While most healthy pets thrive on commercially produced diets, some pets may need a different food type or formulation to ensure they receive adequate nutrition. If your furry pal suffers from a medical condition, you may wonder if making their food at home would be beneficial. Or, you may consider making your pet’s food simply because want to know exactly what is going into it.

Before whipping up a gourmet meal for your furry friend, read our Southern Kern Veterinary Clinic team’s homemade pet food pros and cons. Deciding whether to make your pet’s food at home is a personal choice that requires careful consideration of your furry pal’s individual needs, and your lifestyle and financial resources.

Benefits of making your pet’s food at home

When people think about making their pet’s food at home, they often consider the benefits offered by homemade diets. Some of the top perks of making meals for your pet include: 

  • Ingredient control — Making your pet’s food at home gives you complete control over the ingredients. You can choose high-quality, fresh ingredients and avoid fillers, additives, and preservatives commonly included in commercial pet food. This allows you to tailor the diet to your pet’s specific metabolic and health needs, preferences, and dietary restrictions.
  • Peace of mind — When you prepare your pet’s food at home, you know the exact ingredients, which provides you with peace of mind, especially if you have been concerned about commercial pet foods’ quality and safety. If your pet’s food has been on the recall list, you may opt for a homemade diet. However, keep in mind that the ingredients you use in your pet’s homemade food can also be recalled or serve as a disease vector. Just because a meal is prepared under your watchful eye does not exclude it from all potential risks.
  • Customization — Every pet is unique, each with different nutritional requirements and taste preferences. Homemade pet food allows you to customize meals according to your pet’s age, size, breed, and health conditions. Whether your pet prefers chicken over beef or requires a novel protein diet, you have the flexibility to accommodate their needs.
  • Freshness — Homemade pet food is typically made with fresh, whole ingredients, providing optimal nutrition and flavor. Freshly prepared meals can be more appealing than commercial foods to pets, encouraging them to eat a balanced diet that meets their nutritional needs.

Drawbacks to making your pet’s food at home

While a homemade diet provides your pet and you with several benefits, serious drawbacks also exist. When weighing the pros and cons of making your pet’s food at home, consider the following disadvantages:

  • Nutritional imbalance —While homemade pet food offers customization, you may have difficulty formulating a balanced diet that meets all of your pet’s nutritional needs. Pets require a specific balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals for optimal health. Without proper formulation and guidance from a veterinary nutritionist, you may make a homemade diet that lacks essential nutrients or contains too much, harming your pet’s health.
  • Time and effort — If you already struggle to find time to cook healthy meals for yourself, preparing your pet’s food at home may be a challenge. Preparing homemade pet food requires time, effort, and planning. Creating a nutritionally balanced homemade diet involves researching recipes, sourcing high-quality ingredients, and cooking meals in appropriate quantities. For busy pet owners, the time commitment involved in preparing homemade pet food may be impractical or unsustainable.
  • Cost — Homemade pet food can be more expensive than commercial options, especially if you’re using premium ingredients or purchasing supplements to ensure nutritional balance. While you may save money by buying in bulk or using leftovers, the cost to make your pet’s food may be prohibitive.
  • Contamination risk — If homemade pet food is improperly handled or stored, it can become contaminated with bacteria, increasing pets’ and people’s foodborne illness risk. Ensure you follow safe food handling practices, including cooking meats to the appropriate temperature, sanitizing food preparation surfaces, and storing leftovers properly, to minimize the bacterial contamination risk.

You are responsible for your pet’s nutrition and overall health. But, keep in mind that our Southern Kern Veterinary Clinic team is always here to provide guidance and offer tips along the way to ensure your four-legged friend stays happy and healthy. Set up a nutritional consultation with our team to determine if a homemade diet is right for your pet.