Okay, after consulting here and pricing the really good dog foods I've

[AndyS]

decided to make my own.

Found recipes on the intertubes, compared a few from different sites and picked an amalgamation that contains all the essential ingredients from all: Protein (dark meat chicken), starch (rice) and vegetables (carrots, peas and spinach). Packaged it in 6 oz servings for the freezer and had a 2 oz test serving to see if it flies. SUCCESS! Jack loves it.

The process took about two hours (not counting idle time while chicken cooks and cools) and I got 6 meals. This can become a ritual!

Chicken quarters are always available for .39 a pound and I split them with Jack, he get the drumsticks and I get the thighs! This is so much more affordable than the premium food and it's only a few hours a week (I'm retired so I watch TV, shoot pictures, walk the dog and mess about here on DU).

* I might eat this stuff myself, make a 3 oz patty, brown it on both sides and serve it on a bun!*

[zuul]

1. Damn, that sounds good.

I would eat it.

[AndyS]

2. Ya' know that seems to be a test of what we feed the fuzzy children.

Ever tried the dried kibble? Yeah, not a good thing. No wonder they beg at the table.

[zuul]

5. I have cats. I've tried giving them human food.

No dice. Except for the 2 year old male. He really loves spicy human food.

The rest are females. They get pretty high quality canned food (smells pretty good to me anyway) and kibble but they prefer the kibble. Go figure. Cats are just weird.

[niyad]

9. All of my cats over the years have eaten human food, with very specific preferences,

male and female, from french fries to chicken nuggets to turkey to gin and brandy. My little rescue loves chicken, and butter, and habeneros, amoung other things.

One other advantage of making one's own pet food. . Even if you are on food stamps, or. getting help from food banks, you can still feed your beloved companions.

[The Mouth]

15. The Jerky strips I give Lucy (bulldog) and Misty (kitty) taste GOOD

https://smile.amazon.com/Full-Moon-Natural-Treats-Chicken/dp/B01N9QTLY1?pd_rd_w=sWdQg&pf_rd_p=ba22ea03-d3c1-4ebb-8d3e-472aa0cf3b30&pf_rd_r=JW5TMDGA07BE5QQV4D3B&pd_rd_r=3368dde4-c564-4515-a74a-2ae647489d41&pd_rd_wg=S7qdj&pd_rd_i=B01N9QTLY1&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_rp_1_i

smell tasty, too.

[Mr.Bill]

3. Try using chicken hearts and gizzards.

They can be pretty cheap and my dogs love them.

[Phoenix61]

4. I appreciate you wanting to feed your pup a

healthy diet but it seems lite on calcium. My neighbor cooks her dogs’ food but also gives them vitamins to make sure they get everything they need.

[montanacowboy]

10. In my post below

I use cottage cheese as a calcium ingredient and it adds moisture to the mix

[AndyS]

11. Recipes offer the option of grinding the chicken bones into a meal and adding that into

the mix for calcium. Maybe next batch if this one continues to be successful--got six days to see if he gets bored, his foster warned me he was picky. Vitamins are definitely in the mix.

[wyn borkins]

6. Pressure Cooker

Pressure cooking might allow for larger preparations and could also save a few minutes of cooking time. Also, this style of cooking may reduce the accumulation of baddies (especially with chicken parts).

[Ka-Dinh Oy]

7. Damn!! Your dog eats healthier than I do.

[montanacowboy]

8. I make all our dog's food

I started doing it when one of the guys kept having the runs and nothing seemed to work, that is, commercial dog food even of the most $$$$$$$$ variety.

They get either hard or scrambled eggs, chicken, rice, cottage cheese, and a probiotic. They love it. and the runs have stopped.

[happybird]

12. Supplements are necessary for a balanced diet

if you are not using raw meaty bones, either whole or ground into the food. The lack of the proper amount of calcium and important trace minerals, like magnesium, can cause serious health issues. It’s one of the reasons most vets advise against feeding raw. Nailing down a properly balanced diet is harder to do than most people expect it to be.

Here’s a link about supplements that may be helpful:

https://perfectlyrawsome.com/raw-feeding-knowledgebase/supplement-alternatives-whole-foods/

[AndyS]

14. Thank you. nt

[Irish_Dem]

13. My sister in law used to fix delicious food for her dogs and her husband got whatever.

He took to eating the dog food and was happy.