Hello again. I am curious how many home cook for their pets, and what recipes do you use? If you don't home cook, what brands of food do you like best? Susan

Hi Susan, I have done it all! I fed raw for a long long time and my dogs did really well on it. The only problem with that was that we travel with them quite a bit and toting raw food around isn't exactly easy and switching them back to kibble every time we wanted to take a trip was not good either, especially as they have gotten older - it seems harder on their system. I have settled on rotating them through the really good kibbles such as EVO, Timberwolf, etc., and supplementing that with lightly cooked meats such as bison, venison, fish or turkey, a variety of steamed vegetables and eggs. They also love blueberries. They usually get a small scoop of kibble once a day and the other foods are from the list I just mentioned as their 2nd meal of the day. They also get yogurt daily. I give (Earth Animal) Dr. Bob's Health Nuggets as their daily vitamin supplement. I use Only Natural Pet's Icelandic Salmon oil for Divot for her EFA. Nigel is on some meds due to his illness and to combat effects on the liver, he is on some natural remedies to cleanse his liver and a high dose of Krill-plex.

I home cook for both my seniors, have been doing so for quite a while.  I use natural  grown chicken, lamb or ground sirloin combined with fresh organic vegetables (carrots, celery, garlic, sometimes a potato, barley. tomatoes, organic brown rice, squash, sometimes a little spinach, broccoli...plus whatever is in season), a can of fat free chicken broth, vegetable broth or a small amount of V-8 (V-8 seems very rich hence the small amount) plus water.  All this gets popped into my slow cooker and slow cooked over night.  When it is finished I cool it,  de-fat the mixture and refridgerate it.  I use wild caught salmon oil whenever I can.....my two aren't too crazy about it.  I also free-feed Natural Choice dry which they can nibble on anytime (chicken, rice & oatmeal formula) and travel with the dry and canned version as well as their home cooked food.  Both love their grub and are healthy, have shiny coats, bright eyes and full of get up and go.

Cherry

 I would eliminate the garlic from the dogs diet. Its just not a good food for them. Onions and garlic contain substances called disulphides that can poison your dog. Disulphides damage the surface of red blood cells, causing them to burst. The result is a disease called Heinz body anemia. The dog becomes weak and breathless, and may require a blood transfusion for recovery. The red pigment in urine (hemoglobinuria) is easily confused with urinary tract problems.

Hi Jay. It's nice to hear from you again. Have missed your posts in the past few days.  I home cook for the kids 2x weekly. Chicken or turkey is the main source of protein. Sometimes fish, but , boy are the kids picky about their seafood!  It's a shame, as I am only a few blocks from  a  wholesaler that sells various types of fish chunks for 99cents/pound!  I use a basic recipe from Dr. Pitcairn called One on One. The portions of carbohydrate to protien is simple, one to one. The babies get turkey or chicken, rice, beans, and a plethora of fruits and veggies. I live in Florida, and  have an abundance of tomatoes and papayas growing in my back yard. They also get ONP super daily vitamins+skin and coat, ONP GI Support, ONP Brewers Yeast and Garlic,  Pro Den Plaque-Off(it really works!), In Clover K9 Connectin, and the occasional Claritin for itching. I have never given them anything related to onions, but, have put a clove or two of garlic into the mix to help with flea control. I guess that onions and garlic are related, so how does one know if adding a little garlic to the food is OK? Some of the recipes in Dr. Pitcairn's book call for a clove of garlic, basically to help in the fight against fleas.  I started home cooking after Natural Balance's Venison and Brown Rice was recalled. Was feeding it to get Dixie to eat, as she gets bored with her food. Eli absolutely wouldn't touch it!  He also wouldn't touch some of that recalled peanut butter. I had 4 jars: 2 unopened, one almost empty, and one open that Eli wouldn't touch! You tell me if you think the dog is smart. Have been home cooking ever since, and the kids couldn't be happier or healthier! The vet hates me because I don'teed to bring the kids in every other month!

Hi Jay,

Thanks so much about the info on garlic.  I use garlic because I understand it helps in the fight against fleas.  If it is actually bad for the furry ones I will stop using it right now.

Thanks again.....

You got me thinking......  You mentioned onions, I checked several sites regarding onions because I had always been told you could give dogs onions as long as they were cooked.  Do you know if this is true?  Would it make any difference if the garlic is cooked?  Also regarding eggs....I scramble one egg and share it between my two little guys, maybe twice a week, sometimes mixed with meat.  Is this OK?  I have heard this is an easily digestible protein for dogs.  I never give them raw eggs, have read that dogs don't digest this well.  Is this true?  I have met people who swear by raw eggs for their pets and tell me I don't know what I am talking about.  What is your opinion?

Thanks so much.......

Hi, Jazzy.

Dogs should really not be given either onions or garlic cooked or uncooked, biochemically it is just not a good idea and if it in some cases is marginally okay, why do it? I put together a dog poisons page that I think I did a decent job with if you want to give it a read for review, it's here:

http://www.callofthedog.com/dogpoisons.php

Egg is wonderful protein and a vitamin E source for the dog, however you do know what you are talking about in a certain regard because it is the white of the egg that creates digestion problems for some and that part can be cooked and all should be fine.

Best Regards

 

Thanks so much for the information.  Your page on poisons is great.  I am going to send it to my daughter, she has three furry ones.

I am really confused about feeding garlic to dogs. I have read in small amounts it's OK, and helps repell fleas, aids digestion, and helps against intestinal parasites. It's also reported to be good for skin and heart health(canine and human alike). I do put a clove in the kids batch of food that lasts about 3 days. I also give brewers yeast and garlic tabs. If garlic was bad for your dog, why would these tabs be available?  My dogs are absolutely free of fleas(although they are on a commercial flea repellant. This is quite an accomplishment in South Florida).  I am thinking I will cut the garlic in the food mix, but continue the brewers yeast and garlic tabs.  They really are the picture of health, and the vet thinks it's amazing, so, I just don't know. The kids are due for a checkup soon, perhaps I'll have a CBC done to check for anemia then.

You can learn more about garlic use in pets by reading this article.
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/KnowledgeBase/knowledgebasedetail.aspx?articleid=80

Enjoy.

Thank you for directing me to that article. After reading it , I feel much better. I think I am within the guidelines suggested, but have  not been giving a "garlic break". I will institute that practice in the next week.  Thanks again.

The easiest thing to do is not say anything further however things are often not cut and dry unfortunately. There are many stories about the positives of garlic used for years for dogs. There are also the not so good out comes and that is not misinformation, it is what it is. I think it's like with people, some dogs are allergic or more sensitive and some are not, and then there is the everything in moderation argument because the positive effects are seen. Veterinarians also approve of the many chemical flea collars that are nothing less than necklaces of poison. You will have proponents as well as those coming down on the side of the risk is an unnecessary one to take. I will quote the American Animal Hospital Association that states that garlic is listed as a substance that is especially dangerous and can be fatal to cats and dogs as well as ASPCA.ORG that makes the same statement. Even knowledgeable proponents warn against using garlic for animals with possible compromising medical situations, so even they acknowledge that the biochemical realities are not necessarily so benign. There is also the argument that pharmaceutical firms don't want people using natural supplements because it cuts into their profit margins! You can split the safety difference by using the garlic directly on the dogs coat for the flea protection benefits and if used medicinally it should be with extreme care to error on the side of caution. I think that is a common sense approach.

Jay, you are correct, things are simply not cut and dry. Each animal is an individual, just like people. They each respond differently to foods, medications, and supplements. I did do quite a bit of research regarding garlic use in dogs, and it REALLY WAS slpit 50/50 for and against. And , yes, Eli does have a few "compromising medical situations", but, beleive me, he goes to the vet every 4-6 months. He is the picture of health at the moment, and I have the vet's blessing with my care of him. If she told me that I was doing something to harm him, I would stop. As for chemical flea control, there is no season in South Florida that kills fleas, ticks, or mosquitos. It is a problem year round.  Most dogs are infested with fleas even with flea drops. I do beleive that the garlic helps, as Dixie and Eli do not have fleas. However, when I attempted to go all natural, the whole house was infested. I don't like having to use chemical flea control, but, it is a neccessary evil. There has to be a balance between quality of life and medication. I am doing the best that I can with the knowledge that I have, and I don't think I am doing too badly. As you said, all things in moderation.