home made dog food..

[4mickey2 41]

i have been threatening to do this for a long time. i started to make my dogs food. it's going to be a lot of work but, it is time. i am tired of all the recalls and the recalls have gotten to the better foods lately. so, i made a recipe yesterday and another today. with 4 dogs getting about 1 cup each the food doesn't go far.

but, if i can do 2 recipes per week i might be able to keep up. this round i am trying to use up their dry food. so, i am giving a half cup of dry food and half cup of home made food. boy, do they gobble it up.

the first recipe---not written by me. i do measure the food to freeze. :)

Zuchini casserole (makes 12 cups)

1/2 pound ground beef (only 7% fat) hard to find 1/2 pound so buy the 1 pound and freeze half of it for another time!

2 teaspoons of thyme

1 tablespoon each of extra virgin coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil

2 green zucchinis

1 bag frozen carrots cooked in microwave

1 cut quinoa (rinse well before cooking)

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 egg

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

1 tablespoon flax seed

1/3 cup low sodium beef broth

Rinse the one cup of Quinoa very well to get all the bitter taste out of it and cook it in 3 cups of water for 30 minutes. This is NOT the recommended cooking time on the box but the recommended cooking time for this particular grain for dogs. I am seeing this grain in my local Safeway now so it should be easy to find though you can substitute couscous if you can't find.

Shred the two washed zucchinis with a box shredder. You can use a food processor.

Sautee the zucchini in the oils for five minutes and then add the diced garlic and cook until all in tender on medium heat. Be careful, garlic can burn if cooked too high and it taste nasty then and even a dog won't eat it then!

Now cook the meat in the same pan that you cooked the zucchini and add the thyme.

Add the cooked quinoa to the cooked zucchini and then add the cooked beef breaking up all the clumps of beef to evenly distribute the beef.

Put the cooked carrots, garlic and parsley in the food processor (you can even put the beef in here)

Now mix everything up including the egg and cottage cheese and beef broth.

place it all in a well oiled pan and bake for 20 minutes in a 375 over

With my dinner casseroles, I measure out servings and freeze each serving.

the dogs love this and it smelled really good, too. i know monique--raw would probably be easier but, i just can't go there.

[ftwildernessguy 778]

I would eat that.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

the dogs love this and it smelled really good, too. i know monique--raw would probably be easier but, i just can't go there.

You know what? You're making good food for your dogs, with good ingredients, and you actually KNOW what they're eating.

If they love it too, it's all good!! :heartsmiley:

Raw is easier when it comes to the actual feeding part (here dogs, have a hunk of meat), but it's still a good bit of work shopping for a variety of protein, hauling, chopping, packing...

Either way you go, cooked or raw, a balanced diet is the key - and the trick. It takes some research and some effort, but in the end I really believe it's better for your dogs.

And you're absolutely right - the recalls have even made their way to the better dog food brands at this point (even those considered "premium") and that's a big reason we went to raw. I want to know what my dog's are eating and that it was prepared and handled properly so that we're not risking their health or their lives.

Oh and that recipe really does sound delicious! :)

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

hmm... thought just popped into my head...

Is there a "crock pot recipes for dogs" thread in the making??

[4mickey2 41]

i'm not sure. i was going to look into pintrest and see if i could find some. i needed to get an idea of ingredients first and that way i would know if i saw a good recipe.

trust me---the dogs are now eating better than us. well, other than on steak night. lol

[polkadotsuitcase 12]

I didn't realize you fed raw, Monique! I fed my previous dogs raw their whole lives, but in their last years we had kiddos, and the thought of one of them toddling up to a dog and giving him/her a smooch on the face after said dog had finished raw meat made me queasy, lol. I ended up with a modified diet for them for their final years (and frozen Bil-Jac). The dogs THRIVED on raw, though.

Cheryl, that recipe sounds wonderful! I like that it's convenient, too (once it's frozen).

Kate

[ftwildernessguy 778]

I'm afraid if my dogs got a taste of raw meat, I would never be safe again.

[stefa70 205]

I've never done food, but I do bake cookies. Not only cheaper but healthier, and I love to bake.

May have to try this recipe. Thanks!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

You can sleep with one eye open, can't you Jim?

It's funny with the dogs on raw the things they mooch for most are veggies, nuts, chips, crackers,... pretty much anything we're eating. I think for them it's like junk food now.

Kate, I can definitely get not being comfortable feeding raw with kids around. I have a friend that feeds raw who just had a baby and I'm not sure how she's going to deal with it.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Stef, my aunt bakes the dogs a huge batch of homemade cookies for Christmas every year and they are very definitely their favorite cookies of all. Not sure what she puts in them, but they always smell delicious.

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

I have been rolling this idea around for a while we need a thread for recipes!! I figure it couldn't be much more expensive than the premium foods they already get, how does the quantity consumed compare to other foods? Right now the lab pups are up to 4 cups a day each based on their weight but they still seem hungry.

[stefa70 205]

Stef, my aunt bakes the dogs a huge batch of homemade cookies for Christmas every year and they are very definitely their favorite cookies of all. Not sure what she puts in them, but they always smell delicious.

I don't have the recipe at hand right now, but the ones I make have whole wheat flour, oats and natural peanut butter. Mason loves them!!

Maybe we should start a dog recipe thread like Judy said! My mother has a HUGE dog cookbook (that I'm sure is collecting dust on a shelf) I'm going to steal borrow it, and test some new ones.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'm not sure when it comes to home cooked, but I know with raw it's calculated by weight. And the amount is different from kibble because you're not including all the fillers as well.

I know there are a bunch of good resource sites out there for raw-fed, I'm guessing there are for cooked as well. Balance and variety are always the key to make sure you're not missing out on any key nutritional elements. Some people also use supplements, but I'm not sure how necessary that is if you're careful about what you're feeding on the whole.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Love the idea of a recipes thread for the pooches!

Oh and forgot to mention, with raw, you feed your dogs 2-5% of their ideal weight. That means you have to figure what their ideal weight *should* be (if they're currently a little over/under) and then start with 2% and watch how they do.

Brady, Bz and Lyn weight approx. 45, 35, 35-ish and they each eat approx. 1lb total per day of raw meat with organs and a fish oil pill in the a.m. Actually the girls get a hair more and Brady a hair less. When they're being super active I add a little more, if I notice that someone is feeling a bit chunky I shave a little off. I used to weight everything when we first started, but at this point I can pretty well eyeball it.

[polkadotsuitcase 12]

I'd be curious to know how your friend swings it. My guys were a rough coated collie and Eskie, so they both had full, gorgeous ruffs -- that were ideal landing zones for everything that slobbered out of their mouths, lol. I tried slipping t-shirts over their heads to catch the grodies but it never worked.

You're bringing back memories of the good old days! My mantra was, "build a rabbit" whenever I was planning their food; I had a whole schedule worked out to rotate food types.

[4mickey2 41]

yes, a recipe thread is needed!! lol i made another last night and they loved it again. so, now i have two meals in the fridge/freezer and should be set for at least next week.

http://www.cookusinterruptus.com/files/Homemade%20Dog%20Food.pdf

this site says; One cup/day per 30 pounds is another reasonable approach.

most sites say - the 2% thing like mo said about raw but for cooked. my dogs would be .35 lbs of food. they are about 17 lbs. i have divided the food into 2 - 1/2 cups per zip lock. i am mixing with dry dog food for now. so, they get 1/2 cup of home made and a 1/2 cup of dry (approx).

i was thinking that they might be getting too much. you can tell--they are much heavier and they feel too solid. lol if it is a cup per 30. i need to cut back a little--maybe i'll go 3/4 cup total. they do get a milk bone during the day at least once and a few small treats.

i think if the meals are a good mix of stuff you shouldn't need to supplement. i have heard both ways. but, i know if we are eating correctly we shouldn't need them either. i was watching sheldon (the big bang theory) one day and he was shopping with penny. she went to buy vitamins and he said you don't need that. all you are paying for is expensive pee. we urinate most of the vitamins out. i totally agree. i am not a pill popper and just don't believe it is always for the best. just my opinion..

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'd be curious to know how your friend swings it. My guys were a rough coated collie and Eskie, so they both had full, gorgeous ruffs -- that were ideal landing zones for everything that slobbered out of their mouths, lol. I tried slipping t-shirts over their heads to catch the grodies but it never worked.

Love the t-shirt idea - had to be a great visual if nothing else! :)

My friend has 3 rough coated border collies, so I'm going to be curious what she sorts out too. Baby isn't mobile yet, so she's got a little while.

...i was thinking that they might be getting too much. you can tell--they are much heavier and they feel too solid.

Yeah, you definitely need to pay attention to your dogs in the beginning especially, until you sort out what the amounts should be.

In our case Brady, who weighs almost 10 lbs more than the girls but isn't quite as active as they are, eats the same or a little less than they do. And Bz can be hard to keep weight on sometimes.

We spent 5 days in Maine recently where they ran and swamp all day every day - I brought extra food.

i think if the meals are a good mix of stuff you shouldn't need to supplement. i have heard both ways.

Me too and I tend to agree. That's where variety and being careful about what you're feeding comes in.

My gang does get a fish oil pill daily, mostly because they don't eat a ton of fish and it's good for their coats (they got them before too). Brady gets SAMe and Milk Thistle because his bloodwork a year ago showed his liver values were a little bit off (he's 10 now - not unusual). Otherwise we just make sure to rotate their protein (like Kate said) so they don't eat any one thing for too long.

When I pack everything away (we buy in bulk) I bag their food in gallon bags, which for 3 dogs is about 2-3 meals (they eat twice a day). Each time they finish a bag we grab something new - chicken, then beef, then turkey, then lamb...

Hey all things considered, why don't we just turn this into the recipe thread so all this good info is here too! :)

[4mickey2 41]

i was just on pinterest and there was nothing good there for dog food recipes. the couple i found i didn't care for.

i have a fish oil supplement and i have to find where i put it. i could add that to their food. i'm not real concerned about it but, i have it and will try it again. my dogs didn't like it the first time so, not sure what will happen if i add it now.

here is my second recipe:

Turkey casserole (makes 10 cups)

1 pound turkey

1 Tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 pound asparagus/EVOO for coating

2 cups cubed butternut squash

3 cups cooked whole wheat couscous

1 egg

1/2 cup ricotta

2 teaspoons ground flax seed00

1/2 cup sweet potato puree (I get at Trader Joes but you can use low sodium beef broth

Cook the turkey with the thyme and garlic powder and drain off the fat.

Put in food processor to make the turkey smaller. While turkey is cooking, roast the asparagus (coated in EVOO/Extra Virgin Olive Oil) in a 425 oven for 10 - 15 minutes and microwave the butternut squash. Also cook the couscous for five minutes (1 cup couscous to 2 cups water, let come to boil and take off heat for five minutes and its’ done!).

Put the turkey in a big mixing bowl and put the cooked asparagus and squash in the food processor.

Add the ricotta, egg, flax seed and puree to the vegetable mixture and mix all together.

Add this mixture to the turkey and add couscous and mix all up.ash which is covered in water for 11 minutes or until soft.

Also cook the coucus for five minutes (1 cup coucus to 2 cups water, let come to boil and take off heat for five minutes and its done!).

Put the turkey in a big mixing bowl and put the cooked asparagus and squash in the food processor.

Add the ricotta, egg, flax seed and puree to the vegetable mixture and mix all together.

Add this mixture to the turkey. Put in a greased 9x13 casserole dish and bake for around 20 minutes.

When cool, you can pre measure out portions and put in sandwich bags and store in freezer until ready to use! Add couscous and mix all up.

once again-i didn't write this recipe. i used a cooked sweet potato and since i didn't have any squash -- i substituted canned pumpkin. :) i also used the processor for everything in the recipe.. why not - right?

they tried it last night. i told dh to feed them the little bit i had left. so, he put the boys bowls down then the girls and as he was putting the girls bowls down he told the boys not to inhale it. then he said i guess i am too late.. :rofl2:

my dogs don't get a lot of exercise - other than chasing rabbits and chipmunks. so, yeah, i will be cutting back on the amount i give them. which is great for me-cause now the food i make will last a little longer. :)

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I would definitely have tossed it all in the processor too. Dogs really don't care too much about texture.

Sounds like your meals are going over big so far!! :)

Hmm... thinking out loud...

What about throwing a big chicken, or a couple of small ones, in a crock pot with some veg and a bit of broth and let it all cook down. Super easy to debone a crockpot chicken (and the small bones will actually mush right up).

You could portion it all out and freeze, then just defrost and add to other ingredients as needed.

You could probably do the same with some inexpensive cuts of pork or beef too.

One big thing with raw is to make sure your protein isn't too lean. Dogs actually need some fat (not too much though, or you risk pancreatitis). I'm assuming that's true in home cooked also?

The good part about that is you can use less expensive, fattier cuts of meat and it's actually a good thing!

[caveat lector 181]

This is a great thread. I'm going to have to study all your successful approaches.

Thanks for sharing!

[Lil Lisa 53]

I've never done food, but I do bake cookies. Not only cheaper but healthier, and I love to bake.

May have to try this recipe. Thanks!

I made biscuits for the pooches once. They loved them, but the recipe had garlic powder in it so they were kind of 'difficult' to live with...

[stefa70 205]

I made biscuits for the pooches once. They loved them, but the recipe had garlic powder in it so they were kind of 'difficult' to live with...

I bet!

I've seen some dog recipes that contain garlic. I guess its supposed to help keep vampires fleas away.

[4mickey2 41]

i have put a little (not a lot) in these recipes. no side effects, yet. some say garlic is okay and others say it isn't. so, i don't use a whole lot of it. the boys would always lay by dh and fart. but, not since i started them on this food. lol

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Some of my raw feeding and holistic pet friends say garlic is good. My vet friends say it's toxic. Still others say it's fine in small amounts but because it's in the same family as onions (which are very definitely toxic to dogs and causes severe anemia) you need to be very careful about how much you use and should err on the side of caution - especially in smaller dogs.

[4mickey2 41]

thanks mo!