Canine Nutrition. Canine nutrition like human nutrition is a controversial topic. In 2023 I took another look into both human and Canine nutrition. It first started with wanting to explore some human health areas. How to live longer, how to avoid Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease, Fatty Liver, and other health areas. I did a deep dive into these areas and came up with a thread that ran through all of them, and that was nutrition.
I figured that there were probably new and better information on dog health as well so I did a dive into this area as well. I even got the book “The Forever Dog” by Rodney Habib and DR. Karen Shaw Becker.
You Tube and Google were my main search tools, and there is more information than one could shake a stick at. There is so much information that one can get information overload. Separating the wheat from the chaff as with so many things is always the hard part.
I went into the search with my already formed ideas on Canine nutrition, and what I had learned about my human health searches. It would seem that much of what I learned about human health and nutrition is directly transferable to Canine health and nutrition.
In both human and canine health nutrition is the key. Also whether it's living longer or preventing diseases nutrition is also the key. Not only what one eats but also what one does not eat. This is something that vegetarians to Carnivores agree on. They might not agree on what to eat but they all seem to agree on what you should not eat. They also agree that being overweight is a huge health problem.
We all have learned that sugar is bad for you and we understand that it would also be bad for our canine friends. What many may not know is how natural foods high in sugar affect us, or how carbohydrate are turned into sugar or such effects as insulin resistance plays in health and weight retention.
New areas of health and nutrition such as the role of the gut microbiome, and gut bacteria and the role they play in health.
I encourage everyone reading this to do a study for themselves human health and nutrition with an emphasis on living longer and preventing diseases, there is simply to much to go into here without writing a book.
We feed our dogs both a dry dog food and a raw diet. We feed dry with raw added, to dry, raw, and veggies added. We always feed our expecting moms and nursing moms as well as the pups a raw or combination dry and raw. I followed the sled dogs and their nutritional needs.
Where to start? Let's take a look at dry dog food. Where does canine health stand after almost a hundred years of dry dog food? You would think that after all these years that everything needed for a healthy dog would be in a dry dog food and therefore dogs would be healthier and live longer. Let's look and see if this is the case.
In short it's just not the case. Dogs are not living longer and the rate of diseases are sky rocketing. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs, and the rate of cancer is way up. Approx. 1 in 3 dogs will be diagnosed with cancer during its lifetimes, half of the dogs over ten years of age die from or with it. Much of what is known about canine cancers closely parallels what is known about human cancers according to “The Forever Dog”. Other areas such as epilepsy, obesity, kidney and liver disease, autoimmune disorders, arthritis, cardiovascular, immune, cognitive decline and many other health issues are rising as well.
Before we look at nutrition lets take a look at other areas regarding health such as proper weight, exercise, sleep, fresh water, parents with good genes, stress, avoiding contaminates, and stimulation. These are all areas of concern that you should look into and research. Now lets move onto nutrition.
Let's start with dry dog food. Is dry dog food good for your dog? The short answer is probably not, but some are better than others and adding other ingredients will add health and years onto your dogs lives.
I read the book “The Forever Dog” and much of the information here is from the book, I however spent many hours on the arguments pro and con of dry dog food to raw dog food to everything in-between.
“Contrary to conventional wisdom, dogs don't have a carbohydrate requirement, and the average bag of grain-based food is often more that 50 percent carbs, largely from insulin raising corn or potatoes. That's like diabetes in a bowl of kibble, with “”cides”” (i.e., pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides). In addition to corn being rich in carbohydrates, it raises blood sugar levels in dogs quickly and it's heavily sprayed receiving 30 percent of all agricultural chemicals used in the United States. Grain free dog food fares no better, at about 40 percent sugars and starches, on average. Don't be fooled by the “”grain free”” labeling that seemingly shouts “”healthy.”” Some grain free kibbles has the most starch of any pet food. The labeling practices in the pet food world rival the deceptions we see in our grocery stores, as you'll soon learn. A Starch heavy diet sets the stage for a host of degenerative diseases that can be avoided by choosing less metabolically stressful foods.”” The Forever Dog.
Sugar, Starches, and Fibers: Sugar, glucose, fructose, galactose, and sucrose. Dogs can make glucose from protein in a process called gluconeogenesis, so sugar is unnecessary. Starches, chains of glucose molecules that turn into sugar in the digestive system. Fiber, roughage that our dogs can't absorb but is required for their gut bacteria to create a healthy microbiome.
It's hard not to jump around, and I'm hoping you will research further and come up with a plan for your canine friends. Let's push on. We over time have moved from whole foods to processed foods. This has been both for humans and canines. Neither humans or dogs do well on processed highly refined foods for a myriad of reasons. Dog food is even more processed than human food. There is nothing that even remotely resembles fresh food in dry dog food. Vitamins are destroyed in the repeated high heat cooking of dog food. Glyphoaste the main ingredient in Roundup has been found in almost if not every dog food manufactured, which is very devastating to dogs.
Our dogs often eat the same dog foods for most of their lives and have no choice in the manner, and it's our responsibility to do better by them. Human nutritionists recommend a less processed diet, and yet most veterinarians still recommend only a processed food.
Considering that the average vet gets little training in nutrition we might want to do our own research.
How long should dogs live? Many breeds of dogs should live to the healthy age of 20. The Guinness World Records has a 1910 Australian cattle dog living to the age of twenty nine years and five months. The one thing that both people and dogs can do to live longer is to eat better. Dogs are Carnivores and therefore cannot be vegans. They cannot digest carbs because they lack salivary amylase the enzyme that digests carbs. A calorie is not a calorie according to diet and obesity according to Dr. Jason Fong. Pancakes vs. a vegie omelet for example. Nutrition might be the most important environmental factor for health.
Remember also that the nutritional education that veterinary students do receive much as with medical students may be biased because courses are commonly taught by nutritionists endowed by commercial pet food conglomerates. Vets get their information largely from within the processed pet food industrial complex the manufactures of the very foods that contribute to poor animal health. Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse. Frankly it's even worse: The Fox is inside the henhouse. “The Forever Dog”.
It is clear that pet owner are afraid of taking matters into their own hands in fear that they will do more harm than good as well as a fear of contaminates, and the inability to produce a quality food. Many worry about being criticized by friends, family, and social groups. Many are concerned about the cost and time involved as well. Others have no idea on how to find the right foods, or how or what foods to add to their existing dry dog food. Many not even knowing that it's an acceptable practice. As well so many people have no idea of what a dog can and cannot eat. Most people have been told and believe that everything is bad for their dog. In truth and I will repeat it again, there are only 4 foods that a dog can't eat. Raisin and grapes, the onion family, macadamia nuts, and and chocolate. So you see the field is wide open.
So what's the next move? Raw, unadulterated food is what dogs evolved eating and they certainly haven't lost this evolutionary adaption in the last hundred years. This would be my first choice. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, organ meats, healthy fats, eggs and viggies would be a good start. Even if you only added some of these into your dogs dry food you could add years and health onto your dogs life.
You can make gently cooked fresh food which will give you remarkable health benefits. Reducing the amounts of ultra processed food consumption will be extremely beneficial.
Not all dog food brands are created equal and you should learn what the better ones are. There are also freeze dried, and frozen brands as well.
Protect the liver and feed the gut maybe the biggest factor in human health, and is huge factor in canine health as well. You do not get this from the average bag of dry dog food that contains ingredients that have been fractionated or isolated, refined, and heated an average of four times, making it by definition ultra, ultra, ultra, ultra processed. Add to this poor quality ingredients and you get a very poor quality food.
We have been told “don't feed your dog people food”, but that's simply not true, fresh food from the fridge is great for you and your dog, and they will love it. As a matter of fact almost everything that is good for you is good for your dog. For me it was search to find better health and a longer life that was so clear and believable that I knew the same foundation would be true for our dogs as well. This proved to be clearly the case.
What seems to be agreed upon is that sugars and refined foods are best to be eliminated. This is simple to understand, it might not be easy for you to do, but the foods are easy to identify. Anything with sugar, and all processed food should be eliminated. All sodas, candies, donuts, and processed food, if it's not a whole food it probably is not a good choice. That is a good start and you can build from there. You will learn about oils, good fats, meats, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and the sky is the limit. You can explore Keto, Carnivore, Vegetarian, and combinations. Exercise, sleep, stress, fasting, etc. are also a health factor.
For me is was Keto first, and then I tried Carnivore for 3 months, then back to Keto then a blend. I tried fasting for days as well as intermittent fasting. I went from 265 lbs to 213 and lost 5 built sizes. The 90 day Carnivore diet was a real eye opener and it let me know what could be done.
It was easy for me to understand that if I could experience such benefits then the dogs could to. Also in my research for better human health it became clear that if you wanted to live longer, stay clear minded, cure or prevent diabetes, prevent cancer, not get fatty liver, prevent insulin resistance, loose weight, reduce stress, slow aging, reduce inflammation, ect. the answer remained the same. Start with eating better. The same applies to your family and friends as well as your dogs.
Where to start, well start where you are. Learn as much as you can, if you are to pre occupied with meaningless entertainment that you can't study to make yourself healthier, and your dog healthier may God help you. For you it's going to be harder because you are addicted to sugar, carbohydrates, and processed foods. You will have to have some will power. For you dog or dogs it's just a matter of money, time, and education.
When I say start where you are I also mean start by adding good food to your dogs food. Raw eggs with the shells smashed up is a great place to start. From there add some fish and or fish oil. Some chicken, beef, lamb, goat, wild game, other fowl, liver, heart, and almost any kind of veggies. Berries and the list is endless. Remember no chocolate, grapes or raisins, macadamia nuts or any of the onion family. Almost everything else is a go.
Keep the weight off your dog and get them some exercise. If you have left overs feel free to give them to your dog. When I grew up that's what dogs were for, to eat the left overs.
What will be the benefits? First you will feel better about yourself, and your dog will love you for it. Every dog I know of and this includes every German Shorthair loves food. It's a real treat for them. Also remember to change dog food brands, eating the same brand has been found not to be as good for them as changing it up. Also dogs should be eating a food that is much higher in moisture so feel free to soak your dog food the old saying that dogs need dry dog food to keep their teeth clean does not seem to be true. Look into canned, freeze dried, cooked, and frozen foods as well. The better foods are out there. You can do this.
Your dog will live longer, and we all want our dogs to live a longer healthier pain and disease free lives. Ever added year is a blessing to them and of corse us as well. There will be less cancer, joint problems, seizures, and a heather mind and body. The dog will be able to heal itself as well.
Man and dogs have lived together for thousands of years and dogs during most of that time have ate what we ate, so it makes since to continue this.
I will not tell you exactly how to feed your dog but I will give you some pointers and let you know how I often do it and what I like and how I like doing it.
I like a raw diet, and meat is always the main ingredient. Beef is always a great choice but chicken is my go too. 10 pound bags of chicken, each bag has about ten pieces, each piece is a leg, thigh, and half of a chicken back, each piece comes with the skin on. These bags cost about 69 cents a pound. This is the foundation ingredient. The bones and marrow in the bones are also very good for the dogs. This will be the foundation food for the moms and pups as well. These also can be fed whole or cut up to each dog as well as young pups. I however run them through a meat grinder of Ninja blender. The blender will make a soft paste very quickly. From there I will add a pound of raw liver, a dozen eggs, a one pound whole fish, head scales and all. The fish I gut and cook. Fish are easier to work with after they are well cooks. If I don't have fish I use fish oil or fish meal. I'm a big believer in fish. Now for the veggies, they can be most anything. If you make friends with the grocer they may save different items for you. I also always have a 50 pound bag a powdered goat of cows milk and I often add that and I often mix up a five gallon bucket of milk and let them go after it. Sour cream, cottage cheese, real cheese are also very good. For veggies and berries the better ones are often the same ones that are very good for you. I grind up whole avocados seeds, shin and all. The sky is the limit but remember that the meat makes up from 80 to 90 percent of the food. I love eggs, chicken, fish, and liver and they are almost always on hand.
Our dogs are very active and are always running around, we don't have kennels and we often go on one to three outdoor hunting adventure a day, and often water and swimming are involved. I do most often free feed a dry dog food that is always available to them. It's not the best idea but old habits are hard to break and with 20 to 30 dogs I also fall into the convenience thing. That said for the last 15 years or more I have always fed the expecting moms, nursing moms and pups the above motioned raw diet.
If however I only had a few dogs or was not always on the move with them I would feed almost 100 a raw or slightly cooked food. There however have been years when I have had multiple freezers and refrigerators full with hundreds of pound of meat and vegetables that I used to make the dog food every day. It kind of becomes a labor of love, but I feel it's well worth it.
Anyway I hope this sparks some thoughts and helps you in a journey for better health for both you and your dog.
I figured that there were probably new and better information on dog health as well so I did a dive into this area as well. I even got the book “The Forever Dog” by Rodney Habib and DR. Karen Shaw Becker.
You Tube and Google were my main search tools, and there is more information than one could shake a stick at. There is so much information that one can get information overload. Separating the wheat from the chaff as with so many things is always the hard part.
I went into the search with my already formed ideas on Canine nutrition, and what I had learned about my human health searches. It would seem that much of what I learned about human health and nutrition is directly transferable to Canine health and nutrition.
In both human and canine health nutrition is the key. Also whether it's living longer or preventing diseases nutrition is also the key. Not only what one eats but also what one does not eat. This is something that vegetarians to Carnivores agree on. They might not agree on what to eat but they all seem to agree on what you should not eat. They also agree that being overweight is a huge health problem.
We all have learned that sugar is bad for you and we understand that it would also be bad for our canine friends. What many may not know is how natural foods high in sugar affect us, or how carbohydrate are turned into sugar or such effects as insulin resistance plays in health and weight retention.
New areas of health and nutrition such as the role of the gut microbiome, and gut bacteria and the role they play in health.
I encourage everyone reading this to do a study for themselves human health and nutrition with an emphasis on living longer and preventing diseases, there is simply to much to go into here without writing a book.
We feed our dogs both a dry dog food and a raw diet. We feed dry with raw added, to dry, raw, and veggies added. We always feed our expecting moms and nursing moms as well as the pups a raw or combination dry and raw. I followed the sled dogs and their nutritional needs.
Where to start? Let's take a look at dry dog food. Where does canine health stand after almost a hundred years of dry dog food? You would think that after all these years that everything needed for a healthy dog would be in a dry dog food and therefore dogs would be healthier and live longer. Let's look and see if this is the case.
In short it's just not the case. Dogs are not living longer and the rate of diseases are sky rocketing. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs, and the rate of cancer is way up. Approx. 1 in 3 dogs will be diagnosed with cancer during its lifetimes, half of the dogs over ten years of age die from or with it. Much of what is known about canine cancers closely parallels what is known about human cancers according to “The Forever Dog”. Other areas such as epilepsy, obesity, kidney and liver disease, autoimmune disorders, arthritis, cardiovascular, immune, cognitive decline and many other health issues are rising as well.
Before we look at nutrition lets take a look at other areas regarding health such as proper weight, exercise, sleep, fresh water, parents with good genes, stress, avoiding contaminates, and stimulation. These are all areas of concern that you should look into and research. Now lets move onto nutrition.
Let's start with dry dog food. Is dry dog food good for your dog? The short answer is probably not, but some are better than others and adding other ingredients will add health and years onto your dogs lives.
I read the book “The Forever Dog” and much of the information here is from the book, I however spent many hours on the arguments pro and con of dry dog food to raw dog food to everything in-between.
“Contrary to conventional wisdom, dogs don't have a carbohydrate requirement, and the average bag of grain-based food is often more that 50 percent carbs, largely from insulin raising corn or potatoes. That's like diabetes in a bowl of kibble, with “”cides”” (i.e., pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides). In addition to corn being rich in carbohydrates, it raises blood sugar levels in dogs quickly and it's heavily sprayed receiving 30 percent of all agricultural chemicals used in the United States. Grain free dog food fares no better, at about 40 percent sugars and starches, on average. Don't be fooled by the “”grain free”” labeling that seemingly shouts “”healthy.”” Some grain free kibbles has the most starch of any pet food. The labeling practices in the pet food world rival the deceptions we see in our grocery stores, as you'll soon learn. A Starch heavy diet sets the stage for a host of degenerative diseases that can be avoided by choosing less metabolically stressful foods.”” The Forever Dog.
Sugar, Starches, and Fibers: Sugar, glucose, fructose, galactose, and sucrose. Dogs can make glucose from protein in a process called gluconeogenesis, so sugar is unnecessary. Starches, chains of glucose molecules that turn into sugar in the digestive system. Fiber, roughage that our dogs can't absorb but is required for their gut bacteria to create a healthy microbiome.
It's hard not to jump around, and I'm hoping you will research further and come up with a plan for your canine friends. Let's push on. We over time have moved from whole foods to processed foods. This has been both for humans and canines. Neither humans or dogs do well on processed highly refined foods for a myriad of reasons. Dog food is even more processed than human food. There is nothing that even remotely resembles fresh food in dry dog food. Vitamins are destroyed in the repeated high heat cooking of dog food. Glyphoaste the main ingredient in Roundup has been found in almost if not every dog food manufactured, which is very devastating to dogs.
Our dogs often eat the same dog foods for most of their lives and have no choice in the manner, and it's our responsibility to do better by them. Human nutritionists recommend a less processed diet, and yet most veterinarians still recommend only a processed food.
Considering that the average vet gets little training in nutrition we might want to do our own research.
How long should dogs live? Many breeds of dogs should live to the healthy age of 20. The Guinness World Records has a 1910 Australian cattle dog living to the age of twenty nine years and five months. The one thing that both people and dogs can do to live longer is to eat better. Dogs are Carnivores and therefore cannot be vegans. They cannot digest carbs because they lack salivary amylase the enzyme that digests carbs. A calorie is not a calorie according to diet and obesity according to Dr. Jason Fong. Pancakes vs. a vegie omelet for example. Nutrition might be the most important environmental factor for health.
Remember also that the nutritional education that veterinary students do receive much as with medical students may be biased because courses are commonly taught by nutritionists endowed by commercial pet food conglomerates. Vets get their information largely from within the processed pet food industrial complex the manufactures of the very foods that contribute to poor animal health. Talk about the fox guarding the henhouse. Frankly it's even worse: The Fox is inside the henhouse. “The Forever Dog”.
It is clear that pet owner are afraid of taking matters into their own hands in fear that they will do more harm than good as well as a fear of contaminates, and the inability to produce a quality food. Many worry about being criticized by friends, family, and social groups. Many are concerned about the cost and time involved as well. Others have no idea on how to find the right foods, or how or what foods to add to their existing dry dog food. Many not even knowing that it's an acceptable practice. As well so many people have no idea of what a dog can and cannot eat. Most people have been told and believe that everything is bad for their dog. In truth and I will repeat it again, there are only 4 foods that a dog can't eat. Raisin and grapes, the onion family, macadamia nuts, and and chocolate. So you see the field is wide open.
So what's the next move? Raw, unadulterated food is what dogs evolved eating and they certainly haven't lost this evolutionary adaption in the last hundred years. This would be my first choice. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, organ meats, healthy fats, eggs and viggies would be a good start. Even if you only added some of these into your dogs dry food you could add years and health onto your dogs life.
You can make gently cooked fresh food which will give you remarkable health benefits. Reducing the amounts of ultra processed food consumption will be extremely beneficial.
Not all dog food brands are created equal and you should learn what the better ones are. There are also freeze dried, and frozen brands as well.
Protect the liver and feed the gut maybe the biggest factor in human health, and is huge factor in canine health as well. You do not get this from the average bag of dry dog food that contains ingredients that have been fractionated or isolated, refined, and heated an average of four times, making it by definition ultra, ultra, ultra, ultra processed. Add to this poor quality ingredients and you get a very poor quality food.
We have been told “don't feed your dog people food”, but that's simply not true, fresh food from the fridge is great for you and your dog, and they will love it. As a matter of fact almost everything that is good for you is good for your dog. For me it was search to find better health and a longer life that was so clear and believable that I knew the same foundation would be true for our dogs as well. This proved to be clearly the case.
What seems to be agreed upon is that sugars and refined foods are best to be eliminated. This is simple to understand, it might not be easy for you to do, but the foods are easy to identify. Anything with sugar, and all processed food should be eliminated. All sodas, candies, donuts, and processed food, if it's not a whole food it probably is not a good choice. That is a good start and you can build from there. You will learn about oils, good fats, meats, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and the sky is the limit. You can explore Keto, Carnivore, Vegetarian, and combinations. Exercise, sleep, stress, fasting, etc. are also a health factor.
For me is was Keto first, and then I tried Carnivore for 3 months, then back to Keto then a blend. I tried fasting for days as well as intermittent fasting. I went from 265 lbs to 213 and lost 5 built sizes. The 90 day Carnivore diet was a real eye opener and it let me know what could be done.
It was easy for me to understand that if I could experience such benefits then the dogs could to. Also in my research for better human health it became clear that if you wanted to live longer, stay clear minded, cure or prevent diabetes, prevent cancer, not get fatty liver, prevent insulin resistance, loose weight, reduce stress, slow aging, reduce inflammation, ect. the answer remained the same. Start with eating better. The same applies to your family and friends as well as your dogs.
Where to start, well start where you are. Learn as much as you can, if you are to pre occupied with meaningless entertainment that you can't study to make yourself healthier, and your dog healthier may God help you. For you it's going to be harder because you are addicted to sugar, carbohydrates, and processed foods. You will have to have some will power. For you dog or dogs it's just a matter of money, time, and education.
When I say start where you are I also mean start by adding good food to your dogs food. Raw eggs with the shells smashed up is a great place to start. From there add some fish and or fish oil. Some chicken, beef, lamb, goat, wild game, other fowl, liver, heart, and almost any kind of veggies. Berries and the list is endless. Remember no chocolate, grapes or raisins, macadamia nuts or any of the onion family. Almost everything else is a go.
Keep the weight off your dog and get them some exercise. If you have left overs feel free to give them to your dog. When I grew up that's what dogs were for, to eat the left overs.
What will be the benefits? First you will feel better about yourself, and your dog will love you for it. Every dog I know of and this includes every German Shorthair loves food. It's a real treat for them. Also remember to change dog food brands, eating the same brand has been found not to be as good for them as changing it up. Also dogs should be eating a food that is much higher in moisture so feel free to soak your dog food the old saying that dogs need dry dog food to keep their teeth clean does not seem to be true. Look into canned, freeze dried, cooked, and frozen foods as well. The better foods are out there. You can do this.
Your dog will live longer, and we all want our dogs to live a longer healthier pain and disease free lives. Ever added year is a blessing to them and of corse us as well. There will be less cancer, joint problems, seizures, and a heather mind and body. The dog will be able to heal itself as well.
Man and dogs have lived together for thousands of years and dogs during most of that time have ate what we ate, so it makes since to continue this.
I will not tell you exactly how to feed your dog but I will give you some pointers and let you know how I often do it and what I like and how I like doing it.
I like a raw diet, and meat is always the main ingredient. Beef is always a great choice but chicken is my go too. 10 pound bags of chicken, each bag has about ten pieces, each piece is a leg, thigh, and half of a chicken back, each piece comes with the skin on. These bags cost about 69 cents a pound. This is the foundation ingredient. The bones and marrow in the bones are also very good for the dogs. This will be the foundation food for the moms and pups as well. These also can be fed whole or cut up to each dog as well as young pups. I however run them through a meat grinder of Ninja blender. The blender will make a soft paste very quickly. From there I will add a pound of raw liver, a dozen eggs, a one pound whole fish, head scales and all. The fish I gut and cook. Fish are easier to work with after they are well cooks. If I don't have fish I use fish oil or fish meal. I'm a big believer in fish. Now for the veggies, they can be most anything. If you make friends with the grocer they may save different items for you. I also always have a 50 pound bag a powdered goat of cows milk and I often add that and I often mix up a five gallon bucket of milk and let them go after it. Sour cream, cottage cheese, real cheese are also very good. For veggies and berries the better ones are often the same ones that are very good for you. I grind up whole avocados seeds, shin and all. The sky is the limit but remember that the meat makes up from 80 to 90 percent of the food. I love eggs, chicken, fish, and liver and they are almost always on hand.
Our dogs are very active and are always running around, we don't have kennels and we often go on one to three outdoor hunting adventure a day, and often water and swimming are involved. I do most often free feed a dry dog food that is always available to them. It's not the best idea but old habits are hard to break and with 20 to 30 dogs I also fall into the convenience thing. That said for the last 15 years or more I have always fed the expecting moms, nursing moms and pups the above motioned raw diet.
If however I only had a few dogs or was not always on the move with them I would feed almost 100 a raw or slightly cooked food. There however have been years when I have had multiple freezers and refrigerators full with hundreds of pound of meat and vegetables that I used to make the dog food every day. It kind of becomes a labor of love, but I feel it's well worth it.
Anyway I hope this sparks some thoughts and helps you in a journey for better health for both you and your dog.