Mandy's Dog Food Recipe

[judy]

Dear Mandy,

My dogs inhale their food since I started using your recipe! Max was the fussiest eater for over a year, I finally had to add parmigian cheese to his food to get him to eat.

Now, I have to watch that when Gracie Leigh stops to take a breath, he doesn't gobble hers up too!

I bought 20 lbs of chicken breasts on sale, about 3 pounds of chopped meat, lentils and brown rice. I made it all up, portioned and baggied it, and every day I take out their frozen food. Thank goodness for microwaves.

Hopefully, I have about a month's worth. Do you use a whole chicken, parts, or what? I got this in a supermarket for $1.00/lb of nice big organic Perdue cutlets, but I love to save money if possible.

I haven't added the veggies yet because the lentils and the copped meat are new.

Max and Gracie say thank you Aunt Mandy!

[DianaB]

I would appreciate it if one of you would post the recipe or pm it to me. If Reuger keeps scratching I may have to try making his food too.

[AngieDoogles]

Originally Posted by DianaB

I would appreciate it if one of you would post the recipe or pm it to me. If Reuger keeps scratching I may have to try making his food too.

I'd like to see it too. I must have missed the first thread...

[Mandy]

Originally Posted by judy

Dear Mandy,

My dogs inhale their food since I started using your recipe! Max was the fussiest eater for over a year, I finally had to add parmigian cheese to his food to get him to eat.

Now, I have to watch that when Gracie Leigh stops to take a breath, he doesn't gobble hers up too!

I bought 20 lbs of chicken breasts on sale, about 3 pounds of chopped meat, lentils and brown rice. I made it all up, portioned and baggied it, and every day I take out their frozen food. Thank goodness for microwaves.

Hopefully, I have about a month's worth. Do you use a whole chicken, parts, or what? I got this in a supermarket for $1.00/lb of nice big organic Perdue cutlets, but I love to save money if possible.

I haven't added the veggies yet because the lentils and the copped meat are new.

Max and Gracie say thank you Aunt Mandy!

Judy, i'm so glad they like it so much! I have 2 very picky eaters, one gets fed with a t'spoon, yes, you heard right, i have to feed her like a baby, if i dont, she refuses to eat, i know... spoiled rotten.
Next batch you make, please do add the veggies, because they need the greens, and vitamins.
Slowly start introducing the fish oil, and calcium like i told you.


Fish oil is good for dogs, and cats! Veterinarians first used omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil to treat canine allergies but now recommend it for a wide variety of conditions ranging from kidney disease to arthritis and high cholesterol. Adding fish oil to your dog?s food provides anti-inflammatory effects and can help relieve itching due to atopic dermatitis, an allergy-related skin condition.

There is a lot more info if you need it, just let me know.


Hugs, and kisses to the kids from me

[Mandy]

I'll be happy to help anyone on home cooking. My girls dont know what kibble or canned food looks like. There is a lot of info on dog food, but seriously, it's sickning to read it.

[Mandy]

Judy, i forgot to add, yes i use chicken livers, hearts, veal liver too, just make sure they can handle beef, one of mine doesnt do well when i add beef, so i keep them on chicken.

[Mandy]

Ok... i found an easy to go by article, and will add more things as we go along.

For those that want to try homecooking, and have any question, just ask, i'll help where i can.

Introduction
Making your own dog food requires a simple mix of meat, vegetables and starches.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Steps
1Step Know that it is wise to check with your vet before switching to homemade dog food.
2Step Understand that dogs need a diet that consists of 40 percent meat, 30 percent vegetables and 30 percent starch. Follow this formula to ensure that your dog has a well-balanced diet.
3Step Cook meat before feeding it to your dog.
4Step Realize that organ meat (such as liver, kidneys, etc.) and eggs are very good for your dog.
5Step Consider the fact that many experts believe commercial dog food is actually unhealthy for dogs. Often the meat that is used in dog food is of a quality considered unfit for humans.
6Step Try making a mixture of ground turkey, rice and carrot for your own dog food. Meals made of ground beef, brown rice, brewer's yeast and carrots are also popular.
7Step Rotate the foods you feed your dog so that the dog gets a variety of foods.
8Step Add a tiny bit of cooked garlic to your dog food. Dogs enjoy the flavor and garlic is a natural flea repellent. Be sure to consult your vet before using garlic, however, as raw or spoiled garlic may be poisonous to dogs.
9Step Use oatmeal, pasta, rice or potatoes for your dog's starch requirement.
10Step Grind eggshells and add this to your dog's meal. Eggshells have a lot of nutrients.
11Step Keep cooked dog food in the refrigerator no longer than three days.
Tips & Warnings

When you first switch to homemade dog food, try mixing commercial dog food to the food you have prepared to help your dog make the transition.

Do not feed your dog chocolate.

The American Animal Hospital Association lists raw and spoiled garlic as poisonous and potentially fatal to dogs. Use garlic only in small doses and make sure it is cooked.

link in case anyone wants to meander over there and peruse

http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html

For breakfast, i feed them 1/4 hard boiled egg, with cottage cheese.
For lunch they get, yogurt with fruit, or a little bit of honey to kill the "sour" taste. Yogurt is good for bacterials needed in the intestines.

[AngieDoogles]

Thanks so much Mandy!!! You are awesome!

[Mandy]

Originally Posted by AngieDoogles

Thanks so much Mandy!!! You are awesome!

You welcome girl, if you have any doubts or questions, feel free to ask.

[Janet]

Mandy you are such a sweetheart sharing your knowledge like this. Since I'm not a very good cook, I know I would screw it up bad..lol
Good luck to all of you trying it. Anxious to see how you all do.

[judy]

My two are loving it! Whatever was ailing them is now gone, and everyting freezes well, so I cooked up a huge batch.

I'm very happy with this. Janet, there's nothing to it. Just boil up the meat, the chicken a little less time than the chopped meat so it doesn't dry out. You can throw raw veggies right into the meat pot. I'm going to next time. Lentils are easy. Just follow the directions on the package. Just rinse them first and discard the water they cooked in since it contains sugars that can cause gas.

[DianaB]

Thanks for the recipe. I really appreciate it.

[Mandy]

Oh Janet, if i can do it, you can for sure!!

Judy, you are doing GREAT

Diana, i think this might help with Reuger's allergies, just let me know if you need help.

[Gina]

Mandy and the rest how lucky are your little furbabies. Gucci as some of you may know, has had liver shunt surgery over a year ago last August. She use to love home cooked foods but now I have to unfortunately keep her on the Science Diet L/D diet for the rest of her life.. I feel bad its blah and its kibbles she has gotten use to eating it, other than milk bones and occasionaly tab of cheese with her heartworm pill she doesn't get anything. The good news is she is doing well on this food.

Just curious though when I use to go on Yorkie Talk people there use to say no human food , I think if you cook healthy as Mandy receipes are they will be fine.. So I am glad your babies are enjoying the food.. Thats great...

[Marilyn]

When our dogs all got sick after they were boarded while we were on vacation, I made their food for about a month. The vet had me start with white rice and chicken broth (they all had vomiting and dirrhea). Then I added baby food, chicken and veal. Gradually moving to rice with chicken broth and chopped chicken. Then I started adding some veggies. They all got well and thrived on the food along with good veteranary care. Now, a couple of months later, I'm still feeding our oldest (16 year old) rice and chicken broth with some of her kibble mixed in. The others are back on kibble with a little rice & broth to make it a little more appealing. When I run out of kibble and need to feed them, I just use the rice, broth and chicken mixture again.

I'm thinking of going to just making my own again though. All three really thrived on the homemade food and once I got used to making it, it was no problem at all. I could not believe how much energy our older dog has now compared to before all this happened. I do like knowing what they are eating instead of worrying what is in the commercially produced food.

Mandy thank you for your thoughts. I may just get inspired and go back to cooking.