Homemade Pet Food

i can't believe what i just read, dogs do not digest grains, cats do not need nor utilize carbs (grains,veggies) cats are obligate carnivoures and need meat only, dairy products for both dogs and cats can cause real problems (lactose intolerant) my cats eat only meat and some eggs and vitamins/minerals, my dog eats raw meat with eggs, overcooked brown rice and oats, i throw in what ever veggies i have (gr beans,carrots,celery,spinach, pumpkin, squash, and always some raw mashed garlic, keeps the fleas away, i don't allow my animals to be vaccinated or treated for fleas, i have a wonderful vet who wholeheartedly support what i do, my sweeties are a picture of health, soft shiny fur , perfect teeth (i brush them 1x p day) full of energy, it's not rocket science but it does take dedication, but for my little ones nothing is to much

Adding to the comment mentioned above, I can only say to each their own, dogs adjust to what they eat slowly, as for eating grains dogs must have grain, brown rice as mentioned above is the best, and veggies with their protein. All protein diets are not bad but could cause kidney failure later in life, studies have proved it. I started feeding my Yorkies homemade dog food right after the dog food contaminations, and mainly because my older Yorkie was getting sick all the time, they have since then became healthier, and more active, I feed them 1/3 protein, 2/3 brown rice, and a bit of only carrots and peas, most other veggies can cause digestive problems, this I can only say for my Yorkies, every dog is different so what works for you may not work for the other. experiment and do your research on homemade dog food. Introduce slowly, is the best way for your dog to adjust to changing any food. Moderate exercize is a big plus of course. If you dont want to give your dog vitamins then add a little meat and veggie baby food to their diet, it helps. Stay away from anything salty. Research is the best way to find what you need to know.

Always contact your veterinarian before starting your pet on a homemade diet. Some pets may need additional vitamin supplements to make up for the lack of added vitamins to their diets. As mentioned before, be careful feeding your dog a diet too high in protein and make sure all meat is cooked properly. Garlic and onions should be avoided as they can cause anemia and they have absolutely no affect on fleas. This is one of many urban myths surrounding pets health. It's best to do your research and find out what diet is best for your pet and always change foods gradually to avoid any gastrointestinal upset.

All the vets in my area are only interested in pimping what ever dog food is at their clinic. Our family's dogs will not even touch the stuff. They will actually starve themselves rather than eat those kinds of dogfoods. Those same vets also say that making your own dogfood is more of a health hazard than the comercial dog foods. We do not believe them. We are all trying to find a better food for our dogs. One may have had pancreatitis for almost two years, the vet diagnosed her with diabetes instead, only because her blood sugar was low, which can be caused by pancreatitis. Another do g seams to have an allergic reaction to the commercial dog food. It only got worse the more he ate it. The vet has run tests, said it's allergies, and still running more tests. They say that if the dog would eat the food they push on us, he wouldn't have allergies. He will not eat that dog food. My research has lead me here. Any help offered would be appreciated. The dogs are: Female Austalian Shepard, Female Chihuahua, Male Shihtzu Poodle mix.

Goodness, reading this article and comments was interesting, dogs and cats do need grains for the fiber they don't need the carbs for energy though. If cats and dogs only ate meat they wouldn't eat grass. I also noticed that is says no garlic for dogs, I give my dogs each a clove of fresh garlic, no skin, mashed through a garlic press. It does not contain the same amount of the chemical that onion does so as long as your dog tolerates it, it is safe. ( My dogs are all over 100lbs) I think anyone who is changing from commercial food to home prepared food should do countless hours of research on ingredients and variations. Not just through the vet. We had a preveious vet who gave my dogs nsaids (ibuprofen)which caused diarrhea, and wanted us to get cat scans and see a neurologist because he had a half second delay on his reflex of one of his back legs. This was after he had gotten out of our yard and spent a good 12 hours running around town. (Worst day of my life!) Opted not to see neurologist and 2 days after some rest and rehydration we went back and he was fine, the point of my story is some vets will reccomend unnecessary "preventative" and other care to line their pockets and while it may help some the overall result is minimal UNLESS it is an ongoing life threatening situation, food is not usually. Most dogs survived just fine on table scraps alone before commercial dog food. Another reason I have chosen to home preapare food is that the pet food companies are not required to notify the public immediately if they change their formula they have 6 months to print new labels and everytime they change their formula my dogs get sick. Please do your research and stick with what works for your dogs.

my shepperd is 16yrs in april and roger the collie is 9 this year and i was mortified to find out what goes into comercial dog food, so i will be slowly changing their diets. last summer i nearly lost the shepperd he was treated with sterroids which i didnt realize at the time. i took him off them and gave him omega 3 which works well and barley grass for his digestion and that works well, he still goes a half hour walk at a steady pace, so with a better diet it will improve the quality of his old age, and he is still alert and very happy.

If some one have a recipe for decorating icing for dog cookies (not too sweet) I will appreciate the ingredients. U can e mail me at mdunia@bellsouth.net Thanks

The best book a dog and cat lover can read is "Food Pets Die For" by Ann N. Martin.....great recipes for all types of health problems.....You will never buy commercial pet food again.