RE: melamine in pet food: can we share recipes/information for home-made dog-cat food?

[nashville_brook]

since this is such a frightening situation that affects everyone with pets, i hope this thread will be allowed to stay where the most people can see it -- in GD.

i feed Iams dry and after reading all the threads today on the possible dry-food links i'm going to switch back to home-made dog food. so, i was thinking that it would be great, while we're watching and worrying about the pet food situation, if we could share some things to do to AVOID mass-market foods altogether.

so, the question is -- can anyone here share info on Raw diet or home made food?

as a cost-saving thing i used to make a weeks worth of dog food every sunday. i got the basic recipe from my Italian Greyhound listserv. the dogs loved it. i used a meat (usually ground turkey) some veggies (usually peas and whatever was not going to be used from the veggie bin) and rice.

cook the meat, add the rice and some water then put the veggies in. when it's all cooked i put it in a big container with a measuring cup and was good-to-go for the week.

it's been a long time since i made this, and it would be great to get input from pet-owners who are already having success with home made food.

[LisaM]

1. But what about kibble? All wet is bad for their teeth. n/t

[nashville_brook]

2. i provide chewies (rawhide, etc), but the Raw Diet is supposed to be the best thing for teeth

[xultar]

4. It is HARD to find chewies that aren't made in China now a days. You'll need

to go to a butchers.

[PhilipShore]

12. My cat got sick from the dry food

My vet said no dry food; especially no dry food by Friskies/Purina.

I fed her holistic Halo, and the frequent urination stopped, and her drinking tons of water stopped.

She does not like the holistic Halo brand wet cat food, because of to much vegetables. I gave her holistic Merrick wet cat food today, and she loves it.

[cwydro]

14. why no Friskies/Purina?

I am so confused about all this stuff. My cats are SO picky and love that new green indoor Purina stuff.

[PhilipShore]

19. I asked the vet the same question...

and his response was it is the lowest quality, of them all on the market. He did give me a list of dry foods, but then changed his mind; and advised all wet.

[cwydro]

23. wow,

and I've had vets tell me dry is better. Sheesh. I never know what to believe and now I'm afraid to buy any more wet.

[PhilipShore]

27. My cat has to be on a special diet n/t

[nashville_brook]

17. i've noticed my dogs are drinking water in large quantities

more so than usual. their bowl is plastic, too! i'm changing that right now!

[Dr Fate]

3. My dog loves rice cooked in chicken stock, mixed with cottage cheese.

Please confirm with your vet before feeding your pooch homeade goodies!!!

[xultar]

5. Don't they need more than that or is that just a treat.

[Dr Fate]

9. It's a treat. You are right. And I did put in the text to confirm all of these with a Vet!!!

My dog is very old and his digestion isnt what it used to be.

Rice, noodles ect. is one thing he keeps down well.

[nashville_brook]

8. i'd like to find an online resource for information before i spend $200 on a vet visit

for both the dogs.

[Dr Fate]

16. Sure- I'll bet you could find something written by a vet. n/t

n/t

[Thirtieschild]

25. Rice & cottage cheese

is what our Atlanta vet recommended when our dogs weren't feeling well. Have used the combination lots of times, every day add cottage cheese to Natural Choice dry, include rice when we have it left over. The chicken broth sounds like a great idea. I've been confidnent about Natural Choice - used it for years in Atlanta, was thrilled to eventually find it out here in the desert. We tried to buy from an organic pet food store here but gave up because they were never open when we were in town. Heard about Iams several years ago and won't touch it. Have a handout booklet with pet recipes but they mostly involve cooking every day. Would like something I could do once a week. Right now the big red dog has a cold/flu, runny eyes, fever.

BTW, we've never had a pet, dog or cat, who would touch Science Diet. They don't like the taste. Any opinions about Natural Choice dry (rice/lamb).

[hippiechick]

6. Since this scare surfaced, I've just been feeding my dogs

... baked chicken, hard boiled egg, cheese/cottage cheese - mix n' matched in some manner with white rice ... in slightly smaller quantities than what they were getting of their dry food. They're thrilled!

[nashville_brook]

my experiment in home made came after feeding Merrick food -- which is just like human food

they LOVED it and i HATED paying a buck-fifty a can for the stuff.

[catgirl]

30. Do you add any veggies?

[hippiechick]

32. No, I should ....

Ray the Beagle will eat anything that doesn't eat him first, but Hippiedog Hank would just leave any kind of veggies in the bowl. He's a snob.


:hi:

[catgirl]

37. Try green peas!

They're sweet (and cute).

[Wiley50]

7. Be Sure Not To Prepare or Store Recipe in Melamine Container n/t

[nashville_brook]

15. i'm leaning toward staying away from plastics for a while

these refrigerator dishes are an alternative that i've used in the past -- time to dig them out again.

[BonnieJW]

10. I purchase food from

www.sitstay.com They sell raw dog food shipped either frozen or freeze dried. It's all organic and very nutritious.

[xultar]

11. THANK YOU for this link.

[nashville_brook]

13. woot! this is great.

the site also sells the Merrick food.

[nashville_brook]

18. here's a HOW TO

http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html


Instructions

* STEP 1: Know that it is wise to check with your vet before switching to homemade dog food.
* STEP 2: Understand that dogs need a diet that consists of 40 percent meat, 30 percent vegetables and 30 percent starch. Follow this formula to ensure that your dog has a well-balanced diet.
* STEP 3: Cook meat before feeding it to your dog.
* STEP 4: Realize that organ meat (such as liver, kidneys, etc.) and eggs are very good for your dog.
* STEP 5: Consider the fact that many experts believe commercial dog food is actually unhealthy for dogs. Often the meat that is used in dog food is of a quality considered unfit for humans.
* STEP 6: Try making a mixture of ground turkey, rice and carrot for your own dog food. Meals made of ground beef, brown rice, brewer's yeast and carrots are also popular.
* STEP 7: Rotate the foods you feed your dog so that the dog gets a variety of foods.
* STEP 8: Add garlic to your dog food. Dogs enjoy the flavor and garlic is a natural flea repellent.
* STEP 9: Use oatmeal, pasta, rice or potatoes for your dog's starch requirement.
* STEP 10: Grind eggshells and add this to your dog's meal. Eggshells have a lot of nutrients.
* STEP 11: Keep cooked dog food in the refrigerator no longer than three days.

[hippiechick]

21. EGGSHELLS! That explains it!!

I was wondering why my Beagle rummages thru the garbage can and eats whatever eggshells he finds. I thought it was just more evidence that he's nuts!


:hi: Thanks!

[cwydro]

28. I've always thought garlic was good too

but recently read that garlic is bad for them..?

[femmedem]

31. No garlic! All members of the onion family are poisonous to dogs

and cats.

http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/storytemplate_process.cfm?story_no=257

That's just one of many, many links which says so.

Also, downthread someone recommends brewers yeast. That can be an allergen.

[nashville_brook]

20. Dog Biscuit recipe

http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/petsanimals/a/bldogfood.htm

Frugal Homemade Dog Food


Pet Brownies (for dogs) and Dog Biscuits


About one pound of calves liver
1 cup flour and 1/2 cup cornmeal
1 TB garlic powder

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend well. Pour onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil which has been greased. Press the mix flat (it will be thick and somewhat stiff.) Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Do not overbake or they will be crumbly. They are done when brown. If they are pink they are not quite done. (This is a recipe someone else invented but it sounds good.)


Dog Biscuits

1 pound boiled liver or cooked steak or roast beef or ( hamburger- cooked and drained well) This is a good way to use up leftovers.
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You can also substitute chicken or tuna or salmon if you are careful to avoid including any bones.

1 or 2 eggs with shells about 1/2 cup of whatever leftover veges you find, such as cooked broccoli, carrots, celery, etc.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (white flour will work too, but whole wheat is better for your pet-sometimes I mix them.)
1 cup conrmeal
1/2 teasp garlic powder
1 tsp brewers yeast (optional)
3 tablespoons olive or cooking oil

Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside Place meat, eggs and veggies in processer and blend well. Stir in the dry ingredients to make a dough and roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into dog bone shapes with a cookie cutter. Wal-Mart sells plastic ones. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. After you get the hang of these you will become inventive. Sometimes I add a tad of honey and sometimes I use a little broth and adjust the dry ingredients accordingly. I have even added left over chili! You can have fun making them and your dog will love them. I made some last Christmas and sewed little cloth drawstring bags to "wrap" them in. My doggies gave them as gifts to the neighbor's doggies! I store mine in a coffee can in the refrigerator.

[soothsayer]

22. remember to add taurine for yer cats (keeps 'em from getting

some heart problem)

[mitchtv]

24. for cats? canned tuna/salmon/chicken

the dog does well on anything. Mine liked rice and beans with her kibble,chicken scaps. I used to get lung real cheap at the butcher and boil it

[cwydro]

26. Thanks for posting this here

I just discovered the pets forum and posted a thread wondering if IAMs dry is safe...maybe I'll get an answer here instead.

[kestrel91316]

29. Get a copy of Donald Strombeck's book:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780813821498&z=y

And NEVER feed raw meats to your pet. Disease threat to them, and public health hazard. Proven. Plenty of peer-reviewed and published literature on this already - the jury came in YEARS ago.

[KansDem]

33. Thanks, but my cat prefers fillet mignon

...with baked portabella mushrooms, Asparagus Parmigiano, and a desert of chocolate-crunch torte with pistachios and sour cherries.

Oh, and a glass of Petite Sirah with the meal, usually followed by cup of French roast coffee (decaf, of course).

She's very particular...

[earth mom]

34. Here's some good recipes

http://www.calmanimalcare.com/petfood.htm

Dr. Pitcairns book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875962432/qid=905192854/sr=1-1/102-0823390-2156122?n=283155

Also, recently my dog got sick after a visit to a friends farm where the previous owners used to graze sheep. We gave her pumpkin from a can-not sweetened-and it cured her diarrhea. Oddly enough it also works for constipation.

[LiberalEsto]

35. Dr. Michael Fox's recipes

Fox writes the "Animal Doctor" column that appears in the Washington Post.
He's a holistic veterinarian and believes in homemade pet food.

I've never tried the recipes because my cats refuse to eat anything but dry Iams, plain yogurt, and the wheatgrass I grow for them.

Here is a link to his recipes:
http://tedeboy.tripod.com/drmichaelwfox/id19.html

[Snap]

36. "The Natural Cat"

by Anitra Frazer has lots of cat health, behavior, and nutrition info. We've been making food for our cats this way for 20 years. Dear Bozwel who was getting pretty scrofulous at age 11 got on this diet and lived to a healthy and handsome 19 years.