# cooked food requirements



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

If she is feeding meat from the butchers, rather than ready balanced dog meat, then yes, it is very important to add calcium in one form or another. A certain proportion of offal is also needed. There are very useful guidelines here: DogAware.com: Homemade Diets for Dogs


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## lunamarz_31 (Nov 15, 2010)

Panda said:


> My friend feeds her dog cooked meat and veg and was worried she wasn't feeding the right things to her dog.
> 
> Basically she just feeds cooked meat with boiled veg, should she be adding any calcium to his diet or anything else?
> 
> Any advice would be appreciated as I dont feed a cooked diet so dont know what to suggest to her.


Yes! Dogs need calcium and it's very important to ensure they get the appropriate amount. It's such a great thing to feed home-cooked meals to pets, but if not done carefully, can result in serious deficiency. 

Calcium can be added to the food in the forms of: bone meal, calcium tablets, or eggshell powder. Eggshell is the cheapest route, since your friend can make it herself. Here are the steps:
- wash eggshells right after cracking and let them dry 
- collect until you have a dozen or so
- then bake at 300 degrees for about ten minutes, this to remove mineral-oil coating sometimes added to keep eggs from drying out.
- grind well enough to make a fine powder

(this excerpt is taken from the book " *Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats*"). I highly recommend this book for those considering to implement a natural and holistic pet care. This book also includes home-cooked pet food recipes. Good luck!


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## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

THANK YOU! I have told her to add egg shells to the diet and to make sure she includes some organ meat such as liver and kidney but to introduce it slowly.

Thanks again


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

It is very important that the dog is getting all the required nutrients, so I would suggest she do some research, and be sure she is "covering all the bases" -- just meat and veges won't cut it.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Eggs and sardines once a week or so help to ensure all the bases are covered, and green tripe is excellent (if you can stand the smell!)


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## Rowan (May 27, 2011)

I feed home cooked meals and I add the following supplements:

EFAs, multi vit/min, probiotics and digestive enzymes, small amount of alfalfa/kelp powder (on days when they _don't_ get organ meat or raw nuggets). My vit/min supplement--along with the foods in their diet--provide the recommended amount of _calcium_, so I don't usually add a separate calcium supplement or bone meal. (I'll add Animal Essentials calcium on days they get no dairy though. ) Also, meat is high in phosphorous, which is important as you need to balance calcium and phosphorous. 

For example, mine get a mixture of the following:

Chicken, Buffalo, Beef, Turkey* (ground or whole and cooked rare)
Chicken or Turkey liver/organ meat (2 or 3 x a week, cooked)
Salmon (cooked WELL), Jack Mackerel (rare occasions as it stinks)
Cottage cheese, cheese, eggs, yogurt, kefir
Sweet potato, broccoli, green beans, legumes/beans, baked apple, blueberries (small amount, cooked and pureed)

I make a big batch of the cooked/pureed vegetables/legumes and give them a spoonful with each meal--they love it.

Mine also get Primal raw food on occasion (the nuggets). On those days, they don't get the vit/min supplement, or organ meat. 

*You can also incorporate pork and lamb or game such as venison/rabbit. I found lamb and pork too rich for mine, unless fed in tiny amounts. Cook your salmon well as dogs can get a parasite from raw salmon that's fatal. 

Someone provided the link above to *DogAware*, but here's a helpful snippet regarding calcium/phosphorous:


> 3. Calcium: One of the most common mistakes that people make when feeding a home cooked diet is the failure to add calcium. You must add calcium when you feed a diet that does not include bones.
> 
> *Adult dogs need around 800 to 1,000 mg of calcium per pound of food fed. **They also require the calcium to be supplied in a proper proportion to phosphorus.*
> 
> ...


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## papoodles (Jun 27, 2011)

*Thank you!*

This was such an informative, clearly written and so easily understood post, that I have copied and printed it out and added it to my Dr Pitcairn book!Thank you, Rowan..
I always add 'people food' supplements just because I think that it must be excruciatingly boring and monotonous to our dogs to eat nothing but bowl after bowl of the same foods every day of their life.
I couldn't do it, and it is such a little thing to add fresh wholesome food to their diet to increase the variety. My dogs definitely have taste buds and prefer certain foods over others, and here's proof: they always eat the good stuff first


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## Panda (Jan 7, 2010)

Thank you for all the information


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