Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (14 page)

** Calcium and phosphorus in bone meal products vary. See the
Table of Calcium Supplementation Products
to compare brands. I have grouped bone meal products into Group I, Group II, and Group III as a way of working with them in the recipes. If you use a brand from Group II in this recipe, then double the amount of bone meal indicated.

† If you are using the pure calcium from Animal Essentials instead of bone meal, use 2 teaspoons of Animal Essentials and add 2 tablespoons of brewer’s yeast to the recipe. If you are using one of the other sources of calcium from Group III, then adjust the amounts accordingly. If you are using another calcium source than is listed here, the total amount of calcium added in this recipe = 5,500 mg (5.5 grams).

COTTAGE CHEESE SUPPLEMENT FOR DOG KIBBLE

Cottage cheese is an inexpensive, convenient, and palatable source of protein that can boost the nutritional value of kibble.

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oilfv
  
• 1½ teaspoons Healthy Powder
  
• 1 teaspoon Group I bone meal*
  
• 5,000 IU vitamin A with 200 IU vitamin D
  
• 2 cups creamed cottage cheese
  
• ½ cup vegetables (optional)
  

* See the
Table of Calcium Supplementation Products
. If Group II bone meals are used, double the recipe amount. You can also skip the bone meal and instead use 1 teaspoon Animal Essentials calcium. If you are using another calcium source than is listed here, the total amount of calcium added in this recipe – 2,000 mg (2 grams).

Mix the oil in the kibble. Toss in the powder and bone meal, coating the kibble; add the vitamin A. Serve the cottage cheese and vegetables together on the side, or mix them into the kibble.

Add about 4 tablespoons per cup of kibble.

Yield:
About 2¾ cups

Mixed with kibble, it results in a combined food of at least 20 percent protein, 10 percent fat, and 60 percent carbohydrate. This is considerably lower in protein and fat than the meat supplement in the preceding recipe and is more suitable for the dog or cat that needs a lower protein diet or does not react well to a food that is too rich.

FRESH EGG SUPPLEMENT FOR DOG KIBBLE

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  
• 1 teaspoon Healthy Powder
  
• 1½ tablespoons Group I bone meal*
  
• 50–200 IU vitamin E
  
• 4 large eggs
  

* See the
Table of Calcium Supplementation Products
. If Group II bone meals are used, double the recipe amount. If you wish to avoid using bone meal, skip that ingredient and instead add 1 teaspoon of Animal Essentials calcium. If you are using another calcium source (from Group III calcium supplements), the total amount of calcium added in this recipe – 2,500 mg (2.5 grams).

Mix ingredients together. At mealtime, add about 2 tablespoons per cup of kibble. Use the eggs raw.

Yield:
1½ cups

Once mixed with kibble, this boosts the values to at least 20 percent protein, 10 percent fat, and 70 percent carbohydrate.

BASIC RECIPES FOR DOGS

The following recipes are meant to form the mainstay of the fresh, home-prepared diet for dogs. See the
Nutritional Composition of Recipes for Dogs
for nutritional data on each recipe. Each recipe indicates how many cups to feed adult dogs of different breed sizes. The weight range for each group is defined as follows:

• Toy: up to 15 pounds
  
• Small: 15 to 30 pounds
  
• Medium: 30 to 60 pounds
  
• Large: 60 to 90 pounds
  
• Giant: over 90 pounds
  

Amounts to feed will vary according to activity level, ingredient substitutions, weather, and so on. Let your dog’s appetite and weight be the ultimate gauge.

DOGGIE OATS

Oats are a good choice of grain for pets. Not only are oats quick-cooking, but they contain more protein per calorie than any other common grain. It’s best, though, to add some variety by substituting other grains at times (as recommended), because each grain varies in its amino acid composition and its vitamin and mineral levels. This versatile maintenance recipe for adult dogs provides a protein level of 33 percent (using turkey with the oats) and 30 percent fat. Substituting tofu for turkey lowers the protein and fat content considerably.

• 5 cups raw rolled oats (about 11 cups cooked)
  
• 3 pounds (6 cups) raw whole, ground, or chopped turkey
  
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 cup cooked vegetables (or less if raw and grated—may be omitted occasionally)
  
• 6 tablespoons (rounded ⅓ cup) Healthy Powder
  
• 4 teaspoons Group I bone meal*
  
• 10,000 IU vitamin A (optional if using carrots)
  
• 400 IU vitamin E
  
• 1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce or ¼ teaspoon iodized salt (optional)
  
• 1–2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced (optional)
  

* See the
Table of Calcium Supplementation Products
. If Group II bone meals are used, double the recipe amount. The amount of calcium contributed by bone meal – 5,600 mg (5.6 grams).

Bring about 10 cups of water to a boil. Add the oats, cover, and turn off the heat, letting the oats cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft. Don’t stir while cooking or the oats will become mushy. Then combine with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Yield:
About 18–19 cups, with about 230 kilocalories per cup.

Daily ration (in cups):
Toy—1 to 2; small—about 4; medium—6 to 7; large—about 8; giant—9+.

You can make substitutions in this recipe by using a different grain or meat (or both). See See the
Food Ingredient Substitutions
for guidance. Varying the recipe to include different ingredients insures you have not overlooked some important nutrient and prevents deficiencies.

If you use oats or bulgur, you may occasionally substitute either of the following for each pound of meat: 1 pint cottage cheese plus 4 eggs, or 16 ounces of tofu plus 4 eggs. Add the eggs while the grain is still hot so they’ll set slightly for the best texture. See the next chapter for more vegetarian recipes suitable for dogs.

MINI DOGGIE OATS

For your convenience, here is the previous recipe, divided by ¼.

• 1¼ cups raw rolled oats
  
• ¾ pound (1½ cups) raw whole, ground, or chopped turkey
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
• ¼ cup cooked vegetables (or less if raw and grated—may be omitted occasionally)
  
• 1½ tablespoons Healthy Powder
  
• 1 teaspoon Group I bone meal (see previous recipe)
  
• 2,500 IU vitamin A (optional if using carrots)
  
• 100 IU vitamin E
  
• ¼ teaspoon tamari soy sauce or a pinch of iodized salt (optional)
  
• ½ clove garlic, crushed or minced (optional)
  

Yield:
About 5 cups, with 230 kilocalories per cup.

Daily ration:
Same as for Doggie Oats (above).

TABLE OF CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTATION PRODUCTS

 
* Note that the Group II values are approximately ½ that of Group I, so if you use one of these supplements, double the amount of bone meal called for in the recipe
.

** Note: These products are almost entirely calcium with very little phosphorus. Excessive use of them can alter the ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Generally use about 25 percent less than Group I bone meal. It is easier to balance the recipes using bone meal and, unless specified otherwise, the recipe calculations are based on using Group I bone meal
.

† These supplements are often available in health food stores or pet supply stores. What I have listed is from brands I could find locally.
Don’t assume calcium content of all brands is the same. Check labels
.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF RECIPES FOR DOGS

DOG LOAF

This recipe uses egg as a binder; you can either serve it raw or bake it like a meat loaf, with bread crumbs or other grains. As presented here, with these ingredients, it is about 30 percent protein, 25 percent fat, and 42 percent carbohydrates. Depending on which meat and grain you use, the amounts of each ingredient will vary within acceptable ranges. The egg provides adequate vitamin A, plus there is vitamin A in the vegetables.

• ½ pound (1 cup) fairly lean beef chuck (low fat)
  
• 6 slices whole-wheat bread, crumbled (about 3 cups)
  
• 1 cup whole milk
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• ¼ cup cooked corn or other vegetables (can be omitted occasionally)
  
• 1 tablespoon Healthy Powder
  
• 1 teaspoon of Animal Essentials calcium (or a generous ½ teaspoon of powdered egg shell)*
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
• 100 IU vitamin E
  
• ¼ teaspoon tamari soy sauce or dash of iodized salt (optional)
  
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed or minced (optional)
  

* These provide 1000 mg calcium from the Group III calcium supplements. See information on calcium supplements in the
Table of Calcium Supplementation Products
. If you use one of the other sources of calcium from the Group III calcium supplements, provide 1000 mg.

Combine all ingredients, adding water, if needed, to make a nice texture. Serve raw. Or press the mixture into a casserole dish so it’s 1 to 2 inches thick and bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until set and lightly browned.

If you use a moist grain and don’t bake the mixture, you may choose to serve the milk separately rather than combine it in the mix. Another alternative is to mix ¼ cup powdered milk right into the recipe.

Yield:
About 5½ cups, at 200 kilocalories per cup.