Looking for big dog dogfood recipes (mass quantities!)

[doodadem]

Someone on the Pet Forum suggested I post this question here--the only response I got in the Pet Forum!

I'm thinking about starting to cook for our 4 dogs. We've been very careful in the past year to not buy food with wheat gluten, etc., but still not liking what I hear about all commercial food.

Most of the recipes I'm finding look like they would work fine for one dog, or a couple small ones. We have two Miniature Dachshunds, one purebred Borzoi, and one crossbred Borzoi/Great Pyranees. I'm looking for some good guidelines on brewing up large quantities that are easy, economical, and freezable.

We don't do beef here. I did find one recipe in the pet forum that relies heavily on sheep and lamb organ meat (hearts, livers). Wondering how safe that is these days? What about pork? I'm sure chicken is probably ok. I've always mixed in any leftover pasta, rice, veges, etc. that was around. I'd like to expand on that. Maybe if I can get this down, I can eventually come up with something for the 12 cats! Although, they don't want to touch anything other than commercial stuff.......

thanks!

[flvegan]

1. What kind of budget are you working with?

[doodadem]

2. We're probably spending about $20 a week now

on dry Beneful (salmon) and canned Alpo (chicken). We were spending close to $30 week on dry and canned Nature's Recipe (lamb or chicken).

I just talked to a meat market here that said he can get sheep/lamb hearts and livers if he orders them from his supplier. He said he'd sell them to me at his cost of .50 a pound if he knows I'll be getting them regularly.

That sounds like a pretty good deal. My winter vegetable garden should start producing here in the next couple months (broccoli, caulif., cabbage, brussel sprouts), so that will help. I'm also starting to think about adding a few chickens to our menagerie. Don't think I could eat one then, but eggs for us and the pupsters........

[Zoigal]

3. just googled for some recipe ideas

and found quite a few. Don't know if any would be suitable for you, but
worth a look. Nice to know someone on DU has a borzoi.
The B/GPyranee cross must be lovely, too. Would love to see pics. We
have two borzois. Great dogs. z

[doodadem]

9. Our little pack is beautiful

If I do say so myself! Would love to upload some pictures, but I've never figured out how. We love the Sighthound group, and had Greyhounds for years, then Saluki's. Fell so in love with the Borzoi/GP cross, that we got the purebred Borzoi last year. If she gets anymore energy from me cooking for her, I may go insane! She's still a big pup--sighthounds mature late.

In research so far, I have discovered a few important things:
--the ratio for meat, veges, starch, should be 40%, 30%, 30%. I'd been doing it up like we prefer, with the majority, say 50%, pasta. Those cheap hearts and livers are starting to look better and better.

--You should only feed liver 3 times a week though. Last night, I gave them canned mackeral--they love it, and the oiliness is really good.

--Interestingly, the dog that holds the record for longevity at 27 years old, was fed strictly vegetarian--fresh garden veges in a lentil base.

Making up big batches, and then dividing it up into gallon freezer bags seems to work well. I microwave in the same bag, wash it out (with soap), and reuse. They love warm dinners on cold nights.

[XemaSab]

4. Get a crock pot

It will make cooking for the dogs very, very easy.

A few weeks ago one of the dogs was sick so we fed the dogs rice with meat broth and little scraps of meat for a few days and they thought it was AWESOME. When I poured the Beneful in their bowls one of the dogs actually sniffed at it and walked out of the kitchen. :o

Of course that's not a complete diet by any means, but damn did the dogs ever think it was the best!

[NMDemDist2]

5. i cook for three herding dogs, a sheltie, an aussie and a large Border collie

(BTW I loves me some Borzois, I've seriously considered getting another one when I get another dog)

anyway, I cook one cup rice for each pound of meat (I use cheap ground beef from our local butcher or ground turkey in the rolls that I get onsale for 10 for $10) add some oil if turkey but it's not needed for cheap burger and some garlic to fend off fleas

I boil it up with plenty of water and mix it with kibble. if you are trying to avoid kibble altogether I'd add some oats (a cup per pound should be good, maybe a 1.5) for fiber and all your veggie scraps (the peels and ends that you trim off your food, throw em in a bag in the freezer until you're ready to cook them) and you'll need to order vitamins online to add to the mix to make sure they are getting what they need.

try to keep it fairly consistent though or the dogs will get diarrhea

it freezes fine, I cook up about 3 pounds of meat/rice/oats each time and freeze half

[RockaFowler]

6. I like the idea of freezing the vege scraps

Ever since the wheat gluten problem, I have been cooking all of my dog's food. My mom said there is a way to make great homemade kibbles. I don't know the recipe, but I'm willing to try anything other than canned food.

I make rice for my 3 mini-dachshunds and buy a rotisserie chicken for them. They LOVE it. I do add in pasta and vege's when I have leftovers. By the way, my dogs have never looked better and they have so much more energy now. Ever since I started to cook their meals they can't wait to eat. I used to have a tough time getting them to eat the regular canned food. Maybe they knew something I didn't!!!!

[NMDemDist2]

7. my recipe then spread in pans and baked would be kibble

be careful with table scraps, the salt and highly spiced stuff isn't good for them

and be sure to get some good vitamin liquid to add to the mix to insure they are getting all the trace minerals they need.

[NMDemDist2]

8. here's a basic link

http://www.ehow.com/how_12697_make-homemade-dog.html