Quinn
Walk, sniff,- pee, repeat... | 
 | | Barked: Mon Dec 10, '07 4:53pm PST |  | |  | | The other posters are right about adding some kind of oil and a calcium supplement. You could also use kelp help or seameal too, but something like that can't replace the calcium supplement. I used seameal, which also contains a digestive enzyme. Eggshell powder is a good calcium supplement and you can find suppliers online. There's a brand called eggshellent calcium which is just for pets.
I would add that you should try to cook things quickly, like sauteeing or slowly at a low temp like a stew. Your goal is to try to cook the foods while retaining as many of the nutrients as possible. When I homecooked (I have now switched to raw) I used to simmer the meat with hard veg just til cooked then cook the grains (usually oats, brown rice, barley or a combination of those) in the broth. I used to grate or finely chop softer veg (summer squash, zucchini, kale, spinach etc) and briefly sautee or even just mix it into the warm meat/grain mix raw. I made mine from a recipe from Dr Pitcairns guide to natural health from cats and dogs, which is a great resource for those interested in caring for their pets in a more holistic way. I used garlic as per the recipe because it does have benefits, but not in the amounts your recipe lists. To 1 1/4 cup oats (dry amount), 3/4 pounds of meat and 1/4 cup of veggies I added only 1/2 clove of garlic. I added it raw at the very end with the calcium supplement.
Include organs in your pups diet too. The trace minerals and vitamins (like vitaimin a, copper, iron etc) in things like liver and heart are plentiful. My dog loves chicken livers! You may have to ask your butcher about these things or try an ethnic market, but its well worth it. Organs should make up about 10% of the amount of meat you feed your dog.
The only other important thing I would add is that you should make sure to give your pup a variety of meats. Rotate between poultry like chicken and turkey, red meats and some fish. I used to feed two types of meat in one batch. If your dog is sensitive or has allergies you may want to stick to one type of protein at a time. Rotating proteins helps fill in any nutritional gaps in his or her diet. Different kinds of meat contain different levels of each amino acid, by feeding more than one, you're giving your dog more opportunities to get what he or she needs.
Wow this got long!! I learned all this stuff while researching my own dogs diet. Some of it is from dogster threads, some from other websites like this one and some from books like The Whole Pet Diet and the Pitcairn one I mentioned. Good luck!
Edited for spellingEdited by author Mon Dec 10, '07 4:55pm PST
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I am going to have to make friends with a butcher now we are on raw!
