Mesa’s New Diet
We are now in our 4th week of home cooked meals around our place for Mesa. Since I have been feeding my oldest (4.5 yo) border collie, a home cooked diet, I have noticed 3 positive changes in her:
- Fresher Breath
- Plays with Other Dogs (instead of just toys)
- Shows Excitement for her Meals
We have taken a recipe from Monica Segal’s book titled K9 Kitchen – Your Dog’s Diet: The Truth Behind the Hype. (See the links page for more info). We have changed Segal’s printed diet to accommodate our lifestyles better. The main ingredients in this recipe are:
- Beef Liver and Heart
- Ground Goat and Elk
- 2 Eggs
- Rice, Lentils and Carrots
- Vitamins B, C and E
- Salmon with Bones
- Ocean Kelp
This is a glimpse of what our concoction looks like. When I showed a friend one of Mesa’s meals, he exclaimed “Wow, she eats better than I do.”
Bowl of Mesa's food
An important ingredient when making home cooked meals for your dog is raw bones. In the recipe, we use canned, wild-caught Sockeye salmon, with bones. We also supplement through out the week with large Raw Meaty Bones (RMB). RMB’s serve as great baby sitters when I need to get some work done without doggie interruptions.
Raw Meaty Bones
Mesa with RMB
In order for your dog to feel and act good on the outside, she must feel and act good on the inside. It’s been rewarding for me to cook for my dog and see the positive results. As people are unique, so are dogs and not all dogs can eat the same food as their house mates. I encourage dog owners to assess the label on their bag of kibble and research what each ingredient does, or doesn’t do for their rocking canine. I know the price of the kibble I buy has gone up considerably in price per pound. Though I haven’t figured out the cost per meal of home cooking for my dog I am sure I won’t be discouraged mainly because I know exactly what is going in and much of it comes right from my back yard. I will post a cost analysis of the new home cooked meals soon. Stay tuned.