Home Cooking Safely

Home cooking can be rewarding, but most recipes found online or in books are not nutritionally complete. Studies have repeatedly found that many home-made recipes fall short on key vitamins and minerals. The safest route is a diet formulated for your individual dog by a veterinary nutritionist, which usually includes a specific vitamin and mineral supplement. Your vet can refer you.

Within a professional plan, a few principles apply. Use lean, good-quality protein such as chicken, turkey, white fish or lean beef, cooked thoroughly. Add plain cooked carbohydrates like rice, potato or oats if your plan includes them, plus suitable vegetables. Skip salt, spices, onion, garlic, stock cubes and rich sauces. Remove all bones, and weigh ingredients rather than guessing.

Home-made food can be surprisingly high or low in calories. Your nutritionist will give you amounts based on your dog’s ideal weight and activity. Weigh your dog regularly and check body condition, and report changes so the plan can be adjusted. Remember that treats and extras count towards the daily total too.

Treat dog meals like family meals. Wash hands, boards and bowls, and keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat food. Cool cooked food quickly, store it covered in the fridge and use it within a couple of days, or freeze portions. Defrost in the fridge, not on the worktop. Throw away any uneaten food left out in the bowl.

Sudden diet changes can upset tummies. Switch over about a week to ten days, starting with a small amount of the new food mixed into the old and increasing it a little each day. Watch for loose stools, vomiting or itchiness. If anything worries you, slow down and speak to your vet.