Posted on 10/02/2007 6:51:50 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
We've finally had it with itchy dogs. I think it's their food. We've tried several brands though, dogs still itchy. I don't think they have fleas. They're all on Advantage and we don't see any evidence of fleas.
Add to that all the issues with recalled products from China, and we're ready to try making dog food at home.
We'd like recipes that you've used, along with portion advice. We're currently feeding our two 80-90 pound dogs a cup of dry kibble twice daily and our 45 pound beagle a half a cup of dry kibble twice daily.
My initial thoughts were to use ground beef and rice but I'm not sure on the percentages. If that went well and the itching stopped, then we'd start adding ingredients like vegetables, one ingredient at a time.
We'd like to make it up in big batches and freeze portion sized amounts we can take out each day. That seems more doable than making it up daily.
Not so much the butt but the lower back, and one does also lick his feet.
“Thoughts on home-made dog food?”
Register Giget and Homer at the board of elections and put them on food stamps.
Followup.... The one who licks his back and feet also is allergic to plastic, His face breaks out if we use plastic bowls, so we now only use stainless steel.
My dogs are omnivores....
If your dogs are itching it could be a vitamin E deficiency..
You need to take a couple of factors into consideration..Volume and nutrition
Taz’s pretty good dog food
Chicken thighs...about 5 lb’s
Garbanzo beans about 2 lbs.
Brown rice
2lbs of frozen mixed vegs.
day one.
Simmer the chicken thighs in water until falling off the bone. Refrigerate overnight
Soak the garbanzo beans in water...Need about 3 times the water as beans.
Day 2..
Defat the chicken broth..Pick the meat and discard the skin.
Too much fat in a dogs diet can lead to pancreatitis and significant vet bills.
Drain the garbanzo’s and add to the chicken broth and simmer about 2 hours.
In the last 30 minutes stir in about 1 lb of brown rice and the mixed vegs...
Makes about 5 gallons.
Makes about a 1 month supply of 2-2 1/2 cups a day.
Can supplement with a vit e cap and a doggie mineral mvi daily.
My Labs love it...Freezes well.
I thaw in the refrigerator about 2-3 days in advance...
Those foods are actually quite simple, though. And you need to try them AT LEAST a month each. Doesn’t matter what kind of food you’re talking about - a month on just that food, even if it’s “just real steak”. It’s time-consuming, period. For most allergic dogs, it doesn’t happen overnight.
Of course, that’s if the dog is allergic to anything catastrohic (dust, anyone?). You can also check into “bug” allergies from when they are bitten by fleas, mosquitoes, etc.
But you may have other things going on that aren’t allergies. Just sounds like it could be.
Oops, meant to say, register them as democrats.
I'm gonna need a bigger freezer.
Handsome boy...
~chuckling~
2 cups of dry dog food for 80-90 lb. dogs? Maybe starvation is your real problem?
And the same solution may not work for all three. It'd just be nice if it was something simple.
You said “base of tail”, so I thought anal area. Tara sometimes goes after her underside base of tail.
My dog this year has progressed to getting spinal itchiness. Originally, it was because of a massive staph infection (the real danger of allergies). Right now it’s alot of dandruff. We go to the Derm this week so we’ll see if he thinks she’s infected again (I think so - too many circular red sores popping up everywhere to just be simple irritations).
Let’s just say Tara is a mess and gets itchy everywhere, even if it’s not visible! She is probably the extreme of bad allergies.
Does he lick inside his paw pads? Or just on the top? They can itch anywhere on the foot, but the worst shows up in the pads.
Naw... It's good quality food. One is at perfect weight, and two are on the plump side.
Exactly. But, OTOH, if they all seem to be manifesting at the same time...did you notice them all starting this the same time?
Homer, the spine licker also licks the bottoms of his feet.
Barkley, the other lower back licker (the thyroid dog) doesn’t lick anywhere else.
Gidget licks the top of her feet and has frequent yeast infections in her nether regions.
Not sure how to answer this. Barkley, the rescue beagle, we haven't had that long. He just showed up.
Homer (Lab pointer mix) has always been a little itchy at times, Gidget (Dal-brador) has always tended to lick the tops of her feet, but with both of them, they tend to do it most when we leave them alone, and we suspect it's half anxiety and neurosis. Of course, it's also possible that's the only time they can do it without us Psssting them about it. Lately they've been doing it in the night and it's making us nuts listening to it and Psssting them.
Yeah, I wondered about that too. My 40 lb terrier and 70 lb newfie go through two 3 lb. margarine tubs of dry food a day plus a milk bone or raw hide each and various other little nibbles they can beg off us.
Thanks Tas.... That sounds like quite a project to make! :~\
After reading this thread, I will never complain about feeding my 5 lb Yorkie. With the crickets moving indoors, he’ll have plenty to eat.
I discovered the joys of ethnic groceries.
You can buy brown rice and garbanzo beans for a pittance in an Indian grocery compared to a US one...You can also buy in volume...
For about 6 bucks you can make a month of dog food.
You have chicken...which is more for flavor than anything..
You make a complete protein with a bean and a grain...Vegetarian 101.
Vitamins with the veggies..
Make it once a month...Freezer is essential...
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