I have two Chihuahuas who are rather small for the breed. Because of this, I keep a close eye on their eating behaviors so that they maintain a good and healthy weight. Both of them seem to have lost an interest in their dog food (Innova Puppy), so I tried to switch them to another to see if they would like it better. Turns out that they don’t like it either. I am just worried that they are not eating and it will hurt them. They will pick up a piece of food and then spit it back out onto the floor.

My question is if I can create a diet for my dogs with human food, such as chicken, hamburger meat, veggies, and other healthy foods. I know that I could do raw and that is an excellent option, but I just don’t think that is for me. If I could do this option of healthy foods, does anyone have any recipes that could be made?

Thanks!

He is just over 3 months old. and a very picky eater.

So i came up with this recipe that he loves so i made a load of it and stored it for daily feeding.

this is whats in it.

Heat a pot, throw in a LITTLE water, ground beef, chicken liver, beef cubes, pork cubes, chicken heart, cooked rice, soft mashed carrots. then after it is all BROWNED not cooked, i empty a tin of pedigree ( a gravy one ) mix it all around put it in a large bowl mix in some puppy kibble.
not that i dont let the meat get cooked just browned still pink in the middle.

i let it cool and feed it to him he loves it, i always serve it with a bowl of milk for calcium since its a basically raw meat diet and i give him a meaty bone almost every day ( not cooked )

I want him to be huge, u think what im feedin him will make him sick?

Real answers please, and dont give me shit about raw feeding everyone does it, he dont like dog food.
@pamela

look at your dog.. a poodle.. now look at mine, a Rottweiler. one of the baddest boys of the breeds * not training him to be bad*
Why wouldnt i feed him raw meat? do you think that dogs got a can of food and opened it up them self and ate it b4 we made them pets?
they are animals, wild dogs kill and eat other animals alive, rotties are like wolfs, have a pack kill their prey eat and burry the left overs for later. RAW IS WHAT GOD AND NATURE INTENDED! im sure the wolfs had a factory and put their food in cans back in the day.
@ lorain, what i said that i meant it as to show that it is not a toy dog when it comes to breeds, its a heavy big dog. its what i ment as bad boys,

I think I’m ready to switch my dogs from a raw BARF diet ( Chicken, finely ground chicken bone, beef liver, whole egg, cultured kefir, seasonal vegetables selected from broccoli, celery, spinach, carrot, ground flax seed, bok choy, dried alfalfa leaf powder, beef kidney, beef heart, unbleached beef tripe, apple, pear, grapefruit, orange, dried kelp powder, garlic, capsicum) to a vegan diet.
BUT I’ve got a some criteria.
1. It has to be a home made recipe since I don’t like feeding processed foods or feeding grains to dogs since it’s unnatural for them to eat grains).
2. As above no grains.

Now if anyone has a recipe on how to make a wholesome vegan dog food I’d be very interested since previous attempts have caused my dogs to lose too much weight and when I’ve got rescues they can’ afford to lose weight.

Thank you.

idon’t know how much of what i should use and what i should use
i heard that you should use like 70% of meat in a diet
but idk what to do to
my dog doesnt eat dog food for some reason
but i want him to have a healthy delicious diet
what are the essentials that i need? and can i make something that isnt necessarily expensive all the time
please help :(
no raw food! but anything, a site to healthy but easy recipes for dogs would be nice
or any vitamins i might need
ANYTHING
i dont think chicken and rice all the time is really good for a dog right..?
her last owner said she only eats dog food a bit she never eats it she starves and eats grass or something
NO HELP.

Hi,

My dog is slowly recovering from a terrible gastritis (GI track upset). She is 4 years old, a rottweiler. She is slowly eating some food, so we are very hopeful that she will be able to recover quickly and get back to eating normal amounts of food. However, since the vet was never able to figure out what caused this terrible gastric infection, she may never be able to eat regular dog food again. Or at least for couple months.
Does anyone know about any proper, good natural diet for dogs? Like in cases, when dogs are allergic to certain foods, or when they are sickly and need to be on highly nutritious food? I am looking for some recipes or recommendations as to what I could start feeding her once she comes home from hospital. I heard about raw diet for dogs, but I am not sure if that’s not too early to feed.
Please, advise if you can.
Thank you!

Right now I have a Cute like Poodle, Bichone …..mutt mix, He hair is a hassle to groom.But anyway, he old owners gave her Table scraps all the time, and gave her a really bad kibble.so She never really ate the dog food, just the Table scarps and Trust me they gave a lot. Were feeding her kibble and wet food, but she want no part in it. So me and my mom were thinking about feeding raw. I’ve heard some bad and good thing about it so
have a few questions?

Like is there recipes or something?
Were do you find the meat? Just from a grocery store?
Just the basics ya know?
and other info or websites would rock too
thanks!
Perter L I know your a troll because well Other queastion you answer and well you picture is of the twilight guy….yeah

I am just about to give up on store bought dog foods. But the alternative is very overwhelming to me. My husband is a soldier and we move around a lot and I cant find the same good bought food everywhere we go. And I now live in very small towns without many dog food choices. After the research I have done, I want to get my 6lb yorkie off of the store bought food. I dont know what to feed him though. Even now, we give him cooked ground beef, turkey, and even a few fruits and veggies (only the ones safe for my pup of course) in addition to his dog food – which is Nutro Ultra by the way. I really want to hear from pet owners that are feeding their dog a "raw diet" (I have no idea if that’s even the right term for fresh food). Even if I was to start out feeding my pup fresh foods in addition to his dog food, how would I know he is getting the right nutrition?

Please answer if you are feeding your dog fresh food and have some recipes that you are already feeding your dog.

Thanks!!
Please dont tell me to look at a website or search online. I have already done all of that. Unless you have a website that YOU use to feed your pet.

Okay i have a 2 month old APBT(american pitbull terrier[red nose]) and i wanna start him on a raw food diet because its way better than dog food… what type of meats can i get from the super market because there is no meat store miles from here…and should i just boil it to make the bones soft? can someone give me a diet for him like a list of things…

heres what i give him now

pedigree dry/wet mixed
1 raw egg
1 peice of white bread(to help him get some weight because he was the runt)
can someone also give me homemade recipes for him i want my hercules to be REALLY HEALTHYYYY he got his first shots on aug. 22…

i don’t want the barf or raw diet i just want like some simple recipes that are delicious and nutritious for my dog while that i can mix in while im mkaing food for my family
she hates dog food
and nothing too difficult to make but has all nutrition for a dog in one meal
thanks :D

it’s from Satin balls recipe. Can I still cook the meat and just put the eggs in and not the shells? It just doesn’t sound right. My dog is picky when it comes to dog food and he is on the slim side so I wanted to put some weight on him with supplementing with the Satin balls. Any ideas on anything else?

Is ground beef good for him? because he likes that and also any other kind of real meat. he does not eat kibble or anything like that. he doesnt even look at the dog food.
will raw meat make him sick???
also do you have any good website about recipes for dogs?
thanks
He is a 3 month old Rottweiler

I bought a dog homemade food cookbook, it isn’t the raw or barf diet, just cooked food. But I was wondering if I can feed them the same thing every night oppose to feeding my dogs something new every night. They eat the same dog food every night so does that apply to home cooked meals?
My dogs are eating store bought food the dry one that comes in the bag "dog chow" and I just wanted to make the switch, it’s not they need to, but I want to know what they are eating. But thanks for teaching how to do the switching

my dad baught chicken breasts and he said it was okay to use 3 of of them for the dog.

does anyone have any good recipes for a good BARF/RAW or a healthy type meal for my dog :).. i’ve made a few before but my neighbour passed away and i don’t have the recipes anymore, i think a friend of hers took them.

anywho, does anyone have a few recipes they can suggest that can be done in a short time, i think i might mix in some dog food with the meal so it won’t confuse her. Eventually i might give her a healthy or BARF/RAW meal once a week when i’m done school. :)

thanks!
she’s a 4 1/2 yr old Lab about 55lbs. She gets a very good amount of exercise(2h 30mins walks with a ball), so something with a little more protein..
the first answerer well.. thing is.. i only have chicken breasts.. my dad is going to go back into town just to get all those things lol.
also this is just a one time thing for a while anyways.. this was kind of accidental since i asked my dad and he agreed..

the three chicken breasts are about 2 or 1 1/2 fists big (mine are small so lol 2 for me) i don’t know how much to feed her

She is a chihuahua mix. She’s 2 years old. I got her from a friend of mine and she got her from one of her friends. I want to know what she is mixed with. She is psycho, she runs around the house and licks people non stop. She loves me, my mom and my mom’s boyfriend. She is kinda protective of me and my mom, if my sister hits me she will attack her and same with my mom. She doesn’t bark very much and when she does its not a chihuahua bark. She weighs 8.5 lbs last time I weighed her but her hair has grown out so she probably weighs a little more. She is super skinny no matter what we feed her she doesn’t gain weight, we spoil her she eats steak, chicken, vanilla ice cream, green beans, and dog food (sometimes). We don’t make it for her we make it for us and give her left overs. Anyway here is the link to the pictures.

http://s881.photobucket.com/albums/ac17/madysonpaige97/

She also has really long legs and i long body.
and a fluffy tail that you cant see in the pictures. it curves up unless she has it down

Of those who feed a BARF diet, what exactly do you feed them.?
I’m interested in examples of actual diets you give your dog.

I have friends that have their dogs on raw, but where I live they don’t have the meal packages or they’re way too expensive. So we are going to have to do this from scratch. (the veg and fruit part)

I’m not interested in somebody telling me about possibilities of salmonella poisoning, blah blah blah. Go to your local dog food factory and see how much salmonella you can find in the factory. And while you’re there ask why most of the food they make is not even absorbed or capable of being absorbed by the dog’s system – it’s filler and most is bad filler. It’s sickening! I’ve done my research, and I have made up my mind. I’ve seen results and heard of results.. dogs on their death bed switched to raw and turning 360s. Less vet visits, doctors asking what the flip the people have their dog on because they seem so healthy, etc.
thehamburgs@hotmail.com email us if you have any questions on BARF or are new to the idea.

Thank you to the poster regarding comment on knowing your source. So very true! :)

What i’m interested in – in specific – is the veggies and fruits. We’ll be feed majority of chicken back and turkey neck. But it’s all the other that doesn’t come pre-packaged that we will have to put together on our own. muscle meat, vegetables, fruits, oil, etc… the other 40% or "meal deal" portion that is.

The most important thing you can do is to feed you dog well from the earliest age possible.. Forget any processed foods and try feeding a natural food diet like BARF. If you want a healthier long lived pet then you can never start too early! Remember that most processed dog food canned or dry is rubbish (bordering on poison!)

My dogs diet is as follows:
(ALL HUMAN GRADE FOOD – NOT PET GRADE!)
chicken frames minced
beef mince
minced lamb liver/ beef hearts/ kidneys/tongue

some soaked ‘vets all natural complete mix’ supplement to mix with the meats.

http://www.vetsallnatural.com.au/Completemix.html

I weigh it into a serving per bag it and freeze them individually
- then it is as convenient as a can of food only healthy.

For Breakfast I also give the dogs:
lamb briskit bones
chicken frames / carcasses
fresh/frozen sardines
fruit & veg – oranges / apples/ carrots/ zucchini/ berries/ blueberry/raspberry/strawberry)

Make breakfast bones/chicken frames and
for dinner the special mix from the freezer

Before I feed them I also mix in some:
Pet Pep Up probiotic supplement
GreenPet Complete supplement
Omega 3 blend of Oils

(I defrost a couple of bags in the bottom of the fridge and replace them as they are used – that way you always have fresh food ready to go!)

Feeding you dog this diet will save you money on vet bills and keep your pup healthy for the longest time possible. Bonus you also have a dog that has fresh breath / good teeth / less f*rting :)

I know others will say that pet food is fine – but keep in mind most pet food is made by the same companies that make dog pharmiceuticals and it is in their best interest for you dog NOT to be healthy! That way they can sell you the drugs to make it better.. It is up to you!

For more info http://www.barfworld.com/main.shtml

I am interested in others ideas on this kind of feeding regime and hoping to inspire others into feeding their dogs better.

All the meats listed are RAW

It is based on the BARF Diet
BARF = Bones And Raw Food
I have 2 Dobermanns both are show dogs.

The cost of the meat is .20 (AU) per Kg. – I have to buy it in 10Kg lots so I do a 30kg mix and then freeze it for the month.. It works out much cheaper than most of those fancy dry foods.

I heard about the BARF (bones and raw food) diet a while back, and initially thought it was a good idea – what could be better than feeding simple things that a wolf would find in the wild?

BUT I now have doubts, and I think this is actually quite a dangerous thing to believe in (although I’d be happy if someone could explain it to me differently, as I like the idea of this diet). I think it’s perfect for cats, first of all, because cats are pure carnivores. They don’t need any of the rubbish they put in cat food. But for dogs…

Dogs are omnivores like us. They need carbohydrate. Feed a human on nothing but meat and we’ll live for, what, 20 years if that (and be very unhealthy). There’s a reason why dog food is not the same as cat food. Feed a dog on cat food and it will become ill because there isn’t enough carbohydrate.

I suggest that maybe modifications need to be made. I intend to feed my future dog on the BARF diet, but supplemented with carbohydrate.
Wasn’t enough room to put this, but people often incorrectly assume that what a dog eats in the wild is the best possible thing for it to eat in captivity. Wild canines do not fulfill the same life expectancy as captive ones – they eat to survive, not to be healthy, and as long as they survive long enough to reproduce then their genes will be passed on.
Thanks everyone, I didn’t realise the BARF diet includes carbs as well.

Dogs are omnivores. 34 years in vet tech and you don’t know that? Their teeth are different from pure carnivores. They do need a diet that is mostly meat but supplemented with carbohydrates. Their tooth structure is similar to that of apes – which are omnivores.

Before dog food was around, dogs didn’t live that long.

And dogs are different from wolves, totally different although they are the same species – and different kinds of dog need slightly different diets (some are prone to obesity etc). But the basic diet is the same. However as I said above, what an animal eats in the wild is not necessarily the best for them. Take iguanas for example – in the wild they sometimes feed on meat. Feed them meat in captivity and you lower their life expectancy drastically. But even so, wolves in the wild eat berries and fruit. Not much carbohydrate, but a little is essential.

I’m getting a puppy in (hopefully) a month or two. I’ve thought about feeding normal dog food but it seems that a raw diet is much healthier for dogs.

What ingredients should I use?
How much of it?
How many times per day?

I’d probably be getting a female Labrador so I’d need something that a Labrador would feel full eating.

I’d prefer ingredients that I could buy at the supermarket or butcher, not online or somehwere I need to go hours away to find. I live in Australia so please do not suggest Wal-Mart or PetSmart etc.

Thanks.

I will be getting a small breed dog soon and I have been doing some research on dog foods. I would like to do the "home cooked" or "raw" food diet but I would like some more information on this.

-what are some recipes?
-can this be frozen to be used later(could I make all the meals for the week and freeze them)?
-how much does this cost?
-how much time does this take per day?
-How much should I feed the dog (also include how many times a day I should feed…keep in mind it is a small dog I would be cooking for)
-Would a raw food diet be better? (reasons why/recipes for this)…I would imagine that uncooked chicken would be bad…?( i know dogs are animals but they’re also domesticated)

I’ve looked into different kibbles and decided that Blue Buffalo would probably be best as it seems healthy, had good reviews, and is available at my local pet store…but I’m unsure of this as I would imagine that the raw/home cooked diet would be best
So a few questions I have about this are…

-would it be good to mix both the blue buffalo and the home cooked diet together (how much should I give of each)?
-If I was unable to give the home cooked meal would the Blue buffalo be ok for the week?
-what are your experiences with Blue buffalo (for small breeds)?

I want to feed what’s best for my dog but I also cannot afford to spend 60 dollars on a bag of dog food that will last me a month. (I did the math and blue buffalo should last me around 2.5 months for 30 dollars….plus I can get a discount on the food)

Please let me know your experiences for both and help me make the right choice for my dog

me and my dog has had this battle for months now. i had my dog on table food, she got real sick from it. had liver problems. her vet says she is now 90% better. but im having so much trouble getting her to eat dog food. she has lost so much weight and she looks awful. sometimes she will nibble at it, other times she will walk past it 100 times a day and not eat. her energy level is low and i know its cause shes not eating like she wants to. someone please tell me what i can do to get her to eat, what can i try. is there any human foods i can give her with her dog food to help? im really at my wits end and when i look at her i grieve for her. anyone please help?
many of u wanted to know wat kind of food i was giving her, i have been trying nutro. i wouldnt give her a cheap brand. and she HAS been to the vet, that is why she is off the table food. i have tried everything, gravy, water, canned food with and without gravy, this has been going on for 2 months. there are some new ideas i noticed that i will try. is egg whites okay for a dog?

After reading about the raw food diet and looking into it more, I think I’m going to talk to my grandparents. So far, I know that you need meat, bones, and organs. I also know that they have to be given to in a certain amount of each. I also know that asking a vet wouldn’t matter, since they don’t study nutrition much in college.

I have two dogs. A 70lbs wolf mix, and a less than 5lbs chihuahua, and I plan on feeding them both the raw food diet. I already know that they eat raw food anyways, because I’ve seen them eating a rabbit, a rat, and a bird that my wolf mix killed. I feed them both Blue Buffalo right now, and I know that that is a good dog food, but I think a more natural diet would be better. I’ve read reviews, and seen that people have seen improvement in their dog’s energy and overall health. I just want to know every piece of information I possibly can, so I can present my grandparents with the facts.

Also, Blue Buffalo is about for a large bag. The bags last about, eh, a month and a half, give or take. How much would the raw diet cost us monthly? Basically, the dog food is, like, 0 a month.
I just read that online book, and now I am definitely getting my grandparents to get it. I cannot believe how in danger my dogs are. I didn’t even know they could live well into their 20′s! No doubt in my mind: I’m switching to raw food for our dogs.

I have a 5 month old pup who while i was out pooped in his kennel. There was like 2 piles of poo and they were green and had alot of mucus. like super slimy.

We just changed their dog food two or three days ago. We have been feeding him the same brand and type since he started eating solids and then we ran out and went to buy more but they were out of stock so we had to get a different kind.
We bought Purina dog chow. His dad had diarrhea a bit yesterday and vomited once but is fine today (he has a sensitive tummy) his dad is a Neopolitan mastiff amstaff mix.
so the pup is 5 months old amstaff/neo/pit bull
Should I worry?
He is acting fine, he wants to play. and the other three are acting fine too.
Im just a very cautious pet mommy. Thanks for your answers :-)
he was treated at 8 and 10 weeks of age for worms. with most worms dont they get a bit bloated? He isn’t bloated.

If I fed my dog fresh vegetables, selected fruits, and soy and egg products for protein; will he live just as long and healthily as any other dog on a pet store bought, "dog food" diet?

I was considering trying a different diet for my dog, she is too picky about dog food and hardly eats, I have tried changing from dry to wet, different brands but its no use. If anyone has any other diet ideas I would love to know.

I mean are dogs carnivores I asked a pet store owner whats better he said Well one has grains one doesnt. do dogs do better with grains. cuz i dont get the raw food diet. dont they need more then just chicken why does every dog food have grains then cuz which is better