Preparing pet food - weird question..

I'm having a lot of trouble preparing my dog's dinner! I'm vegan for health reasons only (also maybe some ethical/over-farming reasons), not animal cruelty reasons, but over time the smell and feel of meat has begun to disgust me. My dog has a medical problem where she needs to have a small pill mixed in with her twice a day feed. She also has very dry skin and the vet recommends fresh meat for one feed, with a small amount of dry biscuits. So for her evening meal I have to open a packet of fresh beef mince, cook it and mix in a crushed pill and biscuits with my hands (not a fork - vets advice)! I use gloves but the smell and the feel really makes me heave. And the smell lingers around the house for an hour or so. Plus, I have to store any unused meat in my fridge, near to my non-meat meals. This is all recent; before her medical problem she was eating the dry biscuits which I was sort of okay with.

Does anyone else feel ill when making their pet's food, or is it just me? If so, any tips to get over it? Of course, I'd never stop feeding her what's best for her so for now I guess I'll just keep feeling like throwing up whenever it's her diner time!

I'm afraid I cant offer any tips, My dog is actually raw fed because of health issues and sometimes it really grosses me out the things I have to feed her to keep her diet balanced. I just remind myself, that it is natural for animals to eat this way. Anyway, for the skin issue, ask your vet about salmon oil, it has worked wonders for mine.

I would ask your vet why she needs the meat? Maybe there is something in the meat that you could find a replacement for, like if it is protein, vitamin e, or omega fatty acids then there is definitely products out there.

There are also items online or in stores to help with dog's dry skin like supplements or shampoos that may spare you having to prepare any meat. Also brushing helps dogs produce natural oils.

Hope any of this helps.

Ok, this may sound odd, but as a nurse I have lots of experience with bad smells and things that gross me out. If I know before I go into a room that I am going to be smelling something awful I rub some VICKs or other menthol rub under my nose. Just a little line right under the nostrils and you are in business! Or, chewing cinnimon gum can help too. When we went to the salmon run as kids (where literal thousands of dead/decomposing salmon are lying all over the beach) they gave us all cinnimon and it did help. The VICKs is better though. As for the house and the fridge, airing out the room, using deodorizing spray, and washing the dog bowl right after the meal can help alot. You can also but fresh cut lemons and baking soda in the fridge. The baking soda absorbs the smells, and the lemon keeps everything smelling nice. I really respect that you want the best possible thing for your dog. I know a lot of vegetarians that have trouble feeding their dogs meat, but I do really believe it is the best and most natural food for them. Good luck!

For starters it doesn't have to be freshly cooked every single day. I'm a meat-eater and I still find the smell of cooking ground beef overwhelming if it's unseasoned (and I assume that since it's for your dog it's plain.) Cook up as much ground beef as you can handle at a time, divide it up into serves, and either keep it in the refrigerator or the freezer depending on how many days worth you're doing at once. If it's in a sealed container it's not going to contaminate your food, and you won't have to handle it over and over again. And I honestly don't see why mixing the medicine and dog biscuits in with your hands does any better job than a fork or a spoon! If you mix it in well enough it's mixed whatever implement you use.

I don't know the right answer, but using the Vicks sounds to me like it would work great.  I will keep that in mind when changing a grand childs stinky diapers too!

Did your vet tell you that you have to cook the meat?

It might at least save you some time to feed it raw. All 3 of my cats eat raw and they are very healthy and they like it.

Original Post by darlingdraven:

I would ask your vet why she needs the meat? Maybe there is something in the meat that you could find a replacement for, like if it is protein, vitamin e, or omega fatty acids then there is definitely products out there.

 Dogs (and cats) are carnivores.  The have to eat meat to live.  There is no substitute.  Nutritional needs for dogs are totally different that those for humans.  It's cruel to deny them what they need. 

Perhaps a vegetarian pet, like a rabbit, would be better for those who can't deal with their carniverous pet.

You know, instead of using your hands you could put it in a plastic bag and knead it. Your vet might be asking you to avoid using a fork because the metal might interact with the medicine. So I would ask if plastic bags are okay, if not maybe a wooden spoon. For the dry skin, raw eggs and fish oil work very well.

As I said before, I make my own cat food per my vets advice and have been doing it for years. They are all healthy and happy with it. If you know what you are doing it can be easy and safe.

Here is what I do-I shop for my meat at a raw pet food specialty store. I shop at a local store, here is their website www.meatforcatsanddogs.com I buy chicken, turkey and pheasant. The birds are ground including bones and organs, minus the breast and feathers. (You have to feed bone or calcium supplements, organs and muscle meat or you will severely deprive your animal resulting in serious problems.) I open the raw frozen packages and divide the meat into 1-2 days worth of food and put them in freezer bags.

In a large bowl I mix the non meat items:

1 can pure pumpkin

a few free range organic egg yolks

some cooked and smashed cranberries and blueberries

Vitamin C powder made especially for animals

A tablespoon of Barley Cat (dried barley juice)

Vitamin E

a few squirts grapefruit seed extract

(sometimes) small amounts of finely chopped or grated veggies that they like if I need to use it. Zucchini, carrot tops, tyme and sweet potato are all good choices. Do not use grapes, onions, raw salmon, non-whole grains or any sugar. Never feed cooked bone.

I add a little of the non-meat mix to the meat baggies and freeze. Any left overs are frozen in covered ice cube trays (for portion sizing) for later use.

When it its time to feed everything is ready to go. Just thaw and knead one of the baggies and add some loose pet vitamins and a couple capsules of fish oil to each bowl.

We buy the meat and do all the separating and mixing every 1-2 months which takes about 1 hour. Feeding time takes less than 5 minutes. I try to feed them something different each time.  Occasionally I will feed a pre-made raw food of venison (natures Variety brand) or quality canned food made of beef or New Zealand Brush Tail for convenience and variety. My friend feeds only Nature's Variety Beef (brand) to her dog due to his allergies and he is doing very well on it. There is another brand called Primal which is organic. Pre-made raw foods are wonderful but very expensive.

The cost is very low for the method I use. For 2lbs of turkey or chicken I pay about $2-3. Pheasant is about $8 per 2 lbs. All of the turkey and chicken are free range and antibiotic free. The pheasant is wild caught (so it is seasonal). In all the supplements cost about $20 each year. The fish oil, fruits, veggies and eggs are all very inexpensive as well.

I know this post is long but wrote it hoping that you could take something out of it for your own use or that or might help somebody else. It is a very easy way to feed once you get your system going. Most importantly, I think it is best for their health as per my vet and from personal experience. You don't have to worry about tainted food ingredients like ie; the Menu foods fiasco. And it is probably the most "humane" meat based petfood you can buy. I would eventually like to find a more environmentally friendly way to store the frozen food though but we are very limited in space in a small apartment. I think a deep freezer and glass freezing jars are the best way if you have the means.

Original Post by clairelaine:

Original Post by darlingdraven:

I would ask your vet why she needs the meat? Maybe there is something in the meat that you could find a replacement for, like if it is protein, vitamin e, or omega fatty acids then there is definitely products out there.

 Dogs (and cats) are carnivores.  The have to eat meat to live.  There is no substitute.  Nutritional needs for dogs are totally different that those for humans.  It's cruel to deny them what they need. 

Perhaps a vegetarian pet, like a rabbit, would be better for those who can't deal with their carniverous pet.

I don't claim to be an expert on dogs, I was only trying to be helpful with her situation and non-judgemental.

I know there are mineral and vitamin supplements on the market also there are protein substitutes out there (I Googled it, there are several articles available.), you just have to have help in making it work for your dog's high demand for them.

Sometimes you have to change your dog's diet for allergy or skin reasons so it's not a question about cruelty because this person obviously loves her dog if she is asking for advice.

I'm really glad  lara_86 posted this subject, we are learning about it in nutrition. I hope things are better for you and your pooch, lara_86.

hey guys. i couldn't help but respond when i came across this post. i worked in a pet store for many years that specialized in pet nutrition. 

my two cents:

dogs and cats are obligate carnivores: they need meat to live. they do not need carbohydrates at all - they regulate their own blood sugar. so meat is a must.

raw is the way to go: i know it's gross, but they get so much more out of it nutritionally. you also don't have to worry about salmonella or problems with the meat for them - their stomachs are so acidic. i've never come across a dog with salmonella poisoning. 

if you really can't handle the raw, there is a food called evo which is grain free and probably the closest thing to a raw food kibble on the market. google nutrapet. 

if your dog has dry skin and it's year round (if it is not year round, it is probably seasonal allergies) , then chances are, it is an allergy to grain. 90% of food allergies are grain-related. cut out the biscuits and wait for 4-6 weeks and see if the skin improves. fish oil is also the really good for the skin. 

are you treating your dog with a flea treatment such as advantage or program? vets tend to recommend them to high-heaven, but they really are a very harsh chemical and many dogs have skin problems and allergic reactions because of them. 

other thing to keep in mind: most vets are not trained in pet nutrition. on average, they get about one day of nutrition info in vet school and that day is funded by kibble companies such as hills, science diet, etc. - foods which are stuffed with fillers and crap-protein sources. 

your best bet is finding out what works best for your pup by doing your own research. you'll work it out :)