can i feed my dog homemade food everyday
Can I Feed My Dog Homemade Beef and Rice Every day?
The answer is you can feed your dog with simple homemade beef and rice every day via a bland diet wherein your dog's meal is only beef and rice.
In this way, you can provide your dog with all the nutrition he needs without compromising health.
Is It Okay to Feed My Dog Homemade Beef and Rice Every day?
You can feed your dog homemade beef and rice every day if the cooking is proper. The general rule of how much to feed them will depend on your dog's body weight.
You only have to feed 2 to 3 percent of your dog's body weight per day.
As a pet owner, your dog's diet should have balance nutrients, e.g., protein, fat from meat or oil, calcium, essential fatty acids, and carbohydrates.
How Much Beef Can My Dog Consume?
If you opt to have 1/3 of their diet for meat, you should feed your dog 1/3 pounds of ground beef and 2 cups of kibble.
If your dog is a 20-pound dog, they need either a cup or 1/3 pounds of ground beef per day.
Can My Dog Overeat Rice?
Rice is carbohydrates.
Whole grains are healthy. Never give too much rice to your dog.
Although easy to digest, a lot of rice every day could raise your pet's blood sugar and lead to diabetes and overweight.
Nutritional Benefits of Feeding Beef to My Dog
Feeding beef to your dog will boost his energy as beef is rich in omega-3 fats, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and conjugated linoleic acid, thus, supporting cell development.
What Beef Cut to Choose?
A good cut is a ground lean beef chuck, or grind lean cuts such as top round, bottom round, the eye of round, flank, and strip loin in a food processor.
Lean ground beef is a third lean protein commonly given to pets. This beef is rich in amino acids, minerals, and vitamins.
However, cooking meats is a must because raw meat may contain bacteria that can be harmful to your dog.
Can I Mix Beef with Dry Dog Food?
Yes! You can mix beef with dry dog food, but you need to lower the amount of dry dog food.
Mixing ground beef with dry dog food can be an excellent way to increase your dog's appetite. Alternate feeding your pet with dry dog food, then add ground beef.
8 Easy Ways to Cook Beef for Dogs
Cooking Ground Beef
If you want to make meatballs or dog treats, cook first the ground beef before adding other ingredients.
Avoid mixing ingredients into the beef!
Crockpot or Slow Cooker
Cook beef in a crockpot or slow cooker for a longer cooking process. This way of cooking will allow the meat to be extra tender and most.
Pan-frying
This method is one of the best ways to cook beef for your dog. It's quick, easy, and ensures that the meat comes out juicy but firm.
Double Boiler
The double boiler uses a steamer basket to steam the meat instead of cooking it in heat.
This cooking ensures that the beef is well-cooked, gentler than cooking on a stove.
Poaching or Boiling
For beef leftovers, poaching or boiling will guarantee that the meat will come out tender and soft. This technique is ideal if your dog doesn't have a solid jaw to nibble a slice of meat.
You may also add other flavors, e.g., vegetables or herbs, to the water before cooking.
Grilling
Grilling is cooking the beef in an open fire or electric heat.
The best thing about grilling is that it creates a palatable taste that your dog will surely love.
Salting
Adding salt and other spices to the beef before cooking will ensure that the meat your dog is eating is safe from bacteria.
Baking
Baking is faster than any cooking method.
If you are using the oven for cooking the beef, make sure to check the meat now and then to avoid overcooking or, worst, not thoroughly cooked.
Essential Tips on Cooking Beef for Your Dog
Knowing Whether the Beef is Spoiled or Not
When cooking beef for your dog, pet owners tend to let it sit without air circulation after cooking. This mistake allows bacteria to grow on the meat and making it unsafe for your pet.
After cooking, make it a habit to place the beef in an airtight container and refrigerate it. Doing this will ensure that the beef's bacteria and other harmful organisms die at low temperatures.
These are the warning signs the beef is undergoing spoilage:
- Changes in color (occurrence of brown spots)
- Bad odor
- Slimy texture
Always remember to purchase a lump of meat that is high-quality and safe for both you and your dog.
Preparing Beef for Your Dog
Raw: The safest and easiest way to feed your dog with beef as you don't have to prepare anything, but always make sure that the meat is fresh.
Supermarket Beef: Most store-bought meat is safe, but buying from a butcher or at a farmers' market, you need to make sure that the source, from where the beef came, is safe.
Cooked: If you are cooking the beef, do not add anything to it when you start cooking, which means no salt, butter, or any types of seasonings. Only add these condiments at the end of the cooking session.
By following this simple advice, your dog can get all the nutrients he needs from the beef.
The Cooking Duration of Beef
First, run down cold water to the beef meat and pat it dry with a paper towel, then place it in an oven or pan. These steps will ensure proper cooking of the beef.
Check the cooking progress of your beef by using a fork and pressing it on top of the meat. If there's no juice coming out, cook a little bit longer.
As for cooking a stew, simmer the beef for an hour before adding the vegetables.
If you want to make a stir fry or shepherd's pie, cook the beef for more or less 10 minutes and check regularly.
Can I Feed My Dog Homemade Beef and Rice Every day Related Questions
What Kind of Meat Are the Healthiest to Feed to My Dog?
Animal-based proteins like chicken, turkey, lean ground beef, and chuck steak help dogs grow strong.
A few rules will apply when feeding meat to your dog:
- Always cook the meat well.
- Avoid fatty cuts (e.g., bacon)
- Cut into easy-to-chew pieces
What Meat Is Easiest to Digest for Dogs?
A bland diet is easy to digest, soothing to the digestive system and contains ingredients that help restore solid stool.
Bland diet for dogs involves lean meat such as chicken, hamburger, turkey, and starch like cooked rice or sweet potato.
Can I Mix Rice with Dog Food?
Carbohydrates, like rice, along with a certain amount of protein and fat, are an essential part of the dog's diet.
As long as you can maintain your dog's healthy weight, adding rice to your dog's diet is okay.
First, boil it in water and not add seasonings or spices when adding rice.
Is Raw Meat with Rice Good for Dogs?
Many raw feeders do not include rice or oats with their dog's meal. Others don't include vegetables or fruits.
Whether you include these ingredients in your dog's meal or not, both show better results for dogs. These are all up to the pet owner and the dog's preferences.
Is It Better to Feed My Dog Beef Rather Than Chicken Food?
Some pet owners feed chicken to their dogs rather than beef. Aside from being the most common protein for dogs, chicken can provide nutrition and affordability.
Chicken also contains more protein and less fat than beef and pork.
How Much Homemade Food Can My Dog Eat Per Day?
Per day, your prepared homemade food should contain 1 to 2 cups of cooked rice, pasta, or potatoes per 20 pounds of your dog's body weight.
In specific ratios, most nutritional commercial diets include protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Your dog should eat 40% protein, 50% vegetables, and 10% starch.
Can I Feed My Dog Human Food Every Day?
Humans and dogs metabolize food in a completely different way. This is the reason why some foods might be deadly and poisonous for your pet but are perfectly fine for humans to eat.
However, there are a lot of human foods that your dog should actually eat. Not only will they love it, but it will also make them healthier and improve their lifespan.
A Balanced Diet For Dogs
It is essential that your dogs diet is balanced and complete. This means that his meals, over the course of a week or two, must satisfy all of his nutritional needs. Those needs include adequate protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, as well as a good supply of quality fats.
Dont worry though, unless youre feeding your dog the same exact thing every single day, not every meal has to be completely balanced and contain every single nutrient. Just make sure he is getting a variety of healthy real food each day and his needs will be met.
If you ever visited a nutritionist yourself you know that they dont give you the exact recipe for each meal you are supposed to eat. Instead, you are given more general information and guidelines on food groups, as well as recommended portion sizes.
Balance is the key for us, and the same goes for dogs.
As long as your homemade human food is targeting every single healthy food group, while at the same time avoiding specific unhealthy foods, your dog will be completely fine.
Making a perfect balanced diet for a young dog is extremely important. Ensuring a puppy gets all the right nutrients early in life is even more crucial than it is for an adult dog. Having too much or too little of certain foods can also harm your puppy more than it would an adult dog.
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Why Feed Your Dog Human Food?
Many experienced dog owners and medical experts are starting to agree on one thing. Homemade dog food is better for dogs than commercial dog food you buy from the store.
You might be asking yourself, how is that possible? I mean, after all, its called dog food, doesnt that make it perfect for my loving puppy?
No! It doesnt.
Commercialdog foods contain all kinds of ingredients that are bad for your dog but are good for dog food company profits.
- Meat byproducts so they could save money on healthy meat
- Additives to add flavor and smell to the meat we just mentioned
- Preservatives so the packages can stay on the shelves longer until they sell
We must also mention that many of those bad ingredients are also carcinogens. Believe us, you do not want your dog eating that.
If you want more information on these harmful ingredients and what you should feed your dog instead, see our article on Dog Food Secrets.
The good news, however, is that it is completely different when it comes to human food. If you can feed your dog healthy human food while avoiding those human foods that are toxic for your dog, he will become healthier than ever.
Here are some health benefits that homemade food brings to the table:
- Healthy digestive tract
- More energy
- Stronger, shinier coat
- Longer lifespan
- Better breath
- More muscles
- Healthy joints
What Human Food Can You Feed Your Dog?
Different types of human food can be either extremely beneficial or toxic for your dog.
Before you go all MasterChef on your dog, see the info below to learn which foods he is not allowed to eat.
Human Foods That Are Toxic For Dogs
Theoretically, they should be safe to consume in small amounts. However, they can prove quite difficult to digest for your dog and may even cause symptoms like vomiting, choking and difficulty breathing. They also contain a high amount of fat and protein which could lead to significant weight gain and heart problems. For those reasons, its best to completely stay away from these or at least severely limit them. Macadamia nuts should be avoided at all times. Just a few of these can make your dog sick with vomiting, muscle weakness, and a temperature.
Psoralen is a substance contained in lemon and lime skin. Its hard to digest for your dog and can cause him to vomit and have diarrhea. Consuming even larger amounts of psoralen will lead to severe symptoms like liver failure and muscle tremors.
Make sure your dog doesnt ever drink these, as caffeine is extremely dangerous for your dogs heart and nervous system.
The theobromine in chocolate can cause vomiting and diarrhea, seizures, and heart issues.
These bad boys might seem completely harmless but they contain a dangerous toxin called persin. While dogs might be more resistant to persin than other animals, all parts of the avocado plant can cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Chocolate, ice cream, candy, soda, and other human junk foods are not for dogs. You really shouldnt even call this human food. Keep it away from your dog and yourself.
Xylitol, found in sugar-free products like candy, chocolate, gum, toothpaste, and mints, is harmful to dogs. It can cause insulin spikes, vomiting, and liver damage.
While they might initially seem healthy, these can cause gastric distress and kidney failure in your dog.
Other human foods that you should not give your dog include:
- Alcohol
- Onions
- Garlic
- Milk and milk-based products
- Fat trimmings from meat
- Cooked bones
- Salt and salty foods
- Coconuts, coconut oil, coconut water
- Raw or undercooked meat and eggs
- Yeast dough
Human Foods That Are Awesome For Your Dog
These are all great for your dog. Make sure they are cooked and without any potentially harmful seasonings or spices. Avoid processed versions of these
types of meat as they may contain additives.
- Apples, Oranges, Bananas, Pineapples, Corn, & Watermelons
These fruits are completely harmless for your pet. They dont contain any hidden toxic substances like avocados, and they do contain a whole range of vitamins and healthy natural sugar.
- Carrots, Potatoes, Kale, & Cabbage
All perfectly safe and nutritious. Your dog will love these both raw and uncooked. Dont overdo it, as too much fiber can even mess up a
human digestive tract, let alone your dogs.
Completely boneless cooked fish is awesome for your pup, it has some vitamins and minerals, like healthy Omega-3s, which you cant find anywhere else. Be sure to only buy wild-caught and sustainable seafood.
Cooked eggs are just perfect for dogs. They can help resolve any potential digestive problems and are a great source of healthy protein.
Feed Human Food to Your Dog Everyday!
If you want your dog to be healthy, make sure that he has a balanced, healthy diet. Feeding your pet only commercial food is bound to make him unwell and even cause some serious health issues.
Most human foods are great for dogs. Boneless, cooked meat, fish and eggs are the bread and butter of a good dog diet. Dont hesitate to add some of the mentioned fruits and vegetables, and your dog will be the healthiest pup around in no time.
For more on dog food and what is best for your pup, check out our article on Is Dog Food Bad for Dogs.