# Good Ole' Home Cookin'!



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Mine *love* home cooking, and raw. I have finally persuaded my neighbour to let me cook for her dog for a month - and if her weight and health improves, for the neighbour then to take over. It is much less expensive, much more satisfying, and the dogs do a happy dance every time another scrumptious meal comes out of the fridge - I do like it when my effort is appreciated!


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## cavon (Aug 10, 2010)

I cook for my spoo as well. he had a bout of Giardia this summer and developed sensitivity to the kibble he was eating and I couldn't seem to find one that didn't upset his stomach. 

A friend of mine told me about this system:

HILARY'S BLEND (formerly THE BALANCER) supplement for home-made meals

I checked with my vet and they actually had the cookbook and suplement at the clinic. You cannot buy it yourself, it has to be ordered by a vet. I'm not sure if it is available in the US, but might be worth asking about.

There are a lot of recipes and information in the book, and each recipe is completely balanced according to AAFCO guidelines if made accurately and the supplement is used.

Finnegan is loving it and his stomach problems seem to be resolved.


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## plumcrazy (Sep 11, 2009)

Yep, yep, yep!!!  Lucy sounds like Tate (except that she never lost weight to the extent he did - that would be so scary!) She was rather uninterested in pretty much any kibble we tried - she'd actually refuse her morning meal if I neglected to put the fish oil on it - and even if I DID put the oil on, she'd take her own sweet time eating it.

Since I've been cooking for her, she looks forward to her meals and waits for me to put the bowl on the floor so she can start chomping! The reason Lucy is on cooked is at the recommendation of a holistic veterinarian to help with her gunky ears. This vet will sometimes prescribe raw and sometimes prescribe cooked depending on specific qualities of each dog she sees. With Lucy - she is considered a "hot" personality and the cooked food is supposed to be better for her than the raw (which is A-OK with me!)

At the vet's suggestion, I'm adding vitamin C, E, kelp and wild salmon oil to her food; in addition to some Chinese herbs called "Ear Damp Heat" to help with her ears. I have a reservation in with Monica Segal in Toronto to help me "balance" Lucy's diet and make sure she's getting appropriate nutrition across the board. I'm hoping I'm getting pretty close to the top of her list (she has about a 2-3 week waiting list to help people balance food plans and I think I've been waiting close to that time already) 

The foods recommended by the veterinarian are specifically for "hot" individuals and include proteins (white fish, turkey, pork, rabbit), carbs (brown rice, barley, millet) and veggies (broccoli, cucumber, zucchini, summer squash, celery, kelp) It's been so nice lately because people have been bringing surplus garden produce in to hubby's and my offices and we've been getting lots of cucumbers, zucchini and squash for FREEEE!! 

My brother also works at a grocery store so he keeps me apprised of price cuts/sales on the meats we use (most often ground turkey).

I was a little apprehensive when the vet suggested home-cooking for Lucy, but we've been doing it for about a month and 1/2 now and it's becoming quite a routine to make sure I have a supply of meals stacked in containers in the refrigerator - ready to serve!

Please keep us updated on Tate's progress, Spencer - and my offer still stands to communicate via skype if you're ever interested. I'm glad he's doing well on the cooked and I hope he continues to improve!!

Barb


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

*Very interesting topic..*

I would love to know what sorts of things Tate eats say..in a week. I have a very picky eater and supplement with home cooked foods..I am in the health care field and have had a very difficult time deciphering what constitutes balanced diet for a dog. There are lots of "experts" who give conflicting advice. I was feeding mostly home cooked for about one month and have been looking for a kibble to add in. Ive tried The Honest Kitchen foods as they are dehydrated and human grade..but she still likes home cooked the best. 

What I find with Stella is that she is picky and prefers only some foods..so I worry she wont get all the nutrition she needs. I particularly worry about calcium and phosphurus and other minerals. I am afraid that taking a supplement is not the same as getting it in foods. Many bad things can happen if calcium is not adequate. I know that people who feed raw bones dont have to worry about this..but that is not for us for other reasons. 

I was feeding chicken, pork, brown rice, sweet potato, beef, turkey and 10% organ meat (livers mostly). I also give her carrots, and cooked veggies.. I was giving crushed egg shells daily as well. she doesnt like fish..I found that she would like to eat chicken breasts, brown rice, eggs, cottage cheese and sweet potato with a little liver every day..now even tough that is a healthy meal..its not ok to eat that exclusively. I saw many recipes on the internet...but there was no scientific basis for them over the long haul. So..I did go back to prepared food..adding home cooked foods..so she gets 1/2 of each. If I knew how to do it so that it really is balanced..Id likely feed her that way..as I love to cook!

The other problem with Stella and eating home cooked food is she does eat slow..and she may leave (even the really good stuff!!) for a while..I worry that it will spoil because of lack of preservatives. I had to throw out some foods..which really can be upsetting when you cook for someone!  She also got a little constipated with all the protein. Some say high protein is good for dogs while others disagree. 

Sometimes what one is feeding can turn into a very heated debate! I think there are many ways to do it. Im ok with raw, homecooked,kibble or whatever works for people..for me, I dont mind a little extra work or spending a bit more for fresh, whole but balanced nutrition. 

I am just curious how to cook appropriately for a dog. After one month I chickened out  I tried to research it..but never did meet with a dietitian. m sure that would be helpful. Ill be very interested to see what sorts of ideas everyone has. 

Has anyone tried The honest Kitchen foods? It smells like real foods..infact, if I wanted to I could eat it..not that I wold but they say you can


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## bluespoomommy (Feb 25, 2010)

> With Lucy - she is considered a "hot" personality and the cooked food is supposed to be better for her than the raw (which is A-OK with me!)
> Barb


Barb - when i was reading your post at first i thought "what on earth is a 'hot' personality'??? but after reading on about the chinese herb, it all made sense! this is news to me - applying chinese medicinal philosophies to our pets. haha...and to think this thinking may have stemmed from the west! the world is a melting pot indeed.

hmm if i took my poodle to a chinese doc - i wonder what he'd say??

i feed my standard poodle a rotation of kibble and home cooked food. i don't add much into the home cooked food other than meat (usually beef/pork), tendons, and rice + fish oil, so the rotation of kibble is needed to ensure she gets enough nutrition. i feed her wellness core, but thinking of switching at the moment.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

Barb - would love to pow wow about the food stuff, still... I think it will be a more productive chat now that I know a bit about it as well!

Ms. Stella - I haven't met with a dietitian either, but it does sound like a good idea. I called a local semi-holistic vet to ask a question or two and they were very helpful in answering. I wish I lived closer, because I would definitely take my dogs there!

I would say that currently, I am no expert, but from what I read I CAN tell you a few little facts! Regarding the calcium, if you're not giving your dog bones, you CAN give them some TUMS (I bought mint... as it doesn't have artificial coloring, or flavoring) instead. This was true even when my mother was cooking for her late greyhound due to strokes and other medical problems. To tell you the exact amount you can give I would have to look it up (which I can, if you would like) but I know off the top of my head that a 20 pound dog would get about 250 mg of calcium a day - which is 1 tums. Tate weighs 7, so I give him a little less than a quarter tablet each meal. (I really need to buy a mortar and pestle!) Because the mint tums is mixed in the food, he doesn't mind eating it. I'm giving him a baby multivitamin with no iron, artificial coloring, or artificial coloring that the vet recommended so that he gets his other vitamins as well. There are conflicting reports on whether or not to give a human multivitamin to a dog (they make doggy ones) but in the end I decided to go for it.

Regarding organ meat, I've read a few places that you shouldn't exclusively feed liver for their organ meat quota. The general consensus is that the liver holds the body's toxins, so it isn't in the dog's best interest to feed them liver constantly.

I've also read that when feeding home cooked it is best to give one protein source at a time. For a week or two, you could feed turkey, then switch to beef, etc.

I haven't tried THK foods. I looked in to them when I was on my food search, but they were a bit pricey. I was given a bag of Grandma Lucy's (dehydrated real food) but it was too rich for all of my dogs and gave them upset stomachs. 

It is still hit or miss over here recipe-wise and we're stil figuring out what he likes and what he doesn't. By choice I give Tate vegetables (because some sources say dogs don't need veggies), and we're currently trying to figure out the best carb to give him, too. We're on an oats kick right now, but are looking in to others. Quite the feat to get the hang of this!


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## plumcrazy (Sep 11, 2009)

Spencer said:


> By choice I give Tate vegetables (because some sources say dogs don't need veggies), and we're currently trying to figure out the best carb to give him, too.


This statement reminds me... I steam all of Lucy's vegetables and puree them in my blender - I was told that dogs can't digest vegetables well unless they're pureed or at least ground up...

Barb


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

plumcrazy said:


> This statement reminds me... I steam all of Lucy's vegetables and puree them in my blender - I was told that dogs can't digest vegetables well unless they're pureed or at least ground up...
> 
> Barb


I read something similar to that, and have been doing the same thing with my blender/food processor. 

What are you using as your carbohydrate source? We're doing oats right now (because we are bad shoppers and I thought we had rice when we didn't... oats it is!) and he seems to enjoy them.

And are you giving her a variety of vegetables or just one each meal prep time (which is 2 weeks for us)?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

This is a very helpful, sensible site that explains different options for feeding dogs, and how to balance the diet: DogAware.com: Diet Options for Dogs

For checking protein, fat and calorie content of different foods, the USDA site is invaluable: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Ex-computer nerd that I am, I set up a spreadsheet with all the values for the meats etc I planned to feed, prices, and the calorie requirements for my dogs. I use it to play around with recipes and quantities to get the right balance. 

I think the reasoning behind using one protein source at a time is to identify any possible allergies or intolerances - if these are not a problem, then the more variety the better. Ground eggshell is an easy, inexpensive source of calcium - 1 eggshell = 1 teaspoonful, per pound of meat. I don't give mine any carbohydrates - they only get 3.5 oz of food each a day, so fillers really aren't necessary for them. Raw tripe is a brilliant, easy food - the right calcium/phosphorus balance, quick to defrost, and the dogs love it. Pity about the smell, but you can't have everything!

I researched the vitamins and minerals that dogs need, and decided the balance of muscle/organ meats suggested on the site above covered all of my dogs' requirements - I am wary of oversupplementing the oil soluble vitamins in particular. I do occasionally add a pinch of Brewers yeast, and the cats get a pinch of taurine, too. I've also got some wheat grass powder, which goes into some mixtures instead of veg. The cats won't eat anything that is more than 5% veg!


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

fjm said:


> I set up a spreadsheet with all the values for the meats etc I planned to feed, prices, and the calorie requirements for my dogs.


We might be related... lol

As for the websites linked, I agree that they are good and useful resources! Thanks for linking them for everyone! (I actually think that I got the DogAware site from you awhile ago... because I know I wasn't brilliant and found it myself )

I think I remember you saying that one of your girls won't eat organ meat raw, right? How do you cook it? I bought hearts, etc for the first time and I have no idea what to do with them. I have to a)get past being grossed out at what I'm touching, and b) figure out the best way to feed them to Tate. I don't care to feed them to him raw if he likes them that way (I plan to do a little bit of raw occasionally with him, especially little things like chicken wings), but just don't know how to prepare them if he wants them cooked!


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## Ms Stella (Aug 16, 2010)

FJM, the websites you posted are the ones I found most made sense to me as well. I have always given my dogs cooked veggies (they must be cooked or they cant digest them well. If you have a dog who likes to eat alot..and needs to trim down..its a good way to give more food but not much more calories (same for people) ..there are some foods that dogs should not have however.
Here is a list from the dogaware site:

Onions: Can cause a form of anemia. Reaction is dose-dependent and will build up over time. Small amounts are not harmful, but there’s no reason to feed them.
Grapes and raisins: Cause kidney failure in a few dogs for unknown reasons.
Macadamia nuts: Toxic to dogs, even in very small amounts.
Raw salmon, trout and related anadromous fish from the Pacific Northwest (California to Alaska): Can carry a parasite that causes salmon poisoning in dogs. Cooking will destroy the parasite. Note that canned salmon is cooked and therefore safe.
Chocolate and caffeine: Toxic to dogs.
Xylitol: A natural sweetener, xylitol is toxic to dogs. It is found in some water additives, such as C.E.T. AquaDent and Petrodex Breath Spray For Pets, made by Virbac Animal Health, BreathaLyser Plus made by imRex, Inc.. It is also found in many human products, including sugar-free gum, mints and children's vitamins. See New Findings on the Effects of Xylitol Ingestion in Dogs for more information.

Im so glad this topic is being discussed. As I said there are so many websites where people seem to be experts as they give recipes and advise..its hard to decipher what is good (scientific ) info and what is just someones idea of good. The dog aware site critics many books and recipes..I found that interesting reading. I would most love to visit with a holistic dietary specialist for dogs as Barb is going to do.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Spencer said:


> W
> I think I remember you saying that one of your girls won't eat organ meat raw, right? How do you cook it?


I casserole it in a fairly low oven. I just tip the whole packs of heart (it comes chopped), kidney (which come whole), and a bit of liver, into a couple of large casserole dishes, half fill with water, and cook them at around 150 centigrade (about 325 F). Very little smell, and much less danger of forgetting it and having it burn. Ideally I believe the meat should be barely cooked, but Sophy is a bit faddy if it is too rare, so I give it a bit longer. It is much, much easier to chop up once it is cooked! You can cook it together with the muscle meat in this way, too, and even cook it from frozen - just give it an occasional stir as it defrosts. Once it is cooked, let it cool a bit, chop into largish chewable chunks, weigh the meat into portions, add gravy and veg, and freeze.

Hope that helps!


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## plumcrazy (Sep 11, 2009)

Spencer said:


> What are you using as your carbohydrate source? We're doing oats right now (because we are bad shoppers and I thought we had rice when we didn't... oats it is!) and he seems to enjoy them.
> 
> And are you giving her a variety of vegetables or just one each meal prep time (which is 2 weeks for us)?


The vet suggested brown rice, millet or barley as Lucy's carb source. I use 3 cups water to 1 cup grain and I simmer it at least an hour so that it cooks almost to a mush. Lucy likes and tolerates any of these grains, and the brown rice is usually what we get for her.

She also likes and tolerates any of the veggies and I've been using a variety of the summer garden produce for the last few weeks. Yesterday's meals had steamed and pureed cucumbers and today's will have zucchini. She REALLY liked the summer squash that someone donated to us, but we don't get those as often as the cukes or zucchini. Once the garden season is over, we'll probably stick to broccoli most of the time because I get the 4 pound bags at Sam's Club. The broccoli is already broken apart and I just have to pour some into the steamer and I'm ready to go.

Since I started cooking Lucy's meals, she is very interested in what I'm doing in the kitchen (whether I'm cooking for her or for the human family members!) She feels as though she needs to supervise everything now! :lol: I'm just so happy to see her actually enjoying her food for a change!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

plumcrazy said:


> Since I started cooking Lucy's meals, she is very interested in what I'm doing in the kitchen (whether I'm cooking for her or for the human family members!) She feels as though she needs to supervise everything now! :lol: I'm just so happy to see her actually enjoying her food for a change!


It's great isn't it? Mine stake out the oven when there is something interesting in it - and they simply cannot understand that the liver cake has to cool before they can try some.


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

This sounds very interesting. I subscribed to the Hilary's Blend site. The only problem I am having at the moment is that there are so many different links and so many different suggestions, its hard to get my head around it all. Obviously you can't do EVERYTHING - you have to settle for one plan and I am still a bit confused as to which way to go.

Lucy needs to gain weight. Tyson needs to lose weight and Sam is a bit picky. He will eat only kibble with Missing Link on it - so long as I add a bit of water.

I guess I will have to come back to this and decide which of all the suggestions is the best for me.


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## wolfcub81 (Feb 5, 2010)

I just started home cooking for my cocker (haven't started for my spoo yet). My vet wanted me to try it to help with his allergies and she gave me some recipes to get started. I was not fond of them at all (too little meat, too much veggies and grains, ect.) but I decided to give it a try anyway. He started throwing up his food (usually 12+ hours after eating it) and it was still undigested. 

I'm still searching for different recipes, although I do like the ones from this site, Cooked Diet | B-Naturals.Com Newsletter

I am about to run out of dog food, so I need either start cooking for both dogs, or go get more food for Piper. I went a week ago to look at the Orijen food, ended up buying some Grandma Lucy's, but $30 worth lasted only week, and that was mixing it with kibble. I also felt that it did not have enough meat in it. How much are you guys spending per month to home cook? Between the two dogs, I have about 75 lbs of dog to feed, lol. 43 for the spoo (at 9 months old) and 32 for the cocker (he could lose a few though).


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

wolfcub81 said:


> How much are you guys spending per month to home cook? Between the two dogs, I have about 75 lbs of dog to feed, lol. 43 for the spoo (at 9 months old) and 32 for the cocker (he could lose a few though).


I only home cook for Tate because he is the one that immediately needs it. I hope to eventually start cooking for TQ, but at the moment while I'm still figuring it all out, I'm just feeding him. I do feel a bit guilty, but they still love their kibble. :bird:

I am on my third week of feeding home cooked, and to date I have spent about $9.50 on food.
-$1.50 on oats, large
-$2.50 on green beans (a month's worth)
-$3.75 on a 48 ounces of ground turkey (a very large thing of turkey!)
-$1.75 on organ meat (which will last more than a month)

I also bought tums for calcium (off brand, cheaper, exact same), and a multivitamin (slightly expensive)... but I am not including these in my monthly total, as they will last more than a few months.

A worked out how much it would be to feed ALL of the other dogs (we have 4, including Tate) too, and it really wasn't ridiculously expensive. TQ weighs 25 pounds, ProblemChild weighs 52, and TheGrey weighs 64.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

Also... I have GOT to figure out some other way to do organ meat. I put it in the oven today, and while the smell wasn't overwhelming, it was pretty um... interesting! That, and I don't know if I can cut up little chicken hearts ever again, it was traumatizing! Maybe I can get A to do it next time... I AM pretty persuasive!


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## poodleholic (Jan 6, 2010)

I've cooked for my dogs and cats most of my life, but not exclusively, just to supplement their dog/cat food with fresh, whole foods. I poach chicken breasts with garlic and a bit of celery, then shred with a fork while still warm, and place in freezer bags. I also poach ground sirloin, lamb, and bison. A couple of times a month, I make a pot roast, adding little red new potatoes and baby carrots, or will do a pork roast in the oven. I make meat balls in the oven to be added to some pasta with red sauce (which they LOVE), meatloaf, poached eggs or omeletts w/French Mountain Cheese and spinach. I steam their veggies, but they prefer their sweet potatoes baked, with a tad of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon (I guess because that's how they were made the first time they tasted sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving). They like rutabegga whipped up like mashed potatoes, and their green beans sprinkled with a little parmeasan cheese. They even like asparagus, and here I never could get my kids to eat that! lol

I also give them sardines, wild alaskan salmon (sold in pouches), and albacore, occasionally. Low fat cottage cheese is a favorite, along with plain, live culture yogurt, fresh fruits (berries, apple, pear, mango), and, of course, PIZZA! LOL They do get a little pizza now and then, with fresh tomato, or Canadian bacon and pineapple toppings (cuz that's what mama likes)!

Maddy and Beau are 9 yrs. old, and in excellent health. Lucia's just a youngster at 2 yrs. Babe, one of 5 cats I had for nearly 28 years, died quietly in her sleep just 2 months shy of turning 28 yrs. old. She never did eat cat food, only human food. My formerly feral cat, Tommy, had been used to scavaging garbage when I started feeding him - he wouldn't eat cat food of any kind, but he sure did like mashed potatoes w/gravy, any kind of meat and vegetables, and he actually eats salads! lol Likes fruit, too. Weird little guy. lol He runs with the PooDells, giving them pointers on how to climb a tree. He's been with us for 6 years now, and he thinks he's a Standard Poodle, too. I think I've added his picture . . .

Anyway, I've never counted their calories or figured out the ratio(s) of this, that, and the other thing, never given vitamins, or worried about an imbalance, and maybe I should. But, my thinking is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I can count on one hand the number of times Maddy and Beau together have needed vet care in 9 years (not counting annual well checks/tests). Annual bloodwork says they're healthy, none of them needs to lose or gain any weight, so . . .

Here's our honorary SPoodle, Tommy:


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## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

SPencer- what about dehydrating them? i've done that with chicken hearts (remember hearts count as muscle- not organs) and use them as bait in the show ring/flyball treats.

I feed raw not cooked. On average i pay about .75c/lb of meat. organs are a bit more- i tend to just use tripe for my organ %. and then we get chicken backs for about 1.00/lb This is all sourced from secret sources (It's limited we don't share *L* ) 

So on average it costs me with the dogs eating 1.5lbs/day 
$35-40/month

Premade Raw (lowest is $2.00/lb) (chicken) 
$90/dog/month

Kibble costs about $60-70/dog/month on a good brand dog food (Orijen or acana) 

This is all based off of chicken prices- i do put more meat in as i get ahold of it (beef, lamb etc)


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would feed the hearts whole - that would be one problem sorted! I can't get hold of chicken giblets in the UK, so use pig heart when I can get it, lamb or beef when I cannot. I've not noticed any unpleasant smell with the pig heart. The last batches I cooked up were pet beef mince, pig heart and kidney with green lentils and veg, and pet chicken and turkey mince with chicken livers and lamb heart, again with some veg for the dogs. Frankly it looked and smelled a great deal better than the "meat" in some pies I've eaten ...!

I am hunting for a lower cost supplier - meat in the UK is comparatively expensive. The lowest I have found that will deliver round here starts at around around £0.45 a pound (close to $0.75), but that's mail order, and has to be in large quantities to justify the shipping costs.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

So we're done with our oats (thank goodness, the smell was getting to me!) and I'm thinking of doing pasta this time (obviously not pre-salted). I had read somewhere that you could do pasta noodles as an acceptable grain/carb source if you're feeding grains.

We've also been doing green beans, but they're now gone as well. What vegetable should I try next? (IF you're feeding veggies, lol.)

NeVar, I had no idea hearts weren't counting as organ meat! In all my reading I hadn't found anyone to say that... so that is definitely something to look in to! It makes sense though!

A is really getting in to cooking for Tate and has (THANKFULLY) done all the calculations for me and patiently waited until I figured out that what I was being told was correct. Math and I? Not friends. Anyway... A is wanting to figure out how to make Tate some doggy meatloaf or possibly doggy meatballs. Ah, the ingenuity. I'm thinking we're making doggy spaghetti tonight, though!


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## Penjilum-Poodles (Apr 17, 2010)

Spencer, if you wouldn't mind sharing those links with me i would greatly appreciate it! I just finished shopping yesterday, got all different kinds of meats, carrots, peas, and green beans, and sweet potatoes for the crew... 

They really look forward to meal times!  lol...


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

I just now saw this Penjilum, sorry! I will send you the links when I am on my PC next! I've been using my mac a lot lately trying to get more used to it, and all my bookmarks are over on my toshiba!

Also, Tate is doing SO great on his home cooked (he is currently having sauceless turkey stroganov, lol) that his energy is WAY up - guess not having an upset tummy will do that to you! Because of this, though, he has lost weight, and we're going to have to up his food/meal. Gotta get the little guy to gain weight before he sees my granny (read: his biggest fan) again or she will go crazy and tell me that she will pay for him to go to the vet because SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG. lol, oooh, Granny 

Does anyone have any recipes they would like to share? We're still winging it and his stroganov consists of noodles (we went with elbow macaroni), ground turkey, and peas (instead of mushrooms... wasn't sure if he could have them and can't find anywhere that says yes or no!). Okay, so calling it stroganov is a stretch, but he sure enjoys it!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I picked up a crockpot/slow cooker very cheaply in Asda recently - it is brilliant for cooking for the cats and dogs! Takes four pounds of meat, plus a few veg, cooks them from frozen, and it doesn't matter if I forget to turn it off. 

Have you tried lentils, cooked in with the meat? I use around 4oz lentils to 16oz meat, and add rather more water than if I were cooking meat alone. They are high in protein, as well as a source of carbohydrates. I actually give my two very little carbs and veg - they only get around 4oz of food a day each, so I feed mainly protein. They love scrambled eggs, or a tin of sardines, as occasional treats. I have found dry bread is a good mixer for these - chopped up into suitably sized chunks. I save any ends of loaves, etc, and let them dry out completely on the back of the stove along with the eggshells.

Good to hear Tate is thriving! A little more fat in his diet might help with the weight gain - even just a spoonful of olive oil on the occasional meal. I tend to have the opposite problem - Poppy is a little gannet, and would balloon if I let her!


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

We aren't an egg eating household, but I might pick up a little 6 pack of eggs just to have for him (we stopped buying eggs when we realized we were feeding more of them to the dogs as occasional treats than ourselves!)

We also have a GIANT crock pot (... A went through a short-lived phase/obsession. We cooked ONE... ONE THING... in the crock pot and now it is put away!) and I have thought of cooking for Tate with it before. This would also take some forethought on my part to buy and start cooking for him before he runs out of food! What kind of meat do you put in there?

Also, fjm, what do you do for food when/if you travel with your girls? We often take day trips in which it is okay for Tate to come along due to his size, and I'm not sure what to do for his food, seeing as it is all refrigerated.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I freeze meals for two, and put a few in a chill bag with some freezer block thingies - they stay frozen for up to 24 hours that way, and keep for another day or two in a fridge if there is no freezer where we are staying. I also use NatureDiet, which is a commercial food that does not need chilling - particularly useful if they are in kennels for a few days. 

Crockpot - I have been experimenting, but almost anything seems to work. A mixture of any/all of heart, kidney, as little liver, blocks of mince ... I did a couple of pounds of chicken mince, one of turkey mince, and a pot of chicken livers, with a scant pint of water, on high for an hour then low for a couple more hours. That one was very popular! I believe you can cook chicken wings or chicken pieces for 24 hours until the bones are soft all the way through - but mine have the chicken wings raw for their teeth, so I haven't tried that one. At the moment the crock pot is full of stewed quince, which I am trying to turn into jellied sweets ... !


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## Poodlelvr (Mar 13, 2010)

I've been home cooking for my two poodles for a while now. I started with a premix from TheSkyesthelimit.com, added my own fresh ingredients and baked the whole thing up in a 9x13 pan. This is expensive because of shipping costs, but the dogs liked it.

I also bought a few books on cooking for your dog. Here's my version of a recipe from The Healthy Dog Cookbook. I started with a cup of brown rice and prepared it according to package directions. While the rice was cooking I measured a half cup of frozen green peas and let them start thawing. I added the peas to the rice for the last ten minutes of cooking time. When the rice was done, I flaked two large cans of salmon, skin,bones, and all into a mixing bowl. The canning process makes the bones soft enough to eat, and they are a source of calcium. I added the rice and pea mixture and stirred. I served it with a spoonful of cottage cheese.

Here's a recipe for the crockpot from CookingForYourDog.com (could be doubled for a large crockpot)
1 cup brown rice
2 3/4 cups water
10-11 oz. meat cut into bite sized pieces ( I've used pork and boneless chicken thighs so far.)
1 carrot. diced and/or ather vegetables
Cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Let cool at least 15-20 minutes and stir in 2 tsp of vegetable oil and a vitamin & mineral packet this company sells. I've bought those, because I don't use enough eggs to have a supply of ground egg shell.

Here are some ideas for day trips. You might use a small cooler with ice like you would for soda. You might freeze the food itself, put it in a insulated bag and let it defrost slowly during the day. You might try dehydrated food from TheHonestKitchen.com I checked their website, found a local store, and got some samples to try. The dogs liked it so much I now keep a box on hand for those times when I can't cook for them or just to vary the menu.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

Thanks for the recipes! I will have to write them down and start myself a doggy recipe box!

Bought some lentils... which were surprisingly cheap... to try this time. I think the green beans were a bigger hit here than the peas, so we'll see how he likes the lentils. We're trying cooking a whole chicken all the way through tonight/tomorrow - before Tate is out of his ground turkey. Would you say I should keep it on high for the 24 hours, or switch it to low when we go to bed and turn it back on high when we wake? We're in a debate about it over here.

Freezing the travel food will work for us in the fall/winter/early spring here. We have VERY HOT summers, so we will have to figure something out for then. Let's just say I brought freezy pops for the boys I watched at the beginning of summer and they didn't make it to their house before completely melting and getting hot and had to be re-frozen! You try telling a 6 and 8 year old, "Sorry, but it melted... you'll have to wait several hours or perhaps all the way until tomorrow!"

I will also look in to the dehydrated home cooked as a possibility for travel. Tate has tried Grandma Lucy's but didn't do awesome on it (he LOVED IT, but was gassy and burpy. It was gross.) If you'll remember, after getting a treat snack of Grandma Lucy's this summer, he refused to eat for a day an a half. I think he might have been holding out for more stew... or perhaps his tummy was upset. It's cuter if you think that he was holding out for it though


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Good luck with the lentils - remember to allow room for them to expand! I would turn the chicken down - the idea is to cook it very slowly so that the bones soften.

There are more details about NatureDiet here Natural Dog Food | Naturediet It's widely used as an alternative to home-cooked in the UK. I don'y know what the US equivalents would be, but I am sure they exist.


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

fjm said:


> Good luck with the lentils - remember to allow room for them to expand! I would turn the chicken down - the idea is to cook it very slowly so that the bones soften.


Lentils - imagine my surprise this morning that they were HUGE and were taking up more of the crock pot than the chicken (I threw them in there last night... because I knew I would forget later!).

The chicken is already "pull apart" tender. I may or may not have pulled a gorgeous white piece off of the keel and eaten it plain. We're just waiting for the bones to get even squishier than they already are tonight and then we're tackling the packaging and storage!

:doh: I pulled out the wishbone to show A how soft it was, and while I was waiting for A to get home the cat ended up stealing and eating it! I hope he chewed well!


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## curlysmama (Oct 31, 2010)

Very interesting post!! I might try cooking for my baby


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## Spencer (Oct 7, 2009)

Well, I would say Project Chicken has probably a week and a half left, and will make it past the month mark - not bad for 5 bucks! As of now we have upped his food a bit because we are taking him to the dog park a few times a week, and he has lost what weight he had gained. What a little waif! Were my metabolism that fast I would be in heaven!

We're now on the prowl for another fun recipe to prepare for this upcoming month. I am thinking something a little less goopy this time, and perhaps trying a different meat (but not fish... Nope... No fish!)

Or maybe we'll do meatloaf like A has been wanting to do! I will definitely share and let you all know


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Spencer said:


> I am thinking something a little less goopy this time, and perhaps trying a different meat (but not fish... Nope... No fish!)


I still have some fish meals in the freezer from my first fish batch - they will probably stay there until we have the sort of weather that means all the doors and windows are open all the time ... tins of sardines don't seem to have the same effect, but the fish I cooked led to some of the worst pongs I have ever known, and we live in an area renowned for the enthusiasm of its local farmers for spreading smelly muck on the fields every holiday season ...!


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## curlysmama (Oct 31, 2010)

doggie meatloaf=yummy!! I am so researching all this..I am thinking I am for sure going to start cooking for my furry mem!


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