Home made dog food recipes?

[Joe13]

We have been strong believers in high quality dog food for our dogs and for the most part our dogs live longer then most people we know.

However, $75 a month (probably 6-8 weeks now) isn't bad but I would like to slowly move over to feeding him more or less what we are eating (we eat mostly organic if possible and cook healthy meals with a variety of foods).

From what I keep reading on the net, it is recommended to give them a varied diet and not settle on one specific recipie unless it for sure contains all they need. A varied diet makes more sence to me so I figure that's where I'm leaning.

I will say I am not going the Raw diet or foods route - maybe raw egg but no raw meats.

Any of you cook for your dogs? Have any tips?

Thanks!

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[cmica]

I've never "cooked" personally for my old buddy but did get some portions of dinner. I just stuck with the "meat" first on dog food. Canned food every now and then to mix it up.

I do know a pooch who gets table scraps every night though....

 

[jbett98]

When I was feeding three Great Danes, I found that buying scrap meat trimmings @ .15 cents a lb. from a local butcher and all the free culled vegetables that I wanted behind a large produce store would cut my feed bill considerably.
I would chop it all up and cook it up outside in an old steam canning cook pot and it made a nutritious stew that they loved. I would then freeze appropriate sized meals in stainless steel bowls that would last all week.

 

[Joe13]

Great ideas, thanks!

 

[KeepnitReel]

We feed Lucas 99 percent lean turkey, organic rice, carrots, peas, all cooked in a natural turkey stock. It's really close to the same price as Taste of the Wild - which is the only dry food I would ever give my dog.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

All fish diet here.

 

[308]

The Monks of New Skete have some great books. They are focused on their GSDs, but the basics of dogs and their overall health is really good. One thing I learned is to keep away from high protein chow for puppies because it can affect them in a negative way. My $0.02
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275

 

[oknow]

All fish diet here.

View attachment 289981

You should put that out of our misery.

 

[Joe13]

The Monks of New Skete have some great books. They are focused on their GSDs, but the basics of dogs and their overall health is really good. One thing I learned is to keep away from high protein chow for puppies because it can affect them in a negative way. My $0.02
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Raising-Puppy-Revised/dp/0316083275

What I've read so far mostly agrees that lean protein should only be 50% of the diet cuz he is middle aged I guess by dog standards. And a tank but not hugely active - we are working on that every day, so he sleeps like the dead now lol.

 

[KeepnitReel]

True, I use a coffee grinder to grind up "taste of the wild" dry food to mix in with the turkey,rice,peas, and carrots. They need iron and all the other minerals found in good dry food.

What I've read so far mostly agrees that lean protein should only be 50% of the diet cuz he is middle aged I guess by dog standards. And a tank but not hugely active - we are working on that every day, so he sleeps like the dead now lol.

 

[jbett98]

I found that Purina's Field & Farm dry dog food was the best value in terms of protein vs. junk fillers vs. cost back then.

When I ladled out the evening meals into those large stainless steel salad mixing bowels for the Great Danes, The 200 lb. male "Tyrone" would gobble up all of the meaty chunks and then scoot his female mate over to the next bowl in line, and she would scoot her elderly mom over, so grandma would have to run around to Tyrone's meatless bowl, and when Tyrone finished eating all of his mates good stuff, he would bump her sideways to start on grandma's dish.
I once tried to intervene, but got a hearty growl out of Tyrone, so I left them alone after that.
Grandma didn't need a lot of protein anyway, so the why should I get between a 200 lb. dominate male and his meal.

 

[edslhead]

Fred just likes Rib Eye's right off the grill

 

[Joe13]

True, I use a coffee grinder to grind up "taste of the wild" dry food to mix in with the turkey,rice,peas, and carrots. They need iron and all the other minerals found in good dry food.

That's a good idea.

I was planning on rotating in some dry food here and there just for that reason but ground and added sounds just as easy.

 

[KeepnitReel]

Ya they don't even know they are getting. So it works out perfect. The only don't side is you need to brush their teeth all the time and get them a bully sticky or something to chew on for teeth and gum health.

That's a good idea.

I was planning on rotating in some dry food here and there just for that reason but ground and added sounds just as easy.

 

[bennyl]

what i have found is frozen cow tail bones are perfect treats for a hot summer day. They can be easily found at your super markets and lasts forever! They don't break or splinter. And any kibble worth considering is Taste of the wild. All of the ingredients labeled on the bag you can source yourself... Take it from a guy who's dating a vet assistant.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Dried beef snacks are the closest I come to cooking for our dogs. I buy thin cut beef from the store, trim the fat and dry in the oven at 150 degrees, and store in the refrigerator. I dry a batch every two weeks.

Looking at the positive reviews from my fellow site members, about the Taste of the Wild products, I will give them a try.

 

[bennyl]

Dried beef snacks are the closest I come to cooking for our dogs. I buy thin cut beef from the store, trim the fat and dry in the oven at 150 degrees, and store in the refrigerator. I dry a batch every two weeks.

Looking at the positive reviews from my fellow site members, about the Taste of the Wild products, I will give them a try.

Joe mentioned a varied diet is beneficial and that is true. It would be good to switch up what source of protein they are getting from the kibble; Red meat, poultry, and fish are on a monthly rotation for me.

 

[Joe13]

I've had mine on Arcana Prairy Blend for some time and other then the initial sticker shock, it's great food and goes a long way.

 

[CoastRange57]

Beneful wet food twice a day and then a meal of steak, elk burger or chicken with us at dinner time.. The Beneful seems to have a great balance of meat and some vegetables.Then he gets a variety of cooked chicken, steak, mixed with some yogurt every day, and beef broth that we freeze up and get out every few days.

He is 14, had a health scare this last week, with uncontrolled nose bleeds, hopefully have that resolved. His head is about 6 inches from the laptop as I type this. Again, as with our food, cost is not a consideration.

If my wife was given the choice between me and that dog, it will be me packing my sh*t real fast.

 

[Surf Rat]

My wife has been making home make dog food for our dogs for about 15 years. One of the tricks she has learned is that you can cook a whole chicken in a crock pot for 24 hours which makes the chicken bones soft and mashable. If you cook the chicken for less time, the bones are prone to splintering which can injure the dog.

She mixes in the meat with grains and vegetables along with yeast, oil, bone meal and other assorted ingredients based on various internet recipes, then packs them in meal size containers and freezes them. I think our 16 year old dog is healthier than if she was raised on commercial food.