Hemopet’s blog posts often suggest home cooking for your companion dog, particularly if he has a sensitivity or intolerance to several ingredients based on his NutriScan results.
Of course, we always emphasize careful planning and caution because it is ill-advised to throw together ingredients without considering the needs for supplementation as well as the calcium and phosphorus ratio. We also suggest consulting with your veterinarian, if experienced in pet nutrition, or an animal/veterinary nutritionist before embarking on the endeavor.
Before venturing down the home cooking route, you can definitely check out raw, fresh direct, freeze-dried, or dehydrated options as they are often limited in ingredients. Bear in mind, you will still need to read the ingredient lists to ensure they do not contain foods your companion dog should not eat.
One of the issues home cooks run into is the difficulty in accessing accurate information or verifying its accuracy. Fortunately some colleagues are helping companion pet parents overcome those challenges.
Try This for Comfort First
Dehydrated or freeze-dried food manufacturers (e.g. Sojos, The Honest Kitchen, Grandma Lucy’s) offer vegan or vegetarian base mixes to which you can add a protein. This is an excellent first step to discover if you are comfortable cooking for your companion dog.
Dr. Judy Morgan
Dr. Morgan has a comprehensive online course on home cooking for companion dogs called Homemade Food for Your Dog.
Dr. Karen Becker and Steve Brown
Dr. Becker and Steve Brown offer a recipe generator whereby you choose a protein and a vegetable for your companion dog. You add your companion dog’s profile to find out how many calories they suggest feeding based on activity level.
Keep in mind, that your companion dog may have a sensitivity to some of the additional ingredients of the generated recipes. For instance, you may need to find an alternative to fish oil.
With the recipe generator, you will need to add a vitamin and mineral supplement called Meal Mix for Dogs.
Vegan Options
If you would like to consider feeding your companion dog a homemade vegan food, check out the website of Dr. Dodds’ friend and coauthor Diana Laverdure-Dunetz called Plant-Powered Dog.
Due to Hemopet’s nonprofit status, we do not endorse products or services. We are simply providing options that are easily accessible to companion pet parents.