# Homecooked recipes



## TrishK (Nov 29, 2010)

I talked to my vet about homecooked and he loaned me a book that has over 100 recipes in it. If you follow the recipes and add the supplement that goes with the book then the meal it totally balanced. It even tells you exactly how much to feed based on weight. You can check out the website at http://www.completeandbalanced.com/ 
I scanned and saved a bunch of the recipes (26 of them; transition and regular adult, but the book also has puppy, senior, kidney issues, diabetic, vegan, etc.) and I'm going to try to upload them here; not sure if it will work though since I'm uploading scanned documents, so if not, if anyone wants homecooked recipes, just email or IM me and I will email them to you. 
So I attached a couple and did a preview and it looks like it will be hard to read, so basically, just IM or email me and I will send them to yous. The recipes are all really easy to make and seem yummy (except maybe the cod liver oil). I looked at pricing too and it doesn't seem like it will be any pricier than buying a quality commercial dog food.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

interesting! what kind of ingredients do you use and how long does it take to make??


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I've been doing homecooked for over 3 years now, there is a yahoo group with a ton of information you can join. I know there are several threads on condition specific foods and supplements. 

I will tell you that the change to homecooked will loosen the bowels up for a few months, dogs that eat kibble drink alot of water to digest it, Itd' be like a human living on vitamin injected fritos, lol..you'd get thirsty, haha.. but their bodies adjust and they realize since they are eating water rich food that they don't need to drink as much and the stools get normal after awhile. 

Probiotics are a great thing to add to your supplement list. My vet raves about them. 

My vet wasnt' too thrilled with my choice to homecook until we did some blood tests to check out how she was doing and she passed with flying colors, A++  So they trust me now...and I've been doing it so long. However, she is starting to like new foods lately, which is interesting..maybe she's found her grown up palate 

Kara


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## TrishK (Nov 29, 2010)

TilliesMom said:


> interesting! what kind of ingredients do you use and how long does it take to make??


The ingredients are pretty straightforward; ground beef, liver, tuna, egg, salmon, rice, potato, oatmeal, carrots, chicken, etc. They don't take very long to make at all. For instance, I made a transitioning recipe that consisted of ground beef, egg noodles, cod liver oil, safflower oil and the Hilary's blend supplement. It took only about 10 minutes to make. I just cooked up the ground and the eggs, dumped them into a bowl, added the oils and the supplement, mixed it up and individual servings by putting it into a sandwich baggy for freezing using my kitchen scale for portioning. I did the same with a recipe that called for tuna, rice, oils and supplement. Five minutes to cook minute rice. I put all the portions into the freezer and then in the evenings I just take out two packages to put in the fridge for the next day's meals. The transitioning recipes are super easy since they have limited ingredients and the book says you can actually keep the dog on those forever if you want...there are 10. The regular adult recipes are a bit more involved, but still super easy. For example, ground beef, apple sauce, tomato sauce, carrots, oils, supplement, egg, honey, and a spinach leaf. Cook the meat, put carrots in food processor to finely chop (could always buy the grated salad carrots too if you want, but they cost more), add oils and supplement to tomato sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well. Portion into baggies and freeze. Again, it really only takes five minutes longer than it takes to cook the meat. There is a video on the website and the lady in it keeps talking and talking and so it takes her 40 minutes to do what should take 10-15 minutes.
The website says the supplement is 40 CDN, but my vet charged me 36 including the taxes. It makes 20 kg of food (44 pounds). The cod liver oil was pricey at 9 bucks, but it will last forever since only using a few teaspoons at a time.


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## TrishK (Nov 29, 2010)

Thumper said:


> my vet wasnt' too thrilled with my choice to homecook until we did some blood tests to check out how she was doing and she passed with flying colors, A++  So they trust me now...and I've been doing it so long. However, she is starting to like new foods lately, which is interesting..maybe she's found her grown up palate
> 
> Kara


I called my vet's office first to see where they stood since I didnt want to pay for a consult only to be steered back to commercial dog food. I only knew him from taking in my guinea pigs, so I didn't know where his head would be at with regard to the dog. He came to the phone and spoke to me, no charge, which I thought was very nice. He was right on board with homecooked and said he had a book I could borrow and that he trusted this book/PhD author. Hilary will also do up custom recipes if necessary at a vet's request. I'm unsure what the fee would be for that though. I was very glad though that my vet was so onboard; makes things so much easier/nicer.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

TrishK said:


> The ingredients are pretty straightforward; ground beef, liver, tuna, egg, salmon, rice, potato, oatmeal, carrots, chicken, etc. They don't take very long to make at all. For instance, I made a transitioning recipe that consisted of ground beef, egg noodles, cod liver oil, safflower oil and the Hilary's blend supplement. It took only about 10 minutes to make. I just cooked up the ground and the eggs, dumped them into a bowl, added the oils and the supplement, mixed it up and individual servings by putting it into a sandwich baggy for freezing using my kitchen scale for portioning. I did the same with a recipe that called for tuna, rice, oils and supplement. Five minutes to cook minute rice. I put all the portions into the freezer and then in the evenings I just take out two packages to put in the fridge for the next day's meals. The transitioning recipes are super easy since they have limited ingredients and the book says you can actually keep the dog on those forever if you want...there are 10. The regular adult recipes are a bit more involved, but still super easy. For example, ground beef, apple sauce, tomato sauce, carrots, oils, supplement, egg, honey, and a spinach leaf. Cook the meat, put carrots in food processor to finely chop (could always buy the grated salad carrots too if you want, but they cost more), add oils and supplement to tomato sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well. Portion into baggies and freeze. Again, it really only takes five minutes longer than it takes to cook the meat. There is a video on the website and the lady in it keeps talking and talking and so it takes her 40 minutes to do what should take 10-15 minutes.
> The website says the supplement is 40 CDN, but my vet charged me 36 including the taxes. It makes 20 kg of food (44 pounds). The cod liver oil was pricey at 9 bucks, but it will last forever since only using a few teaspoons at a time.


Hi Trish. This home cooked is truly one , if not the best route to take. But in my opinion , I would consult with a nutritionist like Sabine. Just as an example , you were talking about cod liver oil. Here is what Sabine says about it. "Cod liver oil contains high amounts of the fat soluble vitamins A and D, which can build up to toxic
levels in the body. Commercial foods are already more than sufficiently fortified. It is far more
beneficial to supplement a good quality fish body oil," I would be very leary of anything sold through a vet's office or anyone selling their special additive.


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## TrishK (Nov 29, 2010)

Hiya Dave,
I feel comfortable with this recipe guide as the author is also a nutritionist and my vet also recommended her book. I really like my vet and trust him. My mom has been going to him for a long time as have friends of mine and he's the chair of our local humane society and does a ton of volunteer stuff for the animals. He strikes me as the kind that really cares for what he does. Also, they had to special order the supplement; it's not something they have on their shelf or generally 'push' to sell. It's the supplement that completes the recipes as far as being completely balanced if the recipe is followed and the supplement added. The vet also charged less for the supplement than what the supplier listed the price at, so I dont think the vet is making any money on the deal at all, which is probably a bit unusual. I do like these recipes too because they are really easy to make and don't take a lot of time to make and aren't real expensive. Sammy seems pretty fussy and he's eating a bunch of them so that's good in and of itself :biggrin1: It really is a learning process that is ongoing and I may change my mind down the road, but it seems nutritionally sound and balanced from everything I've read, etc. and Sam likes it...for the moment anyway, fussy little guy that he is, so we're going to stick with this for now and see how it goes.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Trish, if you're happy , that's all that matters. I just do not like vets talking about or recommending food. Not very many of them know much about nutrition. The statistics speak for themselves. Not too many of the foods that the vets sell make the top 50 if there is such a thing.


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## TrishK (Nov 29, 2010)

Ya, it always struck me as odd why the food that the vets sell cost twice as much as anything you buy in the grocery store or pet supply store and I always wondered if it really is any better. You know, they say you get what you pay for, but really...twice as much??? It's kinda funny, not funny ha-ha, but, well you know, just how much there is to learn about having a dog, between what to feed, how to train, what to train, where it should sleep, crate, no crate, etc. etc. etc. and there's sooooooo much conflicting information out there on line. I think that everyone just needs to do their research and go with whatever makes sense to them. Now that we seem to have the food issue all set it's time to try to work on basic training, sit, stay, down, come. It's really a full-time job getting doggy education...but the sloppy kisses sure are worth it. :biggrin1:


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

Dave, where do I go to read what Sabine thinks? Is there a book you recommend for making the foods and getting the supplements. It is so confusing, and I don't think even the best commercial Kibble is good..(can be wrong).


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> Dave, where do I go to read what Sabine thinks? Is there a book you recommend for making the foods and getting the supplements. It is so confusing, and I don't think even the best commercial Kibble is good..(can be wrong).


Hi Flynn . Here is Sabines site http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=main There is lot's of great info there. I just noticed on the home page now that the latest news eg/ recalls etc . is down. She is in NewZealand right now. Linda (Lfung) just had a consultation with her . But everyone is different as to what they want to feed. It depends on time money and simply personal choices. Some people don't like the idea of raw ,even though it is very healthy if done right. Yeah kibble is on the bottom as far as being healthy. But there are better kibbles now compared to just a few years ago. Generally speaking the better foods are not sold in vet clinics or big box stores eg. Petsmart . At least here in Canada you have to go to the specialty pet stores like Global /Ryans to get the better foods. As far as doing home cooked yes there are books and probably numerous recipes online. I still think it is better to get a consultation from a professional nutritionist on a one on one basis. Sabine will ask you to fill out a detailed questionnaire based on your dog. And that is how she will base her specific diet. This is all done online. She lives in Los Angeles. She then gives you a detailed report with additives and anything specifically that might help your dog. She will give you choices if you decide to go with canned or kibble diets. She knows the best foods. She studies them constantly. She interviews the executives at the companies that make them. As an example, last month I asked her about a newer food that I've heard about and asked her opinion. of it. She had already contacted the owner of the company ( I won't name them) and asked about a certain area that was of concern to her. And because they were not totally upfront about her question., she couldn't;t recommend them to anyone. She is somewhat like Anne Martin (pet food industry critic). She studies the companies and how and what they put into their dog food. But any hoo., to answer your question, I think the best route to take is to get a specific diet recommended for your specific pet. I truly believe that every dog is different and that it's not always the "number one rated" food that's the best for your specific dog. I have never spent any better money on Molly than when I talked to Sabine and had a consultation done.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

One thing I can't stress enough is probiotics, lots of the top vets and studies recommend them (whether they are on kibble or homecooked, but you have to supplement for SURE with homecooking, especially if you have a picky eater, one that won't touch certain veggies or things with nutrients you are seeking to add)

I've recently added coconut water to her diet, she loves it and as far as I can tell, the studies of it and dogs are all positive, reports of shiny coats, reduced allergy symptoms, etc.

I'm giving her a small ramekin of this a day

http://zico.com/

Excellent source of potassium and electrolytes. Its also been known to help remove parasites from dogs and cats naturally..

Anyhow, homecooking is a learning adventure, you'll find that they don't like some things and you'll have to find other ways to keep it all balanced. I've learned a lot about what food provides what nutrients by the homecooking endeavor and actually improved my family's diet in the process, lol

Kara

_Egg white and coconut are the two foods that provided on important substance, albumin (a simple water-soluble protein found in many animal tissues and liquids) which is very good for the formation of red blood cells.
The coconut is rich in digestible oils and it also provides the fiber that is distributed throughout the body, along the way removing any worm egg. _


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Right on Kara. I'm not up on the coconut , but probiotics rock. I've got my wife on them.


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## cmwoodard14 (Oct 19, 2010)

*Home Cooked*

I made the dogs a home cooked meal tonight.

I thought I would just give it a try, to see how they liked it.
I don't plan to home cook for them all the time but an occasional "treat" might be nice for them. Hopefully they will eat kibble after this.

Doggy Fish Dinner
1 can of salmon (bones removed)

1 egg beaten

3 Tbsp cornmeal

1 potato

1 carrot

1 stick celery

1 Tbsp peanut butter

Combine salmon, egg, and cornmeal and mix well, form into patties, and coat them with a little more cornmeal. Fry in a tiny amount of canola oil until brown on both sides. Chop patties into small bites and stir together with chopped and boiled vegetables. A spoonful of cottage cheese may be stirred in for moisture if desired. Finish off dinner with peanut butter as dessert.

Here was the result, of course I cut the Salmon Patty up and mixed everything together before I fed it to them.


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## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

I have enjoyed reading this thread. I have been home cooking for about 6 months.


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