Dog food types
What nutrients are hardest to get right in homemade dog food?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Calcium and phosphorus balance, along with specific trace minerals like zinc, copper, and manganese, and certain vitamins such as vitamin D and vitamin E, are consistently the hardest nutrients to get right in homemade dog food without a properly formulated recipe, since they are needed in small, precise amounts that are difficult to judge by eye.
Why calcium and phosphorus cause the most concern
A meat-heavy homemade diet without added bone or a calcium supplement is almost always deficient in calcium relative to phosphorus, an imbalance that can affect bone development in puppies and bone health over time in adult dogs if left uncorrected.
The trace minerals that easily slip through the cracks
Zinc, copper, iodine, and manganese are needed in very small quantities, but a deficiency in any of them can cause skin, coat, or metabolic problems over months, and these are genuinely difficult to estimate accurately from whole food ingredients alone.
Fat-soluble vitamins that need careful attention
Vitamin D and vitamin E are not abundant in most muscle meats and common homemade ingredients, so recipes often need a specific supplement source to reach adequate levels, something that is easy to overlook when assembling a recipe informally.
Key takeaways
- Calcium to phosphorus balance is one of the most commonly missed elements in homemade diets.
- Trace minerals like zinc, copper, and manganese are needed in small but essential amounts that are hard to judge visually.
- Vitamin D and E typically need a specific supplement source in a homemade recipe.