A couple of months ago, I started making Lucy’s food, instead of buying commercial dog food. Before you start thinking I’m nuts, let me assure you, if you are already cooking, it’s really not a big deal to whip up a little extra. Plus, it turns out, it’s kind of a thing–homemade dog food is on the rise. Wouldn’t you know it, NPR even did an article on it?
{Scrambled Eggs, Spinach, Sweet Potato and Chicken}
Turns out, people are making the transition to homemade dog food for lots of reasons. It allows you to have quality ingredients {there have been a couple of pet food scares in recent past}, and if done right, it provides better nutrition than value brands. It also allows you to care for your dogs like members of the family. Lucy is just that–she’s a member of my family, so if taking a few extra minutes to scramble some eggs and add them to leftover meat and spinach I’ve set aside makes her stronger and healthier, I’m totally game.
{Ground Turkey, Scrambled Eggs, Spinach and Gravy}
If you were a dog, wouldn’t you rather eat a homemade meal? If you don’t know where to start, you can follow this basic recipe {which allows you to make it in advance and freeze it, so that you don’t have to make it daily}.
{Ground Beef, Hard Boiled Egg and Spinach}
Seriously, what did people do before commercially made dog food? This can’t be a completely new concept, right? How about YOU, have you ever tried cutting out commercial dog food and making your own dog food?
~Mavis
Madam Chow says
Yes, for 9 years. I work with a holistic vet to make sure they (4 dogs) are getting everything they need. Even the eggshells are good as a calcium source.
Beryl says
Sounds like a good idea, now how about a recipe for homemade cat food!
Gen says
Beryl….be careful with homemade cat food. Cats have very specific requirements for nutrition and certain missing vitamins can be very detrimental.
Gen says
Check this out….
http://www.catinfo.org/
CathyB says
Here in AK there are a lot of dog mushers. These kennels have a LOT of dogs to feed. All of them that I know make their own dog food, or at least make their own and add in a little bit of store-bought. Most of the kennels have developed their own special recipe that they keep secret – but usually it contains a lot of salmon. We have a run of salmon here, chums, which are not so great for eating, but are excellent for dog food. Some call them “dog salmon” here because their main usage is dog food.
Dianna says
I’ve wondered what people used to do about cat food. I read about someone getting fishheads to feed their cat, and I tried to feed one to mine, but she wouldn’t touch it, picky beast!
Siobhan says
I think they were expected to catch their own dinner!
Gen says
That’s awesome that you went to homemade food. It’s so much better for your peace of mind, eh?
You don’t have to cook it though. Dogs and cats are designed by biology to eat raw. My dogs get raw meat and eggs every day. All kinds of part, and don’t forget bones (good for their teeth). Now I know most vets will tell you no bones for the dog but none of them want to make the differentiation between raw and cooked bones. Raw bones are soft and pliable, great for your dogs dental health, but cooked ones will splinter and cause all kinds trouble. My cats get a grind of bones, organs and meat since their nutritional needs are a little different than dogs. It’s has wonderful benefits….soft shiny coat, no oily dog smell, no bad beath, clean teeth and faaaar fewer health problems. Check it out.
Madam Chow says
Do not feed dogs raw fish, however. Do a search for info. It can lead to a fatal condition. I feed my dogs raw food.
Kathy says
Yes, for my little Maltese. Elliott was one spoiled dog, I even had a dedicated blender for just his food. But keep in mind, once you start cooking for your dog, there is no turning back. And it makes boarding the little guy more difficult.
Lauren says
I still buy a good quality dry dog food but about two years ago I started making their “soft” food to add on top. I cook burger or ground turkey and add egg and various veggies like spinach and carrots. I also drizzle coconut oil on top-they love it! They have the softest coats.
Carrie says
Do you need to transition to home cooked dog food slowly if you’ve been serving dog chow, etc.? I know when I give my boxer table scraps she has bad gas and when her grandpa gives her too much human food she will have diarrhea. I’m intrigued by this concept because my 9 year old has bad breath (even after brushing!) and arthritis in her hips.
Also, how much does it cost you? I feed my 80 pound dog 4 cups of senior dog food a day and its about $30 a month to feed her.
Leslie says
Carrie: my dog is just under 50 pounds. He eats about 2-4 of meat/bone per day. Reliable veg for my dog are carrots, kale, and green beans. We sub other meats too.
PattyB says
Carrie… I have an 85 lb and he gets 2 cups of food a day, one in am and one in pm. He’s a good weight for his size.
Mindi says
When my dog snarfs up table scraps he always vomits. Is this the food or that he’s eating it too fast?
Leslie says
I can’t say enough about how glad I am that we feed our dog raw meat and vegetables. He doesn’t smell, and his solid waste is minimal, plus it doesn’t smell much. It’s no trouble at all, either. I also ferment probiotics for him, and give him broth and fish oil.
Christie says
I wonder when commercial dog food started? I’m guessing about the same time that human baby infant formula was introduced and marketed as “better” then breast milk.
I recently made home made dog treats for the first time. Simply, slice sweet potatoes and dehydrate in the fruit dehydrator. I only give a small portion as my grown dog is just 9 lbs and I don’t want digestive problems. She loves them as much as any treat that I have purchased. 😉
Kristina says
We feed our commercial kibble but supplement with various fruits and veggies. Our 2 will eat just about anything we feed them but neither like Kale or Chard. (smart dogs :-D). We also make home made dog treats using rice flour (no wheat or corn for our oldest), pumpkin and peanut butter.
I have to keep Willow out of the garden because she will eat strawberries, tomatoes and pea pods right off the plants. I think she watched me eat them right off the plant and figured that if it was good enough for me, it was good enough for her.
Donna says
Great post Mavis! Most people look at me like I’m crazy if I mention I cook food for my dogs. My little one is very picky and won’t eat raw food – I’ve tried and failed. If you’re interested in homemade cat food, I would recommend one of Dr. Pitcairn’s books. It was the first book I read about making dog food, but it has chapters on cat food too. Mavis is right, pets ate ‘people’ food long before commercial pet food was available. They were probably healthier too. Just like homemade people food is healthier than processed stuff.
Anyway, hats off to you Mavis for a terrific post.
Lisa in Oregon says
Homemade dog food notes (from a pet nutrition specialist)
*Homemade, canned, and raw foods are much more easily absorbed into the animal body- be prepared to feed LESS of them than you might have expected. Less poop, too. Hooray!
*Animal based oils will be utilized more efficiently than plant based, but all natural oils are helpful! This is why people swear by salmon oil. Cats have no use for vegetable oils, (obligate carnivores) so be sure to use salmon oil for the kitties.
*The special missing piece in the kitty diet is TAURINE, found in organs but especially concentrated in the eyes and hearts of all animals. No grains necessary for kitty =)
*Don’t ever forget to feed raw bones! Bones with cartilage are best so they can get whole sources of glucosamine and chondroitin. Chicken necks are great for small dogs or cats whose jaws may not be as strong or whose chewing habits might not be as extreme. Use cut femurs for strong chewers. The critter’s poo may look white and powdery after eating raw bones- this is normal.
*Double cook all veggies and grains (double the water, double the time). Dogs and cats have even less capacity than humans to break down cellulose so to be sure they’re getting the maximum benefits; cook the crap out of the veggies and include the cooking water in the pet’s meal to recapture all those escaped nutrients. Most dogs won’t mind mush, believe me =)
*Always avoid salt, spices, corn, wheat, and soy
*Moisten all pet food thoroughly- as much as you can! It takes a dog about a gallon of water to fully digest one cup of kibble (think about that!) Cats have descended into our homes from the desert and have evolved to get most of their moisture from several small meals of rodents, lizards, birds and bugs throughout each day. Seriously, they have TINY stomachs and very short digestive tracts. Be especially sure to feed your cat moist food at least once every day. Canned or home cooked or raw- whatever they like!
Be prepared for your buddy to love you even more!
Dottie says
Mavis how do you find time to do everything you do in a day? I say you are awesome for making Lucy’s food! I feel its only natural for you to take care of Lucy as well as you take care of rest of the family. My great grandmother always cooked for her dogs and they were always healthy. I make homemade dog treats, but cant commit to cooking every meal. I agree with the other replies, dogs do need something crunchy to maintain their teeth.
Heidi says
I’ve done it. Started with Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. Excellent read. Spent half a day cooking and freezing large quantities in daily portion sizes. (I love cooking in general, so this was not a big deal to me.) One of my dogs couldn’t handle the food raw, she’s older, and maybe too used to semi-processing?? So, I cooked the meats. Was a little more $ than the cheap-cheap food, but barely more pricey than the “gourmet” dog food. I used more of the “alternate” meat sources: heart, liver (mixed with other cuts) etc. that were usually much cheaper. Otherwise, I got what was on sale. For various reasons, I’m now forced to mix a quality kibble with real food (usually what we’re having for breakfast/dinner!). We have chickens now, so they are able to get a lot of their protein needs from fresh, home-raised eggs. (I am confident of the quality of my eggs, and I give them to the dogs raw. Wouldn’t do that with store-bought, but that’s me. I’ve read too much about factory-farm hens/eggs. I won’t eat those myself, and if I wouldn’t eat it, why would I give it to my dog???) Anyway, that’s my two cents!
Feeqiao says
My dog eats raw and homemade food too. She haven’t even tasted commercial dog food 🙂
kathy says
have you figured out the cost? hamburger here is $4.00/lb. chicken 1.99 to 2.99. I have an 80 lb dog. I wish cost wasn’t a factor but unfortunately it is.