Why do I say homemade dog food means less waste? Well, it actually has two meanings for me.
First, I'm able to use up food that might otherwise go to waste in my house. Leftover chicken or pasta that no one has eaten in a day or two (and therefore will probably not ever get eaten) now goes into our dog's homemade food. I feel better about not wasting food, and my dogs LOVE it. Just remember not to feed onions, grapes/raisins, chocolate, caffeine, macadamia nuts, and alcohol. There are other things on the list, but everything is debatable as to whether, and how much, is considered harmful for your dog. I have found that my Catahoula can eat about anything, whereas my Mastiff has a much more sensitive stomach. Better err on the side of caution with the debatable foods - that's my motto.
The second meaning for less waste? Well, basically, the dog's waste. I laugh when I go to my mom's house; she has a toy poodle. When I take him outside to go to the bathroom, I am always amused at how small his poop is! We use the small sandwich bags to clean up his stool! With my mastiff, it used to fill up about 1/3 to 1/2 of a plastic grocery bag. Now, after feeding homemade dog food, it fills up about 1/4 of a bag - and it doesn't stink!
Healthy Dogs
Two Very Active Dogs - Shadow & Stella playing tug-a-war
Showing posts with label homemade dog diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homemade dog diet. Show all posts
Carbs for Homemade Healthy Dog Food
So for the past few months I've been feeding my dogs brown rice as the main carb. I'd get a little bored eating only rice, so I tried instant (quick-cooking) oatmeal. I'm hooked! Two and a half minutes in the microwave and it's done! And warm. The dogs really seem to like it also.
The only bad thing about the oatmeal is I only like to use it fresh - it's not something I make ahead of time and portion out to use later. I tried it and, although it is probably edible for the dogs, it just does not look very appetizing - big clumps of goo.
But since oatmeal only takes a couple of minutes in the microwave to make, this has become a definite staple in my pantry, especially for when I am short on other carbs.
Another carb I've been using a lot of is split pea. I have been using split pea with either oatmeal or rice, not just in place of. Split pea is great because it actually has a pretty high protein count, around 8g protein per .5 cup. Compare that to brown rice which has 2.5g/.5 cup. The carb count for split pea is 20g/.5 cup; brown rice is 22g/.5 cup. This helps bring my overall protein percentage up for the meal and allows me to save a little bit on my meat - not a whole bunch - but I go through 2 - 3 cups meats a day with my dogs, so every little bit helps.
The only bad thing about the oatmeal is I only like to use it fresh - it's not something I make ahead of time and portion out to use later. I tried it and, although it is probably edible for the dogs, it just does not look very appetizing - big clumps of goo.
But since oatmeal only takes a couple of minutes in the microwave to make, this has become a definite staple in my pantry, especially for when I am short on other carbs.
Another carb I've been using a lot of is split pea. I have been using split pea with either oatmeal or rice, not just in place of. Split pea is great because it actually has a pretty high protein count, around 8g protein per .5 cup. Compare that to brown rice which has 2.5g/.5 cup. The carb count for split pea is 20g/.5 cup; brown rice is 22g/.5 cup. This helps bring my overall protein percentage up for the meal and allows me to save a little bit on my meat - not a whole bunch - but I go through 2 - 3 cups meats a day with my dogs, so every little bit helps.
More Proof Homemade Healthy Dog Food is Best
As if stopping the dog itching weren't enough, I now have more proof that homemade healthy dog food is the best thing for your dog!
I was on the floor the other day with our mastiff, Stella, petting her. She's such a goofball. She was on her back, just chillin', enjoying her massage - what a life!
When we got Stella, back at the end of October, she had a big knot (I guess it is a cyst) on one of her front elbows. It was just a little smaller than a golf ball. My friend said that it is common among mastiffs - nothing to worry about. OK - I didn't know anything about mastiffs, so I just took her word for it. It didn't appear to hurt her.
So I'm petting her all over and run my hands down her front legs when I notice there is no knot/cyst. I check her other leg, thinking I was mistaken about which leg it was on - nothing there either. I still don't know what caused it in the first place (I really should research that but there are only so many hours in the day).
My personal opinion is that it was a collection of toxins that her body could not get rid of while she was eating that vile commercial dog food. Now that she is relatively toxin-free on homemade healthy dog food, her immune system is in peak condition and she slowly eliminated whatever was in there!
Just more proof of the power of the body - if it's fed good, nutrient-filled food!
I was on the floor the other day with our mastiff, Stella, petting her. She's such a goofball. She was on her back, just chillin', enjoying her massage - what a life!
When we got Stella, back at the end of October, she had a big knot (I guess it is a cyst) on one of her front elbows. It was just a little smaller than a golf ball. My friend said that it is common among mastiffs - nothing to worry about. OK - I didn't know anything about mastiffs, so I just took her word for it. It didn't appear to hurt her.
So I'm petting her all over and run my hands down her front legs when I notice there is no knot/cyst. I check her other leg, thinking I was mistaken about which leg it was on - nothing there either. I still don't know what caused it in the first place (I really should research that but there are only so many hours in the day).
My personal opinion is that it was a collection of toxins that her body could not get rid of while she was eating that vile commercial dog food. Now that she is relatively toxin-free on homemade healthy dog food, her immune system is in peak condition and she slowly eliminated whatever was in there!
Just more proof of the power of the body - if it's fed good, nutrient-filled food!
Homemade Healthy Dog Food Tip #4
Tip #4 - don't stress!
At first, I must admit, I was a little anal about making sure I had every component ready for my dogs' next meals. With the holidays and parties and all right now, I had used up all my veggies for the dogs at an evening meal and was just too tired to make up some more for the next morning meal that night.
The next morning I got up and went to feed the dogs and started stressing cause I had no veggies to give them! My husband looked at me like I was a little crazy. Then I remembered a tip I had read during all my research - "don't stress! If you don't have a component, add more of another. Then at the next feeding, double up on the missed component and half the component you added more of."
Really, it's pretty simple, isn't it. Kind of makes me feel a little silly that I even got worked up at all. I mean we, as humans, do it all the time. Eat a meal at a fast food place - do we get our veggies there? Usually not, at least not MY kids.
So don't stress over your homemade dog food. Trust me, what you are feeding them is so much better than the majority of the commercial dog food out there. There are a few - and the number is growing - of small dog food companies, like Sojos Dog Food, that are making natural, organic foods that are actually good for your dog.
Want to find out more about how to make homemade healthy dog food for your dog? Visit my website, Homemade Healthy Dog Food, and hopefully I can help you on your journey to make your dog healthy.
At first, I must admit, I was a little anal about making sure I had every component ready for my dogs' next meals. With the holidays and parties and all right now, I had used up all my veggies for the dogs at an evening meal and was just too tired to make up some more for the next morning meal that night.
The next morning I got up and went to feed the dogs and started stressing cause I had no veggies to give them! My husband looked at me like I was a little crazy. Then I remembered a tip I had read during all my research - "don't stress! If you don't have a component, add more of another. Then at the next feeding, double up on the missed component and half the component you added more of."
Really, it's pretty simple, isn't it. Kind of makes me feel a little silly that I even got worked up at all. I mean we, as humans, do it all the time. Eat a meal at a fast food place - do we get our veggies there? Usually not, at least not MY kids.
So don't stress over your homemade dog food. Trust me, what you are feeding them is so much better than the majority of the commercial dog food out there. There are a few - and the number is growing - of small dog food companies, like Sojos Dog Food, that are making natural, organic foods that are actually good for your dog.
Want to find out more about how to make homemade healthy dog food for your dog? Visit my website, Homemade Healthy Dog Food, and hopefully I can help you on your journey to make your dog healthy.
Homemade Healthy Dog Food: Tip #3
So I just told you about using finely crushed egg shells for a calcium supplement, but I forgot to put in there that the eggs are a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals for your dog.
So here's my shortcut/tip:
I boil some water, turn it down to a simmer and poach about a dozen eggs. If I can rinse off the egg shells right away, I'll do that. Otherwise I put them in a bowl of water and just let them soak until I can rinse them off. Then I use the egg shells as stated in Tip #2.
I tried hard boiling the eggs, hoping to make it easier, but sometimes (not sure why) it was just too hard getting the egg shells off the eggs without egg white sticking. Poaching just ends up being easier for me to "harvest" the egg shells.
After the eggs are poached/cooked, I put them in a container and put in the fridge. Cook only as many eggs as you can use within 3 to 4 days. Use the eggs as a protein source in your homemade dog food, either alone or with another meat.
Eggs are great to have around in case you run out of meat for your dog food. They only take a couple of minutes to cook, most dogs love them, and they are great for your dog.
If you want to find out more about foods that are good/bad for your dog, download this e-book, Dog Food Dangers.
- Side Note:
There is a huge debate over whether you should cook the eggs or can serve them raw! Raw egg whites have a protein which binds with and depletes biotin (a B vitamin). However raw egg yolks have enough biotin to actually prevent deficiency. Raw egg yolks can also contain Salmonella. I don't risk it - but there are a lot of people out there who feed raw eggs to their dogs with no problems.
So here's my shortcut/tip:
I boil some water, turn it down to a simmer and poach about a dozen eggs. If I can rinse off the egg shells right away, I'll do that. Otherwise I put them in a bowl of water and just let them soak until I can rinse them off. Then I use the egg shells as stated in Tip #2.
I tried hard boiling the eggs, hoping to make it easier, but sometimes (not sure why) it was just too hard getting the egg shells off the eggs without egg white sticking. Poaching just ends up being easier for me to "harvest" the egg shells.
After the eggs are poached/cooked, I put them in a container and put in the fridge. Cook only as many eggs as you can use within 3 to 4 days. Use the eggs as a protein source in your homemade dog food, either alone or with another meat.
Eggs are great to have around in case you run out of meat for your dog food. They only take a couple of minutes to cook, most dogs love them, and they are great for your dog.
If you want to find out more about foods that are good/bad for your dog, download this e-book, Dog Food Dangers.
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