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05-05-2012, 11:58 AM | #1 |
YT 2000 Club Member | Help Please I'm at my wits end here. With all the dog food recalls going on with the Diamond Pet Food company, I've pretty much had it, I can't even tell you the crap our furkids have been through going from food to food, and what my boxers are now on, I'm really ashamed to say.... Now with Wellness having been added to the recall, I'm tossing in the towel, I want to start home cooking for our furkids. I need to start researching home made dog foods and any vitamins and stuff I may need to add. But I'm also worried about Mags, she has a compromised immune system and doesn't handle food changes very well at all. When she was 2 years old and I tried to switch her to Wellness's adult dog formula, she ended up in the ICU with IV's in her. I just now FINALLY (after 4 months) got her totally switched over to it, and now they have recalls and I'm no longer comfortable feeding this to her or Jazzie. Furthermore, are the yorkies more prone to pancreatitis? (sp) I am so scared, I don't want to do anything to hurt any of them, but I really feel that home cooking would be best for all of them. Do any of you home cook for your furkids? If so, do you have any recipes, do and don'ts you'd be willing to share? Links are appreciated to. I won't do the BARF diet though, just not comfy giving raw meats. Thanks so much in advance.
__________________ ~Tracy~ |
Welcome Guest! | |
05-05-2012, 12:24 PM | #2 |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | I would suggest you see a dog nutritionist. Linda (LadyJane) often posts the link. You will need a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. Also if you can use the glass containers for the freezer I am really really pleased with mine. I'm slowly converting over from plastic. With the glass containers I know I get the container really clean. It is pretty easy really, but one of the additives will be bone meal(probably) the nutrionist will have you add in. Glucosamine and Chondrotin I usually add into the mixture as well. I use Biologic vet Omega's 3/6/9. Because I have dogs with different needs now, it is a tad more complex, but for Razzle I reduce the meat content to 30% versus the Blackies get 70% meat and 30%vege's with Magic getting 85% meat and 15% veges. LOL. Once you get organized it goes really quickly. I usually prepare 2wks worth of food. My goal is to have 3wks worth eventually so that I'm only cooking every other wk. But the glass containers are expensive, and I'm only at 10 day supply of glass. I do roast my veges, but leave them crispy, so there is some chewiness to the food. I have a butcher I buy from - about 28lbs of meat a wk - now that is for the two dogs that eat 2lbs each a day, plus of course Razzle whose measely 1/3-1/2 cup is just noise level...lol. I get a pretty good deal. I try to rotate the meats every 2wks or so, ground chicken, ground beef, and also use different viands, lamb very occasionally cause it is so expensive, ground turkey I can get good deals on too. I use two huge frying pans to cook meat, while veges are in oven. Then a big mixer to mix up the meat veges and additives. I don't peel my veges just wash and brush them. I love to home cook, I buy organic veges, and great meat. I've been home cooking for 5yrs and my dogs have great teeth, breath, and coats!.
__________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018 |
05-05-2012, 12:28 PM | #3 |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | Oh forgot to add when we are planning on shows, I make the meat into meatballs, so I can handfeed and keep the big blackies beard really clean.
__________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018 |
05-05-2012, 12:54 PM | #4 |
YT 2000 Club Member | Thank you Gemy, I appreciate it. I'm actually going to talk to my vet about it Monday morning, doing some research over the weekend. I used to make home made food for my boxer Isaiah years ago when he was still with us, he had very severe allergies. But since then, I was in a bad four wheeler accident, suffered traumatic brain injuries that left me stuck on stupid for a while. Took some time to get back to "me" but the me today doesn't remember how I used to cook for Isaiah 10 years ago. Some things have just never came back to me so I'm tryin to learn it all over again. I do still have the scales though that I used to measure his foods with when I'd make them, and I do know he had more food stored in the freezer for him then we did, lol. So much has changed since then though. Heck, back then, garlic was said to be good for dogs, now it's considered a no no cause it's related to the onion family. And at that time, grapes were considered good for them to, not now. I guess it's better to research everything all over again. Been looking on Barnes and Noble for a good book to read on a good balanced diet for them, I don't want to just guess I'm doing it right, I want to know they are getting what they need and what suppliments I need to add.... Lots of researching to do.
__________________ ~Tracy~ |
05-05-2012, 01:37 PM | #5 |
My hairy-legged girls Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: lompoc, ca.
Posts: 12,228
| Vets. always push dog food because they make a lot of money from them. They don't know much about nutrition or feeding "real" food since they are not trained. I've only have one Vet. over the past 50 years that agreed that feeding real food is the safest and healthiest way to go, so don't be too surprised if your Vet. tries to make feeding real food too complicated in order to sell you commercial food. Since so many people are switching to real food for their dogs and cats, and so many recalls and deaths in animals, more and more Vets. are re-thinking their idea that pet food is best. Thankfully! It isn't a science feeding real food. So far, there is not one person on the planet that are experts in this field. It's just trial and error. Most of us know what not to feed, so the rest is simple. Keep it simple though. RECOMMENDED GRAINS Barley Brown rice Buckwheat Bulgur Cornmeal Millet Rolled oats Wheat berries Whole-wheat couscous Potatoes Whole-wheat bread RECOMMENDED LEGUMES Kidney, red beans Lentils Pinto beans Soybeans Split peas White or black beans Tofu VEGETABLES...these are the best-liked veggies that can be fed raw. Chopped parsley Alfalfa sprouts Finely grated carrots Finely grated zucchini These are vegetable favorites should be cooked before being fed to pets. Corn Peas Green beans Broccoli MEATS Ground turkey Beef liver Canned mackerel Ground chicken Regular hamburger Lean hamburger Beef heart Chicken liver Canned tuna Chuck roast Canned salmon DAIRY PRODUCTS Cottage cheese Eggs Powdered milk Milk Cheddar cheese Low-fat yogurt FRUIT Dried fruits such as figs, dates, prunes, and apricots as well as fresh fruits like apples and berries. Like vegetables, fruits are a great storehouse of vitamins, minerals and vital energy. For best digestion, feed such foods apart from the regular mealtime. Dried fruits are especially good natural sources of potassium, an important mineral that can sometimes be in short supply. Dates are extremely rich in folic acid, an important B vitamin. VITAMINS HEALTHY POWDER 2 cups nutritional (torula) yeast 1 cup lecithin granules 1/4 cup kelp powder 1/4 cup bonemeal (or 9,000 milligrams calcium or 5 teaspoons eggshell powder) 1,000 milligrams vitamin C (ground) or 1/4 teaspoon sodium ascorbate (optional) Mix all ingredients together in a 1-quart container and refrigerate. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons per day for cats or small dogs; 2 to 3 teaspoons per day for medium-size dogs; 1 to 2 tablespoons per day for large dogs. VEGETABLE OIL Vegetable oils are all excellent sources of linoleic acid and other important unsaturated fatty acids needed by both dogs and cats.
__________________ AZRAEL RAZAEL JILLI ANN |
05-05-2012, 01:53 PM | #6 |
YT 2000 Club Member | Thank you Yorkiedaze. Thankfully, my vet isn't one of those vets. When I started home cooking for Isaiah when he was a pup, it blew our vet away at the improvements he had and he really wanted me to stop looking for dog foods he could tolerate because they were doing such a number on him. Thank you for the list up there, some of he things are questionable, like the dates, prunes, those are basically the same as raisens and grapes, right? And grapes and raisens are toxic to dogs from everything I've read. Unless it's been updated and I haven't came across that info yet. Is there a powered formula already mixed that one could purchase that would cover all the vitamins and minerals they would need?
__________________ ~Tracy~ |
05-05-2012, 04:02 PM | #7 |
I ♥ my girls! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: With My Yorkies
Posts: 18,980
| I know exactly how you feel with all the recalls!! It is enough to pull your hair out!! I home cook for my girls. I give the kibble for "snacks" when they get hungry inbetween. To make a long story short, I think home cooking is excellent!! I got my recipe from Petdiets.com which was founded by Dr. Rebecca L. Remillard, Veterinary Nutritional Consultant. My girls love the recipe I have and it tells EXACTLY what to feed and how much. That is what I needed to get started. I also use the Balanceit supplement. A supplement is essential when homecooking. It can be found at https://secure.balanceit.com/. There is a little expense up front but in the long run I think it all works out. My Rosie has IBS and I liked having the expertise of a Vet Nutritionist to help me out. There were lots of free diets out there but I was afraid to use them. I hope you can get the proper diet that is needed!! I found this on the BalanceIt site. https://secure.balanceit.com/tools/r...tor/index.php?
__________________ Momma to three sweet Yorkie girls Rosie Marie, Mikki Leigh , and Lily Mae Grace! Last edited by BabyGirl Rosie; 05-05-2012 at 04:04 PM. Reason: Add recipe generator |
05-05-2012, 04:19 PM | #8 | |
YT 2000 Club Member | Quote:
__________________ ~Tracy~ | |
05-05-2012, 04:36 PM | #9 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| In the Yorkie Health and Diet section of YT there is a "sticky" on homemade foods and treats. During Gracie's first year I cooked for her. I found that she would love the food when I first cooked it but she hated the left overs. When I stopped putting rice and oatmeal, flour and other grains in the food and replaced it with some lightly cooked sweet potato she started loving it fresh cooked or left over. That is how I ended up going with a grain free diet. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...od-treats.html I also use a supplement called The Missing Link. The main one is: Canine Nutrition | Dog Health | Dog Supplements | Dog Food Supplement | The Missing Link The one that says for skin and coat was formerly the main product. It contains enzymes and nutrients that are normally lost when pet foods are subjected to high temps in order to kill any organisms that could breed bacteria while sitting on the shelf for months at a time. There are some YouTube videos that show how to do home cooking and also how to prepare raw diets. I would consult with a holistic vet to get recommendations as well. Dr. Michael W. Fox is very attentive to nutrition for dogs. He has some very interesting articles on the website. Maybe you could search through some of his info as well. He has multiple links to informative food information. Dr. Michael W. Fox - Essays, Reviews, Articles on Pet Behavior, Care and Health |
05-05-2012, 04:42 PM | #10 | |
YT 2000 Club Member | Quote:
__________________ ~Tracy~ | |
05-05-2012, 04:53 PM | #11 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,450
| If you are going to homecook, I recommend that you consult with a vet nutritionist ...or at least go to Dr. Remillard's site: Welcome to Pet Diets I know others posted it. Homecooking is not cheap and it is time consuming. My pups who are not on RX foods, are on Hill's Science Ideal Balance and doing very well.
__________________ |
05-05-2012, 04:54 PM | #12 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NY
Posts: 6,582
| Here is another interesting article written by Dr Fox. Guest Blogger: Veterinarian Michael W. Fox on Feeding Your Dog | Dogster |
05-05-2012, 05:09 PM | #13 | |
YT 2000 Club Member | Quote:
__________________ ~Tracy~ | |
05-05-2012, 05:10 PM | #14 | |
YT 2000 Club Member | Quote:
__________________ ~Tracy~ | |
05-05-2012, 05:11 PM | #15 | |
I ♥ my girls! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: With My Yorkies
Posts: 18,980
| Quote:
__________________ Momma to three sweet Yorkie girls Rosie Marie, Mikki Leigh , and Lily Mae Grace! | |
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