To cook homemade dog food, you need fresh ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and a source of carbohydrates. To make sure the meal truly meets your dog’s nutritional needs, suitable supplements are also necessary — they provide all important vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. It’s especially safe and easy with veterinarian-approved recipes like LuckyChef’s Sniff-Out Recipes.
Which ingredients are healthy for your dog always depends on their individual needs. As a general rule, fresh, unprocessed ingredients such as lean meat, well-tolerated vegetables, and high-quality carbohydrate sources form a good foundation. If you want to cook your own dog food, pay attention to what your dog tolerates well. What dogs can and cannot eat can be found in our overview Foods A–Z.
Home-cooked dog food typically keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it in portions. Find out what to bear in mind when preserving dog food in our blog article "Cooking & Preserving Your Own Dog Food".
Yes, supplements are important when cooking your own dog food to ensure your dog receives all the necessary nutrients in the right amounts. Even with balanced recipes, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that are crucial for good health can be missing. Find out more in our article "Why Supplements Are So Important When Cooking for Your Dog".
Whether cooking your own dog food is cheaper than ready-made food depends on various factors – such as the ingredients, your dog's needs, and portion size. In many cases, you can save money through careful planning and batch cooking, particularly with larger dogs. You also have full control over quality, freshness, and composition – which often makes it doubly worthwhile.