COOKING FOR CANINES - #1 (Introduction)

February 10, 2010

In 2009, my husband and I decided to weigh the pros and cons of putting our dogs on a homemade diet. The pros were significant - by cooking for the dogs and using human-grade ingredients, we could be sure that our dogs were only consuming FDA-regulated food. As I'm sure many of your know, there is no requirement for pet food products to have pre-market approval by the FDA. Plus, many pet food products come from other countries such China, the source of the massive 2007 pet food contamination, which resulted a hundreds of needless pet deaths.

The cons were, well, complicated. Granted, I briefly worried about the amount of time it would take to cook for the dogs. But that was an easy fix - it would only take about an hour every other weekend. I would just make a big batch of food and freeze half. My biggest concern was making sure that the food I make constitutes a well-balanced, healthy diet.

So, I researched. And then I researched some more. I came to the conclusion that, by combining 50% fresh ingredients with 50% high-grade, dry kibble, I could be comfortable that my dogs are safely getting the balanced nutrition that they need.

In this blog series, Cooking for Canines, I'll discuss everything I've learned, and continue to learn in my research. I'll discuss the importance of protein, calcium, and fruits & veggies, as well as the best sources. I'll discuss what you should never introduce into your dog's diet. I'll discuss money-saving and time-saving techniques. By the end of this series, hopefully you will better be able to determine whether cooking for your dog is right for you.