Homemade puppy food - vitamin/mineral supplements

skintandscared_2

Hi,

After buying loads of different puppy foods, and having to smother them all with my homemade chicken and rice to get pupster to even glance at them, I've given in and am now exploring making his food myself.

Yesterday I found a recipe online and cooked up a stockpot full of brown rice, carrots, peas, sprout leaves, broccoli, apple and olive oil. The intention is that that's the "base" of the food and for each meal and I'll then add chicken, fish, boiled eggs, etc. When portioned up, I worked out that this base food recipe cost about 25p per day.

Well last night he had his first portion of mummy's cooking and I mixed it with some chopped cooked chicken from our roast bird. For the first time EVER he stuck his head in the bowl and ate the lot himself. I nearly cried!!!

I'm now going to look for more puppy food recipes!!

In the meantime, though, I appreciate that he must have the extra minerals and vitamins at least up to the age of 1, while he's still developing. Can anyone recommend a good powder or droplet supplement that I can add to his food?

Many thanks

skintandscared_2

A colleague has recommended this stuff:

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-supplements-cat-supplements-multi-vitamin-and-mineral-c-5_222/sf-50-powder-stress-formula-supplement-p-5807

I think the "stress" thing can be interpreted as in a bodily-stressful time, such as growth, as it's recommended for growing pupsters. I think with just 1/4 tspn a day in his food, this would last quite a while.

rising_from_the_ashes

Out of curiosity what were you feeding him / what brands had you tried?

He should certainly have eaten good quality meats - things like Wainwrights / Nature Diet trays, Rocco / Arden Grange / Rinti etc tins

It's not necessary to feed specific puppy food as long as you feed good quality foods instead - I'm afraid you could be storing up a whole host of problems for later by letting him choose what to eat



It might seem great making HM foods just now but (and I speak from experience), it can get to be a bit .... tying - especially if you need someone to look after him for any reason of if you're unwell and can't make it

skintandscared_2

wet food, we've tried naturediet, all the flavours of Forthglade and a tin of Royal Canin puppy appetising food. Dry, we've tried Eden, Arden Grange, Purina Beta, Purina Proplan(?) and Royal Canin puppy. He hasn't really shown much interest in any of them. I even bought a co-op "gourmet" pouch and a little Bakers tin, thinking maybe he's a junk food dog and wants the cheapy stuff, but he wouldn't even have a lick of that LOL!

littlesnuggy

Have you considered seeing if he'll eat raw food? Would save you having to cook everything and is a very natural diet. My in laws' dogs can't wait to lick my pug's bowl once he's had his meal, which is raw mince of some variety for breakfast and usually chicken wings for dinner, with offal added in a few times a week.

Sukey

Some great recipes for dogs of all ages in Dogs Dinner by Henrietta Morrison (founder of Lily's Kitchen dog food). My dogs all absolutely love the recipes and you can always tweak them to suit the ingredients you have in.

nonnatus

I second Sukey's suggestion! The Lily's Kitchen dog foods are terrific. My kids joke that the tinned meats smell good enough for humans to enjoy!!
Expensive, certainly, but a little goes a long way. I don't know what size your dog is?

skintandscared_2

Our 7 month pup is small - scruffy Jack Russell cross, so never going to be a big dog. Thanks for the suggestions. I read yesterday that Jack Russells are one of the pickier dogs when it comes to food (tell me something I don't know!)