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.

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

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

The beauty of homemade dog food is that you control the amount of carbs 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 is digested much more slowly, due to the rice’s protective hull. Diabetic dogs benefit from the slower energy release of brown rice or a mixture of both.

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

Try to use fresh greens and frozen mixed greens – home-brand frozen greens are convenient and very cost-effective. 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 food) diet, you can leave it raw as well, especially if you’re using human-grade meat sources!

One of the main reasons many vets recommend cooked meat over raw is food safety. Cooking meat kills a lot of 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, cats and dogs have low fiber requirements.”

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

Omega 3 and Omega 6 have recently been found to be 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 and help maintain skin and coat health. Our Staffordshire Bull Terriers are known to be prone to some skin conditions and grass allergies, using these oils can help reduce these problems.

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. Too much onion can kill your dog!

If you are ready to give your dog the BEST food you can; at the same time you SAVE REAL $$$ compared to the putrid stuff they pack in cans and bags, then check out my site for more!

Thanks for your interest!

Steve