Homemade Pet Food, alternatives to commerical pet food Options

[macgrl]

Does anyone have any recommendations on books or websites with the best pet recipe plans that works well for them? I have been to a few sites already and was curious if anyone on here had any helpful advice? I was going to buy this book

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Pets-Die-Shocki...9260119-6899954

but one of the reviews said that this book was "Good Info on Commercial Pet Food - Bad Info on Homemade Diet" Any recommendations?

[Beaglegirl]

I work for a vet, and we wholehearted agree with home cooking for your pets.
BUT, some things to remember.
Number one, if you are hard pressed for time and can't cook for yourself, don't feel guilty, there are some SMALL pet food companies if you do your research that use human grade food.
If you have kids or elderly or immunocompromised people living in your house we do not recommend raw diets. In the RARE instance you feed food contaminated with salmonella, it can be passed in fecal material.
Dogs and cats can tolerate these bacteria loads literally THOUSANDS of times greater than the human gut can, and not become sick. Then they can pass these bacteria in their stool at hundreds of times greater than our bodies can fight.
AND they can pass it to your family. Just something to keep in mind. Yes, chances are rare, but my dogs sit on the same couch I lay on, and all it takes is a cheetoe from the cushions with a dog butt on it to transfer bacteria the good ol' fecal/oral route. (I don't want to get TOO graphic)
Another thing:
SUPPLEMENT SUPPLEMENT SUPPLEMENT!!!! Use a CANINE or FELINE multivitamin. Also recommended is Salmon oil. Never use your vitamins, they aren't in the same proportion that pets need. I use vetriscience products. They also have a WHOLE LINE of holistic supplements JUST FOR PETS (well, they have human stuff too)

The major problem with home cooked diets is ensuring proper mineral, nutrient, and fatty acid concentrations. They can all be missing, so it is best to supplement.
Really good things
Rice, brown and white, chicken, lamb, fish (deboned of course!)
Turkey, and venison. Beef is also a good choice for some dogs, but my dog is allergic to beef.
Apples, brocolli, cabbage, zucchini, peas, carrots, pumpkin, GOOD GOOD GOOD

Onions, raisens, grapes, BAD BAD BAD

I do feed a dry kibble, (Canidae) but I also home cook for my pets.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR PETS DIET!!!! Keep a log!!! That way you know when the food was cooked, and when and what was fed to your pet.
It is best to keep the diet varied and stable at the same time. Sorry if that sounds confusing... But, if your pet develops gastrointestinal distress, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, you will need to know which foods caused them so you can avoid them in the future. also, some pets are allergic to certain foods. If you make a big old stew with ten gazzilion ingredients, and your pet gets ill, you won't be able to tell which ingredient caused it.

It is best to start SLOW and reintroduce new foods very gradually.
Start with only one or two ingredients. Build as your pets digestive system acclimates.
"Bone" appet*ite!

I'm also a BIG fan of home cooking my pets dog biscuits. Kids can help, and it is a LOT of fun