The truth is homemade dog food is always better. Even as humans, we would want to stick to the home-cooked meal instead of eating junk all the time. But when it comes to pets, you need to feed your dog a wide range of meals, from the best wet and dry dog food. Even raw food that gets pre-packaged is also better.

You could be thinking if there is any difference in preparing meals for your dog at home. It could be that your pooch requires a specific diet. Also, it could be that your pet is a fussy eater. Home-cooked food can benefit your dog in more ways than one.

Homecooked foods will not have any chemical additions that can impact the dog’s health negatively. When pet owners cook dog food at home it is healthy and filled with the nutrients that the dog needs.

What do the findings suggest?

Today, you will come across sample suggestions in matters related to dog food. However, only you can understand all that is ideal for your dog. You will not reach here easily. It takes several trials and errors, more so when you have a new dog. It is perfectly fine to try new dog foods and stick to home-cooked foods as well. One of the several advantages of preparing the dog meals is that you will know the ingredients that have gone inside it. The pre-made dog food is always good. It is a convenient and easy way to ensure that your pet is acquiring all the essential nutrients. And it could be that you haven’t come across the brand that you prefer. Some foods might have excess salt and less protein content. However, in terms of indigestion, homemade dog food ensures that you have total control over each detail.

When you wish to prepare dog meals from scratch, know that it will take some time. Probably a person will have to cook it. There is a chance for it to get a little costly, more so when you want to food to be organic and raw. Therefore, you need to see all that you can get with the required budget.

And while it was not completely unknown back in the past for the owners to feed the dogs with the same food that they consumed; a few things are a tad bit different today. Everything also depends on the diet, and the dog wouldn’t obtain all that they require from its vegan diet. Most pet owners are also opt-in for homemade dog food for upset stomach that their dogs are suffering from. It is because homemade food can help to repair the inflamed tissues in the stomach and get the pet back to its normal health at the earliest.

Is it healthy to have homemade dog food?

While there isn’t any challenging scientific proof that attests to this statement, you will find that there are certain advantages to the same. Here are some of the benefits of homemade food:

• Whole foods

When you make use of homemade dog food, you have the chance to choose the whole-food ingredient that you can eat all by yourself. You also have complete control over the ingredients and know where they get sourced from. Hence, there is nothing to fret about the food recalls. You know how it all got prepared.

• Less processed food

There is a chance for the ingredients to get provided in several ways, such as broiled, steamed, raw, baked, and many more. It would help if you catered to the cooking preferences or the individual palate of the dog. The cooking processes you will use in the kitchen are less invasive than other methods that change entirely the same. Hence, the amount of food processing is significantly less.

• A mix of fresh ingredients

Instead of offering a similar highly processed food every day, you might integrate a broad mix of ingredients into the dog’s daily food. It will help to make mealtime inviting and interesting.

• Specifically customized recipes

One of the primary advantages of making homemade dog food than opting for commercial food is that the diet can get customized to offer the apt nutrients and calories that cater to the dog’s body weight, age, and other health problems. You have the chance to choose a wide range of fresh food components to cater to the particular needs of the canine companion, such as discerning palates, dietary allergies, and weight management. But it could seem simple for developing homemade food for your pet, but the process is a little challenging. But with the correct guidance, you can get it done to perfection.

Things to know before opting in for homemade dog food

• Offer a balanced diet to your dog with all the nutrients

Humans and dogs have different nutritional needs. Hence, it is necessary to offer a diet that gets balanced with the best nutrients required to optimize the dog health. All these nutrients comprise calories that help keep the dog’s weight at bay. If there are excess nutrients or far too few, it can make the dog fall sick. That aside, there can be issues like obesity, malnutrition and in extreme cases even death.

• Find out a reliable and verified recipe source

It is necessary for the dog’s health to offer nutrients in the right amount for averting deficiency or excess. And while there is availability for the standard homemade dog food online, in magazines, books, not every recipe gets checked to ensure that it is balanced in terms of nutrition. You need to get in touch with a vet or a vet nutritionist to ensure that the recipes get balanced for catering to the dog’s nutritional needs.

• You must follow all the recipes precisely

When you have the nutritionally balanced recipe for the dog, ensure that you follow it correctly. Here the cooking processes have a role to play. This is because roasting, steaming, and even boiling the food can alter the nutrient composition, that can result in a balanced diet.

Substituting and adding the ingredients, such as using a chicken on top or replacing the chicken and choosing beef in a particular recipe, disturbs the diet and can create a risk of offering excess or insufficient nutrient content. Developing many balanced recipes using the consistent professional source can enable you to provide a vast mix of ingredients while ensuring that you cater to the dog’s nutritional needs.

• Make sure to use high-end and safe ingredients

Several foods, such as raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, and chocolate, can be toxic or unsafe for a dog. Hence, when you are preparing the meals, it is necessary to know about the ingredients. You also need to purchase the ingredients of the same quality that you will want to purchase for yourself. It is essential to be wary of the source as well. For instance, the ingredients bought online can come from several locations and manufacturers, which can differ based on the product quality. It would help if you stayed consistent with all your ingredients for preparing the dog food.

• It is a matter of commitment

It would help if you took the time preparing a healthy meal for your dog. That means it will need your commitment. Here you can start by preparing for the dog meal a week in advance. You can, for instance, prepare a huge batch during the weekend and divide that in meal portions for every day. It will bring down the time that you had to devote daily. In addition to that, you can choose freezer-friendly recipes. Hence, the big batches can be prepared well in advance and stored for future consumption.

You will require dog supplements for balancing the meals

Adding homemade food supplements in the dog meal adds balance to it in terms of minerals and vitamins. You must follow the required guidance from the vet to ensure that the food you are preparing has adequate nutrients to help grow and give strength to the dog. Feeding your dog with food that lacks the basic nutrients might result in health problems. Your vet can provide the necessary guidance about the dog food supplements needed and the leading brands to choose from.

• You need to shift your dog to homemade food eventually

It is never easy to switch a dog’s diet. Especially if it’s to a homemade food regime from the commercial diet. If done incorrectly, it can result in gastrointestinal upset. It would help if you made subtle changes to the dog food diet. The change shouldn’t be drastic. Instead, it should be done over a few days to ensure that the dog’s stomach gets adjusted to the new mix of food. There could signs of nausea, minimized appetite, change in bowel movements, and vomiting. When that happens, you should get connected with a vet at the earliest.

Once you become aware of these factors concerning preparing homemade food for your dog, you can decide better and ensure that your furry friend is all happy to consume it.

Life is full of uncertainties. Most of us, while we may not like it, have the capability of understanding why things go wrong when they inevitably do. We can explain difficult situations to loved ones in a way they can understand, and we can empathize and support one another.

Our four-legged family members aren’t quite so lucky. When a beloved pet is sick or injured, they look to us to make them feel better. We can’t tell them it will be alright in a way they can understand. We can’t prepare them for what happens next. And, even if we could, we wouldn’t want to explain to them what a veterinary visit costs.

And there’s nothing worse than having to make important care decisions for your cat or dog based on affordability. The thought that you could have been better prepared can eat away at you and keep you up at night. While you’d do anything to ease your pet’s suffering, the fact is that only 40% of Americans could cover an emergency vet bill. And every six seconds, a pet owner is faced with that very dilemma to the tune of $1000.

Pet insurance offers an alternative to this scenario. Car insurance saves you from having to fork over tens of thousands of dollars in an accident; pet insurance does much the same. For a modest monthly premium, you can rest easy knowing that your furry best friend will get the care they need.

How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?

Pet insurance likely costs less than you expect. While it will ultimately be determined by the policy you choose and other factors, the average monthly cost is $47 for dogs and $29 for cats. These figures will also be influenced by the age and breed of your pet, where you live, and if you qualify for any discounts.

And again, it works comparably to car insurance. You pay a monthly premium for coverage and, when care is needed, you pay a deductible out-of-pocket before the insurance covers the rest. Some insurance plans cover 80%, 90%, or 100% of the post-deductible costs.

What Is Covered by Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance commonly covers major types of injury and illness, such as:

• Emergency exams
• Diagnostic testing (bloodwork, x-rays, MRIs, etc.)
• Prescriptions
• Dental conditions (gingivitis, tooth resorption, etc.)
• Hereditary conditions (hyperthyroidism, etc.)
• Chronic disease (arthritis, diabetes, etc.)
• Surgery (cataracts, ligament conditions, etc.)
• Cancer diagnosis and treatment
• Illness (gastrointestinal issues, allergies, etc.)
• Accidents (broken bones, bite wounds, etc.)

Additional coverage benefits may be available as well. Some may include:

• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Acupuncture
• Behavioral training therapy
• Vacation cancellation fees
• Breeding and pregnancy costs
• Lost pet ads and rewards
• End-of-life care, euthanasia, burial, or cremation

Some pet insurance providers also offer a wellness package that can include services such as:

• Wellness exams
• Preventive care
• Routine care
• Vaccinations
• Spaying or neutering

Pet insurance typically does not cover:

• Pre-existing conditions
• Pet supplies
• Elective surgeries
• Cosmetic surgeries
• Boarding
• Property damage from pets
• Personal liability claims from pets (bites, etc.)

Some providers may cover a curable pre-existing condition after a symptom-free waiting period is completed.

Reading the Fine Print

You know there are many options for coverage and what may or may not be covered, so you must read the fine print. In addition to options like wellness packages, some policies cover accidents only or injuries only.

The most expensive policies are also the most comprehensive for care. If you have a policy that covers accident, illness, and wellness care, just about the only thing not covered will be pre-existing conditions.

Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

This is a question only you can answer. It’s impossible to place a dollar value on the health and wellbeing of your beloved furry companion. At the same time, we all go into pet ownership knowing that they may get sick, get hurt, and will eventually leave us. It’s never fun to be reminded of it, but we can’t avoid the truth.

1 in 3 pets will have a medical emergency this year. 27% of pet owners would have to borrow money or sell something to pay even a $400 vet bill; 12% wouldn’t be able to pay it at all. If you’ve been to the vet recently, you know that $400 is a pretty small sum for veterinary care. The bill in an emergency care situation is likely to be north of $1000 just to start.

If your pet develops a chronic illness, you’ll have ongoing costs such as medications and checkups. If you’re borrowing money to meet your vet expenses, you’re paying more in the long run with interest. Your household budget may well take a beating.

When asking if pet insurance is something you can afford, perhaps the question should be whether you can afford to go without it.