Does homemade raw dog food sound appealing to you but you’re not sure whether you’re up for it? That’s a legitimate concern because there are a few reasons why it may not be the right approach for you.
BUT!
Making your pup’s own raw meals also has two main benefits:
- It’s less expensive than store bought raw dog food
- You know exactly which ingredients will make it into your dog’s body
The latter is particularly beneficial (and possibly the only way) if you have a dog with lots of food sensitivities.
Back in late 2015, I was wondering exactly the same thing – should I start making my own raw dog food?
At that time, I had been feeding my pups Missy & Buzz pre-made raw dog food from Darwin’s Natural Pet and Raw Paws Pet Food for about 9 months. Before that, they ate dry dog food aka kibble. That was shortly after Missy had been diagnosed with cancer for the first time, at just 3 years of age, which was my main motivator to make the switch from kibble to raw.
But long story short, I did end up learning how to make my own DIY raw dog food. Pretty quickly too because I couldn’t afford feeding the pups store-bought raw dog food only.
However, I also don’t feed homemade raw dog food exclusively…
Instead, I like to switch it up between the two and stock up on meals or individual ingredients when I can get them on sale. Yep, I’m that kind of gal!
So in this blog post, I share 3 specific reasons why you may not want to make homemade raw dog food and stick with the pre-made kind after all – or maybe you’ll end up doing both like me!
3 Reasons Not to Make Homemade Raw Dog Food
Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
1. You Don’t Have Time/Space for Meal Prep
Time and space are big factors in raw meal prep, especially when you’re just starting to learn about homemade raw dog food!
That said, you can either prep your dog’s raw meals:
- daily
- weekly
- bi-weekly or
- monthly
How often you chose to meal prep depends mostly on the time you’re willing to invest and on the freezer space you’re working with. If you only have a small freezer section in your fridge, you’ll likely be looking at daily or weekly meal prep sessions.
The truth is, even if you think that you don’t have the time, you can probably cut back on something else. For example, watching TV. The question is – do you WANT to cut back on something else in order to make meal prep happen?
Also, be aware of the fact that it’s going to take longer to prep meals for multiple dogs! Especially if you can’t use the same ingredients because one of your pups is sensitive to some of them. At the same time, once you get the hang of making your own homemade raw dog food, you’ll get quicker and quicker.
All that said, raw meal prep is much more about making the time for it and less dependent on the amount of kitchen- and counter space you’re working with.
Because there ARE some easy hacks for small spaces:
Hack 1: Use your dining room table for meal prep instead of your kitchen counters. You can line it with towels or painter’s plastic for protection.
Hack 2: If your dining table is too small, invest in some (cheap) fold up camping tables you can find on Amazon, eBay or Craigslist. That way you can use them as needed and then put them up once you’re done using them.
2. You’re Squeamish Around Odd Cuts of Meat Like Beef Eyeballs
Unlike what some people may think, it’s not OK to feed your dog the same meals of chicken thighs and chicken gizzards day in and day out.
On the contrary, it’s REALLY important to add a variety of odd cuts of meat to your homemade raw dog food. That’s because different cuts of meat from different animals have different types and varying levels of nutrients!
Obviously that means that you’ll have to source and handle them.
Examples of odd cuts of meat are:
- Eyeballs
- Lungs
- Kidneys
- Hearts
- Tongues
- Spleen and many more!
Hack: Wear disposable household gloves with grip when you’re handling those odd cuts of meat. That way you won’t have to touch them with your bare hands and the grip ensures they won’t slip through your fingers.
Tip: Your best bet of getting your hands (literally!) on odd cuts of meat for homemade raw dog food meals is shopping at Raw Feeding Miami. You can save 10% with my referral discount link.
3. You Have Enough Money & Budget Is Not A Concern. You Also Don’t Want to Give Up The Convenience of Store-Bought Raw Dog Food
One of the major benefits of buying pre-made raw dog food from a reputable brand is the convenience factor. I’ll be the first one to admit that!
You don’t have to spend any time meal prepping and you won’t have to clean your kitchen counters. You also won’t have to do any math to figure out how many secreting organs etc your pup needs per day.
However, be aware of the fact that ground raw dog food won’t do much to keep your pup’s teeth clean. If you’re not feeding raw meaty bones on a regular, weekly basis, you’ll be looking at brushing your pup’s teeth or, alternatively, offering the right dog chews.
If that sounds like something that works better for you than homemade raw dog food, go ahead and invest in your dog’s health that way!
Like I said at the beginning of this article, I like to mix it up between pre-made and homemade raw dog food myself.
…although the frugal side of me DOES get a kick out of buying pre-made raw dog food when it’s on sale or when I can get my hands on a discount code.
So although you may not NEED to shop for discounted raw meals, it’s still nice to get something at a lesser price, right?
Tip: Shop all pre-made raw meals at Raw Paws Pet Food for 15% OFF with my affiliate discount code K9Savings. Raw Paws Pet Food is located in Indiana and ships nationwide within the US.
3 Reasons Not to Make Homemade Raw Dog Food: Bottom Line
So, is making your own raw dog food diet cheaper than buying pre-made raw dog food?
Yes! It absolutely is.
However, you will need to invest time in learning about it and pulling it off.
You’ll also need to have some sort of freezer space in order to store your homemade raw dog food meals. Also keep in mind that you’ll be handling a large variety of odd cuts of meat.
Tip: My ebook Raw Meal Prep for Dogs: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners is currently on sale for $5.99.
On the other hand, if you’re not willing to invest the time and money into buying freezer space and if you have a large raw dog food budget, buying it pre-made is going to be easier.
So either way, enjoy what works best for you! Happy raw feeding 🙂
Content Related to Homemade Raw Dog Food:
- How to Keep Raw Dog Food Affordable
- Raw Meal Prep for Dogs: The Ultimate Raw Dog Food Guide for Beginners
- How to Make Raw Dog Food At Home: Learn with the K9sOverCoffee Community
