What a shock to find out the Diamond Dog Food recall has gotten even bigger! Make sure your dog’s bag of food isn’t on the recall list, by visiting the following Dog Food Advisor blog post that shares which bags are being recalled:

Diamond Dog Food Recall Summary by the Dog Food Advisor

“The following is a list of all the brands currently associated with the Diamond Dog Food Recall:

• 4Health
• Canidae
• Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
• Country Value
• Diamond
• Diamond Naturals
• Kirkland Signature
• Natural Balance
• Premium Edge
• Professional
• Taste of the Wild
• Wellness

Keep in mind that while only a few bags actually contained the salmonella bacteria that sickened humans, Diamond is voluntarily recalling certain lots of these brands for safety. You may or may not have to toss your dog’s food. Find out of your dog’s bag is on the recall list by visiting the Dog Food Advisor’s post today.

Nearly one year ago, Max’s spindle cell sarcoma battle started. Despite chemotherapy treatments, by September a chest x-ray revealed lung metastasis. Doctors told his mom to take him home, there was nothing more they could do.

But Max’s mom Lisa knew it wasn’t his time. She turned to Tripawds Discussion Forums, then reached for the Dog Cancer Survival Guide.

In her latest blog post, she says:

“I could not accept this diagnosis, there must be something else. Well, I discovered the Dog Cancer Diet by Dr Dressler and I started immediately cooking for him. Then I came here and started seeing something called Palladia. Ok, I researched this as well and then I called for a second opinion.  I also purchased Apocaps and started them right away. And I reached out to my local holistic pet man and got everything recommended for a pup with a terminal diagnosis. NO STONE UNTURNED.”

Seven months later after following Dr. Dressler’s home cooking recommendations and beginning Palladia treatments . . . Max is still going strong! In May he will celebrate his one year ampuversary. Lisa says:

“The quality of Max’s life has improved greatly and I cannot ask for more than that . . . And here we are almost the end of April and Max is just awesome!  I don’t know what specifically is working, but whatever it is I wouldn’t change a thing! “

Dr. Dressler’s Survival Guide is now included in his comprehensive
DOG CANCER KIT

Turn Over Every Stone

When it comes to dog cancer, there are no guarantees no matter how much money you spend to fight it or what advice you follow. But as Dr. Dressler suggests in the Dog Cancer Survival Guide (included in his all-in-one Dr. Dressler’s Dog Cancer Kit), there are plenty of things you can do, like home cooking, that will give your dog the best chance at living longer and healthier with cancer.

Some of the actions you can take are scientifically-proven, like Palladia, while others are anecdotal-based suggestions to utilize anti-cancer foods like curcumin. But when you learn how to combine them using Dressler’s “full spectrum approach,” you have a good chance of beating the odds like Max!

No matter what happens, you will have confidence knowing that you left no stone unturned in your Tripawd’s cancer journey.

The Dog Cancer Survival Guide: Now in Dr. Dressler’s All-in-One Dog Cancer Kit

Dr. Dressler’s Dog Cancer Kit includes everything you need when faced with a dog cancer diagnosis:

• The Dog Cancer Survival Guide ebook Instant Download ($24.95 Value)
• The Dog Cancer Survival Guide paperback book with FREE Delivery to your door in the United States ($34.95 Value)
• The Dog Cancer Coping Guide Audiobook MP3 Instant Download ($19.95 Value)
• One LIVE Webinar with Dr. Dressler – Ask questions about your dog. Attend live and/or listen to recording ($27.00 Value)
• 12 months of recordings from the last year of “Ask the Dog Cancer Vet” Webinars with Dr. Dressler ($195.00 Value)
• $30 Instant Cash Coupon good off your first purchase of Apocaps® at Amazon.com ($30.00 Value)

Total Value: $331.85
Your Price: (Regular Price: $147) Now: $97

ORDER YOUR DOG CANCER KIT HERE

Thank you for allowing us to present this information to you.
Proceeds help keep the Tripawds community online.

Recommended Reading:

Max’s Journey: Kicking Butt and Taking Palladia
Dr. Dressler’s Free Dog Cancer Diet e-Book

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Gina is a licensed veterinary technician in Maine who practices at a holistic-based clinic.

“It is very understandable for you to be experiencing serious grief over the death of your beloved pet. Many of us take this very hard, especially those of us that have the feeling of ultimate responsibility.

Nobody should belittle your loss or take away your right to a fitting bereavement but try to remember, most are just trying to help you through this hard time the best they can. Some have a better ability than others.

Remember, you are perfectly justified in your deep feelings of grief and loss.

You may be surprised at the intensity of your sadness when your pet dies. It is normal and healthy to mourn the loss of a deep bond, whether that was to a human or an animal. You hurt deeply because you loved deeply. You have lost a beloved member of your family and this deserves a proper bereavement.

It might help you to think realistically about your relationship with your lost pet. The love you received from him was different than the complicated love relationships you might have with humans.

Your pet likely adored you. He was always there for you, never criticized you, never held grudges, and always forgave you, no matter what. There are few other living beings that give you this same simplicity.

You also receive other benefits from a pet; touching, petting, rubbing their fur. You might even kiss or hug them and confide your deepest thoughts to them, knowing they will never betray your secrets. The unconditional love your pet gave to you created a different and very strong emotional attachment, a comforting presence that is sure to be missed.

The 7 Normal Stages of Grief

Shock and Denial

You will probably react to learning of the loss with numbed disbelief. You may deny the reality of the loss at some level, in order to avoid the pain. Shock provides emotional protection from being overwhelmed all at once. This may last for weeks.

Pain and Guilt

As the shock wears off, it is replaced with the suffering of unbelievable pain. Although difficult, it is important that you experience the pain fully, and not hide it, avoid it or escape from it with alcohol or drugs or even emotionally shrug it off. You may have guilty feelings or remorse over things you did or didn’t do with your loved one.

Anger

Guilt gives way to anger, and you may lash out and lay unwarranted blame for the death on someone else. Please try to control this, as permanent damage to your relationships may result. This is a time for the release of bottled up emotion.

Depression

Just when everyone may think you should be getting on with your life, a long period of sad reflection will likely overtake you. This is a normal stage of grief, so do not be “talked out of it” by well-meaning outsiders. During this time, you finally realize the true depth of your loss, and it depresses you. You may isolate yourself on purpose, reflect on things you did with your lost one, and focus on memories of the past. You may sense feelings of emptiness or despair.

Upward Turn

As you start to adjust to life without your dear one, your life becomes a little calmer and more organized. Your physical symptoms lessen, and your “depression” begins to lift slightly.

Reconstruction

As you become more functional, your mind starts working again, and you will find yourself seeking realistic solutions to problems posed by life without your loved one. You will start to work on practical problems and reconstructing yourself and your life without him or her.

Acceptance

During this, the last of the seven stages in this grief model, you learn to accept and deal with the reality of your situation. Acceptance does not mean instant happiness. Given the pain you have experienced, you may never return to the carefree you that existed before this tragedy. But you will find a healthy way forward.

My dear, late father had a perfect saying here. “Did you learn anything?”  You will start to look forward and plan things for the future. Eventually, you will be able to think about your loss with less pain if you have gone through these stages correctly. You will once again anticipate some good times to come.

Homeopathic Help for Coping with Grief

Homeopathics can be a very healthy and natural way to help you through your loss and grief. Here are the most popular remedy choices for normal grief. 

Ignatia
Ignatia is usually the first remedy to try in the initial stages of grief, especially if you are in a highly weepy, emotional, and oversensitive state, perhaps even hysterical at times. Sighing is a big Ignatia keynote. Ignatia is very suitable after all kinds of grief, including the end of a relationship or bereavement.

Nat mur

Always try Nat Mur if Ignatia does not act or fails to hold. You will be tearful and emotional, but the grief is less open and you will prefer to cry alone in the privacy of your own room. Conversely, you may be so deeply affected that you cannot cry at all. Consolation may make things worse. Nat Mur can be suitable for more long-term sadness, when you feel you should be getting over it but feel ‘stuck’.

Arnica

Arnica is a remedy indicated where the loss was perceived as a blow. Often this is a financial loss such as a job or investment crash. In this case you would feel hurt, bruised, and tender and not want to engage the hard world. The opposite could be the case when you toughen up and engage life in a blunt forceful manner in order to regain what you lost.

Magneseum Muriaticum

Magneseum Muriaticum remedy can be indicated after the loss of a care giver where you feel abandoned and forsaken, left on your own, not able to fend for yourself. This can be accompanied with digestive ailments.

Herbs can also provide healthy support. Sometimes less likely to work as profoundly as Homeopathics, herbs can have their place during this difficult time.

Passionflower

Insomnia is often a symptom of grief. Passionflower treats insomnia because it increases levels of a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid. GABA affects brain cells by lowering activity in certain areas, which results in relaxation. Passionflower relaxation benefits improve when combined with Valerian or Lemon Balm.

Astragalus

Fatigue and lack of productivity are symptoms of grief that Astragalus may effectively treat. Astragalus adaptogenic properties restore the body’s balance when emotional or physical stress overburdens the body’s systems. The herb’s reputation as a strengthening herb began thousands of years ago in traditional Chinese medicine.

Valarian

Valerian can help with mild to moderate insomnia. Valerian does contain chemicals, called valepotriates, that are thought to be muscle relaxants and sedatives. It has also been shown that Valerian can increase the levels of GABA (like Passionflower), a neurotransmitter in the brain that is associated with slow-wave sleep. This can reduce anxiety and stress that may keep you awake.

On a final note, remember, grief is a normal condition.

• Do not rush yourself through it.
• Do not force yourself to stay stuck in it.
• Do what you need to heal.
• Talk with like minded people.
• Take on a project that helps you remember good times.
• Make a special photo collage, book or video of your loved one.

If you are experiencing profound grief or suicidal tendencies, I recommend seeking professional homepathic help at Homeopathic.org. 

I will leave you with one of my favorite poems. I hope reading this article will provide you with the additional support that can be so helpful in times like these.

Gina Snow, LVT

I Loved You Best
by Jim Willis 2002

So this is where we part, My Friend,
and you’ll run on, around the bend,
gone from sight, but not from mind,
new pleasures there you’ll surely find.

I will go on, I’ll find the strength,
life measures quality, not its length.
One long embrace before you leave,
share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,
but they be they, and they aren’t you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
will remember well all you’ve taught.

Your place I’ll hold, you will be missed,
the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest,
take with you this…I loved you best.

Recommended Reading: 

Tripawds Amazon Blog Grief Resources
Tripawds Nutrition Blog: Try Rescue Remedy for Natural Stress Relief
Tripawds Nutrition Blog: Homeopathy and Pain Relief for Tripawds
Tripawds Nutrition Blog: Supplements: How to Spot Bargains Versus Rip-Offs

]]> http://nutrition.tripawds.com/2012/04/18/naturally-healing-through-the-grief/feed/ 2 http://nutrition.tripawds.com/2012/04/10/how-to-make-paw-lickin-good-home-made-chicken-jerky-dog-treats/ http://nutrition.tripawds.com/2012/04/10/how-to-make-paw-lickin-good-home-made-chicken-jerky-dog-treats/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:01:27 +0000 jerry http://nutrition.tripawds.com/?p=1664 With the increase in commercial dog treat recalls, you’re probably asking yourself what you can do to protect your dog from contaminated food. Well, one way to keep your dog safe is to make your own dog treats.

In this member-submitted post by Heather Neal (aka trifod2004), you’ll learn how to make your own healthy and safe chicken jerky dog treats.

How to Make “Cadence’s Cluckers”,”
a Chicken Jerky Dog Treat Recipe
by Heather Neal

It comes as no surprise that certain commercial dog foods and treats may not always have the right or best quality ingredients for our pets. Therefore, many owners, such as myself carefully scrutinize the list of ingredients to make sure that what is going into our pets is nutritionally sound. It is especially important when your pet, like mine, has an already immunocompromised system due to an illness like cancer.

After finding out about the dogs that had been allegedly sickened by chicken jerky dog treats which had been manufactured in China, but distributed in the United States, I decided to try making my own. I already had all of the necessary tools under my belt: a dehydrator, a fine set of cooking skills, sharp knives, chicken breast fillets in my refrigerator, and two hungry dogs.

Let me begin by saying that we did try to buy chicken jerky dog treats from Costco that looked like they were made by a U.S company. In fact, I spent time looking at the label because I already had read the warnings and the recalls about the possibility of chicken jerky manufactured in China making dogs sick. The company was indeed a U.S. company. But sure enough when I got home, I saw in fine print on the back, barely discernable, that the treats had indeed been made in China. We took them back immediately!

1. I got out my dehydrator and went to work. It is just a simple dehydrator with an on and off switch. Some of the fancier ones have settings for meat and fruit and other items that can be dried.

2. I took my raw chicken breasts out of the fridge, rinsed them off and dried thoroughly. The kind of chicken I use is from a regular grocery store (or you can use organic free range chicken of you really want to get fancy). I also cut off any fat or tiny pieces hanging off the main breast. The fat can get rancid faster and spoil the meat so you want to try to have as much pure chicken breast as possible for the treat.

3. Next you want to use your sharpest possible knife and cut slices off of the chicken breast. Ideally they should be no thicker than beetween 1/8 and ¼ inch thick. Length is up to you. If you should happen to cut too thick, you can pound gently under some plastic wrap. Another tip I learned is that if you want the strips to be chewier, you should slice with the grain. I do both against and with the grain.

4. Place the strips on your dehydrator, cover, turn unit on, and wait. It’s that easy! In 6 to 8 hours, you should have paw lickin’ treats that you know will be safe and healthy for your pet. Another option is to use your oven. Follow the same instructions through step 3, and instead of placing on a dehydrator, place on a cookie sheet lined with nonstick foil. Put into a 180 to 200 degree preheated oven. Turn every two hours until 6 to 8 hours have passed. I store mine in a plastic baggie in the refrigerator because we put no preservatives in the treats.

 5. Then allow your dog to enjoy! “Bone Appetit”

Many thanks to Heather for submitting this fantastic how-to article. We are always hoppy to publish user-submitted content that fits within the scope of this Tripawds Nutrition Blog. If you would like to share your Tripawd’s diet tips, please contact us today for details.

NOTE: We are not veterinarians. All information provided here is based only on our own experiences caring for Jerry and Wyatt, and the experiences of other Tripawds members. Please consult your vet or do further research before implementing any new dietary regimen or supplements into your dog’s treatment plan.

Embark Green Brownie Bars

• 1 cup Honest Kitchen Embark
• 1/2 cup raw Agave nectar (or honey)
• 1/4 cup dried shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup dried papaya or mango, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp. warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bread pan and set aside. In a bowl, mix together the Embark with the coconut, fruit and sesame seeds. Slowly add the nectar, egg and water. Mix well. Pour mixture into the bread pan. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes until the top is slightly browned. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, remove the loaf and cool on a rack for 10 more minutes. Slice the loaf into 1 inch slices. These will keep in a refrigerator for a week.

No time to bake? Check out all these Honest Kitchen dog treats! Got a recipe you want to share? Submit it here.

Save on Dehydrated Raw Dog Food at Only Natural Pet

Honest Kitchen Embark Grain-Free Dehydrated Dog Food 4 lbsA rich, grain-free turkey-based recipe for all life stages including growth, pregnancy and lactation as well as active adult dogs.

Only Natural Pet Brand Dehydrated Beef & Turkey Dog FoodOnly Natural Pet’s house brand all natural turkey & sweet potato formula is the easy way to feed raw food, the ultimate in healthy nutrition. Just mix with water & serve!

For more information regarding Aptosis, read about Dr. Dressler’s
Apocaps for cancer in dogs.

Green Tea Benefits in an Anti-Cancer Dog Diet

Another benefit of the green tea plant (camellia sinensis) is that it may “afford protection against chemically induced carcinogenesis in several different organ systems in animal models. In addition, green tea modulates and increases the efficacy of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs in some animal models,” according to this PDF paper from the 2006 North American Veterinary Conference.

Although no scientific studies have been published that prove the efficacy of EGCG on dogs with cancer, many holistic practitioners recommend green tea extract based on strong anecdotal evidence that includes low cancer rates in countries where green tea is a well-consumed beverage.

Free Green Tea Extract Plus Free Shipping on $25+ Orders at Botanic Choice! Coupon Code: MARCHMAD (Expires 3/31/12)

When to Avoid Green Tea Extract

Dr. Demian Dressler, author of the Dog Cancer Survival Guide, says that he used to recommend green tea extract, but now calls it a lower priority supplement.

“I have since seen what I believe was EGCG interacting with other supplements in toxic ways, which leads me to make it a lower-priority supplement, which in some cases should be avoided altogether.”

He says this because he has seen some dogs experience anemia when taking the anti-cancer supplement Quercetin together with EGCG. Dressler says he doesn’t have concrete evidence to support this theory, but his instinct says the two should be avoided. And since quercetin is in the immune booster Apocaps, dogs taking Apocaps to fight cancer should avoid green tea extract.

Finally, since many veterinary oncologists have told us that antioxidants like those found within green tea extract can interfere with certain chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin, you should talk to your oncologist about taking it if your dog is currently undergoing chemo treatments.

Consult with a Holistic Veterinary Practitioner

To learn if green tea extract is right for your dog’s anti-cancer diet and find the correct dosage (which some suspect is 500 mg EGCG preparation/kg for a Labrador-sized dog), first talk to a holistic veterinary practitioner. Even as an occasional supplement added to your dog’s diet, it may contribute to an overall effective nutritional plan that keeps cancer away.

Recommended Reading:

• Tripawds Downloads: Dr. Demian Dressler’s Dog Cancer Survival Guide
• Tripawds Nutrition: The Impawtance of Apoptosis and Canine Cancer
• 2006 Proceedings of the North American Veterinary Conference: The Use of Neutraceuticals in Cancer Therapy (PDF Download)
• Modern Dog Magazine: The Cancer Diet for Dogs
• Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products: Green Tea
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Complementary Medicine: Green Tea
• WebMD: Green Tea’s Record Against Cancer Grows
• Land of Pure Gold Foundation: Is Cancer Prevention Possible?

NOTE: We are not veterinarians. All information provided here is based only on our own experiences caring for Jerry and Wyatt, and the experiences of other Tripawds members who share their ideas with the community. Please consult your vet or do further research before implementing any new dietary regimen or supplements into your dog’s treatment plan.

1. Pick three types of nutritional supplements and dietary changes recommended by veterinary experts for dogs with cancer
2. Discuss your research with your veterinarian or oncologist.
3. Allow three months to determine if these changes have positive effects

This was our philosophy for helping Spirit Jerry fight canine osteosarcoma, and it worked well for us. One of the changes we implemented into his diet was the addition of edible mushrooms.

Mushroom Therapy for Dog Cancer Basics

According to “Dog Cancer Survival Guide” author Dr. Deminan Dressler:

 “Certain kinds of mushrooms have immune boosting and anti-cancer effects. Some examples of these mushrooms include Shitake (yes, the same one we eat in Chinese restaurants), Maitake, Reishi, Cordyceps, Coriolus, Agaricus and Cordyceps. The good folks over at Aloha Medicinals have known about this forever. I spoke with Dr. John Holliday who spearheads their research a while back to get the lowdown on this very interesting area. Subsequently, I began using their products on my patients.

And I found they work. They extend life, slow progression, and keep life quality high in dog cancer patients beyond traditional care expectations.

They do this in three main ways. First, they are immune enhancing. Second, they stimulate the immune system. Lastly, they help with the toxic side effects of chemo and radiation.”

Dr. Dressler’s own blog post, “Fantastic fungus and dog cancer..medicinal mushrooms!?” has more information about how edible mushrooms help dogs fight cancer.

Which Mushroom Therapy is Right for Me?

We chose K9 Immunity to help Jerry fight cancer after he was chosen for a clinical trial, and saw a noticeable boost in his energy level soon after he began taking them, just after we learned he had lung metastasis. Other pawrents like Dr. Pam Wiltzius, Tripawds’ favorite vet, have used Health Concerns Power Mushrooms with great success:

“I would agree that I saw a definite boost in energy with both my cancer dogs within days of starting the mushrooms. Tazzie had a large patch of hair over her amputation site that had still not grown back even 6 months after her last chemo but a few weeks after starting the mushrooms her hair had completely regrown.

I wish I had heard about these sooner. My holistic vet recommended them and she uses them for all dogs instead of K9 Immunity because she thinks they are just as good and much cheaper. We did not use Transfer Factor although it probably wouldn’t hurt to add that. I think I am going to try my Dogue de Bordeaux on these mushrooms because he has chronic skin disease and maybe they will help.”

A few members have mentioned NK-9 from American Biosciences and Fungi Perfecti in our Discussion Forums, but we have heard fewer success stories about these canine cancer supplements.

Edible mushroom supplements vary in price and quality. But it’s hard know you’re getting what you paid for, and that the mushroom blend is safe for your dog’s current state of health. To help with your research, here is a summary of information we’ve compiled from the Tripawds Discussion Forums and this Nutrition blog. Some of these discussions haven’t been updated recently, so if you have experience with any of these mushroom supplements, please share your story in the topic.

Medicinal Mushrooms: General Information & Tripawd Experiences

• AHCC Cancer Therapies: NK-9, K9 Immunity, Power Mushrooms
• Artemisinin or K9 Immunity: Are You Taking Them?
• Magic Mushroom Recipes for Your Tripawd
• Lylee’s Anti-Cancer Diet Tips
• Osteosarcoma is No Match for Shiva’s Anti-Cancer Diet and Supplements
• Maggie’s Guide to Fighting Cancer
• Mika Shares Her Healthy Cancer Dog Supplements

K9 Immunity

• All Forums Search Results for  “K9 Immunity”
• Anyone Know about K9 Immunity?
• New and Improved K9 Immunity Plus Immune System Support for Dogs with Cancer
• Jerry’s K9 Immunity Clinical Trial for Osteosarcoma Metastases
• K9 Immunity and Metronomic Cancer Therapy
• K9 Immunity and AHCC Cancer Therapies
• K9 Immunity Plus and Apocaps

Power Mushrooms

• Eating Healthy: Power Mushrooms
• Eating Healthy: Immune Stimulant:Health Concerns Power Mushrooms
• Tripawds Nutrition Blog: Power Mushrooms Immune Boosting  Supplement

Fungi Perfecti

• Eating Healthy: How Boomie Does Mushrooms

Have medicinal mushrooms helped your Tripawd fight cancer and stay healthy? If so, contact us today so we can help you share your story here with others.

NOTE: We are not veterinarians. All information provided here is based only on our own experiences and those of other Tripawds members. Please consult your veterinary professional and do further research before implementing any new dietary regimen or supplements into your Tripawd’s cancer treatment plan.

Whether you pick a commercial kibble diet or go raw, try home cooking or feed a combination of both, currently there is little scientific evidence proving that one is superior over another, according to Dr. Kay.

While many of us can point to our dogs and say “This type of diet is best, see how healthy she is?” the truth is, at this point in time, choosing the best dog diet is a guessing game!

Sure, we can point to lots of foods, herbs and supplements that are currently believed to help fight cancer, but overall, veterinary nutrition scientists say there is no one type of diet that has been shown to be superior.

“Perhaps future research will be enlightening,” says Dr. Kay, “but I simply don’t buy into the notion that there is only one right way to feed a dog.”

How to Choose the Best Diet

The fact is, all dogs are different. Just like people, they all have their own quirks and preferences. And whether or not your dog is fighting cancer, what matters most is quality of life: find a nutritious diet that your dog enjoys, and run with it!

The first way to find that diet is to talk to your vet, while remembering that you both have your dog’s best interest in mind. Ask your vet to recommend a diet based on your dog’s age, health status and current lifestyle. Next, calmly share your own beliefs about what you think might be the most beneficial diet at this point in time.

Together, you and your vet can work to reach find common ground that works for all three of you.

Have you talked about your dog’s diet with your vet? If so, what was the result?

Recommended Reading:

Canine Nutrition Books for Beginners
Tripawds Nutrition Blog Diet Articles

For example, Karen, pawrent of canine kids Tripawd Pegz and quadpawd Chaz, is well-acquainted with home cooking for dogs.

“Lots of folks tell me I am crazy,” she says. “But the truth is that once you develop a routine, this process is no big deal. It takes me 1/2 an hour…2 or 3 times a week. I travel frequently for work, so advance prep is a must. But the results are worth it,” she adds.

People switch to home cooked dog food for a variety of different reasons. In Karen’s case, she says “I actually started all this by trying to cure the ‘evil squirts.’ And I slowly realized that when I did the boiled meat and rice routine, the better BM’s (bowel movements) we had! Then I started to read up on commercial food and became convinced that the more “whole” food I could give them the better they would do.”

Today, Pegz and Chaz have superior intestinal health, healthy skin and fur and Karen adds “Pegz is a new dog in terms of energy. When she gets too feisty and rambunctious, I have to tell her, “That’s it!! No more vitamins for you!”

See How they Eat

In the following photos, Karen describes how she approaches home cooking for her pack, and the ingredients she uses on a regular basis.

Doggie Pantry

A few items we need every week to make some yummy meals. Brown rice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, eggs, green beans and apple cider vinegar.

Missing from the pic is plain yogurt and the gently boiled beef and chicken that makes up 2/3 of each plate. Occasionally, we give some whole wheat pasta instead of brown rice. A tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh parsley takes that pasta from bland to boring and also provides green matter and calcium. Other occasional additions include scrambled eggs, cottage cheese and canned salmon.

Artful Plating

As you can see, the veggies have been pretty much pulverized in the food processor and comprise about 1/3 of the plate along with the rice. Doggies can’t digest most whole veggies so you need to grind them up. Truthfully there is no art here. After the picture was taken, it all got slopped together for actual dog consumption.

The Expectant Diner

After several months of blending commercial with home cooked food, Miss Pegz has better breath, shinier coat, no dandruff and much more flexibility in her creaky old bones.

Home Cooking Basics for Pegz and Chaz

The pack enjoys a combination of commercial dog food as well as Mom’s cooking. In the morning, the menu consists of a high-quality commerical dog food (a mixture of canned and dry) with a dollop of yogurt (probiotic) and some wild fish oil sprinkled in.

Dinnertime is when they get to enjoy a big bowl of Mom’s home cooking, which often consists of “some combo of brown rice and pulverized veg, plus either partially cooked chicken or ground beef.” A calcium powder is added to the vegetable and rice mixture at feeding time, the both dogs get a multi-vitamin.

Each dog receives different amounts of food based on their weight. Pegz weighs 43 pounds and Chaz weighs 70. “I am very focused on her (Pegz’) calories, so that she does not gain any extra pounds. In addition to missing her front left leg, her back left leg is severely damaged.

As part of the pack’s holistic approach to good health, Karen says she avoids giving both dogs tap water. “The smell of chlorine in our city water would blow your hat off,” she says. “If I can’t stand the smell, I am not going to make them drink it. Spring water only.”

For critics who say home cooking is an expensive endeavor compared to kibble, Karen says her price comparisons proove otherwise. “If I were going to feed 100 percent high quality commercial food, then this method is not that much more expensive.”

The real costs are in the price of supplements that need to be added to the food, which Karen says are mandatory for the most nutritious home cooked dog food.

Do you home cook for your pack? If so, contact us to share your tips and ideas for dog-friendly home cooking.

Recommended Reading for Home Cooking Ideas

Tripawds Nutrition Blog: Home Cooking Search Results

The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook for Busy Chefs

Healthy Cooking the Three Dog Way

Dr. Becker Shares Real Food Tips for Healthy Dogs

Canine Nutrition Books for Beginners

Natural Pet Health Books by Dr. Richard Pitcairn

How to Eat Like Our Canine Ancestors

Magic Mushroom Recipes for Your Tripawd

NOTE: We are not veterinarians. All information provided here is based only on our own experiences caring for Jerry and Wyatt, and the experiences of other Tripawds members who share their ideas with the community. Please consult your vet or do further research before implementing any new dietary regimen or supplements into your dog’s treatment plan.