Originally Posted by Superpup  Hi! I've been home-preparing food for my 2 boys for over 4 months now. I started due to itching problem. Itching is 95% gone!
I felt such relief not to have to worry about commercial dog food and recalls. We are not there at the factory to see what really goes on.
At first, feed 1/3 protein, 1/3 veg, and 1/3 grain or startchy veg. It's a good time to go grain-free now. Feed what you eat, steak, hamburger, chicken, eggs, fish, peas, carrots, squash, bok-choy, yams, potatoes, stringbeans, oatmeal, brown rice, lentils, beans, pumpkin, cinnamon, cod liver oil, olive oil, sunflower oil. Dogs do not have the necessary enzyme to digest milk, so if you want to try yogurt or cottage cheese, or cheese, do it very sparingly.
To judge amount to feed, try to equal what was in his bowl.
Cook all fish and hamburger and pork. Steak meats can be fed raw. Chicken can be fed raw. Vegs have to be grated or sliced very fine. They can be steamed. Overcooking destroys nutrients. All grains must be very well cooked. Soft. Dogs do not need grains and they are not easily digested. I use only brown rice cakes as a treat. I use lentils, beans, peas, and potatoes.
Dogs can have fruit. But, not much. Sugar feeds yeast.
I give an excellent quality vitamin/mineral/amino-acid complex everyday. Get the best vitamin you can. Calcium is very important. I wash fresh eggshells, dry them, and when I have about a dozen, I bake them in my oven for 10 mins. at 350 degrees to kill any bacteria, then I grind them in a coffee grinder and store in fridge. I use 1/4 tsp each day, but my guys are big, 14 and 20 lbs!
For treats, I make my own "cookies" from non-grain flour, pumpkin, cinnamon, banannas, eggs, oil, and water. I had no recipe, I just experimented. They love them. Next time, I'm using tapioca flour. Look in your organic market.
Organic everything is best.
I put my time in doing my research. Start on the web. Amazon has great books. Look under natural pet care, holistic pet care, feeding natural, feeding raw, etc.
You'll feel sooooooo much better doing this. They will love it. My guys never turn down food. They get so excited about what's to eat, they start whining and licking me.
Variety of foods over time is the answer. There are so many good supplements out there. I used to give too many at first. I cut them all out except for vitamins, calcium, and ground flaxseed meal.
Remember, they need omega 3, from fish oils or flaxseed oil or meal. They digest proteins and fats best. So, use oils at each meal.
Whole Dog Journal is a great resource, and only 20 dollars a year for a subscription.
This morning they ate sardines with bones, cooked chopped kale, grated carrots, olive oil, small amount of pureed pumpkin to mix with vit, calcium, and flax, and a bit of brown rice cake. Wesley will not drink plain water, so I put hamburger in distilled water and simmer to get broth.
My guys never drank tap water. Only spring and distilled.
Congratulations and best wishes. It will take a month or so to make it effortless, but don't give up. You'll have furbabies in the best of health! |