Cooking for dogs..

[JoyLee]

I'm looking for some recipies for dogs. With Beethoven needing to eat every 2 hours to keep his blood sugar on a even keel, store bought foods arnt doing the job.

Atm- this is what I am cooking for him. (His Dad - Romeo loves it too)
Chicken livers
2 eggs
half egg shell ground into a very fine powder
kayro syrup (blood sugar)

I grind it all in my food proccessor and slowly sautee it with the tiny star pasta (small amount)

This I can get him to wake up and eat from a dead sleep. The vet said it was good- but a bit rich for his tummy- but not to stop the feedings. While he is recovering from Parvo really well, he's now hyperglycemic.

I'd love to get more ideas if yall have any.

[epundt]

I've been cooking for my 4 dogs for the last several years. It started when my dachshund had a heart murmur and could have no salt.

Beef Heart
Celery
Carrots
Peas
Parsley
Chopped spinach
Salt, or fake salt
Wheat flour
Dash pepper

Boil the heart until done. Cut into slices to fit grinder. Trim ALL fat from heart,
Send through grinder

Boil celery and carrots until al dante. Grind

Add ground carrots, peas, parsley and spinach to ground meat. Mix well.

Remove fat from the water the heart was boiled in. Mix flour and water to make gravy. Add to ground mixture. Mix well.

You can either can the food or freeze it. I put 2 cups in a ziploc bag and freeze it. Its good mixed with dry dog food or by itself.

Since I cook for 4 dogs, I use 12 to 14 beef hearts, whole bundle of celery, 4 boxed frozen leaf spinach and 4 boxes or 3 large bags peas, about 1 cup parsley (makes for good breath) and 1 large bag carrots, (good for the eyes) and I get about 27 or 28 bags of food. My dogs love it. I don't grind the peas, parsley or spinach. You could use any greens that are agreeable for dogs. Mine like what I use.

[JoyLee]

I dont have a grinder- but a food processor- will that still work? I do want to try this recipie today! I've found after a week of cooking for the dogs- they will not go near canned food at all. I think that is a good thing though. I like cooking for them - I know exactly what they are getting.

[amstaff]

i also feel home prepared diets are best! you know exactly what is going in. if you're giving karo syrup though, i would watch also giving carrots. they are high in sugar. also, watch with spinach cause it can interfere with calcium absorption. just dont over-do it.

i actually do raw for my animals, but as long as you dont give your animals cooked bones you're fine. i only do above ground veggies a few times a week. the meat i use varies: deer, chicken, beef, etc. these can all be cooked. about 1/6 of the meal should be organ meat , remember heart is a muscle, livers, gizzards, kidneys are all fine. unsulphured blackstrap molasses is also good for providing calcium, potassium and does have sugar in it. if you want to add salt, get unrefined sea salt. it is not processed and can actually be good for them. the only salt i keep in the house for us humans is unrefined organic sea salt.

hear is a good site for some recipes: www.dogaware.com

[epundt]

I grind chicken gizzards and chicken breasts to add variety. I have used turkey legs as well. Another good thing to add is bone meal. It adds calcium, or you can save egg shells and mince them for added calcium. I use a large bag of carrots, four boxes chopped spinach, 4 boxes green peas to 26 to 30 lbs beef heart. My dogs love it. Been feeding it for about 3 years now. I put 2 cups in a zip lock bag and freeze it. I then put it frozen in the microwave for about 6 1/2 min on high. I mix it with Pedigree dry dog food and feed 4 dogs. Any vitimines I have left out of the home made food is in the dry food. My vet says my dogs are the healthest she's ever seen. Joy, why don't you cut the meat in very small cubes instead of mincing it. Or cube and mince may be better. You can buy a small hand grinder for a few dollars. I have a grinder attachment that goes on my Kitchen Aid that I use. I think if you mince it, it will become more like paste and the dogs may not like it so well. I don't know. I cubed it before I got my grinder, worked really well. An easy way to cube is to use a pair of scissors. Works really well.

[JoyLee]

I'm saving up to get a grinder now. But this go round I did cut the food up teeny tiny. All the sudden - now that I want beef hearts- they are hard to find. I did see some kidneys and tripe - how are those meats?

My dogs seem so much happier with the cooking + the dry kibble. I keep saying it.. they stink less when they poop - to me - its a good thing.. lol

Now that Beethovens dextrose has been cut back a good bit I don't add it into his food anymore- I just add a few more carrots. He's got so much energy he keeps us laughing all day.

They are so spoiled now the store bought dog treats get played with instead of eaten. Ill be baking up some treats this week for "the boys!"