As a pet owner, do you wonder what you’re really feeding your dog? Was your canine a victim of the 2004 or 2007 Menu Pet Food Recall? Does your dog suffer from allergies? Did your dog get diagnosed with Cancer? Why did your vet recommend a “special” diet your dog doesn’t really like? Are you spending a fortune on your pet’s food?
Pet Food has become a true dilemma for many dog and cat owners! Ever think about home cooking for your pets but worried about making a mistake?
As a practicing holistic veterinarian for many years, many of my pet patients want to give their pets the very best, especially when it comes to pet food. The problem is how to figure out whats best for your pet.
This will be the first of my pet food series on Homemade Pet Diets:
Pawsitively Healthy Homemade Canine Cuisine…made with People Food
Poochys Pork Butts with Black Rice-n-Broccoli Florets
Step 1: Pour 1/4 cup of olive oil in a Dutch oven pot
Step 2: Sear two, three pound Organic Pork Butts, preferably the BONELESS CUT Ends, in a Dutch Oven and sear them on both sides until brown.
This also releases the porks natural flavors and juices.
Step 3: Add 4 Cups of distilled or filtered water to the seared pork.
Step 4: Place your Covered Dutch Oven containing the seared pork butts and water in your oven and cook (covered) at 350 degrees for 4 hours.
Step 5: After four hours the Pork will easily shred. Shred the pork and then add the 16 ounces of black rice. There will be flavored water and natural tasty juices left over in the Dutch oven that haven’t evaporated because the tight fitting lid retains the juices and flavor.
Believe it or not, you have just successfully created your pet’s personal savory pork stock which for you less “cooking” oriented pet lovers is the term used referring to the water filled with the natural flavors and juices left over from the pork sitting in your Dutch Oven.
Step 6: Cook the black rice at 350 degrees along with the shredded pork and your newly created savory pork stock for another 50 minutes. Keep the lid on your Dutch oven so it remains covered the entire time.
Step 7: The Black Rice is ready and Shredded Pork are browned, cooked and tender.
Dr. Carol’s Tip: Using a poultry scissors makes it easy to cut the meat into fine bite sized pieces appropriate for the size of your pet.
Once the meal is cooked, some pet owners find it helpful to pre-measure, store and seal their pets freshly cooked dog food. The “glad” cup and seal top storage cups, freeze meals well and are an easy option.
The fresh vegetables, in this case the broccoli florets, may be finely chopped and added to each of your pets meals when served. This adds “crunch” and texture which pets enjoy.
For dog owners wondering about how your pet’s breath and dental health will be affected by a homemade without dry food or kibble… consider this…
Eat biscuits for a month and don’t brush your teeth… now how does your breath smell?
Remember, your Canines pearly whites are NO different than your own!!
Kibble does NOT help to clean your pet’s teeth….
Brushing your teeth every day is just as important for pets as it is for people.
Step 8: Finally, adding a reputable vitamin-mineral-anti-oxidant supplement, such as Paaws, balances out your pet’s meals naturally.
For dogs afflicted with Pancreatitis, Diabetes and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), adding additional digestive enzymes and probiotics to each meal, allows your pets body to heal and helps to prevent further episodes of vomiting and/or diarrhea.
TIP: For vomiting pets with Pancreatitis dietary regimes like this promote healing of the sickened pancreas. Naturally resolving and healing your dog’s pancreas problems help to prevent the pancreatitis from ultimately turning into Canine Diabetes.
TIP: Many pet owners whose dogs have been diagnosed with IBD have been able to eliminate daily doses of steroids like prednisone, and still maintain normal stools and enjoy good health.
This author and holistic veterinarian, has witnessed wonderful results in our dogs and cats patients whose owners take the time and effort to prepare homemade meals for their pets.
Homemade Pet Cuisine and recipes like this are healthy, tasty and appropriate for many pets…and some people.
The above dog recipe is also low in sugar and has what nutritionists refer to as a low glycemic index.
TIP: In addition to great taste and lots of flavor, this recipe is an ideal choice for dogs that require meals with reduced sugar and low fat, including dogs with Pancreatitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Diabetes.
How much of the homemade pet diet should you feed your dog?
Generally the amount you feed your dog will match that of a commercial diet.
For example a dog weighing 10-20 pounds would eat ½ cup twice a day.
What is the best way to store homemade pet meals?
Many pet owners find it helpful to pre-measure, store and seal your freshly cooked dog food. Using the Glad cup and seal top storage cups are handy, come in a variety of sizes and work well to freeze pet meals.
TIP: Adding the fresh, finely chopped, raw broccoli florets at serving time, keeps your pets meals crunchy and adds a bit of texture which most dogs love.
TIP: This recipe can also be adapted using a Pressure Cooker, instead of a Dutch Oven which drastically reduces cooking time.
I want to give a special thank you to Ana for this tasty recipe and her inspiration, Zena. Zena is Ana’s adorable diabetic Yorkshire Terrier. Zena has not only been doing extremely well on her nutritional supplements, Paaws Vitamins and homemade meals, but also has enjoyed a reduction in her daily insulin requirements by nearly 1/3; going from 4 units of Insulin twice a day to one-half unit twice a day.
