What can my pets eat that is homemade, safe and healthy?

Question

I want to make my pets (I have a dog and a cat) treats at home, but I want to make sure the ingredients are both safe and healthy for the animals. I want ingredients that will fortify and boost their health, rather than just something they think is yummy. What are some good ingredients? Please have reputable resources to back up your claims.

Answer 1

Cats and dogs have different tastes. If you make something for the cat, the dog will eat it as dogs have a wider range of acceptable foods.

Chicken, baked or roasted without seasonings is always good. Cats love chicken. Tuna (small quantities), rare steak. Baked liver. Cantaloupe, grated zucchini, grated carrot....not all cats like these things.

Dogs also like steamed green veggies like broccoli (in moderate quantities) and beans. Some like salads provided there is dressing and they all love cheddar or string cheese. Cream cheese is a favorite and makes a good addition to Kongs especially when frozen.

Just remember to stay away from the hazardous foods:

http://www.metpet.com/Reference/Dogs/Health/Potentially_Toxic_Foods_For_Dogs.htm

Answer 2

I am not sure that you read the article that I wrote on making homemade animal food,

The recipe that I use is:

2 Pkg of stew meat (or any other type of boneless meat)
1-2 cups of rice (dry - you will be using an extra large pot)
1 1 lb pkg of vegetable of your choice
8 oz of omega3 animal oil (found in WalMart or PetSmart or wherever).

Make a slow cooked stew of the above ingredients except for the oil. Let cool.

Spoon ingredients into a food processor and empty the whole mess into a very large bowl until every thing has been processed (The main reason that I do this is so your dog or cat won't just pick through their food and pick out all of the meat and leave the rest).

Finally, add the oil and mix well. (Aside from the nutritional value from Omega3 oil which your animal needs, this also promotes healthy skin and coat and is also good for their heart).

I package this food up in plastic bowls with lids and freeze. Each bowl when thawed last up to 3-5 days (I have a small dog though). And the night before you start getting low, pull another out of the freezer.

For snacks - take this same mixture - spread some out in a baking dish about 1/2" deep and slow bake for an hour. Once it is cooled, break it apart and use for snacks.

Answer 3

I feel homemade is healthier if you can do it. I live in the middle of a rural area full of slaughter houses and meat processing plants. I KNOW, because I have seen it and have had family working in these places, that animals that are not good enough for human consumption are sold to pet food companies. If a pig comes in with an infection or some other problem that the vet will not clear for processing into human food, the pig is secluded with a group of other substandard pigs. The pet food company, the BIG one that starts with a P, comes and buys these pigs or cows or whatever animals are rejected to take to make into petfood. Almost all pet food makers do this same thing at markets and meat processing plants around the nation. Trucks of animals come to the plant. Vets either clear or reject each animal for human consumption. The rejected animals are sold for petfood. The same thing happens at the grainery market. If a load of grain is rejected due to mold or too much debris, the petfood companies will buy it. The same thing with grease. In back of every fastfood place you see a grease bin. That is the horrible smell you smell in back of those places at time. All that grease goes to petfood factories. Those substandard, rejected ingredients are what go into most pet foods. Very few use human grade ingredients. So, yes, if you can make your own from human grade ingredients it is better. The problem comes when you have many dogs and simply cannot make enough to feed all of them.

Answer 4

Dried meat (jerky) is great for cats and dogs. Not only is it the best source of protein, it also is safer than giving rawhide which helps exercise their jaws and keep their teeth clean. All you need is a dehydrator and any meat you would like to give. Then you know there are no preservatives . Some good choices would be lamb, turkey, beef, liver, salmon, white fish. The choice is yours! If you wanted to help with a breath problem, just insert some parsley into the treats before they are dehydrated and it will help with their breath. Hope this helps.

Answer 5

pets eat homemade safe healthy

Answer 6

Boiled chicken is yummu and a very good food for animals. Not too fatty, no bad substances, etc. Just don't add salt or spices. Cats also like fish, but beware of bones.

Answer 7

Check out this website - http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/diet2.htm

It has some great natural receipes.

Have fun cooking!