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marko February 17th, 2005 11:42 AM

Home made dog food
 
Here's a recipe for homemade dog food taken off the Pet nutrition link on this site.

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD

By Stanley Coren

Generally speaking, commercially produced dog foods, especially those that have been certified by national veterinary societies, provide a good, safe and convenient way of feeding your dogs. However, some people find that their dogs are sensitive to some of the preservatives in these foods and want an inexpensive alternative. Other people worry about what they should be feeding their dogs at times when they have let the dog kibble supply run out, or are in some circumstance where commercial foods are not available. Some other people simply don't feel that the monotonous diet of the same kibble all of the time is good for their dogs, while others worry about trace nutritional elements that might be missed any one set diet.

Actually a nutritious and balanced diet based on “people food” is easy to prepare.

A 12 oz portion is suitable for one day’s ration for a 20 lb dog.
4 oz (1/2 cup) protein – any meat, chicken, fish or eggs (all cooked).
4 oz carbohydrate – for example cooked rice or grains, pasta, cooked cereals such as oatmeal, potatoes or even bread (packed tight when measuring).
4 oz vegetables – any cooked vegetables (obviously not potatoes or other high carbohydrates). Carrots, broccoli, turnips, green peppers, green beans, etc., but not onions which contain high sulfur content which is bad for dogs.
Simply mix the contents together or not as you choose.
While this basic diet is balanced it can be improved by some simple supplements.

To mix the basic supplement use
1 cup debittered brewers yeast
1 cup wheat germ
2 cups powdered milk
¼ cup powdered kelp
Mix together and store in a cool dry place.
To improve the diet quality add 1 tsp of the basic supplement for each 12 oz portion of the food mixture and 1 tsp vegetable oil (I prefer corn oil or flax oil since they have high content of linoleic acid which is good for the dog’s skin).
12 oz of the basic diet is appropriate for a 20 lb dog, you would double this daily ration for a 40 lb dog, triple it for a 60 lb dog or halve it for a 10 lb dog. Watch the dog’s weight and adjust portion sizes accordingly.

© Copyright Stanley Coren, reproduction by permission only.

huggybear April 11th, 2005 10:57 AM

Has anyone here tried the raw meat diet.Just wondering.
I have recently changed my dog over to it and have seen wonderful results.
Minus the main result I needed , to boost her immune system to get rid of a chronic ear infection.
It has only been a month so I am still looking towards a good outcome.
She has had this infection for over a year now.the vet did not take well to introducing this diet stating she could get fat...but I have noticed she is more active...coat is soft and smooth.No bad breath...and the best...her poop has no smell and has reduced in size.She's a 7 year old shepard rotti mix...and she used to poop like a horse lol.Just wondered if anyone has any input.

Thanks

dogmelissa April 11th, 2005 07:39 PM

Food allergy
 
[QUOTE=huggybear]Has anyone here tried the raw meat diet.Just wondering.
I have recently changed my dog over to it and have seen wonderful results.
Minus the main result I needed , to boost her immune system to get rid of a chronic ear infection.
It has only been a month so I am still looking towards a good outcome.
She has had this infection for over a year now.the vet did not take well to introducing this diet stating she could get fat...but I have noticed she is more active...coat is soft and smooth.No bad breath...and the best...her poop has no smell and has reduced in size.She's a 7 year old shepard rotti mix...and she used to poop like a horse lol.Just wondered if anyone has any input.
Thanks[/QUOTE]

Sounds like a food allergy to me... could likely have been solved by going to a commercially-prepared allergy food, but if this is working for you, it should be fine. As long as you're getting the right balance of protein, carbs, vitamins, etc.... I hope you're doing this under the guidance of a vet (if not yours then another one) as some foods can be harmful to your pet in long-term even if they seem good for the short-term. If your percentages of proteins/carbs/etc are off even a few percentages for a long time, there could be serious health benefits, such as liver disease, kidney disease, etc. Otherwise, glad to hear it's working!

What were you feeding her before, if I may ask?

Melissa

huggybear April 12th, 2005 11:41 AM

my vet does not approve , then again he just said she would get fat.
He has been giving her the same drops for over a year now.It's obvious he is just in it for the money...which is upsetting because he was young and all gung ho when he first started 7 years ago with her.He used to tell us homemade ways to cure her problems...sometimes even giving her free shots here and there.Now we cannot even do payment plans...the whole vet clinic has changed..and not for the better.Food allergy could be it ...hard to say.I have not looked into carbs or any of that.I used to feed her iams when she was a pup...but she began to dislike it.I found only one food she would eat...dog chow.blah...Iv'e also read many articles about how dog chow has caused many problems...like the urine leaking she has to take medication for now.I usually feed her a cup and a half of chicken mixed with a grated vegie.Once in the morning and once at night.I was feeding her van dykes dog food also but I discontinued a few days ago.Her beef and liver ground I only feed once a week.I also give her plain yogert on ocasion for snacks.Carrots for snacks also.I am kind of running out of ideas with treats and meals for her.There are not very many raw food sites out there and the few there are disagree with each other.I have contacted a vet through email who deals with holistics for dogs but I am imagining it would be very expensive.So for now I have just watched how she reacts with each food and keep it simple for now.If you know of anywhere I can get good info on this please let me know.As I am on my own with this.My vet did state she looked very healthy on her last visit 3 weeks ago.So something must be working.She just had her eardrops refilled and in a week will return for her visit.I am hoping he will have an open mind for this food idea.But his recommendation was science diet or things of that nature.He needs to expand his knowledge....as do more vets.

Cactus Flower April 12th, 2005 12:52 PM

Huggy, sometimes giving a dog plain yogurt every day will help stave off ear infections. Oftentimes there is a yeast infection in there, and the yogurt will help balance that out. I have to give my dog yogurt every day, or she will be back to the chronic infections she used to have.

huggybear April 12th, 2005 01:38 PM

I have not given her yogurt everyday , I was not sure it would be good for her.
Is there any special kind you use or is it just plain yogurt?I had read somewhere that yogurt , would help yeast infections.This is was she has, so the vet thinks.
I will increase her dosage and see if it helps.I also was thinking of giving her echinacea.Although same as the yogurt...was not sure of how much or if allowed a dosage.
I will definatly look into that.I am trying to aviod surgury for her...which is probably the next step if medication does not work...although i'm trying to refrain myself from drugging her to make her healthy.Hubby thinks i'm a little nuts...but he agree's anything is worth a try if it's cheaper than the vets.
Thanks for the advice ,
I'm really glad I found this site. :)

Cactus Flower April 12th, 2005 04:21 PM

We are glad to have you!

I don't know what kind of dog you have, so it's hard to recommend how much to give her. I give my great dane a fair heaping of it every day (about eight ounces). I use plain yogurt- although now and then I give her flavoured just for a treat. I know I know....not supposed to do that because of the sugars. But she's still breathing :p .

If your dog has been on antibiotics for a long time (because of ear infections), it's always good to follow up with yogurt, or give yogurt along with it.

Maybe you just need to up the yogurt dosage?

What kind of surgery helps for ear infections?

Feel free to p.m me- I think I'm hijacking this thread (apologies, Marko).

dogmelissa April 14th, 2005 11:10 PM

Yogurt
 
Oh no... now you guys have made me think!! I'm struggling with a little doggy with an (apparent) food allergy. He gets nasty infected ears (smell fairly yeasty), but a full course of strong anti-biotics (oral & ointment in the ears) didn't clear it up. My vet flushed them completely and determined that the surface of his ear canals looks like "allergy ears", as in, the spot in his body that is reacting to something. Apparently this is a pretty common place for allergies to show up. She recommended an allergy diet and gradually trying to work other foods back into his diet. I'm now in ~week 8 of the allergy food--ok I admit it, he's had the ocassional "non-allergy" treat and he does get rawhide (am I bad?) everyday. So it could very well be eliminating any benefit from the allergy food (Venison & Rice), or it's either not a food allergy, or he's allergic to rice (the only common ingredient from his previous foods).
Ok... so I've cut out all the non-allergy treats, but I can't cut out the rawhide, he LOVES it. So would yogurt maybe help? I've also heard that some dogs are allergic to dairy, so I haven't given him anything remotely resembling dairy, even though he begs for cheese.

I suppose it can't really hurt, right? So, how much yogurt do I give to a 10 lb Maltese X? And should I mix it with his regular food or just let him have it seperately? One final question; as with any food transition, do I gradually increase the amount he's eating until he gets his daily ration or do I just start him on all of it at once?

Thanks tons!!
Melissa

Prin April 14th, 2005 11:51 PM

What food are you feeding the doggy? My doggy had ear infections that I just could not keep up with and I switched her to Solid gold wolf king and she's so much better now. I don't even have to clean her ears at all now (she's been on the food almost 3 months now).

For treats, you can try "Northern Biscuit". They make wheat free and corn free treats with meats that your dog probably has not tried either (like caribou or venison).

Cactus Flower April 15th, 2005 12:06 AM

I think you should clean those ears regularly, regardless of diet.

Maltese....I am guessing maybe a few ounces a day. I would just give it all at once. You can put it in his dog food, but only if you are sure he's going to eat all of his food. Raj just eats the yogurt out of a bowl with no food mixed in. Loves it!
My dog is allergic to meat protein, so venison and rice would be a no-no. You might want to try a vegetarian food for a while, then introduce one meat at a time to find out which he might be allergic to. Avo Derm Vegetarian is the brand I use, and has no nasty wheats, etc. that commonly cause allergies. A cortisone shot every allergy season also helps, if he has environmental allergies. It will help with food allergies, too, but masks the symptoms so you won't know what he's allergic to, then comes right back if his diet doesn't change.
And yes maam, rawhide is a nono. Pieces can break off, be swallowed and swell in his belly, causing a blockage. Kills many dogs a year.

huggybear April 15th, 2005 09:07 AM

Rawhide rots thier teeth too.leaves a layer of like plaque.I haven't given rawhide in over a year...with this raw food diet her teeth are cleaning up well.Her ear is still oozing though.Even with the yogurt and ear drops.I 'll have to stick with one thing for a week to see whats seems to cause this allergy thing.To me , it seems as though she had bad ear wax...some of the stuff that comes out is hard and brown.The other stuff...eww.good luck to everyone trying out these new things.I am hopefull it will help.

Prin April 15th, 2005 03:08 PM

What about hooves? Anyone object to these? They clean the teeth like crazy...

I picked up what looked like a big piece of bacon at Woofers the other day and I asked what it was and the owner told me "The truth or do you want me to lie?" I said truth and she said a part of a bull, if you know what I mean...

Cactus Flower April 15th, 2005 04:47 PM

LOL Prin, chances are that was a "Bulli" stick, which is a dried bull weenie. Dogs love them.

Sorry you're still having problems, Huggy. I wish I could help you. Sometimes they say if you have dark foul-smelling ick in the ear, that's a sign of ear mites.

Prin April 15th, 2005 10:16 PM

Huggy, I agree with cutting everything except the dog food out to get to the bottom of things. Jemma's ears were impossible to keep up with. THe smelly brown ear wax built up faster than I could clean it. Do you have "Vet Solutions" ear cleaner too? Or you can use a vinegar and water mixture, but ask your vet for the proportions, to flush the ear.. You just squeeze bottle it in and then let the doggy shake and then wipe it out either with strong kleenex or cotton balls.

CF- Have you ever given the Bull Funsticks to any of your doggies?

Cactus Flower April 16th, 2005 11:46 AM

Um, no :o .

huggybear April 18th, 2005 09:45 AM

I tried the vinager ear solution but it seemed to irritate the ear more.The vet gave me ear drops to use and said not to flush her ears this time and see if it makes a difference.Hmmm sounds strange to me but hey , i'm not a vet.I bought no flavour yogurt and isis hates it....so I have to part with my yummy stuff to add flavour.No good results yet...anything is worth a try though.I'm still waiting to ask my vet about echinacea.Also thinking of changing vets too.Isis seems a little jumpy around him.Not like she used to be.
Thanks again all for the great info and help.
By the way...thats her cute pic i'm using.She's so cute

Prin April 18th, 2005 05:42 PM

My vet says that ear cleaner hurts in infected ears and can make the doggie hate when you go near their ears. The drops (are they otomax?) kill the fungi and the bacteria. You have to make sure you use them every day, consistently (the drops are antibiotics).

When Jemma's ears get bad, we go to the vet every week to get them cleaned properly. (He doesn't charge us the whole fee each time, obviously.)

huggybear April 19th, 2005 08:13 AM

You get them to clean it...I wish.She won't let anyone but me near her ears.He also has never offered.The temp vet did however.She comes straight over...sits between my legs and lets me put in the suringe full of drops.We did get baytril otix one time from another vet...hoogers was away.But when he returned he put her back onto the otomax.I find her ear just wont clear up.Like theres a blockage there somewhere.It looks clean and pink...not inflamed anymore (shouldn't be for 3 weeks of diong drops)But we still get a small amount of brown goey substance come out in the mornings.I'm giong to try the echinacea today.We have 500 mg capsules , so I'm gonna try half and see how she reacts.Hope all goes well.Then If she's not allergic or what ever...I'll boost up the amount as we go.I also found that oatmeal...runs right through her....very badly :( .
Oh yes , and of coarse like clock work , when I get up , I give her her drops and then feed her.I never forget.Unfortunatly she's gonna run out this week.So off to the vets I will have to go.They only give 1 refill then you have to return for a checkup.

Prin April 19th, 2005 12:12 PM

What food is the doggy on? Like I have said a million times (I'm getting sick of ME) I switched Jemma and her ear infections are gone now.

The vet actually sedated her once to clean them REALLY well...

daname April 20th, 2005 09:47 AM

yeast infect/yogurt
 
New here, so I hope you don't mind if I give my two cents. The topic of yeast infection is quite interesting. My mother is a certified natural health practioner, and from conversations with her - she states that the yeast in the body(people) is fed by sugars and foods that convert to sugars. I would assume that this is the same for pets. While I don't suggest drastically changing diets because that is too hard on the stomach for a pet, what are the possibilities of switching to a canned product without the flour, sugars, etc? I know that the dry products have some type of flour in order to keep the products combined. (I do not have a lot of knowledge about canned food- my dogs prefer the dry). If this is a possibility, I would look for a product that is more natural than the typical store brand.

My poodle is fed a dry product by Bench and Field that I get from our local Trader Joe's. About $10 bag for 6lbs called Holistic Natural Canine Formula. She does not have any health issues, so I can't recommend it for treating chronic ear infections; however, it might be a product that is acceptable later. It has an awesome ingredient list to include free range chicken, fruits, vegies, alfalfa, dandelion leaves, antioxidants, chicory, flaxseed, kelp, and the list goes on. A little expensive, but for the smaller dogs it balances out.

My hound is fed TJ's Premium Chicken & Rice. It doesn't have all the ingredients the other food has, but at $13 for 20lbs it is comparable. Especially since he eats 4 times more than my poodle. His coat and eyes are beautiful, and energy level is extreme!

On the yogurt... I asked one of the dr.s where I work about the yogurt products, as he was recommending a patients family go to the local health food store and get the acidophilus pills. He stated that the store bought yogurts do not have enough bacteria in them to actually be good for the gut. The expiration date is too great because of the processing. I asked this because I have been making homemade yogurt for about 5 months. He stated that homemade is better because it is only good for about 5 days from the increase amount of bacteria. If you are fighting a yeast infection, I would not feed the fruited yogurts because of the limited amount of bacteria, and the fruit converting to sugars thus feeding the yeast. Instead, I would feed the non-fat, plain yogurt with live cultures (no artifical sweeteners). Maybe add some peanut butter (does that convert to sugar?), cream cheese (convert to sugar?), vanilla/cinnamin, etc... My 7lb poodle gets 1tsp, my 60lb hound gets 1Tbl daily. I don't know if yogurt helps the ears, but it is good for the gut.

The dairy in yogurt should not be hard on the digestive tract even if allergic to dairy because the molecule size is changed. However, if this is untrue and the pets are lactose intolerant, the yogurt can be made with goats milk. I would just mark that container special. No soy products though, I have read that it is actually hard on the digestion.

For those interested in making homemade yogurt, Salton has a great machine with easy directions. Makes a quart at a time. Yogurt can be frozen, so ice cube trays work well with the required amount. Since we eat it too, I use honey to sweeten it, and then whatever to flavor it.

Thanks for letting me add my two cents (maybe three??). I hope this is helpful.

huggybear April 20th, 2005 10:22 AM

I feed her all sorts of things.
I was giving her a kibble with it but since have discontinued.
I feed her chicken mostly with carrots , brown rice,a little spinach ,clove of garlic...on occasion some beets and parsley.As for grains....they seem to go right through her so I have to keep searching other than the rice.
Once a week she gets liver,beef hearts and beef scraps all ground up.
I have also on occasion fed her fish.Her diet seems a little bland for now...but i'm trying new things all the time.
If sugar feeds the yeast infection as you stated....I could be adding to the problem.Her carrots the vet says are high in sugar....and as for the yogurt and apples....they must be too.
As I stated before.This is new to me.With out help from my vet...I have to stay with what I have learned...and am learning from here and various other sites.
I may be adding to the problem with kindness rather than fixing it.
She was eating dog chow months ago...then she began to hate it.I tried many other dog foods and then she seemed to like old roy.Both are garbage.
When she was a pup she ate iams.It seems she only liked cheap dog food.
When I was switching her over I fed her natural balance dog food from van dykes.It had chicken,duck,vegies,kelp....and various other foods.But then I read not to feed her kibble with raw meat as they digest at different speeds....possibly harming her.
So much to learn.I hope I can get this right.The echinacea went fine yesturday.No reactions at all.The capsules I have are 500 mg.I give her half in the morning and half at night.No more no less...not until I speak with my vet.As for her ears....they seem to have no change.Her breath is also becoming foul smelling again....which is odd.When I first started her on this diet...she had no more doggy breath.Must be something I'm feeding her.

Thanks all again for this help.Hubby laughs at this but he lets me do what I feel is best for her.

daname April 20th, 2005 11:51 AM

Huggybear,

Has your vet ever taken a sample of the ear wax to see what is in it? I know that a normal practice for most physicians is to treat a symptom, but not the cause. Kind of a band-aid frame of mind. With our pneumonia patients, they will often use a broad spectrum antibiotic, but as with any bacteria it might not respond.

If it hasn't been done, that might be a good place to start. Sometimes, we have to tell our doctors what we want. To save money, you might be able to get the sampling kit from the vet, take it yourself (keeping it from getting contaminated), and then bring the sample to the vet (any vet will do). The vet's office should have a lab or be able to send it to a lab.

A year is a long time to have an ear infection. Otherwise, change vets. I did read on the net, where somebody had used tinactin powder in his/her dog's ears to treat the fungus. I have used the tinactin cream on a cat with ringworm, but the difference being external and internal. Again, that would just be a band-aid, treating the symptom not the cause.

Prin April 26th, 2005 11:36 AM

I have actually never heard of a vet processing ear wax. I don't know if they do it (normal vets). Usually the procedure is cleaning, then maybe a cortosone shot and diet change. If that doesn't work, then it's on to expensive allergy tests.

A year is a long time, but it is easy to have an ear infection that long when you haven't figured out the cause. The problem is not just the yeast getting "food", it's the immune system's reaction to SOMETHING that is promoting the growth of the bad bacteria. You can clean and treat an ear all day and night and it will never be clean if the allergen is still around. It's very hard to keep up with the crud build up when your doggy is still reacting.

And then you change the food and everything only to pay $400 for the allergy tests to find out that your dog is allergic to dust, in which case the ears will be infected for life... It's never black or white with doggies or illnesses... :rolleyes:

huggybear April 30th, 2005 08:41 AM

Well we have come across a bit of a problem.The new batch of chicken we bought is not giong over well with isis.I have tried mixing it with all sorts of things even partially bioling it for a sauce and she refuses to eat it.theres 30lbs of this stuff :( .
She is hungry...I tested her buy grabbing a cheap can of dog food....she gobbled it up.I tried some old dog cookies I still have..why I kept them is beyond me but.
I can't seem to get her to eat it at all.Any ideas? I have been feeding her this raw food thing for over a month and a half and no problems till now.I have tried even hand feeding her.
I wondered if it is bad meat? It has only happened since this new batch.
I guess if worst comes to worst she's back to dog food....but I'd hate to really do that after this long into the diet.
What if I add a can of gravy? Not so much throwing out the food...we only paid 30 for it.Just that this far into this and it seems to be helping her...it seems she doesnt want to touch it anymore and she's getting bad gas also.
Any thoughts would be great.

Prin April 30th, 2005 11:35 AM

Coiuld be the meat-- Jemma refused to eat perfectly fine cookies and the next day they were so moldy they were almost moving.. She hadn't refused them up to that point either.

huggybear April 30th, 2005 01:45 PM

Thats what I'm thinking..the meat is bad.How is beyond me.We purchased it from the butcher , he took it from his fridge and we drove home and packaged it.We wore gloves and made sure everything was clean first.She ate it for at least a week , the decided no more.I gave her some raw braising ribs just now.She gobbled them up and went and layed down.She seems a wee bit under the weather but then again this is not new for her.Every now and then it seems she gets a little sick, sleeps all day, then back to normal next day.Could be allergies or even she caught a bit of a chill from the bath I gave her the other day.Or could be the bad meat.In which case it should pass.I gave her an aspirin as the vet has suggested before.So hopefully she will sleep it off.As for the meat...dunno if I can get it replaced or not.Doubtfull , but I can always go for a drive to the country and drop it off there.Some lucky animal will love it.Or I know a guy in the country who feeds wild cats in the area....they would like it.
Waste not...I guess.

Cactus Flower April 30th, 2005 02:12 PM

Ok I'm going to post this, knowing full well that I might sound like a crackpot:

Maybe your dog's system needs some other kind of meat right now, not chicken. I believe that our bodies often tell us what it needs/doesn't need. Like if you are craving bananas for no apparent reason, your body is probably low on potassium. Or if you usually love yogurt, but today it nearly gags you- there is something in the yogurt your body does NOT want, for whatever reason.

Your dog is gobbling up other meats, and you are sure that the chicken is not bad. This leads me to believe that he just might need some other type of meat protein right now besides chicken.

Raj was eating vegetables like CRAZY during the time that we were trying to figure out what she is allergic to. She ate vegetables as though you were giving her a juicy steak. She obviously craved them STRONGLY. Guess what she's allergic to? All meat protein. I should have just listened to my dog, eh?
"Yo Blondie......VEGGIES, please!.....get it? VEGGIES????".

LL1 April 30th, 2005 03:19 PM

That's a good idea,we have had that done on a couple of our rescues with ear problems.
[QUOTE=daname]Huggybear,

Has your vet ever taken a sample of the ear wax to see what is in it? If it hasn't been done, that might be a good place to start. [/QUOTE]

LL1 April 30th, 2005 03:32 PM

I have known a couple dogs like that.I'd definitely look into it more.I'd definitely eliminate all yeast from the diet and from all treats.I'd also try Yeast Cleanse Supplement.If you look at the websites for people with yeast infections they will show what's not good to eat,sugars,veggies high in sugar,white starches like pasta,rice,potato,bread,flour.
[QUOTE=Cactus Flower] Maybe your dog's system needs some other kind of meat right now, not chicken.

Guess what she's allergic to? All meat protein. I should have just listened to my dog, eh?
"Yo Blondie......VEGGIES, please!.....get it? VEGGIES????".[/QUOTE]

Cactus Flower April 30th, 2005 04:23 PM

Rut ro :eek: .

I give Raj LOTS of starches, mainly because I feel sorry for her not being able to eat meat. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, rice, pasta, bread....

Do starches contribute to ear infections/yeast imbalances?


I will do a search for Yeast Cleanse supplement. Do you recommend any site in particular for the information I should research?

Thank you for the heads-up on this!


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