I wonder if you could not substitue white rise for brown or wild rice. Can I ask why so much Diatomaceous Earth? Also a comment, if your dog has bad teeth, it would be worth it to have a vet clean the teeth or maintain them, tooth decay and the bacteria can cause other health issues like heart disease.

This diet takes a good portion out of my day every 4/5 days and to cook brown or wild rice would be too expensive and labor intensive. I do know it would be better than white rice. There is just so much I can do! As far as the Diatomaceous Earth, I have it for the chickens and cats and we use it for ourselves also. It is food grade and there is no such thing as too much. I have always given it to Carmen even before I started making her food. Never a worm or ear mite!

It is too late for a tooth brushing. She is 15 years old which is pretty old for a medium sized dog. She has lost lots of her teeth (I have too!) and nothing is going to bring them back. It is certainly possible that her teeth problems caused her illness in the first place.

At 15, let her eat whatever she wants. Dogs can't break down vegetables though, so you can skip the carrots unless you want to start pulverizing them in a food processor or juicer.

Hi,I was wondering if you cooked the oatmeal?I cook my dogs food to.They have ground turkey,white rice or brown rice,I alternate the rice sometimes,green beans,pasta noodles,carrots and occasionally brocolli instead of carrots.I add a spoon of plain yogurt once a day.I cook the meat in the microwave and really never use salt on the food.I started cooking their food because one had allergies bad,the other doesn't but I want them to eat the same thing.I make enough for several days.Would I find the kelp meal and diatomaceous earth in the health food store?Debbie

at 15 one does what they can but this diet is lacking serious nutrients and the balance is all off.
For one there are too many grains, the DE is too much, and one veggie is nearly not enough. Below are 2 companies you can get very good information about how to feed a home cooked diet properly.They will provide a recipe and the things you need to add to make it a complete diet.

http://b-naturals.com/Jun2006.php
http://www.naturesfarmacy.com/

By no means am I claiming to be an expert on this subject, but we had a cancer scare 3 years ago with our cocker which prompted me to do the research that led me to cook for him, which I've been doing ever since. So I will share what I do. I usually cook a batch of stuff on Sunday afternoons, I alternate a beef or a chicken batch so that I can have both on hand, (he likes variety). I'll usually brown and then braise the meat, then add veggies which may include any combination of carrots, brocolli, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and legumes. I sometimes buy a large bag of mixed vegetables, (no onion of course) and add that for convenience. Before I add the veggies I remove the meat and cut it up into small bites, this is easy at this point because it is very tender, certain cuts of beef take longer to get to this point. When the whole thing cools off I separate it into small disposable containers, (which I don't actually dispose of) and put in the freezer so that I can easily reach in for a meal and pop it in the microwave on defrost. In addition to these meals he gets chicken liver with brown rice every Friday night as he tends to run anemic. As you can imagine he LOVES this. I'll make a 1 cup batch of brown rice then put it in a gallon size ziploc bag, then flatten it out and use a ruler to make approx 3x3" perforations, the freeze it. When I want to add some brown rice to his dinner I can just take it out and break off a square. He is 14 and doing just great, still chases squirrels and jumps up onto his ottoman with no trouble. He never has accidents in the house and never exhibits any adverse reactions to this diet in the form of diarrhea or irregularity. Unfortunately being a cocker he has had his share of ear problems over the years and is now deaf. His ears have been the biggest challenge by far. I also try to add a capsule of Thorne immugen to his food a few times a week in order to support his immune system, and I give him no-sodium tuna from time to time so he gets his omega 3, 6 & 9. He gets Nature's Variety Raw Instinct or Nature's variety freeze-dried chicken and turkey medallions for breakfast which also provides the omegas. The medallions are VERY expensive though, so he doesn't get it every day. I am fully aware that I spend more time and money on my dog's diet than many are willing to commit to, but I have no children so I don't mind and the results are worth it to me. Just thought I'd share so that you may pick up an idea or 2.
Good Luck and happy cooking.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nature's variety chicken+turkey diet

This is all very helpful and I thank you all for your ideas. As far as dogs being unable to process vegetables, does that only mean raw? I wonder why I don't find shredded carrots in her poo? If you think it could help, I can microwave them to make them softer. (the carrots, I mean - LOL)

I know what I am doing isn't perfect but I also know it has to beat any brand of "kibble" I could buy. The white rice is made with chicken broth and with the chicken, she gets all the giblets too. I might try substituting other kinds of vegetables every now and then but so far, she isn't bored with this diet at all.

I like your ideas about freezing small portions of brown rice, doggiemom.

WOW, roberta_z5 you are a wonderful mommy!!! You baby is so lucky to have you and I don't want you to think that you are doing anything wrong. Nobody's perfect but come on...look what most people in this world would do and look what you are doing. Thank goodness my babies haven't got to this point but I would and will do the same thing you are. Is this expensive what you cook up?? "Kelp Meal and Diatomaceous Earth"...I have never heard of this... What is it for and how do you give this to your baby?? I'm wondering if its something I should look into for my babies?! You said Carmen has never had an earmite? Can you use this stuff on cats?? My kitties get earmite bad all the time and it seems like I get rid of one and another kitty gets it. (I have 4 cats and 2 dogs, (1 puppy and 1 adult boxer)!!) Its so fustrating because they are about the cleanest animals in the world but still get earmites!!! Anyways, I hope the best for you and Carmen!!

Thanks, Elycia

As far as dogs being unable to process vegetables, does that only mean raw?

Yes.

I admit I have not read all the posts here... but I would add something...

Dogs have extremely short digestive tracts compared to humans. Thus, complex carbs like rice and grains and some veggies are not digested well -- meaning the dog doesn't get a lot of value from them the way a human would.

That is why many dog nutritionists recommend cooking rice and veggies for an extremely long time compared to what you or I would like (think "very soft mush"). It is also another reason dogs aren't as succeptible to bacteria as humans and can thus have raw materials. The material passes through their systems much faster than ours.

I feed a commercial food (Cali Natural) but do on occassion feed raw bones or meat (for treats -- hubby is a chef with great access to those), or sometimes even cook for them.

When I cook, I cook the rice for LOOONGGGG time to break it down.