Creating your own pet food can be exciting, but without proper research it may cost more in time and money than expected.
Do you want to spend five hours or more in the kitchen cooking for your pets? That is about the average amount of time a pet owner might spend making homemade pet food.
Many pet owners believe cooking their pets' food will be easier and cheaper than buying commercial food. But according to Dr. Lindsey E. Bullen, a veterinary nutritionist, that's not the case.
There is a "misconception about one being able to create nutritiously balanced pet meals from human ingredients. That is just not possible,” she said.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
How to find the right recipe for your animal companion
Rather than finding a random recipe online, Bullen recommends working with a board certified vet to create the right recipe for your furry friend.
“Food preparation done incorrectly could cause long-term damage to be borderline lethal to your pet,” Bullen said.
How about feeding your pets kibble?
Kibble might not be so attractive, but it could be a better option for many.
Even though pet owners might think commercial food is less healthy, Bullen reminds them there is no equivalent in the human world.
If you want to make your own pet food, make sure to research and work with the right professionals.
Bullen said she doesn’t see the benefit of cooking over feeding pets commercial food because every pet is so unique and it’s humanly impossible to get every ingredient right.
