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Homemade Dog Food: Can You Make a Complete Diet at Home?

ByDerek

Updated September 2026

Can you make your dog’s food at home?

Yes.

But making something your dog enjoys eating is much easier than making a nutritionally complete diet that safely meets all their needs over months and years.

Meat, vegetables and rice can look like a wonderfully healthy bowl.

That does not automatically make it a complete dog food.

Dogs need the right nutrients in the right amounts and, importantly, in the right proportions. Requirements also change with age, size, activity, health, and life stage.

If you want home-prepared food to become your dog’s main long-term diet, I would involve your veterinary team and use a recipe formulated specifically for your dog by an appropriately qualified veterinary nutrition specialist.

For most owners who simply want to add a little fresh food, an easier option is to keep an appropriate complete food as the main diet and use suitable home-cooked ingredients as small extras.

For my wider feeding advice, start with my Dog Food & Nutrition Guide.

Summary

  • Homemade dog food is not automatically healthier than a good complete commercial diet.
  • A bowl containing meat, vegetables and carbohydrates can still be nutritionally incomplete.
  • No reliable universal formula exists, such as 40% meat, 50% vegetables, and 10% carbohydrate.
  • Dogs require many different nutrients in appropriate amounts and proportions.
  • Simply adding a general vitamin supplement does not automatically balance a homemade recipe.
  • Recipes found online or in books are not necessarily nutritionally complete.
  • If homemade food will be your dog’s main diet, ask your vet about a recipe formulated by an appropriately qualified veterinary nutrition specialist.
  • Puppies, pregnant dogs and dogs with medical conditions need particular care.
  • Homemade food is not automatically the solution for food allergy.
  • Cooked homemade diets and raw homemade diets have different food-safety considerations.
  • Suitable plain home-cooked foods can still be used occasionally as treats or extras alongside a complete diet.
  • Extras should remain a relatively small part of the overall diet.
  • If you change your dog’s main food, introduce the new diet gradually unless your vet advises differently.
  • Monitor weight, body condition and health rather than judging a diet by whether your dog enjoys eating it.

Table of contents

Is homemade dog food healthy?

It can be.

It can also be nutritionally inadequate.

The word “homemade” tells you where the food was prepared.

It does not tell you whether the diet provides everything a dog needs.

The British Veterinary Association advises that getting the correct balance of ingredients in a homemade diet can be difficult and recommends using recipes developed by appropriately qualified veterinary nutrition specialists.

The BSAVA also recommends that anyone feeding a home-prepared diet obtains appropriate veterinary advice to ensure it is nutritionally complete and balanced.

That is a much more useful starting point than assuming:

fresh = healthy

commercial = unhealthy

or:

homemade = natural = better.

Nutrition is more complicated than that.

What does a complete diet actually mean?

A complete diet contains the nutrients a dog requires in appropriate amounts and proportions when fed as directed.

That includes much more than:

  • protein
  • vegetables
  • carbohydrate

Dogs also require appropriate amounts of:

  • fats
  • essential fatty acids
  • amino acids
  • calcium
  • phosphorus
  • vitamins
  • trace minerals
  • other nutrients

Some of these nutrients also need to be balanced against each other.

The current FEDIAF Nutritional Guidelines provide detailed nutrient recommendations used when formulating complete dog foods in Europe.

This is why judging a homemade diet from the appearance of the bowl is unreliable.

For more about what “complete” means, read What Does Complete Dog Food Mean?

Why I no longer recommend a simple percentage formula

An earlier version of this article suggested:

40% protein

50% vegetables

10% starch.

I would not recommend that formula now.

It is far too simplistic.

A percentage of chicken does not tell you whether a dog is receiving enough calcium.

A percentage of carrots does not tell you whether trace-mineral requirements are being met.

And two ingredients described as “protein” can have very different nutrient profiles.

The amount your dog needs also changes according to:

  • age
  • bodyweight
  • ideal weight
  • activity
  • reproductive status
  • health
  • the actual ingredients used

There is no universal meat-vegetable-starch percentage that turns an ordinary recipe into a nutritionally complete dog diet.

Doesn’t variety balance everything out over time?

Not reliably.

Variety can make meals interesting.

But rotating:

chicken one day

beef another

fish another

and several vegetables

does not guarantee that nutritional deficiencies and excesses cancel each other out.

Some nutrients can remain consistently too low.

Others can be supplied in inappropriate proportions.

A properly formulated recipe is designed around the nutritional result, not simply around providing lots of different ingredients.

Can I use recipes from the internet?

Be careful.

A recipe being:

popular

highly rated

written beautifully

shared thousands of times

or containing ingredients that sound wholesome

does not demonstrate that it is nutritionally complete.

The BVA specifically warns that recipes found online or in books do not always provide the correct nutrient balance.

If you want a homemade diet to provide all of your dog’s nutrition, look for a recipe developed specifically for your dog by an appropriately qualified veterinary nutrition specialist.

Who should formulate a homemade dog diet?

Start with your own vet.

They know your dog’s:

  • medical history
  • weight
  • medications
  • life stage
  • current health concerns

If you want a properly formulated home-prepared diet, ask whether referral or advice from a veterinary nutrition specialist would be appropriate.

In Europe, the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition trains and certifies veterinary nutrition specialists.

This is very different from somebody calling themselves a pet nutritionist after taking a short unregulated course.

For a long-term homemade diet, qualifications matter.

Why homemade diets can be difficult to balance

A dog can happily eat an unbalanced diet for quite a while.

That does not demonstrate that the recipe is complete.

Nutritional problems may develop gradually.

Potential problems with poorly formulated diets can involve:

  • insufficient nutrients
  • excessive nutrients
  • inappropriate mineral ratios
  • excess calories
  • inadequate calories
  • unsuitable supplementation
  • deficiencies that become apparent over time

The recipe itself is only part of the issue.

You also need to follow it accurately.

Changing ingredients because something is unavailable can change the nutrient profile.

So can leaving out a supplement because it looks optional.

Do I really need to follow the recipe exactly?

If a veterinary nutrition specialist has formulated a recipe, yes.

Do not assume:

turkey is basically the same as chicken

brown rice is basically the same as potato

one oil is basically the same as another

or:

a little less supplement will not matter.

Recipes are formulated using particular ingredients and quantities.

If something needs changing, ask the professional who formulated the diet whether an appropriate substitution can be made.

Can I just add a multivitamin?

No.

A general supplement does not automatically transform an unbalanced bowl into a balanced dog diet.

The recipe needs to establish:

  • which nutrients are already present
  • which are lacking
  • how much additional supplementation is needed
  • whether nutrients are being supplied in appropriate proportions

More is not always better.

Some vitamins and minerals can cause problems when given excessively.

I would therefore remove the old recommendation on this page to casually add a general supplement such as a canine equivalent of a human multivitamin.

Supplements should solve an identified nutritional need, not compensate for guessing at the recipe.

What about calcium?

Calcium illustrates why homemade feeding is more complicated than it first appears.

It is not simply a matter of remembering to add a calcium-containing food.

The amount matters.

The relationship between calcium and other nutrients, particularly phosphorus, matters too.

That becomes especially important during growth.

Adding yoghurt, cottage cheese or powdered eggshell without knowing what the entire recipe provides is not a reliable formulation method.

If your homemade diet requires calcium supplementation, follow the precise formulation provided by your veterinary nutrition specialist.

Can I feed meat, vegetables and rice?

As occasional food, potentially.

As a long-term complete diet, not without proper formulation.

A bowl containing:

chicken

carrots

peas

and rice

may look sensible to us.

It still doesn’t tell you whether your dog’s nutritional needs are being met.

The individual ingredients are not necessarily the problem.

The problem is assuming that putting several apparently healthy foods together automatically creates a complete dog diet.

Does my dog need carbohydrates?

I would also remove the old statement on this page that foods such as rice, pasta and potatoes are simply “bulkers” that should ideally be avoided.

That is too simplistic.

Different diets use different sources of energy and nutrients.

Whether a particular carbohydrate source is appropriate depends on the complete diet, the individual dog and why that ingredient is included.

I would judge the whole diet rather than deciding that one ingredient category is automatically good or bad.

What vegetables can I include?

Several vegetables are suitable for dogs when prepared appropriately.

Examples can include:

  • carrots
  • green beans
  • peas
  • small amounts of broccoli
  • cooked sweet potato
  • other suitable dog-safe vegetables

But vegetables should not be used to construct an arbitrary percentage of the dog’s meal.

For the detailed safety guide, read Dog-Friendly Vegetables: What Vegetables Can Dogs Eat?

What fruits can dogs eat?

Some fruits can also be given in small amounts.

But again, fruit is an optional extra, not something required to complete a homemade recipe.

Read Safe Fruits for Dogs: What’s Good and What to Avoid.

Remember that grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants can be dangerous to dogs.

For foods that should stay off the menu, read Toxic Foods for Dogs.

What foods must I never put in homemade dog food?

Important foods and ingredients to avoid include:

  • onions
  • garlic
  • leeks
  • chives
  • grapes
  • raisins
  • sultanas
  • currants
  • chocolate
  • xylitol
  • alcohol
  • caffeine
  • macadamia nuts

Other foods and ingredients can also be dangerous.

If your dog eats something potentially toxic, contact your veterinary practice promptly instead of trying to correct the meal yourself.

Cooked homemade food and raw homemade food are not the same thing

This article focuses mainly on home-prepared cooked food.

Raw feeding introduces additional concerns.

Raw meat can carry bacteria and other pathogens that cooking would normally reduce.

That can create risks for both the dog and people in the household.

The BSAVA recommends strict hygiene measures where raw-meat-based diets are fed, while PDSA advises against making raw diets at home because of both nutritional and microbiological concerns.

If someone in the household is:

  • very young
  • elderly
  • pregnant
  • immunocompromised

the hygiene implications deserve particularly careful consideration.

Are bones needed for homemade diets?

No.

Do not assume bones are necessary because the diet is homemade.

PDSA advises against giving bones, whether cooked or raw, because of risks including:

  • broken teeth
  • choking
  • gastrointestinal obstruction
  • internal injury
  • constipation

[EXTERNAL LINK: PDSA – Raw Diets]

Calcium requirements should be met through the properly formulated diet rather than by casually adding bones.

Is homemade dog food healthier than commercial dog food?

Not automatically.

That claim appeared in the old version of this page, and I would remove it.

A properly formulated commercial food provides the nutrients a dog needs.

A homemade diet can also be appropriate when properly formulated.

What matters is whether the individual diet is:

  • complete
  • balanced
  • safe
  • appropriate for the dog’s life stage
  • suitable for their health
  • fed in an appropriate amount

The UK Pet Food guidance describes a satisfactory diet as complete, balanced, digestible, palatable and safe.

That is a much more useful test than simply asking whether the ingredients were prepared in a factory or your kitchen.

Is processed dog food unhealthy?

Not simply because it is processed.

Cooking is processing.

Freezing is processing.

Grinding ingredients is processing.

Drying food is processing.

Commercial food should therefore be judged on its nutritional adequacy, safety, formulation and suitability rather than treating “processed” as another word for unhealthy.

UK Pet Food explains that processing is also used to make food safe, stable and nutritionally consistent.

Can I cook for my dog and still use complete dog food?

Yes.

For many owners this is the simplest middle ground.

You can keep an appropriate complete diet as the main food and use suitable plain foods as occasional extras.

For example, depending on the individual dog, that might include a small amount of:

  • plain cooked chicken
  • carrot
  • green beans
  • another suitable dog-safe food

The important point is that extras should remain extras.

Once you routinely replace substantial amounts of complete food with other ingredients, you can begin diluting the nutrient balance of the main diet.

For more on sharing food safely, read Can Dogs Eat Human Food?

How much homemade food can I add as a topper?

There is no universal spoonful that suits every dog.

Think about all extras together.

That includes:

  • toppers
  • treats
  • training rewards
  • dental chews
  • food toys
  • table scraps

A commonly used guideline is to keep treats and extras to around 10% or less of daily calorie intake for a healthy dog, leaving the great majority of calories coming from the complete diet.

Don’t assume a topper disappears nutritionally just because it sits on top of kibble.

For more about total food intake, read How Much Should Your Dog Eat?

[INTERNAL LINK: /how-much-should-your-dog-eat.html]

What about eggs, fish and dairy as toppers?

You can sometimes use suitable plain foods in small amounts.

But each one adds calories and nutrients.

Avoid turning every meal into:

kibble

plus egg

plus fish

plus cheese

plus vegetables

plus oil

plus supplements.

That can quickly stop being a small topper.

Some dogs also do not tolerate dairy well, and rich or fatty foods may be unsuitable for certain medical conditions.

Keep additions simple and appropriate.

Does adding fresh food make kibble easier to digest?

I would remove the old claim that adding kale or spinach helps a dog digest kibble more easily.

There is no need to “help” a suitable complete food by adding leafy vegetables unless there is a specific nutritional reason.

If your dog repeatedly struggles to digest their normal food, has diarrhoea, vomits, loses weight or appears uncomfortable after eating, speak to your vet rather than continually adding ingredients to the bowl.

Can homemade food help a dog with allergies?

Sometimes a carefully formulated home-prepared diet may be used as part of veterinary management.

But homemade food itself is not an allergy treatment.

The earlier version of this article suggested that switching to home cooking improved allergy-related energy, skin and coat.

That kind of individual experience cannot tell us whether homemade food in general treats allergies.

Dogs can react to ingredients whether they appear in:

  • kibble
  • wet food
  • fresh food
  • raw food
  • homemade food

If food allergy is suspected, a controlled veterinary elimination diet is much more useful than simply beginning to cook at home.

Read Dog Food Allergies and Intolerances.

What about dogs with kidney disease, diabetes or other medical conditions?

Do not formulate these diets yourself.

Disease can substantially change nutritional requirements.

A dog with:

  • kidney disease
  • liver disease
  • pancreatitis
  • diabetes
  • gastrointestinal disease
  • urinary disease
  • significant food allergy
  • another chronic condition

may need carefully controlled nutrients.

This is exactly where veterinary nutritional expertise becomes especially important.

BSAVA recommends nutritional assessment for sick animals because illness can change nutritional requirements and the body’s ability to absorb and use nutrients.

Can puppies eat homemade dog food?

A properly formulated homemade diet is possible.

But I would not experiment with puppy nutrition.

Growth places particular demands on the diet.

Large and giant breed puppies need especially careful nutritional management because inappropriate energy and mineral intake can affect development.

The old version of this page advised continuing with complete puppy food rather than experimenting with homemade feeding.

That remains sensible unless your veterinary team has formulated a suitable alternative.

Read my Puppy Feeding Guide for the wider growth-stage advice.

What about senior dogs?

Age does not automatically mean a dog needs homemade food.

Older dogs vary enormously.

One senior may remain active and healthy.

Another may have:

  • dental disease
  • kidney disease
  • weight loss
  • obesity
  • muscle loss
  • arthritis
  • digestive problems

The diet should respond to the individual dog’s needs rather than simply replacing commercial food because the dog has reached a certain birthday.

Changes in appetite, weight or muscle in an older dog also deserve veterinary attention rather than simply a more tempting homemade meal.

How much homemade dog food should I feed?

If the homemade food is the dog’s complete diet, use the quantity calculated as part of their professionally formulated recipe.

Do not base the amount on an internet cup measurement.

The correct amount depends on:

  • calories in the actual recipe
  • dog’s ideal weight
  • activity
  • age
  • life stage
  • body condition
  • individual metabolism
  • health

Then monitor whether the calculated amount is actually maintaining appropriate body condition.

For more about this, read Healthy Weight and Body Condition in Dogs.

Monitor the dog, not just the recipe

Even with a properly formulated diet, keep an eye on:

  • bodyweight
  • body condition
  • muscle condition
  • appetite
  • stools
  • coat and skin
  • energy
  • overall health

Your vet can help determine how frequently your dog should be weighed or reassessed.

A diet is not proven successful simply because the bowl is always empty afterwards.

Most dogs are perfectly capable of enjoying food that is nutritionally inappropriate.

How should I change my dog’s food?

Do not use the rigid five-day transition table that appeared on the old version of this page.

Dogs vary.

For an ordinary diet change in a healthy dog, introduce the new food gradually.

Depending on the dog, this may take several days or longer.

If stools become loose or your dog develops digestive upset, your veterinary team may advise slowing the transition or investigating another cause.

Read How to Change Your Dog’s Food Safely for the full transition guide.

If your vet has prescribed a diet for a medical reason, follow their specific transition instructions instead.

Food hygiene matters with cooked homemade food too

Raw feeding has particular microbiological risks, but good hygiene still matters whenever you prepare food.

Use ordinary sensible kitchen hygiene:

  • wash your hands
  • keep preparation surfaces clean
  • prevent cross-contamination
  • cook ingredients appropriately
  • refrigerate food promptly
  • freeze portions safely where appropriate
  • discard food that has spoiled
  • wash bowls regularly

Do not leave large portions of cooked meat sitting at room temperature for hours.

Can I batch cook homemade dog food?

Yes, if the recipe is appropriate for batch preparation.

Follow the storage and preparation instructions supplied with your professionally formulated recipe.

Weighing ingredients accurately is usually much more reliable than guessing by eye.

If you prepare several days at once, label portions clearly so everybody caring for the dog knows what to feed.

What I have changed my mind about

I have fed home-cooked food to my own dogs in the past.

That experience is one reason this article originally existed.

But experience also means being willing to update advice when better information is available.

I would not now tell an owner to create a long-term diet using a simple meat, vegetable and starch percentage.

I would not assume that adding a general supplement makes that recipe complete.

And I would not claim that homemade food is automatically healthier than a properly formulated commercial diet.

I still understand why cooking for your dog appeals to people.

You know the ingredients.

You prepare the meal yourself.

For some dogs there may be a genuine clinical reason for a specially formulated home-prepared diet.

But if that meal is going to provide all of your dog’s nutrition, I would want the formulation to be based on nutritional requirements rather than good intentions.

Homemade food when your dog has a walker or house sitter

If your dog eats a home-prepared diet, clear care instructions become particularly important when somebody else is feeding them.

Leave:

  • clearly labelled portions
  • exact quantities
  • storage instructions
  • thawing instructions where relevant
  • any prescribed supplements
  • written instructions about treats
  • information about allergies or medical requirements

When I am house sitting or providing pet care, I follow the owner’s agreed feeding routine rather than modifying the dog’s meals myself.

Pet and House Sitting in Finchley and North London

Consistency matters, particularly when a diet has been formulated for a specific reason.

A practical checklist before feeding a homemade diet

Why do I want to feed homemade food?

Is there an actual problem you are trying to solve?

Have I spoken to my vet?

Particularly important for puppies and dogs with health conditions.

Is this an occasional extra or the whole diet?

Those are completely different nutritional situations.

Who formulated the recipe?

Was it designed by an appropriately qualified veterinary nutrition professional?

Is it complete for this dog?

Age, size, life stage and health matter.

Can I follow the recipe accurately?

Including supplements and exact quantities.

Can I prepare and store it safely?

Think about cooking, refrigeration and hygiene.

Can I maintain it consistently?

A perfect recipe is not useful if it is too complicated or expensive for you to follow properly.

How will we monitor the dog?

Weight, body condition and veterinary reviews matter.

Frequently asked questions

Is homemade dog food healthier than commercial dog food?

Not automatically.

Either type of diet needs to be nutritionally appropriate, safe and suitable for the individual dog.

A complete commercial food already has the advantage of being formulated to provide required nutrients when fed correctly.

What percentage of homemade dog food should be meat?

There is no universal meat percentage that creates a complete diet.

The recipe needs to be formulated according to the nutritional contribution of all its ingredients and the individual dog’s requirements.

Is 40% meat, 50% vegetables and 10% carbohydrate balanced for dogs?

There is no reliable evidence that this simple formula provides a nutritionally complete diet for every dog.

I no longer recommend it.

Can I feed chicken and rice permanently?

Chicken and rice may sometimes be used temporarily when specifically advised by a veterinary professional, but it is not a nutritionally complete long-term diet by itself.

Do I need supplements in homemade dog food?

A professionally formulated recipe may require specific supplements in precise amounts.

Do not choose supplements yourself and assume they balance the recipe.

Can I use a human multivitamin?

Do not give human vitamin or mineral products to your dog unless your veterinary professional specifically instructs you to.

Formulations and doses are not designed around canine requirements.

Can I use an online homemade dog-food recipe?

Do not assume an online recipe is complete.

For a long-term diet, use a recipe formulated by an appropriately qualified veterinary nutrition specialist.

Can I make homemade food for a dog with allergies?

Potentially, but only as part of an appropriate veterinary plan.

Home cooking by itself does not diagnose or treat food allergy.

Is homemade raw dog food the same as homemade cooked food?

No.

Raw diets introduce additional food-safety and pathogen risks.

Are vegetables necessary in homemade dog food?

Do not decide the vegetable amount independently.

Use whatever ingredients and quantities are specified by the properly formulated recipe.

Can puppies eat homemade food?

A properly formulated home-prepared puppy diet may be possible, but growth nutrition is particularly sensitive.

Do not construct a puppy diet yourself.

Can senior dogs eat homemade food?

Yes, if the diet is appropriately formulated for that individual dog’s nutritional and medical needs.

Being senior does not automatically require home cooking.

Can I mix homemade food with kibble?

Suitable home-cooked food can sometimes be used as a small extra alongside a complete diet.

Keep all extras modest so they do not substantially dilute the complete diet or contribute excessive calories.

Is homemade dog food cheaper?

It can be in some situations, but not necessarily.

Cost should include:

  • ingredients
  • required supplements
  • professional formulation
  • preparation
  • storage
  • time

The cheapest combination of supermarket ingredients is not necessarily nutritionally suitable.

Final thoughts

Cooking for your dog can feel like a very personal way to care for them.

But love is not an ingredient that supplies calcium, essential fatty acids, trace minerals or vitamins in the correct amounts.

If you want to share a little plain cooked food with a healthy dog, that can often fit perfectly well alongside an appropriate complete diet.

If you want homemade food to become the whole diet, treat formulation seriously.

Speak to your vet.

Use appropriate veterinary nutritional expertise.

Follow the recipe accurately.

Monitor your dog’s body condition and health.

And be willing to adjust the plan as your dog’s needs change.

The question is not whether the food came from your kitchen or a packet.

The question is whether the diet safely provides what the dog in front of you actually needs.

This guide provides general information about home-prepared diets for dogs and does not provide a recipe or individual nutritional prescription. Formulate long-term homemade diets with appropriate veterinary nutritional expertise. Speak to your veterinary practice before changing the diet of a puppy, pregnant or lactating dog, senior dog, or a dog with allergies, digestive disease, kidney disease, diabetes, pancreatitis or another medical condition.

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