Homemade Dog Food Update Part 1

My blog count up tells me that as of this post, I've been feeding homemade dog food for 1967 days. During these 5.4 years, I hesitate to think about how many pounds of leg quarters, chicken thighs, ground turkey, rice, beans, potatoes I've gone through.

The main reason for adapting this diet was Angel Marie...the fiercesome American Bulldog we adopted after our part Am Bulldog, Macey, died.  I made the mistake of looking on Pet Finder (same as I did after our English Setter, Lucy, passed, and I found Ella), and spotted a beautiful white and brindle full bloodied Am Bulldog. Who knows how this dog was named Angel Marie.

I drove 1.5 hours to Ivor, VA to adopt her.  She was through a Humane Society.  Most of those are loosely organized with committed volunteers who foster these dogs, and then spend their weekends at Petsmart to try to get these dogs adopted.  Please consider donating to one of your local Humane Societies.

When I went to view Angel Marie, the foster parent was not there.  She was still en route from Newport News at an adoption event.  She arrived shortly after I did.  Her backyard was surrounded by a sturdy wooden fence, and I could hear the dogs in the back.  When she got back, she returned the unadopted to the lot.

She brought Angel out, and she walked tentatively and painfully.  She had just been treated for a severe staff infection in her feet. As I saw her walk, I could only wonder what I was getting into.  She was advertised as 5.  However, her vet work had her at 5 years old 3 years ago.  I believe that it was an honest mistake.  When I asked about it, the foster mom seemed genuinely surprised.

So there I stood, watching this dog who was in the last third of her life, suffering from food allergies and a staff infection when the foster mom said, "I understand if you don't wish to take her."  Here was this woman, devoting her time to making a home for dogs that had none.  Shame on me, if I were not to take at least one dog off her hands.  With her food allergies and her staff infection, she was currently unadoptable.

They waived the adoption fee (which I did not ask for) and they would not take my $100 donation.  "You'll need it to care for her."    I emphasized that I would care for this dog.  She would get appropriate vetting and a loving home, but she would not get an extraordinary means to lengthen her life in the event of a life threatening event.  "We understand."

There began our odyssey on homemade diet.  She thrived on the homemade diet and returned to robust health.  No allergies.  Only one incidence of a staff infection return. But after that (and until her death at the ripe old age of 12) she was healthy.

I continue to feed this diet to my dogs, and I don't think that I'll ever return to regular dog food.  The cost of feeding is no more than buying super premium dog food.  But it does require a daily time commitment over and above scooping out some kibble, and a committment every 6-8 weeks to grind the meat supply.

I currently have 2 English Setters: 13 and 15 years old.  And Dexter, a Pit Bull, who will be 7.  I credit their collective good health to making the investment in this diet.  Bully breeds often have skin issues (as Angel did), but these disappeared for her.  They never appeared for Dexter.  Ella, one of my Setters, used to get a skin rash periodically, but this too disappeared on this diet.

In another post I'll point out some highlights.  Here's Part 2.