Home Cooking for Dogs

Jules · Home Cooking for Dogs

Does anyone else cook for their dogs? I've been cooking for my girls since Molly was about 6 months old so I guess a little over 2 1/2 years now. I was very relieved I did when that pet food scare with crap from China ended up in the pet foods about a year and a half ago.

Tonight I made a huge beef and barley stew for my girls. I used about 5 lbs of beef and added barley, lentals, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, apple, a pinch of garlic and a cup of the juice from the beef to each measured portion.

Tomorrow is Bridey's 12th birthday and I'm roasting her a whole duck!! I'll make a stew out of it for her as well. Bridey can't have chicken but I make up chicken stew for Molly. Neither tolerate turkey but I also use nice cuts of pork for stew too! I add different stuff each time, different veggies and a small amount of either barley, brown rice or potatoes. For breakfast they get eggs 3 or 4 times a week too. I'll give them a little yogurt on the side and or some canned pumpkin with their meals.

I don't eat much meat (just a little chicken) and rarely cook for anyone including myself except for the dogs. They also like the beef jerky treats I make them. London Broil works great because it's almost too lean for their regular meals but makes awesome jerky in my dehydrator. I started dehydrating some of their own meat treats because again, so much of that stuff comes from China and I'm not feeding that to my dogs.

It can literally take me two days to make a massive amount of food but then I weigh and bag it in single meals for each dog. I then put all the single portions in another large freezer bag so it's all double bagged by meat type. It's a lot of work but then I'm set for a couple of months. I try to buy most of the meat when it is on sale and the rest I get organic whenever available. It probably cost me about the same as one of the very top premium foods which I still don't like as much as what I can prepare for them and they LOVE it!!!

BugMom

I do! My Min-Pin P-Nut has a rare blood disease that can be aggravated by preservatives and excessive carbs. I've been cooking his meals at home now for about 1 year. I pretty much do what you do, only it's easier for me because my dog is tiny and a little meat makes lots of portions. This way I can control the carbs he eats and he is sooo much happier. The meds he's on decrease appetite too, so it's important that his food is tasty and not "boring". My husband often coments that P-Nut's food looks better than what he is having for dinner! I don't eat meat at all, but I don't mind cooking for my little baby!

DeniseCasey

I do not feed cooked food to my dogs right now. I use "Blue" dog food because it is a true organic dog food.

However, I would be interested in it. The only issue I have is I am not knowledgable enough to make sure my dogs are getting a balanced diet and I worry about our meat. I did talk to a lady who does feed their dogs meat and she said she fed it raw.

Its a mix bag for me because if I give my dogs meat, they get diarrhea. They seem to have a sensitive stomach.

Their coats look great and their weight is good so I can not complain. However, it does have a high fiber content.

Any suggestions?

Celeste

(Notice it's all the women responding here?)

I have several elderly dogs whose livers and kidneys are giving out, so they all get a little bit of London Broil (cooked in the broiler, sliced into tiny pieces) and beef juice mixed with their kibble to encourage their appetites. They also get a bit of white rice to help keep their stools firm... Their kibble is Nutro Max Senior.

But they also get occasional treats of tiny bits of cheese, scrambled egg, toast, apple, carrot or anything else yummy we happen to be cooking!

I'm also a quasi-vegetarian -- I eat eggs, seafood, and dairy, though. (Plus the occasional invertebrate!) But I cook meat for my son and for my animals. I have some rare lizards that even get escargot on occasion! And I cook them omelettes made with dry-roasted crickets!

-- Celeste

ftorres

Hello ALl,
Well Ladies could you please tell me what time is Dinner so I can join your boys and girls???

Would you mind if I also take a Doggy bag home????

regards
francisco

AGTrauger

Me to me too! Those dogs eat better than I do. Seriously though when I had a cat she got our leftover meat scraps, bread, rice and she amazingly loved peas and ate them like candy. She lived to a nice old age of 23 (human!) years so keep it up and they'll live nice long, happy lives Smile

Actually she would have lived longer but had to put her down due to a urinary tract infection Sad

So as you can see even we manly men love our dogs & cats too

DeniseCasey

Well, if the products for dogs was not made of junk we would not have to resort to cooking whole foods for them. I do not feed any dog treats or cookies to my dogs that come from the store.

Right now, mine get All natural-Nitrate free piece of bacon before I leave in the morning or as a treat.

I cook homemade meals as it is so I do not mind cooking for the dogs but I am not sure what a balanced meal would be for them without upsetting their GI tract.

Jules

balam

Back in Mexico I used to have two Xoloitzcuintli, one full bred and the other one was a doberman Itzcuintli mix. Anyway, my brother and I used to make them Tortilla soup (no joke) with some parsley, tortilla chunks and chicken stock made from discarded chicken parts (ie. neck, feet, even the crests).

they would scarf it down, best meal they could ask for.

been wanting to get me some Itzcuintlis here, maybe once i move out of the apartment and into the house.

DeniseCasey · Happy Birthday Bridey

From Denise, Nicodemus,Penny and Gizmo:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIDEY!

occasion1

BugMom

Pumpkin is good for settling the stomach, Denise. P-Nut used to get that after his chemo treatments (he's currently in remission). Some health food stores here in town carry a pre-made nutritionally balanced raw food. It's frozen in little bite size pieces. P-Nut used to eat that, but the vet recommended no more raw food since his immune system is pretty much shot now. I have to confess -- the raw food diet was easier!

AGTrauger

Funny coincidence I just got an email from Cafe Press about items for doglovers Laughing

The link is:

http://shop.cafepress.com/dog-lover?fp=266108292

ftorres

Celeste · Re: Happy Birthday Bridey

Home Cooking for Dogs

Happy Birthday Bridey

Re: Happy Birthday Bridey