5 Biggest Mistakes Made by Those New to Homemade Dog Food

1. Feeding only muscle and not including organ meat

Dogs need organ meat in a homemade diet because organs serve as “nature’s multivitamin.” They provide essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids that muscle meat and bones lack completely. Without organ meats, a 100% homemade diet cannot achieve nutritional balance, putting your dog at risk for severe nutrient deficiencies over time.

Essential nutrients in organ meats
While muscle meat supplies standard protein, organs provide an incredibly dense concentration of vital micronutrients:

• Fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K: liver and kidneys are particularly rich in fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin A is vital for immune function and vision while organ meat is one of the highest naturally occurring food sources of vitamin D which regulates bone health and immune cell production.
• B-Complex vitamins: organs deliver heavy doses of B1, B2 (riboflavin), B6, B12 and folate which drive energy metabolism and support a healthy nervous system.
• Trace minerals: essential minerals like iron (for oxygen delivery in the blood), copper (for connective tissue and iron absorption), zinc (for skin and immune health) and selenium are found in much higher, highly bioavailable concentrations in organs than in muscle tissues.
• Targeted amino acids & enzymes: specific organs offer unique benefits. For example, heart is packed with taurine and CoQ10 which are crucial for maintaining cardiovascular health. Green tripe contains natural digestive enzymes and probiotics that aid gut health.

Golden rules for feeding a dog organ meats
Because organ meats are highly concentrated, our in-house dog nutritionist says that one or two feeding rules apply:

• Organ meat should only make up in the region of 25% of a dog’s overall diet.
• No one organ should make up more than 10% of a dog’s overall diet.
• Liver should never make up more than about 5% of a dog’s overall diet.

2. Not including a calcium source

Calcium is an essential mineral that a dog’s body cannot manufacture on its own, making it a mandatory component of a dog’s daily diet. Failing to add calcium to home cooked dog food is arguably the biggest and most potentially costly mistake in pet nutrition because boneless meats are inherently high in phosphorus but almost entirely devoid of calcium. Without proper supplementation, this creates a severe mineral imbalance that silently destroys a dog’s health over time.

Why calcium is essential for dogs
While a dog’s structure is calcium’s most obvious job, it also plays critical roles across the entire body:

• Skeletal and dental health: roughly 99% of calcium is stored in the bones and teeth, providing the structural blueprint for strength and growth in dogs.
• Nerve signalling: calcium acts as a messenger for brain and nervous system impulses, allowing signals to travel smoothly throughout the body.
• Muscle & heart function: muscles require calcium to contract and relax properly. This includes the heart which relies on a precise balance of calcium to maintain a steady rhythm.
• Vital biological processes: calcium is a key component in blood clotting and enzyme activation.

The meat-only misconception of home cooked diets
When pet parents make homemade food for their dog using standard grocery ingredients, the food looks incredibly healthy. However, meat contains a massive amount of phosphorus and negligible calcium. Feeding a boneless homemade diet without adding a regular calcium source completely flips this ratio.

A dog eating a calcium-deficient homemade diet will often look perfectly healthy. It may have a shiny coat and plenty of energy — this creates a false sense of security for the pet parent.

The body must keep blood calcium levels within a razor-thin, life-sustaining range to keep the heart beating and nerves functioning. When there is no calcium in the food, parathyroid hormones signal the body to leach calcium directly out of the dog’s own bones to maintain blood levels. By the time a pet parent notices something is wrong, the structural deficit is severe. In adult dogs this manifests as severe arthritis, lameness, loose or weakening teeth and spontaneous bone fractures from simple movements. Extreme deficiencies can result in seizures or acute heart failure. In growing puppies, the damage happens incredibly fast. Devoid of calcium, a puppy’s bones cannot form properly, leading to irreversible, painful developmental orthopaedic diseases and skeletal deformities.

Calcium supplementation for any dog is an absolute necessity!