[pugmomsandy]

This is the very first raw recipe I tried:

5.25 # chicken with bones
3.25 # boneless chicken thighs
1/2 # (1 cup) chicken heart
1/2 # (1 cup) chicken liver
1/2 # (1 cup) chicken gizzard
2 # pureed veg/fruit (canned pumpkin, pineapple, mango, strawberries, blueberries, coconut flakes, it varies)

Grind all meat and bones and puree all veg/fruit ingredients. Mix together. Store in portions according to preference.

I then give at feeding time (couple times a week): green supplement, krill oil, glandular supplement.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Okay guys, here are my recipes!

Typical Morning Meal for my crew of three bloodhounds. Makes 3 portions for large active bloodhounds – will make more servings for smaller or less active dogs (I usually use red meat in the a.m. so I can feed poultry rmbs in the p.m.):

-3 lbs. Whole Ground Prey Animal (Hare Today or My Pet Carnivore)
-1 C. Whole Milk Kefir, Cottage Cheese, Yogurt or Raw Goat’s Milk
-1 C. Cooked & Pureed Veggies or 3 Pouches Organic Veggie/Fruit Only Baby Food (Like Peter Rabbit Organics)
-1 1/2 tbs. Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral (Recipe Follows)
-1/2 tbs. Sardine or Anchovy Oil
-1/2 tbs. Cod Liver Oil (Carlson)
-1/2 tbs. Coconut Oil
-1 Capsule NOW Foods Gamma E Complex

Typical Evening Meal (per dog):
-Chicken Back
-Chicken Foot
-2 oz. Chicken Gizzards
-2 oz. Chicken Hearts
-2 oz. Chicken Livers
-Whole Egg

Whole Food Multi-Vitamin/Mineral Supplement (1/4 tsp. per 10 lbs.):
-4 oz. Kelp Powder
-4 oz. Alfalfa Powder
-4 oz. Wheatgrass Powder
-4 oz. Spirulina Powder
-4 oz. Chlorella Powder
-4 oz. Bee Pollen Powder
-4 oz. Turmeric Powder
-2 oz. Garlic Powder

The next recipe is my dogs’ all time favorite because it has lots of green tripe and organs…the good stuff (because it’s a little heavy on organ meat I’d recommend excluding organs from your dog’s next meal):

-1 lb. 90% Lean Grass-Fed Beef
-1 lb. Green Beef Tripe (I generally order from My Pet Carnivore)
-1 lb. Beef Organ Mix (equal parts: heart, liver, kidney, lungs, trachea and gullet – I purchase from Hare Today)
-2 C. Urban Wolf Pre-Mix
-1 C. Kefir, Cottage Cheese, Yogurt or Raw Goat’s Milk
-1 tbs. Sardine or Anchovy Oil
-Capsule NOW Foods Gamma E Complex

When I feed this in the a.m. I generally feed an organ-free meal such as this in the p.m. (per dog):
-2 Turkey Necks (Approx. 12 oz.)
-6 oz. Turkey Hearts

[Blue_Corgi]

Hey guys. How do yall decide the exact measurements for each ingredient in a meal? Or are you just making it up? Trying to come up with a diet for my corgi and dachshunds. How important is it to get exact measurements or can I just make one up myself? I was thinking of giving a multivitamin as well.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Blue Corgi –

No, the ingredients aren’t just made up. Knowing how to balance a homemade diet is VERY important. Feeding an unbalanced diet can result in some serious health issues if the unbalanced diet is fed long term. It’s wonderful that you’re interested in feeding your dogs a homemade diet – I STRONGLY feel that when done correctly a homemade diet is the healthiest thing for a dog.

Ingredients you use will differ slightly based on whether you’re planning on feeding raw or cooked. But with either diet the most important thing is getting the correct calcium to phosphorus ratio. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus needs to be between 1:1 and 2:1. To achieve this when feeding a raw diet with bone you will want to feed 80% boneless muscle meat, 10% organ meat and 10% bone and for cooked diets or raw diets without bone you want to feed 90% boneless muscle meat, 10% organ meat and add 800-1,000 mg. calcium per pound of meat and organ fed. Green tripe is a rare exception to this rule as green tripe naturally has a 1:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio. You should feed an even mixture of red meat and poultry – don’t feed predominately one or the other as they have different types of fats. I give my dogs red meat in the a.m. and poultry in the p.m. As far as being “exact every time” – you don’t have to be exact every time but you do need to be exact over time. This means, if you decide you want to feed a meal that’s 20% organ meat at breakfast you can just feed a meal without organ meat at dinner – this would still balance out to your dog getting 10% organ meat in its diet. Balance over time.

You should feed around 80% meat – the other 20% can be vegetables, fruits, extras and supplements. All veggies should be cooked and pureed as dogs don’t produce the enzyme cellulase to breakdown the cellulose in raw veggies – cooking and pureeing in a sense “pre-digests” the veggies so the dog can derive some nutrients from them. Extras are optional and would include things like eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc.

For supplements I would recommend adding a form of animal-based omega 3’s (fish body oil or an oily fish such as sardines), vitamin e and super-foods (kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, etc.). I also give my dogs Carlson cod liver oil every other day for some extra vitamin d (cod liver oil should be limited though as it’s very high in vitamin a, I feed Carlson because it has the lowest vitamin a levels). You can add a multi-vitamin if you wish but if you’re feeding a wide variety of foods and adding the supplements I mentioned I don’t think it would be necessary. If you’re feeding a cooked diet you may want to consider supplementing with enzymes. If you don’t feed kefir, yogurt and/or green tripe on a regular basis you may also want to consider a probiotic supplement a few days of the week.

Lastly – keep this in mind because it’s critical when feeding a homemade diet – variety! Feed many different protein sources, many different types of organs, different fruits, veggies and extras and rotate different supplements into the mix every once in awhile. This will help to ensure that over time your dogs get all the nutrients they need.

Another option to make things easier – if you don’t feel comfortable making food from scratch yet – would be to use a premix. With a premix you generally just add meat and water – the mix contains all the fruits, veggies and supplements your dog needs. Some good premixes are The Honest Kitchen’s Preference, Sojo’s, Urban Wolf, Birkdale Petmix and Dr. Harvey’s.

I would recommend checking out dogaware.com – there’s a lot of good information on homemade diets there. I would also recommend reading Steve Brown’s book “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet.” If you check out the “menu” topic on the raw thread I’ve posted my dogs’ menu so you can get an idea of what a balanced diet should look like.

I hope that helps. Feel free to post any questions! Quite a few of us here feed homemade food and can help you out. 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

Corgi Mom,

I use “Healthy Foods for Dogs and Cats” by Becker/Shaw as my guide. It has raw and cooked recipes. Includes poultry and beef and fish and egg inclusions and a suppplement guide.

[shelties mom]

pugmomsandy:

I’m interested in using Dr. Becker’s recipes, do you follow her supplement recomendation? Which green & glandular supplements do you use? I prefer to use whole food supplements.

[pugmomsandy]

Onlywest

I’m using Pet GO as the glandular supp and currently have Dr Harvey’s multivitamin green supp and ordered some Only Natural Pet Super Daily Greens to use next. And still need to get some vit E.

[shelties mom]

Dr. Becker’s recipes have organs included, do I need to add Pet GO supplement? Or is that for recipes without organs?

[pugmomsandy]

The Pet GO product contains glands/organs that can’t normally be found at the store. Unless you can get these organs saved from a butcher then I would give it.

http://mypetsfriend.com/pet-go-4.html

[shelties mom]

pugmomsandy
I just purchased a Weston grinder like yours, can you tell me how to keep the grinding parts from rusting? They sell a food grade silicone spray but the warning label says it could be fatal if swallowed! Just wonder if you have any ideas? Thanks.

[pugmomsandy]

Some people rub cooking oil on the parts like olive oil. And be sure to coat the threads on the outer ring so it will come off easier than if you don’t coat the ring! It was a two person job to remove the ring this last time. I didn’t coat it. And after removing the whole thing from the motor, and removing the outer ring, I thump the end of it with a hammer to get the other parts out!

[shelties mom]

That’s a great idea to use edible oil, much safer than the silicone spray! Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

[pugmomsandy]

You’re welcome! Enjoy the grinder! It’s great!

[shelties mom]

HDM,
Is raw grass-fed goat milk a good replacement for probiotic supplement? Your recipe states whole milk kefir or raw goat milk, I’ve never bought or made kefir but will learn how to make it. Another question I have is how often should I feed chicken feet to my small 15 lb dogs? I was a little scared after reading what Nectarmom experienced due to high fat. I was feeding 3 times a week and reduced to 2 times and alternate with chicken and duck necks. Should I be concerned with the high fat in chicken feet? They are pasture raised. I usually feed RMB with organs and meat, not just RMB.

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi shelties mom –

There are going to be some probiotics in raw milk. Unless your dog has serious digestive issues this would probably provide your dog with all the probiotics it needs. If you’re interested in making kefir I know they sell starter packs on Swanson’s – I’m sure it’d be great made with raw goat’s milk.

As far as fat content, some breeds and individual dogs are prone to pancreatitis but most dogs can tolerate a relatively high level of fat. I’ve heard of sled dogs eating up to 80% of calories from fat during races with no ill effects – obviously the average dog doesn’t need this much fat but I just want to demonstrate that dogs have a high fat tolerance. My dogs generally eat anywhere from 30% – 40% fat with no problems. The important thing is to gradually introduce higher fat items. Check your dog’s stools as well – if you’re introducing fatty foods too quickly the dog will often get loose stools. I don’t personally wouldn’t think feeding chicken feet a few times a week would cause any problems just watch your dog. My dogs get things like skin on chicken backs, chicken feet, pork necks, etc. on a daily basis (in addition to lean muscle meat and organ meat).

[shelties mom]

Thanks HDM.
I do give raw goat milk periodically, the farm who sells the milk will give me the kefir grains and I may just try to make keifr and see how it turns out. I really enjoy making their food, they have no digestive issues at all, don’t have loose stools and always have good appetite. I appreciate you always take the time to answer my questions.

[Alexandra]

Hi HDM,

Question on the mineral supplements. What do you do to store it? How long does the mixture last?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Alexandra –

I have a big plastic container with a screw top lid that I store the supplement in. I keep mine in the fridge but as long as it’s stored in a cool place away from sunlight and moisture it should be fine. Just go by the shelf life that’s listed on the ingredients you buy (go by the ingredient that has the shortest shelf life). Generally things like dried grasses, kelp, etc. are pretty shelf stable. It usually takes me about 2 months to go through a batch.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 7 months ago by Hound Dog Mom.

[Alexandra]

Thanks HDM,

So do you prepare food for a week in advance? I see that you recipie is one meal, so by that, I would get two days from a batch then.

I am nervous about this, but the benefits of 100% raw are to great to ignore. Since kibble teeth don’t look as nice, larger stool volume…great coats though. :). The new Orijen does work well for them.

Thanks for the info on the supplements, I have been doing a little shopping. 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hey Alexandra –

Because one batch is one meal for my three, I prepare it the night before (one batch). However, it’s fine to prepare up to three days ahead of time. So if, for example, you wanted to prepare one of my recipes it’d be perfectly fine to make one batch and feed it over the course of two days. I know how you feel – when I first started feeding raw I was so scared. The idea that dogs must be fed a “complete and balanced” food formulated specifically for them is just engrained into our minds by veterinarians and the pet food industry. When I started homemade raw I was so nervous that they’d be missing out on things or getting too much of other things. However, I bit the bullet and did it and two years into it my dogs have never looked healthier, so I figure I must be doing something right.

[Alexandra]

Hello HDM,

I am exited to try my hand at making my own. The minerals may be a few days out by the time that they ship, so for now it will be the spiru green.

Your exactly right, my own vet said she has seen lots of sick animals doesn’t recommend it, but here try a Royal Canin vegetarian diet for Dante… :(. We agree to disagree on nutrition. I have learned through trial and error, mostly error LOL, that dark meat chicken and potato are the big no no’s for him. He does very well on duck, pork, bison, and rabbit. So even if I did this for one meal a day then a meal of 6 fish both my boys and my wallet can start to be happy with each other 🙂

I’ll be nervous the first few times, I’m sure 🙂

[Melissaandcrew]

Let us know how it goes… I want to try ma king a few ground meals to try as well to offer more variety to my crew… (found my pw for the forums..yay me!)

[Alexandra]

Absolutely! I ordered the minerals today. So once they arrive I will try my hand at making food. 🙂

[pugmomsandy]

Alexandra,

Young Again Pet Food has a raw food supplement for mixing in meat only or meat and bone.

youngagainpetfood.com

[Alexandra]

Thanks pugmom!

I will check it out.

[Alexandra]

So happy!! Got my copy of Steve Browns Book!!! Finally available on the iBooks store 🙂

[Hound Dog Mom]

Let me know how you like it! It’s my favorite! 🙂

[Alexandra]

I will it is a very interesting read. I am three chapters in. 🙂

[Alexandra]

Hi HDM,

Made the recipie for the first time tonight, they LOVED it!!! Dante went nuts while I was preparing it!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Good to hear! I hope the homemade raw works out for you. Once you get a routine down in get more comfortable with it, you’ll be able to whip up your own balanced “recipes” with no problems. 🙂

[Alexandra]

They loved it and no stomach issues, which is awesome!

I used 2 pound pork and a pound of beef with tripe. I think I put too much yogurt in it, so I’ll pay close attention to it next time.

Thanks so much for your help!!!

[Alexandra]

Hi HDM,

My boys are doing very well on the recipe.

If it would make say a bigger batch over the weekend and freeze and thaw as needed, that would affect the food would it?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi Alexandra –

Glad to hear your boys like the food 🙂

Freezing won’t have a significant effect on the quality of most of the ingredients – although you may want to wait on adding any vitamin e or fish oil until just prior to feeding (to ensure maximum potency and decrease the risk of oxidation). Also keep in mind that if you use yogurt or kefir some of the probiotics will be killed off during freezing so if you want the maximum benefit from either of these ingredients you may want to wait on these as well. But you could definitely mix up all the meat, whole food supplements and other “extras” ahead of time and freeze.

[Alexandra]

Thanks HDM!

I will try that I think. I have PT three nights a week right now, so it is hard having to make after being physically exhausted… 🙂

I am going to introduce the poultry meal next, using turkey instead as Dante doesn’t do chicken well. :)will see how that goes.

I also finally found a butcher, so now that should help the cost somewhat I am hoping. 🙂

[jynxxbaby]

I have a little Morkie who has colitis and I would like to make her homemade food but I was told that I should add bone meal to her food. She will only eat chicken and rice and sweet potato. How can I make this in to a recipe and what else should I add?

[Hound Dog Mom]

Hi jynxxbaby –

For short term balancing I’d recommend adding 1 low calcium (less than 5% dv) or calcium free human multi vitamin, 800-1,000 mg. calcium, 1 tsp. fish oil and 1 tsp. flax oil per pound of chicken. For the long term try to diversify her diet an research balanced recipes – dogaware.com is a great resource and there are many wonderful books on Amazon.

[munkey12345]

hi guys i am new to the site…debating raw…we have three hunting dogs (lab, english and german pointers ) i have been doing a cooked diet for them to date as my Mr is a hunter and we use game for the dogs. i have cooked because i don’t know the parasite status of the animals. i have been looking through the recipes (thank you everyone for posting tis site is wonderful :)….does any one have info or links to if i want to cook instead of raw? and maybe know how cooked would compare to raw? i do supplement weekly with a raw meal of ground bone to get that in but i am still fairly new to this so need to make sure my babies are getting all they need.

thanks 🙂

[munkey12345]

oh yeah…reason for curiosity is mostly our lab ..horrible ear infections and itching constantly as much as we stay on top of it. i think part of the severity now is he is eating poop (gross) when he can and mayeb even the farms near us being sprayed with chemicals. we went through years with the vets doing every food imaginable with him at a fortune and it never helped. since i began cooking it has significantly improved but he still goes through bad spells… i currently feed him oatmeal with is breakfast and rice or pasta for din (with all their veg , meat and supplements) ..wondering if this needs to be eliminated maybe??

[theBCnut]

The oatmeal, rice, and pasta may be feeding the yeast in his ears. That’s why all the different kibbles didn’t work either as they are high in carbs too.

If you are going to home cook, you should invest in a couple books on preparing balanced meals for dogs. Steve Brown has “Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” It isn’t even a very big book, but it is packed with good info for understanding how to fix your dogs food. It was written primarily for people interested in feeding raw, but if you want to cook the meat then just make sure you use boneless meat and then add back 800-1000mg of calcium per lbs of meat. Cook the meat about as rare as you can stand. Raw meat is better, but I can understand wanting to kill off any contaminants on the surface.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 6 months ago by theBCnut.

[munkey12345]

thanks so much pattyvaughn. i will def source out that book..is it available in stores or an online thing? and the calcium..is that 800-1000mg PER lb? or over all in a meal?? thanks again 🙂

[theBCnut]

The calcium is per lb of meat. I ordered my book off Amazon and I just got it in Ebook form off iTunes for $10. There are several books out for making homemade dog food so look around.

[munkey12345]

excellent! thank you so much! 🙂

[mikerjen]

This site has full recipes for meals and treats

http://clawmart.com/category/food-recipes/

[Author]

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