Home made dog food ?

[Brandy Hunter]

I really hate buying dog food by the bag. With all the poisonings and such, and the fillers, I hate it. Not to mention the outrageous prices !

I was thinking of trying him on home-made food, with very reduced dry food (for his teeth, unless theres an alternative). Anyone do this? He finished his bag of food last night, so I made up some Rice, cracked open a can of tuna (in water - not oil) and put in a few summer peas (just because he likes 'em) and mixed it all together. He ate about 1/3 a cup and he loves it.
Probably not the best concoction, but I tried it.

[Judstir]

arkBarkImHungry.com is one site I found that might help you.

[tidytaurus]

I made biscuits and cookies but not actual food, mine really liked those.

[Brandy Hunter]

Thanks for the link !

TidyTaurus, is that a pom I see ?!
Sparky's picky on his treats - so I think i'll leave him have those (for now )

[Andit]

I cook for my brats (not so much for Quincy cat these days, since he's decided he prefers kitten kibble). I used to adhere to a strict meal plan from a couple of vet books (one by Strombeck, the other by Pitcairn), but now I do something similar to what you did & supplement with puppy kibble. I feed Lily dog 1/3 meat (chicken, beef, pork, whatever's on sale), 1/3 carbs (rice or pasta usually, altho I give her mashed potatoes as a change) & 1/3 veggies (she LOVES steamed cauliflower!). I also add cooked eggshells ground into powder for calcium. I give her kibble for breakfast & a cooked meal (frozen, then heated in the microwave cause she likes her food warmed up) for dinner.

I also bake my own dog/cat biscuits or dehydrate liver for treats. In the summer, they also get "popsicles"`- I go to a local butcher who gives me bones for free, cook them in a large pot of water, then freeze the broth (ice cube trays for the cat, margarine tubs for the dog).

The only problem I have is that their food takes up most of my freezer!

[kelee877]

I have made both my own dog food and cat food...

I would not reccomend you give your dog canned tuna it does not have enough vitamin B in it for him(I am assuming a him)

Start off with what your dog CANNOT have to eat this human foods will kill him..

NO ONIONS
NO PEPPERS OF ANY KIND
(easy for me cause I have death allergies to this stuff)
NO GRAPES or RAISINS
NO MUSHROOMS

best to keep foods simple for pets(cats need more meats then dogs)

rice/barley/dried soup mixs/carrots and of course meats...

In my house there is not one left over that ever gets thrown out...

when you start your dog on home made foods do it slowly or you will have a poop mess all over....do a 75/25 mix for about a week then go 50/50 and so on...my dog gets feed his homeamde in the morning and then has a bowl full of store bought to munch on through the day

If you need more info feel free to pm me...

I have all this onfo in my preparing for the future forum I am trying to find it now for you

[Judstir]

Dog Hamburger Patty Recipe

There are ways to prepare healthy, uncontaminated meals for your dog. An ideal formula is 25% meat to 75% carbohydrates. If you’d like to venture into preparing your dog’s meals, start out with simple recipes. Here’s a very easy one for doggy hamburger patties:

1 cup of hamburger meat, stir fried in 1 tablespoon canola oil
2 chopped boiled eggs
½ cup of plain oatmeal, cooked
1 jar of baby food green beans
1 jar of baby food carrots
2 tablespoons of cottage cheese
Mix all the ingredients together and serve it to your dog at room temperature. You can add a good doggy food supplement or multivitamin to be sure that your pet is receiving the right amount of nutrients. Cover and store leftovers in the fridge and throw them out if they remain uneaten after three days.

More Dog Food Recipes

Another easy dog food recipe is to combine cooked brown rice, vegetables, ground meat, and a very small about of brewer’s yeast. Dogs have difficulty digesting vegetables, so make sure you put them through a food processor before mixing them with the rest of the meal. Alternatively, you can also use baby food.

Dog Food Warnings

Be careful of the ingredients you include in your dog’s meals. Never feed your dog bones, especially cooked ones because bone fragments can get lodged into their digestive tract. Canines who live in the wild can eat bones because they also consume the hair and hide, which aids in the bone fragments’ digestion. Other foods that can be toxic to your dog are chocolate, mushrooms, grapes, raisins, macadamia nuts, avocados, onions, and garlic.


I found this on the net too. Hope it helps.

[tidytaurus]

Yes you do see a pom I have 3 of them and they are spoiled

[kelee877]

ok I grabbed this info off of my prepping forum..full list of what they CANNOT have...

Alcoholic Beverages: Any type of alcohol can be poisonous to your pet and aside from intoxication, can cause a coma or even death.

Apple Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.

Apricot Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Cherry Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Candy containing the sweetener Xylitol: Can cause liver damage and even death.

Chocolate: Although pets should never have any type of , milk is not nearly as dangerous for animals as semi-sweet or unsweetened bakers . Chocolate poisoning can cause irregular heart rate and rhythm, restlessness, hyperactivity, diarrhea, vomiting, panting, muscle tremors, abdominal pain, bloody urine, increased body temperature, seizures, coma and possibly even death.

Coffee: Can result in increased breathing and heart rate, restlessness and affects the central nervous system.

Grapes: Large amounts of grapes can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

Hops: May cause panting, elevated temperature, increased heart rate, seizures and possibly death.

Macadamia Nuts: Can cause vomiting, lethargy, hyperthermia, abdominal pain, stiff joints, lameness and tremors.

Moldy Foods: Can have varied effects on pets including vomiting and diarrhea.

Mushrooms: Different types of mushrooms can have varied effects on pets such as, depression, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, tearing, hallucinations, defecation, liver failure, seizures, drooling, urination, kidney failure, heart damage, hyperactivity and in some cases, death.

Mustard Seeds: Can have varied effects on pets.

Onions and Onion Powder: Can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Peach Pits: Can cause respiratory difficulties such as breathing, coughing and sneezing.

Potato Leaves and Stems: Can cause problems with the digestive, nervous and urinary systems.

Raisins: Large amounts of raisins can be poisonous to pets and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and kidney damage.

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you can add some dried powdered milk for calcuim and dried powdered egg

[Brandy Hunter]

I cook for my brats (not so much for Quincy cat these days, since he's decided he prefers kitten kibble). I used to adhere to a strict meal plan from a couple of vet books (one by Strombeck, the other by Pitcairn), but now I do something similar to what you did & supplement with puppy kibble. I feed Lily dog 1/3 meat (chicken, beef, pork, whatever's on sale), 1/3 carbs (rice or pasta usually, altho I give her mashed potatoes as a change) & 1/3 veggies (she LOVES steamed cauliflower!). I also add cooked eggshells ground into powder for calcium. I give her kibble for breakfast & a cooked meal (frozen, then heated in the microwave cause she likes her food warmed up) for dinner.

I also bake my own dog/cat biscuits or dehydrate liver for treats. In the summer, they also get "popsicles"`- I go to a local butcher who gives me bones for free, cook them in a large pot of water, then freeze the broth (ice cube trays for the cat, margarine tubs for the dog).

The only problem I have is that their food takes up most of my freezer!

I WISH Sparky ate potatoes, i'd just buy a bag of already steamed ones, take out a few chunks and voila - but no, little mister will only have it if there is gravy. Spoiled brat eh ?
How long does the food last in the freezer? Have they had problems with cauliflower ? (poop, stomach pain? )

[Brandy Hunter]

Thanks Kelee ! Sparky likes mushrooms haha.. so I guess thats off the menu plan ?

[abbasgirl]

I don't have a dog. But I've been concerned for awhile about what my cats are eating. There just never seems to be enough meat in commercial cat food and the so called better quality ones also contain ingredients like corn and wheat, which are bad for cats. The grain free ones were priced higher than I would pay to feed myself. It finally occurred to me one day that if I can get meat for $1 per pound at the grocery store, why am I paying such high prices to get enough protein in my cat food. I'm not a cat nutrition expert, so I'm not comfortable with feeding them entirely home made food. So I went and got a mid-priced cat food with reasonable ingredients and no wheat or corn and I've been mixing it with cooked turkey or chicken. My cats are thrilled with the change and they look great!
If you want to feed a completely home made diet, I strongly recommend getting some expert advice. There may be some nutrients that your dog is missing if you just do it yourself. Tuna, for example, isn't a good quality food for cats because it's missing some nutrients that are essential to their health. I'm not sure if the same is true for dogs. There are also some people foods that are dangerous for dogs and cats.

[Brandy Hunter]

I don't have a dog. But I've been concerned for awhile about what my cats are eating. There just never seems to be enough meat in commercial cat food and the so called better quality ones also contain ingredients like corn and wheat, which are bad for cats. The grain free ones were priced higher than I would pay to feed myself. It finally occurred to me one day that if I can get meat for $1 per pound at the grocery store, why am I paying such high prices to get enough protein in my cat food. I'm not a cat nutrition expert, so I'm not comfortable with feeding them entirely home made food. So I went and got a mid-priced cat food with reasonable ingredients and no wheat or corn and I've been mixing it with cooked turkey or chicken. My cats are thrilled with the change and they look great!
If you want to feed a completely home made diet, I strongly recommend getting some expert advice. There may be some nutrients that your dog is missing if you just do it yourself. Tuna, for example, isn't a good quality food for cats because it's missing some nutrients that are essential to their health. I'm not sure if the same is true for dogs. There are also some people foods that are dangerous for dogs and cats.

Thanks, yeah I have some 'puppy' food. He's not a puppy but it has more of the nutrition he needs. I'll give him just a little (since it also has higher calories) with his wet food. He's not one to eat everything the minute you give it to him , so what I plan to give him dry food wise may last longer then I expect. So it'll be his choice if he feels he needs more, he can eat it.
He has his annual check up in March, so I feel I can hold it down and keep him from starving until then at least he likes my cooking.

[Andit]

I WISH Sparky ate potatoes, i'd just buy a bag of already steamed ones, take out a few chunks and voila - but no, little mister will only have it if there is gravy. Spoiled brat eh ?
How long does the food last in the freezer? Have they had problems with cauliflower ? (poop, stomach pain? )

I`ve been lucky that neither one has had an upset tummy from my cooking. I cook up a big batch once a week, then freeze them in daily portions in Tupperware containers (I nuke them for about 2 minutes).

& I know all about spoiled - you should see how these 2 behave with the treat dispensers, er, my parents.

[Brandy Hunter]

same, my mom falls for his trap every time