This diet was developed over the years for dogs, some versions of it worked for cats, and I've never fed it exclusively and always mixed it with a high-quality kibble, except for the sick or elderly (sometimes toothless) who got the pure homemade diet, or if I was trying to put weight on a previously neglected animal (and I also recommend the "Satin Balls" recipe which is easily found on the internet for underweight dogs).
- The basic recipe starts with cooked rice. Brown rice is much more nutritional than white, but more expensive; if you are feeding a small number and can afford it, use brown rice.
- The most important component for a carnivore is protein, therefore meat. I alternate the kind of meat with each batch and take advantage of grocery store sales. That includes lean ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken livers, beef liver, canned mackerel, and sometimes eggs.
- Vegetables, especially green vegetables because of their anti-oxidant vitamins. Frozen or fresh is best – green beans, mixed veggies, kale, mustard greens, spinach. If you can't find low-sodium canned vegetables, you can put them in a colander, scald them with boiling water, rinse them, before adding them to the pot and that will reduce the sodium.
- Tomato paste, a generous amount, the highest source of the anti-cancer lycopene (lycopene in tomato paste is four time more bioavailable than it is from fresh tomatoes).
- Canola oil – the least expensive and best source of essential fatty acids, great for coat and skin.
- Apple cider vinegar – naturally anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, good for urinary tract health, and most dog diets are notoriously too basic. Many vitamins, including the anti-oxidants, and joint supplements are best absorbed in an acetic environment. (Start out conservatively, because some animals will object to the taste at first, but then you can increase the amount gradually; check with your vet first regarding the pH of the diet, because in some breeds, such as Dalmatians, that can be critical.)
- Garlic – powdered or chopped. It has many medicinal qualities, including reportedly anti-flea/tick/worm properties, and my dogs don't mind it at all.
- A vitamin/mineral supplement. Powdered supplements such as K-zyme are available from most pet supply outlets, especially on the internet. If you are going to add it to the pot, you must wait until the mixture has cooled, because high temperature will reduce potency. You can add it to the individual dinner bowl later, or crush up a good quality human multiple vitamin. (We regularly add other vitamin tablets to our dogs' dinner bowls such as C and E, especially for seniors. For those dogs who like to pick out their pills, you can use a coffee grinder, mortar and pestle, or crush pills between two spoons.)
- Other healthy additives to the food, while cooking, are bone meal (or calcium carbonate or citrate), brewer's yeast, soybeans, lentils, rolled oats, black-eyed peas. (I also like to use whole, unsalted peanuts in the shell, ground in a food processor, and once had good success upon the recommendation of a veterinarian in improving irritable bowel syndrome in a wolf by making that a significant addition to his diet.)
- Good additions to the dinner bowl are probiotics/acidophilus, plain yogurt, cottage cheese. Most pet dogs don't need a lot of carbs, which are converted to sugar, but high-energy, working dogs may; the addition of some whole-grain pasta to the diet may be recommended by your veterinarian if you have such a dog. (All dogs love pasta, so I'm not adverse to a dog who is not overweight having a few noodles in their dinner.)
Cooks who carefully follow recipes will expect exact measurements, but my approach to cooking, including for my dogs, is a little of this, a little of that. Basically, in a large soup pot, add to boiling water enough rice and meat to make a very thick stew, add the rest of the ingredients, boil for 10 minutes, remove from heat and cover until all the liquid is absorbed. After the mixture has cooled, it can be portioned out into freezer containers or bags.
My basic feline diet recipe:
My cats have always eaten the best quality cat kibbles I could afford (and again, it is important to check the labels about such things as ash content), but I like to supplement their diet with fresh cooked meats and fish. (I put the meat/fish on a plate in a microwave oven until cooked and then chop them.) Some cats have liked a vegetable and rice mixture in combination with it, many have not objected to garlic, nearly all have objected to the taste of apple cider vinegar.
Unless you are feeding the best quality canned foods, consider some human quality meat/fish for your cats. Go sparingly with any fish, especially in cats, because it can also be a cause of some health concerns, and once again, discuss all dietary plans with your veterinarian. However, when you check the "unit price" at your grocers about "pet quality" versus "human quality," you may find that meat and fish at sales prices are cheaper than prepared petfood that may not be as healthy for your dogs and cats.
Jim Willis
http://www.crean.com/jimwillis
