Dr. Pitcairn
 

So, the more I read this book the more I want to :rolleyes:.

There are sooooooooo many people on YT and on the internet that think this book is the best ever, so what am I missing???

If you use this book just for some of the tips in the back and for the Healthy Powder that is understandable. For those who use more than that, how do you trust what he says when there are a few things in there that are obviously wrong? Do you just ignore it? I have a very hard time ignoring misinformation about dogs because I figure the next person who reads the book may not know that the information is wrong and their dog could be hurt... Maybe it's just me...

So far he has said it is okay to feed onions, garlic, raisins, leftovers (like gravy), vegetable cores and peelings (I guess this includes green potato peelings) and bug-infested grain.:(

There are a few things that are good and it is nice to have the book so I can explain to other people what not to take from him but I find it so strange that this is considered one of the best homecooking books.

Just venting and trying to figure out what's so great about the book.:)

I have not read it but was thinking of getting a good book on homecooking. So this one id definatley out....Do you have one u recommend???

No:(
I haven't seen any that are good (that doesn't mean they don't exist).
Then again, Dr. P's is the only one I have.
I think it was Ellie's nutritionist who said there is no book she would be comfortable recommending, so I'll have to go with her on this.
The one she would recommend is a textbook (Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 4th Edition...she is one of the authors) but it doesn't really have recipes.
For anyone who wants to homecook I recommend a nutritionist.
That way you know everything is exactly right...

And please don't rule out Dr. P's just because I don't like it.
So many people get good results from it.
Maybe it's just me...

I know what you mean...There are a few things on this book that are off the wall...

The thing is that you have to be able to decipher what's good and what's bad for yourself...I always research every single thing to death.

It's just like when you read things online...You can't believe everything that you read and you have to be able to distinguish things for yourself.

There is a lot of good information in that book regarding how important it is to keep cleaning products and smelly things and pesticides away from your dog. It includes good info on natural cleaning products that won't harm your dog.

It talks a lot about how awful those chemicals in flea products are...
While you and I know this, not everybody pays attention to little things like that and it's good info for them to read the effects of each and every single ingredient that comes in those products.

He explains the benefit of supplements thoroughly. He goes through the vitamins and minerals and other things that are good for them.

The Healthy Powder Mix is a good one for a lot of people, but especially people first learning to homecook.

Also, I have not seen where he recommends that dogs be given grapes or raisins...In fact, I'm looking at the book right now, and it says on pg 48 that there have been reports of grapes and raisins making dogs sick, so it's best to avoid them.

When it talks about potatoes on pgs 42-43, it says to make sure to cut out all the green and sprouting parts because of the toxic substanc that contains.

He had one book that came out a long time ago, I believe....The third edition is the newest one, I believe..It says its revised and updated, so maybe you have an older edition.

I have to agree with you a billion percent. When he suggested feeding cats a vegetarian diet, I knew the guy was full of psyllium husks and wheat grass :p.
And Paula, if you are looking to do homecooking, there is a fabulous homecooking group on dogster. Go to groups and search for homecooking. These people know their stuff, and I would trust what they have to offer wayy wayy before this book.

Yes, the cat information is completely off the wall....I can't stand that!

Okay, it is probably an older edition then.
He did say it was okay to feed raisins in this one.
I don't know if he said to cut off the green parts of potatoes but he said you can feed cores and peeling to save money.

I search everything out waaaaaay more than I should, so it isn't a big deal to me. But, I definately see the potential for someone to trust everything in the book because it was recommended to them. Then their dog is going to be in trouble... I went into homecooking not knowing how to supplement or anything. I had read some about it but not nearly enough and thankfully Ellie is okay but I can see it happening (doing something without researching). Someone gets the book off of ebay (especially the old version) after it is recommended to them and does what he says because that is what they see other YTers doing but what they don't know is these YTers pick and choose from it...

I agree...


And about the older edition...That's scary!! The version I have says none of those things...

I use it to for making the healthy powder and a general source for home cooking. I dont agree with everything in the book

I agree with you, Chachi. I don't like everything in the book, nor do I agree with some of the things he preaches. Though, overall, I think it's a great reference book to have on hand, and I love the tips in the back. I use the HP recipe, as well as some of the recipes as a basic meal plan and for the ratios of ingredients and supplements. I sub out most of the ingredients, and use less carbohydrate.

I found it to be a great starter book. I also agree that some things are way out in left field. I mainly use it for the Healthy Powder and when i want to look up the fat content of certain meats. I also like it for the fun recipes. I think you can only take what you want out of certain books and then put all of that info together in a way that works for you. however, when i was starting home cooking i found it to be agreat source of info for a beginner. I found the info at the begining on commercial food very interesting and the part in the back on what to do with certain health situations.

I think the major problem is with the old version.
No wonder people aren't having as big a problem with it as I am.
You all have the new version.:)
It is just when someone tells me it is okay to feed my dog bug-infested grain, I get a little bit confused.:)

question
 

Okay here is where I get overwhelmed with homecooking....

As I am sure you have read I deal with Clostridium. So now I have them on petflora and enzymes. When I read about the possible causes of clostridium Stress and change in diet is usally listed #1 and #2 with home cooking isnt that changing their diets all the time? Like Marci said, fun recipes I'm assuming that means you change recipes a lot? How would this factor into dont change diet a lot.....

I don't really know a lot about clostridium but kibble isn't going to do much good I would guess. I don't know if you saw the reports by the CDC that they are linking/have linked salmonella poisoning in humans to handling dog food. Well, if the salmonella isn't killed, other bacteria may not be either during processing or just because it is dried meat in a bag could have something to do with it.

You don't have to change recipes often but it is good for the variety.
How about fish, potato and green beans?
Haven't you been using that one?

Miko ALWAYS eats the same thing because he has a very short list of foods he can actually eat safely due to his liver condition and bladder stone history.
As far as Emma goes, I make enough food to last about a month...She gets a variation in the veggies and/or starches...I think she's allergic to beef, so she can't have that.
She only does well with ground turkey breast which is pretty lean and chicken so I alternate between those.
When you're feeding real foods that are good for them, they don't seem to have a hard time with small changes. It's not the same as switching from one commercial dog food to another.
An example of what Emma eats...
One recipe might be ground turkey breast, white potatoes, green beans. She'll have this for about a month and then the next month's recipe might be chicken, rolled oats, carrots.
Variety is good for them. It helps ensure that they're getting the nutrients that they need. If you think they'll have a hard time, the last week of each recipe, start mixing the new food in with the last month's food little by little so that by the beginning of the new month, they'll be transitioned to the new recipe.

Castration
 

Is it normal for a 2 yearold yorkie to have a full errection and to even have the end of his penis shape a large red ball after humping a stuffed toy after being castrated at 6 months old?
I am concerned as to whether the surgury was done properly.
I would appreciate feedback on this issue before I confront my vet.

Thank you kindly,
Audrey:confused:

im scared
 

im scared to get this book , but weren't they advertising one from yorkietalk? i am actually about to send the check out today to get it. supposedly its a book for out babies n us. has anyone else gotten this?? please gimme ur input

Dr. Pitcairns books are probably like all books, in that we all get out of them something different.
I have his second and third editions and have never once read where he says it's ok to feed onions, raisins or gravy. Could someone give me the page number.
On page 143 in the third edition, he says "be sure to cut out all green or sprouting parts, shich contain solanine, a somewhat toxic substance.
He list all the foods in which dogs and cats can and cannot eat. Which to cook and which to feed raw and what vitamins and minerals are in each and every one.
How to grow your own organic produce, and putting everything together.
It's sad that one can only find one thing they don't agree with and overlook many many wonderful things.....
Here are the chapters in the third edition:
1: We Need a New Approach to Pet Health Care
2: What's Really in Pet Food
3. Try a Basic Natural Diet-----with Supplements
4: Easy-to-Make Recipes for Pet Food
5: Special Diets for Special Pets
6: Hellping Your Pet Make the Switch
7: Exercise, Rest, and Natural Grooming
8: Creating a Healthier Environment
9: Choosing a Healthy Animal
10: Emotional Connections and Your Pet's Health
11: Neighborly Relations: Responsible Pet Management
12: Lifestyles: Tips for Special Situations
13: Saying Good-Bye: Coping with a Pet's Death
14: Holistic and Alternative Therapies
15: How to Care for a Sick Animal
Here are just a few things listed in this wonderful book: How to Look Up a Particular Disease, What You Can Expect, Signs of Progress, Healing Discharges, Common Pet Ailments and Their Treatments, Abscesses, Addison's Disease, Allergies, Anal Gland Problems, Anemia, Appetite Problems, Arthritis, Behavior Problems, Breast Tumors, Cancer, Constipation, Cushing's Disease, Dental Problems, Diabetes Diarrhea and Dysentery, Distemper, Chorea, and Feline Panleukopenia, Ear Problems, Epilepsy, Eye Problems, Feling Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline INfectious Peritonitis (FIP), Feline Leukemia (FeLV), Foxtails, Hair Loss, HAeart Problems, Heartrworms, Hip Dysplasia, Jaundice, Kidney jFailure, Liver Problems, Lyme Disease, Pancreatitis, Paralysis, Pregnancy, Birth, and Care of NEwborns, Rabies, Radiation Toxicity, Reproductive ORgan Problems, Skin Parasites, Skin Problems, Spaying and Neutering, Stomach Problems, Thyroid Disorders, Toxoplasmosis, Upper Respiratory Infections ("Colds"), Vaccinations, Vomiting, Warts, Weight Problems, West Nile Virus, Worms, Handling Emergencies and Giving First Aid, Schedule for Herbal Treatment, Schedule for Homeopathic Treatment, Additional Recipes, Snacks and Treats, Normal Vital Sign Values, Parts of a Dog and Cat.

This book is for humans and dogs.
I didn't see which dog recipes they put in it but I'm sure the human ones taste really good.:)

I know! I said this about the book from the day I received it. To me, he makes homecooking seem like Organic Chemistry - and it should not be this complicated. I'm not a fan of his recipes or his philosophies - he makes it seem like dogs need grains and veggies. Also, people seem to really have a hard time making his healthy powder at first - and I'm sorry, but if it's that difficult - the author didn't do a good job at making it accessible to the public.

I can't tell you how many posts I've seen on here (including my OWN) to this effect: "I've just read Pitcairn and now I'm 10 times more confused about homecooking!" -- to me, that about sums it up.

Crystal: WRITE A BOOK, girl! It's your calling! :D

I've never used any of the recipes in his book, but it doesn't make the book less of a book. I've been making the Healthy Powder for many years, and find it easy to make and easy to find the ingredients.

wait i dont think i asked the question right. ok the other day i saw a post about a recipe book they had on yorkietalk. it wasn't this dr's book. i was just wonderin if anyone from here had gotten the book. matter of fact, any cookbooks from yorkietalk. let me know please. thanksssssss

Page 21 under "vegetables and herbs"
He says you can feed green onion.

Page 21 under "fruits"
He says you can feed raisins

Page 21 under "vitamin E"
There are two paragraphs talking about vitamin e. The first paragraph says to give dl-alpha tocopherols. Then below these two paragraphs is another secton called "how to use the supplements". In this section he says to add viatmin e to the mixture to prevent spoilage. As far as I know, the alpha is used to meet the animal's need but the gamma or delta is better to preserve food (don't know if the alpha can preserve them at all or not)... It isn't a big deal unless the stuff spoils and you give it to your dog without knowing...

So I read this and thought maybe the book just wasn't for me and I just figured it would be nice to warn people wanting to use the book that they should just be careful and check the facts which I have been doing.

And then I read this:
(on page 30)
Use foods acceptable to pets but not to humans. At first, it might sound like we're suggesting you dump worthless scraps on your pet. On the contrary, the idea is to utilize foods that are often very high in nutrition but that we tend to throw away because of our taste preferences or ideas about sanitation. For example, try using free or inexpensive butcher scraps and trimmings like fish heads and tails or chicken necks and gizzards. Use vegetable peelings, cores and ends, which can be cooked or finely grated if they seem tough. Use fine-grind feed store chicken scratch (which is better suited to dogs than to cats). Or use bug-infested grains for that extra touch of rotein! You also can feed dogs-but not cats-slightly "gamey" meat. Dogs, being natural scavengers, have digestive tracts that can handle slightly spoiled meat a lot better than humans can. And don't forget about plate scraps. Feed your unused leftovers. Most animals delight in eating the odds and ends of vegetables, meat, salads, casseroles, cereals, sandwiches, gravies, sauces, and so on. Just remember to avoid those with "junk food" ingredients-sugar, additives, preservatives, white flour and the like. I would also minimize canned foods. Try to use the scraps in the same proportions indicated for various food groups in the recipes.

It just seems after reading this that it is the exact opposite of what I'd ever let Ellie eat. If I were to feed this, I might as well give her dog food.

This appears to be the first edition.
If there were only a couple things I disagreed about this might be an okay book for me but I just don't know where he gets some of this stuff.

I didn't know he supports feeding cats a vegetarian diet.
They NEED meat. Very confused about where he is getting this.

That is the one I was talking about.:)
It is YorkieTalk's cookbook.
There will be human recipes and dog recipes in it.
I don't know if the dog recipes are any good but the human ones should be.:)

LOL, very funny. I feel like I know next to nothing about homecooking.:)

I am so glad I'm not alone here.
Just try the first edition and you will really :rolleyes:.

ohhh i was mainly looking for something for my baby. she is soooooo unbelievably picky n i dont really believe in giving ur door the same boring thing every single day (i no i'd b bored of my food fast) is there any books from yt that has recipes for our babies only? i mean i dont mind a couple of human recipes so i cud give my mom cuz i cant cook for anything. but im willin to learn for my little princess. GOD i love her to death even tho she stresses me out at times

Completely agree. Its a good starter book. He says some ridiculous things - esp. about cats but I think its a great overall eye opener and resource. I also suppose I have faith that anyone who cares enough to pick up a book on natural pet care will do enough research to sift through the B - perhaps I am having too much faith :rolleyes:

My homeopath trained with Dr. Pitcairin and I have to admit, when I learned that I was skeptical of him, which kept me from totally devoting myself to homeopathy - I favor a middle of the road approach, towards holistic - but I was still able to get a lot out of homeopathy for the fur kids, I just didn't go all the way...

I am also not a homecooker and so I was more interested in the general message of the book. I wouldn't use recipes out of his book! Vegetarian cats? Come on!!

Its like any book someone is to buy about health, written by a doctor, some things are good and some are WACKY! I still like it and use it, I just enjoy reading about dogs & health!!

i used his recipes and bella hated the food. i tried everythign to get her to eat but she wouldnt. so now we are back to kibble. i would love a recipe that she actually liked! lol

Try:
1 ounce white meat chicken (boiled no skin, fat or seasonings)
88 grams brown rice, white rice or sweet potato (cooked and peel the potato)
60 grams mixed veggies (peeled and cooked) like carrot, bell pepper, squash...
1 tsp. canola or olive oil
Mix

This can only be used for a few days because it isn't formulated for a pup and she has to be supplemented if you use it longer.
If she eats it for a couple days and you want to stick with homecooked, call a nutritionist. They will give you a balanced recipe.

Wow, Crystal!!! That first edition is terrible!! I can't believe they even published those things inthe first place.

There are things I don't like about the book, BUT:
What I like about the book is the information he puts out there about commercial pet foods that most people don't know...The importance of cooking for your dog instead of feeding dog food and also, all of the information regarding chemicals, pesticides, flea preventatives, etc.

I think it's a good starter book, but the information regarding stuff in general is pretty good, in my opinion. The grains and things like that, well, that's always going to be controversial...Some people believe in feeding grains, others don't.