# Article for everyone currently, or planning on switching to homemade dog food



## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I have to say I don't agree with homeade foods. Kibble companies have spent time and money doing research and testing their products. The commerical food companies have adjusted and made the foods to fit the dog. They are even and balanced with the correct amounts of minerals, vitamins and ratio of ingredients. With puppyhood and senior ages being so crucial. I would not want to mess around with a diet as it is perhaps the most important aspect of the dogs overall health and development. JMO though.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

Most that i "know" thru various forums' actually puree the veggies and fruits, or cook them hours. They say dogs can't digest raw or slilghtly cooked veggies and fruits, they must be cooked to very soft stage or pureed.

I make a chicken stew for mine--start out with 5 pounds of chicken thighs and about 3 1/2 pounds of chicken n ecks and cook in slow cooker about 12 hours, then add 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of chopped beef liver or chicken gazzards, a pound bad of forzen green beas, and fresh cut up apples, sweet potatoess and squash and cook about another 12 hours. 

My girls get 1 cup of dry kibble in the mornign with a spoon of plain yogurt 9for digestion) and a spoon of unsweetened applesauce (because they LOVE it) in the morning. Also i drop in one fish oil capsule. At night they get about 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups of kibble and one to 1 1/3 cups of the chicken stew. i also add a low dosage milk thistle ( for liver), a cranberry cap (for kidneys) a biotin tab (for skin and coat), another fish oil (they are good for joints and skin and coat), a 400 u vitamin E (because of the fish oil) an Ester C (for immune system and for joints) and abnout every other day a B complex. KayCee also gets a blood pressure tab, very low dosage every day and a baby apsrin every other day for her enlarged heart, and half a scoop of knox nutra joints plus for joints, and 2 MSM/Gluco caps.


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## Hudson (May 18, 2005)

I feed mine raw turkey, chicken , pork or lamb with raw vegetables,carrots pumpkin,celery,parsley whizzed in the food processor,. I then put it into servings in the freezer.Added to that they have vitamin c, omega oils and Sasha's blend( natural joint filler, with shark cartilage. I also add cottage cheese, natural yogurt,chicken necks,and skinned chicken wings( skinned as Asha once had a bout of pancreatitis) and raw eggs to their serving during the week. Once a week they also have sardines or canned salmon, raw fish if my husband has been fishing. They also have a little dry food before bed time. The raw diet was suggested on an appointment with a pet naturapath, after Asha was recovering from surgeries,antibiotics and recurring ear problems. They seem to like the diet and look healthy and have beautiful coats.It is interesting to read other diets feed to their dogs.


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

*A few nibbles of raw beef okay?*

Hope everyone can tolerate another "what should I feed my dog" question... (edit, and I just realized I inadvertently hijacked someone else's thread. SORRY!!)

I was cooking the other night and was trimming some chuck steak to make a pot roast. Fergus was going crazy at the smell, so I cut off a few small bites of the fresh meat for him that were part of the scraps (just meat, no fat chunks or gristle stuff). It was no more than maybe 2 tablespoons and I cut them into small pieces. I mentioned it to my mom and she sent me an article from the paper she had cut out about why you shouldn't feed meat to a dog. I know there are a lot of folks on here that feed more back-to-nature diets. Did I do something wrong? There were no ill after effects in the poop department and he seemed to love it.

Here is the text of the article:

_Don't feed meat to the dog_
_McClatchy Newpapers_

_It seems dogs become especially adept at teaching us to feed them things that we may or may not realize are not good for them._

_There are few absolutes in this world, and the command never to give human foods as treats to our dogs is not one of them._

_If you are going to give your dog "people food" you must, and this is important, be discriminate. There are certain foods that are acceptable and, in fact, can be healthy, however, the converse is also true. *There are certain human foods that can be disatrous for our dogs.*_

*Stay away from meat and meat scraps. Meat is too high in fat and can cause digestive problems ranging fom diarrhea to vomiting and even severe pancreatitis.*


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

i'm sorry are they really suggesting NOT to feed meat to a dog????? you've got to be kidding me. am i the only person reading this going, huh?! lol


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

btw, celeigh - i feed sam raw food, he gets tons of raw meat every day.... not a single digestive problem and he is lean to the point of being skinny. i see no truth in that article.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

I have to disagree heavily with that statement about not feeding meat. I hate to go "well in the wild blah blah blah". But thats just seems to be one opinion and maybe mine is just one opinion too but never in my life have heard someone suggest not to feed meat nevermind meat being bad for them and causing unhealthy reactions.


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

Thank you Marlene and Ash! I was surprised at it and the point the article was making didn't make any sense. I guess the fact that no experts were quoted should have been the first red flag for me. The shame of it all is this appears to be a syndicated article - who knows how many papers picked it up to fill a little space? My mom worries a lot about everything, so she was making me doubt myself. Meat snacks it is! It certainly made his day.


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

Yeah, that struck me as just totally backwards. I would never suggest that to anyone.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

I don't understand it at all. i think maybe he was trying to get across not to feed table scraps (meat, fat, meatloaf, etc, etc) to your dog, rather than a dog doesn't need meat--like what is in commercial dog food. 

As i am typing this, I have a pot of chicken stew going in my corck pot--5 pounds chicken thighs, 2 1/2 p ounds of chicken necks, 2 pounds of chicken gizzards, a pound of chicken liver, 2 chopped up apples, 3 chopped up sweet potates and a pound of frozen geen beans. I woudl say my dogs are getting plenty of meat.


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

3 goldens said:


> I don't understand it at all. i think maybe he was trying to get across not to feed table scraps (meat, fat, meatloaf, etc, etc) to your dog, rather than a dog doesn't need meat--like what is in commercial dog food.
> 
> As i am typing this, I have a pot of chicken stew going in my corck pot--5 pounds chicken thighs, 2 1/2 p ounds of chicken necks, 2 pounds of chicken gizzards, a pound of chicken liver, 2 chopped up apples, 3 chopped up sweet potates and a pound of frozen geen beans. I woudl say my dogs are getting plenty of meat.


Are your fur kids lined up in the kitchen with their noses in the air?? :


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## Ash (Sep 11, 2007)

LOL sounds great. My dogs would love it but they are sooo picky right now all they get is kibble until they want to eat it LOL. I am a meany.


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## naderalmaleh (Dec 11, 2007)

Ash said:


> I have to disagree heavily with that statement about not feeding meat. I hate to go "well in the wild blah blah blah". But thats just seems to be one opinion and maybe mine is just one opinion too but never in my life have heard someone suggest not to feed meat nevermind meat being bad for them and causing unhealthy reactions.



I strongly agree with you. I am sending this as an email to my vet. I raised many dogs and they're perfectly healthy!!! I think they need meat as much as we need water.


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## RoxyandTyson (Jan 13, 2008)

naderalmaleh said:


> I strongly agree with you. I am sending this as an email to my vet. I raised many dogs and they're perfectly healthy!!! I think they need meat as much as we need water.


Hell yeah! It's so high in protein. Although, dogs CAN survive without meat. A few months ago I was reading an article about a border collie that was 27 years old!!!!! And he was a vegan


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## goldenmsc (Aug 1, 2007)

I use honest kitchen preference as a base then add meat protein. Works great.
1/2c HK and at least 1/2c protein at each meal with HK Rotate among kibble, HK

Wouldnt combining kibble with the chicken stew with bones be too much calcium?
Upset the calcium/phosphorus ratio?


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

A longer version of this same article was published in my local paper today. The author is a vet:

*Table-scraps are not good for dogs ... even for the manipulators*

*Don't feed table scraps to your dog*

_By JEFF KAHLER, D.V.M._
_McClatchy Newspapers_


_Have you ever felt manipulated by your dog? Perhaps your dog is so good at it that you do not even realize when you are being manipulated._

_I must admit, I have fallen under my dog's spell in the past, and I fight it almost daily; I am here to tell you all to be strong._

_You've seen the look, right? They cock their heads a bit to the side and look at you with ever-so-longing eyes that unequivocally say, "That piece of roast beef really looks good, and I am sure it is harmless."_

_Don't do it! Well, at least I talk a good game ..._

_There are few absolutes in this world, and the command to never give human foods as treats to our dogs is not one of them. I am not naive enough to think that just because I tell you it is wrong, you are not going to do it. In fact, it doesn't even mean I am not going to do it. Yes, I, too, have succumbed to being manipulated by my dog when it comes to giving him my food._

_That said, I must try to redeem myself as a member of the veterinary profession and spokesman for the proper nutrition of our pets._

_If you are going to give your dog "people food," you must, and this is important, be discriminating. There are certain foods that are acceptable and, in fact, can be healthy; however, the converse is also true. There are certain human foods that can be disastrous for our dogs._

_If you are going to treat your dog to your food, I offer these few guidelines and this mantra: Be strong and know you are doing what is best for your dog. Remember, it is not supposed to be up to them what they eat; it is up to you to make proper nutritional choices._

_Does it sound like I am trying to convince myself here?_

_Try to look at your dog as a very young child, say about 2 or 3 years old. Would we let that child decide what to eat? Here, sweetie, a bowl of ice cream and a bowl of broccoli, which would you like to eat? Not likely, right? The same needs to hold true for your dog._

_*Stay away from meat and meat scraps. Meat is too high in fat and can cause digestive problems ranging from diarrhea to vomiting and even severe pancreatitis. I know there are some of you who have been feeding meat to your dogs all their lives and have had no problems. I also know of several cases where dogs that received meat almost daily died from pancreatitis that was uncontrollable.*_

_*Chicken can be OK if is it skinless and lean, as are complex carbohydrates such as breads and pastas and potatoes. Remember, dogs are omnivores and get most of their energy from carbohydrates.* My dog likes carrots, of all things (and they help keep his teeth clean). I do not want to provide an exhaustive list of acceptable treats. I hope only to help you in making choices that are best for your dog, knowing that we are all somewhat powerless when it comes to them._

_*Contact the writer:* Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352._


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

i am seriously baffled by this..... to suggest that dogs don't need meat in their diet on a daily basis is just... weird? not only that they dont need it but it could be potentially BAD for them!?!?


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

To suggest bread, pasta, and potatoes and say no to meat doesn't make sense to me either!


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Sam's diet is probably about 90% meat, bone, organ meat.... 10% other stuff... i really am confused about how a vet could suggest something like this.. it completely goes against everything i have ever read about dog diets. 

is it interesting at all that a vet is suggesting this, when nearly all vets promote science diet which is like 99% grain content and little to no meat??

i wish the author had an email address, i am too lazy to go the snail mail route, but would be interested in getting more info on his supposed evidence and case studies on meat being bad for a dog's daily diet.


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## Cam's Mom (Apr 13, 2007)

> Wouldnt combining kibble with the chicken stew with bones be too much calcium?
> Upset the calcium/phosphorus ratio?


Kibble has the correct ratio, and so does bone, so the ratios OK, and excess calcium is easy for a healthy dog to eliminate. My concern would be over cooked bones, which can be rubbery, indigestible and cause blockages.


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