Your puppy’s diet is crucial for their health, and creating homemade puppy food requires research and professional guidance. Understanding canine nutrition and consulting your vet are essential to ensure your puppy receives all necessary nutrients. This guide provides vet-approved homemade dog food recipes and helpful tips for getting started.
What constitutes “vet-approved” homemade puppy food? A recipe must meet at least one of the following criteria: formulation by a vet or canine nutritionist, or evaluation by a vet or canine nutritionist. It’s easy to unintentionally omit crucial nutrients, especially without professional training. Vet-approved recipes help prevent dietary deficiencies in your puppy.
Should you feed your puppy a homemade diet? While homemade food offers fresh ingredients, consider the time commitment involved in preparation, shopping, and planning. Homemade dog food can also be more expensive than store-bought options due to the need for varied, sometimes specialty, ingredients. Finally, most homemade dog foods lack essential nutrients due to owner choices, limited resources, or lack of nutritional knowledge. For puppies, these deficiencies can hinder growth and future health. Consult a veterinarian or canine nutritionist before deciding on a homemade diet.
Growing puppies require different nutrients than adult dogs, including more protein for development and higher levels of vitamins and minerals like calcium and zinc for energy, bone health, and neurological development. Adult dog food may not provide the necessary nutrient proportions for puppies. Using puppy-specific, vet-approved homemade dog food recipes is crucial.
Breed and size also matter. Small and large breed puppies have different needs, and growth rates vary. Smaller breeds mature faster than larger breeds, highlighting the importance of proper nutrition during development. Consult this table for basic puppy feeding requirements.
| Ingredient Type | Dry Matter Balance | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 22–32% or more | Chicken, turkey, beef, salmon, duck, whitefish, eggs… |
| Fat | ~10–25% | Poultry skin, fish oil, flaxseed oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil… |
| Carbohydrates | ~20% | Rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes, oats, barley… |
| Fruits & Vegetables | ~5% | Broccoli, spinach, blueberries, apples… |
| Calcium | ~0.7–1.7% | Crushed eggshells, bone meal, sardines… |
| Additional Nutrients | Follow vet’s recommendation | Follow vet’s recommendation |
While supplements can address nutritional gaps, using a comprehensive daily supplement like The One, suitable for puppies 12 weeks and older, can support homemade or store-bought diets.
Preparing homemade puppy food safely is crucial. Wash your hands before, during, and after food preparation. Disinfect surfaces after handling raw meat. Keep puppy food containers, utensils, and storage areas separate from human food to prevent cross-contamination. Freeze pre-portioned food for longer storage and thaw in the refrigerator before serving. Wash your puppy’s bowl with hot, soapy water after each meal.
Finding vet-approved homemade puppy food recipes online can be challenging. Balance.It offers customized recipes based on your puppy’s specific needs and characteristics. Below are examples of small breed, large breed, and novel protein puppy recipes.
This chicken-based recipe provides two servings for an 8-pound, 6-month-old small breed puppy. Remember, nutritional needs differ between breeds, even at the same weight.
Ingredients:
- 6 ¾ oz. cooked chicken breast
- 3 tsp canola oil
- ½ mL omega oil
- 80 g white rice
- ⅓ tsp iodized salt
- Small-dog serving of daily supplement
Instructions:
- Chop cooked chicken.
- Combine all ingredients and mix.
This pork and bean recipe provides two servings for a 50-pound, 6-month-old large breed puppy. Large breeds need more calories and nutrient-dense food than small breeds.
Ingredients:
- 28 oz. pork loin
- 3 TBSP canola oil
- 3 mL omega oil
- 31 oz raw pinto beans
- 2 tsp iodized salt
- 4 ¼ oz. water
- Small-dog serving of daily supplement
Instructions:
- Slice pork and add to pot with other ingredients.
- Cook on medium-low heat until beans are cooked, adding water as needed.
- Cool, add vitamins, and serve.
This tilapia-based recipe offers two servings for a 30-pound, 6-month-old puppy with potential food allergies. Novel proteins like fish are good alternatives to common allergens. Cook ingredients separately before combining.
Ingredients:
- 23 ½ oz. cooked tilapia
- 8 tsp canola oil
- 2 ⅓ mL omega oil
- 338 g cooked sweet potato flesh
- 1 tsp iodized salt
- Small-dog serving of daily supplement
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Add multivitamin and serve.
