The Complete Guide to Dog Food Recipes in 2021 | Azestfor

Complete and balanced nutrition is the foundation of health in all species, including our canine companions. Sadly, the incidence of diet-related health issues is on the rise.

According to AKC, the top five diet-related health issues in dogs are obesity, poor skin and coat condition, reduced immunity, pancreatitis and diabetes.  

Novel studies show that there is indisputable link between kibble-based diets and behavioral issues.

Both, the physical and behavioral issues can be prevented or if already developed, successfully managed through feeding complete and carefully prepared homemade diets.

What are Homemade Dog Foods?

Homemade dog foods are meals you make for your dog from scratch while using whole food ingredients that you can buy at the supermarket, grocery store and butcher shop.

This includes raw diets if the ingredients are served raw and organic diet if the ingredients used in the home-cooking process are organic.
Read our blog post on foods safe for dogs to eat.

The ingredients in the Azestfor Homemade Dog Food recipes are cooked. Cooking improves digestibility and kills bacteria. If you choose to make the recipes using raw meat - follow basic food safety protocols.

Vitamin supplementation is based on caloric consumption - meaning you add the vitamin premix to the whole food ingredients to make the food complete and balanced. Rule of thumb - add 1 1/4 teaspoons per cup of homemade dog food.

Benefits of Homemade Dog Food?

Making homemade dog food for your dog takes no more time and effort than cooking for yourself, and it boosts your dog's overall health and well being. The lasting health benefits for dogs eating homemade dog food include:

• Extending Your Dog's Life: A paper by Dr Gerard Lippert & Bruno Sapy published in 2003 on the factors that influence a dogs life expectancy showed that dogs eating fresh homemade dog food lived around 13.1 years on average while dogs eating commercially available canned food lived for 10.4 years. The two-and-a-half-year difference is remarkably significant equating to 25% more life.
• Improved Digestion: Fresh whole food ingredients are gentler on the dogs digestion system. Gently cooking helps break down the starches in the carbohydrates making them more easily digestible.
• Boost Immunity: The nutrients in fresh whole food are more bio available to the body to process and absorb nutrients from than processed fast food i.e. kibble. Diets that are lacking in one or more nutrients can impair the production and activity of immune cells and antibodies.
• Reach & Maintain Ideal weight: Body weight management your dog's body will change in appearance. Overweight dogs will lose weight and underweight dogs will gain body condition.
• Sustained Energy: Fresh whole food ingredients release sustained energy through out the day to support a dogs caloric needs.
• Peace of Mind: You know exactly what is in your dog’s food bowl. Although commercially available food formulas have labels and ingredient lists, they are not easily understandable. For example, do you readily know the difference between the terms “meat”, “meat by-products or derivatives” and “meat meal”? Or, when the label states “permitted colorants, flavors, and preservatives,” you know they are there, but you cannot know exactly which types. Finally, the guaranteed analysis lists the minimum amounts of protein and fat and the maximum amount of fiber and moisture, but it does not say anything about their sources’ quality. When preparing homemade meals, you are in charge of what your dog eats.
• Tailor Your Dog's Diet: Finding a commercial dog food formula that suits a dog with special dietary needs is difficult, therefore being able to individually tailor your dog's menu is useful for dogs who suffer from allergies, gastrointestinal issues, and skin problems. Homemade dog food diets allows you to have complete control over the ingredients to meet your dog's unique needs and avoid allergen's and troublesome ingredients

• Less Waste - The whole food ingredients in homemade dog food are dense in water. When you feed a cup of homemade dog food the dogs body can readily process and absorb the nutrients needs. Where as when you feed a cup of kibble the dry food will absorb water literally doubling in size inside the dog's body, resulting in big poo's.

• Less Smell - Picking up your dog's waste will be more pleasant as the reduced amount of waste the body produces will be almost odorless. Commercial pet food manufactures add chemicals and additives that result in dog poo with a pungent stink.

How Much Food Does Your Dog Need

A dog's energy requirements are influenced by age, activity level, environmental temperature and the diets digestibility. The below chart is starting point.

What Should Dog Food Contain?

A well-balanced diet is essential for good health and wellbeing. Each meal should consist of the following ingredients in adequate amounts.

• Protein (beef, chicken, fish, lamb, venison, poultry, rabbit) – main energy source and building block for all cells, enzymes, antibodies and hormones.
• Fat (from meats and oils) – the most energy-dense nutrient, necessary for transporting certain vitamins around the body and responsible for the food’s taste.
• Carbohydrates (rice, quinoa, potatoes, couscous, beans) – offers easily digestible sugars that serve as important glucose sources.
• Minerals (calcium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, iodine, selenium, zinc) – necessary for strong bones, muscle contractions, transportation of nerve impulses, healthy skin, functional taste buds, transporting oxygen, normal hormone production and so much more.
• Vitamins (A, E, K, D, C, B-complex) – important for healthy skin, healthy bones, healthy eyesight, maintaining proper mineral ratios, regulating cellular processes, proper enzyme function, activating the blood-clotting cascade and much more.

How many times a day a dog should eat depends on its age. To keep consistent energy levels and achieve proper growth, puppies need several meals a day.

Generally speaking, for the first three months of life, puppies need between four and six meals a day. While three to six months old, they need three meals a day. Once six months old, puppies can be fed twice per day.

Adult and senior dogs should be fed twice a day with around an eight to 12 hours gap between the two meals.

In the past, it was popular to feed dogs once a day. Because the dog’s stomach empties itself every eight to ten hours, it is safe to assume that feeding once a day is not enough. Namely, if you feed early in the morning, the dog’s stomach will send a signal that it is empty, and the dog will feel hungry by the afternoon.

Therefore our advice is to give dogs two meals a day. If there is a medical condition or the dog is overly active, the number of meals per day may even increase to three or more.

While on the subject, it is worth mentioning a word or two about the on-going debate about free-feeding over limited time feeding methods.

Free-feeding is a popular feeding regimen. However, it is only suitable for cats, not dogs. This is because cats have more self-control. Dogs, if allowed to eat as much as they want, will become obese. Cats can also get obese but usually due to lack of exercise and not overeating. Dogs, however, tend to overeat if given the opportunity.

The free-feeding regimen can also be hazardous:

• If the dog prefers to graze, in which case the remaining food may spoil
• If you have more than one dog or another pet they may eat their siblings food
• If the dog lives outside and a bowl with food attracts insects, rodents, or raccoons.  

When it comes to dogs, it is best to practice a two-meals-per-day regimen.

Alternatively, if dealing with a grazer, you should practice a 15 minutes mealtime. This approach is known as the timed feeding method. You give your dog its food bowl and leave it available for 15 minutes. If there is any food left in the bowl after the allotted 15 minutes just discard it. You can repeat the same procedure several times per day until your dog has eaten its daily portion.

The DOs of feeding your dog

1. Do feed your dog the ideal diet based on its nutritional requirements (based on age, sex, breed, activity level, lifestyle). Also, keep in mind that the dietary requirements change if the dog is pregnant or nursing, if the weather becomes too cold or too hot, and for dogs recovering from a medical condition or surgery.
2. Do watch the dog, not the dish – this old saying means the portion size is determined by the dog’s body condition, not the amount of food eaten or left in the bowl.
3. Do check whether certain human foods are safe for dogs before serving them. Not all human foods are dog-friendly. In fact, some human foods can be quite dangerous.
4. Do give your dog space while eating. Dogs appreciate being left alone and undisturbed during mealtime.
5. Do introduce new foods gradually. Abrupt diet changes can wreak havoc on the dog’s sensitive digestive system and trigger abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and temporary loss of appetite.
6. Do discard the uneaten food. This is particularly important during hot weather when the food can quickly spoil.
7. Do use stainless steel feeding bowls as they are easier to keep clean. Plastic and ceramic bowls are harder to clean and harbor potentially harmful bacteria. Plastic bowls can also cause allergies.
8. Do follow basic hygiene practices and wash the food bowl with soapy water after each meal.
9. Do invest in a slow-feeding food bowl if your dog tends to gulp down on food, an interactive toy feeder if your dog prefers grazing, or an elevated food bowl if your dog is deep-chested and large-sized.
10. Do make sure your dog has fresh drinking water available at all times. To promote water consummation, you can place several water bowls around the house and yard.
11. Do ask your dog to perform a trick before giving its food bowl. This is a good positive reinforcement training technique. Plus, it will calm down the dog, which is essential for dogs perceiving the mealtime as an overly-exciting experience.
12. Do give your dog a potty break about 15 minutes after each meal. Dogs tend to relieve themselves soon after eating.
13. Do a feeding schedule and stick to it. Also, do make sure all family members respect the dog’s feeding schedule and regimen. Dogs are creatures of habit and like doing things in a particular order and at specific times of the day.
14. Do seek professional advice (your trusted vet or a licensed canine nutritionist) if in doubt regarding your dog’s nutritional needs.
15. Do learn how to say no. If you back down every time your dog begs for food, your dog will start manipulating you. In the long-run, this undermines your pack leader status and can lead to behavior issues.
16. Do visit our Azestfor Recipes page, where you will find amazing recipes for complete and nutritionally balanced meals.

The DON’Ts of feeding your dog

1. Don't skip adding the vitamins and minerals to homemade dog food. They provide essential nutrients.
   
2. Don’t fall for fad dog diets. Some popular dog diets, rather than being science-based, are hype-based and can actually do more harm than good i.e. fat free
   
3. Don't change your dog's diet to provide novelty. The Azestfor Homemade Dog Food recipes are nutritionally complete and balanced and will provide everything your dog needs to thrive.
4. Do not forget to include the treats’ calories in the daily caloric intake. Treats should not comprise more than 10% of the daily food intake. Limiting the number of treats is particularly important during training – you do not want to end up with an obese dog that obeys commands only when there is a treat in your hands.
5. Don’t reward your dog with a perceived higher value treat if it does not eat its food. Treats are high in calories, but they are not complete and balanced, which means they do not offer all the necessary nutrients and therefore are not a meal substitute.
6. Don’t worry if your dog refuses to eat, skipping a meal is perfectly natural. Pick up the bowl after 15 minutes and store it in the fridge. At the next scheduled meal time present the food again.
7. Don’t feed your dog the moment you get back home, as this practice encourages separation anxiety. There are more positive ways of saying hello, like playing, cuddling, or even grooming.
8. Don’t free-feed your dog. This can lead to obesity or eating spoiled food if the food spends too much time in the bowl before being eaten.
9. Don’t feed your dog just before going on a car ride. Just like us, dogs can experience motion sickness.
10. Don’t let your dog be too active 30 minutes before and an hour after each meal. Vigorous physical activity around mealtime increases the risk of developing life-threatening bloat.
11. Don’t let your dog drink too much water before or immediately after meals. This also increases the risk of bloat.
12. Don’t feed your dog table scraps or "left over" ingredients such as fat trimmings, bones, vegetable peels, etc. Follow the homemade dog food recipes provided to ensure that the meals you give your dog are nutritionally complete and balanced.
13. Don’t feed your dog from the table as you eat - they will learn to beg.

It is a non-disputed fact that homemade meals are the healthiest option for dogs. However, preparing homemade meals is a time and money-investment in the short-run but will save you the frequent trips to the vet’s office in the long run.

As a valued family member, your dog deserves to be fed complete and nutritionally balanced meals using trusted, human-grade ingredients.

Here we will talk about the preparation and equipment needed for making these healthy homemade meals. We will also provide some useful tips on safely storing homemade meals, thus eliminating the need to cook every day.

Preparation

To prepare the ideal homemade meal for your dog, you need the right ingredients. Luckily, we are not talking about hard-to-find ingredients. All of our healthy Azestfor recipes can be prepared using basic ingredients easily found in most supermarkets or delivered directly to your doorstep.

To be more accurate, you will need some of the following ingredients – chicken, beef, venison, poultry, eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, sweet potatoes, quinoa, black-eyed peas, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and sunflower oil.

It goes without saying that you must enrich the perfect homemade dog meal with our Azestfor Vitamin Mineral Supplement.

Once you have all the ingredients at your kitchen top, it is time to start cooking. When cooking for your dog, it is vital not to stray from the recipe. When cooking for us, we all tend to slightly modify the recipe based on personal preferences. This slight modification and ingredients substitutes are not permissible for dogs. Our Azestfor recipes are scientifically formulated and veterinary-approved. Changing the formula may lead to nutritional imbalances.

When preparing homemade meals for your dog, use the ingredients listed in the recipe and follow the instructions as directed.

Equipments

The good news about preparing the Azestfor homemade meals is that they require minimal equipment. Of course, if you want to save on effort and preparation time, you can use sophisticated, high-tech utensils and appliances, but you can achieve the quality of the meal with minimal equipment as well.

Plus, if you decide to invest in kitchen tools, keep in mind that they will serve a dual purpose. Namely, since you are using human-grade ingredients when preparing homemade meals, all of the kitchen tools used to prepare your dog’s food can be used when cooking for you and your family.

Basically, the minimal equipment includes:

• A set of knives
• A chopping board
• A pan and a pot
• A digital scale.

The knives and the cutting board are necessary for chopping the ingredients into size-appropriate chunks. The pan and pot are required in the cooking (boiling) part. Finally, the digital scale will be used for two purposes – weighing the ingredients before cooking them and measuring the portion sizes once the meal is cooked.

Additionally, it might be useful to have a colander, a spatula, and a mesh skimmer on hand.

If taking things onto the next level and looking to ease the preparation process, it would be a good idea to invest in the following kitchen utensils:

• A food processor
• A meat grinder
• A high-speed blender.

You can use the food processor to cut into finer chunks certain veggies like sweet potatoes and carrots. You can chop them into rough pieces and then place them in a food processor. To avoid choking accidents, the chunk’s size should be compatible with your dog’s size.

The meat grinder is useful if purchasing larger meat cuts. Alternatively, you can use a chef's knife and a cleaver to grind up the large meat cut.

The high-speed blender is ideal for grinding small amounts of food instead of using a food processor.

From silicone and metal through elevated and automatic to deep and steep-sided, the world of dog food bowls is quite versatile. The presence of so many different types of dog food bowls is not a marketing trick. Namely, different dogs benefit from different types of food bowls. When choosing the right bowl, there are three primary considerations:

•         The dog’s size
•         The dog’s mouth and snout anatomy
•         The dog’s eating style.

Here are some basic dog-bowl matches:

•         Elevated bowls – suitable for giant dogs that will find eating from an elevated surface more comfortable; deep-chested dogs prone to digestive issues (gastric dilatation and volvulus); senior dogs that find it hard to eat in a standing position.
•         Slow-feeding bowls – suitable for fast eaters that tend to gulp down on food. Skipping the chewing part poses a choking hazard, decreases the nutritional value of the food, and increases overeating tendency.
•         Automatic feeders – suitable for dogs that spend several hours per day alone and benefit from a programmed feeder that will provide a tasty meal when the time is right.
•         Shallow bowls – suitable for small and medium dogs with shorter snouts.
•         Deep bowls – suitable for medium and large dogs with longer snouts.
•         Steep-sided bowls – suitable for dogs with long ears (Beagles, Basset Hounds, Cocker Spaniels). They are specifically designed to keep the ears out of the food and clean.
•         Bowls for picky eaters – feature double bottoms and allow placing nice-smelling food under the dog’s regular meal.
•         Bowls for messy eaters – feature surrounding mats and elevated edges that will prevent the spilled food from messing with your carpet.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the food bowl’s size should be proportional to the dog’s size. This is because more often than not the size of the bowl can be misleading and result in overfeeding or underfeeding.

Free Digital Download 24 Vet Approved Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Disclaimer: We are not intending to diagnose or treat your dog and recommend that you always consult with your veterinarian before making changes to your dog’s menu.