Home-Cooking for Dogs 101 (Got this from a Veterinarian...and last one too.)
Please note: This is a basic program, and you should consult your veterinarian for your dog痴 specific needs.
2 whole chickens ( 3 pounds (6.6kg) minimum each
Fresh (or frozen) vegetables of your choice (I avoid onions, garlic, leeks and the like, as it *can* lead to hemolytic anemia. I also avoid grapes and raisins, as they have been linked to problems in some animals.)
Fresh fruit (whatever is in season, or can be obtained fresh frozen)
Place the chickens into a 鼎rock-Pot Slow Cooker. (I use a 6.5 Qt. (~6.8L) Crock-Pot) Add enough water to just cover the bottom of the pot. Add 2 tsp of Olive Oil, to prevent sticking and make clean up easier.
Cook on High for 12 hours. Once the chicken begins to cook the fat out of the skin, add enough water to keep the chicken covered. After the first 12 hours, stir the chickens well, and reduce heat to Low. Cook another 18 hours. After the 36 hours of cooking time, I add the vegetables to the mix, and cook another 10-12 hours on Low. If you are going to use any grains, I add them the last 3 hours of cooking. Turn off the cooker, and let cool until you can place your hands in the mix. Once it is cool enough, use your hands to mash around in the mix (you could use a potato masher), and you will find that the bones disintegrate as you mash, thereby eliminating worry of choking on a whole chicken bone. I then add any fruits, and let them just slightly wilt, before placing the mix into containers to go into the refrigerator and freezer. I keep a 2-3 day supply in the refrigerator, and place the rest into the freezer. My goal is to have a 30 day supply in the freezer, should I have to be out of town, or incapacitated for some reason.
I personally don稚 recommend much grain. While whole, organic grains can be healthy, they can be difficult to come by in some areas. I have also found grains can aggravate allergies in some dogs.
I try to make my mixture to be 50% protein and 50% vegetables and fruit, pre-cooked weight. This is for dogs that have no other health issues. If you are going to add grain, then I would consider it to be part of the vegetable and fruit section. Using this method, I don稚 drain the fat, once the dogs have become acclimated to the diet. Pets need some fat in the diet, so this keeps me from having to add additional supplements. Also, since the bone is in the food, I don稚 worry about the Ca
ratio and adding bone meal.
You can substitute beef brisket, beef heart, ground beef, ground pork, pork brisket or other meats for variety, or as the dog痴 condition warrants. If cooking items with no bone, I would decrease the cooking time to 12-24 hours (the 24 hours for pork), and add the vegetables halfway through the cooking. You may also add bone meal if you are not feeding anything with bone in it.
As far as fruits and vegetables, most anything that is healthy for a human is healthy for your dog, with the exceptions listed above. I use a variety of vegetables, such as organic fresh carrots, fresh (or fresh frozen) zucchini, yellow squash, peaches, tomatoes, berries, melons, green beans, green peas, sweet potatoes, (I boil these separately until tender, then remove the skin and place into the mix with the fruit.), bananas, apples, broccoli, pumpkin, spinach, etc. I will add 2-4 different fruit/vegetable items in each 澱atch of food I make, and then will add 2-4 different items in the next 澱atch? This way, I balance the diet over the week/month, as opposed to trying to balance the diet with each meal. It also lets me use the fruits and vegetables when they are in season, and freeze some for when little is growing fresh.
As always, you and your veterinarian are your dog痴 best advocate. Always consult him/her with any questions about what meats and vegetables are best for your individual pet. This becomes even more important if your pet already has any health issues.
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INGREDIENTS
4 Chicken Thighs
2 Cups cubed sweet potatoes
1 Cup Mustard greens
Pinch of Cinnamon
1 can of sardines in oil
Simmer the chicken, sweet potatoes, and the mustard greens in about a quart of water until the meat
is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Add the cinnamon towards the end, and add the sardines
after turning off the heat. Serve at room temperature.
