Homemade Puppy Chow

Why Avoid Commercial Puppy Food?

• Most commercial puppy (as well as adult dog) food contains fiber-rich grains and cereals. However, dogs, including puppies, cannot digest these. This can lead to excessive shedding, dandruff, diarrhea, gas, flatulence and itchy skin. Furthermore, the meat used to make dog and puppy food is often not human-grade. Generally, the meat is from livestock that is rejected during a USDA inspection. Commercial puppy chow has high content of fat, which is unhealthy for a growing puppy, and also contains preservatives. Some preservatives, such as BHT and BHA, used in puppy chow are linked to kidney and liver problems and could also lead to stomach and bladder cancer, according to the Your Purebred Puppy website.

Homemade Puppy Chow

• Making puppy chow is not at all cumbersome, if you prepare the ingredients and keep them in your refrigerator. Then, all you have to do is mix the ingredients together and give your pup a wholesome and nutritious meal. You can give your pup ground meat and vegetables or chunks of meats and vegetables, depending on what is easier for you. You can add some whole grains, such as rice, oats and wheat germ, to the meat and vegetables to fulfill the carbohydrate needs of the pup.

Ingredients in Homemade Puppy Chow

• Make sure that the homemade puppy food contains three parts meat in the form of chicken, lamb, beef, eggs, bacon or liver and one part vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, peas, green beans, sprouts, squash, turnips and zucchini. You may have to cook some squashes to soften the skin before feeding your puppy. Feed the meat raw to provide a wholesome diet.

  Do not feed your puppy too much liver, as it is rich in oil soluble vitamin A, which can lead to liver stones. Also, do not feed your pup raw eggs to prevent salmonella. Cook the egg in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes.

Ingredients to Avoid

• Do not feed your puppy vegetables belonging to the nightshade family, as they can cause indigestion, skin problems and gastrointestinal problems.

  Vegetables to avoid include beets, eggplants, collard, potatoes, parsley, green peppers, tomatoes, spinach and Swiss chard. Onions, chives and garlic are toxic to dogs, so never include them in your dog's food. Beets, spinach, Swiss chard and collard are high in oxalic acid, which causes stones in the kidney and calcium depletion.

Ground Meat and Vegetables Puppy Chow

• Grind up meat and finely chop two or three vegetables that you would like to feed your pup. Mix three parts of the ground meat with one part of the finely chopped vegetables. Add some hot water to the mix to allow the consistency to turn into a thick stew. If the vet has recommended some nutritional supplements, add them after adding the hot water to prevent deterioration of the supplements. Make sure to add just the prescribed amounts of supplements to prevent overdose.

Meat Chunks and Vegetables Puppy Chow

• If meat chunks and vegetables are refrigerated, remove an hour before feeding the pup. Make sure you cut the chunks in bite-size pieces to prevent choking. Mix the nutritional supplements to the meat chunks. Take one part vegetables and three parts meat chunks. You can pan fry the meat and vegetables in some water to heat them up, if you like.

Feeding Frequency

• Puppies require feeding four to six times a day until they are 3 months old. Thereafter, the frequency of feeding reduces to three to four times a day. Between six and 12 months, feed the puppy two times a day. If feeding frequent meals is not possible because of your work schedule, divide the food into two portions. Feed one in the morning and one in the evening.