Here are two homemade food recipes for your animals. I made the Mutt Meatballs this weekend and my dog gave me a whole new look of appreciation when she tried them.


Mutt Meatballs


Preheat oven / toaster oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the following ingredients together in a mixing bowl:

½ pound ground beef
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 carrot finely chopped (approx. ½ to ¾ cup)
½ cup bread crumbs
1 egg whisked
1 teaspoon tomato paste

After mixing the ingredients scoop out by the spoonful and roll into mini-size meatballs.

Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet and bake 15 – 20 minutes, and then store in the refrigerator.


*** SUBSTITUTIONS***

For this recipe I substituted the egg with ¼ cup of Egg Beaters, and the tomato paste with a squirt of ketchup. For the bread crumbs I used the seasoned kind because it was what I had, and I figured we all like some flavor in our food.


My dog is a white Labrador retriever, and she is considered a large dog @ 55 to 60 lbs. so the meatballs I made where a little more people sized. A total of 10 meatballs out of this recipe so I think by doubling it I could easily get 20+ out of the batch.

Next time I am going to make a batch with ground turkey and use the tomato paste to see how that goes over.



A Feast for a Feline

1 cup water
1/3 cup dry rice
2 teaspoons corn oil
½ teaspoon iodized salt
2/3 cup ground meat
1 tablespoon bone meal
2 tablespoons cooked liver

Bring water to a boil; add rice, corn oil and salt. Simmer 20 minutes. Cover the meat with bone meal and add with liver to the rice mixture. Simmer 15 minutes. Let cool and serve. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.



I haven’t had a chance to make A Feast for a Feline yet because I don’t know where to find bone meal or cooked liver (not interested in cooking liver-period.) If anyone out there can give me some insight on where to find those ingredients it would be much appreciated.

allstatenorthside said:

Cats do not need rice, corn oil or salt in the diet.

allstatenorthside said:

Give the cat raw meat its easier just make sure it is fresh, if you can not stomach doing that then cook the meat inlcuding the bones and inners then put in a meat grinder.

Thanks katt,

Someone sent me these recipes and I did not know that about the rice, corn oil, or salt. I just figured that was what was needed to have everything come together.

If I give my cats raw meat won't that cause worms?

I have been buying Fancy Feast for them and switched their dry to the Brandon Farms Organics. They do not like the Brandon Farms can food.

allstatenorthside said:

Nope always freeze or cook the meat first, freezing kill any bad bacteria then defrost when giving raw. Or just cook at high temp.

I personally do not understand why anyone would want 2 add cheese, bread crumbs, egg and tomato paste 2 the dog’s meal unless it’s for a special occasion.

Cooked meat and bone meal with pureed vegetables with added herbs in is all that needs done, dogs need bone meal in diet so get a good quality meat grinder and grind the meat and bones.

That's what I was thinking. . .where is the nutritional value? I give her a vitamin and a joint supplement but I would rather her get that nutrition in her regular food. Growing up we would never give people food for any occasion other than a major holiday. So you would consider this a holiday treat food then? The person that gave me this recipe thinks this should be a daily can food. . .I am trying to be polite, an outside oppinion is appriciated.

So I have been giving her Brandon Farms dry and canned which is just straight organic ingredients, but the price is killing me!



Thank you I will try that, only I have to look into a meat grinder. . .yuk. Sometimes you have to sacrifice for the ones you love I guess.

So the bones ground up doesn't hurt their digestive track?

Work Wonders Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale
Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health by Tom Lonsdale
Website: http://www.rawmeatybones.com/

The Barf DietFor Cats and Dogs by Ian Billinghurst
Give Your Dog a Bone The Practical Commonsense Way to Feed Dogs by Ian Billinghurst.
Website: http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/
Website: http://www.barfworld.com/

Oh. I thought this was one of those diets of eating dogs or cats and the different recipes you can make out of them.

Way cool. . . thank you.

Sorry. . .that's the Thai cuisine forum.

allstatenorthside said:

Best done when raw and ground the meat and bone up very very small or even powder like if that gives u peace of mind. I personally would never give an animal any cooked bone as cooked bones splinter. If u check the websites I gave u Tom's 1 has a good .pdf files u can print out and read.

Tell ur friend s/he could be hurting her animal by going down a route like that she should seek qualified vet and animal nutritionist if she s/he cant afford this either purchase books or go into a library and research, oh and tell her don’t believe all you read on websites, research- research- research and always seek medical help. If your going 2 give vitamins, minerals tablets etc just make sure your know the correct weight of ur animal so an accident of over dosing does not happen.

I am pre-warning U I am about 2 nag

Always get regular weight and health checks at you vet

Raw diets CAN cause foodborne illness, and freezing will not always prevent that. Please don't believe everything you read from people on the internet. Talk to your vet.

Everyone of us take a risk each day when we eat be it processed or home cooked foods.
People eat raw foods or raw/rare meat everyday you can get food born illness from tainted water.; it also depends on where you got the meat from and how it was slaughtered prepared hygiene practices etc, and the important part is how good your hygiene practices are, Cleaning, Cooking, Preparing.

HereToRockYourWorld said:

oh lawd we are starting on this again, i agree totally with Katt...
i dont know why you keep quoting the "not believing everything you read on the internet thing", it is very condascending, we can afford books just like you.

instead of criticising others advice why dont you suggest alternatives, it will be far more constructive.

i have over 15 years of experience in nutrition, coming from an athletic background and have researched
extensively the right foods to feed my animals and myself.

vets on the other hand are experts on taking my money and know nothing or very little about nutrition.

eraclito said:

Kinda like Best Buy salespeople when you ask them about computers?

JediTodd said:

totally, we are on the same page brotha

and watch out for that 5 year warranty they will try and pin on ya...

I keep reminding people not to believe everything they read on the internet because I've encountered so many people who DO. I want people to understand that the opinions expressed here are not universally accepted.

As for the details/facts, I've discussed them ad nauseum, I'm not going there again.

Thanks for the advice and resources on this katt / eraclito. I have decided against the meat grinder for now, and am sticking with the more expensive organics until I can set up my kitchen properly.

I can salsa and sauces in the fall so I definitly know the importance of storing properly, but meat is different.

Common sense is key when it comes to internet info, and I appriciate the look out HereToRockYourWorld.