Today's Stew

[Guest Vers]

Today's topnotch dinner special for our 5-star diners was simmered Saturday Night Stew, made with lean prime eye round beef roast, beef kidneys, chicken hearts, cheese ravioli, nitrate-free beef hotdogs, green beans and accented with a light touch of liver and topped with yeast flakes. Served warm over canned food, followed by a dried tripe stick desert plate.

 

And Stella ate almost all of her dinner.

 

I love this girl more than I can say. Her health is good. Her appetite... still sucks. It took me almost two years to get her to a weight where every rib didn't show and I could stop worrying that my neighbors thought I was starving her. But every meal is still hit-or-miss. Raw is a total no-go except for chicken feet, sometimes, and they are often hard to find here. I keep rotating food flavors as that seems to work to the best extent. Removing her food if she doesn't finish in an allotted time would result in her starving herself, quite certain, unless I fed her unlimited dehydrated duck hearts.

 

I know I've posted here before about my picky eater, but what am I missing?

[iluvgreys]

Do you know what her current weight is? Racing wt was 57#, so she's a little girl. Does she totally turn her nose up at kibble with toppers on it?

[Guest Vers]

Jeanne, thank you for your response. You're correct in thinking that Stella is a small-average girl; her current weight is 59 pounds. It's a good weight on her -- still see last ribs, tight waist, some spine and hip bones. She does not have more than an ounce of fat to lose, though. If she were a good eater, I could comfortably maintain a good weight for her; the challenge is helping her to eat enough to maintain an almost-model-thin weight.

[Guest FrankieWylie]

Yikes!

 

Where are you located? Chicken feet are so freaking easily found here it's ridiculous. Are those shippable!? LOL

[Guest june]

Is she an "only?" I have a friend who I dog-sit for from time to time. At home this dog is super picky. She comes to stay with my three and she cleans her bowl and looks for more. We feed the same dog food so that isn't any different. Sometimes they do better when they have competition. Good reason to give another houndie a home

[MaryJane]

It sounds like if you throw some rice or noodles into the stew you would have a complete meal and one that she would eat.

[Batmom]

Some things Batman ate when he was ill (and had less appetite): Tripett (canned green tripe), spaghettios (yes, the kind you buy in the can; he liked original), Lean Cuisine sesame chicken, almost anything with tomato sauce, any kind of meat (except fish, which he couldn't have) tossed with a smidge of molasses, Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl bread, graham crackers, scrambled eggs with or without parmesan cheese, vanilla ice cream ......

 

Currently one of mine is on a homeprepped diet. The non-protein part is usually Cheerios (the regular ones; have a smidge of sugar but not much else besides oats) and Shredded Wheat. I was relieved to find this combo because I got tired of cooking rice, and my dogs never seem to do well on the oatmeal or mashed potatoes that others sometimes use. IIRC Grape Nuts is another cereal with minimal additives; most of the others have too much salt or too few calories to be of use.

[Guest Vers]

FrankieWylie, I'm in NE. The stores here usually had chicken feet until this past year. Hare Today will ship them (and I might place an order from them today), but it was nice (and less expensive) to be able to buy them locally. There's one more place about 30 minutes from here I should call and inquire, but I think if they have them, it will be a 50 pound box and I don't have a chest freezer. Yet.

 

june, I like your thinking, but we're two hounds good already -- Stella has her big brother Simba (she loves him and is like his little remora -- she is the little rump in my siggie). Simba is a complete chowhound; I feed Stella in her crate because otherwise he'd never let her have a morsel. I've tried feeding them in sight of each other ("in sight" might be the wrong term, since Stella is mostly blind), and it didn't make any difference to her approach.

 

MaryJane, I'll take that as a compliment on my cooking I add rice, pasta or oatmeal to stews; this time, I counted the ravioli as pasta. I'm lucky that my hounds like my cooking, but as much as I try to make balanced stews, I worry that if I fed solely stew, it would create a nutrient deficiency over time (calcium is a likely one, I think, among others). That's why stew is served over actual dog food.

 

Any thoughts on a good supplement to add to make sure I'm giving complete nutrition? And ways to make sure I always have free time to cook?

[iluvgreys]

Is she an "only?" ... Sometimes they do better when they have competition.

I was thinkin' that too, but from the siggy it looks like she's got two greys.

 

My greys are very happy with sauteed chicken livers with a bit of garlic, minced and used as a topper for their kibble.

[Guest Vers]

iluvgreys yes, two headless greys here, one small, one extra large. I like that photo because they are usually together in that pose every evening. Thank you for the chicken liver suggestion; I sometimes use dried beef liver treats as a topper, but chicken liver could work as well. Added to the shopping list!

 

Batmom, Batman was lucky he had you looking out for him. I dread the day Stella ever gets sick if she's this picky when she's healthy. I'm definitely going to pick up some Spaghettios and Cheerios -- Stella hasn't tried those yet. We also have Trippett and sardines in the rotation. Lean Cuisine is a terrific idea, too -- thank you for opening up some new options!

[Batmom]

Calcium: I use the USDA Nutrient website to look up the phosphorus and calcium values for the main things I'm feeding and supplement with plain old calcium carbonate pills or ground-up eggshell as needed.

 

I also give a multivitamin/mineral supplement. The one I have is Vetri-Science Canine Plus, probably ordered from vetamerica.com . It's one of the few that actually lists the amount of each nutrient, so you can figure out where you might be lacking over time. If you're feeding mostly "complete" dog food, you wouldn't need it. If you're feeding more home-prepped, you might want it in the long term.

 

The Lean Cuisine is pricey but heck, sometimes it's on sale . And as a topper, it would probably work for 2-3 meals. At the time, if B. expressed interest in anything I was fixing to eat or eating myself, he got it. Believe I had a peanutbutter sandwich that day.

[Guest june]

I like to add ground flax. My girls love it and they have super soft coats.

[FiveRoooooers]

I make this stew twice a week and use it as a kibble topper. In the crock pot layer sweet potato, butternut squash, kale (and/or zucchini), and a pound of ground turkey. Add 4 cups of water. Let it cook 4-5 hours on high, then stir in a cup of raw rice. You can add a clove of minced garlic, as well as substituting chicken broth for all or some of the water. I julienne the potato and squash just because it makes for easier mashing later. They were not happy with bigger pieces of kale so I "ribbon" it and they like it that way. Once it's done, you can use a potato masher to blend it or just leave it as it. My guys love this, as does their momma occasionally

 

Eat something, Stella!!

[MaryJane]

FrankieWylie, I'm in NE. The stores here usually had chicken feet until this past year. Hare Today will ship them (and I might place an order from them today), but it was nice (and less expensive) to be able to buy them locally. There's one more place about 30 minutes from here I should call and inquire, but I think if they have them, it will be a 50 pound box and I don't have a chest freezer. Yet.

 

june, I like your thinking, but we're two hounds good already -- Stella has her big brother Simba (she loves him and is like his little remora -- she is the little rump in my siggie). Simba is a complete chowhound; I feed Stella in her crate because otherwise he'd never let her have a morsel. I've tried feeding them in sight of each other ("in sight" might be the wrong term, since Stella is mostly blind), and it didn't make any difference to her approach.

 

MaryJane, I'll take that as a compliment on my cooking I add rice, pasta or oatmeal to stews; this time, I counted the ravioli as pasta. I'm lucky that my hounds like my cooking, but as much as I try to make balanced stews, I worry that if I fed solely stew, it would create a nutrient deficiency over time (calcium is a likely one, I think, among others). That's why stew is served over actual dog food.

 

Any thoughts on a good supplement to add to make sure I'm giving complete nutrition? And ways to make sure I always have free time to cook?

 

 

I homecook for my dogs because Larry is super sensitive to chicken & noodles and Lucy has seizures so I try and watch any preservatives (and also chicken) on her end. Larry also has some kidney issues so he is on a limited protein diet.

 

For a 80 pound dog (Larry's size) I add 2 calcium pills (500 each) twice a day (about 2000 a day total) and 1 multivitamin. I also do 1 fish oil pill daily.

 

If you don't have any restrictions, you can toss it all in a crock pot and have it cook and pour it over rice. If you do the meat and veggies separate, you can do 5 or 6 days worth and store that in a container and then do the rice/noodles as needed for their meals -- I do rice every other day, about 8 to 10 cups.

 

You can also throw in some oatmeal (maybe apple too) which is great for the fiber and have that cook along with the meat and veggies.

[mychip1]

Our EZ is a horrible eater....it is like creative cooking 101 with him. I feel your pain on this one!! Now that he's 11, we worry about it even more...he has always been svelt.....and I would prefer a little extra weight on him as he ages...but no luck. He will actually notice if I try to slip the tiniest extra bit of kibble into his daily amount.....Sometimes on a day when he is eating well, I'll heap the scoop a bit...and it's like he knows. I try to tell him that he doesn't have to watch his figure....but he doesn't seem to hear me!

 

He actually is my husband's hound...and Gerritt is the one around here who can cook, so I may have to print out fiverooers recipe for him!!!

[Guest 4rooers]

I make stew once a month in 2 batches for my pups. I have an 18 quart slow cooker and it has been a godsend! One batch is either 10 lb chicken or turkey, 10 cups organic barley(I soak it overnight) 2 sweet potatoes chopped up and 2 bags of frozen spinach. The second batch is 10 lb venison or ground sirloin with the barley, sweet potatoes and green beans or squash. I cook it at 250 degrees all day, then freeze it in 1 quart containers. I use chicken and venison more in the winter because my acupuncture vet told me they were "hotter" meats, and use the turkey and beef in the summer. The pups love them all.I buy my barley at a food co op 50 lb at a time. I will occasionally use steel cut oats in the winter and millet in the summer. If you have an extra freezer, its the easiest way to do it. They also get Nupro silver, Rourke gets a GI Encap for IBD and Oswald gets one for chronic pancreatitis.

Kim

Edited December 19, 2011 by 4rooers

[Guest Vers]

The Lean Cuisine is pricey but heck, sometimes it's on sale . And as a topper, it would probably work for 2-3 meals. At the time, if B. expressed interest in anything I was fixing to eat or eating myself, he got it. Believe I had a peanutbutter sandwich that day.

 

Batmom, thank you for the guidance on calcium and a supplement, but the part above made me leak. Batman was such a well-loved gentleman hound.

 

I make this stew twice a week and use it as a kibble topper. In the crock pot layer sweet potato, butternut squash, kale (and/or zucchini), and a pound of ground turkey. Add 4 cups of water. Let it cook 4-5 hours on high, then stir in a cup of raw rice. [clip] My guys love this, as does their momma occasionally Eat something, Stella!!

 

Stella listened to you She ate all of both breakfast and dinner today, heavy on the stew. Her bowl this morning was licked even cleaner than Simba's : which is a major accomplishment since he hardly leaves a trace there was ever food in his bowl. One of the stews I make is similar to yours, using ground turkey, sweet potatoes, kale and oatmeal or rice. I'll admit to tasting it, too -- not bad, just needed salt and some spices to be human food : Today, I'm thinking beef is to her liking at present.

 

EZ, handsome hound, you made me feel a little better in knowing there are other picky hounds out there, but you need to eat, too!

 

Love the recipes and recommendations from all of you -- and please keep them coming, since Stella may decide to like something else next week! I do need to get a chest freezer, though I've no idea where it will go.

[Guest Vers]

Sirloin beef stew on the stove

 

 

Ingredients:

Lean sirloin roast, diced

Sweet potatoes

Collard greens

Oatmeal

Added at the end for calcium/vitamins:

Plain lowfat yoghurt

Total cereal

Nutritional yeast

[Batmom]

That looks and sounds yummy!

[FiveRoooooers]

I missed your follow-up post that Stella enjoyed her stew, good girl Stella! The beef on the stove today looks like something she should enjoy, let us know. Some other add-ins I use on occasion are cooked chicken livers, cooked chicken giblets, cottage cheese. There is a recipe for Liver Brownies that she might enjoy: it's just a box of Jiffy CornBread mix, a pound of chicken livers, and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Whip up the livers in the blender and add to the cornbread with the garlic, and spread on a cookie sheet that you've covered with tin foil and sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 (I think) for 20 min? Cool and cut into pieces, store in refrigerator. If Stella enjoys peanut butter, you could stuff a Kong or marrow bone with it and include some kibble or other treats; freeze or not. Keep eating, Stella!

[Guest Vers]

Batmom, I promise I won't eat the stew or try to feed it to guests -- but TBH it does look yummy to me, too

 

FiveRoooooers, you have the best recipes -- thank you! Definitely going to give the liver brownies a try, though I've been cutting back on chicken/chicken parts in stews only because they don't seem to agree with Simba's digestion very well. We did turkey, spinach, sweet potato and pasta last week, and that went well. I consider any combination a win when Stella cleans her dish at dinner; breakfast is more hit or miss, but I don't try to skip it because otherwise her stomach gets gurgly. She does get a Kong with peanut butter on weekdays, though sometimes she does not clean it out. I also made two big batches of treats recently, one beef liver cheddar balls and the other peanut butter oatmeal cookies -- those are almost never refused and one can sometimes jumpstart her appetite in the morning.

 

Onward and upward -- always grateful for all the support here in keeping Stella healthy and happy!

[FiveRoooooers]

It's really been just trial and error to find something that my skinnies would like and eat, and if something we've tried helps to perk up Stella's appetite, that makes me happy. Would you share your recipe for the beef/cheddar treats?

[Guest Vers]

Oh dear, like a proper recipe with measurements and so on? I wing it because I make these in pretty big batches, but can give ingredients and instructions.

 

Raw beef, pork or chicken liver at least 2 pounds

Whole eggs in the shell, 2 or 3 for every 2 pounds of liver

Olive or safflower oil, 1/3 cup

Shredded cheddar (or other) cheese, weight from half to equal the weight of liver

Touch of honey or molasses

A light touch of garlic powder if desired

White flour -- start with 3-4 cups

Wheat germ -- start with at least 1 cup

Baking powder, a teaspoon per cup of flour

 

Preheat oven to 325 F.

 

Blenderize the liver, eggs, cheese, honey and oil until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, wheat germ and baking powder (all fo which we have given our best guess at). Add the liquid slowly to the dry ingredients and stir to mix. Keep adding flour and wheat germ until the mix starts to stiffen.

 

Use a flat cookie/baking sheet (not Teflon). By hand (you can oil your hands to make this easier), roll the dough into 3/4" balls and arrange on baking sheet (they won't spread and can be placed quite closely). Once a sheet is full, bake until outside of each ball is firm, dry and has just started to brown. Let cool completely and place in airtight container. Treats should keep up to a month in the fridge or six months in the freezer.

 

How'd I do?! I make these every few months as well as oven-dried "just" beef liver treats.

[Batmom]

Batmom, I promise I won't eat the stew or try to feed it to guests -- but TBH it does look yummy to me, too

 

 

Hey, if it's good enough for Stella .......

[Guest Vers]

Batmom, I promise I won't eat the stew or try to feed it to guests -- but TBH it does look yummy to me, too

Hey, if it's good enough for Stella .......

 

... It's certainly good enough for me! but it's FOR Stella. It's special, for her. I do give Simba a smaller share, just because I'd feel awful if I didn't. I'm always glad when they eat stew, because it does mean they're eating good quality food I wouldn't turn down. Is it silly that I let the fact Stella likes my cooking go straight to my heart?