Tips for homemade food diet

[MickeyTheYork]

One of my Yorkies is really allergic and has had skin irritation, rashes and flakiness. We've tried all sorts of different commercial foods: wet, dry, hypoallergenic, etc, etc. Finally, I decided to stop experimenting with commercial food and cook home made meals. I love to cook, so this is no problem. We make a batch each week, and freeze the leftovers.

Based on research regarding nutritional needs, I have found a recipe that includes ground turkey, carrots and rice (this supposedly covers protein, grain and plant needed by dogs). I cooked a batch, blended it, and feed it to my guys twice a day. Sometimes we'll make chicken instead and periodically we'll add some eggs to mix for extra protein. We also add in some olive oil because we heard it was good for the coat.

How does this diet sound to you guys and gals? Should I be adding any additional ingredients for nutritional purposes? Perhaps multivitamins are needed as well? Also, is twice a day too much or too little? I usually give them about 3-4 tablespoons each (they weigh 6 and 8 pounds respectively).

[Ellie May]

My tip for homecooking:
Don't do it. lol.

Anyways, careful with the type of ground turkey you use. Some can contain dark meat and be very high in fat which could trigged medical issues. White meat turkey with no fat (or limited fat if the recipe was balanced by a nutritionist) is okay. It looks like the diet lacks oil, so that will have to be fixed. Alternating vegetables, carbs and protein is fine. Just remember if you introduce too many meats and grains, there will be nothing novel to go to if you ever need to do an elimination diet.

Supplementation is not optional when homecooking. This is the hardest part and all of it is best figured out by a nutritionist. Also, while it is easy to pick ingredients, figuring ratios and finding the guaranteed analysis is a lot harder. It is best to know the guaranteed analysis of a food so you know how much protein, fat and fiber your Yorkie is getting. A nutrionist can also help with this.

You can freeze it up ahead for more than a few days if you want to..unless you really like to cook. I don't hate cooking, but I find cooking for Ellie, terrible.

[marcerella02]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

My tip for homecooking:
Don't do it. lol.

Anyways, careful with the type of ground turkey you use. Some can contain dark meat and be very high in fat which could trigged medical issues. White meat turkey with no fat (or limited fat if the recipe was balanced by a nutritionist) is okay. It looks like the diet lacks oil, so that will have to be fixed. Alternating vegetables, carbs and protein is fine. Just remember if you introduce too many meats and grains, there will be nothing novel to go to if you ever need to do an elimination diet.

Supplementation is not optional when homecooking. This is the hardest part and all of it is best figured out by a nutritionist. Also, while it is easy to pick ingredients, figuring ratios and finding the guaranteed analysis is a lot harder. It is best to know the guaranteed analysis of a food so you know how much protein, fat and fiber your Yorkie is getting. A nutrionist can also help with this.

You can freeze it up ahead for more than a few days if you want to..unless you really like to cook. I don't hate cooking, but I find cooking for Ellie, terrible.

All of that is very true. You need to know how many K/cals your dog is getting for their weight so you aren't over or under feeding.

Supplementation is NOT NOT NOT an option- it is a MUST. You need to get the calcium and phosphorus ratio correct. It can be very complex without the help of a nutritionist.

I get Layla's blood work done twice yearly to ensure she isn't lacking in anything.

it can seem complex- but once you get it down- it is quite easy. i cook once every 2 months or so- and just freeze it all.

Try to stay away from ground turkey- many of it comes with seasoning. I use turkey breast for Layla as it is all white meat and no fat.

Also you need more green veggies in the diet.

[Ellie May]

Correction to my post:
white turkey, not meat turkey

I forgot how many feedings per day.
I wouldn't say two feeding is bad, but I know with Ellie and her extremely fast metabolism, she requires way too much food for just two meals. She has to be fed at least 3x. It really depends on the dog and the cals per cup, but 3-4 tablespoons twice a day doesn't sound like enough for an 8 pound dog. Since there is so much moisture in homecooked food, there are a lot less calories per cup, so they should be eaten more than if they were eating dry.

[Yorkiedaze]

I've home cooked for over 50 years with no problems at all. My grandmother (who raised me) home cooked for her dogs for 70 years with no problems, in fact all her dogs lived to be over 20 years old. The only thing back then that was killing dogs was distemper and rabies. Now days dogs are dieing in record numbers from serious health problems and is thought to be due to commercial foods, over inoculating, over medicating, and the use of flea and tick preventives. Home cooking is the best way to keep our companion animals healthy. Also I would say yes, give them a vitamin. I feed my girls 1/4 cup of food twice a day. You can lightly steam broccoli and cut up in the food. I don't blend the food I make. I cook turkey instead of chicken. Chicken seems to be an allergy food to some dogs. I also feed them steak. They get brown rice, split peas, lentils and harvest grain blend.

[my2boyz]

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

I've home cooked for over 50 years with no problems at all. My grandmother (who raised me) home cooked for her dogs for 70 years with no problems, in fact all her dogs lived to be over 20 years old. The only thing back then that was killing dogs was distemper and rabies. Now days dogs are dieing in record numbers from serious health problems and is thought to be due to commercial foods, over inoculating, over medicating, and the use of flea and tick preventives. Home cooking is the best way to keep our companion animals healthy. Also I would say yes, give them a vitamin. I feed my girls 1/4 cup of food twice a day. You can lightly steam broccoli and cut up in the food. I don't blend the food I make. I cook turkey instead of chicken. Chicken seems to be an allergy food to some dogs. I also feed them steak. They get brown rice, split peas, lentils and harvest grain blend.

Is there something that can be substituted for the rice or is there a difference between white and brown rice? I had been using white rice and green beans over kibble for my girls at dinner time but Megan started scratching and licking her feet...when I removed the white rice the scratching and licking stopped.

[marcerella02]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

Is there something that can be substituted for the rice or is there a difference between white and brown rice? I had been using white rice and green beans over kibble for my girls at dinner time but Megan started scratching and licking her feet...when I removed the white rice the scratching and licking stopped.

yes you can use potato- sweet potato, some use oatmeal.

[marcerella02]

Originally Posted by Yorkiedaze

I've home cooked for over 50 years with no problems at all. My grandmother (who raised me) home cooked for her dogs for 70 years with no problems, in fact all her dogs lived to be over 20 years old. The only thing back then that was killing dogs was distemper and rabies. Now days dogs are dieing in record numbers from serious health problems and is thought to be due to commercial foods, over inoculating, over medicating, and the use of flea and tick preventives. Home cooking is the best way to keep our companion animals healthy. Also I would say yes, give them a vitamin. I feed my girls 1/4 cup of food twice a day. You can lightly steam broccoli and cut up in the food. I don't blend the food I make. I cook turkey instead of chicken. Chicken seems to be an allergy food to some dogs. I also feed them steak. They get brown rice, split peas, lentils and harvest grain blend.

Donna is right- chicken is usually an allergy (at least it is with Layla) which is why i use turkey breast.

[Yorkiedaze]

Originally Posted by my2boyz

Is there something that can be substituted for the rice or is there a difference between white and brown rice? I had been using white rice and green beans over kibble for my girls at dinner time but Megan started scratching and licking her feet...when I removed the white rice the scratching and licking stopped.

I wouldn't use real food mixed with dog food. Home cooking is all that is needed and has nothing in it that you can't pronounce. Marci is right. You can use potatoes and oatmeal, and check out the harvest blend. I get it at trader joes. Trader Joes Fan : Recipes and Favorite Product Reviews - Harvest Grains Blend