Dogs

Ask your vet, not the internet. Call them. Find an email address on their website. They’ll be very happy to provide you with good advice. They care about your pup’s wellbeing, too.

I would ask your vet if they can recommend a veterinary nutritionist. They'll be able to take all your dog's info and advise you on how to feed a palatable homemade diet while including all the necessary nutrients.

who tf says homemade will kill your dog? i call bullshit.

try this https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/140286/homemade-dog-food/

my husky (same stubborn Spitz mentality) is picky as fuck some days. best way I trick her into just eating is either throwing a few beef liver (or sprinkle the powder from the bottom of the bag) OR I make gravy from whatever meats I've cooked that day and pour some on top. this is obviously short term and it's just to make her think there's something super special going on with it.

long term, i never buy the same brand or flavor of dog food... ever. I specifically do this so her stomach is used to changing diets. she doesn't get sick, she doesn't get the runs and her shit is the correct size that it should be for a dog her size.

I've never understood the 'pick a brand and never change it's mentality. we don't do it.. why should they? vets tell me is confused their system and makes them feel sick... I say yeah, because you keep telling people to stick to 1 thing. if you have never eaten cheese, and you try it... you're gonna hate yourself for it and think it's the worst.. until you eat more and your body gets used to processing it.

worst case, and many won't like it... but the foods there dog.. you'll eat it eventually.. you gotta be more stubborn then a Spitz dog unfortunately, but it's the only way then know. stubbornness. never give in.

(I should add, I always look for high protine count, and NO CORN!.... that pretty much rules out everything made by Purina (thankfully) and 1 or 2 other brands. you cal always tell the garbage food... look for corn, and avoid it.

Find a butcher off cuts and ends are cheap. Boiled chicken is also cheap. Rice and vegetables are cheap. You can make much better food for cheaper with one pot and a few hours of time to boil.

https://www.thefarmersdog.com/digest/can-my-dog-eat-vegetables/

The stuff in the refrigerator (Fresh Pet? Or is that my carpet cleaner... 🤔) is good if you don't want to make something yourself.

But if you have time and desire to make it at home, lean meats like chicken or turkey with brown rice and a mix of veggies all thrown together is what I feed mine.

the farmers dog is quite pricey, but they were quality

Balance.It can give you recipes BUT you need a vet to okay you buying the nutrient packs. This is because dogs have different nutrition needs and we can't source a balanced diet of organ meat easily.

In the meantime you can boil up a pound of lean raw chicken, turkey, or beef (no additives!) in a quart/liter of water with the lid on. Pull the meat out and shred/dice it. Cook some rice in the leftover water, then mash it all together in a container in the fridge. Put a scoop of it under the new food. It should last a week.

You can skip making the rice and just store the water separately. Use the meat, then when your are out pour the water over the new kibble.

Don't leave the wet kibble sit for much more than an hour. It is prone to spoiling and can make your dog sick.

So, this is a fairly religious topic, but I'll pop two things in for your consideration. A significant amount of carbohydrates, especially grains, is not something dogs are evolved for, basically some of the stomach contents of prey animals. I avoid anything with high grain content, which unfortunately includes all kibble (to the best of my knowledge), ~30%+ processed grain (flour, corn flour etc) is part of the kibbleing process.

Dogs are however evolved for eating bone, chicken wings or necks, depending on dog size (raw, cooked chicken bones splinter badly), are both enjoyed and nutritious (bone is like 50% protein). Tendons and skin in wings add significant glycine and cysteine not found in muscle meat.

I've been feeding my dogs raw for over a decade. While it's not cheap there's really no comparison in terms of the health of your dog or cat. This site sells really high quality food (I am not affiliated with them, but I did order from them for years) and has some useful resources to learn about feeding raw.

I'm going to disagree with the person who suggested asking your vet. Vets and medical doctors receive next to no training for nutrition - you could probably squeeze it in during the module police get on de-escalation. I've actually chosen my vets based on whether they accept that I feed our dogs raw or not. Putting it another way: if your doctor insisted that you only eat Kellogg's Corn Flakes ("it's fortified! Part of a balanced breakfast!"), would you trust them? Someone else mentioned kickbacks for certain foods, so I think it is some combination of greed and ignorance. But yes, kibble is the equivalent of eating processed cereal all the time.

You may be able to find raw feeding groups or co-ops in your area. Happy to answer any questions you may have about raw diets.