The American Beagler Forum

I've heard to many bad things go into the making of commercial dog food and would like to make my own using better ingredients,but don't know where to start. I made the recipe that was in the Dog Owners Little Black Book and my dogs loved it,but my vet told me that it was dangerous for me and my dogs(salmonella),so I stopped making it. Does anyone have a good recipe for a dog food that they would be willing to share? Post what you feed your best friends and companions! Thanks for your time!

If you wash your hands after handling the food as well as the dogs I don't think you have much
to worry about with salmonella.
Dogs eat all kinds of nasty stuff when they are out and don't get sick.
A dogs gut is totally different and a lot stronger than ours.
I have fed my dogs raw food for years with out a single problem.

Dogs dont get salmonela or any of the other infections people seem to think is common if their imune system is healthy. The only way for them to be truly healthy is to quit feeding the garbage the manufacturers call dog food. Go back to feeding raw, you will not be unhappy. And you will not get sick.

Shoot Straight
DEA

D E A ----your dogs thank you also --there is no down fall on a raw diet

No downfall that I have found yet. And the best part is there is hardly any waste at all. Which tells me they are using everything that I feed them. No more skin problems and it is very easy to keep their body weight where I want it. I feed them half as much and get better results. Do not see any reason to do anyhting else.

Shoot Straight
DEA

DEA

Can you give an example of what you feed your dogs? I'm curious bc dog food prices are getting too high.

I would like to know as well,I've been grinding up chicken wings and mixing that with liver, gizzards,mustard greens and yogurt and a whole half boiled egg(shell included). They love it!

Hey fellas
Im glad you asked, I have a butcher that I get whole cows from. Now they are milk cows that no one else wants. I would think You could find these if you looked the price is right. I feed beef 4 days a week and whole chicken quarters 3 days. everything is raw, including the eggs. They get eggs 4 days and cottage cheese 2 days. Now the cheese duplicates the organ meat that would be better but is not always available. When i have it I feed lungs, heart and liver mixed 1 day a week.
This all sound complicated, but really it comes down to, I feed what I have. I truly think if you were to feed chicken quarters, eggs and cottage cheese every day you would be better off than kibble. And yes you can buy it all from walmart...
I feed more pure beef fat than I do red meat, they seem to need more fat. Really when your running them hard. Now I would expect you could duplicate this with lard if you couldnt get real fat. And this is also available at walmart.
What im trying to tell you is, im not an expert in any way. Im just a guy who did his homework, for 3 months first and realized what I was feeding was not what they needed. I try to breed the best, run the most, and get the most out of my dogs. I think im doing the best that I possibly can for them, and im now seeing the results.
if i can help anyone, in any way just ask I will do what I can.
OH and if your in MI I may be able to hook you up with meat. Its not mine so I stand to gain nothing. Give me a call.

Shoot Straight
DEA
Shoot me a pm

May I ask, how much do you have in feed a week? and what's you portions (1-1/2 cups, 2 cups) per dog?

Interesting post thank you

I feed around 8 to 10 oz a day. It really depends on the dog. after you do it a while you will see what each dog needs to sustain. I keep a food scale in the kennel, but very seldom ever use it anymore.
As far as cost it depends how you cut corners. I buy eggs in bulk from the amish, I buy chicken quarters 30 to 40 lbs at a time. Cottage cheese I get from sams club by the gallon. and yogurt by the gallon.
The beef that I get, I help cut some and I get it real cheap. But even when I didnt I still wasnt paying anymore than it was costing me to feed middle of the road priced kibble.
I also feed fish, whole squirls, pheasant, rabbits and whatever else I can get.

Shoot Straight
DEA

I cook chicken and rice and give it as 1/3-1/2 of their food daily. Buy in bulk then the chicken & rice is actually cheaper than dog food and I know my dogs are getting protein, etc. The carbs help with energy too.

To me if your worried about salmonella , wear rubber surgerical gloves , they are cheep and can be got at about any good feed dealer or local pharmist , wal-mart , wl greens ect , box of 100 3 or 4 dollars

Hey man
If you want to do better by your dogs dont cook the chicken, you have to cook the rice but when you boil the chicken you are taking ALL the nutritional value away. It becomes just filler. And before you ask no the chicken bones are soft and rubbery and will not hurt the dog. Save yourself some time and stop cooking it.

Shoot Straight
DEA

DEA as you know I have feed raw for some time now --------with the garden I feed green beans and other veggies also --good small stools to pick up ---I get day old bread give and they like that also -----Manhattans--one day --egg Benedick s ---veggie casserole--etc. wife says they eat better than I do


looking for a grinder big enough to grind bones ---like the MINK farmers used -

been there-done that.what i have found out is if your feeding several dogs,not all benefit from the same prepared diet.some will have a dry dull coat,some will have a loose runny stool,all will love the diet. the key is the need to balance the calcium/phousphourus contents at a 2:1
some dogs did better with sice added while others were better with a cereal base added.it became a headache for me.went back to dry kibble and now have kidney issues which is making me go back to a raw diet for the one dog.haha go figure