Making Your Own Dog Food | Questions People Ask

About Ingredients:

Where and how is your nutrient powder produced?

Our nutrient powder is manufactured in a GMP certified human-grade plant located in Montana.

• All products are sourced in the USA. are free from irradiation and GMO ingredients, and are fit for human consumption.

• All American Pharmaceutical is a Certified Informed Choice® drug-free manufacturer and all products meet the WADA banned substance requirements.

• This product, including packaging and quality control, has been manufactured at the above named site in full compliance with requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with other applicable regulatory requirements.

I feed my dog grain free dog food. Why do many of your recipes contain grain?

We do offer meal plans with potatoes and we offer all-meat diets. However...

Grain free diets are not necessary for dogs. They don’t suffer from celiac disease and grains are not just “fillers.”

Grains used judiciously, add less expensive calories, fiber and some vitamins and minerals and make homemade dog food more affordable for our fur parents.

We also caution our dog parents that some of the grain free diets on the market may be associated with heart disease caused by a lack of taurine.

Doesn’t homemade dog food need fruits and vegetables?

Because dogs do not chew (no molars) and have a short intestinal tract, they cannot extract the goodness...

Because dogs do not chew (no molars) and have a short intestinal tract, they cannot extract the goodness from fruits and veggies like we can. These ingredients are eliminated in their stool, sometimes whole.

Rest assured that all of our recipes already contain all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that you would feed fruits and vegetables to obtain.

But if adding veggies is important to you then, you may add ½ -2 ounces (depending on the size of your dog) of fruits and vegetables to each meal without changing the nutrient value or individualized feeding instruction.

Even better use fruits and veggies as no or low calorie treats!! See our list below:

Why are there so few options in some of the categories?

We REALLY tried to provide the greatest number of choices possible. If the meat or the carbohydrate...

If the meat or carbohydrate you are seeking isn't available in the category of formulations that you have selected, then it simply wasn't possible.

Why would that happen?

In some cases it is because the phosphorus levels got too high or it could be because the vitamin A levels bordered on toxic. Other times, most often, it was because the ratio of fat calories to protein calories couldn't be maintained.

For example, if you selected London Broil from the Ultra-High Protein Family, you'll notice that you only get to choose macaroni.

Since the number of calories from protein must remain very high relative to the calories from carbohydrates, it is very restrictive.

If you really want to use a different carbohydrate with London Broil, then you'll need to select the High Protein Family instead. In that family of recipes, you may select among barley, couscous, macaroni, millet, potato, brown rice, or sweet potato.

Can I substitute the vegetable oils in my recipe?

Soybean oil is the best for your dog’s immune system, fur and skin. Here’s why:

1. Dogs and humans need essential fatty acids, namely linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha linolenic acid (omega-3). They are essential because the body cannot make them and must rely on plant or other sources. Soybean oil is the richest sources of these essential fatty acids in a preformed, ready-to-use-by-the-body (bio-available) form.

2. The essential acids in cottonseed, flax seed, sesame, sunflower, safflower, olive, palm, peanut or walnut are in an unrefined form that the body needs to convert before it can be used by the body. Think of it like this - your car cannot run on crude oil (unrefined) straight from the oil well. It must be refined and converted to gasoline (preformed) before it can be pumped into your car to make it run smoothly.

3. Mammals, humans, and dogs refine or convert oils very poorly and the conversion efficiency is based on the sex, age and medical condition of the mammal. We simply have no way of knowing how much refining or conversion will occur if oils other than soybean oil is used in the diet.

4. Coconut oil is the worst as it contains virtually no essential fatty acids and they are in the unrefined form.

5. Dogs fed oils other than soybean oil cannot run smoothly and as the months and years pass, their coats may become dull and brittle and their immune systems become weakened and susceptible to disease and illness.

Yes, soybean oil is commonly GMO crops and are chemically processed with hexane. We have solved those problems for our customers.

We offer soybean oil made from GMO-free beans and plants. The oil is extracted from the beans by pressing rather than chemical extraction. This ensures the best essential fatty acids for you dog’s health and is safer than market oils.

Why does is matter so much?

Unfortunately, symptoms of nutritional deficiencies or toxicities are not specific and the same symptoms could be caused by multiple other diseases. Routine blood tests will not detect nutritional deficiencies or toxicities. If a nutritional abnormality is suspected ...

If a nutritional abnormality is suspected, tests for the individual nutrient are required. These tests are typically $200-$400 per nutrient. The cost of the test is the main reason nutritional deficiencies and toxicities go undiagnosed.

This difficulty to diagnose makes it very important that a dog's food diet be complete for all 42 nutrients.

Toxic levels shown below, occur when too much of a particular nutrient is present in the food. Especially of concern are oil soluble vitamins because they stay in the body longer than water soluble vitamins.

The list below can give you some idea of the sorts of concerns that are involved:

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Protein & Amino Acids: Both total dietary protein and 12 essential amino acids

Deficiency- Decreased appetite, stunted growth, weight loss; methionine- skin redness and swelling, foot pad dermatosis/hyperkeratosis

Toxicity- None reported

Fats & Fatty Acids: Both total dietary fat and 3 essential fatty acids

Deficiency- Decreased appetite, coarse dry fur w/ severe seborrhea, moist fungal and bacterial skin infections, decreased visual acuity, retina abnormalities, weakness, decreased cognitive development.

Toxicity- Chronic inflammatory conditions (Omega 6), delayed wound healing (Omega 3), delayed blood clotting time (Omega 3)

Vitamin A

Deficiency- Anorexia, weight loss, ataxia, xerophthalmia, conjunctivitis, corneal opacity/ulceration, skin lesions, pneumonitis, decreased immune function

Toxicity- Elevated liver enzymes, fatty liver, prolonged clotting time, premature closure of epiphyseal plate, osteoporaotic diaphysis and decreased length of long bones in growing pups

Vitamin D

Deficiency- Bone development and integrity

Toxicity- Hypercalcemia, soft tissue mineralization, kidney failure, bone abnormalities (increased long bone mineralization and diameter)

Vitamin E

Deficiency- Muscle degeneration and weakness including cardiac muscle, retinal degeneration, edema, red cell fragility

Toxicity- None. Extreme doses may interfere w/ Vitamin D and K absorption and metabolism

Vitamin K

Deficiency- Excessive bleeding, anemia

Toxicity- None

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Deficiency- Depression, ataxia, parparesis, torticollis, circling, tonic-clonic seizures, weakness

Toxicity- No oral toxicity

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Deficiency- Anorexia, weight loss, decreased activity, hypothermia, decreased respiratory rate, ataxia, semicoma, flaking dermatitis of abdomen and medial surfaces of hind limbs, corneal opacity w/vascularization, watery or purulent discharge

Toxicity- No oral toxicity

Vitamin B3 (Naicin)

Deficiency- Anorexia, weight loss, inflammation and ulceration of buccal pharyngeal mucosa, hypersalivation, often ropy and bloody, bloody diarrhea due to intestinal mucosa damage, neuronal degeneration

Toxicity- Bloody diarrhea

Vitamin B5 (Panothenic Acid)

Deficiency- Rapid respiration and heart rate, seizures, gastritis, enteritis, intussusception, decreased antibody production, hepatic lipidosis

Toxicity- None

Vitamin B6 (Pryidoxine)

Deficiency- Anorexia, weight loss and sudden death in puppies, muscle twitching, ataxia, seizures, microcytic, hypochromic anemia, cardiac hypertrophy and dilation, demyelination of peripheral nerves

Toxicity- Ataxia, impaired coordination, muscle weakness, loss of balance, demyelination of dorsal funiculi and roots

Folate

Deficiency- Weight loss, decreased hemoglobin, anemia, cleft palates

Toxicity- None

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Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

Deficiency- Anemia, neutropenia, megoblastic changes in marrow

Toxicity- None

Choline

Deficiency- Weight loss, vomiting, hepatic lipidosis,

Toxicity- Anemia, decreased hemoglobin

Calcium

Deficiency- Osteoporosis, pathological bone fractures

Toxicity- Osteochondrosis, radius curvature, stunted growth

Chloride

Deficiency- Hypochloremia, hypokalemia, alkalosis, weight gain ceased, weakness, ataxia

Toxicity- None

Copper

Deficiency- Loss of hair pigmentation, decreased growth, hyperextension of distal phalanges

Toxicity- Vomiting, hepatopathy, death

Iodine

Deficiency- Goiter, alopecia, weight gain, reduced thyroid hormone

Toxicity- Increased lacrimation, hypersalivation, nasal discharge, flaky, dry skin and fur

Iron

Deficiency- Anemia (microcytic, hypochromic), decreased hemoglobin, poor growth, pale mucous membranes, lethargy, weakness, diarrhea, hematochezia, melana

Toxicity- Oxidative tissue damage, gastrointestinal damage, death

Magnesium

Deficiency- Hyperextension of carpal joints, hind-leg paralysis, mineralization of thoracic aorta

Toxicity- None

Manganese

Deficiency- None reported in dogs, bone deformities and reproductive problems in livestock

Toxicity- None

Phosphorus

Deficiency- Poor growth rates

Toxicity- None, hyperparathyroidism possible

Potassium

Deficiency- Neck muscle paralysis, cervical ventroflexion, hindlimb paralysis, decreased cardiac function

Toxicity- None reported, ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest speculated

Selenium

Deficiency- Muscle degeneration and edema

Toxicity- Microcytic, hypochromic anemia

Sodium

Deficiency- Dehydration symptoms (increased heart rate, hematocrit, hemoglobin, water consumption and out put)

Toxicity- Vomiting

Zinc

Deficiency- Skin lesions

Toxicity- Gastroenteritis, hemolytic anemia, lethargy

Does your vitamin/mineral powder have an odor?

It smells like ground up vitamins and minerals because it is. And we avoided flavorings on purpose...

Like many human vitamin/mineral tablets, our powder has a mild, fishy smell. If you follow our suggestion for slowly adding the powder to your dog's meals during the first few days of transition, most dogs will delight in their meals.

The key to successful transition is never offering our meal plans without the powder and then suddenly adding it at full strength.

Small dogs, in particular, seem to have sensitive palates, we find this strategy especially helpful for them. In our "Transitioning to Homemade" tutorial we discuss a number of condiments that can be safely added to you dog's food should this become a concern.

The reason we do not use food sources or flavorings in our nutrient powder is to eliminate the possibility of allergy sensitivity. We chose not to cover it up, to protect your dog.

About My Order:

When will my order arrive?

We make every effort to create your Personalized Meal Plan within 24-48 hours of getting approval from your veterinarian. Once that is complete...

As soon as you complete your dog's profile information we immediately reach out to your veterinarian to explain our program and confirm with them that the proposed recipe is appropriate for your dog's health condition.

When we get that approval, we go to work formulating your fur family's meal plan.
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Your order should ship within another 24 hours after the Personalized Meal Plan is formulated. (It may take longer if it becomes necessary for us to contact you with questions.)

All of our orders are sent USPS Priority Mail. Estimated 1-3 day delivery time frame.

Do you accept returns?

We want you to be completely satisfied.

If you have any concerns or problems, reach out to us Team@HealthierHomemade.com. We are here to help!

About Preparing Homemade:

How much does it cost to make homemade dog food?

About the same as premium canned food, but can vary widely depending on ingredients you choose.

The cost of homemade dog food is dependent on the quality of the ingredients you select. If you choose only organic, range fed meats the cost of protein can be quite high. The same is true of the carbohydrates.

If you buy large quantities of meat and carbohydrates - especially when they are on sale you can significantly reduce the cost of homemade dog food. With modest choices of ingredients, homemade dog food costs about the same as quality canned food.

Homemade dog food doesn't match the price of kibble, as that is the cheapest way for manufacturers to make dog food.

To see the cost of our products, click here.

What kitchen equipment will I need?

Doing a quick inventory before you start will save time later.

Most kitchens will already have everything you need. The one common purchase though, many families make is a food scale - if you don't already have one. Weighing is essential for accurate measurements for both preparing and feeding.

Other items you may wish to include on your checklist (these will vary depending on recipe) See our preparation tutorial videos:
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- Large bowl
- Knives
- Baking dish
- Frying pan
- Large pot
- Colander (strainer)
- Storage containers
- Food scale that measures to tenth of an ounce
- Meat thermometer
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons that measure to 1/8 of a teaspoon (included in starter kit)
- Vegetable peeler
- Meat grinder (optional)
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Dr. Tudor has extensive nutritional training, is a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition, a prolific writer on nutritional subjects and was a student of Dr. Donald Strombeck, who is considered the “godfather” of homemade dog food.

Why homemade instead of commercial?

After more than 40 years in practice, I have noticed that most dogs fed commercial dog food (no matter how expensive the food) don’t look or act as healthy as those fed high quality homemade.

Commercial dog foods typically have adequate nutritional analysis but still do little to promote excellent health and vitality.

Why?

Commercial dog food is made from agricultural scraps (meat, grain, vegetable), much of which has been deemed unfit or not acceptable for human consumption. These are inferior ingredients.
Dog food, especially dry kibble is made using extreme heat for long periods of time. Heat can degrade the nutrient quality of the ingredients.
The production of dog food is largely unregulated. There are few quality standards for ingredients, no routine inspections of production and no mandatory quality control of the finished product.
The agencies that oversee dog food manufacturing are reactive rather than proactive, so they are most involved when there are problems with dog food rather than preventing such problems.
There are no regulations that “premium” foods meet any higher standards than less expensive foods. (That is why we use human labs for our supplements because they have an entirely different regulation structure.)

I concluded that the only way to ensure the quality of dog food is to make it at home. That is what Healthier Homemade is all about. If you’d like to have your dog join other dogs, eating the best possible dog food, we are here to help you “feed your dog for a healthier life.”

Do you have raw homemade dog food options?

We no longer offer raw formulations due to safety considerations.

Why we don’t do raw: Raw meat has only a marginal digestive advantage to lightly cooked meat, but it has 2 major disadvantages:

1. Raw dog food companies primarily use the meat from the“rack” or spine of the carcass. This protein is high in “connective” protein which means it is high in tendon, ligament and cartilage protein. This protein is 20% less digestible than striated muscle protein.

Rather than be absorbed from the intestine, it remains in the gut and is the preferred protein for the intestine’s bad bacteria. This causes an intestinal overload of bad bacteria and gas production, poor absorption of good protein and promotes poor stool quality.

2. All meat, whether destined for butchers, supermarkets or dog food factories, are processed in slaughterhouses inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture. By their own admission, the USDA’s quality control procedures show that up to 60% of all meat leaving slaughter plants for human or dog food is contaminated with 1 or more of 4 bacteria (salmonella, e.coli, campylobacter or listeria).

The USDA assumes the meat will be cooked and the bacteria killed. Their present goal is to reduce bacterial contamination to 30% infected, still a low bar. Not only do these bacterial species pose a health threat to dogs eating raw food they pose a bigger risk to the dog’s family.

Many dogs do not demonstrate symptoms of infection but can contaminate their owners through licking or unhealthy handling of feeding utensils and the dog’s stool. This is particularly true of elderly adults, immune-suppressed adults (disease, chemo patients) and young children.

Our commitment is to promote the health of dogs and their owners, so we do not provide raw meal alternatives.

Do you have vegan homemade dog food options?

We do not offer vegan recipes for several reasons, primarily having to do with absorption

Legume, nut and plant proteins are deficient in some essential amino acids important for heart health.

The amount of vegan ingredients necessary to meet essential amino acid needs contributes excessive amounts of fiber that interfere with proper digestion and absorption of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and some vitamins and minerals.

If you have a question that we didn't answer, please reach out - we'll get back to you right away.

Team@HealthierHomemade.com

Healthier Homemade for Dogs
3628 Lynoak Dr #108
Claremont, CA 91711

Healthier Homemade

nutrition program for dogs

precision nutrition matters

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