# Share your home-cooked meals for your chi's!



## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

Ocean is really thriving on her new diet. However, it's really expensive lol I want to offset the cost of THK a bit by cooking more of her meals. I've tried a couple times using advice off the web about certain items that need to be included, but she just doesn't seem to like it. Does anyone here cook for their chi's? What recipe(s) do you use?


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## AussieLass (Mar 1, 2012)

I wouldn't cook ANYTHING for my dogs - it destroys the nutrients & all important enzymes.


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

AussieLass said:


> I wouldn't cook ANYTHING for my dogs - it destroys the nutrients & all important enzymes.


I've found in the research I've done that you're supposed to lightly cook vegetables so dogs can digest them easier. I also add brown rice in small amounts to Oceans food, which needs to be cooked.


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

lilbabyvenus said:


> I've found in the research I've done that you're supposed to lightly cook vegetables so dogs can digest them easier. I also add brown rice in small amounts to Oceans food, which needs to be cooked.


There is no need to feed vegetables at all. The prey model raw diet does not include vegetables or grains at all. 


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

AussieLass said:


> I wouldn't cook ANYTHING for my dogs - it destroys the nutrients & all important enzymes.


From my research I have learned that it doesn't destroy the nutrients only the enzymes, but your dog produces any enzymes they need naturally, so that's not a problem. Cooking their meat (protein source) does not change the protein composition at all. Vegetables should be steamed to break the fibrous bonds that they cannot digest very well when the vegetables are raw, but will digest much better when cooked. You do lose too many vitamins in the water if you boil--thus the steaming. I broil or grill all of Lulu's meats--turkey, hamburger, fish, stewmeat, porkchop, chicken etc. I have fed them boiled country-styled ribs(they don't get the bone-only the meat), but I don't do that very often because I don't like things lost in water. I steam squash, zucchini, spinach, carrots, celery, broccoli, & green beans. There are others you can feed, but that is what I feed. You can also feed sweet potato, russet potato, brown rice, or white rice, but I don't feed any of these--I personally don't think they are necessary. I also feed Nature's Variety Instinct canned food or Mulligan Stew canned food. I also feed Sojos. Many mornings I will feed a scrambled egg and vegetables. Mine will do back flips for that. If I feed home cooking for 2 or 3 meals in a row, I add 6 or 7 drops of infant vitamin drops to the meal once a day. I also add a probiotic and milk thistle (although I cut back on this because it seem to make Lulu sick). There is no rhyme or reason to which meal they will get that is just the choices, and Lulu's fur is softer than it was when she was eating nothing but Ziwi Peak.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

pupluv168 said:


> There is no need to feed vegetables at all. The prey model raw diet does not include vegetables or grains at all.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


You are right that they don't necessarily need vegetables nor rice nor potatoes, but there are vitamins and nutrients in vegetables that can't hurt them. I guess I just think if you are providing an adequate protein source what does it hurt to add some vegetables to their meal? But that's just my opinion.  I personally don't add the rice or potatoes because I don't see those as anything but empty calories--especially rice.


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

pupluv168 said:


> There is no need to feed vegetables at all. The prey model raw diet does not include vegetables or grains at all.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


I actually feed Venus a raw diet. I am just trying to accommodate Ocean better. She was fed a horrible diet by her previous owner, and her health really reflects that. I tried raw, but it was too overwhelming for her, and I don't want her health to struggle any more. I'd rather work with her slowly and build to raw as we go. She does very well with The Honest Kitchen, and likes brown rice with raw ground turkey. She also loves green beans. I try to feed her mostly meat, but she does eat better if I mix it with something else. I can't get her to eat organs though, and she cannot eat bones. I'm just looking for some ideas for homecooked meals right now to help ease her along, not info about the prey model diet. I appreciate the help though!


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

lilbabyvenus said:


> I actually feed Venus a raw diet. I am just trying to accommodate Ocean better. She was fed a horrible diet by her previous owner, and her health really reflects that. I tried raw, but it was too overwhelming for her, and I don't want her health to struggle any more. I'd rather work with her slowly and build to raw as we go. She does very well with The Honest Kitchen, and likes brown rice with raw ground turkey. She also loves green beans. I try to feed her mostly meat, but she does eat better if I mix it with something else. I can't get her to eat organs though, and she cannot eat bones. I'm just looking for some ideas for homecooked meals right now to help ease her along, not info about the prey model diet. I appreciate the help though!


Oh, okay. I wasn't aware of the situation with Ocean. Maybe keep one meal the pre made raw to make sure she gets all her nutrients and for the other use the homecooked? I'm not sure, I don't really know anything about home cooked. Good for you for doing what's best for her, I hope you get some answers. 


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

pupluv168 said:


> Oh, okay. I wasn't aware of the situation with Ocean. Maybe keep one meal the pre made raw to make sure she gets all her nutrients and for the other use the homecooked? I'm not sure, I don't really know anything about home cooked. Good for you for doing what's best for her, I hope you get some answers.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


Thanks


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## doginthedesert (Oct 10, 2011)

I know people seem to really hate home cooking for some reason but I don't see anything wrong with it. It is certainly better than a commercial diet. The destroying of nutrients is a little bit overblown and a lot of people feed home cooked diets successfully. If you are not willing/able to do raw I really think home cooking is a good alternative and the next best thing to raw.

I feed raw and also add a 10% or so cooked veggie portion, I do think raw is better in most circumstances but cooked is not all that bad. There are a lot of good books on home cooking, you just need to add a vitamin and calcium supplement, unlike raw here it is all there. Here are some good links about home cooking-
Home-Prepared Dog Food &#150; How to Make a Balanced Diet - Whole Dog Journal Article
DogAware.com: Homemade Diets for Dogs


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

doginthedesert said:


> I know people seem to really hate home cooking for some reason but I don't see anything wrong with it. It is certainly better than a commercial diet. The destroying of nutrients is a little bit overblown and a lot of people feed home cooked diets successfully. If you are not willing/able to do raw I really think home cooking is a good alternative and the next best thing to raw.
> 
> I feed raw and also add a 10% or so cooked veggie portion, I do think raw is better in most circumstances but cooked is not all that bad. There are a lot of good books on home cooking, you just need to add a vitamin and calcium supplement, unlike raw here it is all there. Here are some good links about home cooking-
> Home-Prepared Dog Food – How to Make a Balanced Diet - Whole Dog Journal Article
> DogAware.com: Homemade Diets for Dogs


Thank you!


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I agree with Annie on this. I also feed raw, no veggies, but I would certainly add veg if I was cooking the meat or if I was feeding a very large dog. Lots of people feed veg alongside raw, they either need to be cooked or you can blitz them in a blender. Making them into a pulp also breaks down the cell walls so the dog can utilise the nutrients. You could buy whatever is in season (ie cheap!) and blitz or cook it then freeze in ice cube trays. Then you can offer a variety of different veg at each meal.
Good luck with Oceans tummy issues, I'm sure you will get it sorted.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I understand that vegies should be mashed, because they can't be digested well whole.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I agree with what's already been said here. It is possible to do a balanced home cooked diet. If you have any doubts, just do half high quality kibble or canned and then home cooked as well. 

The most important part of a home cooked diet is to make sure there is a calcium source. Just like raw... a home cooked diet that is not balanced will cause all sorts of problems. Do the research and read and educate yourself as to what home cooking requires. 

I've seen people find recipes online and feed their dogs cooked burger and rice, maybe with a few veggies. Well that's not going to work if there's no calcium. Dogs absolutely 100% need to have calcium and in the right ratio of calcium to phosphorus. 

Some people use dried eggshells as their calcium source. Or a calcium supplement. Just stay away from Pet Tabs and similar as they contain lead. I think that NOW has a brand of bone meal that doesn't contain lead. That could be another option. I know a gal who home cooks and she actually pressure cooks chicken until they are a mush. And that includes the bones. 

Supplements are more necessary with home cooked than with raw. But if you do the research, its really something that might be a good option for you.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

Stella, I forgot about pulverizing veggies in a food processor or blender to break the fiber bonds and make them digestible as I always just steam. Thanks for pointing that out and reminding me--I may add that to my way of feeding her veggies. Also, spinach, broccoli, and celery are sources of calcium, but must be steamed (they cannot process the calcium in the raw pureered form) to get the benefits.


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## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

*Raw diets...*

I'm not real sold on this raw diet deal or the grain free diets. Dogs have been domesticated for the past 100 years or more and have even been cross breed to create all new breeds. I think with this domestication and cross breeding we have altered their original make up along with their diets and ultimately phasing out a lot of that. I am however due to our recent pet food transition and disaster in favor of a clean home cooked diet. I was transitioning my 3 Chi's over to Merrick chicken and peas, and adding wet food for dinner and my little guy ended up a mess and in the emergency vet. The other 2 ended up with very bad gas. THey all plain chicken and rice tonight and the air is breathable in my living room. I plan to keep them on the chicken rice indefinitely and add some pumpkin and maybe plain yogurt. I will offer them the Merrick plain kibble to pick on throughout the day unless is starts to pose a problem. Any clean recipes anyone can share would be appreciated.:icon_smile:


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## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

What is a good source of calcium? planning to add some veggies to the chicken and rice deal, and adding plain yogurt...hhmmm, would that be enough calcium? or should I get a supplement and a vitamin as well


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