Review: A good list of foods, but what about supplements and weights?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 19, 2012
I found out my puppy is not doing well on kibble--even a good organic brand doesn't suit her digestion.  So I decided to feed her homemade food (as many people do here where I live, dogs being extremely popular as pets in our area.) I found out that many people go to the local farmer's poultry shop and buy chicken without hormones or antibiotics that is raised locally.I made up a recipe (brown rice, ground thighs, green beans and some calcium carbonate) but I wanted a set of recipes to balance the dog's diet and find out what supplements, amounts, etc are right for the puppy. It turns out, I did right to overcook the brown rice in an excess of water and rinse it, and the dog very much enjoyed the new food and her digestion immediately took a turn for the better.This book doesn't have  info on a complete and healthy daily ration with quantities per dog body weight and age, sadly. But what it does have is a list of good foods for dogs (though your results may vary) and recipes using these foods, such as quinoa, sweet potatoes, fruits, oatmeal, and various proteins like cottage cheese, chicken and liver. Each chapter is on a "superfood" or healthy powerhouse type of food for the dog and what it can do for their health. And there are some recipes, though many of them are not a complete ration (with balanced carb and protein.)There is more to feeding a dog than these recipes however, and overfeeding is an issue, or underfeeding and what about calcium and omega-3 oils? How much? What about other supplements?For what this book has (ideas to feed your dog healthy foods that are good for him) it is fine. But as a book giving you recipes for daily ration, it falls short in that regard. I like the book for the ideas, using pears, sweet potatoes, broccoli, green beans, and varying the diet with healthy foods. It also lists BAD FOODS FOR DOGS (avocados, raisins, chocolate, garlic, onions among others) and discusses if you should feed leftovers to the dog. Personally, I see too many overweight dogs, so I think in order to have a healthy pet that is going to have a long, happy life, a carefully balanced diet of quality foods in the right amounts is important and better than haphazard feedings or convenient kibble that she can't digest. But this book is insufficient for a complete "how to make your own dog food."