I need some help, nutrition site for homecooking

I answed this earlier but it disappeared.

Fix a new veg separately.  Then take just a small amount of it and mix it in with tonight's dinner.  Do that for a couple of days until you know if that thing will be well tolerated.

 will give that a try.. i'm interested in trying zucchini too. that, i don't need to cook it, maybe i'll start off with that as a treat.

Lee debbie

.. i'm interested in trying zucchini too. that, i don't need to cook it, maybe i'll start off with that as a treat.

Except if you don't break down the cellulose in it then it won't do them much nutritonal good unless you teach them to chew it pretty darned well.  I give mine raw sweet potato (and they 'chew' it cos it's crunchy and sweet and love it) but even with mine raw zuchinni or yellow squash isn't a big hit.  But they DO love it in dogfood.  After I cook it, I mash it up in their food.

It was hysterical Sunday -- we've been having some kind of a weird sweet potato shortage here -- I have been hard-pressed to find even two big ones get to put in dog food and normally I use about 5-7 pounds of them a week.  When I cut up sweet potato into chunks to cook I always have a crowd around me just WAITING for sweet potato chunks!! 

Last week they got a chunk each (despite the short supply LOL) and then I added white potato for some bulk.  Well they all just sat there figuring what EVER Mom was cutting up had to be nummy!!

For Charlie and Luna it is NOT pass the sniff test.  That's NOT Sweet tato Mom -- did you make a mistake??

Tink tried valiantly to eat it -- she saw me put one in MY mouth and with the pug that's usually all it takes.  But ... er ... Mom ... this is .... well, it's just plain WEIRD.  I'm eating it ... but I think NOW is time to go play with Charlie and Luna!! Byeeeeeeeeeee!!

cupboad love -- LOL

 argh replied but didn't realise it disappeared. It's adorable how you describe your fellas, lol. My guys are typical goldens; like goldfish, they forget almost immediately that they have eaten. They eat first, think later.  I was about to try bok choy, when I realised it *could* be in the same family as the chinese cabbage and alphie is allergic to that.. horrors. She swells up like a sharpei puppy and has the scariest anxious cries.

 I'm still waiting for Sabine's customized diet, expecting it to come today. Excited.

 Oh and after showering Ashton, I noticed that he has loads of dark flakes. It kinda cleared today, but it was all over yesterday. I'm wondering if that's flea poop, but it's worrying to see. Alphie doesn't have that, and it's not because of her darker fur either.  Could this be diet caused? Last thing I want is a skin allergy on Ashton after home cooked diet.

 yup dust, it looks more like dust. I didn't do the blot thing to see if it was blood. I did smear some on my hands, and it came off onto my fingers like goo and not the black dot it did on Ashton. I pointed this to the vet today, and we found none on his body, except some on his face. I swear it was pretty bad after his shower. I hope it cleared up after the shower. I'll watch out for more when I brush him tonight.

Still waiting for the diet for Alphie.... 

Lee debbie

I just saw on iherb they have the osteo biflex nutra Knox gelatin drink, they also have gelatin just pure gelatin. I could try both but the drink will take up alot of space in the shipping; which is better to order for their arthritis and joints? I would also take it for myself since I have bad backaches from scoliosis.

Absolutely the NutraJoint -- and get the 'plain' one -- no flavoring & the one with NO glucosamine/chondroitin.  You will probably need two drums (likely won't be much more shipping -- you'll give him just about half a scoop but you *must* give ti 3 months minimum.

Is your shipping by size?  Ours is by weight.

 yipee I've ordered. yeah it's by weight, though I notice a significant extra when the product is a bigger size. BUT it's all good, and the site doesn't charge a terribly high price for shipping.

I still haven't received the diet from Sabine, I was trying to delay ordering in case she would want me to place some other orders, but my calcium is running out and iherb delivers very quickly. 

 We got our new diet plan for Alphie. Simple ingredients, 4 types of veg and 2 meats. Supplements, whole load! All that I've given, well some, and more of others. I'd glad I consulted her.  What is surprising is that she added grapeseed oil... She says it's safe. I'm still wondering... Asked her about osteo biflex, she says it's not necessary and can throw the nutritional plan off balance. Instead, she recommends glycoflex III. Think I could still sneak *some* osteo biflex nutrajoint in there?

Lee debbie

Asked her about osteo biflex, she says it's not necessary and can throw the nutritional plan off balance.

  I think it has vitamin D, but you could check the label. Added vitamins and minerals could throw the recipe off balance. When I worked with her, she also recommended Glycoflex III, but I didn't use it because it has brewers yeast, which Jessie is allergic to. It seemed strange to me that Sabine recommended it since I had included Jessie's food allergies in the form she has clients fill out. Grapeseed oil is safe, but I wonder why she's adding it? Maybe as a source of linoleic acid? You can always ask her why she has added it, she's great about answering questions. Good luck; I hope your dogs do well on the new diet!!!!

 oh no, i don't know if my guys are allergic, I only know Alphie's allergic to cabbage, i'll give it a try though since I've ordered. I'm guessing because she's only getting 2 tsp of salmon oil for alphie and cutting down on the fish oil i currently give, it's probably coz of the omega6 levels being too high? And grapeseed oil probably counters that for the anti-inflammatory .. wild guess. I've been asking her tons, and it's quite embarrassing because a question pops up suddenly.

The osteo biflex has a list of vitamins included, D being quite significant, and calcium almost half of their daily intake. she also mentioned that the collagen in there is processed so it might not sit well with their needs.

Yup I'm looking forward to seeing the changes, especially their weight. The only downside, NONE of the supplements she requires me to use can be bought here... NONE! well some substitutes are available but she prefers certain brands, which is accurate in her calculations. I feel like i live in some cave...

Lee debbie

'm guessing because she's only getting 2 tsp of salmon oil for alphie and cutting down on the fish oil i currently give, it's probably coz of the omega6 levels being too high. And grapeseed oil probably counters that for the anti-inflammatory .. wild guess.

  2 tsp of salmon oil is way more than Alphie needs. Jessie weighs 60 pounds, which isn't as large as Alphie, but when Monica did her diet, she recommended 2000 mg of wild salmon oil a day, which isn't more than a tsp. Linoleic acid is omega 6's, and I think that may be what the grapeseed oil is for. Dogs need a certain amount of omega 6 in their diet. The best source is safflower oil, which is what Sabine had me add to Jessie's diet. (I had Sabine formulate a diet for Jessie several years ago, but when she developed pancreatitis, I had Monica formulate a low fat diet for her).

Lee debbie

The only downside, NONE of the supplements she requires me to use can be bought here... NONE! well some substitutes are available but she prefers certain brands, which is accurate in her calculations. I feel like i live in some cave...

  Living where you do makes it hard; when I cooked for Jessie, I was able to get what was needed from a local health food store. And I'm sure the shipping adds a lot to the cost.

you're right, i need to put things into perspective.. my fish oil came in a gelcap... so i kept thinking 1 tsp < 1 gelcap.. There were so many new supplements she added into the formulation and I never knew I needed those supplements. But I've ordered those and will slowly transition them in anyway. I've started transitioning Alphie to the new diet (sans supplements) and she has no complaints (food is her religion) I'm glad she's loving it, and I'm spending much less on this diet; salmon is expensive and so is cod, she's getting white fish now.