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Does anyone make their own dog food?

My dog loves "people food" so I think she'd just love home cooked meals! I'm worried about nutrition though. Anyone have good recipes

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Be Very careful to do your research. Dogs need certain things, so if you are going to make their meals, they will need specific vitamins, minerals and supplements.

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I started making my own dogfood about three months ago because my dog is allergic to something, which lowered his immune system and led to yeast infections, itching and licking. So I had to get rid of all starchs which turn to sugar in order to starve the yeast and rebuild his immune system. I did a lot of research online and have incorporated all sorts of natural approaches. I cook up meats (ground beef, cubed beef, some organ meat, whatever), mix with fresh vegetables (like kale, spinach, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower) that I've pureed in a food processor, some pureed pumpkin and then the supplements. I grind egg shells for calcium (1-2T per lb of meat); alternatively, you can buy bone meal. This is my base mix. When I feed my dog, once a day I will add in Pet Kelp, which has vitamins and minerals and antioxidants. Because of my dog's issues, he also gets powdered probiotics once a day and coconut oil about three times a week. If you are going to make your dog food, you will need to add digestive enzymes and vitamin supplements.

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There are some great pre made "starters" out there like Honest Kitchen - you just add your own protein http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-f... check this link out.

Grain free options and different mixes are available.

hope this helps!

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One of my dogs is on honest kitchen grain free. She loves it!

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Be Very careful to do your research. Dogs need certain things, so if you are going to make their meals, they will need specific vitamins, minerals and supplements.

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I don't make my dog dinner unless he is feeling under the weather. Then he gets boiled chicken breast, and some plain white rice. I do give him special treats in the summer though. I freeze low sodium chicken broth with apple slices. He loves it!

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Hi Lorraine! I'm curious too! Just can't trust whatever people post on the internet these days so looking for some real, healthy recipes!! For treats too! Here's my treat question http://www.rover.com/ask/question/96/...

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I used to feed my dog raw so I'd give him meaty bones/ground meat from the local farmers market and give him steamed veggies with it and occasionally some rice. For the veggie mix I'd usually steam sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, wheat grass and then a little broccoli, spinach and kale (they shouldn't have too much of certain green veggies.) Then I would add a bit of ginger and parsley, add some water and blend it in a food processor. Additionally I'd give him a probiotic, salmon oil supplement, and a couple others. If it sounds a bit intimidating you might wanna start out by using a pre-made mix like Sojos where you can add in your own protein source.

I'd definitely recommend doing some research if you're going raw or homemade- there's a lot of info out there and not all of it's reliable. The most important thing to focus on is the calcium/phosphorus ratio because it that's off it can cause some serious health problems. Basically organ meat is higher in phosphorus and they can get calcium from chewing on bones or added supplements. My pup did very well on the diet but between the food and the supplements it ended up costing a bit more than I could allot so I switched him to a dry food but will add in Nature's Variety Raw Bits.

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I started with this company called JustFoodForDogs (http://www.justfoodfordogs.com) here in LA. I chose the DIY option and you get three pouches (1 pouch yields about 10 lbs of food) that make the meal balanced. Each set of pouches is specific to the recipe you choose. They have lamb, chicken, fish, beef, turkey and I think a vegetarian as well. All human grade ingredients, which they love. Depending on the size of your dog, it can be costly, but it's fresh and you know exactly what's in it. Hope this helps :)

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Pick up a copy of Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats. It's a great reference and will lead you to finding the best way to cook for your pets. :)