[Tessa R]

I have a 5 month old APBT. He recently began eating his feces (gross.) I was advised by a vet tech, not a vet, to put him in a vitamin supplement. They stated that majority of puppies that do this are lacking certain vitamins in their diet. I researched the best foods, and amazingly I already feed him 4.5 star rated food. He eats Taste of the Wild puppy, with a mix of 4health puppy formula, both dry food. I’m not sure what could possibly be missing from his diet, but need something to help with the problem. We clean it up ASAP, but we have half an acre (open to range,) 1 senior dog, and the new puppy so sometimes it’s harder to keep up with. Just wondering what suggestions I can get. Thank you to anyone willing to help!!

[Stephanie W]

Nesil,
You’re most welcome. I’m glad I could help. Between the hose two brands I like open farm a bit more. They are both good but the synthetic vitamins in weruva are sulfates, proteinates are better and that is what open farm uses.

If you want to do a combination of dry food and home cooked I highly suggest the book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet,” by Steve Brown. ($9 used on Amazon) his book specifically covers that option. The first half is for people that want to do a combo of kibble and cooking and the best way to go about that.
Each recipe is broken down to show what nutrients are in it and to show that they meet NRC guidelines.

[Cannoli]

Are these dog puppies or are they already grown?

I would skip the brown rice unless your dogs can’t handle a high protein diet.

I would rotate proteins. I prefer to feed my dog more red meat and chicken and turkey more as a treat.

I also prefer to add more organ meat and add tripe but you need to be careful with organ meat since you are already feeding your pups vitamins.

I like to rotate calcium sources too. Sometimes add ground shells, or ground bone, or calcium supplements. I also like to rotate veggies and supplements.

In short this is a good recipe for a short time but ideally the best recipes involve ROTATION of different sources of meat and fish (if your pup has no allergies) rotation of supplments..Maybe use some organic supplements, rotation of veggies, etc to prevent deficiencies.

[Kevin B]

Hello,

I have two dogs. One is a corgi and the other is a mini/small aussie. My corgi has always been particular about what kind of food he likes to eat. The mini aussie as well. I switched them over to homemade dogfood about 3-4 weeks ago. They love it but I’m concerned they aren’t getting all of the correct nutrients. Can someone please help me out and review my recipe? I’ve done a ton of research but still feel like something is missing or it’s just me being overly cautious since I love my pups! Thank you so much in advance!

It’s seems like they have normal bowl movements except for an occasional more liquid poop (They also like to chew stuff up and eat their stringy toys).

Recipe:

(96 oz) (6lbs) of Jenny-O 93% Lean Ground Turkey (PROTEIN)
(64 oz) of Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Instant Brown Rice (GRAINS/CARBS)
(24 oz) of Mixed Vegetables (Peas, Carrots, and Broccoli) (VEGGIES)
(8 oz) of Mixed Chicken Hearts and Gizzards (PROTEIN/ADDITIONAL NUTRIENTS)
(6) Eggs (PROTEIN/ADDITIONAL NUTRIENTS)
(8) Egg Shells Cooked and Ground Up in Fine Pieces (CALCIUM)
(4) Pro Sense Daily Multivitamins (MULTIVITAMIN NUTRIENTS)

1. I first cook all of the ground turkey and drain the excess water/fat. Then I crack the eggs and mix them in with the hot ground turkey and continue to cook the turkey with the eggs until they are done.

2. I steam the veggies in the microwave until completely cooked and puree them in a blender adding water for consistency.

3. I cook the brown rice as normal.

4. I heat the oven to 375 F and cook the egg shells for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown. I let the egg shells cool and then grind them into as small as pieces as I can get them. Makes approximately 8 teaspoons.

5. I then boil the chicken hearts and gizzards for ten minutes or until they seemed fully cooked.

6. I then blend the cooked hearts and gizzards together with the multi vitamins as it creates a liquid paste type texture.

7. Mix all in a giant pot and store for the week in the fridge.

It’s recommended by most that dogs their size and weight (25-30 lbs) get approximately 1 cup of food twice a day. This is what I give them.

They also get an in water sardine about every other 3-4 meals to provide the proper fish oils and additional calcium.

Please let me know if this seems like a sound recipe for my pups. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

[Laura L]

I need advice for my 15+ yr old Affen. I’m new; please forgive me if I’m asking you to repeat advice given previously- I feel like time is of the essence, & I can’t process everything I’m researching all at once. Donald has heart murmur/ recent trip to heart dr/ received good report. She said discontinue enalapril or switch to benazepril. He also takes VetMedin; Lasix; Denamarin. He also has Cushings & was taking Vetoryl until last week.
11/23 was first blood work in a while- I didn’t realize the signs of kidney disease earlier. We also moved recently & had to find new vet. 11/23: BUN 88/ CREA 2.6. SubQ fluids. Acupuncture 11/29 (for arthritis) & holistic vet gave me homemade food recipe, which I fed that Tues/Wed/Thurs. D smelled like ammonia after food. BUN went to >130; CREA 2.0. Then went ER vet for iv fluids (careful to watch heart condition.) He started canned kidney diet. On 12/03, BUN 97; CREA 1.7. SubQ fluids 3x / week & BUN & CREA decrease: 65 & 1.9; 57 & 1.7. I added Azodyl somewhere around this time. 12/15/16: heart dr says discontinue enalapril & clears D for teeth cleaning. Had urine protein test at this time/ it was good (like 2, on a scale to 5.) 12/22: BUN 37 & CREA 1.4. 1/06/17: BUN 41/ CREA 1.3 (I think at this pt we had moved to fluids 2x/ week.) 1/13/17: BUN: 49 CREA 1.3. (Note: D had acupuncture again.) The next week D vomited bile on Wed & Sun and wouldn’t eat. We stopped Vetoryl (I know NOW that it’s bad for filtration & bad with ace inhibitor & with diuretic.) Ate a little rice; broth; chicken but would vomit it. 1/18/17: BUN 90 CREA 1.8. 1/20/17: BUN 107 CREA 1.6. Back to ER vet for iv fluids. 01/21/17: BUN: 83 CREA 1.9. 1/23/17: BUN 70; CREA 2.3. He’s had phosphate binders during both ER trips. I’ve ordered a renal supplement, B vitamins, & omega 3s. What else can I do? Would you feed Darwins even though it has high phosphates? Doesn’t Darwins have a binder in it? Would you try homemade? – I’m hesitant since my only attempt sent his BUN off the charts. Do you think accupuncture could have helped cushings enough to cause an overdose effect since he was taking Vetoryl? Apologies for the long post- Would love any thoughts- it’s a hilly, scary road, & I need you, fellow travelers. Much love -le

[Ginger B]

I am looking for a complete premix for my 8 pound chihuahua. I ordered a ton of samples from grandma Lucy’s and she didn’t like any of them. I think the garlic was overbearing in the mixes. I was looking for one that I could add my own meat to so that I can rotate the protein sources. See spot live longer looks like it is no longer made. There is a grain free from thk that I am going to try but with my dog being so picky it would be nice to have a back up plan. I would love to do my own home cooking but it seems so overwhelming with trying to get the vitamins and minerals all balanced out. I was looking into the dr dobias holistic products to add but someone told me that even with those there wasn’t enough calcium. If I would make my own home made can anyone recommend an all in one vitamin source or doesn’t that even exist? Ty!

[elaine c]

the best dog food I know, in a category by itself, and what I feed my two pits is Answers Pet food. It is raw and fermented. Dry dog food is only going to be so good because it is processed. So all the goodness is cooked out of it… then they put in synthetic vitamins and research has shown that long term this is not good for the dogs.. Check it out on dogfood advisor.com. Good luck.

[elaine c]

Hi Dave, as a trainer with years of experience and having talked to many dog nutrionalist, personally I wouldn’t recommend anything else but Answers Pet food. You can find it in review at dogfoodadvisor.com… so you can understand this exceptional raw food. Personally, I wouldn’t feed any kibble to any dog… too processed all the goodness is cooked out of it.. and the synthetic vitamins and minarels they have to add back in have proven, long term, to be more harm than good. I PROMISE you, once you start this food you will be telling people about it like I do… I have two Pits and it changed their lives… as any good raw food would… But this one is fermented… there is the difference!!!

[virginia R]

Hi Stephanie – there is a good facebook group called “home cooked diets for dogs” which has a lot of information – the files are excellent and only well researched and scientifically supported data is included. I had tried with one canine nutritional specialist but her formula did not work for my dogs (exceptionally high in starches). I’m now “cheating” with The Honest Kitchen Preference Base Mix. It’s freeze dried vegetables and fruit and essential vitamins and minerals. This product requires you to add the meat/protein – so you know what your dog is eating. It’s a lot easier than making the meals completely from scratch, and might be a nice way to start the home cooking process. My dogs are both doing very well on this diet. One is youngster with pancreatitis and joint issues – we’ve almost totally transitioned her off prescription diet.

[AmBuer E]

Hi, my 9 and 6 year old golden retriever girls have been on Blue Buffalo since we brought them home and they never had a problem. We just brought home a baby sister golden retriever for them, and have her on the blue puppy formula. She is having loose stools and going poop about 6 times a day, I’m finding piles all over the places. Makes potty training so hard! My question is I’m not willing to give up on a premium blend, and my girls are picky. So would Redford’s natural be a little easier on my little ones belly because it doesn’t have the life source bits, but still enough to appease the older princesses?? And I see all the protein, calories, fat, etc. is exceptional, but what about the vitamins? Is it maybe a vitamin overload my little one is not liking? And with three babies I like the lower price, and other flavors! Anyone have this issue with Blue? Or switched from Blue to Redfords? Thanks!

[Cherisse G]

Diet could be definitely the cause i would try that, before following the vet. Because most puppy food, is made with chicken. Which is the most common sensitivity. And you don’t have to feed puppy food because its for puppy’s, the only thing you should avoid is the ones that say adult food. So a good food to go for, is grain free, high quality meat, no mysterious meat, no colouring, no starch. Most of the time vet tests come up negative or inconclusive. Also, sometimes it is the way the food is processed in dry food that your dog can react to. In which case, try raw, it is more expensive, but it is fantastic. Vets go against it because they get a day training of nutrition provided from the big company brands at the vet. And they have to meet a quota each month as well.. Id say try raw and if you are worried that it is not nutrionally balance (because all vets will tell you different), get nupro gold, it has all the vitamins a dog needs.

[Courtney A]

Hi I feed premade raw and I also try to feed without synthetic vitamins as well and I know Primal and small batch do not use any synthetic vitamins and use organic veggies and fruits. Also Vital essentials they are prey model no veggies or fruit. I also just started trying a company called the bones and co. Hope these suggestions help!

[anonymous]

I would go along with the lab work recommended including thyroid, let the vet diagnosis her.
Or find another vet, however, it is not unusual to suggest bloodwork, some vets would like it done once a year.
And what’s wrong with medication that has been prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined the dog, that’s intended to make the dog more comfortable?
The symptoms you describe could be any one of a number of things including allergies.

Regarding the food, again, I would see what the vet recommends. Adding supplements and vitamins seem unnecessary for a pup that young, plus they might upset her stomach more.
I would allow the vet to take further diagnostic tests, get the dog diagnosed, then you can go over your treatment options.
In the meantime I might presoak her kibble and start giving her the reglan as prescribed.
Also, if she hasn’t been spayed, she will be going into heat soon.

[Cannoli]

Hi,

There is Hare Today Gone Tomorrow, Miamia Raw, My pet Carnivore which offer pre-made raw with no vitamins added.

You can then buy all natural none synthetic vitamins online at Amazon that you can add to the pre-mad raw from the above suppliers such as Animal Essentials Herbal Multi-Vitamin

[Stephanie W]

I’m wanting to switch my dogs to a pre-made raw diet. I have been home cooking for them for about a month now and they are doing fantastically on it! However, it is very time consuming and seems to be about as expensive as a raw pre-made.
I really do not want to put synthetic vitamins or carbs back into their system though.
Is there a balanced pre-made that does not use synthetic vitamins/minerals and has little to no carbs? <10g

Thanks!

[anonymous]

Dogswell Happy Hips Chicken & Oats Recipe Dry Dog Food
Made with cage-free chickens that are raised without added growth hormones or added steroids and provide amino acids for muscle development and maintaining muscle tone. Helps Maintain Healthy Hips & Joints with Glucosamine & Chondroitin!
The chicken breasts from cage-free chickens are raised without added growth hormones or added steroids and provide amino acids for muscle development and maintaining muscle tone. Vitamin E is an antioxidant rich essential fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin E keeps the connective tissues strong and prevents skin and muscles from losing elasticity.
Key Benefits
Real chicken as the first ingredient , providing essential amino acids to support muscle development and tone
Antioxidant nutrients such as Vitamins A and E to support a healthy immune system
With Glucosamine and Chondroitin to help support proactive hip and joint healthy
Fiber from real fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, apples and sweet potatoes, help support digestion and intestinal health
No corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
(above is an excerpt from the chewy dot com site)

[Cannoli]

When I started sneaking veggies into my dogs food I invested in a good blender. I am a fan of sneaking veggies into my homemade dog food as it provides an additional plethora of vitamins that meat can not provide.

I normally feed him 1 large tablespoon per meal. My pup gets two meals a day.

Here is an example of one of the smoothies I make. I rotate veggies every 3 weeks. This makes enough for 3 weeks

large sweet squash roasted in the oven with extra virgin coconut oil- Squash has sweetness that sweetens up the veggie mix and most dogs like a little sweetness in their life.
Organic raw apple
Package of blueberries
Spirulina- This is blue-green algea loaded with minerals and has naturally occurring salt
Mother’s apple cider vinegar
Fresh tumeric root
Fresh ginger
Some fresh parsley
Alfalfa sprouts
Pumpkin seeds
Some organic supplement powder that covers any other vitamins I might be missing.

It taste good to me. It has a hint of sweetness, a little bit of saltiness from the spriulina, and a wonderful coconut apple cider tumeric aroma.

[crazy4cats]

Have you checked out BalanceIT? They have free custom recipes that you can choose the ingredients yourself, in addition to the protein, fat, and carb levels of your choice. It was created and managed by board certified nutritionists. You do need to buy their supplement to balance the meals ensuring all the vitamins and minerals are accounted for.

Here is their link: https://secure.balanceit.com/

You may have to pay to get your vet’s approval if you choose the option that your dog has a medical condition. But, it’s probably worth it and save you a lot of money in the long run. Otherwise, you may have frequent vet visits. Good luck!

[Susan]

Hi Robert,
Why he tolerates the Hills W/D is it’s very high in Insoluble Fiber & Crude Fiber.
Crude Fiber-16.8%
Insoluble Fiber-28.8%
Soluble Fiber-1.5%
Protein is low at 18.9%
Fat is low at 9.1%
Carbs are 50.7%,
there is NO WAY you will find any dog dry kibble sold online or at a pet shop with those high fiber percentages, pet shop kibbles are for healthy dogs without any health problems……
Start looking at other vet diets like Purina contact or email Purina & other prescription vet diet companies & ask do they make a formula like the Hills W/D for diabetes/weight loss & write all the Insoluble, soluble & crude fiber percentages down, they normally ring you back to talk to you & you get free vet nutrition advice, then later look up their formulas online & see if ingredients are a bit better & see if it’s a bit cheaper..
If your vet ask why do you want to try another vet diet kibble (cause you need a prescription in America, we don’t need script in Australia, we can buy all vet diets on line) just say he’s getting sick of eating the Hills W/d & it’s getting too expensive for a large breed & I’d like to try such & such kibble it’s cheaper something like that, the Purina vet diets are very similar to the Hills vet diets & Purina is cheaper, also the protein % may be higher then the Hills W/D formula is.. then you introduce the new vet diet if he does well then start rotating between the vet diets making your boys gut stronger, 70% of our immune system is in the intestinal tract also are you giving the Purina FortiFlora Probiotic?? I know Purina has a bad name but their FortiFlora was tested with 10 other dog probiotics & Purina was one of the best of 3 that had active good bacteria the rest of probiotics were a waste of money.. I know you want cheaper kibble but all next year 2017 your going to make your boys gut healthy & strong again & the only way to do this is slowly introduce healthy whole foods that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins etc veggies high in insoluble fibers & introduce a new vet diet & look at introducing a weight management kibbles, I’ve written about weight management kibbles the 2nd last paragraph.
My boy has IBD & skin allergies, all I’ve done is research, join IBD groups trying to make him better & fix his stomach & bowel, looking for kibbles that work, introducing healthy foods in his diet that are high in Omega 3 very slowly, you start off just giving say 2-3 small pieces of peeled apple as a treat & some almonds, I bite 1/2 the almond & make Patch chew the other 1/2 of the almond he loves them & his coat has become so shinny but they can only have about 3 whole almonds a day, almonds can cause sloppy poos when given too many, when you introduce a fresh healthy food, do it same time every day, this way you know when he poos what poos are firm or a bit sloppy was that when he ate the new fresh foods ??

I started feeding a small cooked meal it was just turkey mince made into little balls baked in oven & I added some sweet potatoes, a very small meal for breakfast 7am & he still ate his vet diet at 8-9am, if your boy is thin then don’t take away any of the vet kibble if he is prefect weight then take away about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the vet diet when adding fresh foods..

Google, vegetables that are high in Insoluble fiber & lower in soluble fiber, soluble fiber veggies ferment in the stomach, Insoluble fiber bulks up the stool, 1 serving of Sweet Potato contains 2.2 grams of insoluble fiber, I just got that online when I googled “Is Sweet Potatoes a soluble fiber” it takes time but in 1-2yrs I bet you’ll have a list of foods he can eat & be added to his kibble to make it more healthy..

Weight management kibbles are high in fiber look for weight management kibbles that are the highest in the crude fiber, you’ll find only crude fiber % on kibble bag or their internet site, you won’t find a kibble with 16% crude fiber but maybe you’ll find 10-12% crude fiber then contact that kibble company & I always send an email & write, something like, My boy has IBD & I want to try your name of kibble, my boy needs a high insoluble & low soluble diet can I please have the percentages to the soluble, insoluble & crude fiber please, get a book & start writing this all down cause later on as he gets better & older what didn’t work a few yrs ago might work later & you try again & I always go to pet shops so I can take back the kibbles when they’re money back guaranteed if they cause diarrhea…
Have you tried the Diamond Naturals Light kibble? its a weight management kibble over the yrs I’ve read a few people who have dogs with diarrhea problems do really well on the Diamond Naturals Light, I know its made by Diamond & they have a bad name but after paying triple price for a Hills vet diet what could be worse? if you find a kibble that you could even mix 1/2 vet diet & 1/2 normal kibble & poos are good who cares what brand name it is, like Taste Of The Wild, people on this site say this & that about TOTW kibbles but when I see my boy doing nice firm poos & he’s happy that’s all that matters, Contact Diamond & ask for the insoluble fiber % & the Soluble fiber % it may be close to the Hills W/d formula & this way your adding another protein to his diet which is lamb meal & this will strengthen the stomach & bowel, my boy needs a lower fiber diet he gets bad acid reflux & stomach problems when fiber is high…

Start google & find out which grains & veggies have more insoluble fiber with less soluble fiber.. Lentils are higher in insoluble fibers so look for weight management kibbles highest in the crude fibers then email the companies if he doesn’t do well on the Diamond Natural Light kibble.
It takes time but when you do find that kibble that works its like winning the lottery & when you get them OFF a vet diet its feels excellent but you still know that that vet diet will fix any diarrhea problems just for a while until you find that right kibble.

Look at Purina EN Gastroenteric Fiber Balance Canine Formula
https://www.proplanveterinarydiets.com/products/#for-dogs

Here’s the Diamond Light Naturals
http://www.diamondpet.com/our-brands/diamond-naturals/light-adult-dog/

List of high fiber foods soluble & insoluble
http://www.healthhype.com/list-of-high-fiber-foods-soluble-and-insoluble-fiber-chart.htmlesn

[Kristen L]

I agree to first get medical check. If all is well, try the honest kitchen. It’s dehydrated base mix. You just wet it and you get all your minerals and vitamins that they need, then add your own protein. You don’t have to worry about missing anything. And they have provide the feeding guidelines.

[crazy4cats]

Hi Natalie-
Are you mincing the garlic yourself? It is the allicin being released when you cut or crush the clove that is what kills the parasites. I would cut it and let it sit for about five or 10 minutes b4 adding it to their food. If you buy it minced, it might not be as effective. It sounds like you are being careful with it. That’s good. I along with many others on this site have not had an issue with it.

Also, in all my research, I’ve never come across Vit C being used to rid the parasite and agree with anon that adding excess vitamins to an already balanced diet is not a good idea unless directed by your vet.

[emmygirl01]

Hi,
Thank you in advance for anyone who chooses to respond to this. I appreciate your knowledge and willingness to help.
The short story is: I have a 8 year old neutered male Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever/ Border Collie MIX. He had parvo when we rescued him. He has intolerances to a variety of foods. He will do well for awhile and then starts to have symptoms of intolerance such as biting his feet, itching, diarrhea, nausea.
He has most recently been on THK and Urban Wolf (I add turkey and sunflower oil)
At the beginning of November, he began to have yellow diarrhea, especially when we would take our daily walk. He was given amoxil and metro…. After 7 days, no change.
I took him off THK and UW and he immediately quit biting his back feet.
He has continued to have yellow sloppy stools, and most recently a bought of diarrhea after eating where he has to go out 4-5 times.
The vet did another stool sample yesterday, no parasites.
Should I have them do another sample to check for bacteria?
Did the antibiotics mess up his intestines so bad that he just can’t recover?
I am currently giving him boiled turkey breast with a small amount of rice, yellow squash or sweet potato. And the broth from that food mixture as he desires.
I am at my wits end and the vet kind of looks at me like,–back again? Hmmm-dramatic dog mom! They just called and requested that we come in again, but just wanted to see if anyone has had this experience or has any good advice.
PS. I do have some canine caviar (brown rice and chicken) and I have vitamins, THK perfect form, RX probiotics–you name it, I have it. He is not tolerating any of it!

[Steve S]

Hello Sharon,
The food you give your dog plays a critical role in his well-being, both on a daily basis and long-term.Omega-3 Fish Oil supplements ensure a better way to provide your dog with a daily supply of EPA and DHA.The vitamin traces and antioxidants found in these supplemental products are naturally found in salmon. It doesn’t affect your dog’s intake of vitamins that they obtain from other sources. It’s very gentle on your dog’s system as well and requires no prior conversion before the dog’s system can utilise. So in my opinion fish oils are the best supplement you can give to your dog for a promoted joint health.I personally use Daily Omega-3 Fish Oil for Dogs from Ample Nutrition. This product is value for money as it doesn’t burn holes in your pocket.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Steve S. Reason: product not updated
• This reply was modified 7 years, 12 months ago by Steve S.

[Cannoli]

Hi Sally Z,

I am not sure how much cheaper you want to get when feeding raw meat to your dog. Eventually the cheaper you go the less quality and safety you get.

Nothing wrong with store bought meat or poultry. I feed that to my dog but I COOK it first. Nothing wrong with feeding your dogs cooked protein. As long you you add the necessary supplements afterwards to balance it on a weekly basis.. I have discovered that feeding cook food is cheaper than feeding my pup raw. Supermarkets always have sales on fish, turkey, pork, and chicken.

Heck I am now feeding my pup raw food once a week out of the month and the other weeks I feed him cooked proteins.

Anyway in regards to bone replacement you can use eggshells, calcium seaweed (found on Amazon-the bottle lasts for months cost is less than $20), bone meal powder (found on amazon just make sure it does not have added vitamins.

Organ is cheap to find at supermarket just slighlty braise them to kill any bacteria. Or what I like to do at times is I make liver and organ treats by putting them in a dehydrator.

Or you can buy pre-made dehydrated organ and liver treats online. Just make sure they are 100 made in America and are organic free range.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Cannoli. Reason: added more context
• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Cannoli. Reason: typo

[Christopher E]

What most are failing to realize is that what your dogs ancestors ate is completely irrelevant.

Unless you are feeding your dogs raw food scraps, you have already altered their diet from what you are arguing is “natural,” i.e. What it was between 15k years and maybe a century ago.

But, again, that is irrelevant, the point is that numerous studies have shown that high levels of proteins grow cancer cells… and every dog in America is subject to higher and higher levels of carcinogens than the previous generation. Carcinogens are everywhere in the modern world.

That dogs have always had meat as the main component of their diet in not a valid argument. As myself and others have pointed out, it is entirely possible to provide a complete and balanced diet without animal products.

For anyone who has said that animal product free, vegan diets have not been proven to be healthy in humans or dogs in the long term… you clearly have not done your research because the studies are out there.

I am no longer a vegan. I tried to do it for a while for health reasons, not out of feeling sad for animals (though it does make me sad to think about how they are treated and slaughtered just for our enjoyment). Unfortunately, I love meat too much though. Sorry.

But when it comes to my dog, she is still a vegan. I don’t feed her animal products (except for the ocassional filet mignon scrapes I give her) because I believe that she is healthier and will live longer on a nearly entirely vegan diet. My opinions have been extrapolated from decades of research findings.

There is not any SCIENTIFICALLY EMPIRICAL study that has shown that humans or dogs need meat as part of their diet to be healthy and whole.

Look back over my numerous post on this thread, going back to the first post, if you doubt me.

There is nothing cruel or innately wrong about not feeding your dog meat if you are providing a complete and balanced diet (all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients). Arguing that’s it’s cruel because it is not in their nature is ridiculous. They are dogs for Christ sake. Non of this was “in their nature” when we first began domesticating them (wolves) 15k years ago. Just like our children, we have to do for them what we believe is best for them based on the information we have available… not whatever is in their nature… which, honestly is a completely arbitrary statement.

[Jenn H]

Elaine C there are a few brands that add probios, vitamins& minerals, etc after processing to replace what is lost.
There’s also brands that don’t cook the food at such high temps for the purpose of minimizing nutrients lost therefore they don’t have to replace as much at the end.

[SHERRI O]

Would I be able to get the recipe that you are using for your giant breed dogs? We have our first mastiff ever, and I would like to feed him raw food, like we do for our Maine Coon cats! We have a recipe for the cats, using raw meat, vitamins, minerals, etc that is what our breeder used. We freeze it in plastic bowls, the same way you do, it sounds like. But the mastiff pups breeder just used dry food, and I CANNOT find a real recipe anywhere for the giant breed of mastiffs! St Bernards are pretty close in size, and in the same family, so I imagine the needs would be the same. Thank you so much for any direction in this search!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Bag of Opals-
I make a homemade meal for my two dogs now and then using a recipe I formulated on balanceit.com. I use ground beef that I buy human grade at the grocery store. (Costco, of course) The ingredients also include rice, veggies, and applesauce. Then, I add the BalanceIt supplement to make sure it has all the necessary minerals and vitamins. I forgot to mention that it is all cooked, not raw. They love it!
I’ve tried a few premixes that they also liked, but did not usually digest the ingredients very well. The site has free formulas and is run by a veterinary community. They, however, do not recommend feeding raw. Give it a try if you are interested in making a cooked homemade meal!

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by crazy4cats.

[Steven H]

October 2016 update
May 2016 my 11 year old Aussie Mozart lost his eye site, retinal detactment they say. Merlin my 8 year old Aussie was diagnosed with IBS, stomach issues. It was a tough battle for awhile. Mozart regained his eye site, still weening him off the steroids but is doing great. Merlin was prescribed tylan powder twice a day. Had a hard time with him not wanting to eat, refusing even cooked chicken breasts. I cant tell you how hard it is seeing him drop this food out of his mouth. I would actually have to hand feed him wet just to get him to eat something. Numerous vet visits, second and third opinions got me nowhere. I dont even want to tell you the tests they ran and wanted to run. My last straw was making an appointment with a veterinary nutritionist. She wanted his entire history of food given and while filling out this paper work I had found one thing. Switching them over to the limited ingredient diet, real chicken stew wet and hard formula was what they had in common.
They say not every food agrees with our four legged kids and believe me I am not bashing there product, it just was not right for my guys. When we look into this limited ingredient products for our kids we might want to think about what they are replacing food ingredients with. Vitamins, herbs a sprinkle of this and that.
Right now Merlin is eating Purina One wet, turkey and venison and is doing great. Only one I could get him to try, believe me I had made plenty of trips to the store. Mozart is doing well on a Redford dog food hard kibble grain free turkey. I have been feeding them this for about two weeks now and have slowly introduced this hard kibble to Merlins wet food, so far so good.
Like I said, not every food is good for every four legged kid. Just wanted to let you know how things have been going.

Thank you all for your posts, great information here..

Steve

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Steven H.

[Shannon W]

Hi Shawna,
First of all, I am so so so sorry to hear about your journey with Audrey’s health issues, my heart breaks for both of you 🙁
Secondly, this is a whole new experience for me but having just returned from the vet I am of course looking for related information. My 16.5 year old terrier Brownie (I know we are so lucky to have had her this long <3 ) stopped eating and was diagnosed with renal failure. She spent 4 days on fluids, antibiotics etc. and is home with aluminum hydroxide, antibiotics, an antacid (?) and phenobarb for seizures as well as subcutaneous fluids for the remainder of her time I suspect. That is ok, I would do anything for her…

I am just beginning the research on Kidney failure and have read many of your posts so far but not all of them. In one of them you recommend the SP Canine Renal Support. I have looked at that as well as the SP Renafood tabs which people also recommend. I was wondering why you chose the Canine support as opposed to the Renafood if you don’t mind? The only other question I will bother you with now ( don’t want to wear out my welcome here 😉 is if you have had any experience using Rehmannia 8 which many holistic vets recommend… Right now we are getting through one day at a time but I would like to start her on supplements asap while I figure out her diet and other vitamins/mineral needs etc. In the next few weeks (cross your fingers and toes please) I will get her to a holistic vet in an attempt to get her on “a plan” that will be more beneficial for her. Thank you SO much for your response and know that you came here through a nightmare but you are making such a difference for the rest of us and our beloved fur babies.

[Susan W]

I got curious and looked into this. They are pretty vague with “Antioxidants, B Vitamins, and Arginine to Support a Dog’s Cognitive Health Throughout Adulthood” – no doubt partly due to proprietary issues. I looked up Arginine and found it is used for humans for a variety of things like preventing tooth decay, treatment of peripheral neuropathy, and treatment of herpes simplex. The neuropathy is the only thing for arginine that gets close to brain function.
“DHA” & “EPA” are compounds in fish oil that is beneficial for brain function (Omega 6, and Omega 3 fatty acids).
When you look a little closer, you find out they’re using salmon for their fish oil source which sounds great but isn’t as good as it could be. Most of the salmon used in dog food production is farm-raised salmon and isn’t as high in Omega-3’s as it would be if wild caught. Also, there are other wild caught fish that higher in Omega-3’s than salmon – for example, Menhaden fish, which is a small, cold water fish that is very high in the essential fatty acids needed for healthy brain function. **One great thing about Menhaden fish is that they breed like fleas so it’s nearly impossible to over fish them, unlike salmon.**
VeRUS (my personal favorite dog food) has 2 formulas that utilize Menhanden Fish as their base. You can get samples of this food from VeRUS if you contact them & ask (which is how I got started feeding it.)
For more on menhaden fish – http://www.chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/menhaden
https://www.britannica.com/animal/menhaden and for more on VeRUS: http://www.veruspetfoods.com/whyverus.html

[Sara R]

I have a 7 month old Pomeranian named Bella. When we first brought her home she was eating her kibble no problem. But slowly she stopped eating it so we tried switching brands, and she liked to start but same thing, became uninterested and didn’t want to eat. We asked our vet and they recommended we try mixing soft food in with her kibble in case her teeth were bugging her. The also worked for a while, but not anymore. We’ve gone back to straight kibble and no difference. She’s got all her adult teeth now so that’s not the problem.
I’ve recently gone to a healthy pet store and they gave me numerous kibble sample packs to try and see if Bella would like them. She’s only maybe eaten a few piece of 2 kinds but its a struggle to get her to eat anything. Sometimes if i throw it on the floor she will eat it.

Im wondering if i should consider switching her to home cooked food. I’m just concerned it wont have the same vitamins and nutrients as in the kibble.

[Cannoli]

Hi Spy Car,

I don’t consider raw finely ground vegetables to be unnecessary if fed 10% or less of the dog’s diet.

Veggies provide a plethora of additional vitamins that are not found in a meat base diet.

[Jenn H]

I have found that a lot of the management & treatment of my girl’s idiopathic IBD is trial & error unfortunately.
For her I have found that she does best on:
*foods that have a SIGNIFICANT amount of meat based protein. Not just a moderate amount. No extra fiber.
*minimal kibble and it’s soaked. I add water to all her food anyway. Even wet.
*1 protein at a time (very slowly switch)
*Pepcid
*exercise. Helps gut with motility.

She did well for 7 months then had a set back. Right now she’s back to i/d cans and boiled chicken. The vet suggested Royal Canin Ultamino, but that’s way beyond my budget.
Per the vet’s suggestion she is on Fortiflora probiotics daily.
Luckily none of the vets who have treated her have put her on a steroid.

Her recent relapse may have been a result of too much fiber and/or eating a kibble that had a moderate amount of meat for its main protein source. It could also have because I was trying different proteins and it was too much change.

The problem with IBD is that it’s a broad diagnosis with many causes. There is no one size fits most treatment.

If possible maybe you should find another vet who can better direct your management. Sounds like your vet isn’t very knowledgeable about this particular condition or nutrition in general.

Be careful with supplements especially fat soluble vitamins. You can over do it. Many vitamins have accompanying minerals. Too much of a vitamin and not enough of the mineral can cause a new set of problems.

My vets have mention endoscopy only as a second to last resort. The absolute last diagnostic would be biopsy. They will only do either of those things if the condition becomes severe.

It’s a very frustrating diagnosis, but it can be managed. The difficulty is finding what works for that particular pet. While finding what works can cause a flare up. Thankfully pets are forgiving.

[Michael F]

Hi Everyone, Thanks so much for replying to my original post, it helps my boy and I not feel so alone out here. I’m happy to say that for now he is doing much better, knock on wood!!! I’m currently feeding three times a day, some lamb and rice kibble, mixed with cooked chicken and rice and Honest Kitchen Brave, I’m slowly weaning him off the cooked chicken and rice and increasing the Honest Kitchen, and trying to get him down to one protein as I was told that dogs with I.B.D. do best on a single protein. His vitamin B-12 level was low normal and I asked the vet if that could have come from eating only cooked chicken and rice but he didn’t think so, I also asked if there was a Vitamin B-12 Supplement that I could give him that would help build that up but he said no, only Vitamin B shots would work. I evaluated the cooked chicken and rice I had been feeding him and found it obviously to be very low on all vitamins he would need and also found that Boiled Chicken is a very low source of Vitamin B-12, in addition the amount of that I was feeding was way too low on Calories, before having to go on the bland diet he had been eating Tuscan Natural Lamb and Rice which he did well on for 60 pounds worth, and then starting having strange clay like poops, I realized that it was very low in fiber, so now I’m mixing it with the Honest Kitchen Brave, seems to be giving him the fiber he needs. I also did some research with some Holistic Vets and put him on Mercola Pet Probiotics and in addition I found a Vitamin B-12 Supplement for pets from Wonder Laboratories called Pet Factor B-12 with Folic Acid Intrinsic Factor, they both seem to have really helped and his B-12 level has come back up. I didn’t want to overdue the B-12 and I didn’t want to mix it in on his other medicine day so I only give him a single capsule every other day. I read about the Wonder Lab B-12 product on a website for dogs with SIBO which apparently can also be coupled with IBD in some dogs. I will say that the internist wasn’t overly helpful in what to do except to keep trying to find a food he could eat. I really believe that the Mercola Probiotics have been the most beneficial thing in settling down his digestive system and I think having him on a very small amount of kibble and mainly the soft dehydrated food have also helped calm things down, and for him the B-12 capsules have also helped to increase the B-12 level, I know the vets say the shots are the only way, but these tablets seem to work. Please let me know what things you guys are having luck with, Thanks! I forgot to mention, my Internist said that most of dogs he was seeing with IBD were eating dog foods that had a lot of fruit in them and he felt blue berries and other fruits just were not appropriate for dogs, he did think some apple’s would be OK but that was about it as far as fruit went. (Note my dog was never on a food with a bunch of fruit in it, so who knows)

[crazy4cats]

Yes, it’s on the list. Please listen to your vet over the pet supply store clerk. It is important for your pup to stay lean and not grow too fast. But, it is also important that it gets all the vitamins and nutrients included in puppy food that a growing pup needs. And, most importantly, the calcium percentage needs to be appropriate for a growing LBP. Also, large breed food, both puppy and adult, are typically lower in calories and fat due to control growth and keep trim as adults.

I’m sure the store employee meant well as that used to be the belief. There is a nice article about choosing food for a large breed puppy. A bulldog/mastiff sounds awesome. Our neighbor has American Bulldogs, father and son. Impressive and nice dogs. I’m sure you’ll take great care of him/her.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by crazy4cats.

[Helen C]

My elderly chihuahua is a picky eater, won’t take pills, and hates the taste of fish. That pretty much eliminates about 99% of all dog dietary supplements. It’s very frustrating. That said, Dinovite he *will* eat! Tiny amounts sprinkled on his food. So far so good. But after just 2 days, he developed diarrhea. I think the probiotics were a little much for him. So I backed it off, will wait a week, and try again at a lower (much lower) dose.

If someone knows a better supplement for a tiny dog (4 pounds) with eating issues, let me know! I’m particularly eager to get him supplemented with B vitamins. The only liquid supplement I’ve found for the three B’s I’m looking for (B12, B6, Folic Acid) was human and had xylitol in it. NO GO!

So … if anyone has suggestions please let me know.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by Helen C.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 1 month ago by Helen C.

[jack h]

vitamins and amino acid are important to dogs.
such as D biotin
and D panthenol

[HoundMusic]

Have you been feeding PMR levels of liver (5%)? If so, did your vet offer an explanation of how your dog might have a Vitamin D deficiency?

They get at least 5% organ meats, if not slightly more, and most of that is beef liver. I also feed egg yolks for Vit D., and occasionally give unsalted butter for that, iodine & Omega 3.

The raw, prey model diet, however, does not take into account daily nutritional requirements of dogs, but utilizes a “balance over time” method – so if any deficiency was present, balancing a diet over time and not on a daily basis would likely contribute to the already low levels of Vit. D, which, if allowed to continue with Toby not meeting the requirement for his vitamins on a daily basis, would eventually lead to osteomalacia. My Vet did not have to offer that explanation. I think it’s obvious.

[don h]

from don h . I spoke with our vet today he said give her 100mg vitamin c daily and that alone will drop her Ph below 7 ideal around 6 to 6.5 .That will stop crystal formation.Only one problem where do I get vitamin C chews or tabs. (not a multi vitamin)pet co and petsmart have multi vitamins

[crazy4cats]

Hi Courtney R-

Have you ever checked out the http://www.balanceit.com website? It’s a site that allows you to formulate free recipes for healthy dogs and cats. You can choose protein, carb, veggie and/or fruits of your choice. You then can taylor it to your dog’s weight and whatever percetage of fat and protein you want to feed. You do need to buy their supplement to balance it with the proper vitamins and minerals as well.

If your pet has a health condition, they will work with your vet to formulate the recipes for you. Check it out. I have a few recipes that I feed my dogs every now and then.

Good luck!

Edit: BTW, this site is only for cooked home made food, no raw.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by crazy4cats.

[Theodore L]

I wrote to ZiwiPeaks about their food since we have a dog with IBD. The following is their email to me: Hi Theodore:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are thrilled that you are looking into feeding ZiwiPeak. We are passionate about pets, and strive to produce the best foods available for our furry friends! Many pet parents with dogs (and cats) suffering from IBS / IBD have found ZiwiPeak to be the perfect diet for their fur babies, due to the lack of fillers, preservatives, grains and other ingredients completely unsuitable to a carnivore’s digestive system. One of the ingredients that is included in ALL ZiwiPeak recipes is cold-washed green tripe. Green tripe is a powerhouse of nutrients, is extremely digestible and palatable and contains probiotics/prebiotics and digestive enzymes which help establish a healthy gut. I will be asking our Office Assistant to mail you a sample packet, and I’ve attached a guide for transitioning your dog. Please refer to the feeding calculator on our website’s homepage for the recommended daily serving. http://www.ziwipeak.com

Here’s some basic information about ZiwiPeak:

All ZiwiPeak recipes and formulas are complete and balanced as a daily diet for ALL breeds, and for ALL life stages. To determine your pet’s recommended feeding amount, please use the feeding calculator on our website’s homepage: http://www.ziwipeak.com

ZiwiPeak gives your pet the equivalent of a raw, wild prey diet and is made from over 95% raw meat and organs, including natural fat and bone. Our food contains no rendered meats or meat by-products. We add no artificial colors or flavors, no carrageenan, no chemical preservatives, no grains or potatoes, and no added salts, sugars, gelatin or glycerines or cheap filler ingredients. These ingredients cannot be efficiently utilized by a carnivore’s digestive system and can contribute to various health issues, including skin & coat problems, itchy skin and ears, yeast infections, allergies, obesity, kidney disease, IBD/IBS and diabetes. ZiwiPeak cuisine is over 95% digestible and extremely palatable to even the most finicky dogs and cats.

ZiwiPeak uses free-range, grass-fed meat raised on traceable, approved New Zealand farms, and seafood caught using ecologically-sustainable practices under New Zealand’s stringent, government-controlled, fish-management system. All meat and seafood we use must be free from added hormones, antibiotics, growth promotants and GMOs. Our added vitamins and minerals are sourced from reputable, traceable suppliers in the USA, Europe and New Zealand and Japan. We do not source any ingredients from China.

We add New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel to all ZiwiPeak formulas to provide high levels of natural glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, and cold-washed green tripe, which provides important vitamins & minerals, digestive enzymes and probiotics needed for healthy digestion. We are relentless in our commitment to quality and care, operating under the most stringent health and safety standards. Every batch of ZiwiPeak must meet both our own in-house specifications and the highest international benchmarks. All ZiwiPeak products meet or exceed industry standards.

Please let me know if I can be of additional assistance,
Regards,
I did not write her name since I don’t have her permission. I have been transitioning one healthy guy to this food. I am not ready to do the IBD guy yet since he just had a setback and the Vet (Internist does not want any changes). I received a very fast response – I liked it!

[Diane B]

My Brussels griffon had bladder stone surgery. I feed low oxalate homemade diet with vitamins and minerals added. I don’t make huge amounts, maybe enough for a week of meat and then add cooked veggies that we have had that week (low oxalate).
He gets a big variety of foods. He loves sauerkraut, green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, etc. All types of meat; chicken livers, gizzards, beef, chicken, pork and eggs.
I haven’t considered oatmeal. How is it prepared?

[Renee T]

I have 2 lab Pitt mix 2yr old litter mates and I have been feeding them homemade for almost a year and one of them has always been a little picky so I mix canned food with the homemade sometimes or put sardines or tuna on it. Recently she hasn’t been eating it I thought maybe she didn’t like the batch I had made since I used some beef liver and chicken gizzards in it. She ate it for about 3 days and now is turning her nose up at it so I made another batch more basic and she still isn’t eating much. But she will eat chicken out of her food or by hand. I use ground beef, chicken legs and thighs quarters, rice or oats, carrots, celery, usually beans like pinto or black beans, and eggs either mixed in and cooked or scrambled. This time I left out some of the ingredients and used green beans instead of black. And she is still not wanting to eat anything but the chicken out of it. Does anyone have any ideas? I am wondering if she’s not getting enough vitamins and nutrients. I give them a multi vitamin. I am considering going back to kibble or at least half and half.

[Logan W]

For those new or novice to homemade dog food, it does take some research and a little bit of trial and error to see what your dog will eat. I’ve been doing homemade 100% for about 7 or 8 years now and I would highly recommend it. It does require some initial time and research but it’s all well worth it. I first started with several dogs and wasn’t convinced, like many here, that anything available on the market was as nutritionally dense as homemade. I started when I first adopted several dogs and they loved eating anything I bought, but the food certainly never agreed with them and they were sick all around my house. I think the last food, both dry and soft, they ever ate from the pet store was Blue Buffalo way back when. I would give them rice and chicken till they got better then slowly start working commercial food back into their diet. Every time… they got sick. That’s when I started out on the quest for something that I could rest assured was wholesome and nutritional… from my own hands.

People are right here when they warn you of feeding your dog homemade food without understanding your dogs nutritional needs. We all know our dogs will eat just about anything and you’d hate to learn the hard way that you are malnourishing your dog. I started by searching the web for a canine version of a daily nutritional requirements list that includes not only the macro nutrients (proteins, fiber, fat, carbohydrates, etc.) but also details all the micro nutrients (different amino acids, minerals, vitamins, etc.). The lists are out there if you search. It will be a long, long list of about 30-40 nutrients.

Once I found this list, I did some calculations based on my dogs activity level and size, multiples really. Then I created an Excel spreadsheet of all the target daily nutritional requirements. From there I started searching the web for natural sources of each nutrient and cross referencing them again sites to make sure they weren’t toxic to dogs. You’d be surprised to find that much of the normal fresh meats and vegetables at the store have just what your dog needs. I created a list of ideal food ingredients and Googled each ingredient’s full nutritional profile and built a tab for each ingredient in Excel listing out its nutrients per 1 gram or other serving size. Then I would build other worksheets modeling possible combinations of natural ingredients and seeing how the resulting nutrional profile compares to the target. You’ll find, just like with any animal, that you’ll never get it perfect. You may figure out that adding sweet potatoes helps you fill one nutrient you were targeting only to provide an exceeding amount of another. This is inevitable but just make sure that you aren’t creating a recipe that has far too little of one nutrient that is very important, or even far too much of another that can cause problems if ingested in large quantities like Vitamin A, etc. Its really a process or trial and error modeling a recipe that is really close. I got a few recipes and then went for it. But I do give my dog a multivitamin once a day too just to be a little safer.

The recipes I’ve been using for some time is muscle meat and some organ meat like ground beef and beef livers or kidneys, or chicken breasts and chicken livers. Organ meat is very nutritionally dense and its what dogs go for first when they find a animal in the wild. Muscle meat is a thing we humans prioritize for some reason so remember that you dog IS NOT BEST SERVED WITH FILET MIGNONS OR CHICKEN TENDERS. For veggies, I use about 3-5 different vegetables and switch them up every once in a while. My favorites are sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, squash and zucchini. For fiber and carbohydrates, I pick between a rice (white or brown) or beans (dry pinto or black beans). There’s other things I do too, like I use quite a few eggs and I boil the eggshells to sterilize them. Then I grind the dried shells into a powder for their high calcium needs. I also add some ground flax seed and olive oil to every batch. That’s really it about ingredients… now the PREPARATION METHOD becomes vitally important.

If your dog is like any of mine, they probably don’t care to eat vegetables raw or their own flavor. Also, how you cook the vegetables and beans/grains can either retain most of the nutrients or deplete most of them. Dogs have very short digestive tracts compared to humans and that means that just because they can eat a raw carrot…. it doesn’t mean there digestive tract can break it all down fast enough before it passes. Pressure cookers are great for dog food vegetables. Pressure cookers apply high heat for a very short period of time that not only softens the vegetables so they are more digestible, but it helps retain the nutrients in the vegetables much better than, let’s say, boiling them. One could simply use a steamer, but the trick I use is adding some chicken broth to the pressure cooker so that it injects a tasty flavor in all the vegetables. I chop all my vegetables and pile them into the pressure cooker and add a couple cups of real chicken broth and set it for 10 minutes, done. I pull out the finished veggies and set aside. Then I do the same flavor-injection with the beans or rice by using the pressure cooker too. I take out the beans or rice when finished and mix it into the cooked vegetables I set aside.

Next I chop up a cook the meats/organs either in a large pan or also in the pressure cooker (depends on the meat). I add a generous amount of olive oil and pour in the eggs and ground eggshells + ground flax seed. When this is all done I mix it all together with the already completed parts I set aside. A little salt and its done. I divide the food up into glass, airtight containers that hold enough for no more than 5 days of food. I keep one in the fridge and the others in the freezer. After the first container is nearing empty, I start thawing the second container. I give me 20-30 lbs guys about 1 cup of the food nuked for about a minute, morning and night.

How’s it working? Wonderful coats, plenty of energy, no skin problems EVER, all vet checkups clear and I’ve had their blood tested drawn at different times of their metabolic cycles to test for nutrients in their bloodstream (a whole lot of expensive testing just to reassure me that what I was doing was good) and not a single thing ever wrong with them. Since their food is not very hard or dry, you do need to brush their teeth or make sure they get plenty of dental chews. Their stool should be nice and loose, but not huge and frequent. Once or twice a day is normal. Their digestives tracts are using more of the food mass than was being used when feeding commercial food filled with corn and other grains. So their stool gets smaller. You can go online and find paid recipes backed by vets, but I’ve yet to see one that is truly all homemade. They typically create recipes that require using some overly priced supplement powder they distribute or co-advertise for. Don’t waste your time on them.

You may find that your dog devours the food right away or plays the hold-put game for something better. Mine play both games depending on their mood. They usually don’t eat the food right away cause it’s just been reheated and they know not to try. So they usually meander around for a while before eating it later. But when they finally eat… they eat it all… every last piece of vegetable, bean and rice, etc.

So there’s my experience and I hope it inspires you to give it a go and stick with it. I have an electric pressure cooker only for the dog food… best investment ever. It costs me about 50 cents to feed 1 lbs dog for a week. So that’s $10 a week for one 20 lbs dog. I consider that a much better ROI than commercial dog food. Since I only have one freezer, I only make food every 2 weeks and spend about 2 hours when I do. But you get used to it and you learn the process inside and out. I’d never go back. Now if only I would eat as good as these damned dogs do!! 😉

[T-dub]

I had a husky and a golden retriever who were vegan for many years. I cooked their food on the stove each week- rice, garbanzo beans, lentils, carrots, potatoes, olive oil and several other healthy ingredients and I would sprinkle vegepet vitamins on top- the web site has many recipes. The dogs were strong, energetic, happy and very healthy. When my life got too complicated and it was difficult to cool for them each week I bought top of the line dog food. They wouldn’t touch it. It was so sad. They ate it when they realized I was not going to make the food they had eaten for years. Commercial dog foods for the most part are garbage, it’s the slaughterhouse leftovers that are not fit for human consumption. A dog that is cooked a healthy vegan diet is a lot luckier than one who gets kibble. Just because it is what most people tend to do doesn’t mean it is the best for the dog. My golden lived to be 8.5 when his spleen burst and husky to 13 when she has diabetes and a tumor behind her eye.

[Michael F]

Hi, My last two dogs lived to be 16 and 17 years old, they developed arthritis and we used
Duralactin and all natural anti-inflammatory, you can read more about it her https://www.vetinfo.com/duralactin-canine-side-effects.html it doesn’t have the side affects of Rimadyl, I’m not to saying you should stop her rimadly, I’m not sure how bad her arthritis is and it is a choice your and your vet would make. With the Duralactin we also gave our dogs Cosequin, or I guess now they make Dasaquin, we gave our dogs both the Duralactin and the Cosequin and they did quite well, I also found that four short walks a day, made it easier for them to get up and down and move around. For your weight loss, I would keep her on her diet food that works for her, and feed her the amount of it she is suppose to have for her required weight, as a topper for a treat, you might try a little boiled fat free ground turkey and or boiled skinless boneless chicken breasts, those will be much lower fat options and should still feel like a treat to her. To make it easy you can cook it up ahead of time and freeze small amounts in freezer bags, and then you’ll have a pre-made topper for her food. It’s not easy getting a dog with arthritis extra exercise, but if you stick to the amount of food she is suppose to eat for the weight you want her to be at and avoid extra fatty food additives and other people food and give her the low fat kibble as treat, rather than a fatty dog treat, she’ll eventually take weight off, you don’t want to under-feed her, because then she get malnourished, she needs a certain amount of food each day to get her needed vitamins. Give it some time and you’ll see results! A cute story about the need to feed your dog too many special treats….My parents had a toy poodle named pete, they only fed him buddig lunchmeat, they said he would not eat dog food, at age six, he looked awful, instead of being chocolate brown he was grey and going bald, his eyes looked sickly and he limped on his hind leg at time, unfortunately my parents passed away at that time, anyway, pete came to live with me and my other two dogs, and guess what, I fed him dog food, not lunchmeat, in a few months time, his coat was nice and chocolate brown again, his eyes looked great, he got daily walks with the other two dogs, and he lived to be almost 18 years old! So that is my story about table scraps versus dog food! That doesn’t mean I’m knocking a raw diet for dogs or home cooking for dogs, they are preferred to dog food by many vets and many of us dog owners, however, they have to be a balanced diet, not just luchmeat and table scraps.

[Angie M]

I’m new to homemade as well, muddling through.
I have been using Dr. Karen becker’s book and it’s a little complicated at first and my dog isn’t crazy about the combinations I’ve tried. So I’m still looking for the right recipe. She does stress the importance of adding the correct amounts of vital mimetals and vitamins as well as other additions.
Important to include bone meal if your cooking the meats with out bones. Cooked bones aren’t safe, hard to digest.
Real food for healthy dogs and cats is her book.

[Susan]

Hi, have a look at air dried or freeze dried like “Ziwi Peak” small pieces are like jerky type meat or K-9 Natural, you add water to the K-9 Natural both are limited ingredient with no starchy carbs.. http://www.ziwipeak.com/
My boy did well on a Fish & Rice kibble, it had no other ingredients except beet pulp & the usual vitamins/minerals, there’s “California Natural” Lamb & Rice or Chicken & Rice both just have 3 ingredients… http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products
but a kibble does need a carb to bind the kibble like Pitluv said….

[crazy4cats]

I’m glad that supplement is working for your dog, but all the extra minerals and vitamins in addition to an already balanced diet would concern me. Have you had a urinalysis done since starting it?