If your dog has a sensitive stomach, you know how frustrating trying various types of store-bought foods can be. Rather than waste your time and money on store-bought foods for your sensitive dog, and further risk your dog’s health, consider making your own food for your dog.
Making your own dog food eliminates the guessing games when it comes to your dog’s food ingredients and allows you to ensure your dog is getting the treatment it deserves.
What Is Causing Your Dog’s Sensitive Stomach?
Until you can pinpoint why exactly your dog is suffering from the dog food you are purchasing, you will not be able to eliminate harmful ingredients in your dog food, even if you are making it at home.
First, be sure to consult with your dog’s vet in order to ensure your dog is not experiencing a more serious health problem. Once you’ve determined your dog is in fact only facing a food insensitivity, you’ll be able to work on getting rid of harmful ingredients in your dog’s current diet.
External Factors Contributing to Your Dog’s Health Problems
Dogs are sly, and it is possible your dog is getting into your trash when you aren’t around. Be sure to observe your dog’s behavior for a significant period of time before jumping to conclusions about its dog food.
It is possible your dog’s stomach is being upset by something other than its food, so be sure to eliminate this possibility first.
Work With Your Vet to Identify Dietary Deficiencies
Rather than your dog experiencing harmful ingredients in its diet, it is possible your dog is actually not getting the nutrients that it needs in order to maintain a healthy diet. Dogs that exhibit symptoms of a sensitive stomach may also be facing deficiencies.
It will likely be hard for you to be able to determine what the exact cause of your dog’s stomach issues is, so be sure to consult a qualified professional.
Once You’ve Eliminated Other Possibilities, Begin Changing Your Dog’s Diet
This is the most intensive portion of the healing process for your dog. You’ll need to be able to determine what exactly is causing your dog to react negatively to its food. Experts recommend first getting rid of excess treats from your dog’s diets.
It is possible your dog is simply overeating and the treats you are providing your dog are pushing your dog’s stomach past its limits.
Although you’ve likely consulted with your vet regarding the human food items that should be off-limits for your dog, temporarily cease giving your dog any scraps of table food.
Eliminating these extra foods will help you determine that your dog food is, in fact, the cause of your dog’s stomach problems at all.
Determining What Foods Are Harming Your Dog
There are many ingredients in dog food that are meant to keep your dog at their healthiest. Like humans, dogs have complex dietary needs that need to be met through their dog food. Also like humans, there are some foods that certain dogs simply cannot stomach. Begin by slowly changing up the different types of foods your dog is digesting in order to identify the problem.
For example, if your dog food is fish-based, it is possible the protein is at the root of the problem. Eliminate the fish by switching over to a poultry or beef-based dog food and determine if your dog’s stomach issues have been resolved.
Your Dog May Not Be Getting Enough Fiber
Again, dogs are similar to humans in that they need a recommended amount of fiber in order to keep their digestive systems on track. Identify the amount of fiber your dog is receiving and consult with your dog’s vet about either raising or lowering the amount of fiber in your dog’s diet.
Specialty Diets Are Not One-Size Fits All
While your friend’s dog may be thriving from its special vegan dog food plan, specialized meal plans might not necessarily work with your dog. It is imperative to always consult your dog’s vet before beginning any sort of rigid meal plan in order to ensure your dog is receiving the nutrients it deserves.
It is possible that your dog’s vet okay-ed a dietary plan for your dog that has now turned out to be harmful to your dog’s digestive system. Be sure to cease any special diet you have placed your dog on as soon as it appears your dog is experiencing indigestion.
Poor Ingredients
At other times, it is entirely possible that the type of ingredients in your dog’s food are not the problem. For example, it is possible it is not the fact that your dog’s food is chicken-based, but instead that the quality of chicken ingredients in your dog’s food is not up to par.
It is worth it to try out higher quality dog foods if only to eliminate the possibility that this is the case. Your dog deserves the best quality of food you can provide it, and if you find yourself needing to switch over to higher-quality foods, it is likely worth it.
Begin Making Homemade Dog Food For Your Dog’s Sensitive Stomach
One way to better identify a solution for your dog’s sensitive stomach is to begin making homemade food for your dog.
First, try this recipe for dog food for sensitive stomachs:
Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of uncooked brown rice
- 2 cans of string beans
- 1 pound of carrots
- 6 eggs
- 6 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 pound of yams or pumpkin
- 1 cup of sunflower oil
- salt
Instructions:
- Begin by placing chicken and vegetables in a large pot.
- Add water until all ingredients are covered.
- Set your rice to cook on the stove or in a rice cooker, whichever you prefer.
- Once your water begins to boil, lower the heat and leave on for about 90 minutes.
- Scramble your eggs and cook until they are firm.
- Shred your chicken once fully cooked and add back into the pot.
Add in the rice, oil, salt, and eggs, one ingredient at a time. Stir as you go.
Once you’ve got your homemade dog food fully cooked, you’ve likely ended up with a fairly large amount of food on your hands. This recipe freezes well and will last you and your sensitive doggy a long time.
Switch It Up With a Homemade Burger Meal For Your Dog
While the recipe mentioned above is a staple for dogs with sensitive stomachs, your dog will likely appreciate you switching things up a bit every once in a while.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of burger meat
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons of cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal
- 3 tablespoons of beans
- 3 tablespoons of carrots
- 1 tablespoon of canola oil
Instructions:
- Ensure your oatmeal is precooked and your eggs have been hard-boiled.
- Fry hamburger meat in the canola oil.
- Chop up the hard-boiled eggs and add them to the boiled meat.
- Add all the other ingredients, and voila!
Once the mixture cools down, you will have a simple and nutritious homemade meal for your dog’s sensitive stomach.
Use Homemade Meals to Identify Your Dog’s Stomach Problems
Perhaps the best part of using healthy ingredients to make your dog’s homemade food is being able to not only ensure your dog’s food has no additives but being allowed the freedom to swap out ingredients as needed.
If you find one meal is still irritating your dog’s stomach try switching out the proteins, the veggies, the fats, etc, in turn. Be sure you are still meeting your dog’s dietary and nutritional needs by consulting with your dog’s vet and presenting them with your dog’s proposed meal plan.