The case for feeding raw is compelling and folks in the raw food camp think its the only way or the highway. Those against raw give you their sky is falling scare tactic. The same is true about feeding commercial pet foods including the highest quality, most expensive, super premium brands of dry & wet foods. One category that I have yet to discuss in any detail is home-prepared cooked dog food.
Because I feed variety and rotate, I throw in home-prepared cooked or home-made foods for the border collies. Yes, I cook for my dogs! I enjoy shopping, planning, preparing and cooking meals in general so it comes naturally to me. Learning how to cook for canines though is not as easy as it seems - it's more than just table scraps. All the research tells you that you need to know what heck you are doing.
Armed with books and on-line materials, I'm confident I can improve and increase my knowledge to continue cooking for Josey & Lucas. I'm happy to share my starting list of these resources below. To save people the trouble, there are even companies who sell pre-packaged cooked meals for pets!
Bottom Line: The options for feeding our companion animals have come a very long way. Home-prepared cooked food provides solutions for dogs with special dietary needs, for owners who want to quality-control what they feed, and for owners who are gun shy about feeding raw. Hope you enjoy the resources - it's just the beginning and I plan to explore home-cooked food recipes, too!
Resources:
(1) The Whole Dog Journal archives an excellent series of articles on home-prepared diets including raw and cooked (April 2007 to September 2007) but they're available to subscribers only. WDJ also sells the same series in e-book format.
(2) Dog Aware - Homemade Diets by Mary Straus
(3) Balance It (select Pet Lovers link)
(5) R.L. Arf - Home Cooked, All Natural Dog Food
(6) Fresh Fetch - Custom Pet Food (Real Meals and The DOGie Bag)
(7) Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Richard Pitcairn, DVM
(8) Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets: the Healthful Alternative by Donald R. Strombeck
(9) Dr. Becker's Real Food for Healthy Dogs & Cats: Simple Homemade Food by Karen Shaw Becker and Beth Taylor
(10) K9 Kitchen: The Truth Behind the Hype by Monica Segal
(11) Natural Food Recipes for Healthy Dogs by Carol A. Boyle and website
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