| With the recent recall of many brands of
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| | really knows exactly what your particular
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| pet food, pet owners are thinking twice
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| | pet needs.
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| about feeding their pets commercial pet
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| | A homemade diet should provide the
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| foods.
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| | following: variety, balance over time,
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| Not only do we have to worry about what
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| | and calcium.
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| we are feeding our families; we now have
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| | The variety can come from feeding such
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| the added worry about our cat or dog's
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| | foods as chicken, turkey, beef, fish,
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| diet.
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| | eggs, cottage cheese, and some pork.
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| What is a pet owner to do?
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| | Some vegetables, fruit (no grapes or
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| The first thing you don't do is "jump
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| | raisins) and some grains can be added.
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| right in and start cooking."
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| | Organ meats such as liver, kidneys or
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| Why. You ask?
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| | heart should be added at different times.
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| Simply because there are many things to
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| | Raw meaty bones are very good for teeth
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| take into consideration. Feeding your pet
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| | and gums and provide calcium. When
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| means providing the proper nutrition in
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| | considering bones do not feed cooked
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| order to keep him/her healthy and fit.
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| | chicken bones. Raw chicken backs and
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| The first suggestion is read a book or
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| | leg quarters are considered acceptable,
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| two on a proper diet for your pet be it
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| | those bones will not splinter, along with
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| cat or dog. I have listed a few titles at
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| | lamb necks and breast and pork riblets
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| the end of this article that I feel will
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| | and necks.
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| be beneficial to read.
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| | Chicken necks and turkey necks are
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| Secondly, you need to find more than one
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| | considered okay also, but large dogs tend
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| recipe to feed your pet as variety is not
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| | to choke on the turkey necks and little
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| only the spice of life, but necessary in
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| | dogs on the chicken necks, so I would be
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| order to get the right combination of
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| | very careful offering those items unless
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| nutrients into the pet's body.
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| | you were close by.
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| Thirdly, you have to decide if you have
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| | You can cook bones and grind them, if
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| the time and energy to devote to the task
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| | feeding raw bones makes you feel
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| of cooking for one or two more members of
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| | uncomfortable. Large meaty beef bones are
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| your family.
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| | good too,
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| What are the benefits?
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| | If bacteria from raw foods scare you,
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| The benefits are many, it has been proven
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| | don't be, a dog's insides were meant to
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| that a homemade diet has helped many dogs
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| | handle bacteria. Unless your dog is
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| with various conditions regain their
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| | stressed or ill, bacteria from raw meat
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| health. Many pet foods are of poor
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| | or chicken will have little if any effect
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| quality, over processed, filled with
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| | on your dog. The same goes for raw eggs,
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| artificial ingredients and many other
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| | though you can lightly scramble or soft
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| chemicals, just read the labels.
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| | boil them if it makes you feel better.
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| Carbohydrates are often more than 50
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| | There is no danger in feeding your puppy
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| percent of the main ingredient in most
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| | or older dog a high protein diet, as
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| pet foods. For dogs, carbohydrates are
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| | protein is beneficial to the immune
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| harder to digest and can cause
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| | system, the central nervous system and
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| inflammation to the body. For cats,
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| | helps the your dog have healthy skin and
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| carbohydrates are not an essential
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| | coat. Dogs that are fed a high protein
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| ingredient for their diets, proteins are.
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| | diet seem calmer and less hyper than
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| Thus a home cooked diet can provide less
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| | those fed a high carbohydrate diet.
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| carbohydrates and more protein making the
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| | If you do not have the time or desire to
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| food easier to digest and keeps the
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| | prepare completely homemade meals for
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| body's immune system from becoming over
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| | your dog there is no problem in adding
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| reactive.
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| | fresh food to your dog's dry or canned
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| Feeding your pet, fresh or lightly cooked
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| | food. However, the percentage of fresh
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| foods helps to supply nutrients in their
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| | versus commercial should be kept down to
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| natural form, which over processed pet
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| | about 25 percent in order not to upset
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| foods does not.
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| | the nutritional balance.
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| There are several types of homemade
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| | When adding food to your pet's commercial
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| diets, which include, raw and cooked
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| | diet try to stay with more protein than
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| foods, diets that contain little or no
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| | carbohydrates as the commercial food is
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| grains; diets mixed with commercial food,
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| | already high in grains, Best bets are
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| and diets that either include raw or
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| | eggs, meat, fish (canned with bones like
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| cooked bones. There are many choices and
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| | salmon, sardines or mackerel), yogurt,
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| variety is the important ingredient.
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| | cottage cheese and small amounts of
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| Dogs are known to eat most anything,
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| | vegetables.
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| whether it is good for them or not.
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| | There are companies that sell a pre-mixed
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| There is no "one" diet that is good for
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| | dry food that is ready for you to add
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| all dogs or cats.
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| | fresh food to complete a balanced meal
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| Every pet is an individual and the diet
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| | for your dog. Some companies such as
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| is dependent on physical condition, size,
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| | and offer great products you can add to
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| activity level and age. What is perfect
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| | your pet's food or feed directly.
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| for one pet may not be good for another.
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| | The following books are some available as
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| That is why variety is stressed so much.
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| | recommended reading:
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| Constant feeding of one recipe may not
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| | Barker's Grub by Rudy Edalati
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| supply all the necessary nutrients, but
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| | Real Food for Dogs by Arden Moore
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| changing food groups and content can
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| | Feeding Your Dog for Life by Diane Morgan
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| easily fulfill your entire pet's needs.
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| | The Whole Pet Diet by Andi Brown
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| It is not known exactly what nutrients
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| | Should you decide in the light of the
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| are needed in a dog's diet; the USDA
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| | current pet food situation to start home
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| Nutrient Database uses figures to
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| | cooking for your pet, please do yourself
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| determine only average nutritional
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| | a favor and your pet, read and learn
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| values. Nutritional studies are going on
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| | before you make the attempt.
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| all the time and there are still gaps in
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| | If you do not feed your pet the correct
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| their determinations of proper
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| | amount of nutrients it needs for survival
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| nutritional values.
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| | you are only not only defeating your
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| Even if you were to follow a diet
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| | purpose for doing it, but you are
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| determined by your vet or a pet
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| | affecting your pet's health and your
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| nutritionist they would advise adding a
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| | pocketbook with extra vet bills.
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| vitamin/mineral supplement, as no one
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