Does anyone know how to make homemade dog food for a big shepherd?

Question

I want to stop feeding her pet food from the store. I've been told not to feed dogs just anything from the table. What do you think? Thanks

Answer 1

You need to spend A LOT of time researching B.A.R.F. diets and raw foods diets. And when I say a lot, I mean it. If you aren't correct in your proportions and variety, your dog could die.

Instead of stopping store bought pet food, why not just upgrade to a brand that isn't having these problems? Something high quality like Natural Balance or Evo? Natural Balance is NOT associated with Menu Foods at all. http://naturalbalanceinc.com/

Natural Balance also has a pre-assembled raw diet that may be a good option for you: http://naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/RAW.html

Good luck to you! : )

Answer 2

Visit www.germanshepherds.com...in the 'forum' section they have a food & nutrition section....There is a listing called B.A.R.F....this is a raw food diet, which many breeders recommend to Shepherd owners...You don't have to be on 100% raw to benefit from the nutrion. The entire Nutrition section has alot of info and answers to proper diet. Shepherds require a more exact diet thatn most breeds, this is due to their skeletal structure, and their deep-chests.

Read, Read & more read...Also pick up the books written by the Monks of New Skete. They have run a dog school and GSD breeding program in NY state for the last 30 years. They are experts on the breed. It makes terrific reading, and helpful training tips.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

There is another diet option other than dog food. Some people choose to feed a raw diet. This involves feeding the dog raw meaty bones and organ meat. However it is not as simple as throwing a couple chicken bones in a bowl everyday. If you wish to feed this type of diet, do lots and lots of research first. Switching to this diet without knowing what your doing can lead to nutritional problems for your dog. I'll give you some links as a starting point in research if you are interested in this type of diet.

http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm.........

http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.htm...

http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html.....

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/index.html.....

http://www.rawdogranch.com

What's Really In Pet Food
http://www.api4animals.org/facts?p=359&m...

Answer 4

Here are some wonderful sites with recipies:


http://www.pet-grub.com/

http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Homemade-Dog-Food-Basics/107418

Quickstart Guide to Making Your Own Pet Food at Home
As a pet owner, no doubt you want to give your dog or cat the best care possible. And caring for your pet means feeding him the best diet you can. By making your own pet foods, you'll be saving money, up to 80%. And to top it off, it's easy; making pet food at home is probably a lot less time-consuming than you may have thought. With hundreds of websites offering free pet food recipes online, it's now easier than ever to make your own pet food.

To prepare healthy and nutritious food for your pet you should study your pet's natural habitat and food sources, and then prepare foods that most closely resemble their own natural or original diet.
Animals, because they are color blind, choose their foods by smell. Most dogs like gamey flavors best, as well as liver, fat, garlic, onions, horsemeat, lamb, beef, cheese and fish. Cats enjoy chicken, liver, fish, turkey, lamb, and yeast, and prefer fresh to aged flavors.
Cats are fussy eaters and it is not wise to continually feed them their favorite foods. Soon they will refuse to eat anything else; it is your job to see your cat has a balanced diet.
Animals do not need salt added to their diet as the natural salt in the food is enough for them.
Dogs may eat any vegetable they want, but cats should not have any starchy veggies, like peas and corn. Some dogs and cats even enjoy fruits!
It's a good idea to always add a grain, such as Kibble, wheat germ, cooked oatmeal or whole wheat bread to meat dinners. For dogs use 75% carbohydrate foods (grains and vegetables) to 25% meat; for cats use half carbohydrate foods to half meat.
You will find, once you begin making your own pet foods, that it is really relatively simple and you will save some money as well. Remember that all pet foods should be served at room temperature; don't serve food cold from the refrigerator nor hot from the stove.
Homemade pet food should take a ridiculously small amount of your time. As a general guide meats should be raw and vegetables must be finely chopped in a food processor or by a hand grater.
When it comes time for feeding, it is important that you let your dogs and cats eat as much as they want at the time of feeding. Once their body becomes nutritionally satiated, they will cut their food intake, sometimes by half the amount, and go on a maintenance diet. Incidentally, you should know that cats
puppies should be fed three times a day, while an adult dog needs only one meal a day.

To get started, find a good book with pet food recipes and use it to start preparing simple meals. You can also get free recipes from many websites online. If preparing your own pet food is not an option for you visit the website below for some healthy pet food: http://www.pet-care-supplies.co.uk/food/

Answer 5

You know what. It's a good idea that you do. Exactly what I thought was going to happen has happened. They have recalled Hills Science Diet DRY cat food now for the contaminate Melamine...

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/03/30/3871298-ap.html


There are alot of sites online that have recipes that they will formulate for your dog directly. You tell them your dog, it's age and allergies etc, and they will formulate some recipes for you.

Answer 6

Here are some sites that post a few recipes you could try...

http://www.healthrecipes.com/pet_supply.htm

http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dog-food-recipes.html
(this site lists much more including many that look like snacks and treats)

Enjoy!

<3 Laura

Answer 7

hope this will help. type in ... how to make healthy dog food with natural dog food ingredients..... it gave a list of meats that are good and the vegetables.
that is what i am doing now. it is working for me.
hope it works for you. ty for listening.

mary

Answer 8

OK, to make homemade dog food you need 2 parts starch, example: potatoes, and one part protein, example:salmon. I purchase a can of red salmon and 2 cans of diced potatoes and mix them in my food processer. My vet says it's great. (But, ask you vet too.) The salmon gives her all the vitamins and the fish oil is great for her skin. (Canned Potatoes are cooked as is the canned salmon. And you should include the bones and the skins that's where all the good stuff is.) Good Luck

Answer 9

My grandparents fed their dogs, boiled rice and either boiled chicken or hamburger, with dog friendly again boiled veggies.

You'll have to google dog friendly veggies, I can't remember them.

I hope that helped.

Answer 10

Check out this site http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html