# Questions about home cooked food



## LexiAndNikkisMom (Apr 13, 2004)

I have been thinking about giving the home cooked food a try. But I have some questions about it first. Do you prepare it each day or do you make a weeks worth of meals up in 1 day? What do I need to get (besides the book Dr. Cathy talks about)? Is it hard? I have heard the hard food is good for dog's teeth. Will I need to brush her teeth more?

Lexi has a vet apointment after work tonight. I am going to ask her about it then.


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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

my mom makes the rice everyday (i dont know why, i think its to make sure we dont take up too much room in the fridge). and the chicken...she makes like once every few days (just because gruffi eats soo much). she did do it weeks at a time...but the dogs would get bored. so she'd do a few days of chicken, a few days of beef...and switch like that. the books that i got (i bought a few books) show recipes to give that will last a week. the rest you just put in a freezer.

it gets difficult because you want them to eat quickly--there's days when they dont eat for a few hours and days where they'll gobble up the food. it also gets hard because they get picky. so if my mom puts a plate down and they dont eat it for a few hours, she sometimes gives them something else (and i've told her not to do that). 

and i've read that after a month of doing the diet, get a blood panel done ($150) and then after that do it every 6 months and then after 3 tests of doing it every 6 months, then you do it every year. i did it for sprite and she was good on her blood panel. we're getting the blood panel for all three done again next month.

since i do this, i let them eat bully sticks whenever they want and i brush their teeth every night.

definitely ask your vet about it. mine was like "you can do whatever you want, as long as they stay healthy". he didnt know anything about homecooked food, he was like "i've known people who do it". but that was it. he didnt tell me what the outcome was. these are the books i got:

Strombecks Book

Better Food for Dogs---THIS has all the recipes. its really neat

Barkers Grub--few recipes, but she's all like "if your dog still looks hungry, feed him a little more"<---and i liked that. 

bone meal In one of the books, they say Solgar is the best. and bonemeal is just easy to add into the food. 
flaxseed oil

i used to put flaxseed oil in their food....but i've noticed that they dont need it. 

i think thats the basics of it. but those books help a lot.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)




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## alwaysbj (Mar 9, 2005)

hi,i cook the chicken and make enough for 5 days at a time(elmo only eats chicken and tuna in his bowl)i put it in a container and cut it up at dinner time for elmo,i buy chicken thighs for elmo(no fat)and boil them with a little salt,i do not freeze the food as i think it is better fresh.i don't know about hard food being good for teeth but dry food is good for them and bones hard ones ,we have roast lamb each week and elmo gets the bone and some meat,elmo is a fussy eater and will only eat what i eat.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

> _Originally posted by alwaysbj_@Mar 11 2005, 06:15 AM
> *hi,i cook the chicken and make enough for 5 days at a time(elmo only eats chicken and tuna in his bowl)i put it in a container and cut it up at dinner time for elmo,i buy chicken thighs for elmo(no fat)and boil them with a little salt,i do not freeze the food as i think it is better fresh.i don't know about hard food being good for teeth but dry food is good for them and bones hard ones ,we have roast lamb each week and elmo gets the bone and some meat,elmo is a fussy eater and will only eat what i eat.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=42067*


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We had a thread not too long ago about tuna being bad for dogs








I didn't read the whole thing b/c mine doesn't get tuna...but I thought I would point it out to you. Here is the thread...click this...Tuna Topic


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## alwaysbj (Mar 9, 2005)

> _Originally posted by tlunn+Mar 11 2005, 09:50 PM-->
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We had a thread not too long ago about tuna being bad for dogs








I didn't read the whole thing b/c mine doesn't get tuna...but I thought I would point it out to you. Here is the thread...click this...Tuna Topic
<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=42069
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hi,i did read that and posted a reply,a lot of deep sea fish has mercury in it (a minimal amount)we eat it,and i think if dogs eat it in moderation it is ok,that is my opinion,i give it to elmo 1 to 2 times a week,portion is 85g,i think that most food you give your dog nowadays has something not so good in it,thanks for the pointer.....all the best.......nat and elmo.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I have done home cooking for Lady since she is diabetic, but found it to be a pretty big deal and very expensive with all those supplements. You have to be very careful with home cooking to make sure you are meeting their nutritional needs (for instance, dogs need a much higher level of potassium than we do). It is recommended that you consult a dog nutritionist when designing a home cooking program.


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## kodie (Aug 24, 2004)

I really wish I could do this type of diet with Kodie.... but i cant because of his liver. But if he didnt have that problem... I certainly would!


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

Alex is on home cooked food since I got him as a puppy 8 years ago. He has never taken any supplement. I cook a batch of food and put it in little plastic containers I freeze to take out as needed. I use any kind of meat and chicken (alternatively) with vegetables and add rice or pasta. I put the meat or chicken with the veggies through the grinder. If I have enough leftover from our meal, he will get that. I always buy a steak, or pork chop, or fish filet, or veal scallopini more for him. Of course I don't tell the butcher that the third piece is for my dog. Alex loves everything we eat especially : shrimps, smoked salmon, prosciutto, salami, ham....


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

Hi Everyone,

I also feed Teddy naturally...I just really started doing this wholeheartedly around 3 weeks ago and before that was leading up to it. I still have his kibble down but he never even touches it anymore. 

I cook for Teddy what I eat....for the most part. last night I had a veggie with orzo dish which I wanted to include onions in...so I did two pans, Teddy's without and mine with. So, I usually cook for him most days only because he gets what I get. Tonight he had a leftover of this because I really wanted pizza, he had a little taste but that really is not what he should be eating. I try and eat a lot of fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. With Teddy being allergic to both Chicken and Beef I am limited in what I can include for him. There are times for protein he gets cottage cheese because of the limitation of not including the chicken and beef. Teddy eats very well, has even had fresh mozzarella included in his diet... 

I am really glad I decided to do this because he seems so much better now...even the food I was feeding him before said it was lamb and rice but also had some chicken in it.....not good. So this way I know what he is getting and it is fresh and usually organic. I am glad to know there are so many on this site doing the same. 

My only real concern is that I may be feeding him too much...we will see I am sure if he starts to gain. He is only 6lbs so I don't want to make him a little pudge ball...but then again I do feed him very healthy things that are not typically known to cause obesity. 


Thanks for sharing ... I will keep my eye out for any other suggestions.


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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

hey! that sucks that he's allergic to chicken and beef










have you tried tofu? that has lots of protein and you can soak the tofu in something---so that it takes the taste of that something (like chicken broth). or maybe cook the lamb in water...and use that water to soak the tofu in or something. 

are you following any books?

i recently lost the book that i follow....somewhere in the house. but i have barkers grub...and they have turkey and eggs for protein also. 

is he allergic to chicken liver? is that the same as gizzards? cuz i know the dogs love gizzards. 

how bout beef hearts? or steak? the dogs love chuck steak. 

do you add vitamins or bonemeal?

and none of my dogs have gained weight yet. lol. so hopefully teddy doesnt either.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

If Teddy has food allergies, tofu may not be a good choice. Did you know it's a soy product and that soy is one of the top 3 ingredients that cause allergic reactions in dogs? (Corn and wheat are the other 2)


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

I actually don't use anything with chicken or beef...no broth, no inner parts, no chewwies with either flavor on them. I have not tried tofu for the reason lady's mom mentioned....dogs ususally don't do well with soy products. I also am not good with soy so I limit this. 

Right now I am giving him fruits veggies including beans which are very high in protien, carbs including pasta (all kinds as teddy as not shown a problem with wheat), yogurt, cottage cheese.

I stay away from things which I know would not be healthy for him...as an example he is not allowed junk food...pretzels, potatoe chips...etc, I just want his meals to be very balanced. And I want him to be happy and healthy. He seems to be both right now. 

The book I really liked was from a woman named Carol Boyle and I believe it was called Natural food for dogs.
You can also look her up under natural foods for Dogs and she comes up with a whole website. http://www.naturaldogfood.com

Teddy has never had a problem with tear staining so I don't have to worry about that...although I have never given him beats...I may one day if I am having them. 

I am so glad I found this site so I can actually share websites and real names of things and you can share them right back.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Since Teddy is still a puppy, he needs more protein than an adult dog. When a dog is allergic to beef and chicken, sometimes they do well with an alternative meat source. Have you tried him on ground lamb or buffalo? I can get both at Krogers here in North Carolina.


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

> _Originally posted by LadysMom_@Mar 23 2005, 01:15 PM
> *Since Teddy is still a puppy, he needs more protein than an adult dog. When a dog is allergic to beef and chicken, sometimes they do well with an alternative meat source. Have you tried him on ground lamb or buffalo? I can get both at Krogers here in North Carolina.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=45670*


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I have not tried the buffalo yet but have given Teddy lamb and beleive it or not pork. He does not seem to have a problem with this...but again it has been from natural sources not from dog food. 

Thanks for sharing


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Teddyandme+Mar 23 2005, 01:26 PM-->
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I have not tried the buffalo yet but have given Teddy lamb and beleive it or not pork. He does not seem to have a problem with this...but again it has been from natural sources not from dog food. 

Thanks for sharing








<div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=45674
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Sorry, I forgot to mention that I really feel it may be all the additives in some of these products that make Teddy allergic...i.e.: antobiotics, growth hormone, etc.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Here's a list of the recommended supplements when feeding a home cooked diet. Of course, since Teddy is a puppy, his nutritional needs are different so I'd check with your vet to see if anything else is needed.

I think I have mentioned home cooking for Lady for almost a year, but the work and expense of all those supplements wore me out!

BTW, stay away from pork. It's too fatty and can cause pancreatitis.

Joanne Carson, Ph.D.,
Metabolic Therapist
Los Angeles, California

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VITAMIN E (Tocopherol)

Vitamin E plays an essential role in the healthy function of all cells in the body. It is widely recognized as a powerful antioxidant, protecting cells from damage. Vitamin E also plays an important part in the development and function of the immune system.

According to a study published in the "Cornell Veterinarian," vitamin E supplementation has an important influence on the dog's immune system, and dogs supplemented with vitamin E produce antibodies against vaccinations significantly faster than dogs on a vitamin E-deficient diet.

Clearly, vitamin E has a strong influence on the immune system. It is especially important to give your dog extra vitamin E in times of stress or illness. It should always be given when your dog has surgery or vaccination(s) or has experienced serious injury or shock.

DOSAGE: 4 to 8 IU per pound a day but not more than 400 IU a day regardless of weight


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B Vitamins and calf's liver

The B-complex vitamins help ward off stress, alleviate neurological problems, and are essential for cell maintenance and growth, the production of antibodies and red blood cells, and the absorption of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. 

The B-complex vitamins are grouped together because they work as a team. The team is made up of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), cobalamin (B12), biotin, folic acid and choline. The effectiveness of one B vitamin is to a large extent dependent upon adequate amounts of other B vitamins. For example, pyridoxine (B6) is necessary for the absorption of cobalamin (B12). Natural food sources rich in B vitamins never contain only one B vitamin. It is best to supplement the B vitamins together.

You can give your dog extra B-complex supplement when you know it is going to be stressed or the immune system is compromised. Vaccinations, surgery, and serious injury or shock to the body are the most extreme cases in which your dog's body needs a lot of extra support from the B vitamins. The B-complex vitamins will also reduce the toxic effects of antibodies and radiation from X rays or radiation therapy.

Other indications for giving your dog a B-Complex vitamin are highly stressful situations such as traveling or separation anxiety.

You can either get a low dose B complex (about a 25 mg complex) or if you want to make your epi REALLY happy, give them raw calf's liver two days a week. This gives them not only the complete B vitamins but vitamin A along with a good source of protein.

Raw calf's liver - 1 oz per 10 lbs a week. (i.e. a 50 lb dog should get 5 oz of liver a week

NOTE: You can buy raw calf or beef liver in a tub and put the amount of ounces needed a week in the freezer cut up into little pieces in a baggie. Then you can thaw out the pieces and give them as treats or put them into a meal, raw or cooked.


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GELATIN

Gelatin (which a carnivore normally gets from eating things such as skin and tendons and cartilage) has anti-inflammatory and brain-protectiveactions, that are especially important during aging and under stress. Glycine, the main amino acid in gelatin, protects against seizures ans brain damage. In a mature animal, gelatin can make up half of the dietary protein intake, but as little as one teaspoonful per day is beneficial for a 50 to 75 lb dog. For a pound of hamburger or chicken breast, a tablespoonful of gelatin may help to increase resistance to seizures. This is a VERY IMPORTANT supplement for epi's.

You can buy unflavored gelatin at any grocery store and sprinkle it on the food once a day. If you heat up chicken soup to warm the food, mix the gelatin in the warm soup.

GELATIN DOSAGE: once a day:

10 to 25 lbs 1/4 tsp
25 to 50 lbs 3/4 tsp
50 to 75 lbs 1 tsp
75 to 100+ 1-1/4 tsp


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VITAMIN C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce cancer risk, boost the immune system, stimulate wound repair, and reduce the risk of cataracts. Vitamin C is important for proper bone formation and the maintenance and plays a role in preventing heart disease. We also know that when a dog is stressed they need additional vitamins for their body to function properly and to protect it from disease.

There is an assumption among conventional veterinarians that because dogs manufacture a little of their own vitamin C there is no need to supplement it. However, holistic veterinarians have found that supplementing vitamin C in a dog's diet can clear up a variety of health problems. In my own case my Lucy had lots of hot spots that bothered her. A few days of Ester C and they cleared up.

Dr. Wendell Belfield points out in his book, "How to Have a Healthier Dog", "Fifteen years of clinical experience, involving over two thousand cases, has told me that dogs definitely benefit from extra vitamin C. When given supplements, they are much less likely to develop hip dysphasia, spinal myelopathy, ruptured discs, viral diseases, and skin problems. They live healthier and longer."

When supplementing vitamin C, use sodium ascorbate or some other form of buffered vitamin C because plain ascorbic acid may cause an upset stomach. The best is Ester C You can buy it in powder or tablet form and add it to your dog's food, or get it in a multivitamin. If they spit it out you can wrap it in a very small amount of cheese or a little piece of meat. The daily dosage for an adult dog is the following:

DOSAGE

Small dogs: 500 mg
Medium to large dogs: 1,000 mg to 1,500 mg
Giant dogs: 2,000 mg


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VITAMIN A

Vitamin A plays an important role in bone growth and maintenance, healthy skin, wound repair, vision protection from respiratory ailments, a strong immune system, and the production of sperm in males and normal reproductive cycles in females.

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a genetic retinal eye disease common to all breeds (including mixed breeds) that causes blindness, but it may be prevented and halted by the addition of vitamin A to the diet. Vitamin A combines the protein and produces rhodopsin or visual purple. Visual purple is what enables your dog to see at night. One of the first symptoms of PRA is poor night vision, which is followed by day blindness and can also lead to cataracts. If your dog is under 8 years old and seems disoriented or uncomfortable going out at night or into a dark room, have a veterinary ophthalmologist test for PRA.

Nutritional sources for vitamin A are dairy products, eggs, liver, fish-liver oils, and yellow, orange and dark green vegetables and fruits. 

We believe that giving your dog raw liver once a week will supply it with all the vitamin A that it needs. (see Vitamin B and calf's liver above) Calf's liver is the safest way to to give your epi vitamins A and B. 

For those who do not wish to feed raw liver here are the dosages of vitamin A.

VITAMIN A DOSAGE: once a day

1,000 units per cup of food

OR: small dogs 1,500 IU
medium dogs 3,750 IU
large to giant dogs 5,000 IU


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CALCIUM

Adequate calcium with vitamin D is protective in many ways, including protection against cancer and inflammatory disease, as well as seizures. Egg shells, milk, cheese, and oyster shells are the best forms of calcium, and the milk and cheese provide the necessary vitamin D, which is especially important for animals that use drugs that deplete vitamin D. Liver is the best way to get the necessary vitamin D, since it also includes other antiseizure and calcium-regulating nutrients.

A young animal's prepared food should contain about 1500 mg of calcium per pound of food, and about half that much for a mature animal. A pound of moist food is a pint, so a cup is a half-pound. Considering nutrient content per weight of food is appropriate, since it makes allowances for both the weight and the metabolic rate of the animal.

You can make your own calcium from egg shells and avoid any contamination. Buy organic eggs and after using the eggs rinse the egg shells thoroughly and put them aside in an open container. When you have gathered enough egg shells, put them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Then when cooled, crush them and put them in a coffee grinder, or a fine grinder, until they are like powder.

EGG SHELLS DOSAGE: once a day

10 to 50 lbs 1/8 tsp.
50 to 75 lbs 1/4 tsp.
75 to 100 lbs 1/2 tsp.
100 lbs + 3/4 tsp.

(or if you prefer) OYSTER SHELL CALCIUM DOSAGE: once a day

750 mg tablet or capsule per cup of food

NOTE: you can crush the tablet with a mallet or hammer if your dog spits it out.


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## zsazsasmom (Nov 1, 2004)

To those of you who's babies have food allergies, can you tell me how you know they are allergic, maybe some signs or something?


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## MalteseJane (Nov 21, 2004)

You have to proceed by elimination to find out the culprit.


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

> _Originally posted by zsazsasmom_@Jun 22 2005, 07:24 AM
> *To those of you who's babies have food allergies, can you tell me how you know they are allergic, maybe some signs or something?
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=74394*


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When I first brought Teddy home his little eyes were so red all the time...not ever having a Maltese before it took me a couple of weeks to figure out that this was not normal...and seemed to get worse when he had either food or a treat. So, I went and got natural lamb and rice food and did not give Teddy anything else...no cheese, no cherrios, no anything and I felt so bad not to be able to give treats...well it did not take long to find the culprits in Teddy's case. 

A friend and I were having dinner and a piece of chicken was dropped on the floor...within 10 - 15 minutes of Teddy snatching it...his eyes were beet red. Poor little guy...the same reaction happened with the beef when I reintroduced that. I have not had a problem with anything else so far.

So, red eyes is a dead give away as is congestion or stuff nose which Teddy also gets when given the chicken and beef. I know some have allergies to grass and such and will bite on their paws for relief. 

I can say that feeding Teddy naturally has worked wonderfully for me...it is now 5 months and he is doing fantastic...his coat is great, his eyes are bright, he has lots of energy and he loves to get something different every night.

Susan


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## zsazsasmom (Nov 1, 2004)

Is this a dry food you give him or something homemade? I have noticed that ZsaZsa's eye (just the one eye) gets red around it and also one side of her muzzle gets red and irritated, I though maybe treats or food could be causing it. Thanks for the info!


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## Teddyandme (Feb 6, 2005)

When I first did my process of illimination I bought a Ukenuba Natural lamb and rice formula dog food...(I won't buy it again because they use awful testing techniques with animals). I kept him on this for about 3 weeks before he accidently got the peice of chicken. 

Since then I have decided to cook for him naturally...home cooked meals of items I beleive are healthy and appropriate. 

I hope this helps. Like I said it was very clear that this was teddy's problem

Susan


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