The Pitfalls Of Cooking For Your Dog

If you have time to cook fresh meals and trust you can deliver your pup’s nutrient requirements, cooking homemade fresh meals is one of the best options you can do. It can require a lot research to create a well-rounded diet with all the correct nutrients for your dogs specific needs, but in the end it is one of the best ways to ensure the best quality ingredients for your pup.

Take caution however, as homemade diets can cause nutritional imbalances and vitamin or mineral deficiencies if not prepared correctly.  Here are the most common mistakes humans make cooking dog food:

Canines have unique nutritional needs and require specific amounts of essential nutrients, protein, essential fats, vitamins and minerals. If not properly portioned, the diet is incomplete and unbalanced, leading to nutritional deficiencies and disease. These ratios are key to getting the right mix of protein, carbs, and fats. If pups aren’t getting their nutrient requirements, they’ll have to take supplements.

While humans prefer lean meats, dogs need to have 15-20% fat content. Organ meets like liver, heart, gizzard, spleen, and kidney are high in nutrients like Vitamin B, folic acid, phosphorus, copper, iron, magnesium, and iodine. These ingredients are often overlooked in favor of “traditional” meats such as chicken breast or ground turkey, which are not well suited for dogs.

Seemingly harmless ingredients, like onions, contain thiosulphate which consists of toxins that are dangerous to your dog. Dogs can even choke on ingredients like almonds if they don’t chew completely. Before you start making homemade meals, talk to your vet about what ingredients are best for your pup.

If you are following the trendy raw meat diet, you should be very careful with what you are feeding your dog. Major health organizations such as the USDA and the CDC have warned about the dangers that raw meat poses. Bacteria such as salmonella and e-coli lurks in raw meat and can cause serious illness not only to your dog but to you and your family. Make sure to cook the meat to safe temperature to kill any harmful bacteria, but be careful over not overcooking it as that can lead to a loss of nutrients.

One of the most common mistakes with cooking for your dogs is thinking that their diets can stay the same their whole lives. This is of course not true, and Puppies for example, need as much as five times the amount of nutrients as older dogs. This is especially relevant to those who have more than one dog at home and feed them all the same food regardless of their life stage.

Ollie is more expensive than your traditional dog food brand. That being said, the high quality is worth it. Sophie is the healthiest I’ve ever seen her so in the long term, I’ll save money on medical bills. Just like humans, if you invest in proper nutrition, you’re going to get results.

Cooking for your dog can be the best option when it comes to your dogs health, however it’s hard to get right and very time consuming. This is where Ollie comes in. Designed by a team of specialized veterinarians and handmade in small batches at USDA regulated facility, Ollie offers perfectly perfectly portioned meals free of artificial flavors and preservatives, that are tailored to your dog’s exact needs. Ingredients such as chicken liver, spinach, and blueberries are sourced from only high-quality farms, so they’re hormone-free, pasture-raised, and human-grade. These nutrition-packed ingredients work together to improve digestion, skin health, and coat. The service is shipped straight to your door twice a month, ensuring that you never run out.

Update: Ollie  is extending a limited time offer to our readers. Receive 50% off your first box.