How to Make Homemade Pet Foods

Many pet owners will remember the infamous deadly pet recalls of 2007 that ultimately killed hundreds, if not thousands, of pets. The US government has taken action through the "Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009", passed in July 2009, that grants the Food and Drug Administration more authority in screening pet foods and identifying potential problems in the future. Though the FDA may protect against future pet food problems, now may be a good time to re-evaluate your pet's health and food.

Veterinarian Dr. Billinghurst cautions that dry kibble is highly processed and is not an appropriate evolutionary diet. According to Penman and Emily's "Scaling, Polishing and Dental Home Care", a good number of pets begin to suffer from periodontal disease by age 3, which is largely caused by a commercially produced diet. Both dry and canned foods can include high amounts of unnecessary grains and by-products that come from sick slaughtered animals or even roadkill that will cause a myriad of future health problems. Because of possible low-quality meats and more filler than is appropriate or unusual food allergies, many pet owners will choose to make their own pet food.

The most important part of making pet food at home is to understand what is species-appropriate. Cats, for example, should not ingest starchy vegetables like peas and corn and maintaining a correct vitamin balance is critical. Another key is to know what flavors each pet enjoys; some dogs enjoy fruit as a snack or eating vegetables with meat.

Here are some easy to use and relatively inexpensive homemade pet food recipes:

Giblet Stew
Use any type of giblets that are available or easy to obtain and slice or dice giblets so that each piece is no larger than 1/2" square. Prepare a pot of boiling water (a good rule of thumb is 1 liter of boiling water per giblet) and cook giblets through. 1 cup of giblets can be drained and then either mixed with 1/2 cup diced carrots or 1/2 cup boiled potatoes for dogs, or put in the blender until smooth for cats.

Leftover Chicken Stock Soup
Use leftovers (thighs, wings) from one whole cooked chicken. Add leftovers to one large stock pot of boiling water (no salt). Boil for about 30 minutes, or until meat and skin falls off of bone easily. Pick meat and skin off of bones, being sure that all bones are thrown away. Serve 3/4 cup of meat, 1/2 tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley and 1 cup of broth per 50lbs of body weight twice daily for dogs, and either shred in to very small pieces or grind in a blender with broth for cats. This recipe works well for holidays also; use leftovers from ham or turkey in the same way.

Peanut Butter Parsley Puppy Pleasers (dog cookies)
1 cup of regular or whole-wheat flower
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 cup organic peanut better
1/2 cup evaporated or fresh milk
1/4 cup fresh or dried parsley (optional, for fresh breath!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Slowly add in milk, followed by peanut butter and lastly, add in optional parsley. Roll dough to an approximately 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes or alternatively, use a knife to cut dough in to squares. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Place cookies on cooling rack. Cookies will last about a week unrefrigerated; if frozen, cookies will last approximately 2 months.

Tantilizing Tuna and Egg Treats (for cats)
6 ounce can of tuna packed in water
1/4 cup of water
3 tbsp. cooked egg white, minced
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine tuna and water in a bowl, then add egg, mix well. Add cornmeal followed by flour, mix to form a dough. Divide dough in half, roll each half to 1/4" thick and use tiny cookie cutters or cut to be 1/4" square. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until baked through.

http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/barfdiet.shtml
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/kibble.html
http://www.braypets.com/FRR/aafcodef.htm