I felt really bad about how for many years I’d bought what was cheap and well-marketed as “dog food” ….and forced my dogs to eat.
Mostly, I had made them eat whatever was Most-Convenient for ME…. not necessarily best for Them …or what they might really have any choice.
Our Best Family Members get no choice but to eat what is put out for them, usually bought only on price and convenience…sometimes influenced by clever marketing that misrepresents the “meat by-products“ : GUTS and fecal matter that are blown out of chickens and offal left on the floor of meat-processing plants. (It’s no wonder they live short lives and die of cancers, pancreatitis, and diabetes.)
The local grocery carries a 10-lbs bag of chicken quarters for $5. This is Human Food… no additives or hormones allowed. The shelves also have human food…. oatmeal, frozen soup vegetable assortment, and yams or sweet-potatoes. All are Human Consumption items, and nutritious for your dogs (which are not actually carnivores but are omnivores.)
10 lbs Chicken Qtrs (protein)
2 0r 3 Yams / Sweet potatoes (starch, fiber and flavor)
2 lbs frozen vegetables (i.e. 1-bag, green beans,corn, peas, carrots) (carbs,vitamins/minerals)
2 or 3 cups oatmeal (fiber and texture)
water to cover (3 or 4 qts)
NO SALT or other spices! (important)
Place rinsed chicken in large pot and cover with water. Place cover on pot and Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 1-1/2 hours, until meat and bones are easily separated with tongs. (This is easier than you might think. Large BBQ tongs pick up the Qtrs by the leg-bone which is given a “shake” while still in the pot…and the meat falls back into the pot. Discard the bones. Takes about 5 minutes to accomplish this thoroughly.)
Meanwhile, use a potato-peeler to skin the yams, and slice/dice them into half-inch chunks. After the bones are removed from the pot, toss the yam-chunks into the pot and Bring to Boil second time, then reduce to simmer 20-30 mins.
Add frozen veggies and bring to boil again, then turn heat Off.
Immediately, thoroughly stir-in all the oatmeal, and cover the pot and allow to rest 5 mins.
Check for excess liquid water. If necessary, stir in addt’l oatmeal to absorb excess liquid.
Allow to cool with pot covered. (takes a couple hours) Then place individual meal amounts in cheap, plastic zip-lok bags and store in refrigerator until ready to feed.
<EDIT> When feeding, I first place the closed zip-lok bag in a sink of hot water to “take the chill off”…. then dump it into the dog bowl. My dog constantly sticks her nose into my shorts or up my pant-leg while IMPatiently waiting for it.)
1 cup of food for each 10-15 lbs of dog, twice daily is what my 25 lb Heeler gets. She’s happy, ready to play, eager to remind me it’s “dinner time”!
This makes 20-22 meals for my 25 lb dog, and Total Cost for ten days feeding ? $10. ($1/day)
I cook it while playing on the I-net or watching TV… takes up only a few minutes of actual time that way.
In a separate bowl I keep about 1 cup of dry “kibble” beside the water dish to allow the dog to “snack” whenever desired. Most mornings it’s still there…some mornings it’s gone.
(well-formed moist “poops’ with zero issues too.)
My vet says this meets all nutritional needs of a healthy dog. BEST OF ALL: IT’s HUMAN QUALITY! YOU can safely eat it….AND it Taste’s Great! And she is Always Happy to Eat….and READY TO PLAY!
Mostly, I had made them eat whatever was Most-Convenient for ME…. not necessarily best for Them …or what they might really have any choice.
Our Best Family Members get no choice but to eat what is put out for them, usually bought only on price and convenience…sometimes influenced by clever marketing that misrepresents the “meat by-products“ : GUTS and fecal matter that are blown out of chickens and offal left on the floor of meat-processing plants. (It’s no wonder they live short lives and die of cancers, pancreatitis, and diabetes.)
The local grocery carries a 10-lbs bag of chicken quarters for $5. This is Human Food… no additives or hormones allowed. The shelves also have human food…. oatmeal, frozen soup vegetable assortment, and yams or sweet-potatoes. All are Human Consumption items, and nutritious for your dogs (which are not actually carnivores but are omnivores.)
10 lbs Chicken Qtrs (protein)
2 0r 3 Yams / Sweet potatoes (starch, fiber and flavor)
2 lbs frozen vegetables (i.e. 1-bag, green beans,corn, peas, carrots) (carbs,vitamins/minerals)
2 or 3 cups oatmeal (fiber and texture)
water to cover (3 or 4 qts)
NO SALT or other spices! (important)
Place rinsed chicken in large pot and cover with water. Place cover on pot and Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 1-1/2 hours, until meat and bones are easily separated with tongs. (This is easier than you might think. Large BBQ tongs pick up the Qtrs by the leg-bone which is given a “shake” while still in the pot…and the meat falls back into the pot. Discard the bones. Takes about 5 minutes to accomplish this thoroughly.)
Meanwhile, use a potato-peeler to skin the yams, and slice/dice them into half-inch chunks. After the bones are removed from the pot, toss the yam-chunks into the pot and Bring to Boil second time, then reduce to simmer 20-30 mins.
Add frozen veggies and bring to boil again, then turn heat Off.
Immediately, thoroughly stir-in all the oatmeal, and cover the pot and allow to rest 5 mins.
Check for excess liquid water. If necessary, stir in addt’l oatmeal to absorb excess liquid.
Allow to cool with pot covered. (takes a couple hours) Then place individual meal amounts in cheap, plastic zip-lok bags and store in refrigerator until ready to feed.
<EDIT> When feeding, I first place the closed zip-lok bag in a sink of hot water to “take the chill off”…. then dump it into the dog bowl. My dog constantly sticks her nose into my shorts or up my pant-leg while IMPatiently waiting for it.)
1 cup of food for each 10-15 lbs of dog, twice daily is what my 25 lb Heeler gets. She’s happy, ready to play, eager to remind me it’s “dinner time”!
This makes 20-22 meals for my 25 lb dog, and Total Cost for ten days feeding ? $10. ($1/day)
I cook it while playing on the I-net or watching TV… takes up only a few minutes of actual time that way.
In a separate bowl I keep about 1 cup of dry “kibble” beside the water dish to allow the dog to “snack” whenever desired. Most mornings it’s still there…some mornings it’s gone.
(well-formed moist “poops’ with zero issues too.)
My vet says this meets all nutritional needs of a healthy dog. BEST OF ALL: IT’s HUMAN QUALITY! YOU can safely eat it….AND it Taste’s Great! And she is Always Happy to Eat….and READY TO PLAY!
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