Can I make my own Raw Pet food at home?

One amazing positive of the lockdown is the rise in the number of pet parents. More people are realising the immense benefits and wonderful companionship that pets can offer. This has also led to an increase in the interest in pet nutrition especially making raw pet food. This has mostly been due to the issues faced with delivery and supply of dog food because of the restrictions of the lockdown. While you wait for your regular supply of raw food to resume, you can fill in the gap by making your own dog food at home. Yes, with a little planning and research you can easily achieve the same levels of nutrition that your pooch gets from ready raw food.

Getting started

If you are daunted with the idea of making your own Raw Pet Food at home, don’t worry. We’re here to guide you and help you offer your dog the same nutrition as usual. Remember, this is mostly just a temporary situation. It is important to stick to the usual quantity of food and the same frequency. Your main ingredient is raw meat and you just have to add herbs, berries and vegetables to the recipe. Here’s the simplest recipe for new (or experienced) pet parents to make at home. This comes vetted by canine nutritionists and is really simple to follow. All you need is:

• 80% raw minced meat with bone (chicken, beef, lamb or your dog's favourite protein)
• 10% raw liver, kidney or heart
• 10% vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower)
• Berries (blueberries, raspberries)
• Finely chopped parsley

Mix it all up and your homemade raw pet food is ready. It’s really as simple as that. Here are a few things to keep in mind while selecting the ingredients.

Raw or cooked meat for your pets.

What is your dog’s preference? If your dog is accustomed to cooked food, you can cook the meat beforehand and let it cool down before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients. Make sure you DO NOT feed your dog any cooked bone. They become brittle and can splinter, causing a choking hazard.

Vegetables, berries and herbs

We’ve already highlighted which vegetables are good for your pooch. The reason to add blueberries and raspberries is that these tiny fruits are packed with antioxidants and vitamins which can help your dog with bone health and overall immunity.Adding parsley can help digestion and the metabolism of your dog.

Raw Meaty Bones

If your dog likes to gnaw and chew on bones, look for raw, meaty bones. Like we’ve said earlier, do not cook and give them. Raw bones are loaded with nutrients like magnesium, vitamin E, K and iron besides calcium. Also, chewing on the bones is an excellent way to maintain good dental hygiene. You can safely feed raw bones as snack 1 to 3 times a week. Pick the size of the bone based on your dog’s size. Check out this article to know what size of bone is suitable for your dog. Never let your dog alone while he’s chewing on a bone. Keep an eye on him just to be safe.

What else you can add to make Raw Pet Food for your dog?

There are other foods you can add to your dog’s diet when feeding homemade meals. Here’s a list of what you can pick up on your next visit to the store:

• Tinned fish (tuna, salmon and sardines are good)
• Eggs (can be fed raw or cooked)
• Raw bones, such as raw chicken drumsticks or raw beef marrow bones (NEVER feed cooked bones!)
• Do not feed your dog dairy in any form.

If you're new to the whole raw feeding thing, this could be a good time never for you to check out BARF. We have a range of raw, ready meals to suit dogs of different ages and also with specific health issues. All of our foods are complete and balanced, so you can just open the pack and feed your dog without needing to supplement with anything else.

Conclusion

While the lockdown continues, at BARF we are committed to offering safe and contact-free delivery, while maintaining all social distancing restrictions. Check out the complete range of BARF meals here and also our fresh exotic meats to help you make your own raw pet food.