Homemade vs. Commercial Dog Food: Which Is Better?

Preparing a homemade diet for your dog is certainly a bit of a challenge, but it sure does pay off. Many people believe that commercial diets consist of ingredients that can be harmful to your dog’s health and safety.

Food filled with nutrients, the right proteins and carbs is essential for prolonging your dog’s life as well keeping him away from falling ill too often. The strength of his immune system, his resistance to illness and disease, and his general well-being all depend on the type of diet he is on.  Even though commercial dog food is easily available and convenient to use, it only offers a fixed formula, without any variation, and may even be contaminated with toxins or bacteria (as seen by past dog food recalls). This is because when you mass market foods, there are several problems are bound to spring up at one point or another, making the products potentially dangerous.

Homemade vs. Commercial Food

The type and content of protein in commercial pet food and homemade food are completely different. Commercial dog food offers poor and inadequate protein sources. Animal by-products are not considered quality meat sources yet, these end up in our pet food and we are supposed to be fine with it.

On the other hand, homemade dog food offers you a chance to be sure your dog is getting clean and high-quality protein sources. You do not need to buy the best meat on the market, but you can buy real meat. Using standard chicken, beef or turkey will allow your dog to get the right amount of actual protein every day.

Another big concern regarding commercial dog food is that they are full of fillers, which only makes your canine feel full, but do not actually supply them with key nutrients required to stay healthy. Vitamins, carbs, fat, and minerals are all lacking in these types of store-bought food.

Making your own food at home gives you an opportunity to give your dog a wholesome meal, something that includes all the essential nutrients.

There is no question homemade food is a much healthier option since your dog is less likely to be allergic to it. Food allergies are pretty common in dogs, which makes them intolerant to certain ingredients like nuts and milk. Commercial foods do not allow you to be picky about the ingredients that are put in, which increase the possibility that they will make your dog sick. In addition, think about all the additives and preservatives added to the products in order to make them last for months and months in your cabinet.

With homemade foods however, you can be extra careful about what goes into the dish, which in turn enables you to control what your dog eats and keep allergies to a minimum. Furthermore, the food is much fresher and free of all the harmful chemicals.

Conclusion

It is important to note that not all commercial dog foods are bad and will kill your dog. Dog food manufacturers and the ingredients they use vary greatly, and some manufacturers go to great lengths in order to ensure health and safety standards. However, the average store-bought food is probably not the best option since they are not complete and balanced with essential nutrients.

Moreover, dogs, like humans, need variety when it comes to food, which means feeding him the same commercial food every day is not fair. With homemade food, you can get as creative as you like, while making sure that your dog is having a clean, healthy and nutritious meal.