Healthy Dog Food Recipe

[willyagogo]

Cindy....

Thanks for the "feed-back!"......The babies actually don't get that many cookies....I also like to throw them a piece of apple or carrot.....

Plus, I'm slowly cutting back on the grains as I go........as far as the garlic goes, I thought that it was bad for dogs too at first but it's actually good (in small doses) for dogs as it helps repel fleas and something else ( I can't remember right off the bat...)....but I seen it in a lot of things while doing research.....it IS bad for cats though..(but you allready knew that right?.. )

Sandi.....thanks for the info on Nupro.....I went to their website and checked it out. Still not sure..but I'll be taking my "kids" to the vet tomorrow so I'll see what he says about supplements.

Once again...thanks to you both!...It's great to have people to get good advice and info from....so invaluable these days!!!....

[ally]

....as far as the garlic goes...[snip]... for dogs it helps repel fleas and something else...

Per The Whole Dog Journal....

- small amounts of garlic act as a natural flea repellant
- can be used for it's antifungal and antibacterial properties
- promotes production of white blood cells thus acting as an immune booster for low or compromised immunity
- may benefit dogs with diabetes by helping reduce blood-sugar levels


FYI - another great supplement site to check out is B-Naturals.  Lew really knows her stuff.  I learned about her & her site from my online canine cancer group.  She's helped many in the group not only fight cancer, but also keep their other pets healthy via a holistic, natural approach.  Her products are for both cats & dogs.  Lew is also the co-owner of the excellent Yahoo group K9 Nutrition.

[Cindy Nevarez]

This is the same thing it does for people. We depend on it quite a bit here. My daughter used to get colds all the time, now she hardly gets them since she's been taking garlic regularily.


We have no more fleas either 

[ally]

We have no more fleas either 

LOL Cindy!  Too 'fni! 

[sylvia]

I am really concerned about dog treats as those that have not been recalled seem to come from China.
I found this recipe from Three Dog Bakery and added the baby food myself to "spice up" the flavor. My dogs love them.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup NATURAL peanut butter
1 cup lowfat milk
1 jar strained baby meat  (I used beef)
Mix it up like you would a regular cookie dough and roll it out.
Keep it about 1/4" thick and cut. I have small dogs so I use a 2" cookie cutter. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes at 350, depending on your oven, until the bottoms are light brown.
Keep in an airtight container. There are no preservatives so I freeze the ones I won't use in a couple of days in an airtight tupperware. They thaw in a few minutes.
Easy and fast as I hate to bake.

[Lisa C]

This looks like a wonderful recipe!  I'll definitely be trying this out (or, my dogs will...it looks edible but not exactly to my tastes  )

[sylvia]

I actually tasted it. Very bland and dry to me but the dogs love them. Several friends have found them "dog delicious" too.

[Lisa C]

You're braver than I am. Although, I recently bought some new cookies for my doggies that smelled so good that I was tempted to taste them just to see.  Unfortunately, they're rather expensive, so I decided I should try to find some recipes to try.  After all, looking at the ingredients for the ones I have it doesn't seem like they'd be too hard to make.  Your recipe looks like a great one to try.  My dogs love peanut butter so I'm sure they'd be a hit.

[CCnDuke]

Hope all pets are doing well!   

I have been throwing all my pet recipes in a crockpot and freezing the batches!!
I rarely cook for myself, so we are all benefitting, I add my own spices and such after separating their portions!  I will draw the line when the next batch includes chicken hearts and kidneys, ICK!  They also get a side order of Newmans Dry, which I don't!

Keep up the good work everyone!

Ooooops forgot to add an interesting site I found: http://www.nasc.cc/

MISSION: Members of the National Animal Supplement Council are concerned and committed manufacturers of animal health care supplements across the globe. Together they endeavor to improve the quality of animal supplements sold to consumers for the benefit of their horses, cats, dogs and other companion animals.

[willyagogo]

Sylvia...

That cookie recipe looks great! I'm going to try that on my next batch, as I've been making the "treats" around here as well!!!..

CCnDuke....I home-cook for my fur-babies also! I also make up a big batch and freeze portions .....different varieties of course! My dogs probably eat better than the rest of the family! It's a day's work...but man......it's so worth it!!!.....

[tahitigirl]

Sylvia - Thank you for this recipe.  Since I've been home cooking for my Yorkie, she has been missing her treats.  This one looks like a real winner.

[karatemom2]

tahitigirl,
Well, I just finished off my first batch of home made dog and cat food (pretty much basic chicken, rice, green beans and sweet potatoes) and now tried your recipe-Healthy Dog Stew with a little variation on the veggies (I used peas and sweet potatoes because that's what I had in the house).  You are right about the salmon bones disappearing.  Anyway, my cat and dogs love it too.  I added extra fish and meat for the cat so there's more protein in it for her.  But she's that goofy cat that thinks she's a dog and eats just about ANYTHING the dogs eat  .  My furbabies really seem to like my home cooking!  My Pap has always been the most picky of the bunch.  She does not get jazzed about eating pet food...and she has been eager to get to her plate and ALWAYS licks the bowl squeaky clean with this homemade chow.  Poops have been fine (and she is prone to the runs when food is too rich).  I'm going to have to weigh them soon to see if they are gaining weight, which I don't want.  That way I can modify portions if necessary.  They are getting Evangers kibble (dogs) and Wellness kibble (cat) in the PM at this time.  I'm also supplementing the homemade chow with 1/4-1/2 tsp powder kitten formula (leftover from Amber who passed away).  Label recommends it as top dressing for show cats and convalescing cats, so it's a source for vitamins.  And I have lots left over to use.  Everyone is looking good.   So homecooking seems to be a hit here.  I have "safe" chicken in my freezer.  When that runs out, I'll be getting range fed chicken/turkey or switch to organic beef/lamb.

[caseyandpeanut]

I am a newbie to this forum.... I would like to share this some Home Made Doggie Food as well..... kindly comment. Thanks

http://caseyandpeanut.blogspot.com/2007/06/home-made-doggie-diet.html

[janielaurel]

it sounds like a great recipe, but in researching how dogs and cats assimilate nutrients from their foods, I really think cooking the meat or fish is a big mistake. Here's part of what I know...

Raw meats in general are great sources of B complex vitamins and oil soluble vitamins. Oil soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D and E. Vitamin A’s cousin beta carotene which is found in vegetables cannot be utilized by cats. Therefore, all vegetables should be considered as a poor source of vitamin A for cats. Dogs can, however, convert beta carotene into vitamin A.

All raw meats are a good source of taurine, which is an essential amino acid. Taurine helps with brain and nervous system issues such as epilepsy. Chicken is said to be the best source in terms of muscle meats, but since taurine is more liberally found in areas of the body where there is electrical activity, the heart, eyes and brains are an excellent source of taurine. Taurine also plays an important role in maintaining the health of your pet’s brain, heart, breast, gall bladder, and kidney. A deficiency of taurine can also be a factor in inflammation or swelling, hyperactivity, hypoglycemia, blindness, and death. However, feeding your pet organ meats more than twice a week is not a good idea. they are so high in nutrients that your pets will gain weight if they eat such a rich diet :-)

Raw lamb fat is beneficial in cases of dry skin or dry fur.

The truth of home cooked foods is, if you cook the meat or fish, you end up with something that has as little nutrient value as the canned products you (used to) buy. Buy the meat and freeze it first to destroy the nasty little critters that might be living in the meat; then use that frozen and non-heat thawed food to prepare your pets' foods.

[braden]

Hey tahitigirl, I like your recipe. I have make this at home and serve to my dog he really love it.
Thanks for sharing this recipes to us.

Thanks!