Ingredients to Include

• Protein is a key ingredient to help dogs build and maintain healthy bodies. Good sources of protein for your homemade dog food include chicken, fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel), beef, lamb, and even rabbit. Grains such as rice and/or oats add important fiber to your dog's diet, as well as providing calcium and vitamins. Chopped or pureed vegetables also add vitamins, minerals and fiber. Try carrots, green beans, spinach, even sweet potatoes. Parsley is an herb which enhances the flavor of the food and contains vitamins A and C. Fats such as fish oil, olive oil or chicken fat provide fatty acids to the food while enhancing flavor.
  
  

Ingredients to Avoid

• Certain foods are toxic for your dog and will harm and potentially kill him if he eats them. Foods to avoid adding to your dog's food include grapes and raisins, onions, chocolate, sugar and artificial sweeteners. Citrus fruits are too acidic for dogs. Bacon has too many nitrates, making it unhealthy for dogs. Soy or soy products are not harmful to dogs, but they cannot utilize the amino acids contained in soy, rendering it a useless protein. Small amounts of garlic (used as a seasoning) are okay for dogs, but large amounts are toxic since it is a member of the onion family. Also, cooked bones are bad for dogs because with the moisture cooked out they can splinter and create shards that may choke or injurehim.
  
  

Putting It All Together

• Making homemade dog food using rice or oats is simple when you follow a recipe. Try combining 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup lightly cooked hamburger, 1/2 cup well-cooked kidney beans, one fish oil capsule, 1/2 tsp. calcium powder, and a veterinarian-reccommended vitamin supplement. Or combine three cups cooked oatmeal, one cup fish, one cup green beans and 1/2 tsp. calcium powder.
  
  You can also make a big batch of food in advance and divide it into portions for your dog (two to three cups make a serving for a medium-sized dog). Mix two tbs. olive oil, 3/4 cup water, 1 1/2 cup pureed carrots and green beans, 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 cup cooked oats, and one pound of cooked chicken.