So, you’re interested in preparing homemade dog food for your furry family member? That’s awesome! Your willingness to personally take on this responsibility shows how much you care about your dog’s optimal nutrition. Before diving in, it’s important to understand what homemade feeding truly entails, including the different approaches available and their respective pros and cons. Perhaps most critically, you need to recognize the potential risks — particularly the danger of providing nutritionally incomplete meals — and why specialized knowledge is essential to avoid these pitfalls.
I’ve seen firsthand how easy it is for well-intentioned dog owners to create unbalanced homemade diets that can unfortunately lead to long-term health consequences. I made plenty of mistakes myself when I first started preparing raw meals for my dog Boone, despite my best intentions. This experience is partly why I generally recommend professionally formulated commercial foods as the safest approach for most dog owners. However, if you’re determined to prepare your dog’s food yourself, this guide will provide valuable insights to help you navigate this nutritional journey successfully.
Think of homemade dog nutrition like a video game with difficulty settings — there’s no “casual mode” when it comes to your pet’s health. Creating complete and balanced meals requires specialized knowledge and genuine commitment. Today, I’ll walk you through two distinct approaches:
- “Easy Mode” (the beginner/intermediate method using premixes) that simplifies the process while maintaining nutritional integrity
- “Hard Mode” (the advanced method) for those ready to tackle complete nutritional formulation from scratch
While the advanced method offers greater customization and control, it also comes with a much larger margin for error. By the end of this article, you should have a clearer understanding of which approach best suits your lifestyle, capabilities and time constraints.
Understanding Canine Nutritional Standards: AAFCO, NRC and FEDIAF
Our primary objective when feeding our dogs, whether using commercial dog foods or preparing meals ourselves, is to ensure that the food meets their nutritional needs. To achieve this, we can ensure that recipe formulations meet the standards for “complete and balanced” nutrition established by recognized veterinary and nutritional authorities. When formulating homemade dog food, three primary nutritional standards guide the process:
AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials)
- Establishes minimum and maximum levels of essential nutrients for commercial pet foods
- Serves as the regulatory benchmark in North America
- More practical in nature, designed with safety margins to account for processing losses and ingredient variability
- Divides requirements into adult maintenance and growth/reproduction categories
- Relatively straightforward to follow
NRC (National Research Council)
- Published in “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats”
- Represents more precise scientific recommendations based on peer-reviewed research
- Provides minimum requirements, adequate intakes and safe upper limits across different life stages
- Includes more detailed considerations for bioavailability and nutrient interactions
- Offers greater scientific precision, but can be more challenging to implement without nutritional expertise
FEDIAF (European Pet Food Industry Federation)
- Provides the primary regulatory framework for pet nutrition in Europe and the UK
- “Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food for Cats and Dogs” are regularly updated based on the latest scientific research
- Often considered more comprehensive than AAFCO standards
- Includes detailed nutritional recommendations for different life stages and accounts for varying energy requirements based on activity levels
- Provides specific guidance on ingredient quality, processing methods and labeling requirements that reflect European regulatory priorities
Familiarity with these nutrient profiles can help you as a responsible pet parent to make informed decisions about which standard to choose when purchasing recipes and premixes used to create your own complete and balanced homemade meals for your dog. At minimum, you want a meal that complies with the nutrient profiles established by AAFCO or FEDIAF, depending on your location. Ideally, you should select recipes formulated according to NRC guidelines, as these represent the most current scientific understanding of canine nutritional needs and provide more precise nutritional targets for optimal health.
The Advanced Method: Complete Formulation From Scratch
The advanced approach to preparing homemade dog food involves creating nutritionally complete and balanced meals through meticulous ingredient selection and precise measurements. In addition to specialized knowledge, this method requires specialized resources, including equipment beyond standard kitchen tools and a diverse array of carefully sourced ingredients to ensure all essential nutrients are provided and appropriately balanced.
Note: Always remember to use human-grade ingredients whenever possible, which means selecting human-food ingredients that you can find at the supermarket and sourcing human-grade over pet-grade / feed-grade ingredients from specialty stores and pet food supply shops.
What You’ll Need:
Specialized Equipment:
- Heavy-duty kitchen shears for cutting up meat and fish
- Meat grinder or food processor
- Dedicated freezer and fridge space (When I was feeding our Rhodesian Ridgeback Boone a raw diet, we had to buy a separate freezer to accommodate the meat, organs, fish and miscellaneous ingredients that became part of his meals. An extra freezer will probably be required for anyone feeding large and giant breed dogs, regardless of whether you will be preparing raw or cooked diets.)
- Digital kitchen scale and measuring tools
Sourcing Knowledge:
Finding specialty ingredients that may not be available at standard grocery stores
Diverse Ingredients:
- Multiple protein sources (such as muscle meats, eggs* and fish**)
- Nutrient-rich organ meats (like liver, kidney and heart)
- Marine sources of EPA/DHA (such as fish oil, or krill oil)
- Oysters or mussels (tinned in water or freeze dried) specifically for zinc supplementation
- Kelp powder for iodine
- Species-appropriate calcium sources (such as ground bone, eggshell powder, or calcium carbonate) to ensure proper mineral balance
- Vegetables and grains***, depending on your dogs’ needs and tolerance
Raw Feeding Safety Considerations
*If preparing raw diets for your dog, avoid feeding raw egg whites alone without the yolks. Raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds to biotin (vitamin B7) and prevents its absorption. Regular consumption of isolated raw egg whites can potentially lead to biotin deficiency over time. Always feed whole eggs in raw diets because the yolk contains abundant biotin that helps offset this concern. Cooking neutralizes avidin.
**If preparing raw diets for your dog, be aware that some raw fish contain thiaminase, an enzyme that breaks down thiamine (vitamin B1). This is important to consider because regular consumption of thiaminase-containing fish can potentially lead to thiamine deficiency over time. Cooking neutralizes thiaminase.
*** Note: Even when following a raw feeding approach, cook vegetables and grains before serving them to your dog. Dogs lack the digestive enzymes needed to break down plant cell walls efficiently, making raw vegetables and grains difficult for them to digest and absorb nutrients from. Cooking these ingredients increases their digestibility and nutritional availability, ensuring your dog receives the full benefit of these foods. Alternately, some raw commercial formulas finely grate raw veggies in their recipes to increase their digestibility to dogs.
CRITICAL BONE SAFETY WARNING:
- Rule #1: NEVER feed cooked bones to your dog. Cooked bones can splinter and cause serious internal injuries, including perforations of the digestive tract.
- Rule #2: If bone is part of your recipe, ONLY use ground bone or bone meal from species your dog tolerates and has no allergies to.
- Feeding whole bones — even raw ones — is dangerous and can cause internal injuries, intestinal obstructions and dental fractures.
- Despite popular advice about “raw meaty bones,” the safest approach is to use only ground bone or (food-grade) bone meal to provide the necessary calcium and minerals while removing the risk of injury, obstructions and dental fractures.
IMPORTANT FOODBORNE PATHOGEN WARNING:
Raw dog foods (whether homemade from human-grade ingredients, feed-grade ingredients, or commercially produced raw products) carry a significant risk of containing pathogenic zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter. These bacteria can cause serious illness in both pets and humans. While healthy adult dogs may tolerate these bacteria better than humans, they can still become carriers and shed these pathogens in their feces, creating health risks for household members, especially children, the elderly, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals. Always practice strict hygiene when handling raw ingredients, clean all surfaces thoroughly and wash hands diligently to minimize cross-contamination risks. Additionally, wash your dog’s food bowl with hot, soapy water between each meal and clean the water bowl regularly to prevent bacterial buildup and reduce cross-contamination opportunities in your home.
Pros of the Advanced Approach:
- Complete control over every ingredient in your dog’s diet
- Ability to customize as needed (in cases of dietary sensitivity)
- Minimal reliance on manufactured supplements
- Provides your dog with human-grade whole food ingredients that offer superior nutritional quality compared to the pet-grade / feed-grade ingredients commonly used in commercial dog foods
Cons of the Advanced Approach:
- Steep learning curve to understand canine nutritional science
- Time-intensive for meal preparation and ingredient sourcing
- Recipes must be followed exactly to maintain nutritional balance
- Substitutions can unbalance carefully formulated recipes
- Requires comfort handling raw organs and specialty ingredients
- Considerable freezer and fridge storage space
- A game plan on how to feed your dog when you are travelling
This method truly is “advanced” – it demands significant commitment but offers unparalleled control for those willing to invest the time and energy.
The Critical Importance of Properly Formulated Recipes in Advanced DIY Dog Food
When pursuing the advanced method of homemade dog food preparation, the recipes you select become the foundation of your pet’s health. These aren’t casual cooking instructions, but precise nutritional formulas that must meet exacting standards. Ideally, the recipes you purchase should be fully compliant with NRC guidelines as outlined in the 2006 publication “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats,” widely recognized as the gold standard in canine nutrition and the foundational reference for all other feeding standards.
True complete and balanced nutrition goes beyond simply including various ingredients — it requires meticulous calculation of nutrient quantities and their complex interrelationships. A recipe may contain all essential nutrients (making it “complete”) but still fail to provide optimal nutrition if those nutrients aren’t properly balanced in correct amounts and ratios for absorption and utilization.
Furthermore, nutritional needs vary significantly throughout your dog’s life, making it essential to select recipes specifically formulated for your pet’s current life stage — whether growth, adult maintenance, gestation/lactation, or senior care. Special care must also be taken when selecting and preparing recipes for large and giant breed puppies. These growing dogs require precise calcium-to-phosphorus ratios and moderate caloric density, as improper nutrition during their critical growth phase can lead to developmental orthopedic disorders, including osteochondrosis and hip dysplasia.
Ultimately, without adherence to rigorous nutritional standards, even well-intentioned homemade diets can lead to (subtle) nutritional imbalances that may not show immediate symptoms, but can cause health complications in the long-term. This is why following recipes formulated according to established nutritional guidelines — whether AAFCO, FEDIAF, or preferably NRC standards, which provide the most comprehensive nutritional profiles — is essential for anyone committed to the advanced DIY approach.
The Beginner/Intermediate Method: Premix-Based Approach
If the Advanced method seems overwhelming, using vitamin/mineral premixes to complement your homemade meals offers an excellent alternative. This simplified approach allows you to create nutritionally complete and balanced meals by adding specially formulated premixes to basic recipes prepared from ingredients available at grocery stores, making homemade feeding more accessible while still ensuring your pet receives proper nutrition.
Note: Always remember to use human-grade ingredients whenever possible, which means selecting human-food ingredients that you find at the supermarket (as opposed to pet-grade / feed-grade ingredients that you would source from pet supply stores.)
What You’ll Need:
- Quality Premix: A comprehensive vitamin/mineral supplement designed for homemade dog food
- Basic Human-Grade Ingredients: Animal protein sources (like beef, chicken, or turkey), vegetables*** (like carrots, sweet potatoes) and whole grains depending on the tolerance and specific requirements of your dog, and species-appropriate oils. The ingredients will vary depending on the pre-mix as some premixes incorporate dried vegetables and/or grains that need to be soaked in hot water and only require the addition of animal protein sources and a species appropriate oil.
- Basic Kitchen Equipment: Standard cooking tools
***Note: Even when following a raw feeding approach, cook vegetables and grains before serving them to your dog. Dogs lack the digestive enzymes needed to break down plant cell walls efficiently, making raw vegetables and grains difficult for them to digest and absorb nutrients from. Cooking these ingredients increases their digestibility and nutritional availability, ensuring your dog receives the full benefit of these important food components.
Pros of the Beginners/Intermediate Approach:
- Significantly simpler than full DIY formulation
- More flexibility with ingredient substitutions that accommodate your dog’s tolerance to various animal proteins, grains or specific vegetables
- Less effort spent sourcing specialty ingredients
- Reduced risk of nutritional imbalances
- More approachable for beginners
- Provides your dog with human-grade whole food ingredients that offer superior nutritional quality compared to the pet-grade / feed-grade ingredients commonly used in commercial dog foods
Cons of the Beginners/Intermediate Approach:
- If you’re using a premix, the meat in your recipe will need to be limited to muscle meats only. This is because organ meats like liver are naturally packed with vitamins and minerals that can throw off the nutritional balance of your recipe by providing too much of certain nutrients. (That might not feel like a con for many people.)
Choosing a Quality Premix:
When selecting a premix, consider these important factors:
- Human-Grade Ingredients: Choose premixes made with human-grade supplements that undergo stricter regulatory oversight than pet-grade / feed-grade alternatives.
- Whole Food vs. Synthetic: Whole food-based supplements often provide better bioavailability than synthetic alternatives.
- Chelated Minerals: Look for minerals in chelated forms, which are more easily absorbed by your dog’s body. These include:
- Zinc proteinate
- Manganese proteinate
- “Chelated” iron or magnesium
- Minerals bound to amino acids (glycinates, etc.)
- Appropriate Formulation: Ensure the premix is designed for your dog’s life stage and health needs.
My Recommended Premixes - Coming Soon
For my specific recommendations on premium vitamin/mineral premixes, including detailed analysis of their ingredients, benefits and limitations, this information will soon be available for purchase. This comprehensive guide will help you select the most appropriate nutritional supplement for your dog’s individual needs and ensure nutritional completeness in your homemade recipes.
My recommendations will include thorough evaluations of:
- Ingredient quality and sourcing
- Discussion of nutrient forms used, as well as their bioavailability (synthetic versus natural; chelated versus inorganic)
- Ease of use in recipe
- Value for money
- Suitability for different life stages
- Options available in the EU, UK and North America
Essential Guidelines for All Feeding Methods
Ingredient Quality Matters
For optimal nutrition, prioritize human-grade ingredients whenever possible. If purchasing muscle meats and other animal ingredients from pet supply shops, specifically look for human-grade options. Choosing pet-grade / feed-grade ingredients — which undergo less regulatory oversight and typically offer lower nutritional bioavailability — can undermine your efforts to provide meals that are nutritionally superior to commercial dog food. By using lower-quality ingredients, you may compromise the very benefits you’re seeking through home preparation. Whether you’re creating raw or cooked meals, following DIY recipes or selecting commercially prepared foods, human-grade ingredients consistently offer superior nutritional value compared to their pet-grade / feed-grade counterparts.
Food Temperature
Whether feeding raw or cooked meals, always serve your dog’s food at room temperature. Food that is too cold can cause digestive discomfort, while food that is too hot may burn your dog’s mouth or throat. Allow refrigerated food to warm up to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving and ensure that freshly cooked food has cooled sufficiently. Room temperature food is more aromatic, which can stimulate your dog’s appetite and is gentler on their digestive system.
Safe Kitchen Hygiene When Handling Raw Ingredients
Regardless of whether you are preparing meals for dogs or for humans, when handling raw meat, proper food safety practices are essential:
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap before and after handling raw meat
- Disinfect all food preparation surfaces, knives and equipment after use
Safe Defrosting Practices
- Refrigerator thawing: The safest method — place frozen meat, organs or fish in containers in your refrigerator 24-48 hours before needed
- Cold water thawing: For faster defrosting, place meat in a leak-proof sealed bag and submerge in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes
- Never defrost meat at room temperature on countertops, which promotes bacterial growth and discard any raw meat that has been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours
- Avoid using hot water or microwaves to defrost raw meat, organ and fish ingredients for pet food, as this can partially cook the meat and create temperature zones where bacteria thrive
- Once thawed, use ingredients within 1-2 days and never refreeze raw meat, organs or fish that has been previously thawed
Pet Dish Hygiene
- Thoroughly wash your dog’s food bowl with hot, soapy water between each meal. It’s especially important to disinfect food bowls regularly when feeding raw diets
- Clean your dog’s water bowl daily to prevent bacterial growth
- Provide fresh, clean water throughout the day
- Consider food grade stainless steel or ceramic bowls as they are less porous and easier to sanitize than plastic. Throw away cracked bowls as these can harbour bacteria.
Ultimately, proper hygiene practices help protect both you and your pet from foodborne illnesses such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.
Final Thoughts
Both approaches to homemade dog food require commitment, but they offer different balances of convenience versus control. The advanced method provides complete customization but demands significant knowledge and time. The premix-based approach offers a more accessible entry point while still providing superior nutrition to many commercial options.
Whichever path you choose, remember that your dog’s health is worth the effort!
The More You Know
As these approaches to creating complete and balanced homemade diets show, canine nutrition can be tricky. Balancing homemade diets while addressing concerns about thiaminase and avidin and selecting recipes appropriate for your dog’s life phase require specialized knowledge. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about finding the right approach to nourishing your dog, I’m here for you.
Reach out today for a free 15-minute call to see if my personalized nutrition consulting services might be helpful for you and your dog. Together, we can create a balanced feeding plan that fits your dog’s specific needs, as well as your lifestyle and budgetary considerations.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational purposes and does not replace veterinary advice. Please ensure that your dog’s diet is formulated according to AAFCO, FEDIAF, or ideally to NRC standards when feeding a homemade diet. Always consult your veterinarian before making significant changes to your dog’s diet, particularly when your dog has a medical condition.