Thinking of switching to homecooked meals instead of commercial

Caro said:
I finally managed to get some BalanceIT mailed to me. Got held up in customs for months and months the first time but I just ordered another bottle and it got here within a couple of weeks.

It definitely is so much easier to use than second guess vitamins, wish I had known about it years ago. Tully is still on a Vet nutritionist diet but the nutritionist has us supplementing with BalanceIT. I hadn't realised it was actually developed by UC David Vet nutritionists. I have sometimes thought about putting the others on home cooked, but I can't be stuffed cooking 3 different meals for the dogs (Tully is on expensive crocodile).
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I noticed that about the shipping/customs issue, too. I'm in Canada. I finally started ordering it when I was about 1/2 way through the bottle so that there was plenty of time before the next bottle could get here. What a pain. It's great to hear that your nutritionist has you supplementing with it. Just more confirmation that it's a great product! Thank you for sharing that!
 
Sorry for reviving a months old post, but I’m thinking of doing the same and it seemed silly to start a new thread on it. Have you tried making your own food yet? If so, how is it going along?

I was feeding my 2y/o guy Orijen until my vet suggested to switch him to something with grains. We went with Fromm, which has oatmeal in it. But he’s gained so much weight despite us feeding him slightly less than the recommendations. He’s also developed redness in his ears (which our vet noted but said they were clear of any infections) And he has begun to itch his face against the carpet.

I’m going back to Orijen but did some more digging around this forum and saw that something that high in protein isn’t necessarily great if he’s not incredibly active. I mean, he’s an energetic boy but a far cry from a farm dog.
 
I've cooked homemade for several years for some of my dogs with various issues, using recipes from Natures Farmacy. I started doing it for my girl who has skin allergies, and it really helped her. I just make a batch in the slow cooker and then freeze in smaller individual containers. They do very well on it, and it's solved the weight problem. You just have to be certain that you give the correct supplements needed for adequate nutrition, which Natures Farmacy includes and can advise you on. They're very helpful and happy to talk to people.
 
Ann said:
I've cooked homemade for several years for some of my dogs with various issues, using recipes from Natures Farmacy. I started doing it for my girl who has skin allergies, and it really helped her. I just make a batch in the slow cooker and then freeze in smaller individual containers. They do very well on it, and it's solved the weight problem. You just have to be certain that you give the correct supplements needed for adequate nutrition, which Natures Farmacy includes and can advise you on. They're very helpful and happy to talk to people.
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Actually, I use their probiotics for him! I think it was recommended to me from this forum - possibly by you a couple years ago!

It’s works super well for him. I’ll definitely be reaching out to them, thank you so much for the advice.
 
Hi! We DID switch to homemade food and they've been on it for well over a year now. Our vet says they're super healthy, blood work done has been terrific, they're not overweight or underweight and their energy is through the roof. I do feed them about 1/3 more for their afternoon and evening meals when we take them to the dog park because I know they are blasting through those calories. Our main go-tos is quinoa, chicken breast, liver chicken livers (once a week), carrots/green beans/sweet potato/butternut squash, berries. Snacks might be 1/4 apple in the morning and afternoon. All natural treats. They're princes LOL They love it. Everything is measured, and we top their dishes with a little olive oil and Balance IT. Their coats are magnificent, to say the least. Sounds like your boy might be allergic to something?
 
BryanAndLarrysMama said:
Hi! We DID switch to homemade food and they've been on it for well over a year now. Our vet says they're super healthy, blood work done has been terrific, they're not overweight or underweight and their energy is through the roof. I do feed them about 1/3 more for their afternoon and evening meals when we take them to the dog park because I know they are blasting through those calories. Our main go-tos is quinoa, chicken breast, liver chicken livers (once a week), carrots/green beans/sweet potato/butternut squash, berries. Snacks might be 1/4 apple in the morning and afternoon. All natural treats. They're princes LOL They love it. Everything is measured, and we top their dishes with a little olive oil and Balance IT. Their coats are magnificent, to say the least. Sounds like your boy might be allergic to something?
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Wow, that’s great news! I’ve seen a lot of mentions given to Balance IT and I’ll be checking that out as well.

He didn’t have any itchiness, bloating, or redness before we switched to Fromm. Before that, he was getting 1/2 Orijen and 1/2 Tucker’s Frozen Raw with some pumpkin occasionally. But we switched to Fromm when we switched vets because they said he shouldn’t be eating grain free because of the potential heart issue that’s come up. Since switching him (it’s been about six weeks) he’s gained several pounds and all the itchiness began.

My mom’s dog is severely allergic to something. Itching, chronic ear infections, tummy troubles, you name it. So it definitely seems like a really mild version of what I’ve seen in my moms dog. (He’s okay though - he can eat Zignature Kangaroo recipe with no reaction)
 
Sharon7 said:
Did the Orijen and Fromm have the same protein source? Often it's the protein they react to. In any case whatever diet you end up with, it should NOT be high protein for Shelties, 28% or so tops.
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We would switch up the flavors for him at every bag, so protein sources rotated. It is a pretty high protein content so we’ve been adding some fresh veggies like carrots and string beans plus some oatmeal. It’s admittedly not very scientific though.
 
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