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My dog is getting on. He's developed allergies. For now, I have him on an expensive diet, and prescription medication. A brand i ALMOST purchased ended up on the recall list. It seems every time i check, more dog food is being put on the recall lists. I'm not talking about the cheap garbage Purina, but expensive bags.

Sooo, I'm wondering if others have found it more beneficial to just cook their own dog food? What all has it helped with and have the health benefits been noticeable? Also, what ratio of macronutrients is the correct ratio, because the internet has such conflicting information.

I figure I can finally start buying meat and vegetables in bulk again and making him a dog safe version of the same, or similar, meals I make for myself and actually use all that meat and veggies.

We went through this exact thing with our elderly Lab mix. Thought we finally had him happy on a $50/13 lb. bag of high protein grain-free from Canada, until they closed that plant, came to the States, and cheapened their formula. On other less pricey major brand before that, we would often get him only half way through a bag before he detected rancidity, I now believe, and would refuse to even try to eat them.

At long last, I think we've found the solution: a dry dog food, manufactured in the USA, available online and in some (but not many) stores. They have a lot of good formulas, and so far, great reviews, no recalls, and decent prices.

Ironically though, the first high protein mix we chose from that company turned out to be too rich for our mature but much younger female Shepherd to tolerate; she threw it up! It contained blood meal and the kibbles looked real dark and oily...now BOTH dogs enjoy and do well on their senior weight management mix.

I hope this gives you what you need to "take it from here." If not, pm me. Just wasn't sure about posting brand names.

Yes, I would highly recommend you cook your own dog food. There are vitamin mixes you can add to it to make it nutritionally complete. A holistic vet by the name of Karen Becker has a book of recipes that is a good place to start. There is a lot of confusing information on the internet, and you are right it's not easy to figure out how to make your own dog food. I have gone through this and have learned a lot. If you want to PM me I can share more. It's a huge topic!

Ohhh man....I totally understand the frustration on this subject. I am a huge animal lover.

I will be the first to say, that all processed food is garbage...some are just more expensive.

I learned this the hard way.

Every Male cat, I've had, since childhood ended up with cystitis. Developing Crystals etc. From processed cat food. Extremely common...especially when neutered.

One cat, in particular, I put on Iams (I didnt realize a commercialized company bought them back in the early millennium, at that time) urinary care, to keep him from the same fate as another Male cat, from childhood....wouldn't you know, he ended up with cystitis anyway. Following a $2,500 vet bill, I put him on HILLS SCIENCE DIET C/D (for urinary issues)...this food is prescribed and expensive. Well, that food ended up killing him back in 2007. He was part of the pet food scandal that killed everyones' dogs and cats.

Turns out, the animals were dying from melamine (used in rat poison) poisoning, that was in the grains used as filler in the food. It was traced back to China and supposedly the work of a disgruntled farming employee. He was executed. The recall was HUGE...so huge, that most foods were suspected to be contaminated with it.

From that day foward, companies got more shady... saying things like "packed in America", while a small few claim to have grains grown here... in reality, neither dogs or cats, should be eating grains.

In saying all that, I have another Male cat and he also passes Crystal's, due to his food. The only food out there is the Hills shit, that killed my other cat. I dont have a choice.

Another fun fact is that most elderly cats die from renal failure, that relates to years of processed food, with grains. It messes with their PH balance. I inherited my fathers cat, and at 16, her kidneys shut down. Cats are extremely delicate.

I personally, cant afford fresh meats for myself, let alone my dogs and cats. In saying that, they arent necessarily good for us....so is it really better? When you consider steroids, antibiotics and filthy slaughter houses, it's a gamble...a lot of vets and pro breeders advocate raw...my hang up with that, is the fact that they cohabitate with us.....meaning bacteria is spread. I would think it was much like owning a reptile...to each their own.

My Aussie lived to be 14, I fed him dry kibble, canned pumpkin and daily olive oil. I wouldn't put yourself out financially on the basis of sheer luck. The reality is that they dont live long enough and the breeds that reach expectancy have been convalescing for quite some time. I hate it!

My current dog get daily olive or avocado oil on her kibble. I am pretty generous with it. I give her canned every morning. She is a very picky eater and wont eat pumpkin, unfortunately. The oils do promote coronary, memory and digestive health...I highly recommend, regardless of the fact that my Aussie struggled with dementia his last couple of years...sadly, dogs bodies and minds can give out a while before they pass, regardless of preventive health care. That is the hardest thing witness. I lost my hiking buddy, long before he passed. He truly was my best friend.

[This message edited by DashboardMadonna at 2:44 AM, September 10th (Tuesday)]

My MIL did this for her Westies for a few years d/t one developing many allergies.

Once a week she would make a large pot of it. She would use ground beef or turkey, and add in green beans, carrots, low sodium broth. Sometimes she would add rice or potatoes, it always looked good enough to have for dinner. But the allergies went away when they were on the diet.

There are websites, and many Veterinarian offices can tell you what the mixture should be.

Thank you for some of the great advice on making Max' food. I think I'm just about done with processed, conventional dog food. I'll have to wait for Christmas break, but I'll make enough for 6 months and freeze in the deep freezer. Once school starts back up, I'll be able to just pull a bag out of the freezer the day before to thaw. I already give him things like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, lentils, salmon skin, blueberries, etc.

PS it never occurred to me to make the cats' food too. I'll start doing the same for them when I start making Max' food from scratch. Good thing I see the vet next week.

Dashboard Madonna, avocado in any form becomes toxic over time to dogs. Please research and get with your vet. Oliclve oil is good though.

Superesse, go ahead and pm me the dog food brand. I'll check it out, but I'm pretty convinced that making Max food myself is the route to go. I'm going to research cat food recipes for the kits too. In for a penny, in for a pound...kwim.

Burning house, I did check out the sight. I'm too busy during the school semester with homework and studies, but I'll make 3 month batches of dog food recipes (in about 5 or more varieties for greater micronutrient content) and freeze every break I get. I'm also ordering two of her books.

Tushnurse, you never fail to come to my assistance. Wish we lived closer girl!!! We could trade gossip and health and nutrition for days on end. Lol only 2 more years of school until I'm a dietitian!

Stilllivin-

Actually, the oil is not toxic. I spoke to my vet because I am a huge health nerd. The fear of avacodos is thought to come from canines ingesting the pits and skin..this stems from a story leading back to two starving dogs that wondered into an avacado orchard... yes, that is where the myth (not science) ends. Like anything else, most pits/seeds (hello arsenic), stems and leaves are bad for any living organism. There is no science to suggest the oil is bad...same goes for humans. The opposite rings true. It's high in vitamin E and it promotes digestive health.

[This message edited by DashboardMadonna at 2:40 AM, September 22nd (Sunday)]

My dog had an allergy to corn. At the time I didn't even think about cooking her food. Of course I was working 2 jobs and raising 2 kids. This is probably the best option vs grain free processed dog food.

I have noticed you can buy grain free canned dog food.

Not sure what your dogs allergies are.

Wish you the best with your fur baby

I about to go the veterinary hospital that did my poodles surgery. They have a dog nutritionist there. This dog loves to eat fabric. She seems to have let up on it since ourbout in May. If she doesn’t like her kibble she tries to eat poop. I want to cook for her at home.The raw thing I tried with my collie. Hated it.