Cooking for Dogs

[PossumGirl]

Since I'm now attempting to feed Maggie homecooked meals after having too much difficulty getting a dry food that worked for her, I stared to research information.  I came across a great email list called Totally Home Cooking which seems very positive, friendly and full of good advice.  I thought that some of you might be interested as well.

PG

[Afy]

Seriously try feeding RAW.

[PossumGirl]

Raw doesn't work for us, Afy.  Maggie doesn't like it and she just didn't thrive.  I think the home cooking option is a better one in our case.

PG

[Deimos]

 

With a BARF diet (and presumably a cooked one a well) you need to be very careful about mal-nutrition. There are two major issues about BARF diets that many people do not address. Firstly, the BARF diet used does not mimic the diet of a wild wolf and secondly, the dietary requirements of a pet dog are not really the same as that of a wild wolf.

For example, many people feeding BARF diets do not include skin and feathers. However, studies have shown that in the wild, wolves do eat a reasonable amount of skin and feather. It appears that this is a very important aspect to their diet and the "processing" of the food. Bone fragments represent a danger to the animals stomach and gut. Bone fragment are wrapped in skip and feather to protect the animals during their transit and later faeces after a meal remove bone safely (earlier faeces are of a different nature).

In the US, apparently quite a few vets are now treating pets for malnutrition where they are being fed a BARF diet. Many people are now including vitamin and mineral supplements to avoid such problems. Ironically, I have read that some people feeding BARF also give extra "treats" (big softies that people are) and that these treats often help the dog's nutritional requirements.

There are loads of issues - but I'm not going to write an essay here. Of course it can be done right (though I have no idea how myself as I'm no expert) - just that many people don't manage it

However, BARF is a good way for "experts" to write a book and make some money !!

Some points about BARF are discussed http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/barf-myth.html

Ian

[PossumGirl]

Ian, I agree that a homecooked/barf diet can indeed be a bit tricky.  I would prefer to use a commercial diet, as it would be a lot easier for me!  However, given the problems with Maggie's sensitivities, it is a real problem for me living where we do.

When I was in L.A., there was a huge pet food warehouse-type store right around the corner and another major feed store a couple of miles away.  If I wanted something that they didn't have, mail order was a simple option.  However, almost all of the premium foods that are easily available in France have brewer's yeast or another form of yeast.  I have even bought food at the vet that didn't have yeast listed in the ingredients, but which clearly contained it, given the reaction that Maggie had after eating it.

I think the Burns is too lean for her, as her coat is just not as nice with it as it has been with other foods I've fed her in the past.  So, I think with judicious supplementation, a homecooked diet is going to be in our foreseeable future unless I come up with something else that is both available AND affordable.

PG