Okay, I admitted it. I’m fascinated, too curious, not entirely obsessed with the idea of ”you are what you eat.” If you could see me, you’d say I need to lose more than a few pounds and it certainly doesn’t seem like I’m practicing what fascinates me so much. I know deep down (literally) that my consumption of overly processed foods, restaurant lunches, candy, and French fries is slowly but surely going to cause me significant harm and most likely cut a few years off my life. To my credit, I wake up early every morning and exercise in an effort to, if not lose weight, at least avoid the diabetes that runs in my family. So if my family needs to eat better, what about my pets?
Hopefully, you’ve all read my article on the horrible things found in commercial pet food. If not, check out the link below. When I discovered what was in the kibbles that we were feeding to both our dog and cat, I researched the alternatives and found a great all-natural dry pet food. I’m extremely happy with the results of the change with Annie, our cat, but for whatever reason, Dax just won’t accept it. In fact, he’s not really crazy about dry food in general. He’ll eat it when he’s hungry, but let’s say he doesn’t seem to enjoy his food. I have tried several brands and nothing turns its bippy around. On the other hand, he jumps for joy when I give him a scrambled egg or leftover chicken. And salmon! Katy, close the door.
Here we are. As I try to convince myself to better feed my human family, perhaps Dax would also be better off on a more natural diet of fresh foods. I’m not committing to anything at this point, but I’m willing to do some research and see how compelling it is. Do you want to come with me?
You know, when I think of my grandparents’ farm visits, I never saw my grandmother feed her dog anything but table scraps. I don’t think I ever saw a bag of dog food in his house. Now today, table scraps would mean pizza, French fries, and other bad examples of human “food.” But not back then. My grandparents raised grass-fed beef, which they slaughtered and ate. My grandmother had a huge garden and Dad had acres of corn. They grew what they ate, and the leftovers Beau got were good, healthy, all-natural, and pesticide-free.
So the first question that comes to mind is total nutrients. I know that the premium dry foods that I have been buying assure me that they are formulated to provide all the nutrients that Dax needs. So how can I provide everything my dog needs in a homemade diet? Well, let’s see what the experts have to say. They tell me to aim for variety to ensure a balance of nutrients.
They tell me that my dog and cat are natural carnivores and that meat and other protein sources should be at the top of the ingredient list for this new way of eating. They also tell me to feed the meat raw. Okay, now wait a minute. That disgusts me. What about e-coli and salmonella and all those other nasties found in raw meat? Well, it appears that your dog’s stomach has a much higher acid content than yours and it can handle raw meat well. In fact, raw meat is much richer in nutrients than cooked meat.
Swap lean meats like turkey, liver, mackerel, chicken, tuna, heart, lean hamburger, duck, rabbit, or fish. Try ground meats for convenience and ease of consumption.
Meat alone shouldn’t be the only source of protein for our creatures. There are many other ways to increase your protein intake. Eggs are an excellent, inexpensive source of low-fat protein. Again, experts recommend feeding them raw. Also try the cottage cheese. Whole grains are another cost-effective source of high-quality protein, as well as carbohydrates and a variety of vitamins and minerals. The grains, however, should definitely be cooked before feeding to aid in digestion. The most profitable sources of good grains are oats, cornmeal, millet, and bulgur (whatever).
The list goes on. Beans and other legumes like peas and lentils are excellent sources of protein. Cook them just like you would your family. They are good for cooking in large quantities and freezing in portions of food.
Well, we have protein covered. Whats Next? Vegetables. Vegetables are vital for adding vitamins, minerals, and forage. Some can be fed raw, such as grated carrots, squash, lettuce and other greens, and grated beets. Others, like corn, peas, green beans, and broccoli, need to be cooked. Please! No canned vegetables! Our focus here is on fresh food. If the veggies are not organically grown, be sure to wash them well, even use a little soap and then rinse well.
Now that the basics have been worked out, the next thing experts say to consider is supplements. Obviously, both cats and dogs, but especially dogs, have a high requirement for calcium. Calcium can be added to a fresh food diet in a number of ways. A common source of calcium is the bones. This is where the experts take very different paths. Some advocate feeding your dog raw bones. Others object based on the fact that cow bones can contain high levels of lead or can splinter. Those who oppose raw bones recommend the use of bone meal. Now let me stop and emphasize right here that they are not referring to the bone meal found at your local garden center. It is toxic to animals. The bone meal recommended for food is the one found in health food stores recommended for human consumption or some say, better still, a bone meal made especially for animals. I think a large pet store could be a good source or maybe a good feed store.
A great source of natural calcium can be found in something we all throw away: egg shells. Who knows? In his book, Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, Dr. Richard Pitcairn recommends washing eggshells immediately after cracking and allowing them to dry. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes then mash to a fine powder. This can then be sprinkled on your pet’s food. If you prefer, you can even crush calcium tablets into a powder. Do not give them to your pet whole.
Other recommended supplements include nutritional or beer yeast for its B vitamins, iron, and other nutrients; oils like fish oil and cod liver oil for Omega-3 and Omega-6 benefits; Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant and can be found in wheat germ or simply poked and squeezed onto your pet’s food.
So the last question that comes to mind is this: I’ve always heard that a dog needs dry, crunchy food to keep his teeth clean. This is still true with a fresh food diet. A good all-natural crunchy dog biscuit fed once or twice a day will help to exercise the gums and clean the teeth.
This is a brief introduction to the world of eating fresh pet food. I know I no longer feel guilty about feeding Dax scraps of meat and eggs. For more information, please check my website frequently. I will post more detailed articles on this topic. In the meantime, happy eating!
