Considering a DIY Dog Food Diet? Here’s How to Do it Right

The Truth About DIY Dog Food

Now you may think that making dog food on your own is as easy as cooking up some meats, vegetables and carbs and calling it a meal. And while that’s a good start, the reality is a little more complex. Dogs need specific essential nutrients—38 of them to be exact—in the right proportions, in order to keep them healthy long-term and avoid nutritional deficiencies and other health consequences.

This is exactly why “complete and balanced” is such an important term in the pet food industry. You’ve likely seen this phrase on dog food packaging. It means that a food contains all essential nutrients, like proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, in the correct amounts for a specific life stage, like puppies, adults or seniors. Complete refers to all nutrients being present, while balanced means they’re in the right ratios for optimal health in a given life stage. The guidelines for a food being complete and balanced are defined by the nonprofit organization AAFCO, or the Association of American Feed Control Officials.

Now cooking dog food on your own, DIY-style, is possible, but it’s easy to see where you might fall short when it comes to it being complete and balanced. A 2013 study published in the Journal of American Veterinary Medicine showed that 95 percent of homemade dog foods lack critical nutrients, most often calcium, vitamin D, choline, iodine, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and B vitamins. And more recent research from 2023 conducted by The Dog Aging Project found that 94 percent of home-prepared dog foods aren’t nutritionally complete. Feeding an incomplete diet over time can lead to serious health problems like immune dysfunction and degenerative muscle disease. 

The Farmer’s Dog Can Help

Brands like The Farmer’s Dog provide a shortcut to complete and balanced fresh dog food with their human grade recipes developed by on-staff, board-certified veterinary nutritionists. All of their foods meet or exceed AAFCO guidelines, are complete and balanced for dogs in all life stages, and are packed in the right portions for your pup’s age, activity level and lifestyle factors. There are no fillers or preservatives and everything from the ingredients to the facility and preparation method all meet the same stringent standards that apply to human food production, ensuring safety and quality.

How to Do DIY Right

But for those who would still prefer to make their dog’s food at home, The Farmer’s Dog has a way to make it easier and safer for your pup. It’s a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Nutrient Mix, which in combination with more than 20 simple recipes, provides complete nutrition for your pup’s needs. In fact, The Farmer’s Dog’s DIY option is actually one of the few solutions in the market proven to be complete and balanced. Here’s how it works:

The DIY Nutrient Mix is a carefully formulated blend of vitamins and minerals designed to supplement the personalized, fresh-food recipes that The Farmer’s Dog provides. You’ll follow the recipe to cook your pup’s food, and add in the DIY Nutrient Mix powder. It’s that simple. It takes all of the guesswork out of making a healthy, balanced dog food at home, so you can be assured that your pup is getting adequate nutrition.

Here are some of the key ingredients in The Farmer’s Dog’s DIY Nutrient Mix, and how they contribute to your pup’s overall health:

• B Vitamins: Important for energy, brain function, nerve health and creating healthy skin, coat and blood cells.
• Calcium: Just like in humans, calcium is important for bone health, nerve and muscle function in dogs. But it’s difficult to get the dosage right on your own, as it needs to be balanced proportionally with the phosphorus and calorie content of the food.
• Choline: An essential nutrient that’s crucial for brain health, liver function and nervous system support.  
• Vitamin D: Along with calcium and phosphorus, vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health in dogs. Unlike humans, dogs can’t make vitamin D from sunlight. It needs to come from their diet, but proper dosage is important because too much can be harmful.
• Iodine: A trace mineral that supports thyroid function, which regulates metabolism, energy, growth and more. It can be added through iodized salt or kelp, but these are difficult to dose precisely and can cause problems if the dosage is too low or too high. 
• Manganese: This trace mineral supports bone and cartilage formation and collagen synthesis for strong connective tissues. It also plays a role in energy production, nerve function and reproductive health.
• Selenium: A trace mineral that acts as an antioxidant to support immune function, thyroid health and metabolism while protecting cells from damage. It works alongside vitamin E, but must be given in the right amount, as too much can be toxic. 
• Zinc & Copper: These essential trace minerals work together for healthy skin and coat, strong immune function and cell repair. Without supplementation, dog food diets are usually low in these nutrients. High amounts of calcium can block zinc absorption, another reason why dosage and ratios are key.

Like all of their products, The Farmer’s Dog’s DIY Nutrient Mix is formulated by on-staff, board-certified nutritionists to contain the right ratios and dosages of vital micronutrients for dogs. As we mentioned above, too much of a nutrient can be just as serious as too little of it, and incorrect ratios of one nutrient to another can also be ineffective or even dangerous for your dog. So having a supplement like the DIY Nutrient Mix to round out your recipes provides more than proper nutrition, it gives you peace of mind, too.

So dog food DIY-ers, carry on—but if you’re considering the home-cooking route for your pup, make sure you take a safe, informed approach to making a complete and balanced dog food. Getting a little help from The Farmer’s Dog’s DIY Nutrient Mix ensures that your pup gets the nutrients they need to live a long, healthy and happy life.