Does anyone out there know where to find a balanced dog food recipe? I live in an area where quality kibbles are VERY limited (and often stale) but have three B's with different food allergy problems. Most recipes I've seen seem a bit heavy on the protein, but don't break things down into % of protein, fat & carbohydrates so it's hard to tell.
Monica Segal sells brochures with balanced recipes, http://www.monicasegal.com/. She also does consults to help design a recipe if a dog has special concerns. Also, there is a yahoo group K9Kitchen where you can go to get help in balancing a diet on your own.
I just posted a great link on treats: http://www.salmonears.com/
You might check into shipping, which rarely have issues of staleness on the boards.
BUT if you want to make your own, check out some of the vet books on it. I fed raw, have honestly never cooked for my dogs other than when one was sick (ie rice). But:
Donald Strombeck DVM PhD
Home Prepared Dog and Cat Diets. Strombeck is the author of the basic veterinary text on gastroenterology (Small Mammal Gastroenterology), is a professor at UC Davis, and is NOT a holistic vet. He recommends a homemade cooked diet.
Here iare a few vet links on making your own:
http://www.vetlord.org/healthy-dog-homemade-diet/
http://www.foundersvet.com/home_cooking.htm
Or consider something like Wendy Volhard's stuff, where you get their freeze dried and then add your own meat:
http://www.volhard.com/pages/natural-diet-supplements.php
Honest Kitchen also has a dehydrated raw food to which you add your own meats.
Thanks very much! All great suggestions, you've kick started my brain. We're heading to the vet this afternoon–a "3 Hour Tour" to borrow from the Gilligan's Island theme, but she's fabulous. I've never had a B lose patches of hair b4, so want to rule out more sinister causes especially since the little guy had a rough start to life.
Thanks very much! All great suggestions, you've kick started my brain. We're heading to the vet this afternoon–a "3 Hour Tour" to borrow from the Gilligan's Island theme, but she's fabulous. I've never had a B lose patches of hair b4, so want to rule out more sinister causes especially since the little guy had a rough start to life.
You are being a fabulous basenji mom! Let us know what the vet thinks the protocol should be.
http://maryshouse.us/Recipes.htm
the muttloaf is a favorite at my house. i do not use it as their entire diet, so i don't know or worry if it is/isn't nutritionally complete
Sunny update: the vet ruled out mange & ringworm and while the dogs aren't on Revolution, fleabite dermatitis is very unlikely–trust me on that one. No new inhalents, and the only existing one is vinegar/lemon/baking soda spray cleaner--I banned commercial cleaners & scented products/sprays/candles from the house years ago, and we don't smoke. So that leaves food.
The Vet thinks the issue might be related more to dog food additives than protein type, and I'd say she's on the right track 'tho I think it's additives IN the protein/fat sources, too. I'm sourcing inexpensive organic mutton to do an elimination diet, although I might try organic beef first, but for now all 3 are on a mix of Medical Hypoallergic and homemade ratio 2:1:1 (protein:veggies:oatmeal). I'm transitioning them gradually to homemade, but Sunny's as itchy as ever and the hairloss is progressing. Unfortunately, Donald Strombeck's book is out of my price range at the moment ($181 in Canada) so I'll be turning to you guys for more advice!
So, does anyone have an opinion on which veggies & starches might be best tolerated? Also, he has a Hartz plastic teething ring--d'ya think ingesting tiny bits of that or a Nylabone could cause fur loss?
P.S. Sorry for the long post!
I should have added that on the muttloaf recipe, i use potato flakes (instant mashed pot) instead of flour, so it's a grain free food. I find potato are fine with my dogs. I also buy my beef from a local rancher. I get a 1/4 of an animal at at time and she usually brings me extra heart/liver. (another friend of mine gets tongue, cheek and kidneys, but I pass on that stuff.) She usually has extra burger if she's had to butcher an older animal. she free ranges and does not use any hormones, etc. Also these are longhorn cattle so the beef is extra lean. Anyway, this is a cheaper option than buying from the supermarket and the beef is a MUCH better quality. (and it's very environmentally friendly as far as eating meat goes.) If you have a local feed store, you may want to ask around, or even check on craigslist.
Most dogs tolerate rice, potatoes and even green beans, carrots etc. But I wonder why your vet thinks additives? The vast truly vast majority of dog food allergies is the protein itself. An elimination diet would help you determine.
Luckily I'm in Cattle Country, too–I've got a bunch of leads to follow up. Two of my nieghbours have offered to let me graze a steer with their herd, but we don't have a big enough freezer! Most of the stock is non-registered organic, and I'm told many ranchers who raise for the farmer's market will sell heart, tongue & green tripe for a very good price--provided they're not keeping it for their own dogs!
@Debra, the Vet was mostly referring to fat and probiotics, and largely in the quality/freshness sense. But Non-medical diets (in Canada, anyway) may list their primary protein source as Duck, but are allowed a certain percentage of "off label" protein--I think it's 20, maybe 30%--and fat can be from ANY source. Duck has been my go-to protein source for years, even more so than fish...but who can afford prescription hypoallergic duck for multiple dogs?
As for probiotics, my previous vet wanted me to try a probiotic blend from Nestle, but the additives to make it taste good were pretty much abbatoir rendering sludge. With two sickly puppymill "babies" and an old "Nannydog" I'm at the stage where I'm afraid to feed them Human Grade meat for fear of making them worse...what a world we live in!
