Are you searching for a healthier and more economical dog food option? Contrary to what dog food commercials may have led you to believe, “people food” can be just as healthy for your four-legged friend, maybe even more so, than store-bought kibble or canned dog food.
In fact, if you’re tired of spending money on different, overpriced formulas trying to find the right one that jives with your dog’s special dietary needs AND that will also taste good to him, then don’t knock the idea of creating homemade dog food from scratch.
Dog food companies have done a good job of making canine cuisine into a scientific formula. But where did this trend of feeding domesticated dogs their own special blend of food that’s different from ours originate from, anyway?
Historical texts cite that during the middle ages, pet dogs of European royal families were fed a special stew by the house cooks that was made from grain, vegetables and organ meats or the less desirable parts of the animals. Meanwhile, dogs of the common people were lucky to get a few scraps of potato and the remains of meat bones from dinner.
Eighteenth century farm dogs consumed a diet of mixed grains, lard, and the occasional piece of horsemeat as offered by the more wealthy dog owners who could afford it.
In the 1850s, it was discovered that biscuits which were made for sailors out of flour, water and salt to prolong their shelf life, could also be offered to dogs. By 1931 this same “recipe” was bought by Nabisco and became the nearly identical Milk Bone biscuits that we feed our pet pooches today.
In the 1920s, Ken-L-Ration began selling canned dog food made from horse meat. It was around this time that veterinarians started to weigh in on the dietary requirements of domesticated animals such as dogs and cats. By the thirties, 90% of the dog food consumption was canned dog food such as this. However, in the 1940s war times, meat was rationed, so dog food makers began selling grain based kibbles.
Pampered pooches of the prosperous 1950s were no longer satisfied with the taste and texture of dry kibble made from grains. At this point, companies like Ralston Purina stepped in to innovate new formulas of dog food that contained a balance of meat, grain and other ingredients meant to improve flavor, texture and nutritional composition of their dog foods. This gave way to the wide selection of different types of dog foods that we have become familiar with today.
Domesticated dogs have subsisted on a diet of human foods (read: aforementioned stews and table scraps) for many more centuries than they have lived on bland, grain based, highly processed formulas made by machines in factories. So that means that if you want to nourish your pet on homemade dog food, you should absolutely do it! BUT – Dogs need certain vitamins and minerals to live a long and healthy life so be sure to do your own research or consult with a nutritionist who will be able to tell you exactly what your dog needs and also can provide you with some meal plans to follow!
