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If you are like many other pet owners across the United States, you may have been really frightened by the pet food recalls that happened this past year. The last thing you want to happen to your pet is food poisoning. Of course it is important that your dog does eat well, but if you are afraid to give your dog pet food from the stores anymore, there are some other options. You may want to consider finding some dog food recipes and making dinner for your dog by yourself. Many people actually believe that a home made diet is better for dogs anyway; however, there are a few things to keep in mind when you are looking for these recipes for dog food.

Tip #1 ' Never Ever Give Bones to Dogs ' First of all, when you are looking for recipes for your dog and making them up, it is important that you never give them bones, especially if they have been cooked. If you are dealing with meat in the recipes, make sure that you have totally removed all the bones. Bone fragments can actually get lodged in the throat or digestive tract of the dog and cause injury or even death.

Tip #2 ' Learn What Foods Can be Dangerous to Dogs ' When you are looking for dog food recipes it is also important that you take the time to learn what foods can be dangerous to dogs so that you can avoid giving these foods to your dog. Some of the foods that you should avoid giving dogs include garlic, grapes, mushrooms, chocolate, onions, avocados, macadamias, and raisins.

Tip #3 ' Look for the Easy Ones ' The last thing you want to do is to get involved in making a recipe for your dog that ends up taking hours, so you may want to look for the easier recipes. Sure, you want to provide your dog with some great food, but you don't have time to get involved with complicated recipes. Before you start the recipe, read it over to make sure it won't be too difficult or complicated to make.

Tip #4 ' Check with Your Vet ' Since your dog has definite requirements nutritionally, it is important that you check with your vet if you plan on making dog food recipes on a regular basis for your dog. They can let you know what your dog should have in his food and give you a good idea of how to get your dog used to a new diet. So, before you get too carried away with these recipes, take the time to talk with your dog's vet.

Tip #5 ' What Should Be in the Recipes ' You should know what types of things should be in these recipes as well to make sure that your dog has a good, healthy, balanced diet. Usually it is best to make sure that about 1/3 of the food has protein in it, from diary products, meat, or eggs. Then, the other 2/3 of the food should include vegetables or grain to make sure that you dog gets a balanced diet.

There are a variety of great places where you can find these dog food recipes. You may want to take the time to check at a bookstore for a doggie cookbook full of excellent recipes for your dog. Of course one of the best places you can look for these recipes for free is the internet. There are many great sites that offer free recipes for dog food and they are very easy to find. So, when you do go searching for dog food recipes for your dog, whether in a book or on the web, just keep these simple tips in mind and you'll be sure to come up with food your dog will enjoy.