LoveToKnow Dogs:AllComments

From LoveToKnow Dogs

Comments

Hi Patrick,

I haven't personally fed my dogs fish, but it's included in some dog food mixes and I've seen it recommended a lot by people who feed their dogs fresh food. Salmon seems to be the best choice because it is highest in omega-3 fatty acids. The main caution I've seen about fish is that you should limit serving it to about two times a week because it's difficult to know if the fish contains heavy metals, especially if it's wild caught. Bottom line, you probably can feed fish and shrimp, but just do it in moderation. It's always good to rotate your protein source anyway. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hi Sarah,

The cost depends a lot on your protein source and how many dogs you intend to feed. Beef will be more expensive than chicken, shopping for sales reduces the cost on both. Since prices vary so much, I recommend you do a little comparison shopping at your local grocery stores to get an idea of what it will cost to feed fresh food. It may actually seem more expensive compared to processed kibble, but since the food is so much more digestible, dogs usually wind up needing less. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hi, Can I feed my 12 year old Old English Sheepdog cooked fish and shrimp?

-- Contributed by: Patrick

hey i am doing some work for animal care and i was just wondering how expensive is it to make fresh food like this??? thanks :p

-- Contributed by: sarah

Hi Terri,

I'm so glad you decided to try cooking for your dog. Even if you only do it once or twice a week, it's a great change from kibble. Organ meat is fine, but it should be a smaller percentage of the protein. Yes, you can sprinkle powdered milk on the food or simply stir it in while cooking.

Thanks for your questions!

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I just made my own dog food for the first time. THey loved it.. I do have a question though, chicken hearts, chicken livers, are these okay for the dog, and can i sprinkle the powered milk in? thanks

-- Contributed by: terri

Hi Natalie,

Yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Feeding guidelines are just that- guidelines, and owners need to tailor an individual dog's feeding schedule to its needs. Your vet is an excellent resource to consult about your dog's weight. It's sounds like you are right on track. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Thanks Kelly for your prompt and informative reply. I'm feeding her much less than that, but she still looks a good size, in fact maybe a bit 'thick' around the waist? I'll have a chat to my vet next time I see her to see if my dog is looking a bit too chunky. Thanks again.

-- Contributed by: Natalie

Hi Natalie,

The amount to feed generally depends on your dog's size. Miniature Labradoodles range between 25 and 45 pounds. According to Dr. Kevin Schlanger and Wendy Nan Rees in The Natural Pet Food Cookbook, a dog of this size range should receive 2-3 1/3 cups of dry kibble each day. If you're feeding wet (fresh) foods, you should feed 3-4 cups per day. Since you actually feed a mix, you'll want to make sure your dog is receiving no more than the highest measurent from either category total. This means if your pup is on the smaller end of the size range, you'd want to feed between 2 and 3 cups per day. If your dog is at the larger end of the spectrum, you'd want to feed a combined total of about 3 to 4 cups per day.

So, the question becomes how much food is really enough? To answer this, you need to decide how much to feed and stick to that schedule for a couple of weeks and observe your dog's weight. If she's maintaining a nice weight without losing or gaining too much, you've hit the right amount for her current nutritional needs. If she loses weight, you'll want to increase the amount. If she begins to become too heavy, you'll want to reduce the amount slightly. It's a matter of observing your dog's condition, and adjusting the feeding schedule to fit her needs.

Thanks for your question, and best wishes for a happy and healthy Labradoodle!

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I'm feeding my miniature labradoodle (10 months) a mixture of dry dog food and (mainly) raw food that I prepare - raw chicken mince, lamb mince, carrots, broccoli, cooked pasta, peas, etc. (I added a clove of garlic to the last batch, so will not do that again after reading this article.) I also give her some cooked scraps from time to time. After eating the cooked scraps, she usually turns her nose up at the raw food the next meal. And she also gets a raw lamb neck or brisket bone every other day or so. I want to know how much is enough to feed, too much ...?

-- Contributed by: Natalie

Hi Mike,

That's quite an undertaking you're considering. My advice is to start small at home to see if you can come up with a formula that meets all the nutritional requirements. We have some recipes for biscuits in our Dog Supplies category that you could test out and modify to create an original recipe. I'd also advice you to consult with a vet to make sure the formula for any kibble you try to create will offer the nutrition your dog needs on a long term basis.

Best of luck with your project. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

was looking for how to make my own dry dog food would like your info on this.Looking to make dry food and biscuits,to market them hope you can help thanks

-- Contributed by: mike

Hi Jen,

I've heard other people say they occasionally feed their dogs raw garlic too without problem. The reason some vets advise against it is that raw garlic contains sulfoxides and disulfides. These substances can actually damage red blood cells and this can lead to anemia. Since it's difficult to say how much raw garlic is too much to feed before damage occurs to a specific dog, I've chosen to include it on the list of foods to avoid. I'm very glad to hear that your dog hasn't experienced any problems, but I'd be uncomfortable recommending it for everyone. Ultimately, each owner needs to decide whether the potential benefits outweigh the potential risk.

Thanks for sharing your opinion and experience on this topic. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

You say that raw garlic is not recommended to feed to your dog, we've been feeding it for years, its a great all natural dewormer, apple cider vinegar works well too and we've had no health issues. I've asked my vet and they said it was okay for me to keep using it, and my dog has had no problems with parasites.

-- Contributed by: Jen

Carbs 30 % Protein 50 % other 20 %. Carbs are dry ie oatmeal. Protien is wet, ie meat. So how do I determine the percentage? Weight, volume, etc. I have 5 large dogs and don't want to guess or experiement. I intend to use horse oats as they come steamed, crimped and in large quantities. I would like to prepare at least half of the food as a baked product that need not be refriged, for use when I travel or am short on time. When a recipe says 5 cups of oatmeal does it mean dry and then cooked or does it mean 5 cups already cooked. The BEST way to cook oatmeal is bake it. I put mine in the toaster oven. I set the temp and the timer and voila. No worries about bubbling over or sticking to the pan. It is very difficult to put the gas at JUST the right amount. Baking is a win win. I can put it on when I let the dogs out, go out, feed them, scoop, hose the patio, fill their water buckets... come in to no problems. I cook it in a large shallow bowl and eat right out of the bowl. SUPER. No pot to wash eithe. FEHL

-- Contributed by: Felicia Luburich

Hi Susan,

I hadn't heard that before, and rice is used in many dog food recipes. If your dog doesn't digest rice well, try substituting pasta instead. This is also a good source of carbohydrates.

Thanks for your question. :)

-- Contributed by: Kelly

I have been feeding my dog homemade food for over a year now. It has seemed to be a success however, our lab is very thin. He is very athletic but, no matter how much we increase he doesn't seem to gain. I've been told recently that because of the short digestive tracts of daos and lack of certain enzymes they don't digest rice well thus, not getting the rice's nutritional value. I do see much of the rice grains in his stool. Thoughts?

-- Contributed by: susan

Hi,

We have decided to make the switch over to homeade dog food but we are not sure how much to feed the dogs. we have two dogs, one is about 21 LBS and the other is about 50 LBS. Do we feed them the homeade diet twice a day or once? how much do we feed them? I know that 50% should be the protein (we are starting with chicken) and that 30% should be the veggies/fruit and 20% carbs....but in the end, we still dont know how many cups the dogs should get a day and how often. we've searched just about every website and still do not have an answer. Please help. Thank you, Jaime

Hi Jaime,

I know some owner measure their dog's food, but I've never been that scientific about. Our guest columnist and dog cookbook author Wendy Nan Rees makes the following recommendations.

For dogs in the 20 pound range:

Two cups of dry kibble per day or 3 cups of wet food.

For dogs in the 40 to 60 pound range:

3 1/3 to 4 2/3 cups of dry kibble or 4 cups of wet food.

You can find great recipes for balanced homemade meals in Wendy's Natural Pet Food Cookbook, available at Amazon.com.

Personally, I prefer to let dogs eat as much as they want at one meal, and continue with that method for a few weeks to see how it affects their weight. If they begin to gain to much, cut back a little. If they look and feel too thin, offer a little more. Eventually you'll figure exactly what is the right amount to feed both of your dogs to keep them in prime condition.

Thanks for your question, and good luck.

-- Contributed by: Jaime

Hello I would like to switch my dog, Gitta, to an all raw diet. However, she had a bad bout of pancreatitis a few months ago. Do you think she can her system can handle a raw diet9If I gradually transitionher to it)??

Thanks!! Karen

Hi Karen,

This is definitely some to discuss with your vet. Bouts of pancreatitis are triggered by fatty foods, and there is fat in a raw diet. If your vet gives you the okay, you can trim off any excess fat on your meat source. I would definitely remove the skin from any poultry you serve.

Thanks for your question, and I hope the pancreatitis subsides.

-- Contributed by: Karen

I really would like to feed my dog a home cooked diet but i found this insane list on the internet your dog should not eat, i picked out just a few i was questioning, please put my mind at ease are these ingredience really harmful to your dog?

Tomatoes â€“ â€œtremors and heart arrhythmiasâ€ Salt â€“ dog may develop bloating due to too much drinking Ham and bacon â€“ pancreatitis Liver (raw or uncooked)- Vitamin A deficiency Wild mushrooms â€“ poisonous causing liver and kidney damage other abdominal discomfort and death Raw egg whites â€“ biotin depletion Cooked bones â€“ Destroy dogs internal organs Dairy food - pancreatitis, gas and diarrhea Fatty foods â€“ pancreatitis Onions & Garlic â€“ causes anemia Turkey â€“ causes pancreatitis Fish and Poultry Bones â€“ causes laceration of digestive system Citrus oil extracts â€“ vomiting Mushrooms â€“ toxic, causes shock and death

Could this list of foods and causes really be correct, even the liver which i thought was good for dogs?

Please and thank you

Chrissy

Hi Chrissy, I'm familiar with some of the concerns about the foods on your list, but I think it would be best to consult with your vet about them.

In the meantime, I'd like to direct you to our interview this month on Homemade Dog Food Recipes. I actually have a copy of Wendy Nan Rees' pet cookbook, and the recipes are quite simple. All have been approved by Dr. Kevin Schlanger, DVM. The book also provides plenty of nutrtitional info and tips. I think you'd find it useful.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: chrissy

I have heard that turkey meat was good for dogs. You do not have it listed. I cook ground turkey, oats, green beans, sweet potatoe and brown rice with some fat for my poodle, she loves it. But, I have been using a couple tablespoons of butter instead of the fish oil but I give her a capsule of that a day by putting a small hole in the capsule and squeezing it over her food. How am I doing? She is 2 years old and not fat or skinny. She weighs about 10 lbs for a toy poodle. The vet says she looks great. Does this sound like a good healthy diet to you ? Any advice will be appreciated. oh, and occasionally we feed her raw apple for snacks, it small cut up peices. She loves them. :) Bren

Hi Bren,

Yes, you can feed turkey, but it's a good idea to vary your protein sources to make sure your dog doesn't tire of her meals.

It sounds like things are going well, and your vet's seal of approval tells you everything you need to know.

Keep up the good work!

-- Contributed by: Bren

Hi Becky,

Pork has mainly been shunned for dogs because it can contain trichinosis worms if it hasn't been thoroughly cooked. Agricultural standards have been raised and trichinosis is not nearly as big a threat as it once was. Even so, most dog professionals still prefer to err on the side of caution and offer other proteins.

Thanks for your question.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

what about pork is that not a good protein?

-- Contributed by: becky

Hi Sondra,

Yes, yogurt and cottage cheese are good sources of calcium, but green veggies also contain some of this important mineral, especially broccoli and leafy greens like spinach and collard greens. If you have any doubts whether your pet is getting complete nutrition from a homemade diet, you can always offer a good multivitamin a couple of times a week.

Thanks for your question!

-- Contributed by: Kelly

what about calicum. I have read about yogart, cheese and recent cottage cheese

Found the the break down of other information very informative

-- Contributed by: Sondra

Hey, thanks! I'm glad you found it useful.

-- Contributed by: Kelly

Hey Kelly, great informative info. This is what I do, but I like the way you put it down, short but correct, thanks, Debi

-- Contributed by: Debbie Cohen
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