Homecooking + Kibble ~ is this OK?
 

We currently feed Canidae, but I was wondering if it would be OK to cook for them a couple times during the week as well. I can't home cook everyday (only 3-4 days a week) but would love to during the days I can. And, during the days that I can't, they'd just eat their kibble.

Is this OK to do, or will it throw off their diet in any way?

I mix home cooked with kibble for ours everyday and am please with the results. As with any dietary change, I wouldn't make the transition all at once, but would do it gradually to allow their tummies time to adjust.:)

Thanks! Where do you get your recipes from?

My only concern would be that you might have a real problem getting them to eat kibble after they've tasted home cooking.

Can you cook for them on the days you are off and freeze enough to get through the whole week?

Do be sure to use a recipe that is nutritionally complete and add what ever supplements are recommended. Dogs do not get all the vitamins they need from home cooking alone. Their calcium needs are really high (as much as an adult woman!) and you must supplement with a good quality bone meal.

or instead of bone meal, you can use egg shells crushed into a powder...

Here's how to prepare the egg shells and the amount to give:

You can make your own calcium from egg shells and avoid any contamination. Buy organic eggs and after using the eggs rinse the egg shells thoroughly and put them aside in an open container. When you have gathered enough egg shells, put them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Then when cooled, crush them and put them in a coffee grinder, or a fine grinder, until they are like powder.

EGG SHELLS DOSAGE: once a day

10 to 50 lbs 1/8 tsp.
50 to 75 lbs 1/4 tsp.
75 to 100 lbs 1/2 tsp.
100 lbs + 3/4 tsp.

:thumbup:

Very useful, thanks! :)

Also, you brought up a good point that they might not eat their kibble anymore when they've tasted home cooking. Maybe I'll just make them a home cooked meal once a week ... sort of like that special Sunday dinner :)

I think most homecookers will cook a large amount of food at one time. They then divide it into meals and refrigerate and freeze most of the portions. That way they are only cooking once a week or so. Maybe doing that will work for you. Then you are only cooking like once a week. All you have to do is thaw out and warm up and feed.

This is what I do. Sometimes I cook for a week and once I cooked for about a month. If you can give up about 3 or 4 hours once or twice a month then you could homecook all the time.

Oh, this is definitely something that I can do! Does it lose nutritional value if you freeze it? Will it spoil if you leave it in the freezer for that long? What recipe do you use, and do you interchange it between several others?

I had a nutritionist make a recipe for Ellie. She gets just about all her nutrients in supplement form. I cook up her meals and freeze in daily portions. I take one bag out a day and thaw. Then I add her supplements for the day and feed her three times. The recipe I have here is 24% protein dry matter and some people prefer more than that, so it might not help you. I also use a supplement that you have to get through a nutritionist or vet. It is an all-in-one.

Here is the recipe:
23 grams or about an ounce of white meat, skinless chicken
88 grams carbs (I use brown rice)
60 grams mixed veggies)
1 tsp. oil (I use canola or olive)
Supplements

This recipe was formulated for a 5 1/2 pound dog who needs about 182 calories daily post-spay.

You can mix it up however you want. You don't have to use chicken or rice. Noodles or barley or... could be used for the carb (or no carb at all). You can use turkey, beef, lamb... for the meat.

I think it is important to figure out how many calories your dog should have a day and feed that much. It is easy to not feed enough homecooked after feeding kibble because homecooked requires you feed a highter volume of food. That is one of the reasons why I feed three times a day.

Thanks! I have some more reading around to do before I commit to home cooking. :)

None to very little of the nutritional value is lost through freezing at all, so freezing is no problem :thumbup:
I cook up a bunch...Enough to last one month and then freeze in 2 day portions.. It does not spoil...

Just an FYI regarding the eggshells/bone meal--make sure that you are also supplementing proper amounds of vitamin D w/ the calcium additives--otherwise, it's actually BAD for your furkid.:)