Homecooking: Suggestions On Recipes?

[Guest Tequila]

After trying various dog foods during the last 18 months (Blue, Wellness, TOTW), without any real "winners," I have started cooking Tequila's meals myself. Just looking for suggestions on recipes and possible vitamin supplements (are any even needed?).

 

She is a picky eater anyway, and has NEVER been the type of dog who comes running for her meals. Also, all of the above (store-brand dog foods) gave her tremendous GAS. I'm talking "vacate the room!" gas!! Since I have started cooking her meals, THE GAS HAS GONE AWAY!!! She seems much happier and more relaxed. (She HAS to be....the gas would be uncomfortable for any of us, right?). This is what I have been alternating:

 

MEAL # 1:

Boiled chicken (cut into bite-size pieces)

Brown rice

Steamed green beans (or peas)

Chicken gravy

shredded cheese on top

 

MEAL # 2:

Cooked ground beef (hamburger, 80% lean)

Brown rice

Steamed green beans (or peas)

Beef gravy

shredded cheese on top

 

She loves both of these meals, and eats all of her breakfasts and dinners now. I just want to be sure she is getting enough of the necessary vitamins, and was wondering if anyone has suggestions for other meals? I usually cook a week's worth at a time, and put them in little tupperware containers in the fridge. At mealtime, I heat them up, and even prepare the gravy in a small saucepan on the stove, so it's warm (and more flavorful). I stir in the gravy, make sure it's not too hot for her, and serve. Spoiled? Yes, definitely. But any of the store-bought foods gave her gas, she didn't eat everyday (often skipped meals), and it was a chore to try to "coax" her to eat. The cost is about the same as the dog food I was buying, and I have the comfort of knowing she's not getting any preservatives or unknown ingrediants.

 

Any thoughts / suggestions appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Kathy

[Magdalyn58]

Here's what I do for our three: I buy large packs (usually about 7 lbs) of fresh chicken breast tenders at Sam's Club. I bake them on a cookie sheet and when they are cooled, I process them in my food processor. To the chopped up chicken breasts, I add fresh green beans that I also process in the food processor. I used to cook them first, but our holistic vet told us to grind them raw. Mittens has cancer and he felt that she would get more of the anti-cancer nutrients if the veggies were raw (but chopped up fine). If I have it, I will also throw some flat leaf parsley and/or watercress and add that to the chicken. Finally I dump in a batch of brown rice and mix it all together. I keep it in a lock-n-lock bowl in the fridge. Sometimes I will grind up carrots and throw them in as well.

 

Mittens also gets several anti-cancer vitamins and supplements.

[Guest 4rooers]

I home cook for my dogs(3 right now) as an addition to TOTW Pacific Stream. I soak 10 cups of barley in an 18qt roaster overnight, next morning add 10lb of ground sirloin(I buy sirloin tips on sale and have them ground)with 2 bags of frozen spinach and chop up 2 sweet potatoes. This will cook at 250* all day. Then I let it cool and freeze batches. I will also use millet or steel cut oats for the grain, and have used venison, ground turkey and chicken, too. My dogs get Nupro supplement as well as glucosamine. The dogs love their stew.They eat 1 cup stew to 1 cup kibble 2x daily.Rourke gets a little more.

Kim

Edited December 29, 2010 by 4rooers

[HoundHeavenAZ]

Our vet recommended that I cook for my new seizure boy and since he was on beef at the time she said to stick with it for now. Both he and my girl have been on this about 3 months now and we now have FORMED poops and NO gas! Not sure if this is helping with the seizures or not since we have been playing with meds too, but only one seizure in that time makes me even happier

Here's what I cooked yesterday:

6 large carrots chopped

1 medium butternut squash peeled and cubed

4 sweet potatoes cubed (mixed types)

1/2 bag cranberries

1 head broccoli

water to cover

Cook till tender and then add

2.5 LB 70/30 ground beef

I fried some beef liver and then chopped it (so much easier after it is cooked!) and added about 2 cups to the veggies.

I then distribute it to freezing containers and use the potato masher to break the veggies down as I've read they are more digestible in that form.

Each meal he gets a cup of the veggies/meat (slightly warmed of course to arouse the flavors), a spoon of yogurt when I remember to buy some, 1.5 cups of Natural Balance Venison and Sweet Potato and some hamburger meatballs containing his pills.

Yes, it takes time to make it all and freeze it, but they LOVE it and the results have been so pleasant that I am happy to do this for them

Good luck!

[Guest starrmom]

After trying various dog foods during the last 18 months (Blue, Wellness, TOTW), without any real "winners," I have started cooking Tequila's meals myself. Just looking for suggestions on recipes and possible vitamin supplements (are any even needed?).

 

She is a picky eater anyway, and has NEVER been the type of dog who comes running for her meals. Also, all of the above (store-brand dog foods) gave her tremendous GAS. I'm talking "vacate the room!" gas!! Since I have started cooking her meals, THE GAS HAS GONE AWAY!!! She seems much happier and more relaxed. (She HAS to be....the gas would be uncomfortable for any of us, right?). This is what I have been alternating:

 

MEAL # 1:

Boiled chicken (cut into bite-size pieces)

Brown rice

Steamed green beans (or peas)

Chicken gravy

shredded cheese on top

 

MEAL # 2:

Cooked ground beef (hamburger, 80% lean)

Brown rice

Steamed green beans (or peas)

Beef gravy

shredded cheese on top

 

She loves both of these meals, and eats all of her breakfasts and dinners now. I just want to be sure she is getting enough of the necessary vitamins, and was wondering if anyone has suggestions for other meals? I usually cook a week's worth at a time, and put them in little tupperware containers in the fridge. At mealtime, I heat them up, and even prepare the gravy in a small saucepan on the stove, so it's warm (and more flavorful). I stir in the gravy, make sure it's not too hot for her, and serve. Spoiled? Yes, definitely. But any of the store-bought foods gave her gas, she didn't eat everyday (often skipped meals), and it was a chore to try to "coax" her to eat. The cost is about the same as the dog food I was buying, and I have the comfort of knowing she's not getting any preservatives or unknown ingrediants.

 

Any thoughts / suggestions appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Kathy

[Guest starrmom]

I also cook for my boys. Although I rely on Purina One Lamb & Rice as the base, a good portion of their chow is spinach (chopped), butternut squash, chopped broccoli, carrots and pumpkin. They tear it up!! I also add a spritz of Smart Balance oil--good source of omega/soy/canola. Once in a while I get a whiff of, um, the stinky gas--and, yeah, it'll run ya right outta the room, but thankfully it's rare!! Sometimes I drop a small piece of cheese on top and they love it. Afterwards, dessert is a plop of plain youghurt and all is well in the Hanson household.

[MaryJane]

I've been cooking for my dogs for years ever since one was diagnosed with kidney issues.

 

For their morning meal I feed oatmeal, grits (oatmeal has a high level of phosphorous for my "kidney-issue" dog and the grits help to counterbalance that), blueberries, hamburger, milk and sometimes pieces of apple and a touch of cheerios.

 

Their mid-morning snack is toast with butter.

 

Sometimes they get some slices of cucumbers and lettuce stalks (crunchy part) when I'm making my salad.

 

The evening meal is rice, beef pieces, and veggies like peas, carrots, broccoli, green beans mixed with a soup base.

 

They get a snack at night of yogurt and applesauce.

 

Both of mine have a sensitivity to chicken, I can feed once every 2 weeks or so but if they get more than that they get diarrhea, gas and so on. One of mine also has a sensitivity to noodles and pork but I can also get away with feeding once every 2 weeks or so. I occasionally cook up a batch of pinto beans and will mix small amounts of that into the dinner meal.

 

You probably want to check with a nutritional vet and get a recommendation for supplements along with how much percentage-wise you should be giving of the carbos, veggies, and protein. I went to Dr Remallaird at Angel in Boston (she does phone consults). My dogs are on calcium (oyster shell), vitamins, and fish oil. My female is also on cranberry supplements because she had a urinary tract infections and this might help prevent re-occurrence. On the fish oil, please be aware that it is like aspirin in that it has anti-clotting properties so you would want to stop this at least 2 weeks before any type of surgery.

[Guest NewGreyOwner]

We prepare the food for our grey too. We primarily alternate raw beef, raw lamb patties, cooked beef/rice, raw chicken parts. We add joint supplements (from Greyhound Gang) and a multi-vitamin/mineral powder to the dinner meal and salmon oil to the morning meal. He comes running for all meals!

[Guest Tequila]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions! Please let's keep this thread going! I'm taking notes!

[Guest Ola]

If you are feeding it as their sole diet then you need a calcium source or supplement. I doubt that a small amount of shredded cheese is providing enough. Normally you calculate this amount based on the amount of meat you're feeding (that's the source of phosphorus that the calcium is needed to balance). You can get commercial supplements or dried and ground eggshells. Food sources are an option but you need to calculate how much calcium they'd get (and keep in mind that some dogs can't tolerate milk products well). Bone meal is another option but it's not ideal so I'd recommend one of those above.

 

When you feed a stew in addition to kibble it gives you more wiggle room but if it's the sole diet then you definitely need to figure out the calcium.

[Guest Bamn]

There are some good multi-vitamins over the counter that if I home-cooked I would definitely add in to ensure they were getting everything they needed. I give my "kids" a plethora of vitamins anyway because we had an osteo scare and I am also in the thinking that prevention is cheaper than treatment (can you tell I worked for a vet?!). I applaud you for even doing the research! Good luck.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Calcium:

Egg shells provide cheap calcium. If your dog won't eat the shells bake them at 325 until dry and grind them into powder (coffee grinder works well). One large shell is approx 2000 mg calcium carbonate. Add 1/2 tsp powder per pound of meat.

 

Vitamins:

You also need to include organs for vitamins. Half the amount of organs needs to be liver. About 6 ounces per week of liver is sufficient for a GH.

 

The easiest way to cover your bases is to use a vit/min supplement. But use a human product. Pet vitamins are incomplete and don't provide enough of anything. Basically you are flushing your money. Human vits are based on a 180 lb man. So dose according to your dogs weight. This way they are getting the zinc, potassium & magnesium that are usually deficient in home cooked diets.

 

These are two good products for use with dogs -

link 1

and

link 2

 

Omega 3 fatty acids:

Seapet Omega 3 oil is my favorite for homemade diets. Besides omega 3 it also provides Vit E. If you follow their dosing instructions your dog will get the proper amount of Vit E for its weight. Grizzly is my favorite for processed diets. Do include some sort of fish body oil. Do not use cod liver oil. In order to provide enough Omega 3 you would be giving a dangerous excess of Vit A

 

If you supplement with kelp be very careful.

Kelp products contain vastly different amounts of iodine and some are extremely excessive. Only use a product that tells you the amount of iodine it contains. Find out what the daily requirement is for your dog's weight (I can help with that) and don't exceed that amount.

[Guest june]

I started adding "real" to my three girls meals about 6 weeks ago. I use about 1/4 of their meal as real added to their kibble. I cook chicken; boneless breasts,whole chicken or legs and thighs in the crock pot (a 7 qt. crock pot will cook 8 to 10 lbs of chicken)until they fall apart. Cool and remove the bones (those that haven't turned to mush) and skim the fat. Each week I alternate adding chicken livers/gizzards to the chicken as it cooks or cooking beef liver and chopping and adding that to the chicken. I mash all of this and freeze in containers that will last about 3 days each.

 

Additions:

Three times weekly they get a scrambled egg added to the mix (I scramble a dozen at a time)

 

Three times weekly they get a heaping tablespoon of canned pumpkin with 1/2 t cinnamon (NOT pumpkin pie mix)on top of their food

 

Once weekly they get sardines on top of their food

 

When I have leftover cooked veggies (usually carrots, green beans, spinach,or broccoli)I chop and add those to their meal.

I do not add any salt to their food; somehow I don't think it would be good for them. I don't know that for a fact, just my feeling.

 

They have always been good eaters and not picky, but they really ENJOY their meals now licking their bowls clean.

 

We had some problems with loose stools before I started this, but now we have firm stools and no gas

 

Since I've started this they no longer lay across the room and drool while I am eating my supper, but rather seem content.

 

I'm taking them to the vet next week for a general check up and see if my vet thinks I should change anything. One of my girls seems to have lost some weight (she was over weight) and gained some muscle mass, one has gained some weight (she was very under weight when I got her) and the third seems to have stayed about the same.

june

[Guest ChasesMum]

when I cooked for Chase I crock potted skinless chicken thighs (and some assorted veggies) for 24 hours, mashed with potato masher and froze, added rice and other treats to it when I served.

 

 

ground beef and rice was always a fav, even when she wasnt eating she would eat real food!

[Guest Swifthounds]

Calcium:

Egg shells provide cheap calcium. If your dog won't eat the shells bake them at 325 until dry and grind them into powder (coffee grinder works well). One large shell is approx 2000 mg calcium carbonate. Add 1/2 tsp powder per pound of meat.

 

Vitamins:

You also need to include organs for vitamins. Half the amount of organs needs to be liver. About 6 ounces per week of liver is sufficient for a GH.

 

The easiest way to cover your bases is to use a vit/min supplement. But use a human product. Pet vitamins are incomplete and don't provide enough of anything. Basically you are flushing your money. Human vits are based on a 180 lb man. So dose according to your dogs weight. This way they are getting the zinc, potassium & magnesium that are usually deficient in home cooked diets.

 

These are two good products for use with dogs -

link 1

and

link 2

 

Omega 3 fatty acids:

Seapet Omega 3 oil is my favorite for homemade diets. Besides omega 3 it also provides Vit E. If you follow their dosing instructions your dog will get the proper amount of Vit E for its weight. Grizzly is my favorite for processed diets. Do include some sort of fish body oil. Do not use cod liver oil. In order to provide enough Omega 3 you would be giving a dangerous excess of Vit A

 

If you supplement with kelp be very careful.

Kelp products contain vastly different amounts of iodine and some are extremely excessive. Only use a product that tells you the amount of iodine it contains. Find out what the daily requirement is for your dog's weight (I can help with that) and don't exceed that amount.

 

 

All great advice.

[fourofem]

I started home cooking (mixed with EVO) for Lewis after his OS diagnosis trying to cut down his carbs. I started with whole chickens but now use one pack of leg quarters and one of thighs (both from Sam's....probably about 6-7 pounds). I remove the skin and as much fat as I can, add a little chopped garlic and cook in a 2 crockpots (outside...it's gets kind of stinky after about 12 hours) on low for 24 hours. When it's done, I pick out the bones and mash them with an old timey potato masher and mix in with the chicken. I usually add sweet potatoes, carrots, a little bit of celery, green beans and spinach (fresh or frozen) or whatever looks good. That usually gives me 3 gallon-sized freezer bags to take out as I need them. Mine love it....Lizzie is a little pickier and she has taken a shine to Purina One chicken and rice canned food (I had to use that once in a pinch when I ran out of my stuff and she ate better than ever so I keep that handy for her). I do vitamins separately.

 

Interesting about the egg shells...I didn't know that. I don't eat eggs (not a vegan....they just kind of gross me out) so they're not something I have around.

 

 

[TwiggysMom]

I think what you've been feeding is fine as a temporary diet, but don't think they would be fully-balanced for long-term feeding.

 

As mentioned, calcium in particular seems lacking.

 

You could look into Dr Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. I don't agree with everything he says, and his diets are pretty grain-heavy (therefore, I wouldn't use his cat diets), but most of them are balanced for safe long-term feeding. As for grain-heavy, so are most kibbles, and pretty-much all kibbles are carb-heavy, so that may or may not be a concern.

 

The Pitcairn recipies that aren't fully balanced are clearly labeled as such.

 

There are certainly other options out there, just one offering

 

Also, I noticed that she is doing great with just rice as the grain component. You might want to look for a "limited ingredient" diet that only uses rice as the carb source. (or oats, or potato). Other grains like barley or millet seem to be big gas producers in some greys.

Edited January 3, 2011 by TwiggysMom

[Guest Tequila]

Wow, thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions!

 

I will look into options for calcium (and also speak with my Vet during her next check-up to see what he recommends).

 

This morning, I added some sweet potatoes and she loved them. But I have to watch her....because she tends to like to "travel" with her food. She'll take a big mouthful, walk away and spit it out on the carpet, then eat it. With most food, it's not a big deal....but ORANGE sweet potatoes are more difficult to get off the carpet. :: SIGH :: I actually put down a large towel around her eating area, to catch the food if/when she does this. She doesn't always do it .... and it's not directly related to "new" or "unfamiliar" food.....it just seems to be a habit. Some days she likes to take a bite and go for a walk! Then she comes back. Takes a few more bites. Then she'll take another walk with a full mouth of food.

 

Next up on my list is adding some sardines on top. I have never given her sardines, but I'm anticipating a positive reaction since she likes salmon. (I also read the other thread here on sardines, and it seems like everyone agrees they love them!). I bought a can of sardines in WATER (didn't want to risk any other ingrediant that might be upsetting to her sensitive tummy). How many do you think I should give her as an added treat? Just put a few on top of a meal with chicken?

 

It's funny, I cook better for my grey than I do for myself! Haha!

[Guest Houndstown]

We make homemade dog food all the time. Our two love it! We use boiled chicken or ground turkey for a little less fat than hamburger. Instead of rice, we use macaroni noodles. We then add in frozen vegetables, usually a mixed bag with brocoli, cauliflower and carrots.

 

We don't use supplements right now, just the prescription meds from the vet one of ours is on. But, we do also make homemade dog biscuits for treats and use different things than what's in the food for a variety.

[Guest Tequila]

She liked the sardines! I ended up giving her the whole can, mixed in with her hamburger (80% lean ground beef), rice, green beens, and some beef gravy. It was a winner!

[Guest genia]

I've been homecooking for a few years now. I make a huge pot of veggie stew - cook chicken legs for a broth, take the chicken out, debone it and add the meat back to the pot and then add sweet potato, squash or peppers, celery, zucchini, peas, green beans, carrots, and any other veggies I have on hand - fresh or frozen, and add herbs - parsley, oregano, sage, (any 'green' herb on hand), kelp, and cook until done. I then puree this and freeze in meal sized containers for my 3. When I make their meals, they get one container between the 3 and cooked meat - chicken, roast beef, roast pork, or meatloaf - whatever I've made and often what we've had as well, and either potatoes, rice, or pasta. They get cheese grated into it and also get cheese pieces when we go to work. In the morning and evening they get glucosomine with chondrotin and in the evening they get omega pills, probiotics, and once a week they get human multi-vitamins. They're all thriving on this. When we had blood work done on our old ridgie, who was ill, the blood work came back with everything where it should be - which surprised the vet, but made us feel that we must be doing ok with the food, so far. I find it isn't any more expensive homecooking than buying a premium dog food, but it does take more time and planning. The pureed veggie mix also makes a wonderful soup for us. LOL

[cleptogrey]

here is a recipe passed on by a saluki friend:

 

Here is the basic Saluki diet recommended by my holistic vet - to be fed twice daily - this is for about a 50 lb dog - feed more or less according to the dog's activity level and needs - take a week to 10 days to switch over to this diet from commercial food to avoid upset tummies.

 

at each meal feed;

 

1 cup meat (lean lamb (broiling removes most of the fat); beef, chicken, turkey (alternate meat sources every few days so dog received optimum nutrition)

 

3/4 cup organic cooked brown rice or cooked whole oatmeal or 1 sweet potato

 

1/4 cup steamed, finely ground vegetables, i.e. carrots, broccoli green beans, cabbage (organic preferred)

 

2/3 tsp Animal Essentials vitamin powder

 

2/3 tsp Solgar Bone Meal (for humans)

 

1 tabelspoon extra virgin olive oil

 

Then - once or twice a week add a hardboiled egg and a couple of tablespoons of organic cottage cheese

 

you can also add grated cheese, a few sardines, some salmon, etc. as additional nutrition

[Guest Tequila]

Treated her to scrambled eggs and toast (cut into small pieces), and she LOVED it. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!!!!!!! I have never seen her enjoy her meal so much! I might treat her to this once a week she loves it so much!

[Guest snakes]

I just started cooking for my osteo boy, now his diet is supposed to be high is protien and not much carbs in order to not "feed" the cancer. We do a similar recipie to yours with veggies being green breans, broccoli, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and whatever else i find cheap I am planning to add in sweet potatoe if they will eat it

The recipie my vet gave me had one multivitamin a day (Theragran human vitamin), three tabs of calcium carbonate a day, and one fish oil capsule, and two capsules of vitA/D (cod liver oil) per day.

 

Mine already got a teaspoon of yogurt a day and an egg occasionally.

 

 

This is where the recipie was based from, and keep in mind this is more specific for cancer dogs:

http://www.caninecancerawareness.org/html/Diet.html#HomeCookingFeedingTips

[Guest Stripeyfan]

Kelly is on a bland home-cooked diet (chicken and white rice) as his IBD means he can't tolerate any commercial dog food any more, not even prescription food. Even the tiniest amount of the 'wrong' thing gives him horrible big D within 24 hrs.

 

As far as supplements go, he gets a complete multi-vitamin and mineral supplement called CA37 which our vet recommended (it includes calcium), plus Omega 3 fish oil capsules and a probiotic. He was a picky eater when we first got him (before he got sick) and he was eating dog food, but he LOVES his food now and looks fantastic - good weight, shiny coat and bags of energy! Although his IBD is under control at the moment we've decided we're going to stick with the homecooking, and I'm hoping that soon we'll be able to try introducing other foods such as veggies and eggs, although I think we will have to be careful about fat and fibre amounts.

 

Thanks for starting this thread - very useful.