Questions...

[corleyresearch]

Okay, I have never home cooked for my dogs. I want to find out what you do, how you do it, and why you do it this way. If I were to do this what is the most cost effective way to do it and what are some suggestions? Thanks!

[Shamu]

Are you asking about feeding the dog homecooked only, or just about adding something here and there to the kibbles? Feeding home-cooked instead of raw or kibbles, IMO, is the hardest, most risky and most expensive way to feed the dog :)
The only reason I'm doing it now - because we couldn't find the right kibbles for her.
With homecooked, you need to make sure that food has right amount of protein/fat, and contains all necessary vitamins/minerals. If the dog is not getting raw bones, you need to add calcium; if the dog is not getting enough vitamins from fruits/veggies, you need to add vitamins. It's easier with adult, but risky with puppy, because if there is not enough or too much of something, it can cause growing problems.
And I'm not even talking about actual "cooking" fun part! Especially when it's 10PM, and I forgot that I didn't cook her rice yet - so to feed her, I need to cook it first, then cool it down..

[corleyresearch]

Wow! Thanks for the info.

[alicat613]

I could not agree more. I fed a homecooked diet following the Dr. Pitcairn method (who has since changed to preferring raw, I believe) back in the early 90's per the advice of our vet after my standard poodle bloated and torsed severely. She did well and never bloated again, despite the odds, and lived a full long life. I began home cooking for my Dane but it was expensive and overwhelming, not to mention the giant poops!! My vet feeds raw and asked why I was cooking it, and I really couldn't answer logically! So after some research I went to a raw diet and it is so much simpler and cheaper. Actually its cheaper for me than any kibble I'd be comfortable feeding, although it took me some time to find the best sources and get my routine down.

With homecooking, you need to do lean meats and add in raw fats. Cooked fats will cause gas and don't provide the same benefits. You also need to add bulk in the form of grains/carbs like sweet potato or brown rice or a diet of cooked meats only will cause some nasty runs. This all comes out in pretty big poos. Then you need to balance out the calcium in proportion to meat which is pretty complicated and varies by brand/type of calcium replacement.

[themelmom]

I feed homemade because I can not get a kibble that Hogan likes or can tolerate. I am sure I could order online and spend a TON of money but that is not an option. Everything I can get locally for less than $1.75 a pound doesn't work for him. I have two Danes and a Rat Terrier so it takes a good bit of food. My dogs actually eat less of the homemade. I feed my dogs for about $1.00 to $1.25 a pound which is inline with most dog food if not less. Even Science Diet is more for a pound than I spend. I use chicken and beef since Hogan can't tolerate pork. I plan to use venison some in the fall/winter when a friend's husband kills a deer for me. I also use some turkey. I used leg quarters and gizzards. I buy steak and ground meat reduced for quick sale. I mix in sweet potatoes and brown rice and veggies. I ordered Solid Gold Bone Meal and add according to their directions for calcium. I give acipophilus for digestive support since Lexie doesn't do well with yogurt. It's hard work but it beats constant poop issues. So far they are doing well on it. Hogan is a good size and has almost NO gas unlike with kibble. His poo is good on homemade and actually less. I would switch to Taste of the Wild if I thought I could do it without issues and Hogan would eat it. I have read lots of articles and recipes and I try to make sure they are getting everything they need. I probably would not do this with a small puppy. Lexie is 9 months and I am watching her to make sure she has no issues with homemade.
I cook about 30-40 pounds of meat in the oven and crock pot once a week. I mix everything up and bag it for each day of the week. I thaw in water overnight each night and the food is ready to feed the next morning. It takes dedication. It is a lot easier to throw some kibble in a bowl...if your dog can eat it.

[DaneObsession]

I feed homecooking exclusively to one of my Danes(he has colitis and IBS issues) and our other Danes; including those in our Rescue program; are given 3 homecooked meals a week in addition to their Kibble. The one that is only on homecooking exclusively has a lot less poop(usually just once a day, sometimes two) and I, too find him to have less gas than those on kibble.

One has to be very careful about obtaining the right balance for proper nutritional input and I have not found it to be any more expensive than Kibble; though some food items purchased can be more costly. We do have access to fresh venison, wild turkey, pheasant etc. on our property and grow a lot of our own veggies plus some fruits. I also feed buffalo, fish and emu.