Adult Dog Diet

Moose & Rodney....

"what happened to the water in the pond?"

December 2003

I work have made homemade dog food for my dogs for many years. I tried raw food, but didn't like handling it, and I've found that my dogs prefer cooked food anyway. I wrote my thesis on Herbal Healing for Dogs for my Master Herbalist Degree. I make herbals formulas & herbal supplements for my dogs as well.

Your dog may not be getting the nutrition he needs if he suffers from any of the following: his breath smells, he has gas, his coat is not shiny and smells bad, he has fleas, he gets worms often, he suffers from infections or has skin problems or is otherwise in poor health. Try changing your dog's diet, giving him herbs and other supplements, and watch his health improve. My older dogs are 10 and 14 years old, still have all their teeth and are in good health. I have only had to take them to a vet 3 times between the two of them (other than for neutering or vaccinations).

This recipe makes 2 large soup pots of food, put 1/2 the ingredients into each pot.

VEGETABLES: , grated or chopped: use whatever is in season, that your dog likes: sweet potatoes, yam, carrots, squash (keep the seeds, and add to the blender ingredients to help keep parasites out of the digestive tract), leafy greens such as kale, corn (blend it in the blender, again, some dogs don't tolerate corn). I save time by placing chunks of vegetables in the blender with water, and just blend it into small pieces.

GRAINS: rice, oats, diced potatoes (not a good choice for dogs that have arthritic joints), buckwheat or millet (rice if your dog can digest it). If your dog has skin problems, cut back, or eliminate the grains, and increase the portion of raw meat to make up the same proportions. Or just experiment with the type of grains you use, some breeds do better on some grains. I tried feeding my dogs meals with not grains, and they didn't want to eat it, so I include rice and other grains.

Add 16 cups water and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, put a lid on the pot and let sit for several hours. Then stir in:

MEAT: ground beef, or chicken, or beef heart and some beef liver, this needs to be organic so your dog is not getting residue from hormones, antibiotics & other junk they don't need. Don't use pork, dogs can get sick eating pork. If you don't feel comfortable feeding raw meat, it's fine to cook it, your dog will still be getting better nutrition than with commercially prepared dog foods. Chop the meat very small, and increase to the size of a grape as the puppy gets older. Add some canned sardines or tuna, along with the other meat if you dog has any skin problems. My dogs have been eating salmon as their only meat for several years, I find it is the healthiest choice for them.

SUPPLEMENTS: Blend, in the blender with a little water, the following supplements to add vitamins, minerals, fiber and other important nutrients to your dog's diet. This is the amount I use for a 25 lb. adult dog, so adjust the amounts according to your dog's weight.

Bran: 6 tbsp. (for fiber and to help avoid impacted anal glands).

If your dog needs extra fiber, you can soak a few tablespoons of psyllium husks in water for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally, until it has puffed up, then just pour it into the blender with the other supplements. Make sure you let it soak in the water first, this is very important! You could also add one raw carrot, and/or raw apple to the blender, for extra fiber. If your dogs likes carrot and apple, or other raw vegetables and fruit, just give him several small pieces to eat when you are chopping some for yourself for the extra fiber. These are low calorie treats, and you will get get to know which fruits and vegetables are you dog's favorites. My puppy can hear a mango being sliced into from anywhere in the house & comes running into the kitchen for a piece! Raw onions should not be given to dogs. The raw meat in this food recipe also has a laxative effect. Some dogs may require some mildly laxative herbs, if the fiber in this diet is not enough to help with chronic constipation, just email me for a consultation, and we can work on this further.

Raw Garlic: 4 cloves (to avoid parasites and fleas)

Honey: 2 tbsp.

Olive oil: 4 tbsp.

Cod Liver Oil: (in the winter) depending upon your pets weight

Kelp or Seaweed: 1/2 tbsp. (for minerals)

Bonemeal: 1 tbsp. (calcium source)

Ground dried eggshell: 1 tbsp. (calcium source) Clean & dry your eggshells, then grind them in a coffee grinder.

Nutritional Yeast: 2 tbsp.

Herbs: 4 tbsp. This changes with each season, or my dog's needs, but I use a lot of Alfalfa, Dandelion root and leaves, Cleavers, Burdock). In doing a consultation for your dog, I can pinpoint exactly which herbs your dog should be using.

Apple Cider Vinegar: 3 tbsp. (to help kill any bacteria in the raw meat)

Molasses: 4 tbsp.

Ground flax seeds: 4 tbsp. These are also full of fiber.

Coconut: 6 tbsp. (with no sugar added).

When the mixture in the pot cools, stir in the raw meat, and blender of supplements. This can be made in large amounts and frozen in several containers. I freeze the food in small containers with a one day supply of food in each, and thaw one each day. The above recipie make enough food for 24 dinners for one dog.

BONES: I give my dogs raw meat bones after dinner once a week. And I have gotten my dogs into the habit of chewing a rawhide every night after dinner. Gives the jaws some good exercise and helps keep their teeth clean & healthy.

SEASONAL: My dogs use liver cleansing herbs for a few months every fall. I give them herbs for parasite cleansing at least once a year. And I change the herbs in their food according to the season, if you would like help with this, email me at dragonflyherbals.com, or fill out a canine consultation form

ANOTHER SNACK IDEA: I was just trying to find something to keep my dogs busy on a rainy day & came up with this idea. I took a few of their old raw meat bones & in the hollow center I smeared some tahini mixed with ground flax. The tahini is rich in calcium & the flax has essential fatty acids & fiber. They love this, and it takes them quite a while to lick it all out of the center.

Not intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian. Please remember that dogs, like people, can have sensitivities or allergies to foods, try only a small amount of a new food to make sure it agrees with your dog.

Any information presented here is for informational purposes only and not intended to take the place of diagnosis and treatment by a medical practitioner.