The Healthy Hound Cookbook: Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food--Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! (2 page)

In 2007, many dog foods were found to be tainted with the industrial chemical melamine—causing the sickness and tragic deaths of many animals. The event drew the attention of so many dog lovers, and for the first time, many people began to look closely at the ingredients list of their dog’s treats. Many pet parents opted to buy only U.S.A.-made treats (the melamine was linked to ingredients imported from China), while others decided to head to their own kitchens to prepare nutritious homemade treats using whole foods. Not only is making your own treats a way to use ingredients you know and trust, it also a great way to share your love with your dog.

Also, control over your dog’s diet means that you are more actively invested in his nutritional health, keeping you on your toes as far as the quality (and quantity) of the food you feed, rather than simply following feeding recommendations on the back of a bag.

Hand in hand with being able to choose your own ingredients is the benefit of selecting fruits and vegetables during their peak season—a time when they’re not only less expensive, but also more nutritious. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide excellent nutrition for your dog. While dogs’ digestive systems cannot break down the cellulose walls in raw plant cells, they
can
utilize these nutrient-dense foods when you cook them or you break them down in a juicer, blender, or food processor. Those all-important nutrients are bio-available to your dog after you purée, juice, steam, or cook that fruit or vegetable.

Which fruits and veggies are good for your dog? As with people, the brightly colored vegetables and fruits are some of the most nutritious. Some of our favorites to incorporate in our dogs’ meals include:

• Green beans:
  A great source of vitamin A, green beans are also a wonderful way to help your hungry hound feel full without packing on the calories. If you don’t have fresh green beans, canned will work, but look for a low-sodium variety.
  
• Pumpkin:
  Pumpkin is not just a fall favorite (when we buy it fresh, purée it, and freeze it for later use—it’ll keep for a few months); it can be a great choice for dogs year-round. Amazingly, pumpkin can be helpful for both constipation and diarrhea, and it’s also another excellent food for making your dog feel full. If you don’t have fresh pumpkin, you can purchase canned pumpkin purée (but not pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices).
  
• Carrots:
  Carrots are a favorite snack for many dogs, enjoyed raw as an alternative to a rawhide chew. For your dog to get the nutrients in the carrot, though, you’ll need to steam, cook, or purée the carrot to unleash its powerhouse of vitamins, such as vitamin A and beta carotene.
  
• Sweet potatoes:
  Like carrots, sweet potatoes make a great chew (see our recipe for dehydrated chews in
  Chapter 7
  ), but you can also purée them and add to any meal for a great source of vitamin E as well as vitamin B
  ₆
  , vitamin C, beta carotene, and more.
  
• Blueberries:
  Rich in antioxidants, this superfood is a favorite with many dogs, ours included. You can include them in a meal, serve them separately as a little treat, and freeze them for some added crunch.
  
• Eggs:
  Not only are eggs an economical source of protein for your dog, but they pack a real punch in terms of nutrients. You’ll find numerous recipes for egg dishes and treats in this book. Some proponents of raw diets also favor feeding eggs raw. However, be aware of two potential issues: food poisoning from salmonella or E. coli, and the presence of avidin, a vitamin B inhibitor that’s found in uncooked egg whites. If you feed uncooked eggs regularly, just be sure to feed the entire egg, not just the egg white.
  
• Peanut butter:
  Dogs love peanut butter, and it’s an excellent source of protein as well as healthy fats and vitamins. Look for natural peanut butter without added sugar (and organic, if possible).
  
• Spinach:
  Our dogs enjoy salads, but spinach can be served in many ways that effectively deliver the iron that’s found in this leafy green.
  
• Bananas:
  Bowsers and bananas go hand in hand (and add in a little peanut butter and you’ll be a gourmet in your dog’s eyes). That banana is also packed with nutritional goodies, including amino acids, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins B6 and C, potassium, fiber, and manganese.
  

Along with fresh versions of favorite fruits and vegetables, don’t discount frozen varieties either. Many frozen foods are picked at the height of freshness (unlike veggies in your market, which may have been picked before ripening so that they ripened in transit to the store). Frozen vegetables and fruits can be a great way to stock up, enjoy out-of-season produce, and save some preparation time in your cooking.

This book includes traditional meals and foods as well as recipes that work for several special diets: grain-free, Paleo, and raw. Following are some details about these dietary options:

• Grain-free
  :
  Grain-free food is one of the fastest-growing segments of the commercial pet food world because more pet lovers are concerned about the high percentage of grains in traditional kibble. Can dogs eat grain? Certainly. But dogs have a tougher time digesting grains than humans do, partly because they lack the enzymes in their saliva to start digestion. Some dogs might even be allergic to grains (although dogs can definitely have allergies to beef, chicken, and other meats as well).
  
• Paleo
  :
  As more people turn to a Paleo diet (which mimics the diet of the hunter-gatherer) for themselves, they also look to their dogs’ diets and wonder what’s biologically appropriate for their dog. Setting aside the convenience of the bag of kibble, what is most appropriate for dogs—animals that can eat as omnivores but whose teeth obviously say “carnivore” ? Many people believe that a dog’s ideal diet would be a canine version of the Paleo diet, most often referred to as an Ancestral Diet where dogs are concerned. This diet is higher in meat-based protein and fat and far lower in carbohydrates than commercial diets.
  
• Raw
  :
  Perhaps no other canine diet is as hotly debated as the raw diet. Proponents point to the cleaner teeth, smaller stools, and excellent skin and coat of dogs on the raw diet. On the other side, detractors emphasize the risk (to both dogs and their humans) of bacteria spread when your dog eats raw meat, then kisses your toddler or chews on a toy that Grandma later picks up. Others point to the danger of eating whole bones (although not all raw feeders serve whole bones; some grind bones or add supplements).
  

If you do decide to switch to a specific specialty diet, make the transition gradually to avoid digestive problems that could arise from a sudden change in diet. (This gradual introduction is also recommended when switching from one commercial brand to another one.) Start by reducing the amount of “regular” food from your dog’s diet, supplementing it with the specialty food, and then adjusting the relative amounts daily until you are feeding only the specialty diet. Typically 20–25 percent of your dog’s diet should be switched out per day as you gradually change to the new diet.

One exception: If you’re switching to a raw diet, you should know that most raw proponents recommend against a gradual transition from kibble to raw. Instead, most advise a twenty-four-hour fast before the switch; once that’s done, they recommend a complete change to raw.

Our dogs have always been fed a varied diet. We give our dogs a wide range of foods all the time; their digestive systems have grown accustomed to a constant change of foods. Just as we eat a diverse diet, our dogs do as well. Unlike dogs who eat a diet of a single variety of kibble for months (or years) on end, our dogs are accustomed to one meal at breakfast and a totally different meal at dinner, and do well with the diversity. Every dog is an individual, however, so work with your veterinarian to determine what will work best for your dog.

Making your own dog food can also save you money. Compared to the price of premium dog food (including commercial raw diets), homemade food can be a cost saver, especially when you consider that many of the ingredients are simple, staple items that you can purchase in bulk and store for future use. By using produce that is in season, you have the double advantage of having fresh ingredients at their nutritional peak available at the very lowest price.

Here’s a quick look at some of the best seasonal buys:

• Fall: acorn squash, apples, butternut squash, figs, pears, pumpkin, sweet potatoes
  
• Winter: radishes, rutabagas, turnips
  
• Spring: apricots, carrots, mangos, spinach, strawberries, snow peas, sugar snap peas
  
• Summer: blackberries, blueberries, green beans, peaches, plums, raspberries, watermelon, zucchini
  

However, along with the immediate savings of making your own foods, there are also hidden economic benefits. By ensuring that your dogs have proper nutrition, you are giving them the foundation for excellent lifetime health, meaning far fewer visits to the veterinarian’s office for expensive treatments and medications.

Although it’s easy to make your dog one or two homemade meals per week for variety, switching to a totally homemade diet isn’t a change to be taken lightly. Dogs need

balanced nutrition to help them live their best life, and figuring out that balance week in and week out can be daunting for some pet parents. After trying some of these recipes out on your dog, you may decide that you want to make your dog’s principal diet homemade. Your first step is to schedule a talk with your veterinarian. Discuss the switch and get your vet’s recommendations on foods and supplements for your dog’s size, age, activity level, and any health concerns.

Your dog’s life stage plays an important role in the formulation of a proper diet. Compared to adult dogs, puppies need a higher fat, protein, and calorie content in their food. Large and small dogs have varying needs as well; large breed pups need less calcium than their smaller cousins.