# FAQ on Homemade Diets



## marjrc

I hope it's o.k. that I copied and pasted this info here. Maybe I should write to Lew about it........ I think it's great info for anyone wanting to know more about feeding homemade food for our dogs.

*FAQ on Home Made Diets* 
B-Naturals Newsletter 
October 2007

By
Lew Olson,
PhD Natural Health, LMSW-ACP

*Frequently Asked Questions on Home Made Diets*

*1. How much food do I feed my dog?*

Answer: The general rule of thumb is to feed 2% to 3% of the dog's "ideal" body weight. For instance, if you feel your dog needs to weigh more, use this percentage for the weight you would like your dog to weigh. If you think your dog needs to lose weight, feed to the percentage that meets that goal.

Example: One pound equals approximately two cups.

100 lb dog = 2 lb to 3 lb daily, or two meals of 1 to 1-1/2 lbs each meal.
75 lb dog = 1-1/2 lb to 2-3/4 lb daily or two meals of 12 oz. to 18 oz. each meal.
50 lb dog = 1 lb to 1-1/2 lb daily or two meals of 8 oz. to 12 oz. each meal.
25 lb dog = 8 oz. to 12 oz. daily or two meals of 4 oz. to 6 oz. each meal.

*2. How often should I feed my dog?*

Answer: Two meals per day are recommended. However, many dogs do fine with one meal per day. If you are feeding two meals per day, it is suggested you feed one raw meaty bone meal and one muscle and organ meat meal. If you are feeding a raw meaty bone diet and only feed one meal per day, you may want to feed raw meaty bones one day and muscle and organ meat the next.

Do not fast a dog, unless medically indicated, as dogs need to eat every day, just like we do.

*3. What kind of diet is better? A raw diet or a home cooked diet?*

Answer: Both are fine. It is a matter of deciding what is easiest for you and what you are most comfortable feeding your dog. Each diet has its own pro's and con's. Raw diets don't involve cooking, which saves time, and they have their own calcium source (the bones) already in place. Cooked diets can be made in advance, put into individual servings, and are ready to feed once thawed. Both offer the benefit of serving your dog unprocessed, fresh food.

*4. What are the benefits of a fresh food (raw or home cooked) diet?*

Answer: When I first started feeding a raw diet, it was for a specific health reason. The side effects were not only unexpected, but a welcomed surprise. Some of these included loss of 'doggy' odor, clean skin, sweet breath and clean teeth. And lastly, the stool size decreased, along with the odor. My dogs have leaner, more muscled bodies and their energy levels and endurance are better in the show ring, performance ring and home at play. Nothing beats the nutrients from fresh food. A home made diet, either raw or home cooked offers better nutrition than a processed, commercial diet.

*5. How will I know if my dog is getting a balanced meal?*

Answer: A "Balanced" diet is a commercial food issue. When a dog's diet consists of only a particular brand and flavor of one commercial dog food, that food must be complete and balanced. When you serve home prepared meals, you offer variety in those meals. The variety of foods you feed help to give more nutrients to your dog for a more nutrition packed menu. What we do need to ensure with home prepared diet is proper calcium to phosphorus ratio. In home cooked diets (no bones added), you need to add about 900 mg of calcium carbonate or calcium citrate to each pound of food served. When using raw meaty bone meals, you would make 40% to 50% of the diet in raw meaty bones and the other portion in muscle meat and organ meat (about 5% to 10%). You can add to this meat meal pureed vegetables, dairy and eggs if preferred. To both of these meals, you can add EPA fish oil capsules (for the omega 3 fatty acids, at about one per 20 lbs of body weight daily), vitamin E, vitamin C and B complex. You can find these vitamins in the Berte's Daily Blend and the Berte's Immune Blend).

*6. Won't a diet change upset my dog's digestive tract?*

Answer: Normally, dogs make the transition to a raw or cooked diet pretty easily. Some dogs, however, if they have been on dry food for a long time may react to the fat in the home cooked or raw diet. Because of this, I generally advise people to use lower fat foods (remove the skin from the chicken, use low fat cuts of meat, low fat or non fat dairy) in the beginning and start the diet by either mixing the new food with their kibble or start the new diet in smaller, more frequent meals. Most dogs do not have any upset at all. The two main causes of stomach upset come from feeding too much food (it isn't hard to give a dog too much of something they like!) or feeding too much fat in the diet.

*7. What can I do if my dog gains too much weight?*

Answer: One way to tell if a dog weight is too much is to check his ribs with your fingers. If you have to 'dig' to find the ribs, the dog weighs too much. Ideally, you don't want to see the ribs, but you don't want to have to 'dig' to find them. To take some weight off your dog, you can cut meal portions by 10% and reduce some of the fat in the diet. You do the opposite if your dog is losing weight. If this is the case, increase meal portions by 10% and add more fat to the diet.

*8. What about bacteria in home made diets?*

Dogs have a short and simple digestive tract, which is very different than ours. Their digestive systems are designed to eat raw meat and bones. It is always important to use USDA approved meat, and of course, use sensible handling of raw food. This includes proper refrigeration; using clean containers and practicing good clean up procedures. Remember, dogs handle bacteria much differently than we do. They walk on the dirt, sniff and lick each others private parts, drink pond water, grab and eat long dead things on the road and many even eat stool. Store bought meat is much cleaner than these. For more information on safety of raw meat, please read Christie Keith's article, here: http://www.caberfeidh.com/Safe.htm. I have been feeding as many as 15 - 18 dogs of my own, plus rescue dogs a raw diet for over 10 years and I have never had issues with bacteria or parasites from meat. And note here that the number of dogs I have fed is more than the numbers needed for laboratory research testing.

*9. Are parasites a concern in raw or cooked meat?*

Answer: No. As long as you are using USDA approved meat, it is fine. Pork had concerns with trichinosis some years ago, but this rarely seen. Cooking or heavy freezing (as is done before pork ever hits the grocery selves) is fine. Most parasites are found in the stool, and can be a concern in some wild game meat, such as wild pigs.

*10. Are there special considerations for Puppies and Senior Dogs?*

Answer: Puppies adapt very easily to a raw or home cooked diet. We do feed puppies a higher quantity of food (approximately 5% to 10% of their body weight daily) and feed the more frequently - four meals a day. For more on puppy diets, you can read the newsletter at this link: 
http://www.b-naturals.com/Mar2007.php

Senior dogs actually need more protein than an adult dog, so the high bioavailability of a fresh food diet is ideal for them. Sometimes we need to feed a diet lower in fat to our seniors, but keeping them active with regular exercise such as frequent walks and play time, also helps with weight control.
See the article on feeding puppies and seniors:
http://www.b-naturals.com/Jun2006.php

*For more information and additional reading, please read the following newsletters:*

Here is a newsletter that includes recipes and instructions for home cooked diets for dogs:
http://www.b-naturals.com/Apr2006.php

This newsletter is about Raw diets for dogs and includes recipes:
http://www.b-naturals.com/May2006.php


----------



## Thumper

Nice article, Marj! I hadn't seen that one  Very helpful! Gucci has been eating once a day and we are wasting alot of food...but I'm certain she's getting enough. Maybe I'm offering her too much? lol, Either way...I'm glad she can pace herself to what she needs. Must be intrinsic!

Thanks!
Kara


----------



## lfung5

This is great Marj! I already feed the raw diet and have found it's great for picky eaters. My little Bella finally gained weight and eats daily. She used to go on hunger strikes for days at a time. 
I love the Primal, because it's so easy. It's all organic and the meat is USDA muscle meat with the bones crushed and left in. Each piece is 1 ounce, so it's easy to measure the portions out. I just add egg and grizzly salmon oil and they are ready to feast!

Nice to know with all the scary stuff out there I am finally on the right track!


----------



## Missy

great article Marj. thanks for posting it. 

Linda, out of curiousity how many 1oz pieces of the primal do you feed your Havs each? I give my boys 2 Natures Variety medallions (also 1 oz ea) and 1 fresh meatball (I cook the medallions because the raw makes me uncomfortable - too much kissing and using the rug and furniture as a napkin) 
I also leave a bowl of innova and evo mixed out all the time--- some times they eat it ususally they don't.


----------



## lfung5

Missy said:


> great article Marj. thanks for posting it.
> 
> Linda, out of curiousity how many 1oz pieces of the primal do you feed your Havs each? I give my boys 2 Natures Variety medallions (also 1 oz ea) and 1 fresh meatball (I cook the medallions because the raw makes me uncomfortable - too much kissing and using the rug and furniture as a napkin)
> I also leave a bowl of innova and evo mixed out all the time--- some times they eat it ususally they don't.


Hi Missy,
I too leave dry food out at all time. I use Avoderm baked lamb and brown rice. That's the only dry food I can get all 3 to eat. I have tried about 2 dozen different types! Scudder and Freddie get 5 nuggets each, they are both 13lbs. Bella gets 2 and she is 6 lbs. I just stepped it up, but am keeping a close eye on them to see if they gain weight. They get a lot of exercise a day, so we shall see if they pork up!


----------



## Poornima

Great article! Thanks for posting it Marj.


----------



## Missy

Linda, I guess I shouldn't worry -- because my boys are not thin. but I give them half of what the label says they should get- I figure they always have the kibble. But Cash is going through a very picky stage and will not eat any kibble - jasper used to be like that but he grew out of it-- I guess I am trying to feed them a little less so that they WILL eat some kibble. And my boys don;t hike like your team does.


----------



## lfung5

Missy said:


> Linda, I guess I shouldn't worry -- because my boys are not thin. but I give them half of what the label says they should get- I figure they always have the kibble. But Cash is going through a very picky stage and will not eat any kibble - jasper used to be like that but he grew out of it-- I guess I am trying to feed them a little less so that they WILL eat some kibble. And my boys don;t hike like your team does.


Missy, I think what you're doing is fine. I used to only feed half of the raw too, but just recently decided I would rather them eat more of the raw than the dry. Just the fact that they are getting the raw in their diet is good. If you can stomach it, better to feed it raw than cooked. I know it's pretty gross though. Primal is not as bad, because it's 40% fruit and veg, and 60% meat.


----------



## whitBmom

That is a really interesting article, and all this talk about alternative diets for our dogs is really making me think about switching Oreo over to raw. His breeder feeds all her dogs a raw food diet. Just the thought of smaller stools, cleaner teeth and no bad breath is very appealing.


----------



## lfung5

whitBmom said:


> That is a really interesting article, and all this talk about alternative diets for our dogs is really making me think about switching Oreo over to raw. His breeder feeds all her dogs a raw food diet. Just the thought of smaller stools, cleaner teeth and no bad breath is very appealing.


I switched after the recall. I talked to a raw food guru about it. He sent me a dozen articles on the raw diet. I love it and all the above are true. Their stools are small and dense, teeth are very clean and white, great breath most of the time (they are poop eaters), and Bella has more energy! They are also very lean too!

I know Cinn Cinn switch Rudy and Rocky over to Primal and Rudy went from a picky eater to a little piglet!


----------



## Cosmosmom

Thank you for the article .
I also just read a book that encouraged the use of organ meat in feeding your dog ..
There seems to be a new theory every day . They did stress it with show and working dogs dure to the stress this dogs have to go through .
I will not feed raw even thought seems to be fine for the dogs . My concern is the source and the freshness - it seems like we are not able to control the sources ..
After the melamine scare and the ongoing recalls I am no longer to take any risks . I have had enough with lying and misinformation .. 
Of course I could feed them people food quality instead of what is at the pet stores ..It just gets pricey and more labor intensive and for now the chicken soup is working well.
I will never say never because things change ..


----------



## Missy

Linda, I think I am going to try the Primal--- I like the ingredients-that it has more produce and therefore more carbs - I tried the primal venison once when Jas was small and he backed away from the plate shook his head and rubbed his nose on the floor like he was itchy just from the smell. same thing the 2nd time I tried --LOL it was the funniest reaction. Yet he loves his venison treats. 

I'll try beef next time.


----------



## lfung5

Cosmosmom said:


> Thank you for the article .
> I also just read a book that encouraged the use of organ meat in feeding your dog ..
> There seems to be a new theory every day . They did stress it with show and working dogs dure to the stress this dogs have to go through .
> I will not feed raw even thought seems to be fine for the dogs . My concern is the source and the freshness - it seems like we are not able to control the sources ..
> After the melamine scare and the ongoing recalls I am no longer to take any risks . I have had enough with lying and misinformation ..
> Of course I could feed them people food quality instead of what is at the pet stores ..It just gets pricey and more labor intensive and for now the chicken soup is working well.
> I will never say never because things change ..


I was hesitant at first, but after reading so much about the raw diet, I felt better. I also called the company and talk to several people. I felt very comforable with the quality of ingredients going into the product. All the meats are USDA, hormone free and all Fruits and Veg. are organic. My dogs eat better than I do!

All 3 of my dogs were eating the nutro foil packs, which were part of the recall. This is as good as it get, because I don't cook. LOL!


----------



## lfung5

Missy said:


> Linda, I think I am going to try the Primal--- I like the ingredients-that it has more produce and therefore more carbs - I tried the primal venison once when Jas was small and he backed away from the plate shook his head and rubbed his nose on the floor like he was itchy just from the smell. same thing the 2nd time I tried --LOL it was the funniest reaction. Yet he loves his venison treats.
> 
> I'll try beef next time.


Funny Missy! Primal has a trial pack with 2 pieces of each flavor. My guys did not like the duck! I thought I would try it again, now that they are used to the raw. I like to switch it up, so they get different sources of protein.


----------



## whitBmom

When feeding raw, when adding things like apple, sweet potatoes and green beans, do those ingredients have to be raw as well? well the apple should be fine, but the sweet potatoes and green beans? Or can we add them cooked to the raw meat? Just wondering as I have noticed some brands simply have ground raw chicken with some finely ground bones in it, apples, green beans and they have supplements that can be added. I am just wondering if it is more economical to go with raw premade food or just make it myself...


----------



## susaneckert

good article thanks


----------



## lfung5

whitBmom said:


> When feeding raw, when adding things like apple, sweet potatoes and green beans, do those ingredients have to be raw as well? well the apple should be fine, but the sweet potatoes and green beans? Or can we add them cooked to the raw meat? Just wondering as I have noticed some brands simply have ground raw chicken with some finely ground bones in it, apples, green beans and they have supplements that can be added. I am just wondering if it is more economical to go with raw premade food or just make it myself...


Good question. I'm not sure.


----------



## irnfit

:bump: 
In the past few months, Kodi has discovered food. Not dog food, but people food. He has always been a very picky eater and I was lucky he even ate dog food. All of a sudden, he loves food. Tonight he ate stuffed chicken breast and butternut squash, after he ate his kibble and LC. But, that is all he ate for the entire day. So maybe he was just real hungry.


----------



## lfung5

Wow, he ate better than me!


----------



## irnfit

ound: ound:


----------



## marjrc




----------



## ivyagogo

It's interesting that this particular thread was bumped up. At lunch, my husband asked why we buy bagged kibble when we feed Gryff so much people food. Good question? I came on here to research home cooked meals and bam, this thread is at the top. How do I start? Would I wean him off the kibble? Gryff gets lots of table scraps now (bad family, I know). Is it difficult to do the home cooked thing?


----------



## Redorr

Ivy - The question is do you want to feed Gryff raw, or are you interested in making your own food, and cooking it? Many suggest raw as healthier. Daniel has a great recipe in a section here for homemade raw. He gets into the proper content and it sounds like once you get in the habit, it would be pretty easy. I have just gone 100% raw with NV medallions as the foundation and raw meaty bones as supplement. Lola seems to be loving it and thriving. Although she would eat anything...


----------



## ivyagogo

To be honest, the whole idea of raw just really freaks me out. I don't even like handling raw food. I was more thinking along the lines of stews and that kind of thing.


----------



## Beamer

Ivy, I think Kara homecooks for Gucci. She must have a thread in the homecooked forum area with recipes and stuff. Buying the premade stuff would be alot easier!

Ryan


----------



## Cosmosmom

The first two years I had Cosmo I home cooked for him and it worked really well . It was labor intensive that is the only thing and it was more expensive .. Everything was fresh and organic 
I used to cook them a chicken like stew with fresh vegetables and they both loved it .. The only thing was finding fresh chicken that was not shot full of hormones . I had no trouble in Northern Ca as but I found it a little more challenging when I was in the desert . You do have to do a little extra supplementation as there are some nutrients missing ..
I know a lot of people swear by the raw diet .. I am concerned about the source and also the freshness .. Cosmo has a very sensitive GI Tract and I will not take the risk .. 
Both of them had something that made them sick in the desert last year .. All I was told was it was in the soil .. No one would give me a clear diagnosis . I never want them to go theough that so again so I am a litle more cautious ..
I have met a lot of people who swear by the raw diet but I have heard you muct be very careful with the source and sometimes thye run out and it is not always avaialble .. Also I hear you have to be extremely clean and diligent and only defrost so much at a time .
I know they say that dogs are descended from wolves but I think that they forgot over the years we domesticated them and changed their diet .. ? Is raw diet at this point in time that important to a dog .. ALso wolves and coyotes live in the wild - we are never really aware as to how healthy they really are ..


----------



## DanielBMe

Keep in mind that one of the most common mistakes that people make when feeding a home cooked diet is the failure to add calcium. You must add calcium when you feed a diet that does not include bones. 

Adult dogs need around 800 to 1,000 mg of calcium per pound of food fed. They also require the calcium to be supplied in a proper proportion to phosphorus. 

The ideal calcium to phosphorus ratio in the canine diet is between 1:1 and 2:1. Meat contains a lot of phosphorus, so the more meat a diet contains, the more calcium will be required to reach the correct calcium to phosphorus ratio. Adding 800 to 1,000 mg of calcium will provide the correct calcium to phosphorus ratio even for a high-meat diet, unless you use a calcium supplement that also contains phosphorus. In that case, moderately higher amounts of calcium may be needed to balance out the additional phosphorus contained in the supplement.


----------



## DanielBMe

Here's a book that contains recipes for dogs.

http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=CDN217


----------



## marjrc

Ivy, if you decide to cook up meals for Gryff, you do have to consider adding supplements, oils, vitamins.... crushed egg shell provides calcium and phosphorous, eggs, cottage cheese, fish, ..... There are many, many sites on the internet that can help.

I love this mix, U-Stew, from www.knowbetterdogfood.com . They take all the guess work out of it and you just add your raw or cooked meat to the powder mix. It is all-natural, healthy and balanced. Easy! There are other products like this out there that can save the headache of calculating. If you prefer having control over every little ingdt. in the diet, though, then you should read up on sites, get books and join in discussions about what might be best for Gryff.

Here are links to other threads you might want to check out:

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=3676

http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=1748


----------



## marjrc

...... bump......... :bump2::bump2:


----------



## marjrc

..... bumping again.....


----------

