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Your dog’s diet is very important to keep his body healthy. So, feeding a dog a homemade food is a great alternative to commercial kibble if you do it right.
Making your own dog food may not be difficult for you as you can easily find resources on how to do it. But have you ever wondered? how much homemade dog food to feed my dog?
Well, it’s not an easy question to answer. So, in this article, we will try to explain how to find the right homemade dog food serving size in cups for your dog.
But before that, we need to know how important homemade dog food is for your little and big pup.
How Much Homemade Dog Food Should I Feed My Dog?
Remark: Before you spend time figuring out how much homemade dog food to feed your dog, understand that the only person who can give you an accurate answer to this question is trained in dog food – a veterinarian or a dog nutritionist.
And even then, an expert may not be able to give you an exact answer; together you need to find recipes and exact portion sizes to meet the specific needs of individual dogs.
Factors Affecting a Dog’s Diet
When you decide to cook for your dog and delve into a homemade dog food diet, you will have to do some reading and learning.
You have to fully understand the nutrients a dog’s body needs before you can determine how much food to give a dog.
Read This article to understand exact nutritional needs, which will help you determine portion sizes.
A dog’s nutritional needs can be calculated using calculations from the National Research Council (PDF), and they are based on several factors:
- age
- race
- surroundings
- activity level
- medical history
- current health status
The type of homemade dog food you choose to feed a dog will also have a huge impact on the answer to this question,”how much homemade dog food to feed my dog?” Not all dog food recipes are created equal.
They all provide different nutrients. Some are well-balanced and can be used as a staple in a pet’s diet, while others are only suitable as an occasional meal.
Portion Sizes of Homemade Dog Food
Buy a set measuring cups for homemade dog food. Something like this is what i use too.
For most of my homemade dog food recipes, I usually include portion sizes in the article.
I generally recommend feeding the amount below:
1/2-3/4 of a cup of food for every 25 pounds of body weight
While this may not seem like much, keep in mind that a balanced homemade dog food meal is much more nutritious than most commercial diets.
When making homemade dog food, ideally use high-quality, whole-food ingredients that are high in protein and moderate in fat, carbohydrates and vitamins.
On the other hand, commercial dog food brands are processed and contain fillers that are only added to the recipe to make your pet feel like he has eaten enough.
Fortunately, homemade dog food doesn’t contain these kinds of ingredients (that’s why you’re making the switch in the first place).
This type of food is also better for your dog’s digestive tract and digestion and reduces the amount of stool a dog makes.
It’s a win for you and the dog.
Portion sizes per ingredient
You can also calculate how much homemade dog food to feed your dog by looking at the ideal amounts for each type of ingredient.
Use the following as general guidelines.
Note that all suggestions are per 20 pounds of your dog’s body weight and are the amount needed per day.
- Give your dog 1/4 to 1/3 pound of meat for every 20 pounds.
- Give your dog 1/2 to 3/4 cups of yogurt or cottage cheese or 3 to 4 eggs every 20 pounds.
- If you’re using both meat and non-meat protein sources, cut each of the above in half.
- Give your dog 1 to 2 cups of potatoes, rice, pasta or other carbohydrates per 20 pounds.
- Give your dog half a cup to a cup of cooked vegetables for every 20 pounds.
- Add a tablespoon of canola or olive oil for every 20 pounds.
- Add calcium at 1/2 teaspoon of bone meal or ground eggshell per 20 pounds.
Why You Need to Know the Exact Serving Size of Food?
You may be wondering why you even need to pick out the right portion of homemade dog food for your pet. Some pet owners assume they can watch a dog’s weight and keep it from gaining or losing weight.
This doesn’t seem right.
The consequences of feeding a dog too much or too little are obvious. When you eat too many calories, your dog becomes obese, which can lead to a whole host of other health problems: diabetes, joint problems, certain cancers, heart and respiratory problems.
Giving a dog too much food can also lead to: vitamin toxicity. In such cases, too much of a good thing can be very bad.
For example, some of the most common cases of vitamin toxicity are related to: Vitamin A, which can cause bone spurs, lethargy, constipation, stiffness and limping in dogs, and Vitamin D, which can lead to vomiting blood, seizures, muscle tremors and abdominal pain in dogs.
At the same time, if you don’t feed your dogs enough essential nutrients, they are at risk for nutrient deficiency and become malnourished.
If you haven’t determined the exact portion size of homemade dog food and you don’t realize that a dog isn’t getting all the essential nutrients, he will become weak and a dog’s organs will begin to fail.
Ultimately, a nutrient deficiency leads to death if not corrected in time.
The importance of balanced homemade recipes
Not all homemade dog food recipes provide all the nutrients your dog needs, which is exactly what you need to work with an expert to find out the specific nutritional needs of your individual dog and how best to meet those needs.
In a recent study, researchers tested 200 homemade dog food recipes, many of which were written by veterinarians. They found that only 9 of them provided with all essential nutrients in the right concentrations to meet the minimum standards instituted for dogs by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).
Only 5 of the recipes provided the essential nutrients in the correct concentrations to meet the National Research Council (NRC) minimum requirements for adult dogs.
This doesn’t mean recipes are bad — most of them can barely meet those nutritional needs without adding too many calories.
It means you need to add supplements to your homemade dog food meals to make them balanced.
You choose some specifically for a dog’s breed or health condition.
For example, if your pet is predisposed to hip and joint problems, you may need a: joint supplement.
The most common supplements recommended to add to homemade dog food recipes are multivitamin supplements, hip and joint supplements, omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), vitamins A & E, calcium, and additional protein supplements. These depend on the condition of your dog. Some common multivitamins and fish oils are good for all dogs, but you should still consult your vet about these.
Some good examples are the following:
Other Tips for Making Homemade Dog Food
If you decide to make your own dog food, keep the following advice in mind:
- Pay attention to nutritional needs. Don’t just assume that feeding your dog a healthy food will meet all of his needs.
- You don’t have to make sure every meal is completely balanced. Just make sure your dog’s diet is balanced over time.
- Give your dog more than just a small amount of yogurt to meet its calcium needs.
- Your dog’s nutritional needs are very different from those of humans.
- Your dog’s nutritional needs vary based on lifestyle, age and more.
- Don’t go overboard with the veggies. Note the proportions.
- Dogs need carbohydrates and grains are not always bad for them.
- Raw diets aren’t necessarily good or bad. Always do your research before starting one.
- Always change your dog’s diet gradually to avoid digestive problems.
None of this should stop you from making homemade dog food, but hopefully it shows that you need to put in a little more work (at least in the early stages) than just pouring kibble into your pet’s food bowl.
To wrap things up, while in this article I’ve provided my one-serving recommendation for most homemade dog food diets and my tips on how much homemade dog food a dog should feed, I cannot emphasize the importance of working with a vet or dog nutritionist enough.
This is the only way you can be sure that you are feeding your pet the right food.
Frequently Asked Questions About How Much Homemade Dog Food Should I Feed My Dog
How Much Homemade Dog Food Should a Dog Eat?
In general, you’ll want to feed your dog about 2-3 percent of its body weight, assuming it’s an adult. This means that if your dog weighs 50 pounds, you should feed him about 16 ounces.
It would help if you also consider the nutritional value of the recipe you are using.
How much food should I feed my dog card?
The table above shows how much food your dog needs based on weight. It depends on activity level, age and size.
For example, an adult active dog that weighs 30 pounds needs about 922 calories in food.
What are the best ingredients for homemade dog food?
Knowing how much homemade dog food to feed my dog depends largely on what you feed him.
Stick to high-quality ingredients, such as high-quality protein, carbohydrates such as vegetables or grains, calcium, essential fatty acids, and fat such as meat or oil.
Does Homemade Dog Food Make Your Dog Better?
There is no scientific research that shows it is better or worse for you dog to eat homemade dog food.
Its main benefit is that it gives you complete control over your dog’s food, helping to keep him healthy and happy.
Can I feed my dog chicken and rice every day?
You can feed your dog chicken and rice every day, but it’s much healthier to add other ingredients as well.
You need to make sure your dog is getting enough nutrients, including vitamins and minerals.
READ NEXT: 21 Best Homemade Dog Food Books
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