Homecooking for your Doodles

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

A place to talk about feeding our doodles a variety of home-cooked foods, with recipes included. Ask questions, check on safe ingredients, share some tips. Please see The DK Cookbook Group for recipes, too!
http://doodlekisses.com/group/dkcookbook

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I really don't know - I don't buy them often - maybe $2.50 a box???. For Samantha's food, I rinse them out, turn them inside out and let dry. As long as they don't get a hole in them, they are good to go. For my food, I wrap first in Glad's Press n Seal and then into the bags. The bags don't get any food on them so they go back into the drawer for the next time. I have purchased the Handi-Vac for my kids, Mom, MIL, Step-Mom and sisters. They all love it.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Good to know, I think I will try them. Thanks, Adrianne.

[03pilqobzlvp7]

Wow, I just finished reading ALL the posts here and thanks everyone for all the information. I've decided to start making Duff's meals and am almost through my first week. I'm still mixing it with half of his dry food, which is Nutro (and what triggered my research for a better food option). I think that some of the ingredients (corn) are causing him to produce more yeast in areas that don't dry quickly enough (ears, paws). Anyway, I've noticed a happier puppy (if that's possible) and he has more energy and much nicer poops. I think that next week we may may the whole switch and go with a strictly home-cooked diet. I'm very concerned with making sure I'm using good proportions of ingredients and nutrients. I ordered a multi-vitamin from Dr. Fosters and I've been giving him Nutri-Vet controinten suppliments for several weeks now. I guess I'm nervous I'll accidentally make him mal-nutritioned...so any suggestions on things to add (food or vitamins/additives) would be so appreciated.
My first concoction:
6 chix breasts boiled in water
add diced sweet potato
add half diced apple
when cooked, add handfull of oats
Sautee .5 lb lean ground beef
add package frozen carrots, broc, cauliflour mix
add 1/3 can pumpkin
add 1/3 bag froz blueberries
add .5 bag medium shrimp, chopped
add avocado
add 2 cups cooked brown rice
Umm...I think that was it
Mix ALL together

What do you think?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Cheryl is right, no avocado. Here is a link to our discussion which lists foods that are toxic or dangerous for dogs:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/foods-t...
I would also leave out the shrimp for awhile until you see how he does; shrimp is fine for most dogs in moderation, but it's better not to introduce too many new foods all at once. Start simple and add new foods as his digestive system adjusts.
Sara, I would switch the kibble anyway, even if you are homecooking. Nutro is a lousy food, we have many discussions here about it, it contains some very bad ingredients and has had too many recalls for us to trust that anything this company makes is safe. It is always good to have a premium kibble your dog will eat in case of some emergency situation, even if you are primarily feeding homecooked foods. Even Lynne gives her dogs some kibble as a backup to her cooking. Check this discussion http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/the-foo...
for the results of a food group survey we did, which will give you some guidance as to which brands are the most popular among TFG members, or look thru the Commercial Foods section for lots more info than you'll ever have time to read!

[03pilqobzlvp7]

Oh no! I didn't know about the avacado. Why does Avaderm use it?!?! I printed the list of no no foods and will post it on the refrigerator. I was familiar with all but the avocado. I'll get new food today and throw out the last of the Nutro. I know it is crap, but only after reading it here; the sales person at the store was very convincing about its benefits. I can't do the free-feeding throughout the day because Duff is crated when no one is home, but having a back-up is a good idea. Am I giving him enough nutrients otherwise?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It's hard for me to tell what proportion of the food is protein by looking at the ingredients. You want to have more protein than anything else. Lynne has a formula somewhere here like "70% protein, 20% carbs, 10% fat", something like that. Maybe do a search, or hopefully Lynne will answer this when she gets home. Maybe Cathy knows.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/thefoodgroup/forum/topics/how-muc... Check here!

[03pilqobzlvp7]

Thank you. I had been looking for that discussion, as I had come across it at one point. Any thought on why Avaderm markets avocado as a one it's product types? It seems so strange to me.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

I think I read somewhere that the fruit of the avocado is OK but the pit is not. The same with apples, and other fruits. It is not mentioned in Pitcairn that I can find. I would need to do more research on it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here you go; it is Guatemala where the bad avocados come from. Here's the link:
http://www.breeders-choice.com/dog_products/avoderm-natural-and-avo...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sara, we did have this info here somewhere...there was a contamination problem with avocados from one particular location...Mexico, I think, which is where a lot of them come from. I'm pretty sure there is a statement on Avoderm's website about this, and the fact that they use avocados from somewhere else.
The leaves and woody parts of the avocado plants themselves, and the pits in particular, are also toxic, which doesn't affect us for homecooking purposes, but the list includes foods that a dog might just eat on their own in the yard...in areas where avocados grow in people's yards, there have been cases of dogs nibbling on the bushes or chewing on fallen fruit, and getting sick.

[The Pooky Professor]

I am a home cooker, I did tons of research, read many books & created a recipe just for my cocker, I cook once a month in large batches & freeze it in individual glass containers (no toxic plastic) besides If I were a dog, I wouldnt want to eat the same box of Cheerios for the rest of my life!