Homemade Low-Carb Dog Food

Dogs have little to no benefit from carbohydrates which means making your own homemade low-carb dog food can be a great health benefit for your dogs.

Our dogs are basically family, and we want the best quality foods for them to eat.

When it comes to making your own homemade low-carb or homemade keto dog food, you have control over everything you'll put into your dog's meal.

Furthermore, diabetic dogs can gain great benefits from switching to low-carb or ketogenic dog food to lower their blood sugars.

Homemade Low-Carb Dog Food: What Is a Low-Carb Diet?

Carbohydrates are known as macronutrients. The same goes for proteins and fats. They are the ones that provide calories for the body. A low-carb diet or keto diet involves restricting said macronutrients.

In a low-carb diet, the calories you normally get from carbs are replaced with protein-rich foods and other fats.

Benefits of Homemade Low-Carb Dog Food

A lot of nutritious dog food contains carbohydrates. However, a diet with a lower carbohydrate content can be more beneficial to most dogs.

Dogs that are suffering from diabetes can benefit from low-carb foods mainly because Type 2 Diabetes can be caused by excessive intake of carbs and sugars. Low-carb diets can help normalize the dog's blood sugar levels and can even stimulate weight loss.

Another great benefit that dogs can gain from this diet is that they become more lean and fit. A low-carb diet can help with a dog's obesity issues.

Not only dogs that suffer from diabetes or are overweight can benefit from this type of diet. Dogs that are allergic or sensitive to grains and carbs can also make the most of a low-carb or keto diet.

Homemade Low-Carb Diet Recipe

Here is a great example of a low-carb diet recipe. This is one from Easy Recipe with Foodie's Healthy Homemade Dog Food, Low Carb Gluten Free Dog Food. This recipe is also good for senior dogs that have a history of skin allergies.

Another good benefit of making homemade dog foods is that you're completely in control of what your dog will be eating.

You, as the dog owner, know your dog best, what they are allergic to, what are their health issues and what foods they may not like.

Here is the Easy Recipe with Foodie's low-carb diet recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 lb of lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup frozen vegetables (mixed)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• Cooked rice

Instructions

Step #1

Preheat the skillet with medium heat and add 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil.

When you feel it is hot enough, add the ground meat and use a spatula to break the meat into pieces. Continue to break and stir until the meat is cooked or browned.

Step #2

Now it's time to add the frozen mixed vegetables and 1/4 cup of cooked rice. Let it heat up, and stir all of them together.

Then, add the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, but remember to make sure to evenly distribute it into the skillet.

Lastly, turn off the stove heat and let the skillet cool down for a bit before serving it to your dog.

Transitioning Your Dog to a Low-Carb Dog Food Diet

We all know that most dogs can almost eat any food that they can get their paws on. But there are some exceptions, of course.

When transitioning your dog's diet to a low-carb diet, the first thing you want to do is talk about it with your vet. In the first couple of weeks, mix your dog's old food with the low-carb food.

If you've decided to make your own low-carb food, start with foods that can be a good source of protein, like turkey, chicken, cuts of beef, or even organ meats.

Remember to use brown rice instead of white rice to make sure that the carbs are complex and nutritious. You can also add small amounts of cooked yams or sweet potatoes.

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

In a ketogenic diet, a dog eats a 1:1 ratio of healthy fats and high-quality proteins. A ketogenic diet is a tool to help the dog's body switch from burning sugar to burning fat.

When a dog is in Ketosis, it produces energy from fat-derived ketone bodies rather than glucose from carbs.

Difference between Low-Carb and Ketogenic Diet

The main difference between low-carb and ketogenic diets is the breakdown of the macronutrients. When on a Keto diet, you track how many grams of carbs, protein, and fat to stay in ketosis

The ketogenic diet highly restricts carbohydrates and is high in fat. On the other hand, a low-carb diet focuses more on moderate protein and moderate fat.

Ketogenic Dog Food Recipe From Top Dog Tips

Ingredients

• 3/8 cup of 80/20 ground beef
• 1/8 cup of coconut oil
• 1/16 cup of shredded cabbage

All you have to do is mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl since this is a raw dog food recipe. This recipe is low on carbs as the net carbs are only 5 grams.

The recipe also provides 28 grams of daily fat and 14 grams of daily protein.

This recipe is enough to feed a Dachshund for a day. But it can also be split in half, for once in the morning and once at night.

Dog Foods that are Low in Carbs

If you're not looking to cook for your pups because you really don't have the time for it. Luckily for you, there are now dog foods that are low in carbohydrates.

If you've noticed that your pup has gained some unwanted weight, you might want to try these low-carb dog foods:

• Nulo Adult Grain-Free Dog Food – Grain-free pet food with Omegas 3 and 6 for skin and fur.
• Visionary Pet Foods Keto Low Carb Dry Dog Food – 43% protein with B vitamins.
• Ketona Chicken Dry Dog Food – 85% fewer carbohydrates with 46% more protein.
• Stella & Chewy’s Super Beef Freeze – Raw, grass-fed beef.
• Wellness Core Grain-Free Dry Dog Food – grain-free and no filler.

Commonly Asked Questions

What Dog Food Is High In Protein And Low In Fat?

If you're looking for dog foods that are high in protein but less in fat, a great food way to start is looking for fresh salmon. Other examples are lean meats, soy, eggs, low-fat dairy, and beans.

A high protein with low-fat diet is great for dogs that have a sensitive stomach, dogs suffering from pancreatitis, and overweight dogs.

What Foods Are High In Protein And No Carbs?

A few foods that are high in protein but have little carbs are eggs, soy, oysters, or fish. Other great examples of these are vegetables used by vegetarians that do not show any signs of starvation.

In addition, there are actually certain dairy products that are suitable for this situation.

Is Grain-Free Dog Food Low In Carbs?

Dog foods that are made with grain tend to have less fat and sugar rather than pet food without grains. But all of these ingredients provide carbohydrates.

For instance, foods like white rice, brown rice, corn, and wheat still provide carbs. But some of them can be replaced with fat or protein.

Homemade Low-Carb Dog Food: Final Thoughts

Switching to a low-carb diet can be for preference, but it can sometimes help with dogs with diabetes or allergies to carbs themselves. Moreover, a low-carb diet can also help obese dogs to be more fit.

In addition, if you're planning to go to the low-carb or keto diet, you can either make it yourself or buy low-carb, grain-free dog foods.

As we've tackled earlier, there is a great advantage in making homemade low-carb dog food, homemade keto dog food, or even homemade dog foods in general.

This advantage is that you have full authority over the ingredients or food that your dog will eat.

Unlike buying processed foods where there can be specific or hidden ingredients that can harm your pups.

Always remember that it is still best advised to consult with a vet or a veterinary nutritionist when changing to low-carb or ketogenic dog food.

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