Home Cooking for fluffs - Maltese Dogs Forum : Spoiled Maltese Forums

Nikki's Mom · 08-30-2010, 10:32 PM

If you are interested in home cooking for your dog, please know that it can be done very successfully. There are thousands and thousands of people who home cook for their dogs with very good results. If your desire is to ensure that your dog eats good nourishing food that you prepare yourself, then go for it and don't get discouraged.

Yes, you do need to ensure that the recipe you use is nutritionally balanced. There are several different ways to do this. You can buy a book from a reputable author/vet nutritionist, you can buy a recipe online from a veterinary nutritionist, or have a phone consultation with a vet nutritionist. Or you can do it all by yourself with the help of nutritiondata.com and one of the Yahoo home cooking groups.

But you CAN do it. At first, it may seem time-consuming and confusing, but once you get into a routine, it's really no big deal. It doesn't take a lot of nutrition expertise. It's as simple as following a good recipe.

Please don't be scared, intimidated, or discouraged. Think about this: How many of us humans eat a perfectly nutritionally balanced diet every day of our lives? Sometimes mistakes will be made, but life is not perfect, and somehow things do work out okay. (Just last week, I totally forgot to add the calcium to my batch of food. But I made adjustments, and all was well.)

So, my point is, do the research, find a nutritionally balanced recipe and try it. If you don't like doing it, you can always go back to feeding commercial dog food. I really want to encourage people who have the desire to try it.

**Snowbody** · 08-30-2010, 10:42 PM

Suzan - both myself and Tyler are so happy with the home cooking. I think he's happy, healthy and looks great and he now loves to eat after being Mr. Picky with dog food. I've been reading up on it and working on my own things and I just love having the animal essentials multi vitamin, calcium and enzyme and probiotic and also coconut oil. It smells so good that it's like hot fudge on the sundae.

I do cook every day. I have done that for my DS because of his allergies and believe me prepping food for a 4 pounder is a lot easier than a growing child. And when I'm away for work my DH preps his food. It only takes about 5 minutes. I figure if we eat healthy, so should Tyler. It's still a work in progress but really feel much happier. I'll take him to the vet in October to see what his bloodwork says. That will be the determination. But thanks for helping to guide me.

**princessre** · 08-30-2010, 11:22 PM

I totally agree with Suzan!! Home cooking is very rewarding. You have much more control and transparency into what is going into your babies' bodies.

We do blood work every six months, and each time the results have come out perfect for both pups. (Knock on wood.) So I am very pleased.

p.s.: I will say that I think it was easy for me to home cook because I have enjoyed researching human food and nutrition for nearly a decade. So I understand that if it is not your schtick to learn about nutrition, vitamins/minerals, and required calcium/phosphorus ratio for dogs vs. humans, that you might feel more inclined to feed a high-quality dog food. I think knowing more about nutrition helps because it allows you to make substitutions when you occasionally don't have something on hand...and it helps you achieve more variety in your pups' diet.

**mary-anderson** · 08-31-2010, 12:37 AM

Suzan, I think you are reading my mind. I've been home cooking for about 6 months now. I bought books, looked on websites,
talk to my vet, etc. to ensure I'm feeding my fluffs probably. For some reason lately I have been questioning if I have done the right thing by home cooking. I keep reading it has to be exact. I know somedays I don't get all the nurtients I need and I'm very healthy . I don't like to each processed food so why would I want my little ones too. I take daily supplements and so do they. It is a lot of work, but when it comes to feeding time it is so worth it. So thanks for the words of encourgement and also answering my pm

.

**gigigirlz** · 08-31-2010, 12:59 AM

I am waiting for info from the nutrionist from Purdue Vet Hospital....she is going to come up with some recipes for me to make for Miss Skylar Sue...now that Skylar has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure...

Nikki's Mom · 08-31-2010, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary-anderson

Suzan, I think you are reading my mind. I've been home cooking for about 6 months now. I bought books, looked on websites,
talk to my vet, etc. to ensure I'm feeding my fluffs probably. For some reason lately I have been questioning if I have done the right thing by home cooking. I keep reading it has to be exact. I know some days I don't get all the nutrients I need and I'm very healthy . I don't like to each processed food so why would I want my little ones too. I take daily supplements and so do they. It is a lot of work, but when it comes to feeding time it is so worth it. So thanks for the words of encouragement and also answering my pm

.

You are welcome.

I don't know of anyone anywhere on earth that does everything perfect in life. People have been frightened into believing that if you don't do it perfectly, your dog will die of some horrible disease immediately. Yes, you should strive to get all the nutrients correct, but it's not that difficult, with a little help.

How do you think a veterinary nutritionist comes up with a recipe? The one who did my original recipe for Nikki (when her liver enzymes were high) looked on the back of a can of prescription food for the percentage of nutrients, then used nutrition data: Nutrition facts, calories in food, labels, nutritional information and analysis – NutritionData.com and duplicated those nutrients in a home-cooked recipe.

If a person learns exactly what their dog needs, then plugs the info into nutritiondata ( Nutrition facts, calories in food, labels, nutritional information and analysis – NutritionData.com,) they can figure out on their own what to feed their dog. If they aren't into doing it on their own, they can pay for a recipe from a professional, or buy a book. If they don't want to bother with that, they can use a pre-mix.

I am not saying that it is for everyone, I am just trying to encourage rather than discourage, the people who DO want to try it but have been intimidated by the naysayers.

**The A Team** · 08-31-2010, 08:37 AM

I am taking baby steps in this department. Linda (Lindy on SM) visited me a few days ago and brought me a bag of Dr. Harvey's. I've been reading the directions and it says one of the ingredients I need to add is oil. So I'll be ordering Coconut oil before I actually start.....

Keep talkin' Suzan....I'm listening....(I'm lazy)...but moving forward slowly toward home cooking for FOUR dogs!!!

Nikki's Mom · 08-31-2010, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The A Team

I am taking baby steps in this department. Linda (Lindy on SM) visited me a few days ago and brought me a bag of Dr. Harvey's. I've been reading the directions and it says one of the ingredients I need to add is oil. So I'll be ordering Coconut oil before I actually start.....

Keep talkin' Suzan....I'm listening....(I'm lazy)...but moving forward slowly toward home cooking for FOUR dogs!!!

What I do to ensure that the dogs get enough Omega 3 oils, is I give them either canned sardines or canned or fresh wild salmon once a week. That takes care of their Omega 3 oils.

(I don't bother much with Omega 6 oils, as there is enough Omega 6 oil in the supplement I use, and in some of the proteins/veggies I use.)

Dr Harvey encourages rotating oils and proteins. Coconut oil, flax oil, hemp oil, olive oil, and fish oil are some options. Dr Harvey's actually sells an oil mix on his website. I haven't yet tried it.

**The A Team** · 08-31-2010, 09:28 AM

*sigh* Can you give me a shopping list of things I need to order on line?

I can get the protein locally, I don't want to leave anything out...

and I want to have a good supply of everything I'll need.

Nikki's Mom · 08-31-2010, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The A Team

*sigh* Can you give me a shopping list of things I need to order on line?

I can get the protein locally, I don't want to leave anything out...

and I want to have a good supply of everything I'll need.

Pat, you already have a source for coconut oil, correct?

Here's the other oil:
Health and Shine - Dr. Harvey's
Rotate weekly with coconut oil.

That's all you really need.

08-30-2010, 10:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
Nikki's Mom Maltese Guru Name: Suzan Dog's Name: Keiko & Nikki Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 6,250	Home Cooking for fluffs If you are interested in home cooking for your dog, please know that it can be done very successfully. There are thousands and thousands of people who home cook for their dogs with very good results. If your desire is to ensure that your dog eats good nourishing food that you prepare yourself, then go for it and don't get discouraged. Yes, you do need to ensure that the recipe you use is nutritionally balanced. There are several different ways to do this. You can buy a book from a reputable author/vet nutritionist, you can buy a recipe online from a veterinary nutritionist, or have a phone consultation with a vet nutritionist. Or you can do it all by yourself with the help of nutritiondata.com and one of the Yahoo home cooking groups. But you CAN do it. At first, it may seem time-consuming and confusing, but once you get into a routine, it's really no big deal. It doesn't take a lot of nutrition expertise. It's as simple as following a good recipe. Please don't be scared, intimidated, or discouraged. Think about this: How many of us humans eat a perfectly nutritionally balanced diet every day of our lives? Sometimes mistakes will be made, but life is not perfect, and somehow things do work out okay. (Just last week, I totally forgot to add the calcium to my batch of food. But I made adjustments, and all was well.) So, my point is, do the research, find a nutritionally balanced recipe and try it. If you don't like doing it, you can always go back to feeding commercial dog food. I really want to encourage people who have the desire to try it. Last edited by Nikki's Mom; 08-31-2010 at 07:51 AM.

08-30-2010, 10:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
Snowbody Maltese Guru Name: Susan Dog's Name: Tyler Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NYC Posts: 12,942	Suzan - both myself and Tyler are so happy with the home cooking. I think he's happy, healthy and looks great and he now loves to eat after being Mr. Picky with dog food. I've been reading up on it and working on my own things and I just love having the animal essentials multi vitamin, calcium and enzyme and probiotic and also coconut oil. It smells so good that it's like hot fudge on the sundae. I do cook every day. I have done that for my DS because of his allergies and believe me prepping food for a 4 pounder is a lot easier than a growing child. And when I'm away for work my DH preps his food. It only takes about 5 minutes. I figure if we eat healthy, so should Tyler. It's still a work in progress but really feel much happier. I'll take him to the vet in October to see what his bloodwork says. That will be the determination. But thanks for helping to guide me. __________________

08-30-2010, 11:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
princessre Maltese Guru Dog's Name: Puppy and Beegee Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 3,915	I totally agree with Suzan!! Home cooking is very rewarding. You have much more control and transparency into what is going into your babies' bodies. We do blood work every six months, and each time the results have come out perfect for both pups. (Knock on wood.) So I am very pleased. p.s.: I will say that I think it was easy for me to home cook because I have enjoyed researching human food and nutrition for nearly a decade. So I understand that if it is not your schtick to learn about nutrition, vitamins/minerals, and required calcium/phosphorus ratio for dogs vs. humans, that you might feel more inclined to feed a high-quality dog food. I think knowing more about nutrition helps because it allows you to make substitutions when you occasionally don't have something on hand...and it helps you achieve more variety in your pups' diet. __________________

08-31-2010, 12:37 AM	#4 (permalink)
mary-anderson Maltese Guru Name: Mary Anderson Dog's Name: Chloe Louise, Liberty (Libby), Alvin James, Reginald Dewayne(RIP) Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 2,247	Suzan, I think you are reading my mind. I've been home cooking for about 6 months now. I bought books, looked on websites, talk to my vet, etc. to ensure I'm feeding my fluffs probably. For some reason lately I have been questioning if I have done the right thing by home cooking. I keep reading it has to be exact. I know somedays I don't get all the nurtients I need and I'm very healthy . I don't like to each processed food so why would I want my little ones too. I take daily supplements and so do they. It is a lot of work, but when it comes to feeding time it is so worth it. So thanks for the words of encourgement and also answering my pm. __________________

08-31-2010, 12:59 AM	#5 (permalink)
gigigirlz Maltese Guru Name: Jeanne Dog's Name: Mariah Lyn....Skylar Sue...4/10/2002- 2/21/2011 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Schererville, Indiana Posts: 851	home cooking..... I am waiting for info from the nutrionist from Purdue Vet Hospital....she is going to come up with some recipes for me to make for Miss Skylar Sue...now that Skylar has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure... __________________ ................Jeanne and Mariah Sugar Lyn...............

08-31-2010, 08:37 AM	#7 (permalink)
The A Team Maltese Guru Name: Pat Dog's Name: Archie, Abbey, Ava and Tinker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Jersey Posts: 15,974	I am taking baby steps in this department. Linda (Lindy on SM) visited me a few days ago and brought me a bag of Dr. Harvey's. I've been reading the directions and it says one of the ingredients I need to add is oil. So I'll be ordering Coconut oil before I actually start..... Keep talkin' Suzan....I'm listening....(I'm lazy)...but moving forward slowly toward home cooking for FOUR dogs!!! __________________ Pat and "The A Team" Life is Good!!!

08-31-2010, 09:28 AM	#9 (permalink)
The A Team Maltese Guru Name: Pat Dog's Name: Archie, Abbey, Ava and Tinker Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Jersey Posts: 15,974	sigh Can you give me a shopping list of things I need to order on line? I can get the protein locally, I don't want to leave anything out... and I want to have a good supply of everything I'll need. __________________ Pat and "The A Team" Life is Good!!!

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