Is it cheaper to make your own dog food? (2024)

FAQs

Is it cheaper to make your own dog food or buy it? ›

A nutritionally complete and balanced, homemade diet for a 30-pound dog costs around $3.52 per day, or if using organic ingredients – around $5.58 per day. This is about two to four times the price of commercial kibble of the same quantity. However, it is half the cost of commercial canned wet dog food.

Did you know that creating meals for your dog at home can save you money?! For example, you can buy high quality ingredients at your very own local grocery store to make your own homemade dog food for as low as $1.81 per pound compared to store bought fresh dog food which can come out to $10+ per pound.

“Homemade food is a great option for many pets, but we recommend that owners avoid general recipes from books and the Internet and instead consult with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist,” Larsen said.

The most affordable raw dog food option for your pet would be to combine budget-friendly proteins like chicken and beef with bulk purchases of raw dog food, such as the bulk patties and Essential Boxes from We Feed Raw. Additionally, using raw food as a topper or base for dry dog food can help save money.

The answer is yes, dogs can eat homemade food every day, as long as you consult with a veterinary nutritionist to make sure your pet is being fed the correct balance of vitamins and nutrients they need.

There is a wide variety of unhealthy and unsafe foods to avoid when preparing meals for your dog. Potentially toxic ingredients are of special concern, including chocolate, xylitol, avocado, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic, and macadamia nuts.

Good homemade food for healthy dogs includes all the vitamins, calcium, proteins and minerals your pet needs to stay healthy. You can add ground beef, chicken, lamb or venison, as well as vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, parsnips, beets, yams, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes.

We love testing out ground chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, and beef, as all of these can be used easily in Dog Child's Meal Mixes. Ground proteins tend to be the most affordable meats as well.

Because homemade dog food typically consists of human food, the majority of homemade dog food recipes are safe to store in a refrigerator for four(ish) to five days and in the freezer for 3-5 months in an airtight container.

Should I add salt to homemade dog food? ›

Salt: the good news

Dogs need salt for their cells to function and a healthy amount of it is between 0.25g – 1.5g per 100g of food. At these levels, salt isn't bad for dogs and helps maintain cellular functions like fluid balance, acid-base balance and nerve signal transmission.

Even the best recipes often don't provide enough of certain nutrients, such as calcium. Your pup needs supplements if you're feeding them from scratch. Which ones depend on which nutrients are missing from their meals. A good recipe should include specific supplement instructions.

Purchase inexpensive raw ingredients

For example, chicken feet, poultry carcasses, pig skulls, tongues and various other components are popular among pet parents who feed raw. They still have all of the protein your dog requires. These components also contain calcium and a variety of minerals.

Cooked potato (e.g. unseasoned, unflavoured mashed potato). Cooked, peeled sweet potato. Cooked, boneless, unsalted, lean meat (chicken, beef, or turkey). Additive-free cooked, tinned, or pureed pumpkin.

Lean beef or rotisserie chicken with the skin and bones removed are additional options. Many dogs like salmon or other fish as well. If there's no rice, oats or plain cooked potatoes can suffice. Many vegetables, like carrots, corn and peas, also are safe for dogs.

There are good cheap food ingredients available everywhere. Your dog does not need to eat human-quality ingredients, and you do not need to depend on some company to make up his feed for you. In most places, a raw diet can be put together for a lot less than about $1 a day.