Hi

Has anybody had issues feeding their pups James Wellbeloved?  My 16 week old Cocker Spaniel has had it for over 3 weeks now and had been on antibiotics for a cough.  She had a really bad bout of the runs after the antibiotics so the vet gave her probiotic.  It didn't improve and I ended up with yet more antibiotics and we put her on chicken and rice.  Her stools firmed up nicely and she is now back on JWB (re-introduced gradually) and the issues seem to be starting again.  She is constantly straining to go and stools get looser as day goes on.  I am thinking of changing to Burns as I have read good things about it on this forum.  Any views?  Otherwise I am even considering cooking my own food.

I have also noticed a change in her behaviour since going back to JWB.  She is back to being snappy and a bit more naughty.  She wasn't like this on the chicken and rice, but that could be due to being a bit poorly.  She is just a puppy afterall!

Any advice welcomed!

Hello Super spaniel..

I would definately say that the food does not suit....as pups i always feed my dobes  Eukanuba ( dobes are renouned for gippy tummies)... and  had good results from it... but... you know how it is what suits one doesn't suit another...have a look at the ingredients in the JWB and try to look for a food with a different make up...  Lots of foods have colourings and preservatives in that don't suit ( just like in humans ) it may just be a trial and error thing....

Not sure how much help i've been...just wish i had the magic answer for you.

Good luck  and here's to many many years of happy spainelhood,.....

Love Lisa :-) :-)

Hi, l fed JWB to my dog when he was a pup and he had constant sloppy poohs covered in mucous, l then changed to a home made diet and his stools  improved straight away and  he has been fine ever since.

Hi,
I fed mine on JWB for years from puppy to adulthood , but about 6 months ago, all three started to have 'sloppy poo's' on and off. After reading some advice on here, I changed them to Arden Grange and Nature Diet and haven't looked back since. They all have nice firm poo's now. :-)

My female GSD was on JWB as a young pup but as I started to increase the amount she was on as she got older, her stools started to become loose. It wasnt because she was having more than what her body needed. (This can sometimes result in loose motions) So I switched her from JWB and I have also tried Burns, Arden Grange, Natures Menu and Nature Diet. The best I have found is Arden Grange. She is full of life on this food, has a good coat and good firm stools that are not offensive. She does prefer the *Natures Menu, however she was losing weight on this even though I increased the food to the recommended amount for a Giant Breed pup. The food just wasnt enough for her and on one occasion I caught her sniffing her stool and caught her just in time from eating it. So I changed her straight from Natures menu to Arden Grange as I felt she wasnt getting all the nutrients she needed in her particular case.

So for me, Arden Grange has been the best and I would certainly recommend it.

*edited to say, that it was the Natures Menu Complete (cooked meat, rice and vegetables) in the sachets, not the raw frozen food

We've for years fed raw, but because we go away a lot in the van we put our 2 on JWB. They both did well and were full of energy. Then one day OH brought home a sack of Wainwrights because, he said, the ingredients were almost the same and for half the price. Since changing over they are both a lot calmer, contented and their stools firmer. I have noticed the difference each food has had on them as we did change back briefly to JWB, on my insistance. The Dobe was a real handful then and seemed to buzz. Back on Wainwrights, she's fine.
It's amazing the difference certain foods can make.

I have twice tried to change, very gradually, to JWB, and both times my dogs got very runny poo. I am sure it was not a coincidence. It just doesnt suit some dogs.

Thanks for all the helpful replies.  I figured it must be the food and I don't want her to get such a bad tummy again, so am going to start changing it now.  Thanks for the advice on Arden Grange.  I haven't looked at that food but we have some really good specialist independant food suppliers locally and I know they sell this brand.  I was thinking about Natures Diet and might try this as a topper if she doesn't take to the dry.  Failing that I have decided that I will cook my own food in batches.  I would rather have a happy dog and a bit more work! 

Very interesting about the behaviour changing on different brands.  I was only saying last week how calm she was now and then within a day of being back on JWB she was hyperactive.

Now I have found this forum, I am sure I will be a regular visitor. 

thanks again
Sarah

Well now, my experience is the opposite to the other posters. My 17 week Irish Setter puppy was fed on Quantum by his breeder, but I wanted him on JWB. I changed him over gradually and he has never had a single sloppy poo. I'm using the Lamb and Rice recipe (Puppy) and I'm more than happy with it.

Dawn R.

I too thoroughly recomend Arden Grange, for the quality it is competitively priced and British.

Hi Super Spaniel, after my dog had the mucousy poohs on JWB l started cooking his food at home, chicken, lamb beef, venison, tripe, liver etc etc with a bit of veg and crushed eggshell for calcium and fish oil and vit E, he did really well on this and his poohs and coat and everything improved.
After a while l reduced the cooking time so he was eating raw in the end.
Personally l wouldnt feed my dog kibble again as l saw how much better he was on a home made diet and the best part was l knew exactly what he was eating, no additives or preservatives etc.
l would definately recommend it if you decide not to feed any type of kibble. But thats just my personal experience.
Good Luck.

Hi Barqhest

Thanks for the advice.  Did you add any stock to the home made food.  I have read recipes that say add thick gravy, but anything like bisto or oxo will surely have additives, including salt, which i don't think are so good.

Thanks
Sarah

Hi Sarah,
             no l personally wouldnt add gravy as it is full of salt and additives as you mentioned. Sometimes when l boil up some veg l use the water the veg are boiled in as a kind of soupy broth and would  put some of the broth and veg in my dogs bowl then add whatever meat he would be having for that meal.
When l was researching home cooked food l found lots of recipes that inclused grains and pasta and even soy etc, but that just seemed like a homemade version of commercial food. l think the grains etc are what cause alot of the pooh problems as dogs cant digest them.

So what l did was research raw feeding and followed those guidelines but gently steamed or blanched the meat instead, plus l added some veg, calcium to replace bone ( as lm sure you know never feed cooked bone ) a half teaspoon per pound of meat , Fish body oil and Vit E. Personally l had always wanted to feed raw and l tried the quick switch but my dog couldnt handle that so l chose cooking instead, although l would suggest leaving the meat slightly raw in the middle. Gradually l reduced the cooking time until he is now eating raw, although he still cant cope with raw bone too well so l am still using the eggshell for calcium.

l remember on one occasion when feeding JWB that a few pieces fell in the sink and later l inspected them when they had swollem up with water and l expected them to be like soggy biscuit, but they felt and looked like sponge, like what you would use to wash dishes with and it just seemed so unatural.
Making my dogs food is great and l would never buy processed food again.
Just make sure you give your dog a large variety of meats and offal and some veg if you like and l think you would be really pleased with the results.
let me know if you would like to know anything else. 

Thanks Barquest, that's really useful information.  I have also seen how the kibble swells up and thought the same.  I couldn't digest that, let alone a small puppy!

We have been having touble with JWB puppy too.  Our pup was weaned on it and had been doing well, but recently has been unable to eat even small amounts of it without having very upset tum.  She has had anti b's too, but vet sees no reason why she shouldn't be able to cope with food now.  We have been on Hills ID from the vet and are changing to Burns as we have been mixing this into the ID with success.

Our 11 year old has JWB senior and continues to do really well on it.

I always end up going back to Pro plan lamb and rice for my 2. I was trying to find food that was easier to get hold of such as JWB etc as I have to order the pro plan, but all the other foods seem to upset my boys tummy. He looses weight very quickly too, but once back on pro plan he starts to look fab again. He was weaned onto this and i think this is the one that suits him the most.

Hi Barquest

Can I ask you a couple more questions please.  After trying a little bit of Nature menu in her food for the last few days, it has convinced me to do home made food.  It looks like a bowl of mush and smell vile.  So today I have cooked my first batch and am adding this gradually to the James Wellbeloved, that i am phasing out.

Can you please tell me where you get your calcium powder and vitamins?  I have seen them both in tablet form in the local pet shop, but wondered if you buy them powdered?  I guess I can give her the vitamin tablets (the ones I saw were B & E combined).  I am going to look on line.  Also can the fish oil be a standard one that you can buy in a health food store, or does it need to be specifically for dogs?  Might sound like a stupid question but I am a novice on these kind of things!  Your help has been great thanks.

One last question, do you feed about the same sort of quantity as you would with a commercial wet food?  I am just guessing at the moment, but she loves home cooked chicken so much that she would just keep eating if she was full.  I don't want to over feed her.

Thanks
Sarah

It's a good job there is a lot of different brands on the market these days, as some just clearly don't suit some dogs.  My neice is feeding JWB to her two dogs and they get on great with it.  To be honest, that's why I tried it.  My pup was on Eukanuba and Royal Canin mixed when she came from the breeder.  She seemed to like it, but I didn't like the Eukanuba and JWB seemed better for her and better on the wallet than Royal Canin.  I have read good things about Burns.  Good luck with it.

Hi Super Spaniel,
                       l remember trying nature diet as well, it came out the other end as big yellow splats about five times per day, my dog only does well on home cooked food.
OK, you dont need to buy calcium powder as lve heard it can cause blockages as it can turn into a kind of slurry in the gut. Dried eggshell is the best for calcium after raw bone. Break an egg, scramble the egg, (no butter or milk ) and you can give that to your dog as well. Then wash

the eggshell, let it dry overnight in the fridge and remove the membrane , then crush the eggshell with a pestle and mortar until like a powder.
That will be your calcium, if you are feeding say one pound of cooked meat add half a teaspoon of the ground eggshell, or if you are feeding say 8oz meat add 1/4 teaspoon eggshell. This is the correct phosphorous to calcium ratio.

You dont need to add vitamins as they can cause am imbalance. l dont use anything from the petshop, so you can use human grade from the health food shop. All you need is Fish Body oil, which is full of omega 3 as the meat has more of the omega 6 so the oil balances it out.
My dog weighs 9lbs so he gets 500mg of the fish oil, so just adjust according to your dogs weight, with the oil you must add vit E, my dog at his weight has 100iu every second day.

My dog would never put on weight with processed food and was very ribby, but on home made he got a nice covering. At 9lbs he eats about 9ozs per day, but he's a small breed and very hyper, so l would say just feed your usual amount and then increase or decrease his food if you notice he is too thin or getting a bit fatter. lts trial and error to see how much your dog needs.

Also you know if you totally cook the meat as if it was for a person the heat destroys all vitamins and enzymes, so try and leave it a little raw in the middle. Also canned sardines and pilchards etc are great.

An example of what my dog gets is Mon chicken, beef and liver, Tues, lamb and tripe, wed, turkey and rabbit or venison, Thurs beef, tripe and kidney, Fri, rabbit and turkey, Sat lamb and tripe and sun turkey, heart and egg.
Some days he will also have veg, but everyday add the eggshell for calcium and the fishoil and vit e.
You could also add fish and maybe keepers mix if you want added vitamins occasionally.
l hope lve answered your questions, let me know if you need to know anythin else.

Sorry forgot to add that the reason you dont need vitamins is because if you are feeding a wide variety of meats and offal and fish  they cover all the vitamins a dog will need, as you know processed food is cooked at such high temperatures that it kills all vitamins so fake ones are added.
So once your dog is used to all the different kinds of meats etc start to leave it a bit raw in the middle so he gets the benifit of all the vitamins. The best way is to heat up some water, not boiling , and drop the meat in until it changes color but if you cut into it it is still pink inside.
And eggshell is the best source of calcium if a dog isnt having raw bone.
l hope lve made that a bit clearer. l did ramble a bit before.

You've been a great help thanks.  Being a fairly young pup, i am going to take a bit of time to introduce different meats.  We have a great butcher locally that sells all sorts of meat and pretty cheaply if you buy quantities.  Going to stock up the freezer.  I think i am going to work towards a raw diet also.  My dog currently weighs about the same as yours, so good for the quantities and i can just scale it up.  She already loves scrambled egg, so that's good also.  Will be crushing the shells up as you suggest. 

Thanks again for your help.  It's been invaluable to me.

Sarah

not sure if this site will have the supplements you are looking for, but they have a good supply and very reasonably priced i always find.

Hi Sarah, l noticed with my dog that when l tried to do the rapid switch to raw he would get a terrible upset stomach and couldnt seem to be able to digest any kind of raw meat, but once l cooked it he was able to eat anything, and slowly reducing the cooking time over a long period of time he can now eat anything raw.
l would suggest that you only give tiny ammounts of liver, kidney and heart to start with as they are quite rich. At first even cooked my dog would get a bit loose on offal, but now he can eat them whole.
My dog was boney, and had a rough coat and dandruff on processed food, but once l did home made his coat was soft and had a brilliant shine, the dandruff went, he put on a bit of weight and the poohs were excellent. He went from three sloppy poohs per day on processed, to one small firm one per day on home made.
Good luck with everything and if you ever get stuck just let me know.  

I just wondered why you cook the meat rather than feed it raw?

Hi

Not sure if the question was for me, but I am cooking it at the moment with a view to moving to raw.  She's only a small pup and I need to take things gradually as she had a very bad bout of the runs a couple of weeks back.

This site is great and all the help has been fantastic!

I have fed my dogs J.W. for years with no problems. Have my 6mth pup on it also no problem. The only time I ever find slightly looser poos are when...I work my dogs and when working the food intake increases imormously. when they stop working, if I dont cut back their food acordingly I fin the poos are looser. So if getting the correct amount poos are fine, too much food looser poos. 

Hi Brainless,
                not sure if that question was for me either, but when l tried to rapid switch my dog to raw he got a very bad upset stomach, so l cooked it instead and over time reduced the cooking so he could adapt and now he eats totally raw. So Super spaniel is going to do a similar thing.

Oh OK, that is what I wondered.  Though I supose even cooked home prepred fod is likely to be of better quality that commercial wet food.

Hi Barghest

Do you use frozen meat from a pet supplies company or do you use meat from the butchers for your raw diet?  I don't know what the quality is like of Anglian Meat.  My local pet food supplier sells it and says it's really good, but they would say that!

Thanks
Sarah

Hi Sarah,
            l use meat from supermarkets and butchers. l only have one small toy breed so l can spend a bit more on meat so l only use organic free range meat. The only petshop meat l use is the tripe by Forthglade.
l usually get rabbit from an organic butchers, and organic minces and venison etc l get from waitrose.
l dont know about the quality from any of the petfood suppliers, l only ever use meats intended for people,
this is just my personal view. l like to be able to see what lm buying.
l also like to make sure the offal is organic because non organic is full of growth hormone, antibiotics and toxins, and l dont want those going into my dog. So personally if it suits you l would buy from supermarkets and butchers.
Hope this helps and hope your dog is enjoying real food.

Thanks.  I have been using supermarket or butchers chicken so far.  I read that it must be pre-frozen if serving raw so haven't moved towards that yet as the meat has been fresh.  I was also of the opinion of using butchers meat.  That's interesting about the organic offal.  I don't eat offal myself so had no experience of it.  I will look for organic when I progress to this.

I have a good butcher locally so will do a bulk purchase and as she is a pup, mince it up in my food processor and freeze.  My cocker will grow much bigger than your dog, however it will be worth the extra few pounds to keep her healthy.

She is enjoying the fresh food.  She jumps up and down when I am cooking it.  She can sense it's for her!  And she loves raw carrotts, so I can cut out some of the treats that she has been used to. 

Thanks again
Sarah

Hi Sarah,
              oh, lm a vegitarian myself,  but l want the best for my dog so have to touch fresh meat for his sake. Yes always freeze the meat first, say for 24 hours before feeding as it kills alot of bacteria and so on, then defrost in the fridge and feed raw, (when you get to that stage l mean).
But even now you can buy bulk, freeze it, thaw it and cook.

My dog also loves his food, they really can tell the difference between real food and processed.
lts kind of exciting dont you think, making up real food and watching how excited they get.

Yes it makes me happy to see her happy.   I'm not veggie, but don't eat anything that resembles offal! 

I am a bit confused now as just been to the vets and she has told me it's not good to feed home made food to a puppy.  She said i should go back to nanufactured food to ensure she grows correctly and even recommended pedigree as a good brand!!!!  She eventually got around to hills, which they sell! 

I want to stick to my own cooked and then raw food but don't want to harm my dogs growth.  I am going to just refine the vitamins, fish oil etc and see how it goes.....and not all babies are fed the same food, but they grow fine, so why shouldn't it be the same for dogs????

Hi super spaniel

I don't think anyone will be particularly surprised at a vet promoting a complete food, yes, often a brand they sell, but even if not that a complete diet anyway. 

That said, in this instance I'm a little concerned too that in less than a week and with no apparent previous knowledge, research or experience of feeding a species appropriate diet you have dived in with a puppy ....  Perhaps I'm wrong about your lack of previous research but it seems to me from what you've written that this has gone from "sounds like a possible plan" to "bingo! the perfect solution" without any real knowledge of what you should be feeding other than a couple of anonymous forum members' recommendations - no disrespect intended to anyone at all here but how do you know they are following a suitable diet for their own dogs and whether or not your own modifications are suitable for a growing puppy?

I don't want to burst your bubble here but please do more research than you appear to have done thus far.  Personally I would suggest that you go with one of the moist completes like Nature Diet, Nature's Menu or Nature's Harvest - puppy varieties - at the moment until you have a better idea of your pup's requirements and the supplements (if any) you should be fiddling with.

I hope you dont take offence - I genuinely don't want to be unkind but I just think this thread makes alarming reading thus far ...

Hi Teri

Thanks for the info and I haven't taken any offence.  I take your points on board and will do some more research, although I have done lots of research already outside of the advice given here on the forum.  

Just for peace of mind, I haven't switched within a week and will do everything gradually. She was already on chicken following a bad tummy and I am still mixing in the James Wellbeloved puppy wet food, whilst I wean her to a home cooked diet.  So her diet has been stable and won't make any rash moves.  I was planning to move to 100% home cooked and have spoken to lots of other owners that I know and sought mixed opinions.  I don't want to harm my pups growth, but i also don't want to watch her struggle to go or have runny stools. 

I have to say that I am now very confused about what's best to do.  I am a first time dog owner and I only want to do what's best for my pup. Any other views on a home cooked diet for a puppy with a view to moving to raw.  Or do the majority favour a manufactured complete diet.  I just want a stable diet that's good for her and suits her sensitive digestive system.

I'm pleased you're not offended because it is a delicate thing on a forum to try and temper the way advice is given but at the same time give weight to due concern.

TBH I wouldn't give a puppy an entirely "home cooked" diet - my own puppy at the moment is fed partly raw, partly puppy kibble and some meals Nature's Harvest/Diet/Menu :)  Cooking the food IMO defeats the purpose to some extent and involves looking for nutritional supplements to compensate for what is killed off by the cooking process.  Because of that I wouldn't recommend this method.

Of my adults one gets almost entirely raw and the other part raw, part cooked and still some kibble - so perhaps you can from this realise that I am an advocate of dogs being fed fresh food and a diet which they clearly enjoy and thrive on BUT even although I have had good counsel on home diets etc from friends and breeders who have used this regime for decades I do not feel it appropriate to advise anyone else just embarking on this way of feeding - especially not with a growing youngster :)

My own current puppy is now almost 16 weeks and was weaned onto part raw at 4 weeks so I had no tummy issues etc. and I have the benefit of a number of years experience of feeding multiple dogs yet don't feel fully confident on this subject :)

regards, Teri

Hi Sarah,
            well Pedigree l wouldnt touch with a barge pole, nor Hills either. l began my dog on home cooked when he was six months, but l did research raw feeding for a year and a half before l even got my dog, and it is true that what works for one doesnt work for all, l had an experienced raw feeder helping me to begin with and often her advice didnt work for my dog,
l also  joined several raw feeding forums and read all the books and websites, but still in the end my dog couldnt do the rapid switch like everyone recommended, thats how l started cooking the food as this was suggested to me and to reduce cooking time until now he is on raw.

l do know you should not feed supplements to pups, but alot of raw feeders give their pups exactly what the adults have but in smaller portions. l thought you had researched home made diets as you mentioned about gravy.

Teri gives excellent advice and its good to take in everything that you hear and decide for yourself , as l said mine was six months old at the time so he's been on home made for a year and a half.
l pretty much feed a prey model diet to my dog, although he is still having issues with bone, but he's getting there.

l can only tell you what worked for me, but if your feeling uncomfortable now about what the vet said, then l would suggest you really study up on home made for pups, maybe join a raw feeding forum.
You dont want to effect his development, maybe even start another thread about raw feeding for pups.

But l do agree with what you said about babies eating different food and growing fine.

Vets and pet food manafactures would have everyone believe we are idiots and that only their food should be fed, but people have raised pups successfully for many years before pet food was even invented, dogs do not need a balanced diet daily, it should be balanced over weeks.

When l was a child l brought home every stray dog l could find, l also had alot of pups and peoples views were different then, dogs and pups were fed on raw meat, bone, table scraps and what ever they scrounged for themselves, and all our dogs and pups grew up fine and healthy, they didnt have the issues alot of todays dogs have.

So this is just my experience, if you want to stick to what your doing then just do alot more research so you get lots of peoples opinions, lots of recipes and follow advice for young pups.
l have never fed any dog commercial food, except for a period of time using what the breeder was using.
Personally l have never had any health issues, even with pups.

But really, do more research for your own peace of mind. There are some excellent websites on the crap that goes into petfoods and the bull the companies tell to sell it, often petfood companies are owned by people food companies and the waste from the human food goes into the pet food, such as rancid fat and diseased meat by products. So personally lm all for home made, but do lots more research so you feel confidant about what your doing.
Hope that helps.

Ok thanks Teri.  I did just edit my answer to say that I am planning to move from cooked to raw and that all I want is a diet that is good for her and suits her sensitive stomach.  I am a first time dog owner and there are so many opinions out there.   I won't make any rash decisions and will have a good think / do some more reading over the weekend.

Thanks everyone for your help and opinions on this. 

Thanks Barghest. I had done some research before I came on the forum and had been talking to other dog owners.  Some cooking food and others using kibble and wet food.  I will do some more research over the weekend and will go from there.  Thanks for all of your help

Sarah

This is a good web list for feeding raw, home diets etc BRIT BARF

There are many experienced folks on there who may well be able to help you with your pup's diet - but remember, as with anything, a lot is still based on personal experience alone and some only with individual dogs so it's still a case of weighing up the pros and cons.

best wishes, Teri

Oh, just read your a first time dog owner, thats a bit tricky, you really should do loads of research, and indeed take it slowly. lve had dogs for 45 years  (since l was tiny )and l still get stuck on so many things, and they are all individual, lots and lots of research and do what you feel is right for your dog and you.

Hi Sarah, just in case your interested check out these web sites, very helpful if your starting off.
Cant do links so type in these.
www.members.shaw.ca/zara/nutrition.htm
www.b-naturals.com and click on cooked diet

Here's a great site for beginners http://www.rawdogranch.com/

>just been to the vets and she has told me it's not good to feed home made food to a puppy.

Most vets are against home made feeding.I think this is partly due to people feeding completely inappropriate foods,such as the person who thinks a raw diet is plopping a handful of mince into their pets bowl every night,or the next person feeding nothing but cooked chicken and veggies but forgetting about the calcium and other vit/min parts of the diet.
I cant understand why any vet who claims to know even an ounce about canine nutrition would recommend pedigree,other than it's easy to get and most pet owners have heard of it,but the ingredients are really,really terrible!

>Cant do links

Barghest all you have to do is add http:// before www and it will automatically make it clickable :)

Thanks.  I was shocked when she recommended pedigree as I have only ever heard bad things about it.  I did a lot of research on caring for a puppy before I got my dog and all the feedback suggested pedigree, Iams, Butchers etc were not good.  I think she just listed off all the ones that I might know.  When I mentioned the better ones like Arden Grange she realised that I had done some research on it.  She was young, but aside from the feeding, was great otherwise. 

Hi Sarah,
            l was thinking about your predicament last night and l think its great that this is your first dog and already you want to do a more natural diet.

Research is important because its your first dog, and lm sure people will disagree with me, so all l can do is give you my personal experience.

l researched raw feeding because l wanted to feed a prey model diet, but for 45 years l have raised all my dogs on a mixture of raw/ cooked/ healthy table scaps without any health problems.

Thirty or so years ago dogs led a more natural life, we were not bombarded with adds and pushy vets telling us to feed commercial food, or to booster vaccinate every year or to use pesticides for fleas and worms.

l have also raised lots of pups on this way of feeding, including a bitch l found that had been dumped along with a box containing her pups. They were weaned onto this way of feeding and thrived and grew up happy and healthy and rehomed around the neighbourhood.

Not many people with dogs are experts at canine nutrition, just as many people with children are not experts in human nutrition. But the ones who raise their kids on processed junk food tend to have health problems compared to the kids fed a healthy diet. This is just the same foe dogs.

lt doesnt take a rocket scientist to know how to feed a healthy diet to a dog, although vets and pet food companies would have us all believe we are all too stupid and need their product.

When l was growing up this just wasnt the way, everyone fed a cooked/raw diet and visits to the vet were few and far between. My parents raised me on a natural home made diet as well as our dogs and lve continued to do the same cause it worked.

ln 45 years l have only had one sickly dog and that was due to vaccine damage and an incompitant vet, nothing to do with diet.
So dont be disheartened, keep researching and learning. Perhaps feed processed one day and cooked the next until you feel confidant to do it the way you want.

Take into account all you hear but dont be bullied by vets, one told me l would kill my dog by feeding raw and to feed kibble for life, she probably knows less than you do and your just starting.
l personally have had great succes with cooked and raw food and l say keep it up and good luck, but never stop learning and doing research.
You might want to look at the Canine Health Concern website and join a few raw feeding groups.
So good luck and if you still want to know anything about cooking as lve done it along time then please ask, but remember this is just my personal experience and not everyone would agree. 

Only problem with buying from Supermarkets and most modern butchers is they are unlikely to have the unpopular/unfashionable/unpalatable parts that would be great for our dogs but most people these days choose not to eat.

>and lm sure people will disagree with me,

Barghest thus far i have agreed with everything you have said. My main passion is canine nutrition,i could talk about it for hours,and i never get tired of learning about foods,supplements etc etc. I just think it's great to have a another "foodie" on board who thinks along the same lines as i do. Except you're much more succinct in your postings than i am :-D

Thats so true, l remeber the days when fresh green tripe was easy to find and could be bought whole and thrown to the dogs, lm sure my dog would love brain and other unmentionables.
l suppose BSE didnt help.

Oh thanks Ktee, l was sure l was going to get blasted for that post. l havent  been on Champdogs that long and didnt what to offend anyone, but sometimes when l truely passionately believe in something l feel l have to get it out.

Super Spaniel,

Pedigree does a huge range of food. Hundreds of thousands of dogs worldwide are fed and thrive on Pedigree and have been for many years.  The same is true for Science Diet - the other brand of food which is routinely trashed here.   No one should be shocked when either food is recommended by vets - they provide a nutritionally balanced diet.   There are numerous accounts in vet literature about the serious consequences of people who dream up their own dog recipes and as a result end up with dogs with serious health problems.  It is far safer and more responsible for a vet to recommended a manufactured, balanced food than it is to give carte blanche to their clients to feed whatever the heck they want - or rely on advice from others on the web :-)  I truly wish though vets would have a fact sheet for their clients who want to home cook or even feed raw which - if followed correctly - would provide balanced nutrition.  I don't understand why they do not.

Years ago I fed my dogs on ProPlan - all four of them from Yorkie to GSD did extremely well on it.  In fact, it was the only brand of food that did not give one of my GSDs intestinal problems.  Two of my dogs were show dogs and they positively glowed on the stuff.  I must have fed it for at least ten years and only stopped feeding it about five years ago after it became more difficult to buy in my local area.   Switched to Science Diet, which also worked well.  

Now, I have two Cairns and feed them on a mix of home cooked food (leftovers of meat and veg) and Arden Grange.  (I supplement the meat & veg with calcium.) Yesterday I bought a bag of JWB lamb & veg and am going to try them on it.  They get so little manufactured food in reality that whatever I fed them at this point out doubt would make much of a difference. 

I cannot remember a time when I did not supplement manufactured food with some amount of home cooked food - even when I had four dogs.  In my opinion, variety is the key to a good diet.  My point is that you do not need to feel as if the only appropriate approach is raw only, or home cooked only, or manufactured wet/dry only.  It is perfectly acceptable to combine all approaches.