Doggie Dinner Basics Home-cooking for your dog allows flexibility and purity that you can't find in most commercial brands of dog food. Some dogs have special dietary or heath problems that cannot be solved by commercially prepared foods and owners must look for alternative foods. YOU will be in control of the quality of food your pet receives as well making sure to provide for adequate nutritional needs. For more Dog Recipes, click here. Home-cooking for your dog allows flexibility and purity that you can't find in most commercial brands of dog food.  Some dogs have special dietary or heath problems that cannot be solved by commercially prepared foods and owners must look for alternative foods. YOU will be in control of the quality of food your pet receives as well making sure to provide for adequate nutritional needs. While dog food manufacturers invest lots of time and money in research and scientific testing to assure that their products provide balanced and adequate nutritional needs for our pets, YOU will not have that option. So before you decide to start making homemade dog food here are the very basics of canine nutrition. Your dog's nutrition, and therefore his health and well-being is entirely in your hands. Most dogs will eat any food that is presented to them, but remember, leftovers are NOT complete foods and should not be considered part of the good diet. Try my Doggie Dinner Recipe, and check out these other recipes for Canine Cuisine. Balanced Nutrition for Dogs Ratio For dogs use a basic ratio of 75% carbohydrate foods (grains and vegetables) to 25% meat. The needs of performance dogs, the age, stress, breed or individual requirements, as well as gestating or lactating bitches will alter the basic diet needs Balanced Nutrition Major dog food companies make every effort to  provide balanced proportions of vitamins and minerals for maximum benefit to the dog.  Dogs need a balanced nutrition based on the level of activity, metabolism, and individual body chemistry. No matter the ingredients in a dog food, most important is to supply nutrients in a form the dog can use to translate into growth, energy, and body repair. Nutrients are  chemicals ingested by living organisms that are necessary for survival. The six basic nutrients needed by living things are protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals,  and water. Dog foods in addition to protein, fats and carbohydrates also must contain vitamin and mineral supplements in  balanced concentrations. Too much of one mineral may interfere with absorption of another; too little of a  mineral may interfere with vitamin use or other mineral use.  Fats, carbohydrates, and water are made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules in different configurations; proteins include these elements and nitrogen.  Minerals are themselves elements; vitamins are complex chemicals of different composition necessary for various life processes.   Component Source Description Proteins Good source of protein: meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, tofu. Proteins are chemicals made up of other chemicals known as amino acids. Dogs can manufacture some amino acids in their bodies and must  be supplied others in their food. Proteins from animal sources -- meat and meat byproducts -- are more complete and easier to extract and  digest than proteins from plant sources. Proteins form the enzymes that metabolize food into energy as well as the hormones that guide various  body functions. They themselves can also be metabolized to provide energy. High protein feeds are recommended for puppies and working  dogs, but too much protein can cause renal (kidney) disease and has been implicated in some temperament problems.   Fats Good source of fat: whole milk, cheese,fats in meat, egg-yolks, vegetable oils such as corn oil,safflower oil. Fats are probably the most misunderstood of the nutrients, however,  fats are essential for good health, particularly of the skin. Today's homes are well-heated and have dry air that can exacerbate dry skin  conditions; the addition of Omega fatty acids to dog diets either in the formula or as a supplement, can help keep skin pliable and healthy. Fats  increase the palatability of food, provide a media for fat-soluble vitamins, and affect food storage. They also are essential for healthy coat and  skin, reproductive efficiency, and kidney function. Carbohydrates Carbohydrates form a large group of compounds and include all sugars and starches. Food sources: are cereals, oatmeal, wheat, rice, corn, barley, flour of all kinds, macaroni, spaghetti, bread, potatoes, fruits, syrups such as maple, corn and honey. Carbohydrates should make up about 50 percent of a balanced food for dogs. The source of carbohydrates is an important consideration; corn  is the most popular choice, with soybeans a close second. Other sources include rice and wheat. As long as the carbohydrate source is clean and  of good nutritional quality, that is, it does not consist of floor sweepings or come from a poor quality harvest, it probably does not matter. Some  dogs may be allergic to one or more of these sources, and some dogs may experience bloating or flatulence on soybean formulas, but most  dogs do well on most sources of carbohydrate.   Vitamins And Minerals Food sources vary as some vitamins and minerals are found in all foods, but no single food contains everything needed in the proper balance for good nutrition. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for proper absorption of fats and carbohydrates and for the chemical reactions in the body. Not only do  organisms need these nutrients, but also they need them in proper amounts and ratios for optimum health. For example, unless calcium and  phosphorus are in balance, neither will be properly absorbed or utilized, which can lead to bone or muscle problems. Some dogs may need  vitamin or mineral supplements at some time during their lives. Vitamins are divided into fat-soluble and water-soluble types. Water-soluble vitamins are excreted from the body if they are not used;  fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fatty tissue and too much may cause more problems than too little. Water-soluble Vitamins   Water-soluble vitamins are the B complex, including thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid,  choline, and B12, and C, ascorbic acid. B-vitamins help convert food to energy; C can be manufactured by the dog and  supplementation is not necessary. However, some breeders insist that Vitamin C is helpful for dogs that are under stress. Fat-soluble Vitamins   Fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K. They are involved in several body functions, including eyesight, bone formation and  strength (with calcium), cell stability, and blood coagulation. Vitamin K can be synthesized by bacteria in the dog's intestine and does  not need to be added to the diet under ordinary circumstances. Deficiencies of Vitamin E can cause muscle tissue breakdown,  reproductive failure, and impairment of immune response. Vitamin A deficiency can cause several eye problems, including dryness,  corneal ulceration, and inflammation of the conjunctiva. Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets. Fat-soluble vitamins can build up in tissues and become toxic. Excess Vitamin A can lead to bone disease; too much Vitamin D can  cause calcification of soft tissue, lungs, and kidneys. Evidence of toxicity in Vitamin E overdose is sketchy; there may be some  adverse effects on blood coagulation or thyroid function, but more study is needed to ascertain the extent of such effect. Minerals   Minerals are essential for bone formation, muscle metabolism, fluid balance, and nervous system function. Minerals are divided into major and  trace concentrations. Calcium and phosphorus are necessary in particular ratio for bone formation and strength. An imbalance in the ratio will  cause bone problems. Potassium is found within tissue cells and is important in cellular activity; a deficiency causes muscle weakness and heart  and kidney lesions. Sodium is found in fluids outside the tissue cells and performs a function similar to potassium. It is usually found in the diet  as sodium chloride -- salt -- and is rarely deficient. Excess sodium has been linked to hypertension in dogs. Magnesium is found in soft tissue  and bone; it interacts with calcium to provide proper heart, muscle, and nervous tissue function and aids in metabolism of potassium and  sodium. Deficiency leads to muscle weakness and sometimes convulsions.   Trace Elements   Trace elements are iron, copper, manganese, zinc, iodine, selenium, and cobalt. Although dietary requirements are minimal, they are essential  to general good health. Iron is critical for healthy red blood cells and an essential component of some enzymes. Iron from animal sources  appears to be more readily absorbed than that from vegetable sources. There is some evidence that feeds high in soy products could interfere  with iron absorption, leading to a recommendation that soy-based foods be supplemented with a higher than normally required iron  supplement. Zinc is heavily involved in skin and coat health, enzyme function, and protein synthesis. Deficiencies lead to poor growth, anorexia,  testicular atrophy, and skin lesions. Copper is necessary in production of melanin, the pigment that colors coat and skin, and is linked with iron  metabolism. Deficiencies can cause a bone disorder and anemia even if iron intake is normal.