How to cook home cooked only meals?

Glenda's got a recipe that was tweaked by a nutritionist.  Also, Monica Segal has a booklet that is great for beginners, offering a variety of balanced recipes and principles for dabbling on your own.  She is an animal nutritionist herself.

Volhart has a good book that offers both principles and very specific guidelines - even broken down by weight.  I follow her suggestions on seasonal rotation and integrating fresh grains appropriately and have had good luck there.  Volhard worked with a DVM for her most recent book - Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog

I am always happy to share the recipe.  I do ask that those that receive it consider making a donation for the MS Walk....but you've got from roughly December when I set up my web page 'til June when I strap on the shoes!
 
BUT, I don't trust anyone at all to provide a complete and balanced diet for my dogs, including Monica Segal OR Innova, so it's unlikely I'll EVER go to JUST kibble.

I posted a couple of days ago what I feed herehttp://forum.dog.com/asp/tm.asp?m=166209

We use the ratio 2.5:1 for meat to vegies, usually.

I like Monica Segal's little recipe booklet on the topic. But I agree with Glenda-- variety is key to good nutrition. I see little difference between feeding the same homecooked food every day vs. feeding the same brand of kibble every day.

I consulted with a holistic vet. The price was very reasonable and I felt more comfortable with the amounts to supplement. Basically I go with 1 cup meat, carbs to equal 100 calories per cup of meat, 1/4 cup veggies, 1 TBS fruit, with salmon oil in the morning and yogurt in the evening. Each also gets a good multi and if you are going stricktly home cooked about 300 mg. calcium for each cup of meat. I ended up with 1/2 commercial raw as home cooked for three large dogs got to be a bit excessive time wise. Do as much variety in every area as you can but watch to not give too much fiber when Giz isn't used to it.
 
I would highly recommend doing a blood panel before starting and doing one again three to four months later. My dogs were getting very good commercial food but improved from normal to really good on their blood work.

Even if you are doing homecooked for some meals, there still needs to be a calcium supplement.  You MUST keep the phosperous/calcium ratio balanced in each and every meal that you feed.  Organ meats should AVERAGE a certain amount per week and they can get that all in one meal or not....but the phosperous/calcium ratio is not something I'm gonna take chances with.  That's flat out too darned critical to their bone health.
 
I homecook for SIX large dogs.  Homecooked is their dinner each and every nite, except for when they get raw.  It takes me about an hour from start to finish, plus a few minutes clean up time to make the two big pots once a week.  But, I also do a lot of stuff in advance.  The ONLY thing that is always the same in their food is the sweet potatoes as a carb source, and it's important to be comfortable enough with what you are doing to NOT worry about adding in the leftover veggies from your own dinner and to know how to tweak to keep things balanced.  For example, I don't want them getting nothing BUT broccoli in their homecooked and that's a veggie WE eat a lot of so there is often left over brocolli in the freezer for them....if I have a LOT of leftover veggies from the week, then I put in LESS of what I would normally use.  If I have a lot of leftover MEAT, well, then I feed them just a smidgen less to keep their protein at the right level.
 
Cooking for the dogs isn't a whole lot different than cooking for a family.....but you've gotta follow some rules just like you do with kids.

Thanks all[]
 
I think I'll start by reading some books that were suggested then maybe look into consulting with a holistic vet.  I have not been happy with most of the kibble I feed my dog so I really would prefer it if I can pick and choose what goes into her food rather than gamble with kibble.  Also at the same time I want to make shure she's getting everything she needs.
 
Glenda, I would be more then happy to make a donation for the MS Walk.  Just PM me with all the info and how I go about making the donation.  Thanks!

Oh there WILL be a thread! []  I won't set up my website for the 2007 Walk until about December when they send me an email telling me it's time.......and it sure isn't a requirement for the recipe....it's just a way of keeping it in peoples minds!
 
Just EMAIL me...choose that option through the board and I'll be happy to send along the recipe. PM's are a pain with dialup AND they limit my characters so I often end up sending the recipe (with comments) in two or three PM's.....[:@]

I'll keep my eyes wide open for you thread[]
 
 
 

ORIGINAL: Xebby

I've been trying to decide for some time now if I should switch my dog over to home cooked only meals and forget about kibble.  The only problem holding me back is I'm not 100% sure on what to put into a home cooked meal.  What are some good recipes for home cooked and what supplements do I need to add to it?  If there are any other suggestion I'd love to hear from you, thanks!

 
     The only reason I feed any kibble at all is because I have just too many dogs to be able to afford doing raw or cooked on a daily basis. If you're still debtaing wheter or not cooked is as nutritious as a kibbled diet, I can tell you from experience that no kibble can match the nutrient quality and digestability of a good homecooked diet.
     Most of my dogs get raw supplemented w/ kibble, but my German Shepherd is now strictly on homecooked. Its not as difficult as it may first seem to balance the diet. You don't have to do it all at once. Start out slowly, with one or two base meats & rotate small amounts of veggies and grains. 
     My GSD's menu consists of ground chicken, turkey, pork and beef. Other meats I purchase are chicken quarters that I get on sale for .39 a lb. For that price, I just cut off the meat and will fry it in a pan. I also give whiting fish, with the bones intact. Muscle meats are the base of what I feed, but organ meat is very healthy in moderation. I fry up beef kidney, beef liver, chicken hearts and gizzards. Everything gets fried w/ a bit of water in the frying pan ... nothing is boiled. I also give a fair amount of leftover, actually, LOTS of leftovers! All the dogs get homemade lentil soup, chicken soup, beef stew, and a asta day once a week. With sauce and grated cheese, of course [sm=talker.gif] 
     I feed complex carbs and veggies, but in moderation. My staple grain is oatmeal as it is very soothing to her sensitive stomach. Brown rice and potatoes are other grains I use that are both economical and healthy. Despite its bad reputation in pet foods, I will occasionally feed cream of wheat or powdered corn meal. Both of these grains are easily digeatable, cheap, and are abundant in B vitamins. I also give home made whole grain bread. Veggies I only give about a tablespoon or two of, maybe once or twice a week.
     Since meat and grains such as oatmeal are high in phosporous, you need to find a good calcium supplement. I use eggshell powder, as it has no additional phosporous and is dirt cheap - I grind up my own eggshells. Plain yogurt is also a decent source of calcium, as is broccoli. I give cod liver oil 2x weekly for coat health and for the Vitamin A & D, which is essential for calcium absorbtion. Oh, and of course, olive oil. Sometimes I use safflower oil, but we are partial to olive oil in this house, lol.
     The only foods I give raw are egg yolks and the blood from beef liver.
     It does seem overwhelming at first, but it really is simple. Don't completely eliminate any food groups. If you're feeding a healthy rotation of foods, chances are the diet is more well balanced and those vitamins are more bioavailable than the kibble you're feeding. Use your imagination and have fun making the diet! [sm=talker.gif]