Home Prepared or Kibble? Finding a Happy Medium When Feeding Your Dog
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 7:24It’s true: when done right, home prepared diets are healthiest for dogs. A distant second is premium grade kibble. This is where most people who care about their dog’s health end up, and why not? Home prepared diets require a bit of research and preparation. Kibble is easy to feed, fairly affordable, readily available, and healthy – it even says so right on the bag! But common sense tells us that something may be wrong with this scenario. Eating the same thing every day, no matter how vitamin enriched it is, can’t be totally healthy. There is something to be said for fresh food and variety. We need it, our dogs need it, and it doesn’t come from a paper or foil bag.
Still, feeding home prepared diet can be costly and require more time than many are willing to give, so it is often dismissed as silly or impossible. Add in all of the myths about feeding a dog “people food,” and a lot of people start to feel good about not venturing outside of the bag. But these are myths, fueled by misunderstandings and a dog food industry that would love to have every dog in the world directly hooked to their specially formulated feed bag.
I’m not saying that all dog food is bad, or that all dog food makers are bad – some even endorse or make foods equivalent to what you could make in your kitchen. But who says you have to pick one or the other? Couldn’t you feed a mixture of home prepared AND kibble-based diet and get benefits from both? Sure you can!
The great thing about feeding whole foods is that, unlike changing from one brand of kibble to another, most dogs can transition instantly to home prepared diet without any stomach upset. This also means whole foods can be added to their kibble or replace a meal entirely without any issues. So if you want to feed your dog a healthier diet with more whole foods, or just make something special for them on occasion, don’t let kibble stop you.
We created this concoction for our dogs last night in just five minutes:
- Sweet potato (1 can unsweetened – SP’s are great for regulating blood sugar)
Sweet Potato Goulash - Yum!
- Frozen blueberries (1 cup of antioxidants!)
- Carrots (just a few chopped up)
- Frozen Green Beans (1 cup)
- Frozen Broccoli (2 cups)
- Yeast Flakes (a handful to help defend against bugs naturally)
- Water (1 cup to make it more gravy-ish)
- 1 Brownish Banana (Soft, sweet, and full of potassium)
I heated this mixture very briefly, just enough to soften the broccoli and carrots so they were easier to digest. This wasn’t a whole meal’s worth of food for five dogs, so I cut the kibble amount back to about 1/4 of what I usually feed, then added a healthy helping of the mixture over the top. I checked the temperature to make sure it was cooled enough, and then it was chow time!
Now I may be humanizing a bit here, but on his way out back for a post-dinner break, Jack made sure to stop and give me a quick wag, an adoring look, and a happy lick of the chops before carrying on with his routine. I’d say that qualifies as a happy dog “thank you.” Ten minutes later all five dogs were blissfully passed out in the living room with full bellies and content snores.
The whole foods that we add to our dogs’ diets don’t have to complicated. You can add simple ingredients like green beans or pumpkin to add variety. When chopping tomatoes or carrots, set some aside for treats. You can even set part of your plain oatmeal aside in the morning or some cooked lentils or beans so you can add them in with the dog’s food later. It is not a perfect science, but there is no definitive answer to nutrition for dogs. All we know is that some variety is better than no variety so long as it healthy food – No junk food and no human foods that may be toxic to dogs. Stick mostly to dog healthy fruits and veggies, and they will be well. Just ask Jack.
