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Originally Posted by kalina82  i had a panic moment the other day about feeding raw because the food recalls have made their way into pre-made raw diets (tho not because of anything to do with China). So i went to Dr. Pitcairn's site and was debating getting this book everyone talks about and homecooking for morgan. After reading thru some things i've decided that homecooking is even more of a gamble then feeding raw or kibble. You need all these supplements because cooked food is no where near a natural diet for dogs. If you don't supplement then you run the risk of doing more harm then good. Feeding kibble, while also nowhere near their natural diets at least gives them all they need (if its a premium food). And if your feeding raw you don't need to supplement AT ALL. People who do supplement do it for their own ease, not the dogs, or because the dog needs something a little extra like joint protection. |
If you homecook the right way, I don't think it's a gamble at all.
I have a dog with a very compromised liver and he was on a prescription diet for almost 2 yrs, and he did fine on it, but he still had constant seizures, head pressing, LOTS of ammonium urate stones, etc.
Ever since I started homecooking for him, he has improved significantly. I can't tell you how long it has been since he has had a seizure. He hasn't had stones in months, and no headpressing at all. He is healthier than I have ever seen him. His coat is shinier and it's growing faster. He has plenty of energy
I did not use a recipe from Dr. Pitcairn for him because none of the diets in the book would work for his condition. but I use a diet that was formulated by another vet.
I used Dr. Pitcairn's book to get started homecooking for my maltese. I love the healthy powder mix and I use the general outline of a couple of the recipes in there. I think a lot of the information in the book is very good to know. It explains supplements in depth.
It seems confusing at first when you're reading, but honestly, all you have to do is read the recipes if that's all you want from it.
You can use any of the recipes and substitute different meats, different grains, and different veggies each time. You can just use it as a guide.
For example, for the doggie oats...
Instead of oats, you can use brown rice or bulgur or whatever you want...
Instead of the ground turkey, you can use ground chicken, or lean ground beef, or tofu, or cottage cheese
For the veggies, you can use several or alternate.
This way, everytime you make the recipe, you can have a lot of variety for your dog.