Guides

The first month of homemade

Everything a new homemade feeder asks in the first few weeks, in the order it comes up. The Bowl Builder works these out for your own dog and recipe.

Switching over: the 10-day plan

Two meals a day. Mix the new bowl into the current food and raise its share every few days.

WhenNew bowlCurrent food
Days 1–325%75%
Days 4–650%50%
Days 7–875%25%
Days 9–10100%0%

If stool loosens or your dog skips a meal, stay on the current step two more days before moving on. The builder gives both amounts in grams per meal once you enter your current food's kcal/kg.

Before day one

  • Show your vet the builder's summary and agree the plan.
  • Weigh your dog and write it down.
  • Cook a 3-day batch, not a week, until you know it suits them.

How to tell it's working

Body shape, every two weeks

Ribs felt easily under a thin layer of fat, not seen. A waist behind the ribs from above. A tummy tuck from the side. If ribs disappear, feed about 10% less; if they stand out, 10% more.

Weight

Same scale, same time of day. A change of more than 5% in a month means adjust the amounts. The builder keeps a weight log with your target line.

Stool

Firm, formed, easy to pick up. Soft stool in the first week of a switch is common; hold the transition step two more days. Loose stool for more than two days, call your vet.

Call your vet if

Vomiting, diarrhoea or refusing food for more than a day; lethargy; itching or ear trouble that starts after the switch; any change in drinking or urination.

Batch cooking

Cook once a week. A 7-day batch for a 45 lb dog is about 3.3 kg of chicken thighs, a pound of dry rice and a bag of carrots, and takes about an hour including portioning. The builder's shopping list converts the recipe to store units and estimates the cost with your prices.

  • Cool to room temperature before mixing in VMsure, then portion straight away.
  • One container per day, or one per meal if you prefer to grab and go.
  • Fridge up to 3 days, freezer up to 2 months. Thaw tomorrow's portion in the fridge tonight.
  • Fish oil goes on at serving time, never into the batch.

Kitchen food safety

  • Wash anything that touched raw meat, poultry, seafood or eggs before it touches cooked food or raw produce.
  • Clean surfaces before, during and after, and wash your hands often.
  • Seal and refrigerate or freeze within an hour of cooking. Fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below, freezer at 0°F (−18°C) or below.
  • Thaw in the refrigerator, never on the counter.

Treats and variety

Treats and chews count toward the day's calories. Keep them under 10% of the daily total, and on a treat day hold back about 10% of the bowl so weight stays steady. Treats are not balanced, which is why the limit matters.

For a 45 lb dog, 10% is about 108 kcal: roughly 90 g of cooked chicken breast, or 300 g of carrot sticks, or 200 g of apple slices.

Rotating proteins

Swap the main protein one for one and let the builder re-size the grams. Change one protein at a time and give it a week. Two or three proteins across a month adds variety without upsetting digestion.

See the swaps

Who these tools are not for

WellyChef recipes and the Bowl Builder are built to the AAFCO Adult Maintenance profile, so they are for healthy adult dogs only.

  • Puppies under 12 months (18 months for large and giant breeds) need a growth diet with more calcium, protein and fat.
  • Pregnant and nursing dogs need the growth and reproduction profile.
  • Dogs with kidney, liver, pancreatic or heart disease, or on a therapeutic diet, need a diet designed by a veterinary nutritionist.

These are approximate-value diet planning tools for healthy adult dogs. They are not veterinary medical diet or feeding advice. Consult your veterinarian about your homemade dog food before switching diets.

Take it to your vet

The Bowl Builder's recipe page has a one-page summary with the dog, the recipe and every nutrient against its standard. Copy it into an email before the appointment.

What your vet will see