[dusty&lulusmom]

It has been awhile since I have been on the Food Forum. My dogs are on a home cooked diet and I am always looking to learn from others. If your dog is on a home cooked diet please share what you are preparing for them. Do you use a variety of meats, vegis, etc? Do you add any grains? Do you use any kibble? My dogs are getting 1/2 home cooked, and 1/2 EVO kibble. I am not completely confident that I am meeting their nutritional need 100% with just home cooked which is why I use a quality kibble. My home cooked food consist of: main ingredient meat (turkey, chicken, pork, beef..usually what is on sale), vegi (one of the following: green beans, peas, brocolli, spinach, cauliflower, etc. Sweet potato or pumpkin. My dogs do better with no other grain added. Sometimes I add plain yogurt, sardines and/or liver. I am probably going to start baking the liver and using this as treats. Right now they are on dog treats from the store...I want to change this. Usually once or twice a week they get boiled eggs. I also add gizzards and hearts to the home cooked mix about every other week. I am feeding an older small (runt) basset hound. She is 12, weighs 25 lbs. A Westie, 3 years old 22 lbs. A cairn/westie mix, 2 years old 20lbs. I think they are a good weight and they all look good and are happy.

[poodleholic]

I feed EVO, and also cook for them, so they get fresh, whole foods. No grains, as a rule, but I will occasionally serve them brown rice with their meat and vegetables, or pasta with a fresh tomato sauce with meat balls.

Chicken breasts, poached in water with garlic and celery stalk. Shred the meat while still warm.

Ground sirloin, or lamb, or venison, or bison, poached in water with garlic and clelery stalk, maybe add some rosemary, bay leaf, etc. Occasionally, I will grill or broil meat patties, make a meatloaf, or roast meat balls in the oven on a cookie sheet.

Fresh vegetables, steamed. Asparagus, gr. beans, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc, but never any corn.
Cottage cheese with fish oil mixed into it.
Baked or steamed yams/sweet potatoes.
Plain, live culture yogurt.
Sardines in spring water or olive oil.
Wild Alaskan Salmon (I use those sold in pouch packets).
Albacore Tuna (in the pouch).
Hard Boiled Eggs as treats.


Some sample meals:

Wild Alaskan Salmon with green beans and yams/sweet potatoes.

Saurkraut, with Kosher, all beef hot dogs + EVO.

Pot Roast, seared and browned in olive oil w/garlic, cooked on top of stove using a dutch oven. Slow cook with cover off, adding small amount of water to prevent burning, and to get a nice broth. Add baby carrots, rutabeggas, turnips, little red new potatoes (not a lot of nutritional value, but they love them). The meat is so tender, you don't even need a knife. This is a dinner that I can also eat, so that's always a plus when cooking!

Pasta with meat balls and red sauce.

Meatloaf made with chopped apple, cottage cheese and grated carrot, seasoned with herbs and garlic. Served with a little brown rice and broccoli (or vegetable of choice).

Omelette with spinach, cheese, and avacado. I use natural cheeses without artificial coloring. French Farmer's Cheese, goat cheese, baby swiss, etc.

Poached eggs over EVO.


They also get fresh fruits as treats, favoring blueberries, watermelon, raspberries, pears, and apples.

[dusty&lulusmom]

Delicious, I am starving after reading this. I tend to mostly cook their meals in the crock pot. I find it convenient. I just finished a batch of food. I slow cooked boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ground lean turkey, sweet potatos and carrots. I save the broth, skim it and bottle it. At night they some dry EVO with the broth. In the morning they get EVO and their home cooked meal. After I mushed everything up from the crock pot I added two scrambled eggs. I boiled the shells and grinded them into a powder and added this. I also added a can of sardines in spring water.