone, consult your vet and add the required supplements to your dog’s diet.
• Follow up
  If a dog’s diet is working, you will see the results in its growth, health, and appearance. After a few weeks of following your home-cooked diet, take your dog to the vet to double-check the positive effects of the dietary changes.
• Consider any special dietary needs
  Pets with health issues have different dietary needs, so another tip to ensure that your dog eats healthy food is to adjust the menus to suit its needs after consulting your vet.