How much?
Q: How much homemade dog food should I feed my dog?
A: Start off with the same portion of food you are currently feeding. Adjust the portion up or down depending on your dog’s weight loss or gain.
Fasting?
Q: Do I have to fast my dog before switching to a homemade dog food?
A: I highly recommend following the 24 hour fast outlined in the introductory method. This will greatly minimize the chance of your dog having digestive upset, vomiting and diarrhea all over your house, YUCK!
Dogs are gorgers and fasters by design so the fast is not hard for them. That said, you may find it easier to clean up vomit and diarrhea than ignore a little whining and begging for a day. To each his own:)
Rice?
Q: Can I feed brown rice instead of white rice, isn’t brown rice more nutritious?
A: Dogs have a short digestive tract and have a difficult time digesting brown rice so much passes right through. White rice is easier for dogs to digest.
Q: Can I substitute cooked potatoes for the rice because I have heard white rice can have some arsenic in it?
A: Yes, this is fine.
Q: If dogs are carnivores why do you add the cooked rice to the dog food recipes?
A: Dogs are carnivores and do great on a meaty bone based dog food. I add the rice or potatoes to help the transition to a homemade dog food easier for the dog digestion and the owners wallet. You can eliminate the rice or potatoes out of any of these recipes if you like.
Puppy Food?
Q: Do you have a dog food recipe for puppies?
A: I believe it is best to feed a highly nutritious food to your dog for their entire life. All the recipes on this site are great for puppies and adults. So pick the dog food recipe that fits best with your time and budget and get started. Your pooch will love you for it!
Kidney Problems?
Q: My dog has kidney problems which dog food recipe do you recommend?
A: Dog food with a high moisture content will help flush out kidneys, this is a good thing. All the dog food recipes on this site have a high moisture content.
Q: Do high protein levels cause kidney disease?
A: This is a myth that is still widely promoted. Read a quick article here to get some insight.
Health Problems?
Q: My dog has___________, which dog food recipe do you recommend?
A: Every day I receive many, many, many questions from dog owners about specific dog illnesses and they are very hard to answer. To be honest many go unanswered. While I have worked with animal nutrition full time for about 20 years I am still not a veterinarian and not licensed to answer medical questions.
That said, I strongly believe many of the illnesses that plague many modern dogs are misdiagnosed and are actually nutritional deficiency diseases. So, I think the best place to start is always a healthy homemade dog food and all dogs will benefit from a highly nutritious meal.
Diabetes?
Q: My dog has just been diagnosed with diabetes can I feed him one of these dog food recipes?
A: Diabetes is a serious illness and often require insulin shots. Click here for a detailed article on diabetes and your options to maintain your dogs good health.
Supplements?
Q: Do I have to use the supplements in the dog food recipe?
A: Yes, it is best to use the supplements I suggest. They contain many delicate nutrients and your dog will thrive when the dog food recipes are fed with the supplements.
Q: Can I use another supplement?
A: Yes, you can do whatever you want but “your results may vary”. I have fed these recipes with these supplements for years and so have thousands of others with awesome results.
Eggs?
Q: Do I have to use the crushed egg shells in the dog food recipes?
A: The eggs shells are in the dog food recipes to supply calcium and are important for that reason. Egg shell are a highly absorbable form of calcium and good to use. Some people are concerned about the sharp jagged sides and don’t want to feed them to their dogs. This is understandable. If this describes you you can blend the eggs in the blender are add calcium with Fidocal, a highly absorbable fine powdered calcium supplement for dogs.
Q: I see you hard-boil the eggs can I just feed them raw?
A: I hard-boil the eggs because the egg whites have an enzyme that binds with a B vitamin. It is questionable how big of a problem this would be for a dog but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I don’t think there would be any problem switching between the two, raw or cooked.
Raw vs. Cooked?
Q: Which is better to feed my dog, raw or cooked?
A: I personally feel raw dog food is best but the cooked dog food recipes on this site are super! Ultimately, you have to choose a dog food recipe that suites your lifestyle and budget. What good is any dog food recipe if it is to costly, time consuming or difficult to make?
Q: What about the bacteria on the raw food, will it make my dog sick?
A: Dogs have powerful stomach acids that help them not get sick from bacteria laden foods. Dogs are scavengers by design so it makes sense they can eat germy food and not get sick. If germs on food made dogs sick they would be dropping like flies every garbage day.
Q: Can I or my family members get sick from the raw dog food?
A: Yes, it is possible. If you or any of your family members is very young, old or has a compromised immune system you can succumb to the bacteria on raw dog food. Keep in mind the meat ingredients are all items you would purchase at the grocery store. So, wash up afterwards and you should be fine. If you have concerns by all means feed one of the cooked dog food recipes.
Is it OK if I boil the chicken instead of baking? I use the liquid to add moisture. Do you drain any of the fat when you de-bone? Also, should I be using a mixture of different proteins like chicken AND beef? I have been primarily using chicken and occasionally fish.
Ester,
The chicken and rice dog food recipe on this site is very moist. I think boiling the chicken will take it over the top. You can mix proteins, this is fine.
Six months ago our Bullmastiff starting having some health problems and I was reseaching online and found your website. I started the raw food diet and supplements. All I can say is Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He improved rapidly and now is a picture of health. All due to the raw food diet and supplements. I would never go back to kibbles! Thanks again for starting this website. My husband was skeptical but he is a believer now too. We just wanted the best for our pet. I wanted to let your readers know, that this is not hard, and once you see the results, so totally worth the switch. Thank you,
Judy and Roady
Judy,
All good news!
Help! My 11 yr old Lab was diagnosed with hepatitis, due to high copper levels in her liver. She is absorbing the copper from her kibble. My other 10 yr old Lab has yeast infections real bad in his ears and is prone to hotspots and itchy skin. I want to go with the yeast starvation diet you provided. My husband is very concerned it will not help the one with the liver issue. Is there any thing we can feed them both?
I think it is fine for both dogs.
Okay this may be the dumbest question you have ever had. My dog absolutely refuses to eat any kibble. He loves him some table food, which I highly frown upon. I would really love to be feeding him home made food fit for a dog and I am going to try the raw recipe you have on here… So here is the “dumb” question. I have always heard feeding your dog raw meat can make them mean and aggressive. This is the only reason I am second guessing the raw diet. Can this happen? can feeding my dog raw meat cause him to be aggressive or mean in the future?
Lindsey,
I had this asked before but no raw meat will not make a dog more aggressive.
Because my 7 year old golden retriever has mege esophagus, he has to be fed smaller “meatballs”. Do any of your recipes lend themselves better to being made into meatballs ? I am not opposed to raw but was leaning towards cooked recipes.
Thank you .
Lisa
Lisa,
Actually, I think they all would be fine.
Ed,
I am very interested in trying out the raw food diet for my dog, but he is allergic to egg. What would you recommend to replace the egg in your recipes?
Thank you!
Jocelynn,
To replace the calcium from the egg shells add fidocal calcium supplement.
I have old egg shells saved from using for plants. Can I crush these up and use them in the food? They’ve been rinsed and dried. Thanks
Sure, I think it is fine.
Hi Ed, I have a 7 yrs. old female shih tzu, been nuteur at a younger age. She is very picky, she loves the food “fresh deli” I bought at dog food store, it has veg, meat and rice in it too, but cost too much. So I make chicken soup for myself but I shred the chicken breast and mix in with his dry small bite dog food , sometimes she ate it. But she really loves the fresh chicken breast right after I took out of the pot, shred them up, she will eat it all but the problem is she will have ligquidy stool. What can I do? Now I found you on your web, I will give it a try to do the homemade dog food, see how she likes it. I gave her vitamins as she was growing up, I stopped giving her vitamins, but her vet recommend to buy at pet store give her vit A and B, what is your take? She weight 9.5 pounds, a purebreed shih tzu with AKC papers, her name is Camille.
Pricilla,
Try feeding Camille the chicken and rice dog food recipe, it is nutritious and tasty.
Can I use ground venison (Sitka Deer) in place of ground beef for the dog food recipe?
Sure!
Hi Ed. I just started feeding my two cockapoos the raw dog food receipe. They are both loving the food, the puppy (5mo) is doing fine with it but the 7yr old has runny stools and throwing up. What should we do?
Robin,
Fast your dog for 24 hours and reintroduce the recipe slowly as suggested in the recipe section.
My Boston terrier has been on the yeast starvation diet for almost 3 weeks. She is miserable with open sores now, and she stinks! Poor baby! Itching like crazy! Has been having accidents in the house and just feels terrible!!!! How long will this go on? I feel so bad for her! Hope it resolves soon. I heard it gets worse before it gets better…..but how much worse will it get?????
Susie,
It sounds like you Boston is detoxing and this process can last a few weeks. You can also add a teaspoon of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar to her daily meal, this will help with her detoxing. Also you can try some Dogosuds essential oil shampoo, this will help with her itching skin throughout the process.
My mixed breed (designer dog) is 12 years old, weighs about 70 pounds, about 10 lbs over weight. She has fatty deposits or tumors? in several places on her body. Her new vet recently recommended that she have NO table food. She instructed me to purchase dogfood that listed the first ingredient as a MEAT, and to never feed food that listed corn as the first ingredient. In looking at your website I think your cooked recipes look great….like table food for me….never mind the dog!!! I plan to re-order dinovite….she doesn’t like it, but maybe she will eat it if she has the yummy hamburger and rice mixed in! What is so bad about corn?
Debbie,
The bad thing about corn is usually the quantity in the dog food. Some dog foods are made up mostly of corn and this is not good for a dog because they do better on meat based diets.
Hi Ed,
One of my dog nearly died after using a Pro Plan product that we have been using for years.
We noticed that they had changed the bag design and added some new kind of fiber to the ingredients. My Lab mix got deathly ill and could not eat for days.
After reading how many Dogs are dying from cheaply made Chinese and USA products, and how sick our dog was, we decided to look into homemade dog food.
I noticed that in your chicken recipe you use 10 lbs of legs and thighs. Im thinking that might yield around 2.5 lbs of meat. So what I was wondering is, if your opposed to using Chicken breast meat.
I can buy 5 lbs of breast at Sams for $9.00 and could cook 2 batches for the 32 cup recipe.
Im retired and looking for the least expensive way to produce your recipe, Im also going to buy the Dinovite and superomega and rice in bulk.
Thanks for your help
MarkD
Mark,
I like using the chicken legs and thighs because they have lots of cartilage along with the meat. I also feed the bones, ground up or in the bone stock.
Hi Ed,
I would like to begin trying this with my two boxers. One has a history of bladder stones and is on a RX dog food from vet. The other dog has just been diagnosed with hip displasia. I have heard that feeding them this way could assist with the hip displasia. What are your thoughts on feeding them this diet considering both of their conditions? Thanks so much!
Jayne,
My view is that any homemade, nutritious dog food recipe is better than kibble.
Hi I am a new Siberian Husky owner. My husband and I have started getting him off the kibble that was recommended to us when we bought the dog, I am making him a chicken, rice, and vegetable mix. He is getting half and half right now and will be be switched to all homemade very soon. I was interested to read that he doesn’t really need the veggies. Is that correct?
Can you recommend the best supplement to feed a husky? He is living with a retired couple. So most of his exercise is walking. Thanks Love you website.
Brenda,
You are right veggies for dogs have limited value unless steamed, pureed and made to simulate predigested matter. I would use the dinovite powder it has many delicate nutrients and a highly absorbable form of zinc. Some Huskeys have a higher requirement for zinc.
I have a 3 year old long hair chihuahua. I have had him since he was 5 months old. He weighs between 11 and 13 pounds. Yes, he is a big one. When we first brought him to the vet, she told us to feed him kibble. He had very hard stool. So then she told me to mix a little bit of wet food to his kibble. This info from her have never changed. My dog is a very picky eater. And you are right, they are gorgers and fasters. I got tired of throwing away food. So, I started mixing our food with his kibble. He loves it. He will wait out eating until I fix him “people” food. So now I am looking at your site to make my own dog food. If I change to no kibble won’t his stool become very loose? I am confused at all the info out there.
Thanks
Natalie,
I don’t recommend mixing kibble and homemade dog food because it often leads to digestive upset.
Hi Ed, Love your website. We’ll be getting our first dog as adults after being cat-only household for 23 years. So I’m trying to learn as much as I can about dog health and food. What is your thought about feeding dogs on raw milk yogurt or raw milk kefir (we make them both)? Wondering if that would be good for digestive health?? Thank you for your great information.
Julie,
Raw milk is fine and dogs love it when it goes sour and separates.
As an alternative to beef, when using the cooked version, I pressure cook whole fryers (or slightly larger) until bones crumble (usually about an 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Cool down and run all solids thru Cuisinart with a bit of the broth to help the machine. It gives them all the bones, etc. Freeze and/or refringerate in portions. I use the rest of the broth diluted with a bit of water to cook the rice and I add quinoa to the rice as well. Plus fish oil as a supplement. But am going to start adding the whole egg w/shell for the calcium.
Hi. Thank you for all of this information. It is a wonderful resource. Here comes a my dog has____, question…My 6 year old german shepherd has lymphoma. Do you have any recipes for her?
Thanks in advance!
Bill,
All these recipes are highly nutritious and I can’t imagine could do any harm.
GREAT website, thank you so much for all this info. I stumbled upon the raw food diets completely by accident when my dog was sick and couldn’t keep anything else down… raw meat was the only thing he could tolerate so I am starting him on your recipe today. I do have a question though, if you don’t mind: I’ve read that bone meal is necessary in a dog’s diet. What does it do? Do the Dinovite and/or Lickochops supplements supply the same nutrients, or do the egg shells take the place of it?
I have a 12 year old golden retriever who is slowing down but is a very happy, mostly healthy dog (he has some arthritis, and fatty tumors) but he has recently become hard to feed. At his age I’ll try anything to give him the best senior years he can have. Thanks so much!
Patti,
The bone meal would be added for the calcium but the eggs shells add the calcium. The Lickochops or Supromega add needed omega fatty acids and the Dinovite adds a whole bunch of delicate nutrients.
Thank you so much for your time! What a wonderful service you are providing for dogs and their owners!
I have a 9 yr. male schnauzer who weighs 25 lbs. He just had 13 teeth pulled and vet said blood fats were elevated, but would check them again in a month. I felt so bad! We did not realize canned dog food was bad for him until I found your sight. I immediately ordered the dinovite and lickochops.
I have 2 questions.
Which of your dog food recipes would you recommend?
How much coconut oil should I give him daily?
Kris,
Feed the easy cooked or raw dog food recipes because of his teeth being pulled. One tablespoon of coconut oil per day is fine.
Hi, may i know how do you heat up the frozen dog food for each feeding?
Add water and heat up over the stove again? or just add hot water?
Thanks!
Christine,
I either let it thaw naturally or defrost it in the microwave. I keep the unfed portion in the refrigerator and feed it to my dogs cold.
I have a 6 month labradoodle that I am thinking about switching to raw diet as he has had digestive problems for 6 weeks. I read on one of the Dynovite comments about it causing hyper-activity. I could not stand him any more hyper! Is this common?
Jan,
Dinovite does not cause hyperactivity it just helps dogs get nutrients they need and stay healthy. If healthy, for your dog, is active then that is normal. I guess you could have him unhealthy and sleepy but that’s no good.
Thank you for all your hard work on this website.
I have a 9 yr old schnauzer, 25# that just had 13 teeth pulled. His blood fats are elevated. He’s been on canned dog food. Now that we’ve been enlightened by your wonderful website, we will feed him a raw diet. I’ve ordered the dinovite and lickochops. Two questions…
1. would the raw chicken/rice/egg diet be best?
2. how much coconut oil do I give daily?
Kris,
Considering how many teeth were pulled I would feed the easy raw dog food recipe or grind the raw chicken and bones. A tablespoon of coconut oil per day is fine.
Hi! what a wonderful website! My question is this: We currently feed our bulldog Orijen dry food and I am considering switching to raw, but one reason aside from the health benefit is the cost of this dry food which is very high. I am concerned that the cost of the raw diet would be VERY high! We have a local meat processing facility one concession over from us and I am wondering if instead of feeding pure ground beef and chicken (which is very expensive), can I supplement a with large percentage of scrap animal pieces and some organ tissue? I think I could purchase very cheaply some of the product that wouldn’t necessarily go on grocery store shelves. If you think it would be OK then what parts do you suggest? In the wild a dog would eat almost everything, yes? thank you.
Amber,
This is hard to answer because the scrap will vary greatly. Usually it is 70-80% fat. Chicken legs are 68 cents per pound.
Hi Ed,
I wrote the other day about my pit bull, Goldie, having diarrhea after a month on the starvtion diet. Thinking back, I believe it may have been a large dieoff of yeast in her system that may have caused it. I wash her every other day because she gets those mosquito-like bumps and is extremely itchy and licks a lot. ( I’ve tried some extremely unpleasant smelling shampoos in my quest to get my baby comfortable. I was pleasantly surprised when my husband said he actually likes the smell of your essential shampoo!) I understand that’s the yeast coming out. She had an extremely bad episode with bumps everywhere, almost overnight and of course she was licking everywhere. That’s when the diarrhea started. I hate meds and that’s why I panicked and wrote you. My husband pushed the envelope and I finally gave antidiarrheal meds. At this point I’m glad I listened. One dose later and she’s back to normal. Goldie totally loves the homemade diet. She had gotten to the point of not really enjoying eating. She’s was in bad shape when we started this. Constantly chewing her tail, back, face and especially ears, to the point of bleeding – scabs and bumpy bald spots all over her. She looked like a fought dog. It was killing me! When she started getting bumps on eyelids and lips, I started to panic. I needed help, fast! And found your site. Yea! The yeast starvation diet was our last ditch effort, and difficult with friends questioning the safety of raw meat. It made total sense to me, though. We are into our second month and I feel certain we are on the right track. Thank you so much for all your work!
Marilyn
All good news!
Ed I noticed Tika has passed some blood clots in her pee. I’m giving her pro-biotics and raw hamburger, waiting on my dinovite and super omega stuff to arrive. I also give her cranberry melted in olive oil and that seems to be helping the urine problem and fishy smell. Is there more I can do? I did order a natural antibiotic for her too, hasn’t arrived yet. Thanks!
The blood clots in her pee could be something else, is she going in heat?
How long does it take to get the yeast out of them? I started the feeding the raw meat diet and removed all other foods from her diet. Just waiting on my dinovite and super omega to get here to make the full yeast starvation diet in full. It breaks my heart to see her itch and I saw most say the yeast infection started in the ears. Her’s didn’t but now went to her ears too. How long til the nasty bumps go away?
Beating the yeast can sometimes be a long process (6 months). Make sure you are also not feeding any carb rich treats.
Dear Ed,
We are now into the beginning of month three, on the Dinovite and raw meat diet you suggest, and the itching is much less a problem, not entirely gone, just crops up now and then in mornings mostly…sometimes Yogi snorts a little and seems to gag…like we do when something goes down the wrong pipe…I am wondering if this could be stomach mucus trying to come up…along with the hair he does lick…I have seen this before in my other terrier, but it is happening now to Yogi and I did find some vomitus the day it started, (he had just about eaten it all back!) All else is fine, and he is eating and loving his carnivore diet, I just wondered if I should see it as part of the yeast cleansing….as he rarely throws up…
Thanks for your input,
Carole and Yogi
Carole,
Dogs are easy vomiters I rarely stress about it.
Hi Ed – I am an experienced homemade dog food maker. Our first dog, a mixed breed named Holly, lived for 15 healthy years on only homecooked food. Our new dog, Molly, is an 8 year old Portuguese Water Dog and, b/c our lives got busier with children and work, had been on a high-quality kibble…until she got struvite stones and a bladder infection. She has been on a prescription diet since Oct. 2012 and the problem has resolved. We still give her cranberry supplements daily. But now, from my research, I am leery of keeping her on this very, very, very expensive food — and she does not like it much anymore. We are considering home cooking again.
Do you have any advice on the best ingredients to help prevent the formation of the struvite crystals and bladder problems?
Laurie,
Any of these dog food recipe are fine, raw being the best. Here is a good article that thoroughly explains the topic, click here to view.
we have a dachsund. He is @8yrs.old he has been having diareah on and off his entire life. we have taken him to the vet many times, to no avail!! we are now trying a more “pure” kibble..however the problem is worse. What to do ? the stool is bloody and has been for life! help..we have tried everything to our knowledge. genie
Genie,
Try one of the dog food recipes on this site and see how he does.
Ed,
My dog has severe allergies to the point where we were being sent to an allergy vet for the shot testing I was informed of your site and printed off your cooked food recipes and I ordered the Dinovite and the Lickochops. I also ordered the Super Omega tube for “itchy dogs”. My question is should I just use the Super Omega tube in place of the Lick O chops or do I use both every time?
Christine,
You can feed either/or or half of each.
Hi Ed!
I am so impressed with your site. I am ordering the supplements,
but while I am waiting for them, have ground up some hard-boiled eggs with shells and
added that to some cooked white rice, which will be added to the chicken cooking now!
I just adopted 2 Pekingese dogs – age 3 and 4 – and want to get them started off right!
(They came from the Rescue/Shelter with Science Diet , which I topped off with Kibbles ‘n Bits… all of which sat in the floor, collecting dust… so I started cooking for them almost immediately.) Thanks so much for the info and access to the supplements!
I have 7 dogs all when fully grown will be around 60 lbs. would it be cheaper to feed homemade food. And how much would I have to make a month?
Thanks for your help and advise,
Monica
Monica,
Seven 60 pound dogs are not going to be cheap to feed, no matter what you feed. I would suggest the chicken and rice dog food recipe and/or also buying the meat grinder. The meat grinder will grind chicken bones and all. Chicken is the most economical meat to feed. You can substitute it for the beef in the recipes.
My 4yr old labradoodle always hated dog food. After reading your site, I decided to start making my own food. I started out gradually making the beef,rice, and egg dog food, baked. I also bought the dinovite. About two weeks after feeding it to him I noticed him starting to lick his paws and getting a hot spot on his chest. My dog has never has skin problems. My dog really loves the food. Which ingredient do u think he is allergic to. I took the egg out first, to see if he would stop. Also, his skin is red in spots. He never did that either. It has been about a week and he seems a little better. I also stopped putting the dinovite in it also. Could he be allergic to something in that. I would really appreciate your opinion.
Debbie,
It doesn’t sound like an allergy to me but a yeast issue. He could be having a yeast die off, a sort of detox, and this can cause what you are seeing. Try feeding the yeast starvation dog food recipe and see how he does. Keep in mind, with yeast infections, often symptoms get worse before they get better.
How many & what kind of potatoes are recommended when substiting it for the white rice? Thanks.
Terri,
You can use white or sweet and use 5 to 10 cups cooked.
Thank you Ed! I will begin this food regiment this weekend for my little dog. I have a few measurements questions though.
For example, for a 10 lb dog you have:
10 lb. dog – 1/2 cup raw dog food daily + 1/2 tsp Lickochops + 1/2 tbs Dinovite.
For the math part, how do you conclude the whole 8 oz tube of Lickochops to 1/2 tsp? And for the Dinovite? For example, if you want to add everything in all at once instead of teaspoon / tablespoon at a time.
For example, my little senior (going on 15 yrs.) 5 lb dog will have 1/4 cup raw dog food daily + 1/4 tsp Lickochops + 1/4 tbs Dinovite. How much is this for the Lickochops tube and Dinovite when added all at once to the raw dog food mixture?
Thanks again,
Terri F.
Terri,
The recipes on this site make between 30-48 cups of food. The suggested serving on the supplements is 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup of food. The tubes contain about 47 teaspoons.
Just found ya’ll. I already ordered from Dinovite and hoped the stuff would come today (probably will), but I wanted to make my own food. I have a question that harkens back from yesteryear when this idea wasn’t so popular (food wasn’t so contaminated, either!) The old suggestion was to use just the egg yolks (raw) plus the shells (raw). The dogs shouldn’t have raw whites because it ties up protein, but the raw yolks and shells were regarded as better than cooked. Old hat?
Thanks!
Kathleen
Kathleen,
The egg whites have an enzyme that binds with a B vitamin, so I recommend cooking the whites. You can feed the egg yolks raw.
Hi Ed- my dog is loving the raw food recipe – minus the rice as she is fat – (she also has allergies and just had bladder stone surgery and is almost always on antibiotics so I suspect yeast is a factor in her itching too) so I use the hamburger, eggs, chicken broth to help with blending the eggs and a few slices of fried crumbled bacon – we are just going to order the supplements but have a question. You have different sizes of Dinovite based on the dogs size .. however, is there a difference in it if I want to just buy the large size so I am not having to order as often? Also, I know bacon, even well rendered by slow cooking to get most of the fat out, is fattening but will it hurt the recipe? I am getting a new GSD in 2 weeks and plan on putting it on the raw food diet (with the rice to make it not as expensive) and if my 3 cats will eat it, I will put them on it too. Do the cats have to fast too? I know you get a lot of emails so I am going to order the Dinovite for her size but as soon as I hear from you I will order the large size if it’s all the same ingredient wise. Thanks a million. We are not wealthy, far from it but our companion animals are very important to us and we are quite willing to cut out on treats for us to make sure they are eating the best food possible. Maggie
Maggie,
The Dinovite powder is the same no matter what size package. I would fast your cats too and feed them the recipes without rice.
Hi Ed,
Thanks for the recipes, they’re super easy. Curious, why use Supromega fish oil for the cooked chicken recipe and the Lickochops for the cooked ground beef recipe?
Barb,
Because the chicken recipe already has chicken fat so no more is required.
Hi Ed,
I found a Yorkie about 1 1/2 yrs ago, he is around 13-15 yrs old ,he was very sick, after alot of tests we found he had canine renal disease,heart murmer and he is on a perscription low protein food, do you have any recipes for a low protein diet? I started cooking for my other 3 dogs and they love it, I did buy a dietary supplement from Flora at my health food store for dogs, after i am done with it i’m going to buy your supplements, I’m also going to try your meat loaf recipe, I’m still a bit wary about the raw food, could i feed them both the cooked and raw diet?
Thank You
Lisa,
I’m not a fan of low protein dog foods. Any of these recipes are fine for both dogs just start off slow and follow the introduction method presented.
Hi Ed,
So glad I stumbled across your site! I have been battling an underweight Boxer male (Jack is 5 years old now and fluctuates between 40 and 42 pounds) and at the same time have a perfectly normal female, Allie, now 7 at 68 pounds. One vet in Florida and now another second vet in California have both run a full diagnostic on him. All Labs, parasites, etc to the total tune of over $3K (my husband finally cut me off) and no discernible illness or issues. However, he is like an emaciated, bony skeleton. He’s happy, active and we have a morning routine of visiting the dog park everyday. I’ve tried EVERYTHING to fatten him up. Evo, Avo, Blue Buffalo, Grain Free, PetFresh, Merrick, you name it, I have tried. Currently I moved to the new Blue Kibble just released. But then, once again I went on a vigil of research and first found the Dog Food Advisor website which led me to Raw Food reviews which then led me down a path of researching Stella and Chewy, Darwin etc…. Which then led me to you. I am absolutely willing to “prepare” a Raw diet for my Boxers providing I have proper guidance on ratios etc. I want to switch both Boxers to Raw but ideally, I want to make a daily meal for Jack to specifically increase his weight. I understand Organ Meat is a great place to start. I can talk to my local butcher about a standard order. Eggs, with shells, an Oil, and then what else? And what about veggies and fruits? Pumpkin? Avocado? I need a fattening Raw Recipe for Jack and a standard recipe for Allie as I don’t want her to bulk up in the process. Any suggestions are seriously welcomed! Thanks, Steph Martin
Steph,
Try starting with the easy raw dog food recipe, you con substitute the Dinovite powder for the liquid. Mix it as a batch and let it sit a little bit at room temperature to allow the enzymes in Dinovite to active, then freeze or refrigerate. See how your dog does on this recipe and then go from there.
What is your background? Why should I trust your opinions? No offense intented, but anyone could start a website and post recipes.
Marie,
Around 20 years professionally formulating pet feeds and supplements.
is raw beef tripe good for dogs (not green tripe)
It’s not bad but green tripe is better.
I have a half Irish Wolfhound half Mastiff 4.5 yr old male. He’s supposedly got an every day bacteria allergy and I do not want to keep shoving antibiotics down him or sterioids any longer. What kind of feeding would you recommend? And he weighs approx. 185-190#s….
Thanks for your help,
Susan
Susan,
Try any of the recipes, all are great. You may want to do the chicken and rice recipe because it is the most economical.
Which dog food recipe do you think might be the cheapest to feed 2 large dogs?
Katherine,
The chicken and rice dog food recipe.
Thank you for the great recipes. I believe that my longhaired daschund has severe skin allergies. I have lots of ground venison. May I replace raw venison for ground beef in the yeast starvation diet?
CindyLu,
Yes, you can use the venison.
Me again, will the food lose any nutritional value after freezing?
Tina,
I imagine over time some but not much or enough to worry about.
I have several Bichon Frise. I do feed them raw chicken bones quite often but I always though the bones in the leg and thigh were to hard for them.
What about chicken wings, necks and backs would they be OK to feed to my Bichons.
Carol,
Yes, the legs might be too much for a little dog. If they have trouble switch to wings and necks or grind up the bones.
What is the easiest way to grind up the chicken bones? I have a Montel Williams emulsifyer but not sure if that would work.
Jackie,
I use a Weston meat grinder that works great!
None of your recipes mention the fat content of the ground beef. Should it be ground chuck? Round? 85%? 90? Please advise.
I use 30/70.
Hello
I have always heard that grain is NOT good for dogs. Although you have WHITE rice as an ingredient for your raw dog food recipe. That seems contradictory. Please explain.
Ron,
Check out the FAQ’s I answer you question there.
I’m curious why the posts on here were posted often until about a year ago and then they stopped?
I got slammed with about 40 questions per day and needed to take a break. Then got real busy with some other projects. I plan on getting back to it.
Started raw diet two weeks ago. My rodesian ridgeback seems to have anal itching and irritation. Could there be a connection? Possibly egg shells are to sharp. Any ideas?
Susan,
I doubt it but you could blend the eggs in a blender and this will pulverize the shells.
I have a 10 month old Lab/Shep puppy. He does not like dog food. However, he loves people food. I started him out on puppy food but he was still always hungry. When I was younger we always feed our dogs table scraps and not dog food. Now days, the vets say that table scraps are not good for dogs. Why is this? Our dogs lived to be very old and healthy by eating table scraps. I came across your YouTube video on making your own dog food. I am willing to give it a try on Teddy. How much should I feed him? A pup his size need a lot to eat to fill him up.
Feeding table scraps to a dog would be fine if they are mostly meat. Serving size depends on your dog’s size. My border collie Jet is about 50 pounds and she eats about 2 1/2 cups per day.
One of my dogs can not have grains. What can I replace the rice with in the raw recipe?
Thank you !!
Tamara
Tamara,
You can eliminate it altogether or use an equal amount of cooked white potato or sweet potato.
Hello!
I have yorkie mix that has bad food allergies. I got a test done and it seems shes allergic to almost EVERYTHING! How do I go about giving her a healthy diet when she can’t eat any grains, poultry, fish, sweet potatoes, etc. Should I literally just feed her the protein she can eat and that’s all?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
The best thing to do is work on supporting your dog’s immune system with good nutrition. Once that get in line she should be allergic to less items.What can she eat?
Hi! I am new to this, and a lot of things I have read say that one thing to remember when making your own dog food is to add or give raw bones for the dog to chew to maintain the health/strength of their gums and teeth. I was adding water to my dogs food ( I feed her Blue Buffalo) since she didn’t seem to like the fact that it was so crunchy and was just swallowing it whole. My vet told me to stop doing that since the crunchiness is good for them. What are your thoughts?
I your dog is swallowing the kibble whole I would soak the food. That said, feeding raw food is much better.
Hi I have 2 shishons. 1 is 18 lbs and the other is 21 lbs. I am using your recipe with cooked food and I am giving each of them 1 1/2 cups a day 3/4 in the am and 3/4 in pm and they are both starving. What can I give to help with their hunger. I have been feeding them cooked for almost a month and they are not getting any better. Please help
Just increase the amount you are feeding.Try feeding 2 cups per day.
I have a mastiff mix who has been tested for allergies recently – she appears to be allergic to about 20 things with beef, salmon, rice, peas, & pollen on the list. I am waiting for the complete list from vet but am looking at raw diet as a way to control what she eats. I am new to raw diet for dogs. When I am ready to begin what is the acceptable amount for an 80 lb dog? Would it be possible to feed one meal raw and one meal dry – providing I can actually find a dry food she can eat? I give her 3 cups a day now of dry with cooked chicken & chicken jerky as snacks. I have also made her yogurt pupsicles.
I would not recommend feeding raw and kibble because it leads to digestive upset. As far as the quantity, I just feed the amount that maintains the dogs weight. So, in your case start with 3-4 cups and adjust up or down as needed.
Thank you – since I can’t give her beef, salmon or rice I will be using chicken & turkey – but I can’t use rice – so filler would be potato – white or sweet – Was think about using couscous – would couscous be an acceptable sub for rice?
Either white or sweet potato is fine. I’ve never used couscous.
Hello,
I have a French Bulldog who is currently on a raw dog food diet. I am giving him small batch dog products both chicken and beef. I would like to switch to your raw dog food recipe and have all of the ingredients you mentioned. I have some questions before I get started that I’m hoping you can help me with please.
1.) Since he is currently on a raw food diet do I need to follow the no food for 24 hours before switching to your raw dog food recipe?
2.) Found a butcher who will sell me the pieces of ground beef they do not use when grinding for hamburger. This meat contains the fat, bone and of course beef. Would you recommend I use this beef or should I just plan to buy ground beef from the grocery store.
3.) My dog is a 34 pound French Bull dog and seems to be allergic to air. The raw food diet seems to work well for him but it’s turned him into an “animal!” He’s knocking down the trash, begging more, etc…He eats 8 oz. twice a day. Does that seem like too little?
4.) The butcher offered grouch chicken backs. This would have some organ meat. Does organ meat even matter since I’ll be using the supplements?
Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
LN
If you are already feeding raw, you can skip the introductory period. Yes, you can use the butcher’s beef. I would use the chicken backs and organ meat but all you mentioned would be fine.
I have a lab puppy who is 18 weeks old. He has had stomach problems since day one and would through up his food for no good reason. I think part of his problem was acid reflux. I give him a couple of treats around 4:00 am to help with the acid. After $$$$ vet bills, I have been feeding him chicken and rice. Now, every time I try to introduce dog food into his diet, he gets diarrhea. Should I wait for regular stools, before I introduce your recipe? Should I start with cooked recipe first? He scratches himself a lot and when he was 5 weeks old he had a bacteria infection on his skin.
Try starting with the easy raw dog food recipe but follow the introduction period. Dogs digest raw meat better than cooked.
We have a dog with reoccurring ear infections. Just had him tested for food allergies – can’t have salmon, soybean, duck, oats, milk, rice, pork or peas. This eliminates about ANY packaged dog food I can find so I would love to prepare my own. However, I looked into the supplements you recommend and the LickOchops has Fish oil and the Dinovite has yeast! Any suggestions? Thank you so much!
I didn’t see yeast on your list. Often when dogs are allergic to yeast, it is brewers yeast. It sounds like your dog has a severely compromised immune system and as you repair the immune system many of these “allergies” will disappear. I’m not sure what to suggest but if you continue down the current road your dog will eventually have reactions to everything.
Ed,I have a small 10lb dog who eats about a cup a day.Your cooked recipe says it is good for 3-4 days frozen. I was thinking the obvious by reducing the prepared amount to suit. Any suggestions please?
thank you.
I couldn’t find anywhere where I said it lasts 3-4 days frozen. It will last for quite a while frozen, months probably. I package it in 2-3 day day supplies, thaw and store in the refrigerator. Maybe, this is where the confusion is.
I want to switch from dry to the homemade food for my diabetic dog. He must eat in order to take the insulin.how would I start this program.I cannot miss any meals for him. But I read the instructions on how to start the program…..help
Thank you!
I’m not sure because I’ve never had a diabetic dog.You could jump right in but be ready for possible digestive upset.
When one starts their dog on a raw food diet, I imagine it should be for life. But what about those times when you are away on vacation etc. Could a dog be given dehydrated raw food for a few days or would that be too hard on their digestive system? Thank you.
We take some with us in a tupperware and provide the same for people watching our dogs. If your dog is large and able to crunch bones you can buy some raw chicken and let him crunch away.
Hi Ed… I have a pit bull/chocolate lab mix just over 1 year old. I’ve been feeding her Blue Buffalo since I got her in March but at 60 bucks a bag every two weeks or so that’s gonna get expensive real fast… found these recipes and it sounds like this will be a better (and cheaper) alternative, and definitely preferable to the ordinary kibble you find in grocery stores.
I haven’t been through all the comments on all the recipes yet so my apologies if any of this has already been asked previously.
1) I did see somewhere that proteins can be substituted in the recipes…. however can I switch proteins from day to day or week to week to give her some variety? Say, do beef one day or week, chicken the next, and so forth, would this cause her digestive upset? Also, I saw somewhere here where rice and potatoes can be interchanged. Would this cause upset if done frequently?
2) Supposing I start with a batch of the raw food, but she is unable to tolerate it for whatever reason… could I take the finished food and cook it after the fact, to try feeding it that way?
Thanks for any insight you can give me.
After the initial switch from kibble to raw it won’t hurt to switch between meat sources.I also don’t think it will hurt switching carbs. That said, we make about 50 pounds worth at a time because it saves time and works for us. You will probably do the same so you may be switching back and forth less than you think.
With a big dog you may want to look into this meat grinder. It is an expensive purchase but will pay off in the long run. We use ours to grind chicken legs and thighs with bones and we pay around 69 cents per pound for them. So, it helps cut the cost dramatically.
Hi Ed –
I have 2 questions:
1. I have 40lbs of 93/7 ground beef. Would this be okay to use for the easy raw recipe? I know you recommend 70/30 so that is quite a difference in fat content. Can I make that up using Coconut Oil or Salmon Oil? How much supplementation would you recommend?
2. Can I blend up the hard-boiled eggs with the shells in the blender with a little bit of water, in turn making a kind of egg smoothie to cut down on the sharp egg shells pieces?
Thank you!
Melissa
Melissa,
The 93/7 ground beef is fine and I’ve ground up the eggs and shells like you suggest and it works great. As far as the fat goes it should be fine if you just add the Dinovite and Lickochops or Supromega fish oil.
Im new to this site an have many questions.I have a 6year old min pin jack,female.Shes sick every other day.Her tummy makes noises an she wont eat.She has diarea with blood sometimes.Ive spent thousands at the vets an nothing.they just wanna keep doing more test.Im broke now an cant aford more testing.Ive change foods.I even give her bottled water,thinking my well was bad.I took all her toys away,hearing about china made toys.I now am going to start feeding her home made food.do ya have any sugestions on raw or cooked foods.to start on
Alton,
Start with the easy raw dog food recipe, dogs love it and it is easy to make. I’m glad to hear you are going to feed homemade.
Hi, and thank you for this great website. I’ve been feeding my 70 lb almost 2 year old golden retriever the cooked chicken and rice recipe for about 2.5 weeks now and initially she did just great. Her poops were smaller, less stinky and she had no intestinal upset on the switch. However, just over the past 3 days, she’s developed diarrhea and I’m pretty sure she hasn’t gotten into anything that would otherwise cause it. Is it possible that some dogs get diarrhea well after the switch to the cooked food? I am pretty much following your recipe, but do cut down on the rice portion and replace part of the reduced portion with sweet potatoes (which have never upset her tummy before). Also, I did notice that she requires a bit more food than your guidelines, but that may be because I put all the cooking juices in it (that runs out of the chicken) and she’s a pretty active dog. Thanks so much for these great resources!
Dogs don’t usually develop diarrhea from a food switch weeks into it. My guess is it is something else. Try fasting her for 24 hours then resume feeding and see how she does.
Amazing site I’m very happy to have found it. I am a 72 year old, I am totally confused with all the information out there and am trying to become a good father. I’m single, live in an apartment in NYC and want to treat my beautiful pit/boxer/lab mix as best I can. After reading all the negative press about commercial dog food I have taken up cooking for her but want to do it right. Problem for me is I cannot digest all this new information.
I got my puppy in Alabama as a rescue and I volunteered at the shelter for 14 weeks and she came to me. When I got her she was skin and bones and has since put on 13 pounds and is sleek at 45 pounds. I make cooked food without added vitamins, chicken, turkey beef, organ meat and white rice, lately she has been having diharriah and loose stool. I have a tiny kitchen in the city and about the same size in a 24 foot motor home.
Can someone point me in the right direction as to what to feed my dog. Thankfully at this point in my life money is not an object.
Thanks
I suggest starting off with the easy raw homemade dog food recipe. It is a good one to start with to get started feeding homemade.
Hi Ed,
Very interesting site.
What is your suggestion for traveling for a week or so with your dog on a cooked-food diet, but where refrigeration may not be readily available?
Also, are you comfortable providing your full name so I can “Google” you?
Many thanks.
When you are traveling will you have a cooler? If so I would just use a cooler. We package our dog’s food in plastic storage containers that travel well. My full name is Ed Lukacevic.
Hi Ed,
So glad I found your site! We have an eight month-old cockapoo and I started feeding him a partial raw diet about 2 months ago. He was always scratching and biting himself (since we brought him home at two months old) and after a lot of research discovered that the food we were feeding him (given to us by the breeder) was terrible.: Iams Smart puppy – chicken flavored. Upon consultation with a great local pet store specializing in quality products and raw food, I decided to try him on a raw lamb diet and grain-free lamb limited ingredient lamb kibble. We were thinking he might have an allergy to chicken although our vet thinks that’s highly unlikely. He loves his raw food so much that he barely eats any kibble so I was thinking of switching him entirely over to raw. It is getting extremely expensive to purchase his raw food so I was very happy to find your site! My question is how much should I feed him daily since he is a puppy? He’s currently about 20 lbs. and should only get to about 25 lbs max according to the breeder. Our vet frowns upon raw food diets (as do most) and suggested he might get salmonella poisoning so I can’t ask her. I do believe it’s the best diet for him plus he absolutely loves it! Question again is how much to feed an 8-month old puppy on raw food only? Thanks so much for your help!
Lisa,
I think you will need to feed somewhere between 1 and 2 cups daily. Just watch his weight and adjust up or down a little to keep him at a good weight.
I read you feeding chart and it only goes up to 80lbs. My saint is a small girl of 110lbs my GSD is 110lbs and my 9 month old shiloh is 95lbs my shih tzu is 19lbs. I am thinking of switching to a raw only diet. I do cook for them already but I mix it with kibble. what is your recommendation for the weights of my dogs. the little one is already there.
As far as quantities, I would take a good guess as a starting point (3-4 cups) and then adjust the volume up or down if you dogs are losing or gaining weight.
I just ordered the Dinovite to begin the raw food diet for my 4 year old Shih Tzu. Is the Super Omega and the fish oil necessary? If, so how much would I give him per serving? I am so grateful to have found your site.
I really like using fish oil because it helps dogs in many ways. I would add 1 teaspoon per day.
Hi Ed,
I just discovered your website here. I have a 2 and half year old male Afghan Hound. He’s been scratching himself silly for about a year now. I’ve tried different foods with him, and have had zero results. I had to shave him down last fall because of his coat and skin problems. He broke all his hair off from scratching so much. I did a thyroid test, and it all came back normal. I did an in-house and sent one to OFA. He’s a bit under weight and is still missing hair on the back end of his body. And to top it all off, he’s a bit picky too. So I was wondering if using both the lickochops, and the superomega would be ok? And if it is, do I use half of each for the raw recipe?
Thank you
Coby,
For itchy dogs use the Supromega fish oil because it tends to help sooth itchy skin.
My dog is allergic to eggs and flaxseeds. Flaxseeds are the first ingredient in Dinovite. What should I do? I am trying to help him! He has been on grain free raw food for years. Has developed yeast problem over past couple of years. Don’t want him on meds constantly.
How severe is the allergy to flax and eggs? If its mild it could go away as you build your dog’s immune system.
Hi just like to make sure,Is it safe to use Johnson Baby powder for golden Retriver puppy!My puppy stinks .
I would not use it. Baby powder will just mask the problem.
Hi, I’m going to start the yeast diet for my terribly yeasty 12 yr old Shih Tzu. She’s currently taking Ketoconazole for the yeast when I can get it in her. Since you said the issue sometimes gets worse before getting better, should I try to keep her on the med to help, or just skip it? She usually won’t take it anyway, but if the yeast gets worse, she’ll be more miserable.
I’ve not used any yeast medications so I’m not sure how they will or will not work in the process. I’ve found bathing them in an Essential Oil Shampoo like Dogosuds gives them relief. Also, witch hazel sprayed on bad spots helps a little.
Also, everything I’ve read about raw says it’s mandatory to feed a variety of meats, organs, etc. Are you sure it’s sage to just use the ground beef/egg w/supplements? Indefinitely ? Sounds convenient, but is it enough? Thanks.
Hi Ed. I just discovered your site and have a question. I have two Boxers. One is 8 yrs old with allergies. The other is 6 yrs with pancreatitis. It has been a real challenge to find the right food for both. I’ve had them since puppies, but didn’t really start my research on dog food until I got the second dog. The dog food they have been eating for 5 yrs was doing great things until recently. My oldest developed allergies again and the food has changed in some way because it looks different in color and smells. So once again, I’m looking for a resolution. Your cooked and raw recipes would be good for both of my dogs? Should I try chicken instead of ground beef? Or maybe lean ground beef? And the supplements, I know are a must, but is their anything in them that would fare up the pancreatitis? I always have to watch the crude fat % to be between 10-12%. Thank you for your advice.
If your dog has pancreatitis then reduce the fat in the recipe. If you are going to use beef pick a leaner beef. If you feed chicken remove the skin. Like to feed raw food recipes.
Hi my 11 weeks golden retriver puppy have very dry skin.loosing lot dandruff.Any suggestions.
What are you feeding? Try improving his diet. Start with the easy raw dog food recipe.
Hi I am feeding him Coprice chicken and Beef biscuits .Sometime with egg and raw chicken.
Hello Ed,
Just about a month ago, my boyfriend and I got 2 Labrador/Doberman puppies that are sisters. They are currently about 3 1/2 months old and weigh about 28-30lbs each. Our friend was feeding them 4Health chicken and vegetable brand adult dog food 2 a day. We bought PureBalance brand and they had a bit of diarrhea so we bought the 4Health and mixed the 2 they have been on that for a month now. They have a dry skin/scab issue, not major but they’ve had it since before we got them and some itching. I’m wondering , first of all, if its not good to have them on adult food, secondly, could it be the chicken that is causing the skin problem? I personally think they should be on puppy food since they need the protein and calcium for proper development, which has lead me to this website. I was searching for the best kind of puppy food for a large breed puppy and your site came up and I am intrigued by the raw dog food recipe. I would rather make their food myself so I know what is exactly going into it. Ive been learning that Dobermans can have a heart condition that doesn’t allow them to have a very long life in some cases. I would like to know what you recommend for these mix breed pups for their age and genetic prone diseased background? I wonder if this type of food would prolong their life? We were informed, after we got them mind you, that their father, (Doberman), had to be put down recently at age 7 due to a cardiovascular problem that they are prone to get, I guess. I did find out that they used a shock collar on him, which I don’t agree with think could have caused or worsened his heart condition? I believe I read that you have a lab/doberman mix that is 11 or 12 years old!?!? Thats awesome! I would love for our girls to have a long healthy life, please help guide us in the right direction. Thank you Ed! 🙂
Hi
We have 2 Boston terriers, one is 8 years old and the other we think is about 10 years old. They have both always been fed dry dog food with 1/2 a hamburger once a day. Is it to late in there lives to switch to home made food? Also the older dog has itchy skin all the time and he also has thyroid issues and is on a vet prescribed medication for that. To add to all of this they ae both over weight.
I don’t think it is too late to feed homemade. Your dogs will love it and thrive.
My 11 yo Rott was a raw food dog for 5 years, with great results. Last year, she had a bout of Colitis, and now it is completely touch-and-go with her intestines. Went to a kibble (grain-free) which helped for a bit, but still flair-ups a couple of times/year. Thinking about trying this with turkey breast (lowest fat% meat). I understand the fat % is what can cause the issues. Any thoughts/suggestions? Her base meat has been fish (although I have tried beef, chicken, lamb) as it gives her the healthiest coat. Thanks!
Are you feeding one of my recipes or your own?
I just wanted to say I have been using your yeast starvation diet for about six months now and my 2 year old bull terrier named Porkchop is doing wonderful..before I started this diet he had missing hair and hot spots..I then introduced him back to can food and he started getting the discharge from his eyes and his nails started turning brown..So I have put him back on it..my problem is his breath..what can I do about that because his teeth are perfect..also does chicken not cause yeast? Thanks
Usually bad breath is due to tartar on teeth. Have you checked his back teeth?
I have a 25lb six month old black lab. I am beginning to feed her a mixture of ground turkey, spinach, peas, sweet potatoes, and steel cut oats. I am wondering how much I should feed her per day cup wise?
Where is you source of calcium?
I have a question about portions. My brother is going deer hunting, and I wanted to take some of the deer and have it made into raw dog food. I will have them drop the deer off at the butcher for processing, but I am not sure what proportions of meat vs organs (and which organs) vs bones.
The same goes for beef, I know people that raise and slaughter their own cows, but same things what proportions of meat vs organs (which organs) vs bones. Thanks, and I will add some Honest Kitchen to it just to make sure it is well rounded.
I like to be heavier on meat and bones and lighter on organ meat, try 3/4 to 1/4 mix and see how your dog does. I don’t like mixing kibble with raw because it tends to cause digestive upset. Mix in the supplements I recommend and you should be fine.
I mixed up some food before I found your site. I used chicken, white rice, peas, carrots, and green beans. I am going to add eggs and follow your recipe next and order the supplements. Are veggies not important for dogs? Thank you for the useful information I appreciate you having such a good site.
Lots of veggies are better for humans. Lots of meat and raw bones are better for dogs. Its kind of flipped. What tends to happen is people lean more to the veggies and starch because they are a lot cheaper than meat. This is the problem. Dogs should be fed, ideally, a raw meat and bone based diet with some predigested veggies.
Hi,
I have a toy poodle and a befuddled (poodle, bichon, malti mix) the toy, Cali has liver shunt issues, she was having seizures, which seemed to have stopped since starting her on Lactulose and antibiotics. But, the vets have her on Royal Canin Hepatic diet, which I hate. She was on a raw diet up to her diagnosis. I would love to make both of their food. The problem is, they want each others food. So, is there something that’s going to be “liver” friendly that Cali can eat that’s not going to stunt Chloe? Cali is approx. 5-6 and Chloe is about 2. They have no allergies and have pretty strong tummy’s, meaning they don’t get sick. Cali has high bile levels, but we haven’t done recent testing since putting her meds, which we just started in November 2015. Her last seizure was in Oct. They are both very active girls, go on daily walks and play dates. I thank you in advance for any advice that you can offer me. Have a great day. Char
I think feeding a raw meat based dog food is best to support a dog’s good health. If you feed beef or chicken and buy it from the grocery store both will be human grade so they will be higher quality than kibble.
I am super excited to find your cooked recipes. Due to limited income recently I created a cooked chicken and white rice meal to get through 2 days til payday. I added some chicken broth and green peas (which I blended well). I was amazed how much my dogs LOVED this meal and it wasn’t repulsive to me like canned dog food. I am ordering the supplements you recommended (didn’t understand this need). I can’t wait to get all ingredients to get my fur babies more yummies to eat. Thanks for creating these simple meals that are WAY healthier than the easy to buy but crazy expensive store bought dog food that is made with nothing but fillers!! Do you have any recipes for treats? I like to offer them a special treat at times.
I do but none of them taped yet.
I have a 55lb shepherd mix that has had yeast growth on his paws for a few years now. Not the topical treatments, pills, allergen-free changes, or the special dry food (Z-D) the vet sold us has worked. The vet wants to put him on meds indefinitely. He has been anxious since he was a puppy (we don’t know what happened to him before we found him), but he has not always chewed or licked his paws. He is 10 years old and this only started about 3 years ago. My question is – after the 7 day yeast kill-off diet, do you switch to a regular raw recipe, or do you continue with the yeast diet?
You will continue feeding the yeast starvation recipe. The process can take a long time.
Bonjour Ed,
Happy to have found you. Keep it up!
Can I do the raw receipes with wild raw meat games (deer, partridge, moose, bear)
And is it okay for puppies (9 weeks old french bulldog)?
Thanks/Merci
JMD – from Montreal, Quebec
Yes, the wild game is fine.
I just started my 6 month old pointer puppies on the raw meat diet. I added frozen peas and carrots and a can of pumpkin to the recipe. They just love it. Up to now, I have been having difficulty housebreaking my puppies. Pointers are notoriously hard to housebreak in the first place and with 2 my house was awash with pee and poop. I have noticed over the last few days they are peeing and pooping much less frequently and in much smaller amounts. Accidents are nearly eliminated. They are also not drinking as much water. Is that the result of the change in their diet?
These homemade recipes have a high water content and therefore dogs drink less because they are not thirsty. This could be helping them.
My Kerry Blue Terrier is miserable! What should I use until I can get the supplements? Is plain yogurt a good choice? Is using Benadryl a bad idea? Have you ever approached a local meat market for scraps etc? Lot’s of questions, I know, but trying to cover a lot of material without wasting your time. Thanks in advance…
I’ve found getting scraps is unpredictable. I currently feed chicken leg thigh quarters (with bones) as the meat and bone source. I grind it up with a meat grinder and add eggs w/shells and the supplements.
I have a 8.5# Shorky. She is the most finicky dog when it comes to eating. She refuses to eat dog food can, dry, it doesn’t matter. Even finicky about table food. She will eat SOME treats you buy and the only one I get her are natural with no added additives. It says 100% natural. I really read the labels when I purchase these treats. Sometimes I wonder how she lives because when I tell you she eats very little and when she does it its usually a couple treats a day if that. She does drink a lot of water. I’ve done absolutely everything to help her and try and get her to eat. When I tell you I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on different kinds of dog food and even made chicken and rice for her but nothing tempts her to eat anything I give. Do you think this home-aid dog food (cooked) she could like? I probably won’t make that much but I’m exhausted in trying to get her to eat. I’ve gone for days by just putting a good dog food in front of her (given by the vet) and she won’t eat and goes for days without eating a thing. I’m concerned about her and don’t know what to do. She is healthy by looking at her, but I wonder is she? She won’t even eat dog biscuits. When I say nothing tempts her to eat I mean it. Please give me some advice to help my little girl. She is all I have and I love her so much. I’m at my wits end.
A 8 1/2 pound dog is really small and don’t expect her to eat much. I have a 9 pound dog and she eats about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per day. My guess is she’s just not hungry. Cut out all food and just give water for 24 hours then offer some food if she doesn’t eat pick it up and offer later. She won’t starve herself.
Sounds like the bone. Try a real 24 hour fast, then feed small meals like I outline. The reason I present this is to keep digestive upset, like you are experiencing, to a minimum. When you follow the procedure I outline all you have is a hungry dog. Personally, I prefer that over stinky messes. It also allows your dog’s digestive system time to adapt to the new food.
Hi, what do you suggest using as food “treats” for rewards while training?
Use something your dog loves. I use freeze-dried beef. When I feed treats they are cooked for ease of feeding and germs. I take beef liver boil it, then cut it into little cubes. I portion it out into small zip-lock bags and freeze. These work well. Doing the same with any beef, chicken or turkey will also work.
Hi I am shifting to homecooked diet for my 4 months female Golden Retriever. She is 26 lb but NOW, but her ideal weight as an Adult dog is between 55 – 65 lbs. I am confused about the daily portions, I still feed her 3 times per day, could you advise of how many cups/grams of your recipe to give her per meal? should it be a 1 cup/day because she is 26 lb or should I give her 3 cups/day because she is growing to be 55-65 lbs dog? I appreciate your recipe and your your help with my question.
Blessings,
What I do is adjust to their digestion and weight gain or loss. If their stool is loose and frequent cut back on the portions, if they are getting thin and you feel their backbone increase the serving size. It’s a little bit of a balancing act but it will make sense. If you over feed it will make house breaking harder.
Hi Ed,
I have been feeding my 2 yr old schnoodle homemade food from recipes that I found elsewhere on the internet. She definitely prefers it. She is not a particularly fussy eater but wouldn’t touch canned dog food; even the “good” stuff. If she won’t eat it, there must be some really icky stuff in it! I came across your site while looking for different recipes because it was time make new batches. Your website is very informative and I have made both the ground beef and chicken and rice recipe. Many posters here have expressed concern over the cost. I calculate a 3 oz. portion costs me about .80 (including the cost of Dinovite and Lickochops), which is cheaper than buying the supposedly better canned dog food. I do have a couple of questions. 1) Can I add a little grated cheese for some variety? 2) You recommend feeding chicken bones, but I have always heard that they can splinter and choke your dog. Could you elaborate?
I guess you could add some cheese. Dogs by design eat and chew on bones, just look at their teeth and watch their behavior when you give them a bone. No one ever has to teach them how to hold and gnaw a bone because it all comes natural. Can a bone fragment cause a problem, sure but so can kibble. I’ve not had a single dog have a problem in the 20 years I’ve been feeding a raw meat and bone based diet. Currently I grind the chicken legs/thigh with bones in a meat grinder because I have a little 9 pound dog and an older border collie (both are missing some teeth) this makes it easy for them. Feed the bones raw because they digest them better. You can also cook them in a bone stock until they fall apart.
can you can this dog food for long term?
I freeze it and it works well. Canning would require heat and that is not optimal.
I am new to all this and I want to start correctly. Do you add the supplements when you make the food or when you feed the dog the food? or both?
When feeding a raw recipe I mix it in the batch because its easy, if feeding a cooked recipe you want to add it after it cools.
My 8 year old Maltese was diagnosed with kidney disease. She was born with small kidneys that we were unaware until recently. My vet said that she is to eat kidney disease food that he sells. She does not enjoy this food. He said that she is to be on a low protein diet. I’m so afraid that I’m going to do the wrong thing. She’s only 5 lbs. Her kidney #s are better since restricting her diet but I want her to enjoy her food. Your thoughts? Thank you for your input.
Watch this video it is very informative on protein in dog and cat foo, https://youtu.be/V-MzXLdtAro
Hi Ed,
My dog has been on a raw food diet for 4 months. I have been buying it rather than making it myself, its ‘really’ expensive. He is 8 years old, and around the age of 7 started to have epileptic seizures. Despite gradually increasing his medication, his seizures were getting worse. Since starting on the raw food diet, it’s improved, we have him back on just one medication now, although he is still on a fairly significant dose (only Phenobarbital where at one point he was taking that and Pottasium Bromide). He is now having only 1 seizure every couple of months rather than 2 or 3 a week. Despite the meds and his condition, he continues to be a fit and healthy dog….I would love some advice please on starting a home made regime and whether you have had feedback about diet and epilepsy…toxins/foods that can trigger it in dogs/animals??
Thanks
I’ve never had a dog that has seizures so I can’t answer. I do think a species appropriate diet is best for all animals and with dogs that is a raw meat and bone based diet. Healthy eating solves a multitude of problems.
I have an (almost) 15 year old Bischon. He recently had surgery for bladder stones and is supposed to be on the expensive stuff from the vet. But he won’t eat it. The only thing he will eat is chicken and rice. I boil and shred chicken breast. Do I have to fast him in order to start your diet?
Fast is always a good idea.
Hi. My dog is allergic to rice. Is oatmeal an acceptable replacement. I have tried potato in the past and he reacts to that as well. Are there any other substitutes? Also you mention putting 1 tube of Supromega fish oil into your cooked chicken and rice recipe. I was looking at the Dinovite website and the Supromega fish oil comes in an 8 oz. bottle. Do I use the whole bottle for the recipe? Thank you for all your valuable information.
Yes, you can swap oatmeal for the rice and yes use the whole bottle.
Hi Ed. Thank you for your helpful site. I picked up our new 8 week old French Bulldog pup 4 days ago. The breeder was feeding him a raw diet (Tucker’s Bison Patties). She gave me enough to last a few days. I am now out (I tried to find a source locally but there are none). I found your site and want to use the easy raw recipe. The only issue is that there will be a delay while I order the supplements and wait for their delivery. The breeder gave me a tube of Fresh Pet Grain Free food too. I am using that until I get the new raw food made. My question is, mostly about the fasting period. Even though I will be switching my pup from Fresh Pet back to the raw, I don’t really want to make him fast. He is tiny and eats three times a say. He is super hungry each feeding also. I think 24 hours would extremely hard on him and me. What are your thoughts? Also, many of the “raw sites” preach about bones making up a large part of the diet. Are the egg shells sufficient for a young pup? Should I offer bones, what kind? Thank you so much!
The fast is done to limit digestive upset. Seeing he is already eating raw he should be fine. The easy raw recipe is, well easy, to help people start feeding raw. I currently feed my dogs a ground chicken leg thigh quarter recipe with bones and they do great. I shot this video but the footage got messed up. I will have to reshoot but it takes all day. I plan on getting back to posting new recipes this winter.
Hi Ed, Want to make these wonderful recipes for the doggies, but on two of the supplements (LickOchops and Supromega) you state to add 1 tube. What is meant be one tube as they come in capsules and or liquid? How much is 1 tube? Is that the 8 oz. tube that see in the picture?
The tubes are 8 oz., so you would add one whole tube/bottle per recipe.
Hi! I’m new to this site — so glad I found it. Just recently moved to California from Illinois and my golden is scratching and licking like crazy. NO FLEAS! Has been on a high quality dry kibble with salmon oil supplements. Thought I would try making my own dog food. Are any of the your recipes especially good for skin irritation? Also — have always heard that sweet potatoes and pumpkin is good for dogs — what are your thoughts? Thanks!
They are old good for your dog’s skin. Sweet potato and pumpkin are fine additions but remember feed more meat and bones than plants.
Love your site – very valuable. When my human kids were growing up we had “dogbone” soup… I cooked soup bones (very large cow bones), made broth for our soup and fed the dogs the cooled down bones. Then I was told NOT to feed cooked bones to dogs as they would splinter easily (although this never happened in 15 years…) BUT one of my dogs did die from a sharp bone cutting her stomach when a neighbor innocently fed her some cooked pork hock bones … I have two 120-130 lb dogs (Polish Tatra sheepdog and a Newfoundland) and would like to feed them our “soupbones” again…. do you have any recommendations, or things to watch for if feeding cooked bones (VERY large bones) … also does it hurt their teeth at all if the bones are cooked?
When dogs eat a raw meat/bone based diet their stomach lining and muscles become tougher than a kibble fed dog. This stronger systems helps fight this kind of problem but it won’t eliminate all risk completely. That said, dogs also can and do choke on kibble. So, nothing is perfect. If you make bone stock and cook the bones until they break down completely, it’s ok. I bought a meat grinder and grind up chicken legs and thighs with bones and this works well.
Ed…I have had my 5 year old lab on yeast starvation diet since mid August. He was doing really well but within last week all the yeast infection is returning on his chest and under his legs and he is miserable. I saw such progress for the first 6 weeks–hair was starting to grow on his chest. Is this normal? I do live on a farm and they are harvesting corn and I am worried he has been eating the corn.
Sometimes this can happen but he could be eating the corn. We have an old dog who had a tumor removed and this compromised her immune system and she got a yeast infection that we help knock back with a prescription shampoo from the veterinarian.
We have a dog that is currently battling yeast infections. We are using the homemade (with no rice) recipe currently using hamburger meat until the yeast infections subside. Long term, we are looking at other protein sources, suggestions, etc., to alleviate the cost for his food. Once the yeast infections are gone, what kind of proteins (fish? chicken? etc) would you recommend long term? He was on regular dry food from feed store and began exhibiting yeast infections symptoms , been on prescription meds now for over a month, etc. Thank you! We are now on Day 2 of the yeast killer diet..we are waiting on our Dinovite order, but have found fish oil that we are using right now..
You can use chicken to reduce cost.
Can turkey be substituted for chicken?
Yes, but make sure you include the cartilage.
thank you for sharing all this information.
i have an 18 month old male gsd. he weighs around 95lbs.
i was wondering can we use boneless skinless chicken breast or must it be dark meat. im really just trying to save the step of having to debone all that chicken since im planning on making a one month supply at at time.
thank you
thank you
I would stick with the leg/thighs with bones, don’t debone the chicken because it is great for your dog. You can buy a grinder and grind the legs/thighs with bones if you are worried about obstruction. I use this grinder because 2 of my for dogs are old and missing teeth but my year old GSD would have no problem crunching up the legs/thighs with bones.
Ed,
I started my 5 year old Pomeranian on your yeast starvation diet a little over a month ago. He has licked his paws raw for over a year now and I have tried everything, even taken him to a dermatologist. They put him on a few different steroids but every time the meds were out the paw licking came back. His paws have gotten so bad and I finally found your recipe. He is now on that, and I have a cone on him to stop the licking. He goes from normal bowels to horrible diarrhea so I put a little pumpkin in his food. Now he doesn’t poop for days and when he does it’s a tiny amount. Is this normal? Will the pumpkin effect the yeast diet? As soon as I take the cone off, his paws are so raw they are almost bloody again, but I worry the cone is causing him to be dehydrated- but when I take the cone off he will barely drink any water. Also now his breath is smelling horrible- should I be concerned by this? Do you have any suggestions? How long should he be on the diet before his bowels are normal and how long should I leave him on this diet? Paws are starting to clear up- skin is still a gray color and crusty in some areas, hair on his paws still hasn’t grown back yet. Just want him to be well and feel like himself again, any suggestions are appreciated.
Thank you,
Claire
I would commit to feeding the yeast starvation recipe for at least 6 months and some dogs will need to be fed it indefinitely. The pumpkin could hurt the process. As far as water consumption, dogs fed the raw meat based diets typically don’t drink much because the diet is 70% moisture. Stools will also be small because there is not much filler.
Ed, can the same recipe you have for killing yeast work with slightly cooking the beef rather than raw?
Raw meat is best but you can lightly cook it.
Hello – so happy to find this site. My dog has food allergies and store bought specialty foods are so expensive. He is requiring “unique” protein dog foods. Or “cool” proteins and I’ve also heard it described as single protein foods. so, if the recommendation is not to feed him chicken or beef, are there other protein sources easily available to use? Am I totally crazy? (oh, please I already know I am. I own Wheaten Terriers after all).
I’ve found most dogs do well on raw meat based dog food. Try feeding your dog pork and see how he does.
Hello, I was looking at the supplements in your yeast starvation recepie and there is an option of the liquid vs a scoopable mixture. I was wondering if there is a reason why you use the liquid dinovite. Thank you for your time.
I’ve got to reshoot the video, I currently use the powder (scoop-able).
Ed, First off thanks you for a great site. I don’t’ own a dog , but some how after moving to the country four years ago, I became a home for wayward puppies. One injured Lab ( Brutus )that the mom-in -law couldn’t take care of, one from my eldest who was being stationed in Germany and could not take with (Ziva) and two (Hansel & Gretel) from my youngest who is deployed to Romania. My very own pack. I have access to a local butcher that has been great in working with me as I look to move my dogs toward a raw meat and bone diet. I also have started dehydrating beef lung as a treat for the pack. What is you opinion on saw scrap. The bone and meat mix that they scrape from the saw when they butcher. I am new to this raw meat and bone idea and have just started doing my research. I don’t want to use something that would be detrimental to the hounds even if it is free.
I think that is fine.
Hi, I recently came across this site. I’ve noticed you use the Dinovite recipe that they have listed on their website. They say in their video that the recipe makes 35 cups raw. You say it makes 48 cups. I’m just wondering where the other 13 cups comes from.
Thanks,
Jordan
When I made the recipe I filled six 8 cup containers, so I said 48 cups. Others make it and say it makes 32, maybe I didn’t pack it in tight.
My dog is allergic to eggs. Is there something I can substitute for eggs?
You can remove the eggs but add a calcium supplement like Fidocal.
I usually feed my dogs twice a day. With that raw feed can i give them twice a day, if so mean divided 3 cups to 1 and half cup twice a day right????
Thats right.
I’ve been feeding my dog – 8 year old poodle/Jack Russel mix that weighs about sixteen pounds – the cooked chicken recipe for about five weeks, and I couldn’t be more please with the difference in her skin. I’ve been able to stop both the pills and the shots that dealt with her itchiness and her hot spots that she would bite until she broke the skin. They have disappeared. Thank you! I’ve been making the recipe using Purina’s FortiFlora (probiotic) and senior canine vitamins instead of Supromega and Dinovite. Is this an OK substitution? I already had them and hated to waste them.
I’m not sure, I’ve never used either.
Ed: Thank you so much for your recipes. I am relatively new to raw diets for dogs but we own an English Setter and that breed is prone to allergies to almost everything but food. The raw diet combined with raw goat’s milk has worked magic. However, since none of the vets in our area are a proponent of raw, I started out with a ‘commercial’ product. Reading everything I could find I grew a bit confused by the seeming contradictions in most experts’ advice. By that I mean that all warned against using ground meat from the grocery store while stating that dogs’ and cat’s digestive tract is immune from most bacteria that would otherwise harm humans. Here’s my question (finally!) Why rice? This does not seem to be an ingredient in a dog’s primal diet. Obviously, it is well tolerated and it is a wonderful way to stretch my dog food recipe but could I just add the supplements you recommend to 1lb of ground meat daily and still be feeding him a balanced diet? (he eats a turkey neck as his mid-day snack and weighs 65lb; when fully grown he will likely add another 5 lbs of weight). With the turkey neck bones does he get sufficient calcium; do the supplements make up for what the food doesn’t or should egg shells or bone meal be added? Sorry, I sound like on of those cooks that reviews a recipe and says it was great especially when I added my own ten ingredients!
I get asked about rice a lot and the questions are answered in the FAQ. As fare as calcium goes I lean to adding more in the form of bones, egg shells or powdered supplements.
Hi, I am new to your site. I need help because my chow is just 2 years old and already she
has been diagnosed with a slightly enlarged heart. She has a lot of skin problems too. I had been feeding her on Orijen Sixth Fish since at aged 4 months but has recently stop and has tried many high end dry kibble but the skin problem will not go away. However, my main concern is her enlarged heart. Please advised me on which best raw food to feed her and what meds/supplements please?? I need to save my baby! Thanking you in advance.
Try the easy raw dog food recipe, its easy and nutritious for your dog.
Hi Ed, I know nothing about feeding raw and I’m nervous about doing it. I am wanting to feed at least one raw meal a day in addition to a meal that will be grain free dry kibbles . You say not to mix with dry kibbles . SO if a meal is 2 cups twice a day…. Does that also mean don’t feed a cup of dry and on the side do a cup of raw or just don’t combine the two together by mixing ? Pending on how things go I may do two raw a day and use kibbles for training and treats. I love the idea of using my big sink to do it all in. The simplicity of your recipes are perfect for us. I read somewhere you don’t use salmon and can’t remember why. Do you use any types of raw or cooked fish at all? Do you ever do the raw chicken or is it always cooked and deboned ? I worry about the chicken bones but using for bone broth and then grinding up in the vitamix is a great idea. What types of bones do you allow your dogs to have ? I get raw shank bones from butcher with some meat on them and marrow inside for my Malinois. I have given raw moose bone (i live in AK) but have to really watch he doesn’t bite chunks of bone off and having a serious problem on my hands. So he gets them 15 minutes then i inspect and then i put in fridge for another day. Are there any bones i can safely give him to ingest ? Sorry for all the question but i am a newbie. Thank you so much for your site and help. Kathleen
I would eliminate the kibble altogether, mixing or feeding it in separate meals is a recipe for trouble. I don’t feed raw fish or raw salmon because they can carry flukes and other parasites.
I feed raw chicken all the time with the bones and my dogs do great. A Malinois should have no trouble. You can also grind it with the grinder I show o the site, it works great and will grind up chicken leg/thigh quarters with no problem. Bones and all. On occasion I would get deer ribs from hunters and my dogs made short work of them.
My dog ate this food with enthusiam for about 2 weeks and now is refusing to eat it. He seems to be constipated and I wondered if it’s from the rice. If I substitute potatoes do I use equal amounts?
Try cutting back on the rice and add a little more Lickochops or Supromega. Also, try a 24 hour fast once per week and feed your dog once a day.
I have recently “saved” a Yorkie/Terrior mix from being dumped in the country. The vet says he appears to be about 9 months old and he weighs 8.8 pounds. He scratches often but no fleas have been found in bath water or wandering on his belly. So I am thinking dry skin or a food allergy.
I am beginning manners training so I need lots of treats. Do you have any suggestions? If I use the food the daily half cup recommended for his size with not go very far. He currently consumes about 3/4 cup of dry dog food daily plus boxes, shoes, socks, important papers, the plastic napkin holder from atop the dinning room table with napkins and probably the pair of pliers I have not seen since putting his new tag on his collar.
I am hoping the supplements and making his food will end any possible allergies or dry skin. but I really need something for training treats. I have not looked at everything on your site yet but have not noticed any cheeses or pork listed. Would ham or cheese work as treats with the homemade food? The trainer suggests very small pieces for training purposes. What are your thoughts and suggestions?
I’ve boiled liver, then cut it into small cubes, dogs love them. I would freeze them in small training size bags that were easy to thaw and use. Hope this helps.
When I feed my dogs one recipe, when can I prepare another recipe without it upsetting them? For instance, can they eat chicken on sunday, hamburger on monday, chicken on tuesday, etc.? Or do they have to stay on one kind for several days and switch slowly like when I was switching from one dog food to another?
Why do you want to switch so often?
My dog Buddy is 5 years old and has been recently diagnosed as having a liver shut after having had a special test done and the vet has done surgery on him twice in 3 years because he had stones that were keeping him from urinating… Is your homemade dog food safe for him to eat… The vet put him on science diet UD for 3 years before the last test and then put him on LD for liver problems… Buddy doesn’t seem to be thriving on this food and he has lost at least 4 pounds… He never got in to the bathroom trash before having this surgery and having been put on this food… Please help!!!!!!
That’s a tough call because of your dog’s problems. I do think it is best to feed raw meaty dog food.
I tried scanning for an answer to my question but didn’t find one…Is a dog ever too old to transition to a raw diet? I have a dog who is 15 and was on a kidney diet for almost a year. Now that her kidneys are better the vet switched her to a digestive diet because the kidney diet created such foul stools and an extremely high eosinophil count, that now vet is thinking maybe some kind of gastroenteritis. Unfortunately, after transitioning to the digestive diet she started having vomiting and diarrhea. During that illness we switched her to a bland chicken & rice homemade diet and she seems to be thriving on that. I was concerned about whether or not it was nutritious enough when I came across your website. So my question for you…At the age of 15 & with digestive tract issues, is starting a raw diet really a good idea? Or should I stick to cooked, which I already know she tolerates. She’s still a happy girl, I want to help her stay as happy & healthy as possible for as long as I can. (She lost a lot of muscle tone and gained weight while on that kidney diet and now has some mobility issues, and I’m hoping a homemade diet can reverse some of those issues as well).
You could cook the first batch and cook each later batch less until she is on raw. This way it is gradual and if there are any problems you can stop at that point.
I noted in the recipe for cooked dog food that you should not add the liquid Dinovite prior to cooking. Since I am using the powdered Dinovite does this still apply or cannot be added prior to cooking?
Thanks in advance!
Yes, don’t add it before cooking because it will kill/destroy the beneficial microbes, enzymes and delicate nutrients.
I want to breed my smooth collie. We have frequently been advised not to feed flaxseed to our brood bitches but I see the Dinovite has flaxseed listed as the first ingredient. What are your thoughts on this and/or can you suggest an alternative to Dinovite?
I had a large breeding kennel of Staffordshire Bull Terriers and fed them all the Dinovite with the homemade dog food with great results. I would stick with it.
Can I grind the whole raw chicken up and add that to the other stuff
Yes, I grind up whole chicken leg thigh quarters.
Ed aren’t you reading posts anymore?
I’m sorry my schedule got really crazy and I stopped answering for a while but I’m back at it now.
We started our two small dogs on the easy recipe about 2 weeks ago. My husband’s one little dog is his pride and joy so I was very concerned doing this…not for the dog…His dog has started to show some signs of mucus like blood in his stool and some blood droplets when he goes to the bathroom. Our other little dog shows no signs of this. She is doing very well. Has even stopped scratching – which she did 24/7! My husband wants to pull him off of this food and put him back on his bagged dog food (which he thinks is better for him.) I am extremely concerned about this little guy. I do think something is going on and I am not positive it is the raw food. I am thinking if we put him back on the bagged food he will just get sicker…
Has anyone else had problems with blood in the stool after introducing the raw diet?
Did you do a 24 hour fast and then introduce it slow? You can also do the easy cooked dog food recipe for this dog instead of the raw.
Hey Ed,
my dog Hodge, he is 11 and has been diagnosed with cancer. He has a large cantaloupe sized tumor on his spleen. My vet suggests I start making all of his food, and not feeding him ANY carbs. He said that cutting carbs has been known to starve out tumors. I was hoping maybe you could steer me in the right direction, being as you are very knowledgeable on dog’s diet and might have been in a similar situation. I have gone ahead and ordered the supplements suggested the fish oil, the lickochops and the dinovite liquid. Thank you Ed, and hope to hear from you!
zoe
(ZCPREWITT@GMAIL.COM)
Try feeding the yeast starvation dog food recipe, it is carb free.
Just wondering if you could give me some advise regarding using the cooked bones (completely crushed) from my homemade stocks, and combined with rice flour, egg and veggies, baked into dog cookies is ok? Would it be an added health benefit or harmful to offer our dogs? Your feedback would be very much appreciated. Thanks, Bevlee ( Melbourne, Australia)
Sounds fine to me:)
I have two dogs that need to lose weight. I want to give them homemade cooked dog food. I have the LickOChops and the Dinovite. What is the best food and treats for them? One dog weights 70 lbs and needs to lose at least 5 lbs the other dog weights 25 lbs and needs to lose at least 8 lbs. What do you suggest for food and how much should I give them to help them lose weight?
You can use any of the recipes here just control the portion and reduce it so they start to drop weight. Also, a fast day a week is great for their health and will help them lose the fat.
Hi, I have 2 dashaund sisters, 1 has IVDD and needs to lose weight, currently have her on pretty expensive dry dog food diet for over 6 months and she has put on weight, can you please give me a diet food recipe. So glad I found your website!
Start with one of the easy recipes and measure portions out so they lose weight. When they are at the desired weight then slowly increase the portion till their weight stabilizes. Also, have one fast day per week.