Homemade Dog Food Recipes

How to keep your dog clean and healthy is the most important thing you should know once you have decided to own one. The following are some tips you need to remember:

Dog grooming, a vital aspect in dog care, is not limited to bathing. Like humans, dogs need to be cleaned thoroughly. For that matter, dogs need to be cleaned from the tip of their nose to the end of their tail. This covers, the ears, teeth, coat, nails, and of course the whole body.

Ears
For ear infection can be very painful to your dog (it sometimes lead to permanent hearing loss), ear care is one dog care procedure you should prioritize. To know if your dog is suffering from ear infection, look out for the signs of odor, redness or swelling, head shaking, and constant scratching.

To clean your dog’s ear, take a cotton ball, put a small amount of mineral oil or with warm water on it. Clean the flaps and the opening of the canal.

Check your dog’s ears twice a month. The inside flaps should be pale pink. Watch out for any black, brown or red skin inside the flaps and ears. If you spot some, take your dog to a veterinarian for examination.

Teeth.
Clean your dog’s teeth with a soft bristle toothbrush at least 2 times a week. Use toothpaste especially formulated for dogs. Tooth brushing will prevent cavity build up and would prevent periodontal disease. Dog toothpaste is available widely on dog supply shops. You may also want to seek for veterinarian’s help on cleaning your dog’s teeth.

Coat
For different types of breed, frequency of brushing and trimming varies.

For dogs with long, thick, coarse or straight coat, daily brushing and frequent trimming is required.

Dogs with smooth coat require weekly brushing. They can be washed occasionally. Dogs with this type of coat are Dachshunds, Labradors, and Dobermans. They tend to be some of the easiest dogs to groom.

Dogs with wiry coat have dense, stiff hair that require daily grooming. This will prevent matt build up.

Short coat dogs – German Shepherds and Welsh Corgis – require at least twice a week of brushings. Dogs of these kinds may have straight surface, thick hair combined with downy, profuse, and water resistant hair near the skin.

Dogs like Poodles, Portuguese Water Dogs, Irish Water Spaniels, and Kerry Blue Terriers are distinct on having extremely waterproof and non-shedding coat. Bathing and clipping may be done twice a month.

Silky coat dogs like the Yorkshire Terriers, Shetland Sheepdogs, Rough Collies and Afghan hounds, require daily grooming, a lot of care, and regular trimming.

Nails
Keeping the nails clean is another important dog grooming practice you should know. You can use either scissors style nail clipper or the guillotine style clipper. Both will work best in keeping your dog’s nails neat.

Bathing
Bathing frequency depends on the breed of your dog. Unlike humans, they dogs don’t need to take a bath everyday. This is because they would lose the natural oil needed in keeping their coat shiny and clean. The normal bathing would be twice a month. Make sure you brush the coat to avoid tangles. Use rubber mat to keep your dog from slipping. Use warm water and dog shampoo and conditioner. Rinse your dog thoroughly and dry him with towel or hair dryer.

Check out some great recipes:

Dog Biscuits #3

Dog Biscuits #3 3 1/2 cups flour 4 teaspoons salt 2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup dry milk 1 cup rye flour 1 egg 1 cup cornmeal 1 package dry yeast (1 T.) 2 cups cracked wheat 1 pint chicken stock (Ingredients not generally available at grocery stores... [Read more]

Chicken Flavored Dog Biscuits

Chicken Flavored Dog Biscuits 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1 teaspoon salt — optional 1 egg 1 cup chicken broth — slightly warmed 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup rye flour — optional 1/2 cup cornmeal 1 cup cracked wheat 1... [Read more]

Multi-Grain Dog Food Recipe

Makes 20 cups of kibble INGREDIENTS 2 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour 1/2 cup soy flour (find in health food stores) 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup nonfat dry powdered milk 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup wheat germ 1/2 cup brewers yeast 1... [Read more]

Corgi Crumpets

Corgi Crumpets 2 1/2 cups cornmeal 1 1/2 cups cake flour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 egg 2/3 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 small apple 1 1/3 cups water 1/2 cup rolled oats Preheat oven to 350. In a... [Read more]

Chow Chow Chicken

Ingredients: 2 chicken pieces (breats, thighs, whatever’s preferable) 3 carrots, peeled and cut in half 1 stick celery, sliced into chunks 2 small potaotes, peeled & cubed 2 cups rice, uncooked Directions: Place chicken pieces in large pot. Cover... [Read more]

Dog Mini Cakes

Dog Mini Cakes 2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup soybean flour 1 cup skim milk — or water 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon canola oil — or sunflower 1 teaspoon sea salt Mix dry ingredients. Add liquid and honey. Mix and let the dough rest in... [Read more]

Dog Oil Supplement

Dog Oil Supplement 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 cup cod liver oil 1/4 cup flax seed oil Place oils in brown bottle and shake well. Store in refrigerator. Add two teaspoons to the dogs food each day. Can be add to dry food as well. Safflower... [Read more]

Bread Machine Dog Biscuits

Bread Machine Dog Biscuits 3/4 cup Beef stock — *see Note 1 egg 3 tablespoons oil 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/3 cup Bulgur — *see Note 1/3 cup Bran 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast Place... [Read more]

Apple Cinnamon Doggie Biscuits

Apple Cinnamon Doggie Biscuits 1 package apple, dried 1 teaspoon Cinnamon — (I usually just shake some in) 1 Tablespoon parsley, freeze-dried 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder 1 cup ice water 1/2 cup Corn Oil 5 cups flour 1/2 cup powdered milk 2 large... [Read more]

Bacon Bits for Dogs

Bacon Bits for Dogs 6 slices cooked bacon — crumbled 4 eggs — well beaten 1/8 cup bacon grease 1 cup water 1/2 cup powdered milk — non-fat 2 cup graham flour 2 cup wheat germ 1/2 cup cornmeal Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop... [Read more]