Below, you'll find everything you need for preparing top notch nutrition
for your dog. It involves a time commitment. An excellent alternative
is to use exclusively Paul Newman brand canned dog food, to which
you should add 2 tablespoons finely chopped romaine, 2 tablespoons finely
chopped tomato, and 1/2 tsp cod liver oil per 12.7 oz can.
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Veterinarian reviewed, AAFCO compliant adult dog food. Palatable to humans. Simple one bowl mixing process.
A perfect record of restoring vitality to older pets, and extending life.
An 1830 kcal daily recipe for a large breed dog or a few small dogs:
Main ingredients: Better:
Hamburger (90% lean) 19.8 oz raw measure same
Oats (1 minute) 7.7 oz dry measure 4.6 oz slow barley dry measure
Potatoes (fresh) 5.8 oz (flesh only, no skin) 4.6 oz slow oats dry measure
Carrot (fresh) 0.5 oz 10.0 oz fresh tomato
Blueberries (frozen) 15 grams optional
Cranberries (frozen) 5 grams (4 berries) optional
Brewers yeast 5 grams (1 tsp) same
Wheat grass powder 4 grams (1 tsp) 2 oz fresh romaine
Cod liver oil 4 grams (1 tsp) same
Flax seed meal 3 grams (1 tsp) same
Parmesan cheese 1 Tablespoon (or 1/24 tsp salt) same
Supplement major minerals:
dicalcium phosphate 1.0 tsp 845 mg calcium, 700 mg phosphorus
calcium citrate 3.0 tsp 2100 mg calcium
iron (chelated) 29 mg
zinc (chelated) 50 mg (see note 1 below)
copper (chelated) 4 mg
Supplement B complex:
thiamin 5 to 20 mg
riboflavin 5 to 20 mg
niacin 10 to 50 mg
pant acid 10 to 50 mg
B6 5 to 20 mg
folic acid 50 to 200 mcg (adds 100 to 400 mcg folate)
B12 10 to 50 mcg
Other supplements:
vitamin E 100 IU
choline 500 mg
iodine (as kelp tablet) 900 mcg
glucosamine chondroitin 500 mg / 400 mg (no min req established)
inositol 80 mg (no min req established)
biotin 170 mg (no min req established)
vitamin C 50 mg (no min req established)
How to:
1. Dice potato flesh, boil for 22 minutes, using more than ample water.
2. Pour 1 minute Quaker oats into potato basin, continue to boil for 3 minutes.
(For slow oats/barley, boil 10 minutes or pour boiling water over and soak
for 20 minutes; be thorough, use much extra water.)
3. Microwave hamburger until no pink remains, about 8 minutes.
Rotating platform in microwave is highly recommended, otherwise
stir at halfway point of cooking time.
4. Break up cooked hamburger thoroughly with fork, then stir into cooked oats and potatoes.
5. Finely grate carrot. (or chop up romaine and tomato)
6. Slice cranberries into 1/8ths.
7. Add carrots, blueberries, cranberries, brewers yeast, wheat grass powder, cheese,
cod liver oil and flax seed meal to mixture, preferrably after mixture
has cooled considerably to prevent cooking of these fresh ingredients.
8. Purchase supplements in powdered form as much as possible.
Crush any tablets to a fine powder. Add to mixture.
9. Stir very thoroughly.
Notes:
1. Malamutes, Huskies and other northern breeds need more zinc.
75 to 100 mg should be okay. Talk to your vet. Click here for
peteducation.com information on the topic.
2. Nutrients which often need to be adjusted based on the age, breed
and health status of your dog include:
phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper
There are also unknowns involving absorption of calcium and phosphorus
due to phytates in plant sources. Keep bloodwork current for your pet.
Calcium and phosphorus absorption varies not only with food sources, but
also with supplement (inorganic) sources. Additionally, requirements will
vary from dog to dog and also change with age. Calcium, phosphorus and
potassium levels should be monitored at least twice per year, more
frequently with older dogs. Adjust supplementation based on blood results.
Example : My dog's blood potassium level runs towards the high end, so I
use no potato or tomato in his food, increasing the oats commensurately.
Review your dog's needs with your vet.
3. There is a complex relationship between nutrients. For many nutrients,
too much of it can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients.
Stick closely to the recommendations on this page. This applies to
amounts of various types of fats and amount of dietary fiber, as well
as vitamins and minerals. Click here for more information on the topic.
4. It's usually possible to find a b-complex tablet that will meet
the requirements listed above. See supplement sources below.
5. Click here for an image file of the complete nutritional listing of
the recipe. (The image file is based on a menu slightly different
from the menu listed here, which is my current version.)
General information:
I strongly recommend thorough cooking of all meats and grains.
This is primarily for digestive tract reasons (grains), and
also for bacteria control (meat).
Raw food diet proponents have not made their case. Click here.
Other primary protein sources I have used are:
Mixture of light and dark chicken meat (breast and thigh)
Cottage cheese (1% fat)
Other primary carbohydrate sources I have used are:
Instant potatoes (beware of higher potassium content of fresh potatoes)
Brown rice
Chicken is a little tricky - if you get the fat content appropriately
high enough, the polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) can get too high, and
necessitates extra vitamin E in the diet; how much is unclear.
Perhaps not for worry worts like me.
I've had the best results of all using hamburger and oats as the
primary ingredients, this based on observed vitality, eating excitement
level, ease of weight gain, and stool formation. It also has yielded
the best nutritional profile. It's a little on the gooey side, but I suggest
that this minor defect be ignored in the interest of the other considerations.
Cottage cheese and instant potatoes make the most effective base for a
bland diet, should your vet ever recommend one for a few days. Most
vets recommend no supplementation in a bland diet. Others disagree.
It can also be used long term when properly supplemented. It's a bit
towards the high end on sodium, so be careful with an older dog with their
reduced kidney function.
Organ meats are highly overated. While providing little or no advantage
over flesh and grains in providing nutrients, they frequently provide too
much of one particular nutrient. They also have unpredictable profiles
from one sample to another. I give no more than one ounce lamb liver
or mixture of other organ meats per day, based on the caloric content of
the above daily menu. I also give as much as four fully cooked eggs per week.
Fresh cranberries (or fresh frozen) are beneficial for urinary tract health
and mineral absorption. Make sure you use them.
The protein content of this recipe is much higher than in commercial foods.
It's protein content is 31%, on a 10% moisture basis (for comparison with kibble).
The current consensus among veterinary nutritionists is that high protein
diets are not detrimental to kidney life, provided they are not so extremely
high as to create a phosphorus content well beyond the minimum requirement.
Phosphorus should not be supplemented much beyond the minimum requirement.
Phosphorus may be further restricted in an older pet with high kidney values.
The USDA website is used to obtain the nutritional profile of each
ingredient. PetEducation.com is used to check the AAFCO requirements
and to review attributes of each nutrient.
Case Histories:
The following pets of mine spent their entire lives on premium pet food
(mostly IAMS) prior to switching to home cooking late in life:
1. Year 2001: Sally, 21 year old cat. She quit eating for reasons
the vets could not determine. Placed on home cooking with stomach
feeding tube, she became very active again within two weeks and lived
another 1 1/2 year. Passed away at 22 yr 3 mos. This was my first
attempt at pet food formulation, and I know she could have done better
with later formulations.
2. Year 2004: Jester, A beauceron (large breed dog), 10 1/2 years old.
He slowly quit eating over a period of three months. Vets could
not determine the reason. Alternative brands, including special diet
blends, were tried without success. Switched to home cooking, he
never again passed on one bite of food. His vitality was restored,
and then some, within two weeks. He is now (April 8 2009) 15 yrs, 2 mos.
His bloodwork and vitality are perfect.
3. Year 2004: Chinook, a Malamute dog, 15 years old. Switched to home
cooking after observing improvements in Jester's health (see above).
Chinook's vitality soared within three weeks. He lived another
two years, passing away at age 17, very ancient for his breed.
4. Year 2005: Little Bear, 17 year old cat. She slowly quit eating
over a period of three months. Switched to home cooking. Within
three weeks, it was as if the calendar had been turned back 10 years.
She became playful, leaping and purring for the first time in years.
She is now 20 yrs 5 mos, still playful and purring. Still in good health.
5. Year 2005: Chopper, 16 year old cat. Placed on home cooking due to
observed improvement in Little Bear's health (see above). Same results
were observed in Chopper as were observed in Little Bear. Chopper also
remains in good health.
6. Year 2005: Finney, 16 year old cat. Quit eating over period of six
months, made slight improvement using Hill's ZD, then switched to
home cooking at same time as Chopper (see above). Same results were
obtained. Finney, however, had cancer in Sept 2006 and passed away.
Most recent update: April 8 2009
Supplement sources:
iherb.com for many minerals and vitamins
Pet Vet Supply for dicalcium phosphate
Your local co-op (brewers yeast, flax seed meal, wheat grass powder, cod liver oil, fresh frozen cranberries year round)
- Roger Luebeck
Most recent update: April 8 2009
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