I'm thinking of making my own dog food in order to save money.

Usually, when I buy dog food I rotate between the three items I buy so I don't have to purchase the whole shoobang all at once. However, I just got back from the grocery store and had to make a trip to the dog food aisle. The dog's kibble was just shy of $10. The moist food was $13 and the dog bones (his only treat) was $4. That's $27.00 on dog food - ouch!

The $13 moist food is 36 servings = 36 cents per serving
The kibble will last - maybe - 10 days = $1 per day
The bones have 48 in a box = 8 cents a bone

I'm thinking I'll let him continue to have the bones but for $1.36 a day I can cook an awful lot of rice, oatmeal, veggies, eggs and organ meat.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

I have thought about this myself. Ever since the whole dogfood recalls last year, I have been concerned about my dogs' food. I did change to all natural, etc.. but they can eat what I can make for them and be alright. I should explore this more. I do agree that it can definately save money. If you come up with some good recipes, please share! Thanks

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Jennifer

Apparently the ratios are 40% meat, 30% veggies and 30% starch. Meat can - and should be - any combination of beef, poultry, organ meats, eggs and yogurt or cheese (including cottage cheese). The meat, chicken and eggs should always be cooked. The veggies can be carrots and green beans or spinach (no mushrooms). The starch can be corn, potatoes, oatmeal and rice (nothing with yeast in it). Whenever possible add fats or a little oil. I figure I can do a lot with organ meats, inexpensive cuts that they sell at Winco, eggs, and rice - plus everything else. None of that stuff would be horrible for me to have in the house.

The dog just had a vet appointment, including blood work. The vet was very impressed with my dog's health, especially considering that he is about 10-yrs old. Apparently, the few 'people foods' we've allowed him to have so far haven't hurt him. I'm thinking if I'm cooking for the family anyway, might as well have a bit more for the dog.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

There is a whole "diet" devoted to natural "raw" feeding of dogs (and cats), it sounds gross but is called "BARF" - Bones And Raw Foods (also "biologically appropriate raw food"). I had a dog that had to be on this diet due to severe grain allergies - she was allergic to all corn, wheat, rice, etc. I would make her food up about once every two months and freeze it in portions. Her diet was usually turkey necks (1lb per day, or one neck, 4x week), ground veggies (one pound 2x week - veggies were squash, carrots, greens, broccoli, green beans, usually would make 20lbs and mix in a couple pounds of chicken livers), and once a week a 16oz can of mackerel with two eggs ( I would freeze these too, eggs including shells).

Chicken/turkey bones are fine to be fed RAW - NEVER cooked!!

Too much mush food (ie boneless), and you need to keep up on plaque cleanings for the dogs teeth. Katie never had a bit of plaque on her teeth. She also never had any of the annoying problems MANY dogs that have allergies get - yuck ears, dry itchy skin, etc. Katie was a hyper Border Collie mix, and therefore the amounts above were needed to keep her at perfect weight, other dogs need more or less.

There's lots of ways to get away from commercial foods. Just make sure you do a lot of research to make sure you're meeting all the nutritional needs of the pet.

More info, you can google "Dog BARF diet" - LOTS of information. It's a VERY popular home diet.

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I Totally agree with making this yourself....we have been "taught" by the media and the food producers that we must buy prepackaged pet food...Well.....when my relatives were living on a farm 100 years ago, they sure didn't run down to the grocery store and buy food for their dogs! They ate scraps. I remember my grandmother cooking a big pot of chicken skin, fat and other yuckky stuff on the stove for her dogs in the wintertime.....I think we are just so entrenched in the idea that we can't do things for ourselves and therefore must purchase more and more items.

My gradmother and my mom used to do the same thing for our dogs in Argentina. We alwayy made their food. (In fact, our local meat store in Argentina would save us the scraps of meat to feed our dog. I know that's not possible here bec. they add that to other meats and incorporate them to the ground beef that say "X" % of fat. YUCK) Bottome line though, if you're up for it, it would be cheaper to do it yourself... so yeah I would.

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