Homemade food suggestions

[vtbouvs]

I have been feeding all my dogs raw for over 2 years.. I stopped a couple months ago when I found out I was pregnant and my OB voiced concerns about toxoplasmosis.. I am not 100% convinced it is a really a issue with dogs fed raw but I am not willing to compromise my baby just in case... So I stopped feeding raw and started everyone on a grain free kibble.. I am not happy with the results of the switch...
So I am now wanting information on complete cooked diets for dogs well I am pregnant.. Are the basics the same amounts/ratios?.. I understand a calcium supplement needs to be added which appears that ground eggs shells is a good source, how much? We have 4 dogs, 3 Canadian Curs (40lb hunting breed), and 1 Bouvier De Flandres. Thanks
PS I just found a little info on pressure cooking chicken bones would this supple the calcium that is needed?

[rannmiller]

You're going to have to grind up a whole lot of eggshells in order to get those dogs their necessary calcium ratios. I would get a second opinion about raw feeding dogs because that just sounds bogus. My mom used to cook for us and my dad when she was pregnant all the time, every single day, which always included handling raw meat and she never got sick and we were all born super healthy.

However, it can be spread through infected raw meat so if you really want to go back to feeding raw you could always just wear latex gloves while handling the raw meat and/or make sure you wash your hands really well afterwards.

If you really don't want to do that though, I would recommend a diet of cooked meat and raw bones to get your dogs their proper calcium levels or else finding a good calcium supplement to give instead. Good luck!

[RawFedDogs]

I stopped a couple months ago when I found out I was pregnant and my OB voiced concerns about toxoplasmosis.. I am not 100% convinced it is a really a issue with dogs fed raw but I am not willing to compromise my baby just in case...

I have known many many pregnant women that fed raw with no problem. I never knew a one who had problems with the raw meat or the dogs that ate it.

ETA: Also when their babies were born, they continued to feed raw without problems with the babies.

[malluver1005]

I would think it is just a matter of cleanliness...

I would just wash my hands before and after handling the meat...

[ruckusluvr]

wear gloves if you are worried.

[vtbouvs]

Thank you everyone for your responses. Like I mentioned before I am stopping the raw feeding for now and am looking for more information on cooked diets.. If anyone could help with any suggestions I would really appreciate it...
I understand that if I continued feeding raw it may not be risky at all to the baby and I have always been very careful when handling raw meat.. I am just not comfortable when my OB is questioning it. thanks

[DaneMama]

You can do home cooked, the only issue would be getting enough bone in the diet, considering bone you cannot cook.

You would either have to keep up with RMB's, add bone meal instead or would have to add in a filler like rice and supplement with vitamins and minerals to replace the nutrition of the bone and bulk to their stool, last of which would be the least ideal. I personally have no idea where you can get bone meal, but I know that you can. I will research it a bit and get back.

To keep the meat still a bit raw, just sear it so you can keep some of the benefits of raw.

Make sure that you are giving organs as well, they are an essential part of the diet. Our dogs actually prefer organs cooked LOL.



In the end, you have to do what makes you comfortable and stick to it. Its not like you are doing a horrible thing by not feeding raw for a while. Home cooked still kicks the pants off of kibble, even high quality, grain free kibbles.

Good luck

ETA: I just did a quick search for bone meal on google and tons of links popped up. Seems like a fairly easy thing to order, but it looks to me like there are two kinds...fertilizer for plants and the nutritional supplement.

[rannmiller]

Here's where I got my bone meal when I was making ground raw food for my kitties when I was switching them over to raw: Megs Meats Truckee, California

[vtbouvs]

Thanks.. I am curious if anyone has experience with pressure cooking chicken with bones and if it would provide enough calcium???

[DaneMama]

Pressure cooking is still cooking and going to make chicken bones dangerous for dogs to eat, at least it seems to be. I have never done it but would never think to give my dogs cooked chicken bones in any way shape or form. Unless pressure cooking chicken bones makes them into mush or something?

I am not sure if pressure cooking the bones would compromise the vitamins in the bones, but my guess would be that not 100% and that cooked bones would still provide enough calcium as well as the other important nutrients. Remember that bones are not fed exclusively for the calcium but for other vitamins and minerals as well, like Phosphorus.