I use Sojos European style dog food, which is a grain, nut, and herb mixture that you add your own veggies and meats to.

For meats, I alternate between beef, chicken, turkey, and canned salmon. Sometimes they can have what we have for dinner, but other times I cook ground beef or turkey for them.

I make a veggie mixture of raw frozen green beans, carrots, and blueberries that I thaw and put in the food processor to coarsely chop before feeding. I make about three days worth at a time.

They get other things on the side like yogurt, watermelon, apples, sweet potatoes, etc. but the things listed above are the main components of their diet. I've been feeding this for a year now and I'm so glad now that this food poisoning problem has happened.

You can buy Sojos at the link below. I find it much easier than making it all from scratch. It contains no wheat or corn.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sojos European Style Dog Food

I just posted this in one of the other treads

This is a recipe for a meatloaf for dogs. They also have a vegetarian version on the site

Mable's Meat Loaf - meat eater's version
(makes two large loaves - 24 slices)

1 1/2 pounds Ground Beef , Venison, Chicken or Turkey
2 cups cooked & pureed Beans and/or Lentils- I use Pinto Beans
2 cups Corn Masa Harina Flour (corn flour)- Masa Harina is a fortified, fine ground corn flour that has been partially precooked in lime water (which makes it easier to digest). It is usually used for making tortillas and tamales and can be found in the ethnic (Mexican) section of most grocery stores. If you cannot find it, you can substitute regular corn meal.
1 cups Rolled Oats (I buy in bulk)
4 cups cooked rice (I buy in bulk)
1 cup wheat germ (I buy in bulk)
1 - 2 cups liquid (water, milk, whey, stock, etc) - This amount will vary depending on the moisture content of your other ingredients.
2 eggs
2 cups (1 lb.) vegetables, pureed - You can use any vegetable. It's good to vary ingredients because variety in diet contributes to good health. I usually use frozen mixed vegetables, peas or broccoli. I buy them is a really big bags (it's cheaper that way) , thaw, puree in my food processor, divide into 2 Cup portions and refreeze for future use.
3 tsp. garlic (granulated)
3 tsp. Calcium Citrate -OR- 6 tsp. egg shell powder - a source of necessary calcium
1/2 tsp. salt substitute (potassium chloride) - a source of necessary potassium - you can find this in any grocery store where they sell salt.
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup ketchup (optional- not for use with diabetics)
6 tsp. Herbal Nutritional Supplement (optional, but highly recommended)
other optional supplements if necessary such as Arthritis & Joint Support mix, Glucosamine, MSM, Kelp, etc. (Mable got 1 1/2 tsp. of Glucosamine & 1 1/2 tsp. of MSM - Note: reports now suggest not giving glucosamine to diabetics)
It is important that your dog should also receive a good dog multi-vitamin each day (a vitamin formulated specifically for dogs, not humans), either as a powder mixed into this loaf, or a tablet given as a treat.
In a very large bowl. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together very well. (Since ground meats differ in consistency, you may need to add more liquid). Put into two large loaf pans and spread out evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool and store in the refrigerator. Makes 12 slices per loaf.

To serve, slice and cut into bite sized chunks. You can also slice off servings, put in ziplock bags and freeze them for later use.

Measurement of the loaf pans I use:
measurement taken from bottom of pan: 8 1/4" X 4 1/4"
measurement taken from top of pan: 9 1/4" X 5 1/4"
height: 2 3/4"
I bought my pans at Wal-Mart.
Serving amount:
You will have to adjust to fit the caloric needs of your own dog. See the Daily Caloric Requirements for Adult Dogs chart.

Mable, who was a 60 pound Basset Hound got two slices, twice a day (a breakfast and a dinner for a total of four slices per day). She also received other nutritionally adjusted home made foods (such as Mable's Peanut Butter Bones) throughout the day which contribute to her proper daily caloric intake.

Nutritional Breakdown for four slices
(one sixth of total recipe)
(made with ground beef)

(this recipe makes two large loaves total and I divide it into 24 slices)
Calories in four slices: 837
(one slice would have 210)

20% from Protein
33% from Fat
48% from Carb
Vit C 7 mg
Phos 659 mg
Calcium 1849 mg
Iron 10 mg
Protein 41 g Sodium 534 mg
Potassium 1350 mg
Tot Fat 31 g Magnesium 179 mg
Sat Fat 11 g Zinc 9 mg
Mono Fat 12 g Copper 1 mg
Poly Fat 4 g Manganese 4 mg
Carb 100 g Selenium 64 ug
Fiber 15 g Vit A 2739 IU
Ash 5 g Vit E 1 mg ATE
Cholesterol 167 mg Thiamin 1 mg
Vit B6 1 mg Riboflavin 1 mg
Folate 268 ug Niacin 13 mg
Vit B12 3 ug Pantothenic Acid 2 mg

Here is a link that might be useful: Molly's Herbals

Mamabear, I'm not an expert but it does seem that I have read that corn and wheat are big no-no's for dogs. It's one reason why premium dogfoods don't include those filler ingredients. You might want to research it some. Dogs are carnivores...

I'm no expert either, but I spent a lot of time researching on the net when I decided to change my dogs' diets to whole foods.

Wheat and corn frequently cause allergies and that's why they may not be a good idea. Although dogs are carnivores, in the wild they do eat the contents of their prey's stomach which would be nutritionally equivalent to feeding grains from what I read. That's why I use a grain mixture with my meat and vegetable ingredients.

There are some vegetables that dogs can't digest. They tend to pass through them whole and they get no value from them. They are ones like corn, peas, lima beans, etc. that have a shell around them. I don't feed a frozen vegetable mix for this reason.

Veggies do need to be pulverized in the blender (or a juicer) to break down the cell walls so that they can absorb the nutrients.

This was just a suggestion. No all dogs are allergic to corn and/or wheat and the owners usually know if they are and would avoid this.

I am not an expert but I did research this and my dog will eat everything on the ingredient list and she does not have any allergies.

Excellent contribution Mammabear.

Points mentioned that need clarification:

1.- Dogs are not carnivores like cats, dogs are omnivorous. True carnivores like cats have special dietary needs because they cant transform other aminoacids into taurine and triptofan, dogs can do such transformation.

2.- Vegetables are not a sources of nutrition, vegetables are a source of fiber, specially one type of fiber, fructo-oligo-saccarids, any vegetable can be used.

3.- Corn, wheat, rice are souces of carbohidrates, the three of them can ( it´s not the same can than will ) cause allergies, but that doesn´t mean they will cause them on every single pet, not all dogs are allergic. If it happens that the dog begins to show signs of allergy then substitute those grains for alternate sources of carbohidrates like potatoes.

4.- SKIP THE KETCHUP, it contains sugar ( saccarose ) or high fructose as edulcorant; dogs can´t transform the 5 carbon molecule of fructose found in the disaccarid saccarose into a 6 carbon molecule of glucose, but the intestinal bacteria can digest the fructose which causes flatulence and lowers the intestinal Ph which can cause also diarreah.

5.- Garlic is fine, onion is not, onion is toxic to dogs.

Thank you Raul

I don't agree that it doesn't matter which vegetables you feed or that they provide nothing but fiber.

Also, white potatoes aren't recommended because dogs can't digest their high starch content. I had a dog years ago that only ate homemade food. The previous owner had simply shared whatever he was eating. If I fed him a mixture containing potatoes, after he ate he would throw them up, but nothing else.

Garlic has to be used sparingly because if you give too much, it can cause dermatitis and asthma.

From the site of one holistic dog food company:

Yes, dogs are carnivores. There are many degrees to carnivores. They are not a "true" carnivore like a cat but more a secondary carnivore. They need vegetables as well as meat to provide the correct metabolism and pH of body fluids. Meat provides protein in order to rebuild muscle tissue (heart, lungs, joints, ligaments, tendons, throat, etc.) and to keep the immune system going. Protein or more importantly amino acids provide a variety of jobs within the body. Meat is the best source of protein. Meat also provides essential fatty acids, vitamins ( b-complex, A, E, D, etc.), minerals (Mg, Zn, Cu, Chr, Se, etc), enzymes, co-enzymes, co-factors, etc. Vegetables also provide protein, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, fiber, etc. Cats can eat more meat then dogs because they have a different body pH requirement. There are other anatomical differences too. The bottom line is dogs and cats are carnivores and they need meat in order to survive and feel well.