Anybody here make homemade (not raw diet) dog food?

[phylny]

I've been working on a recipe that a friend gave me, but I'm still researching the proper ratio of meat, vegetables, and rice.

Her recipe calls for:

9 pounds of ground turkey, baked/cooked.
9 large packages of frozen vegetables, to include peas, carrots, broccoli, squash/zucchini, green beans, spinach.
5 cups cooked brown rice

I also have added Dynovite supplement, Lickochops Omega Fatty Acid Supplement, and a canine calcium powder.

Any comments/suggestions?

[2theleft]

1. I do... I used most of what you list above

In addition, I add a large can of pumpkin for my boxer's sensitive tummy...helps with the boxer gas. I will also cut up sweet potatoes as well.

I don't do as much meat - too much protein for the boxer causes some weird aggression - aggression showed up out of the blue (I thought) and I took her to the vet...we talked about diet, I let her know that I had increased the protein. She recommended cutting back on the protein, so I did and the aggression is almost. I do about 30% protein, 50% veggies, 20% brown rice or whole wheat pasta. My pups also like oatmeal with apples (no seeds), plain yogurt with pineapple, eggs (scrambled, boiled, etc). I use any kind of greens from the farmer's market - kale, turnip greens, spinach, etc. Brussel sprouts on occasion. The don't get the oatmeal often - really only if I make it for myself on the weekends, I will make extra and add apples to their's for breakfast.

In the summer I give them watermelon (not large quantities, but a few chunks). I always share bananas with them, too.

I have a cookbook I found online a few years ago. I'll try to dig it up and get you the name. Had tons of recipes if you ever wanted to switch it up a bit.

I've been cooking for my dogs for about 5 years. Perfect blood work, healthy coats, clear eyes, no stinky dog smell. My vet is always super impressed by their health. My rainbow bridge pup lived to 16 after being diagnosed with cancer at around 10. Vet recommended getting rid of kibble and start cooking and that's what I've done ever since for all of them.

[world wide wally]

2. We have been feedIng our two dogs raw chicken legs for the past two years. We can normally get

the chicken leg quarters for .99 per pound, so that is the cost of each feeding. The chicken bones are totally digestible and the dogs will not choke on them as long as they are raw.
It took our newest dog (pound rescued) about two days to get into it, but once he tried it, he loved it.

I know it sounds weird at first, but think about what ancestral canines have eaten for millennium.

[OnyxCollie]

3. I give my dogs a can of pink salmon, chub mackerel, tuna,

or cooked chicken trimmings (along with canned chicken), mixed with mashed potatoes or brown rice, with Brussels sprouts (their favorite), and a half can of two no-salt-added vegetables (peas, carrots, or french-cut green beans.) There is also an algae supplement that they go crazy for.

If it's available, and they've been very good dogs, I'll add in cottage cheese and a dollop of peanut butter.

If I don't feed them this, they get 3 or 4 frozen, raw chicken backs.

On the weekend, they get steel-cut rolled oatmeal or shredded wheat cereal.

[phylny]

4. Such good information!

I will definitely add pumpkin, and will look into your other suggestions.

My other question is, how much to feed? They are small dogs (~12#, ~16#). The smaller one is much more active than the larger one. I've started off slowly. Previously, they ate Wellness dry dog food and I gave them each a 1/4 cup in the morning and a 1/4 cup at night. I've been giving them about the same amount of homemade, and figured I'd watch their weights to be sure they're not losing or gaining.

Thanks for your responses

[Mosby]

5. some suggestions

sweet potato instead of brown rice or just go back and forth with batches. oil supps are good but you should be putting in just regular oil as well. It's pretty quick to just make the main ingredients like ground beef, sweet potato and veggies and store in separate containers, then combine at mealtime with oil and supps. The ingredients will store better that way. Might be a little more expensive but salt free canned veg-all works well and doesn't need to be defrosted. It's also nice because you can use the liquid like gravy and juice up the meal.

someone else mentioned cottage cheese, that's a good addition.

[phylny]

6. Excellent suggestions!

Thanks to everyone who responded. I'm very appreciative, as are Jack and Chloe (and whoever can figure out the significance of their names wins a high five from me!)

They are really excited at meal time - Chloe actually whimpers in anticipation. I do notice they are drinking a whole lot less, which my friend advised me might happen, I guess due to the increase moisture content of the food.

[QED]

7. Make your own Frosty Paws

32 oz plain yogurt
2-3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 banana, smashed (or a jar of banana baby food)

Put all in a blender and blend until smooth. Freeze in ice cube trays.

The original recipe called for some honey but I don't see why. My dogs love this.

[phylny]

8. Thanks! n/ty

[irisblue]

9. i also found that homemade fed dogs' stools were much easier to clean up.

a bonus

[marzipanni]

10. For small dogs, I would cut that recipe and freeze portions

That's a lot of food!
I've been giving my dog some grain-free lamb or lamb/rice dog kibble and also oatmeal, ground turkey, or sometimes chicken hearts, gizzards, liver. I cook carrots or broccoli enough so they can be chewed by a 14-year-old dog who had to have some of her molars removed. If I cook a winter squash she and I share it (no one else likes it )

I was giving her glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM tablets that she loves; I'll get more.
Do you like Dynovite, or should I say, does your dog like it?

To get an idea of calories I look at the feeding guidelines on the kibble bags, and consider that kibble swells about 1 1/2- 2 x it's volume after absorbing water. I add warm water and let it sit for a few minutes. Homemade food is dense but moist, not dry, dense & compressed as kibble so it would measure more like kibble that has absorbed some water.

When I give her kibble, it's been these two, mixed-
Taste of the Wild Canine Formula with Roasted Lamb-
Feeding guidelines: 10-20 lbs- 1 - 1 1/2 cups@ 338 calories/cup
crude protein 25% minimum, crude fat 15% min, crude fiber 4% min, plus minerals and fatty acids

and Verus Adult Maintenance Canine Lamb meal, Oats, and Brown rice-
Feeding guidelines: 12 lbs. or less up to 1/2 cup,
13-25 lbs.1/2-1 1/4 cups@ 361 calories/cup
crude protein 22% minimum, crude fat 10% min, crude fiber 5% plus minerals, flaxseed, alfalfa, kelp, etc.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/ideal-dog-food/
http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_50/description_of_the_canine_ancestral_diet.html

[phylny]

11. Thanks for your info!

The dogs don't mind the Dinovite - they are too busy and excited about their meal. The whining and spinning is rather adorable. I did make a bunch and froze it. I will see what their 1/4 cup dry looks like once it's moist.

Thank you!

[phylny]

13. Update on dog food

I've been cooking for the dogs since October, and the results for them have been great. My recipe is from Dynovite:

10 pounds cooked, ground meat (I use turkey)
18 eggs, hardboiled and run through the food processor with shells
10 cups of white rice (dogs digest quickly, and brown rice needs more time in the digestive tract than white)

I freeze the above in containers. This amount lasts about a month for the two dogs.

I also steam frozen spinach, carrots, broccoli, green beans, and peas, run this through the food processor until pureed, freeze in ice cube trays, and give them each one cube that i've heated in the microwave twice a day.

To this, I add one scoop of of Dinovite and two squirts of Lickochops.

The dogs are absolutely loving it - they get unbelievably excited at dinnertime. My formerly overweight dog Jack is sleek and muscular. Chloe's coat has doubled and is luxurious, as Jack's is. I asked the vet to do bloodwork on them a few months ago when they got their teeth cleaned, and they both passed in all areas with flying colors. Their water consumption has gone way down, probably due to the moisture content in the food.

[glinda]

14. Good Holistic Vets have said this is the go-to Bible for making dog food.

http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Food-Ancient-Wisdom-Preparing/dp/1466425989

I have bought it and it is easy to understand and make many of the foods there. Very good advice and info also for health conditions.

Due to time issues having so many rescues, I order Sojos. You can buy the "Base" one and add to it making sure your dogs get their nutritional needs met. Non-GMO and Organic.
Having been in the 2007 Pet Food Lawsuit because of damages to pets, I am one of the most concerned people you will ever meet about what to feed your pets. $11,000 in Vets' bills later.......

[phylny]

15. Thanks :) n/t