Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs

332 Pages·2012·9.76 MB·English

by  Rick Woodford

There’s a whining at the threshold,
There’s a scratching at the floor,
To work! To work! In Heaven’s name!
The wolf is at the door!
— C. P. S. Gilman

CONTENTS

Foreword
Introduction: My Best Friend, Jackson
Best Friends Deserve Better

balancing act: Nutrients in a Dog’s Diet
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fiber
Fats
Minerals
Vitamins

determining portion size

foods to share
Foods to Avoid
Foods to Approach with Caution
Foods Worth Sharing

treats

cookies

meals

feeding growing puppies

warm-nose meals for ailing dogs
Allergies
Arthritis
Cancer
Diabetes
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Heart Disease
Kidney (Renal) Disease
Liver Disease
Weight Loss

Choosing a Commercial Dry Dog Food
Transitioning Foods

a more meaningful mealtime
Setting the Table at Floor Level
Ringing the Dinner Bell
Problem Mealtime Behaviors
Begging
Counter Surfing/Breaking and Entering
Early Morning Wake-Up Calls
Aggression/Food Guarding
Speed Eating
Reluctant Eaters

Acknowledgments
Resources
Metric Conversions and Equivalents
Common Ingredients and Their Approximate Equivalents
Index
FOREWORD

For fifteen thousand years, dogs and humans have kindled a deep
relationship like no other pairing on the planet. At the center of that
relationship is food. Feeding our dogs every day is part of the unwritten,
unspoken deal we’ve made in return for their protection, their aid in hunting
and herding, and, for most of us nowadays, their companionship. We love to
feed our dogs, and our dogs love to eat.
As we uphold our end of the bargain, we have many choices in what and
how we feed our furry friends, just as we have choices for ourselves. Our
lifestyles, budgets, health consciousness, and culinary ambitions all
influence what we put into the food bowls and on our plates. What Rick
Woodford has done with this book is to provide a carefully researched and
kitchen-tested group of canine recipes and guidelines for people who love to
cook.
For those who are pressed for time or worried about diving into a home-
prepared diet headfirst, Rick helps us choose top-quality commercial diets to
act as a nutritionally balanced foundation. Then the fun really begins. Ahead
of you and your best friend are dozens of tasty, wholesome meals, each full
of fresh and nutritious ingredients. Rick goes beyond merely inventing
yummy meals for our dogs. He understands the responsibility we take on
when we choose the ingredients that go into our pets’ food, and provides
guidance to avoid some of the pitfalls that can accompany feeding an
unbalanced homemade food for a prolonged time.
As a holistic veterinarian, I have witnessed firsthand the healing power of
food, whether commercial or homemade, that has been prepared in a
mindful, loving way. It’s important to seek the advice of your veterinarian if
your dog does not seem to be thriving on the food you’re preparing; if your
dog seems to be doing great, yearly exams and blood work are still
important, especially if feeding any home-prepared food regularly.
Feeding your dog should be a joyful experience for both you and your
dog. With the help of the following pages, you can nurture not only the chef
within and the health of your dog but also the bond between you and your
best friend. Enjoy!

Nancy Curran
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Two Rivers Veterinary Clinic, PC
INTRODUCTION: MY BEST FRIEND,
JACKSON
Jackson and I had shared an apartment for three months by the time our
first April 14 rolled around. When I opened the door, we both ran to one
another, happy to be reunited after an eight-hour shift at work; mine building
databases and analyzing data, Jackson’s loudly guarding the house from the
comfort of my bed. When being interviewed by Jackson’s former owners, I
was surprised to learn that his birthday was the same as mine: April 14. On
our first birthday together, a package arrived from my mom, and our birthday
gifts were inside. Holding the box, I let Jackson tear off the brown paper
wrapping, and then I examined the contents: a toy for Jackson to tear apart,
and a dog food cookbook for me. The book was entertaining, and it seemed
like a nice idea to cook for your dog, but it was soon moved to a bookshelf
and never opened again. After all, dogs eat dog food, right?
At five years old, Jackson was still a terror on walks and mischievous
when unsupervised. One of his parents had been a Belgian Malanoise, and
that part of his heritage made Jackson a fierce protector and intelligent
student. The other parent must have been a Labrador Retriever; inside the