I have been making my 19 month old Collie's meals using mince, rice, and veggies, including carrots, pumpkin, silver beets, spinach, kale, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans. I also add some garlic if I have it. This makes up enough for 8 - 10 days. Is this OK for her? She sure enjoys it. When I do a roast she loves the roast veggies and gravy, which is not made with an artificial mix. She really looks forward to her " roast" dinner. Is that OK?
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Dog food made at home, without a recipe from a trained vet or animal nutritionist, will not contain the needed amounts of required vitamins, minerals, etc. Dogs have specific nutrition requirements that are different from human requirements. Also, dogs are not able to eat the same foods as humans.
I strongly suggest that you seek your veterinarian's help in developing a dog food recipe that meets the nutrition requirements your dog needs. Your dog will develop nutrition problems and diseases if she does not receive the correct balance of nutrition she needs.
Assuming she is getting meat,rice, and a collection of veggies that are okay for dogs, it's fine. Homemade dog food tends to be more nutritious than kibble. It is also more hydrating.
Many cheap kibbles include meat meals (which can contain bone, beaks, feet and cartilage), grains, legumes like soy, and other cheap ingredients which are basically fillers. The higher end foods contain what you are providing- real meat, spinach, pumpkin, etc.
A few things to keep in mind: If the dog's stools are loose, cut down on the high fiber veggies. If the dog gets constipated, add oats. If the dog's skin or coats seems dry add omega-3s. Fish is good for this.
Good luck.
Yes I do check up what veges are ok and what isn't. She loves her food. Thought next time I might add some eggs to her feed. Also in the mornings ( winter anyway) I give her a bit of rolled oats which is what I have.
I am a great fan of home made food for pets. But it does require educating yourself on the nutrition requirements they have. You often need to find a source for the vitamin/mineral or feed a supplement to go with your recipe. So study up on what your dog needs and then be sure it is in your recipe. For instance, where is the source of calcium in your recipe?
Just so you know, spinach has more calcium than milk. Though I do generally agree that dog's requirements need to be studied if you're going to attempt this.
For comparison, look at Ol' Roy Meaty Chunks and gravy Kibble. The largest ingredient by weight is ground corn. Corn? It's mostly starch. Where's the nutrition in that? The next is "meat and bone meal." This means ground bones, which are not digestible and pass through, as well as meat leavings, cartilage, tendons, beaks, feet, etc.
The homemade diet described is FAR superior.
Yes I always cook spincah with her meal. Most of her veges are fresh from my garden.
In reserching homemde dog food etc..., I have discovered that all forms of onion and garlic are very bad for dogs. Onions and garlic affect a dogs red blood cells and thier liver.
Garlic, onions, leeks and chives are deadly for dogs. Mine has just had to have a blood transfusion due to garlic poisoning. You need to seriously rethink your recipe advice
So, no garlic then. I've heard of dogs eating it and being okay, but better safe than sorry.
That meal is not balanced at all. Please do some research at Dogaware.com
It's fine, Joyce.
I know a lot of puppies are on Iams, do you know what's in it? The second ingredient by weight is corn meal. Like the same corn meal you get at the store, just ground up dried corn. What in the world do they need that for? The fourth and fifth ingredients by weight are sorghum and beet pulp. This is fodder for cattle, but they have multiple stomachs to help them digest it. Dogs don't. There are NO probiotics.
The Eukanuba adult kibble you get at Petco: Third ingredient by weight is, again, cornmeal. Fourth and sixth ingredients sorghum and beet pulp. NO probiotics. Both brands contain "by-products" which can be anything from cartilage to feathers.
All these brands will claim to be complete nutrition for dogs. Those standards were set by large corporations that provide low-quality products for animals because it uses cheap ingredients they have in large supply.
By the way, I clicked on your link and it says dogs do not require carbohydrates which is false. Dogs are omnivores like humans. Dogs were domesticated about 10,000 years ago, about when humans started farming, and they are adapted to eating farmed food like we do. Dogs have more copies of the genes that allow them to digest starch than wolves do.
Dogs cannot digest fiber, but then again, neither can we. Fiber within reason provides bulk to help with bowel movements and weight control.
So, what is balanced-a lot of nutrients are in that recipe?
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