Want to make your own pet food?

We've put all the info below for putting together your own dog food. However you might want to also check out Dr. Harvey's ready to cook food. It's freeze dried - all organic and all you have to do is boil water and add meat. Read more here at Dr. Harvey's. Another is  Monzies Organics
 

Your basic ingredients:

• 60% lean meat, meaty bones, eggs; sardines and small amounts of organ meats

• 30% veggies (see list below- will include pumpkin; sweet potatoes; green beans)

• 10% starches (see list below- will include organic brown rice; millet; barley; peas)

NOTES:

Meat and Poultry should be slightly boiled but NOT OVER COOKED! RARE (not RAW) is best.

You can cook and pack into portions for freezing and then just thaw and use as needed.

If you add anything "canned" make sure it's NO SALT or extremely low in sodium or you may damage your pets kidneys and also cause pancreatitus.

NEVER give Pork Raw- it's not the 1st choice for meat... and NEVER give KIDNEY  or LIVER unless it is from certified organic animals, otherwise they contain too many toxins-especially heavy metals. Use only occasionally. It is good for anemic pets but should not be given daily. Heart is better for more regular use.

Fish should be frozen 1st since the freezing process will kill parasites. Do not give fresh water fish too often. Avoid TUNA as its high in mercury. Best fish: Canned Sardines (no salt), Mackerel and Salmon are wonderful. SEASON BRAND is low in salt.

Some people feel raw poultry or whole eggs are OK. This is a choice but we feel slightly cooked is the safest.  You can give YOLKS raw but WHITES should always be cooked. Some dogs might have an egg allergy!

VEGGIES & GRAINS:  if you 'juice for yourself' then save the pulp for your pups and add to their food. Just make sure you have washed and cleaned the veggies thoroughly before you juice.

Best veggies: Tried canned pureed pumpkin (pure pumpkin- not pie mix). Brussels sprout; green beans; sweet potatoes  are wonderful for and highly recommended.  Beets are high in sugar and therefore not recommended. Veggies must always be pureed or they will not be properly digested. Do no over cook. Use a mix of fresh or frozen veg, not canned. Not too much spinach, kale or cabbage. Try ideally to mix daily, 1/2 green veg with 1/2 root veggies. No CORN or ONIONS.  Corn is high in sugar and onions have a compound in it that depletes red blood cells. Cooking doesn't alter this so best to avoid..  carrots (no carrots for cancer dogs see info on cancer diet at top of page). You  use frozen vegetables, which retain a higher level of vitamins and minerals than do canned vegetables. We actually give our dogs frozen organic green beans and brussel sprouts as treats since they love them.

Best grains:  Oats; millet; quinoa; brown rice; kasha,. Grains should be organic if possible. Also measured after cooking for portions or you will give too much grain.

Add DAILY or when you can the below:

• Cold pressed olive oil or flax oil (add often) (1-4 teaspoons according to size): (i.e. small dog 1tsp./med. dog 2 tsp./ large dog 3tsp/extra large dog 4 tsp.)
• 1/2 Brazil nut per day - per 50lbs dog) (high in selenium –fights and prevents cancer) do not exceed dose-  read more here
• Brewer's Yeast (add often)
• Cod Liver Oil/omege fish oil (aprox 1000mg per day per 40lb dog)
• Cottage Cheese - l tbsp. (add after everything is cooled)
• Plain Yogurt - l tbsp. (add after everything is cooled)
• check out Wholistic Pet Canine Complete- it's all ORGANIC so we think it's better than the 'Missing Link'
• dash of the following spices: Cinnamon; Parsley; Oregano; Tumeric. add after everything is cooked as heating spices will make them lose their potency.
• a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

Add occasionally

• Garlic, Wheat Germ oil, Kelp,  1/4 tsp.
  Also bean sprouts, parsley, or alfalfa. These are sources of many minerals, vitamin C, and fiber. Your local health food store can usually provide a variety of seeds that you can grow in plastic or glass jars at home. It is a very easy process and you have an abundance of sprouts in no time. Mung beans are the most popular and lentils have an excellent mild flavor. Most sprouts will keep for seven to ten days in your refrigerator.

Optional:

You can add fruits (see list below) to the food.

For TREATS- Cheeses can be given -such as cheddar etc. Along with Fresh Fruit and RICE CAKES (no sugar added ones!) Try stuffing in a KONG DENTAL STICK or KONG LIKE TOY. Safe and long lasting treat.

Also we recommend giving your pets (if they enjoy) chunks of fruit for treats such as organic apples; pears; bananas; papaya; blueberries and melons. Avoid Grapes as they are dangerous and also anything with a pit. Do not give citrus fruits as it can irritate kidneys.

An example is:

For breakfast, my dog gets a bowl of oatmeal with a small amount of meat or fruit mixed in. Lunch and dinner are composed of meat, grains, and fruit or vegetables. With either lunch or dinner I add yogurt or cottage cheese for calcium. Plain, nonfat yogurt contains 450 mg. of calcium per cup. Yogurt is easily digested by pets and will replace the good bacteria in their systems if they are on antibiotics. Cottage cheese contains 155 mg. per cup. One cup of low-fat milk provides 300 mg. Calcium can also be obtained from other natural sources: 3 ounces of canned salmon with the bone contains 180 mg. of calcium and 3 l/2 ounces of sardines with bones, 400 mg. Two tablespoons of whole sesame seeds contain 175 mg. of calcium. Many vegetables contain calcium although in lower levels than the foods mentioned above.

How much calcium do our pets need per day? Martin Zucker quotes Nancy Scanlan, DVM, in his books, Natural Remedies for Dogs and Natural Remedies for Cats: “The recommended dosage for toy dogs is 100 mg. daily; small dogs, 200 mg.; medium dogs, 300 mg.; larger dogs, 500 mg. Large puppies can use 10 percent more.”4 She recommends the following for cats: “50 to 100 mg. daily. Increase the amount by 25 percent for kittens.”5 Dairy products provide calcium that is readily absorbed by both dogs and cats.

Riveriene Farm, a holistic nutrition website, describes various forms of calcium supplements in their Nutrition Index and notes that some of the calcium supplements can cause problems when added to a pet’s diet. According to Riveriene Farm, bonemeal used in many dog food recipes, “contains absorbable calcium but may be contaminated with lead.” You can purchase bonemeal that is certified free of heavy metal contamination, lead, mercury, and arsenic. If you are going to add a supplement, certified bonemeal is the best choice. The Nutrition Index describes calcium chloride as irritating to the intestinal tract, and calcium phosphate interferes with the absorption of other nutrients when included with other supplements. Neither calcium chloride nor calcium phosphate is a wise choice as a source of calcium for your pet. The conclusion reached in the Nutrition Index is that “the best sources of calcium are natural, organic food sources.”6
In his book, How to Have a Healthier Dog, Wendell Belfield, DVM, advises, “It’s too much, not too little that bothers me most in regard to calcium. Dog owners have this great urge to over-supplement calcium. A balanced vitamin and mineral supplement should contain all the extra calcium a growing dog or pregnant or lactating bitch needs.”7 Individual animals have individual needs. If you are going to supplement the diet of your dog or cat do so only under the guidance of your veterinarian.

Other things to keep in mind:

Cancers thrive on refined sugars and high carbohydrates- keep your pet off them! White carbs convert to sugars.

Fresh GARLIC-contains numerous compounds with demonstrated protective effects against various cancers but use in LOW DOSES as too much can deplete blood cells.

MILK THISTLE (Silybum marianum) seeds are very useful in supporting proper liver function. Its active constituents include Silymarin, a flavonoid complex that has antioxidant effects.

If salt is ever added in pinches it should be an UNREFINED Sea Salt - Celtic or Himalayan -not a regular sea salt

AGAIN -NEVER GIVE SUGAR OR COMMERCIAL DOG TREATS most contain CORN SYRUP which will fuel cancers. Corn syrup is only for dogs in emergencies that are hypoglycemic.

And remember - if you are NOT sure if a food is safe thoroughly research it on the web before giving! I've found sites that say nutmeg and raisins are safe but they are not. Always double check.

(see notes below for diabetic dogs)

             FOODS TO AVOID              (for a more expansive list see our dangerous foods page and our hazards pages

- Alcoholic beverages
- Chocolate (bakers, semi-sweet, milk chocolate)
- Coffee (ground, beans, chocolate-covered espresso beans) 
- Moldy or spoiled foods
- Onions and onion powder
- Garlic and garlic powder (safe and good in very SMALL doses)
- Salt
- Yeast dough
- Macadamia nuts***
- Raisins and grapes
- Avocado
- Hops (used in home brewing)
- Fatty foods
- Bones
- Milk
- Raw eggs
- Raw or undercooked meat
- Products containing the sweetener xylitol (xylitol is deadly)

***GOOD NUTS are Peanuts and Peanut Butter -but always use ORGANIC and SALT/SUGAR FREE as Peanuts are high in chemical sprays. Also we DO recommend giving 1/4 to 1 BRAZIL NUTS each day as they are high in selenium and anti cancer - but you must not overdose - you give according to weight. PLEASE READ the info on BRAZIL NUTS before giving as giving to much can be dangerous!

Other foods to avoid are hops (used in home beer brewing), tomato leaves and stems (green parts), tomato leaves and stems (green parts), rhubarb leaves, avocados (toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle, and dairy goats), cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, moldy or spoiled foods. BONES raw and cooked are

Please check this complete list of FOODS TO TOTALLY AVOID! As there are many dangerous ones - some might surprise you.

Rawhides-only from time to time and most importantly - buy only made in the USA as others are dusted with arsenic during processing. Arsenic builds up in the body & is toxic over time causing health problems.
Never let a dog chew rawhide bones unsupervised - they can choke on them. Better alternatives are NYLABONES and BULLYSTICKS. But the IDEAL TREAT is a KONG DENTAL STICK that you can stuff with organic peanut butter or frozen meat. They can't choke on it and it's a long lasting HEALTHY SAFE treat!

Avoid RAW Spinach, Swiss Chard, and Rhubarb: While these are not toxic, they
are high in oxalic acid, a compound that interferes with calcium absorption,
so don't feed these very often.

Click here for details on why to avoid the above

SOME DOG FOOD AND TREAT RECIPES

Notes for Diabetic and Cancer Dogs

Please note for Diabetic dogs:

When giving supplements containing vitamin A, remember that Diabetics cannot convert Beta Carotine to Vitamin A once metabolized. This is the one instance we DO NOT recommend Omega 3 Oils as it will increase blood levels of low-density lipoproteins and cholesterol as well as blood sugar-And LDL is EXTREMELY BAD NEWS to a diabetic!!
More info on this can be found at http://www.newmanveterinary.com/Diabetes.htm
Also- NEVER give supplements containing GLUCOSAMINE as this nutrient must be avoided by diabetics because Glucosamine blocks the formation of insulin. Also DO NOT feed your a diabetic pet any pet foods containing GLUCOSAMINE. Many 'Senior Foods'  (such as NUTRO-Max SENIOR - a non human grade food so we do not recommend it) have this added now to help aging pets with arthritis and joint mobility. It is a good thing for arthritic and older dogs but NOT if they are DIABETIC! In March 2001 issue of PREVENTION Magazine tells more of the dangers for diabetics and this supplement both in HUMANS AND ALL ANIMALS. It is shown taking Glucosamine if you are Diabetic can trigger INSULIN RESISTANCE. This means that the body stops recognizing insulin and, as a result sugar in the blood can build up to a dangerous level. Another online article on this is found here at Nutrition Science News
For more see our page on Diabetes.

Notes for Dog with Cancer - Please read above and also this link below:

http://b-naturals.com/Sum1998.php

Do not give Cancer and sick dogs chews/rawhides or pork chews of any kind

Your pet's taste buds may change due to the chemo, ask your vet or post on the boards for ideas and suggestions of what you might add to make your pet eat when this happens.

Diet is an important thing to discuss with your oncologist!