Do you ever cook for your dog?

[Mr.Bill]

Our dogs are small, old and don't really eat much, so we spoil them. We just cooked the latest batch. It is beef hearts, kidney, chicken hearts, brown rice and carrots. We boil it all and chop it in the food processor, then bag and freeze it. We got about 10 lbs of food for around $25. It takes some effort, but cost wise it is a little cheaper than good quality wet food. And of course, the dogs love it.

[MLAA]

1. Ahhh, they are well loved doggos!

[kimbutgar]

2. My Dad used to buy livers and kidneys from a produce factory and cooked them for our dog!

[Mr.Bill]

3. Ours love chicken livers,

although they have gotten a little expensive lately.

[luvs2sing]

4. I did for the last couple years of my beloved border collie's life.

He had developed myasthenia gravis, and his immune system went haywire. The only thing he could eat was rice and ground beef with vitamins added. There is a great book on home-cooked diets for dogs. I don’t remember the name of it, but it is by Volhard. Might be out of print by now.

The dog who owns us now is 70 pounds, so home cooking would be quite expensive, however, he gets small amounts of tasty, healthy people food in his meals.

[AndyS]

5. Yes, I cook for Jack.

He's a 23 pound fox terrier mix--I think part Bolivian Snake Retriever--because he's a picky eater. Would starve before eating dried food. Scratches the floor around the bowl if I put canned mash in it.

Stewed chicken, rice, peas n carrots, chicken livers and any fat trimmed off the pork shoulder (cooked to cracklins) all mixed up and frozen. I can feed him for two weeks for (best case) $10 and (worst case) $15. If I get really hungry I stir fry it and add an egg. Fried rice!

I'm retired, have nothing to do all day and take all day to do it . . .

[niyad]

9. Such a handsome fellow!

[peacebuzzard]

6. I did for my babies

With almost the same recipe. They lived well into the mid teens; were quite healthy
On edit: i really miss them! 😢

[Tyche]

7. Always!

Our Akbash, Willow, gets what we call Willow stew. It's usually a chicken, but sometimes beef or pork I find on sale, stewed with water then cooled and deskinned/deboned. I add barley or brown rice, split peas, bulgar wheat etc, with veggies (NEVER tomatoes lol), these days pumpkin, always dried cranberries and blueberries because she loves them.

With her kibble, and 2 eggs with rice for breakfast every morning, she eats well! She's a working livestock guardian dog and deserves it.

[niyad]

8. Does serving your dog whatever you are eating count?

[Mr.Bill]

10. We do that too.

I'm the type that trims all the fat off of meat. They always get that. We buy all of our chicken pieces with skin on. They love that fried.

[niyad]

11. My Mal ate everything that I ate, and I do mean EVERYTHING, with the

exception of pickles. Only dog I have ever seen to eat artichokes, and properly.

[spinbaby]

12. I don't have a dog

But I used to bake dog biscuits for the neighbor’s dog.

[Mr.Bill]

13. That's somthing we haven't tried yet

but maybe someday.

[PlutosHeart]

14. What do you do for any vitamins or

things needed for balancing the food? I used to do homemade and have been doing Honest Kitchen with added veggies and protein...and cutting back on the recommended amount.
I like Dr. Baskos book on dog food for special situations.

[Mr.Bill]

15. To be honest, I haven't researched that very much.

I do know they need fiber, therefore the rice, and we use different vegetables in every batch. I do know they are acting younger and healthier than they do on the store-bought stuff. Their poop looks better and more regular, too.

[Yorkie Mom]

16. I use BalanceIt

and their website to create custom recipes. My little dog has horrible allergies and this was recommended by 2 holistic vets.

https://secure.balanceit.com/recipegenerator_ver4/index.php?rotator=EZ