I personally know of two extremely reliable researcher/writers who give instructions about raw and home-cooked diets for dogs: Mary Straus and Lew Olson.

The new issue of Whole Dog Journal scares me with its list of many books (published books!) on home-cooking your dog's diet that they have emblazoned with "NOT RECOMMENDED" because of inattention to calcium.

PLEASE don't follow instructions on home-cooking for your dog, EVEN FROM A PUBLISHED BOOK, and don't use a list from a vet who is not a nutritionist and has made the same egregious omission, without checking on the calcium recommendations.

Leerburg carries Lew Olson's book and both her site and Mary Straus's DogAware sites are good resources, IMO. Otherwise, just as with raw feeding, please check carefully whose advice you are following.

I know that most of us on this board know this, but the more we can say it, the better: Dogs need digestible bones left in their raw diet in the form of RMBs (which has nothing to do with big recreational bones) and a cooked diet has to be supplemented with calcium, and not a "sprinkle" or a "pinch." It's a per-pound measure, so if you don't see that, something is badly wrong.

After protein, the calcium:phosphorus (roughly, bone:meat) ratio is the most critical factor of the dog's diet. Nature arranges it well, and so can we.

But please be careful about whose advice you follow. A home-cooked diet with no calcium added is as much of a nutritional nightmare as a boneless-raw-meat diet.

JMO

Connie, my friend's 10 year old female mini poodle was recently diagnosed with kidney failure (unsure what stage) of an unknown origin. I had just gotten her to switch her 2 boys (9 and 5) to a raw diet, but she began feeding her girl some of the cooked kidney diets in Lew Olsen's book. She might switch the girl to raw eventually depending on how she does and what tests show after she has been on the cooked kidney diet for a while.

How long would it take to feed a diet like that and see some results, like the kidney levels going down?

She had bought bone meal for her girl, but stopped adding it when she found out phosphorus is not good for her and the diagnosis of her kidney problems were a certainty.

What would you give a dog like that for calcium? She says in the book (Lew's book) that feeding cottage cheese and other things too give the dog enough calcium. I have Lew's book too but can't remember what all of the info says.

I figured since you posted this topic and you are the guru of all things health related I would ask you.

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/kidney-diet/

I quote Lew Olson from that article:

"Again, save your eggshells, and dry them overnight. Then grind them in a coffee bean grinder and add to the food served at 1/2 teaspoon per pound."

Please ask your friend to read very carefully.

I find that particular page to be slightly vague as to which of those recipes include the calcium in the paragraph. Recipe 1 is clear; both 2 and 3 need this paragraph (IMO) to be inserted more frequently: "Again, save your eggshells, and dry them overnight. Then grind them in a coffee bean grinder and add to the food served at 1/2 teaspoon per pound."

In fact, this is the way I advise supplementing a cooked diet, too, because of the ease of use and lack of uncertainty about phosphorus content that you have with bone meal.

But I am not qualified to prescribe a cooked diet for a chronic condition. Lew Olson and Mary Straus are, so that's where I direct folks with sick dogs.

If there is any question, such as whether to leave it out when using canned fish that has its bones intact, as I would, I think she should email Lew Olson at the email on the bottom of the page.

To email: lew@b-naturals.com


I wish your friend great success with her dog's health.

 Quote:

I find that particular page to be slightly vague as to which of those recipes include the calcium in the paragraph. Recipe 1 is clear; both 2 and 3 need this paragraph (IMO) to be inserted more frequently: "Again, save your eggshells, and dry them overnight. Then grind them in a coffee bean grinder and add to the food served at 1/2 teaspoon per pound."

And just to clarify further, it's per lb of food, not per lb of dog.

 Quote: lynne barrows

 Quote:

I find that particular page to be slightly vague as to which of those recipes include the calcium in the paragraph. Recipe 1 is clear; both 2 and 3 need this paragraph (IMO) to be inserted more frequently: "Again, save your eggshells, and dry them overnight. Then grind them in a coffee bean grinder and add to the food served at 1/2 teaspoon per pound."

And just to clarify further, it's per lb of food, not per lb of dog.

You are absolutely correct, of course, and yes, that could be misinterpreted!

Zounds!

Yes, a pound of boneless food needs about 900 mg calcium, and that eggshell instruction works out nicely.

speaking of Olson's book, it is recommenced to give fresh garlic to dogs...Has anyone tried that?

Only drawback is the book doesnt say what frequency to give that serving...

We're really going there again?! LOL

You're right. It does not say what frequency .....

oops did i miss a discussion?

 Quote: mike bellemare

oops did i miss a discussion?

Many!

LOL

I pretty much don't give borderline stuff (garlic, avocados, etc.) that are bad in large amounts but "probably OK in moderation."

The allium family (especially in large fresh amounts) can be toxic to dogs. Onions are much worse, but garlic is a member of the allium family and has poisoned dogs in individually unpredictable amounts.

It also has many health benefits, if it isn't in that unpredictable toxic amount.

I don't give it, myself. I don't worry about garlic-flavored treats, though, or a little garlic powder. Of course, that also means I'm not giving the health benefits.

So ... there ya go!

You will find the entire allium family on the lists of foods not to give dogs, and you will find garlic in many recipes for dogs.

I always liked this post from Mike S. about a similar topic (grapes) in 2008:

 Quote: mike j schoonbrood

.... Too many people, vets included, keep telling me "oh my dog used to always eat grapes and raisins as treats" bla bla bla. I'm sorry, but if I know something can kill my dog, I am not going to chance it when it's just as easy to NOT give it to the dog. The dog is equally happy with any number of other treats.

thanks for the recap

i was searching for "olson garlic" to find out if the frequency of the amount was discussed...i guess it was shielding me of a lot of useful discussion (which i just found)...

oh well