Home cooked dog food ?

Question

For the past 20 years I have fed my dogs home cooked meat ( bought in minced form from a local butcher - mostly beef) Unfortunately the butcher has closed due to local council plans and I now have to buy the meat from another butcher, this is more pork and chicken. My friend's dogs made the transition easy - no problem but mine are being strange and will eat about every 2 days.I have tried veg and gravy but no success, any ideas what I can add to spark them ?
No stupid answers please and there is no way I will feed them tinned ( I know what goes in it)

I add rice as one is wheat allergic so pasta is a big no no.

Answer 1

I can't think of any reason why your dogs would have trouble with meat from another butcher, it's still fresh meat, right?
A variety of meats is essential for good nutrition for a dog. For their diet to be balanced and provide all the things they need feeding just one type of meat is not a good idea.
Try adding whole eggs ( not just yolk or white).
Flavored non-fat yogurt with live cultures is not only tasty but the pro-biotics help in digestion.
Don't worry too much if your dogs don't want to eat every day.
If they're getting proper nutrition (and with a homemade diet the probably are) then fasting from time to time certainly won't hurt them. If the food is fresh, unspoiled when they are hungry they will eat.

Answer 2

Home cooked dog food is so much better then canned. A few months ago there was a big thing on the news about poison in dog food. Here's a recipe : Recipe for Home Cooked Dog Food
1 lbs hamburger
1 cup rice
2 cups water
2 carrots
1 egg
Prepare rice in rice cooker or sauce pan. Add 1 cup rice and 2 cups water until rice is fluffy and soft. Cook hamburger until it’s about ¾ done, adding no spices. Drain. Mix egg into hamburger mixture, cook until egg becomes firm. Add grated or chopped carrots. Let cool, and serve to your beloved dog…who will be very excited for the meal!

It might now sound like a good recipe but it is. If you think you are over feeding your dog here are some tips:

6 oz/day for 10 lbs dog
12 oz/day for 20 lbs dog
18 oz/day for 30 lbs dog
24 oz/day for 40 lbs dog
30-36 oz/day for 50-150 lbs dog
Do not exceed 36 oz per day no matter what size dog!

Answer 3

Raw is not always the way to go. I cook for my dog also and I use the following ingredients: Beef Heart,Fish, Ground Chicken/Turkey, Brown Rice, Oats, Egg, Potato, Sweet Potato, Yams, Squash, green beans, apples, pumpkin, Olive oil and chicken livers. Vary the ingredients you use so that there is a different taste with each batch you make. All these foods are great and healthy for the dog. My two have been eating this for 4 years now and they are very very healthy. Only their teeth will need more cleaning due to this being soft foods. Dogs can eat meats and veggies. This is the healthiest of foods. Raw foods which I tried on my dogs was not digested by them and they ended up bringing it back up. Cooked food has the nutrients and supplies the dogs with easy digestion. Good luck

Answer 4

I don't use commercial food either - but I don't cook the food or add grains.

My dog and cats eat raw meat, edible bone and offal, this could be chicken, beef, pork, lamb, fish or kangaroo.

Some animals can be stubborn - especially if they have been getting only the one meat. Try getting some beef and then adding other proteins gradually. They should be having about 70-80% meat, 10-15% edible bone and 10-15% offal from a variety of sources. Instead of minced meats try larger chunks so the dogs need to gnaw at their dinner - this will help clean the teeth too.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I second what Owltypedup said - Dr. Pitcairn's book is great - I've been using the recipes in there to feed my 3 for months now and they're thriving. To keep their diets balanced, there's a lot you need to know and it's all in that book - including what the different supplements, herbs, etc., actually do.

As to why your dogs aren't making the transition well, I'm thinking it's most likely the pork. I never feed gravy because it's given every dog I've ever tried giving it to, the runs.

Dogs love garlic, so adding a bit of garlic powder might spark their appetites. Adding brown rice might be a good idea because it's something vets recommend feeding dogs with upset stomachs.

Answer 6

We always gave our Rottie home cooked as well.
We would get liver heart an sometimes kidney cut into chunks add spiral past and just home-brand frozen vegetable and fill the pot with water an cook until the noodles were done its a bit whiffy while cooking but our dog loved it an there are no artificial flavours eg gravy because it thickens itself.

Answer 7

Debi...it is a problem when they won't take to a new food. Try a little garlic with their food( not too much ), most dogs love the taste, but don't over do it. I can't give my dogs pork..upsets their tummy. Would your local supermarket mince some beef for you..ours does. Good luck and I hope they feed properly soon.

Answer 8

If I could please suggest a book to you. It is called "Dr. Pitcairn's Guide to Natural Health For Dogs and Cats."
I think you will love it. He is also against "dog food" and his book contains many recipes for different home cooked meals. He has been a Vet for a VERY loooong time and he specializes in the field of nutrition.
I hope that it helps you!
~Tyed~

Answer 9

You may have previously tried this but try adding a little more rice than normal (if they had rice before the change) and some egg to make it so it's almost like a scrambled egg but with the added meat and rice. Depending on the size of your dog this can take anything from one to four eggs!

I've tried this when mine have been fussy and it worked wonders with them!

Answer 10

Can you not get beef or lamb mince for the dogs as the main protein source and gradually introduced others over time to allow the dogs palate to get used to it.

I decided to give my dogs fish for a change, two loved it (but they would eat anything anyway) but one decided it must be poison and just wouldn't eat it, picking out the pasta and veg that he was used to.

Now I put small amounts of fish in with the mince and he's eating it.