Need your help, guys!!

[Shadowkins]

I was snooping in the recipe section and found -Mutt's favorite rice n' hamburger- I've been reading alot of posts of people who make their own dog food and I thought I would give it a try, however I'm not sure how long the prepared mixture keeps in the fridge, any ideas?

I plan to mix it slowly with his normal food, it's mostly to give him a change, like once a day.

I feed my boy 1 cup ( total per day ) of the Holistic Eagle Pack, how do adjust the dry if I'm planning to add some homemade stuff? Oh! I forgot to add that he gets 4 doggie biscuits during the day for treats....gonna try to bake some of those too, so I would imagine that will affect his daily ratio as well, right?
Sorry for all the questions, but I do want to do this the right way.
Thanks a bunch

[Carrie]

I think before you start adding a bunch of stuff to his food, you ought to do some thorough research on feeding homemade diets. You can upset the balance of nutrients by over doing the addition of certain things. Too much calcium, for instance would be harmful. I don't think a little tad extra meat or veggies would hurt but if you want to go to homemade, I'd really do a study on it first to make sure you're dog is getting everything he needs and in the right amounts.

[Shadowkins]

You are right, Carrie, I should have thought it through more, I will do some more research on the topic. I guess ,I thought a little homemade mixed in would make it more appealing. Would that also apply then with homemade puppy biscuits?
. Thanks for responding.

[Owned by Lucy]

I wouldn't worry about treats too much unless they are going to be making up a substantial portion of his intake for the day (more than 5% or so). Use homemade treats just like you would use those you buy from the store.

[Carrie]

Treats should definitely just be a very small percentage of what a dog takes in for food, so I don't really worry about that. And I give my dogs some left overs sometimes if it's some meat or green beans. But as far as the majority of their diet, that's where I'd want to learn more about it. The good dog foods have everything all figured out as far as vitamins, minerals, protein etc and they're balanced. But if you want something better, that's great. I know there is a lot in books and other sources about making homemade diets. Just be sure of your source. Good luck in your research!

[calgal]

I wouldn't keep fresh cooked food in the ref. longer than 3 days. Think of it as your own food to eat. Feeding "real" food is the best way to go and it's impossible to figure out how much of this or that to feed, so we have rule of thumb, if they start getting a bit too fat then cut down on certain things you think they would gain weight on and put in more fresh steamed veggies. As for getting the right amount of vitamins when feeding "real" food, then either make up the Healthy Powder in Dr. Pitcairn's book or give a Pet Tab. The simple fact is, they don't get the proper vitamins in dog foods because it's killed out in the processing. At least when you feed "real" food and good vitamins you know exactly what they are eating. Simple.

[Boleyn]

I set aside one day a week, or two, and make big batches. Then I put them in containers and freeze. I also keep some canned food around in case I forgot to thaw a container out, or am in a hurry... or lazy!

[linnie]

I feed my girls home cooked and usually I prefer to make it daily but if I have to have it longer then 3 days is maximum in fridge.

If you are serious about changing diet then do it slowly. just giving home cooked as a side treat to start and increase as time goes by.

If your dog is healthy on what he is eating why do you want to change???
Not that I think its a bad thing,,,, just wondering?

I have always fed my girls home cooked and then some good grade dog bickies on the side.
Best of luck and if you decide to go ahead I would be very happy to discuss with you the proportions I give my kids

[Shadowkins]

Thanks for the responses
Linnie: when I first bought my dog I was told that I was not to feed anything else but bought dog food. Well over the years, Shadow has had to go through many kinds because of allergies ( I think it was all the preservatives that were the culprits.)
In any case I am quite limited as to what he can have and often times 1)he is bored with his food and 2) still has a delicate immune system.
My main reason is that if I control what goes into his food maybe in the long run his total system will benefit. Shadow has been a sick puppy , shall we say, since the beginning with various serious and weird infections. Who knows maybe I'm just clutching at hope.
I do appreciate everybody's advice and I intend to look longer and harder into it. This is a small community and everyone who owns dogs goes the bought food route, it is only because I have been reading this forum that I have learned an alternative is available and healthy too. Sorry to ramble on.