HOMEMADE FOOD VS COMMERCIAL DOG FOOD

Advantages of commercial prepared diets·        

• Easy to feed       

• Require little or no preparation       

• Complete and balanced, providing all necessary ingredients  

• Convenient packages and easy storing 

Advantages of homemade prepared diets        

• Custom made and fulfilling the dog’s nutritional requirements        

• All ingredients are known and fresh       

• No additives and contaminants

• No by-products

• Possibility to use ingredients not found in commercial foods

• Possibility to fulfil nutritional requirements of dog with clinical condition or with more than one clinical conditions for which there is no commercial food diet

• Possibility to avoid some adverse reactions of food in some dogs

• Bonding owners with their dogs as they prepare their food personally

• Could be Vegetarian, Vegan, Grain free

• Better tailored to the dog's specific needs

• Could follow owner’s social beliefs and religion traditions

• Highly palatable and suitable for finicky pets 

Disadvantages of commercially produced pet foods        

• Sometimes contain unknown ingredients (variable formulas)

• Sometimes contain by-product

• Sometimes contain colourants, preservatives which may cause adverse food reactions (allergy)

• Could be not palatable and animals to refuse them

• Could be highly palatable and to lead to overeating

• Could have high caloric density and to lead to obesity

• Very expensive (semi-moist foods)

• Could lose the original taste quality after long prolong storing (dry foods)

• If not consumed immediately require fridge temperature for storing (wet foods) 

Disadvantages of homemade diets

• Require serving preparation (warming till room temperature and mixing as ingredients may layering)

• Require time for preparing and cooking

• If not consumed immediately require fridge/freezer temperature storage