Some time back our daughter was having a weight problem with her 9 year old Shiba Inu.

The store bought dog food was going right through her but she was also overweight. My daughter decided to make her own dog food from a recipe she had found and it did wonders.

Her dog, Lola, lost 6 pounds in 2 months, stopped the skin inching, and stopped getting yeast infections. Now both her dogs eat the food and her cost is basically the same as store bought food or less. Here is the recipe she makes for her dogs Lola and  Duncan.

Many dog food recipes fall short in certain nutrients, especially iron, copper, calcium, and zinc. Even some recipes created by veterinarians don't measure up. The University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine tested 200 recipes, many written by vets. The researchers found most of the recipes were short on some essential nutrients.

The best way to make sure a recipe has what it takes is to choose one created by an expert with training in dog nutrition. That might be a certified pet nutritionist or a PhD-trained animal nutritionist with experience making pet food. Your vet should be able to point you in the right direction.

Your pet needs protein (animal meat, seafood, dairy, or eggs), fat (from meat or oil) and carbohydrates (grains or vegetables). He also needs calcium (from dairy or an ingredient such as egg shells), and essential fatty acids (from certain plant oils, egg yolks, oatmeal, and other foods).

And if that's not enough to consider, if your dog has a health problem, he may need a special diet. You may need a pet nutrition expert to create custom recipes.

Always consult your veterinarian and have a vet check before embarking on the dog food journey.