Gourmet Homemade Meals for Your Dog

Recall of commercial dog foods have become common place. When you research what those companies put in our loved ones' food, disgust was just the primary reaction. Anybody who love their dog(s) would immediately cease to patronize these businesses. In this money-wheeling & dealing world all these business-minded crooks can just unfold another business name and another inviting pet food product to entice another cycle of new buyers. That I know the food my dog, a labrador retriever, is eating is safe; that I know the food she is enjoying is nutritious; and that I learned along the way that it is more economical on my budget. Imagine, organic, natural, safe and nutritious meals for your pet without costing you an arm and a leg!

My dog's weekly meal will consist of these proteins: wild Alaska salmon, chicken and beef. These variety of meals ensure that my girl dog absorbs nutritious variations of proteins, vitamins and minerals. I locally resource ingredients in Alaska, my business, Drool Central, buys wild Alaska salmon & cod, Alaska Grown fresh carrots, potatoes, red beets, barley and a mixture of seasonal greens (when available). I am a follower of farm to dog bowl mantra. Thus, depending on what the local farmer has, I will include fresh eggs, goat milk, locally-raised goat, pig, sheep meats and organs. I continue to tap in what the local farmers provide.

Alas, the grainless trend pet followers may be misinformed somewhat. There are proponents of raw food only or grainless only that can seem exaggerated and illogical. What I know to be true, your diet and your dog's diet can be intertwined to moderation. Keep natural organic food sources to begin with and avoid the artificial, the substitutions, the hype. True fibre from grains and vegetables can help with diarrhea. For instance I include organic brown rice because its nutritional value are still intact as opposed to white rice. The addition of these, in moderation, factually helps with diarrhea. It helps keep the poop firm. . Your dog is after all a forager. No matter what kind of supervision on walks, or even in your house, there will be incidents after-that-chomp.

If you are budget conscious, you can always find meat or meat organ sales in your neighboring supermarket. Years of home feeding my dog, has saved me thousands of dollars in veterinarian fees when in comes to digestive or allergy issues. At 12 years old, I am happy where my dog is right now.

I have found this link http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/667/2 that details all nutritional elements of the ingredients included with this meal.

Note: Ease up serving beef liver. Too much of liver can be toxic.

My labrador retriever has maintained her weight between 70 to 75 lbs. ever since I started cooking for her. Her coat is soft and a lot of people could not believe that a dog can actually have fur that is that soft. My dog is now 12 years old. I am proud to say that cooking for her resulted in a dog who has no humps, bumps, lumps, no allergies, digestive problems, arthritis and cancer!

Because of her highly moist food, I brush her teeth every night with homemade goat kefir. Our teeth brushing ritual began when she was 8 months old. Her vet is extra pleased that she has clean chompers, healthy gums and no doggy bad breath. At 12 years old, she has not undergone professional teeth cleaning. I have asked her vet if she needs to. Since she only has one bottom tooth that has a plaque, I was advised to concentrate on longer brushing on that tooth. So far, no major work is needed.

Recipe yields six days of two meals per day. Two cups per serving each breakfast and each dinner.

4 Cups Brown Rice

1 lbs. a mixture of fresh greens (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, green beans)

1 pounds of carrots, washed, unpeeled and pureed

8 ounces chicken liver

8 ounces chicken gizzards

8 ounces chicken hearts

1 full chicken, boiled deboned

Procedure:

Use a rice cooker to cook the brown rice. Put an extra cup of water to make the brown rice moister. Set aside to cook after cooking. To cook brown rice in rice cooker will take approximately 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once it's cool, puree and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Put whole chicken in a big stainless steel pot and submerge in cold water. Boil the chicken till chicken is fully-cooked (no blood or raw flesh). Boiling a whole chicken might take an entire hour. Do not put any spices, salt or pepper when boiling the chicken. Discard scum or as much fat from top. Set aside to cool. (SEE NOTE below regarding making a clear broth with this chicken.)

Boil the chicken organs separately (gizzards, livers and hearts. Discard liquid. Set aside to cool. Puree.

Turn off stove. Remove bones from the chicken. Be careful removing the tiny neck bones and thin bones. Puree cooked chicken meats; this will insure that no bones are included.

When using fresh green beans, blanch slightly and puree with the rest of the vegetables. Mix and incorporate all ingredients together to make a good meal.

Pureeing your homemade dogs' food is better for their digestion. The proof is in the "pudding." I see the proof twice or thrice a day.

Portion out meals. I give my dog, who teeters between 72 to 75 lbs., a 14 oz. portioned meal each for breakfast and dinner. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of days and freeze the rest. Thaw meals before serving. Always wash and dry your dog's bowl after every meal with mild soft and water.

NOTE: To make multiple uses for this food---meaning for you and your dog, make a chicken broth. Boil the chicken alone, no spices, salt or pepper. Remove scum and excess fat. Aim for a clear broth. Freeze in containers 2/3rd of the way. Use for soup, pasta, grains, etc. Or you can reserve some for your dog's beverage. Refrigerate chicken broth for two days. Remember that moisture is significant in your dog's overall health.

SAFETY NOTE: Salmonella Beware. Always sanitize your sink and wash your hands thoroughly when handling raw poultry. Wash and sanitize all tools and equipment that got in contact with the raw chicken. Measure one capful of bleach with a gallon water. Use a clean empty bucket for your sanitizer. Better be safe than sick.