Table Food Diets for Dogs

While feeding commercial dog food to your pet is a convenient and effective way to provide him with the proper nourishment he needs, some pet owners like to make their own meals for their pets using table food. With a few basic ingredients and a little time, it is easy to create well-balanced, healthy meals that your dog is sure to enjoy.
  1. Why Make Your Dog's Food?

    • After the recent dog food recall where many pets became sick or even lost their lives, it's no wonder why owners are taking their dogs' nutritional needs into their own hands. When you make your dog's food, you are controlling the quality of ingredients she will consume.

      Additionally, you are creating fresh meals, instead of giving food that have been sitting on a shelf for a long period of time. Also, you can save money making your own meals. Many of the diets require food that most of us already have and eat ourselves.

    Meatless Recipes

    • In most healthy dogs, it is important to provide a lean protein and a carbohydrate in their diets, along with some essential vitamins and minerals. If you don't want to give your dog meat or he can't have it, you can feed him an egg and rice diet. This consists of three large hard-boiled eggs, two cups of long-grain cooked rice, two tablespoons of sardines canned in tomato sauce, two tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil, one-quarter teaspoon of a salt substitute, four ten-grain or equivalent bonemeal tablets and one multiple vitamin-mineral tablet. If you would rather give your dog potato instead of rice, substitute the rice with three cups of potatoes that still contain the skin and omit the oil.

    Recipes Containing Meat

    • For dogs that can have meat, there are many meals to choose from. One is the poultry and macaroni diet, consisting of one-third pound of cooked poultry, two cups of cooked macaroni, two tablespoons of canned sardines in tomato sauce, one tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil, one-quarter teaspoon of salt substitute, four bonemeal tablets and one multiple vitamin-mineral tablet. You can also replace the chicken with one-third pound of very lean cooked beef, omit the salt and salt substitute and add one more bonemeal tablet for a beef and potato diet.

    Vegan Diets

    • Some pets are allergic to animal-derived proteins and need to be placed on vegan diets. To create a tofu and macaroni meal, mix together one-half cup of raw, firm tofu; two cups of cooked macaroni; one teaspoon of vegetable or canola oil; one-quarter teaspoon of salt substitute; one-tenth teaspoon of table salt; four ten-grain or equivalent bonemeal tablets and one multiple vitamin-mineral tablet. Pets on this diet will also need to receive vitamin B-12 once weekly. You can also add one cup of boiled lentils, along with another bonemeal tablet for a tasty alternative.