making your own dog food?
im at that point where im just tired of spending so much money on buying dog food every month and switching brands because the prices keep going up and down. he was on natures prairie, which he does fantastic on it! his coat is just beautiful. problem is its expensive. so i want to save money and just make my own.
i will not due raw. i will cook it but i am just wondering how much is it, say per month to make? what recipe do u use? how much should i make? if u make a giant pot how long does it last? how much to feed? things like that. any info on this would be great :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Holly on
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The idea crossed my mind as well, but I can't imagine what ingredients would be less expensive in the long run. As for amount to feed, I feed my adult dog 1/3 cup of food in the morning and another 1/3 cup at night.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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Honestly I don't think making it yourself would really save you that much money.
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Permalink Reply by Lottie on
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I do raw, and it costs me about 30-40€ (34-46 dollars) a month for both my corgi and my cat.
It does take more time though, for preping and freezing. The general rule is to feed 2% of the dog's weight if the dog is at a healthy weight. 3% if it is a very active dog.
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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on
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I've made cooked dog food for my various pooches ever since the late, great melamine horror show. Posted at my website:
http://funny-about-money.com/2012/02/22/how-to-make-dog-food/
http://funny-about-money.com/2008/10/26/cassies-dog-treats/
http://funny-about-money.com/2009/07/10/the-diy-dog-food-chef-shoul...
http://funny-about-money.com/2008/10/02/diy-dog-food-spend-a-little...
http://funny-about-money.com/2008/06/18/dog-food-the-costs-and-bene...
Not mentioned in these posts: A great snack or light meal for a small dog is a hard-boiled egg. You can buy these by the gerzillions, cheaply, at Costco. I supplement Pup's food with an egg in the middle of the day, since she still has pretty high caloric needs.
On the amount: I've used the same percentages followed by Lottie, with a caveat: Find out what your dog is SUPPOSED to weigh, and keep track of the animal's weight. Adjust portions to keep weight on track.
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Permalink Reply by Linda on
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I would do some serious research before feeding a homemade diet and I'm not talking about a raw diet...that's a whole different matter. Even using the best of ingredients it can be lacking in nutrients that a dog needs to maintain a high quality of health. I'm not talking about googling and just reading how this person did it and it was so great and easy, I mean look into it from a reputable research thru a university. You can add supplements but just like supplements for humans they are not regulated by the FDA, you could be giving him to much or too little and both can be dangerous. A commercial dog food falls under the FDA and must conform to a certain standard, on the label..most likely in a spot that is hard to find...there is a real breakdown of the quality of the food with the type of nutrients, where they come from and their percentages.
And in the end I don't believe that a homemade diet with all that is necessary for your dog's long term health would be any cheaper.
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When you're doing a search on Google, add "edu" to the search terms. This will bring up at least some sites associated with universities.
Also in Google's search function, click on the little gear icon that says "advanced search" when you mouse-over it. In the pane that comes up, scroll down till you find "reading level." In the drop-down menu next to that, select "Show only advanced results." Then enter your search terms. This will cause scientific studies to come up.
Think about it: Dogs have been living with humans for 14,000 years. We only dreamed up special dog foods about 100 years ago. During 13,900 years, they have been eating essentially what humans eat. If real food were bad for dogs, how have they survived this long? The idea that only commercial foods are adequate sounds suspiciously like a myth promulgated by the dog food industry.
Remember what we learned during the melamine nightmare: almost all dog foods are manufactured in China, where quality control standards are virtually nonexistent.
If you're worried, buy some dog vitamins at the veterinarian's office and feed the pooch a doggy multivitamin each day.
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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Linda, I agree. When Wynn went on his expensive bladder food I emailed my vet and asked about making his food, He suggested that it would be Better to go with the special formulated food so nothing Wynn needed or didn't need would be missed.
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Jane....I have a book on caring for your older dog and there is a huge section on feeding. What I said was for all dogs no matter the age (per the experts who authored the book) and even more so for older dogs. They also have a lot to say about a raw diet, again for all ages and how much more it can affect an older dog. That and a few other things I have read...I would not consider a raw diet at all. Despite the fact that our 4 legged best friends originated from the wolf they no longer have the same digestion features to protect from ecoli, salmonella and such. Not to mentioned the risk from bones puncturing throats, stomachs and intestines. We have to remember how long they have been eating commercially produced food and all creatures evolve over time to be in line with what has become their norm.
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I have no idea if it is true but I was told that raw bones do not shatter in such a way to endanger pets. It isn't for me, but I guess it works well for some. When it comes to feeding pets I think there are pros and cons to many methods but aside from truly unsafe foods, each person has to be comfortable with what method he or she chooses. I agree about the descended from wolves theory. Spoiled, tainted foods? No!
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I've read in scholarly and veterinary sources that the raw-bone theory is not so. Feeding your dog bones raw or cooked is risky. You can find out for yourself by searching for an appropriate keyword string + .edu or by doing an advanced search in Google, filtering for advanced reading level only -- and being careful not to buy into things that are said on sites that clearly have some ax to grind.
Linda has totally got it right, in my not-very-humble opinion, that you should avoid raw food (unless it's the occasional piece of carrot or apple...). While many people report wondrous changes in the appearance, energy level, and overall health of their dogs after putting them on raw food, I saw exactly the same result when I switched my aged German shepherd and greyhound to cooked real food in the wake of the melamine flap. It's not the rawness of the food; it's the realness of the food. Unprocessed whole foods (plain meat, plain vegetables, plain whole grains, plain fruits, as opposed to food-like products) are real foods, whether they're cooked or raw.
That said, I don't believe your dog is gonna die if you feed it commercial processed kibble or wet food, or that there's anything "wrong" (or "right," for that matter) about doing so. I just doubt there's a lot of difference, one from the other, in the processed food department. Thus I don't think you need to bankrupt yourself on fancy kibble -- Iams or the Trader Joe's premium kibble (for example) will do the job just fine without breaking you up in business.
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I can say my dogs get a lot more than the occasional carrot...carrots are the preferred treat. They do get the small milkbones and the tiny training treats but those are limited. Many believe they must do totally grain free and that is wrong...yes, there dogs that are allergic to some grains especially corn but canines do need grains, they are NOT dedicated carnivores. Because of the dogs that are sensitive to grains the food producers have jumped on it and now they are working on people who want nothing but the best for their dogs trying to convince them that grain free is the best for all dogs. They are like us humans...they are omnivores. Look for a commercial food where corn is down the list of ingredients. Also the main source of protein should be meat or fish...never grains.
I have worked with my vet since I got Max and he weighed 54 lbs...that is one obese corgi. I have had him (for 8 years) and Katie (for 7 years) on a food routine that got the weight off Max and has kept both of them at fighting weight and my vet is very pleased. Max is now 12 (almost 13) and Katie will be 11 next month. The main ingredient in their meals is a good dog kibble supplemented with non-fat cottage cheese in the morning and canned chicken (99% fat free) and veggies for dinner.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on
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first i want to thank you for your info and input but now i just to clarify, i was NOT going to feed raw. i dont believe after years of domestication that a dog can just break down raw food like his ancestors. also feeding raw chicken thats been a fridge waiting to be bought is entirely different that a dog killing a fresh chicken. it hasnt had time to sit in a package and let the germs multiply even if its been in the fridge the entire time, if not cooked it will rot. correct? i do not want to risk giving baden raw meat and have him get sick of salmonella.
after thinking about yes, i wont save much money doing this and aslo my main concern was that, what if i didnt give him the proper nutrients? yes i could get him a multivitamin but thats more money. so i might just save more if i buy a big bag so i know hes getting every thing he needs and maybe a cheaper canned food topper so i dont have to use as much kibble.
i know i could just feed him the cheapest dog food and yes he would be getting the vitamins he needs but i honestly cant after seeing a video of how they make cheap dog food...i will not go into details but i burned in my memory and i just cant give baden that. hes happy and very healthy on the food hes on now, natures variety prairie, and i feel happy with it but if need be i have a back up. holistic select by the makers of wellness which is a company i will always stick by. unfortunately they do NOT sell it here where i live :( and halo is very expensive so i am looking into purchasing my items online to save money and stick with brands i trust and i know test their foods with fish every 6months to ensure quality
i am a very over protective corgi mom i know but u have to understand since i lost my first corgi to a horrible accident. i just want the best for him is all
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