Lalaloopsie

New member
Apr 18, 2016
1,628
34
Cape Town, SA
Country
Belarus
Bulldog(s) Names
Tank
Yes, I'm doing this! Started home cooking for Tank. It is our third day on home cooked food and at least what concerns his stomach, food works well for him. His tummy isn't upset and his poops were good so far.
Why I decided to go home cooking/raw? I am tired. Tired of his skin issues, unstable poops, bags of expensive dog food piled in the attic we cannot use any more, bcs he developed allergy to it.
Any dog food we tried, was either not suitable from the very beginning, or he became allergic with time. Usually, it happened just after we got a big order of food, after trying it for a couple of months:w00t:, so when you get 10 kg of food, he is just getting stomach issues. And actually, he was continuously on expensive powder (2 USD a day) containing beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Without this powder his stools became runny.
He was shedding like crazy lately, there are some little bald spots on his back, and legs. It is not really itchy, or sore. Seems like a slowly crawling allergic reaction. And good luck with figuring out, what is causing the allergy, if this commercial food contains 30 ingredients!
And during last week he developed for the first time yeast infection in his nose rope, and it became a turning point. This is what I am paying for 300 USD a month?!!! Food costs me around 240 USD (Acana) plus 60 USD a month for that digestive powder! And my boy is just suffering because I'm lazy:(. No.
I bought beef, rice and pumpkin. First I cooked thick food made of 70% beef, 20%rice and 10% pumpkin. Then I minced some pure beef and made 100 g patties. And started feeding my boy 200 go of that cooked meal, plus 100 g raw beef patty, 3 times a day.
The first time he tried this food I thought he will cry of happiness. He was shaking while eating. It was amazing to see, how happy he was to eat real food instead of that cardboard he usually got.
Whatever happens, I won't come back to commercial food, just to see him happy.
I hope that my pupsie will get better soon with his skin issues. His stomach is perfect from the first day of home/raw diet, no farting, poops solid.
Later I will try to add other sources of protein, other crops - buckwheat and millet, other veggies. Also will add bifidobacteria, fish oil, bone meal for calcium, homemade yogurt and multivitamins. I have to be slow with it, to figure out potential allergens. Unfortunately, seems like chicken and eggs he is allergic to, but may be lean pork will be ok. In some recommendations I read that pork is a no-no for dogs, but here I've read that people feed pork successfully to their doggies. I wonder, if lean pork is ok for bullies?
Even with relatively expensive beef here in China, 10 USD per kilo, is still less expensive to feed raw my dog, than with commercial food.
If you friends who have home/raw feeding experience have any comments or advice, it will be much appreciated!
 
OP
Lalaloopsie

Lalaloopsie

New member
Apr 18, 2016
1,628
34
Cape Town, SA
Country
Belarus
Bulldog(s) Names
Tank
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #2
Decided to add. I cannot trust my boy with bones, unfortunately. He never chews food, just swallows. So, bones are not an option, as it will end up with surgery.
If someone is interested, how difficult it is.
Cooking doesn't take too long. It is not a Michelin dish, so it took me like 10-15 min to cut meat and pumpkin, load the pot. I will have to do it 2 times a week, probably. Mincing patties took a bit longer, like 30-40 mins but I used hand mincer. Next time I will use electric one. I got 20 patties, what is ok for almost a week, 3 a day. So, I can foresee like 1 hour a week for cooking. Not too bad, I think.

I will keep you updated, how it goes.
 

JerseyGirl

New member
Apr 19, 2016
9
1
California
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Jersey
Thanks for sharing the information on cooking for your pup. :) We have been having a lot of challenges with Jersey's allergies and runny stool off and on for months now. It doesn't seem like any of the foods help... even the really expensive ones. Poor lil girl just can't catch a break. I've actually be considering starting to cook all of her meals to limit the ingredients and help her stay healthy and comfortable. Please keep us posted on how it goes. Good luck! :)
 

helsonwheels

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2016
13,066
2,370
Alberta
Country
Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Nyala, Jake (R.I.P. Duke)
Ive been home cooking for Nyala over 8 months now. She's absolutely doing great. Never had skin issues but had crystals. Like mentioned in my other posts, I just introduced her to lamb kibbles from acana. That's only if my sons babysitting her or I come home late (work) and dh wont give her home cook meals as it confuses him. Dont ask! When she has kibbles it is topped with beef liver n heart mixed with a bit of ginger n turmeric. 80% of the time im alone with Nyala so she gets only her turkey, yellow n green beans, sweet potatoes, lima beans, peas, carrots with the broth from boiled her turkey for 3-4 hours so shegets all the good minerals from the broth. All fat removed! I do not over cook the veggies just barely as raw veggies is healthier. And yes you need a multivitamin for sure and calcium. You can take wasked eggshells and powder them. A small teaspoon in the food is great for the calcium department. I put her meals in ziploc bags and freeze them. I take what I need every 3 days. Portions are prepared and it's easy. I cook once a month and freeze them. Takes a few hours a month to prepare and when the turkey is boiling/simmer away while I prepare the veggies. Let all cool down and bag them. Worth the trouble when you want a healthy bully. What's 4-5 hours a month for your bully's lifetime?
 

Hankster

Well-known member
Community Veteran
Aug 27, 2016
4,496
88
Country
US
Bulldog(s) Names
hank
I also do (mostly) what helsonwheels does, but I also switch up with lamb that I have them grind up for me.. Also sometimes add beets (don't remember why right now) and quinoa instead of sweet potatoes sometimes too. Also, I do half home, half Acana either the lamb or fish. I have a great processor that I use for the carrots and ginger so they can go in the heat for a shorter time. I do a bone broth for him as well but again, I don't remember if that adds calcium or not?
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,581
3,673
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
best of luck --- hope it all works out. I have no experience with home cooking
 
OP
Lalaloopsie

Lalaloopsie

New member
Apr 18, 2016
1,628
34
Cape Town, SA
Country
Belarus
Bulldog(s) Names
Tank
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #7
Hi again everybody, thank you very much for your valuable advice. I am a bit disappointed, as it is over a week now and I see no improvement, and Tanks allergy is getting worse. I think, tomorrow I am going to try with other meat, as rice cannot be an allergen, pumpkin I already replaced with colourless squash. So, I think, it should be beef. It is so frustrating to put so much effort with no results. But I will figure out, what is the cause and exclude it. It must be food, as in the morning his lips look perfect, no redness. But after he eats, in an hour or two, they become reddish again. I feel miserable, as I cannot take good care of my pupsie...
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
Staff member
Community Veteran
Jul 28, 2011
48,581
3,673
Gilbertsville, PA
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
Hi again everybody, thank you very much for your valuable advice. I am a bit disappointed, as it is over a week now and I see no improvement, and Tanks allergy is getting worse. I think, tomorrow I am going to try with other meat, as rice cannot be an allergen, pumpkin I already replaced with colourless squash. So, I think, it should be beef. It is so frustrating to put so much effort with no results. But I will figure out, what is the cause and exclude it. It must be food, as in the morning his lips look perfect, no redness. But after he eats, in an hour or two, they become reddish again. I feel miserable, as I cannot take good care of my pupsie...

Rice sure can be an allergen.... my first boy, Nitschke was very alleric to rice, he wou;ld vomit every time he ate it. Had testing done on him... rice was the issue
 

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