”But I’m a vegetarian and I don’t know if I can cook meat for my dog!” Look, I’m in this with you. I stopped eating meat about two years before I started cooking for my dogs (the irony!). The thing is...you chose to share your life with a carnivore, and they do NEED MEAT. Now, if you feel very strongly, you CAN use the modified vegan recipe, but I implore you to keep the eggs at least! I know the meat industry is terrible, I am equally as disturbed by it and your feelings are 100% valid, I don't want any of the animals to die or suffer ever...but our Furkids need/love/want meat. So if there’s a way you can reconcile with it, I hope you consider it!
What about my dog's teeth? Don't they NEED to eat kibble to keep them clean? This argument makes me cringe like no other... Have you ever felt dog food? It's greasy, right? I mean you definitely wash your hands if you have to handle it. It's greasy because all of the vitamins are killed in the high heat baking process and they are forced to spray them on afterwards.
Now, doesn't that greasy crunch remind you of some Lays potato chips? If I told you that my dentist said: "just eat a bag of chips and don't worry about brushing!" you'd laugh me out of the room! So why do we believe this nonsense when it comes to dogs?
Well, the buck stops here. Your dogs need their teeth brushed, even if they eat kibble. That is why vets do dental cleanings, because kibble doesn't do it. Some dogs have better aligned teeth and the self cleaning action will keep them in decent shape. Some dogs chew a lot, but even with a dental stick they will favor one side and rarely stimulate the front gums or teeth. So...don't worry about this when switching over, it's another adventure for another day! But when you're ready, go check out my article and video in my app!
Lastly, lets talk about the "table scraps" or "human food" statements of old. My reply to this, always is..."There is no dog food or human food, it's all just...FOOD..." Who decided what food was to be for dogs? Well, it sure is hard to make a desirable product and a 40 billion dollar industry if anyone can just go to the store and make it themselves!
Sure, dogs need certain vitamins and minerals, but so do we! Yet we aren't given rations of burnt toast in pre-proportioned bags to maintain our survival. That's not to discount the importance of a balanced meal (the dogs AND you need your vitamin supps!), but those needs shouldn't force us to feed a bag of poison either. Yes, I said it, what is in kibble IS POISON. Now, there are some better foods that are freeze dried, dehydrated and fresh/frozen. While I have issues with most of those too (you can read more on my app), what I'm referring to as poison is the classic kibble that comes in a bag, and likely doesn't have an expiration date falling in the same decade (jk, or am I...).
So, why would your trusted veterinarian tell you to feed a bag of poison and NOT to share your fresh boiled chicken or fresh fruits with your dog? Well...there are a few reasons for this. Most veterinarians lack nutrition training. It is not customarily offered to them in school, requiring them to go for additional training and certification. That's a big ask considering your vet is already your dog's general practitioner, surgeon, and dentist. We would never ask a human doctor to wear that many hats! AND when they do get their nutrition education, their textbooks (yes I've read them) tell them to discourage homemade food because it is "bad".
However, for our pets we don't have a lot of resources for guidance, so this full weight falls onto the veterinarian to advice on ALL things dog. If you have a great vet, they will be honest with you about the things that fall outside of their expertise and refer you to a trusted nutritionist. However, some vets are still very old school, some make a profit from selling kibble (especially the prescription kind - read the article in my app!), and some are taught BY THE FOOD COMPANIES that home cooking is bad and should be avoided at all costs. A bit of a conflict of interest - don't you think?!
That's why we have to be better consumers, especially for our dogs, because we make their choices FOR them. You can find a list of ingredients to AVOID (aka poison) in my app so you always have it when shopping! download my app
So what is a dog mom/dad to do?! Become an educated advocate for your dog. Because being educated about why you are cooking and choosing this recipe (or another) is important! Always make sure you're getting your information from trusted, professional sources.