home made dog food

Question
Hello, I have a 6 month old pit bull mix breed neutered male puppy named Eddy. He weights about 30 lbs. I have him currently on the natural formula science diet puppy dog food, chicken and brown rice formula. I have been reading alot about home recipes and it sounds very promising to me. This may seem kinda funny but I ate one piece of dog food I feed my pup and it was very tasteless and the after taste was even worse. I know dogs may have different taste buds then we do but the food cannot be too tasty to dogs with how it tastes. My puppy has had skin issues since he was about 3 months and I wonder if the food is just not working with his body. He was diagnosed with mange but then he was negative for it and he still has some small spots so I am trying to give him the freshest and most nutrisious food he can get. I was adding some fresh green beans, peas, and carrots to his dry food and he loves them but I recently was feeding him my own blend of natural human food with a bit of dog food mixed in. I have been cooking white rice, boiling chicken, boiling lean ground beef, adding green beans, carrots, and peas. Each ingredient is about equal proportions. I have still been feeding him his dog food because I want to make sure he has enough vitamins and minerals. However, I have been wondering if I make a home made dog food how do I know he gets all the important nurtients he needs? I am going to take him into the vet for some blood tests to hopefully find out about his skin issues and am going to ask about homemade diets but thought I could do some research before I go in. Is it possible to prepare a home food and he have plenty of required nutrients? The food I buy him now costs about $40 per three weeks so its not cheap so making my own food would probably be cheaper. I also have noticed he loves the food I made (with ground beef, chicken, green beans, peas, and carrots). It just makes sense to me to feed him whole, natural, fresh food rather than compressed, processed food. If you could give me some idea of what is good to feed at home if I switch to a home diet and how he gets all his nutrients that would be great. Considering he is still a puppy, 6 months, I really want to make sure he gets everything he needs. Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Rachel, Boy, I wish you were my MOM!!!  You are doing a great job and you are correct about the Science Diet Dog food / JUNK.
Filled will a bunch of junk fillers that he doesn't need at all.
Yes, I can help you - Let's do some cooked dog food and some Holistic already made dog food.
Recipe will be below:

I would like you to find some Wellness CORE dog food / I know he is a puppy but I don't think you need the puppy food because you will be making home-made along with the Wellness Core.
This will clean up many of the skin issues / PITBULLS are know for skin problems for a lifetime...Did you know that???

Mix his old food ( science diet) with the new food WELLNESS CORE - do a 50/50 mix for 3 weeks . .... then go to 100 % of the Core only.
Use this recipe and add this to his food - Just do a 3/4 cup per day of the home-made food for the 3 weeks... Then, you can go to 1 full cup per day of the homemade food mixed with the CORE..
If you need help : JUST ask - I can explain more for you.....***
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Recipe:


Buckaroo's Favorite  Meat

1 pound hamburger
1 clove pressed or finely-chopped garlic * ( YOU can omit this)
- ( if you are taking the supplement)
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup fresh Romaine lettuce leaves (eyeball it)

Slowly cook the hamburger in a large skillet with the garlic.

Add oatmeal and water and stir while bringing to a boil Turn down the
heat, cover and simmer for 1 minute.

In a blender or food processor, puree the lettuce or chop finely (may
also be juiced). Let hamburger mixture cool before adding lettuce.

Serve a mixture of all ingredients at 1/2 cup for every 10 pounds of
dog's body weight.

The hamburger/oatmeal mixture may be stored in freezer or
refrigerator in individual portions. GET individual FREEZER baggies - Works Great : Just cook this up 1 x per week....Make enough for the whole week.

Keep the lettuce stored separately in refrigerator to serve fresh  with every meal as a salad.
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stop by my site for supplement info: / vitamins for your pets:
http://www.apluspetcare.com/untitled4.html
NuVET info here....

Also, One NuVET per day - Great for this Pitbull kid / this is a skin and coat healer and Allergy Blaster:
WE have 1000s of Pitbull clients on NuVET Plus ....
Also, helps to keep the immune system strong.
http://www.nuvet.com/81098  ( tell them Marie sent you for the NuVET wafers - Just 1 per day for his age.....)
After 75 lbs - he would need 2 per day...LONG term.... goodness.
Give order code 81098 and ask for the 15% Off.

NOT sold in stores only thru Holistic VETS and some breeders/ kennels.
Any more help???? Just ask Marie
mtnmom@gci.net

Continue to add some green beans and carrots a few times per week. Don't give peas too often, just 1x per week is fine.
Also, a good Salmon oil / pure salmon oil / add 1 tablespoon per day to his food.
YOU can find salmon oil at most pet stores.


Join my yahoo group:
HOW to save money on your vet bills...
free... join us
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/nuvetsavesmoneyonvetbills/

Marie Peppers LPN MA
Ask the Pet Nurse