For thousands of years the "art" of eating food to preserve health and prolong life was practiced in the Orient and in Ancient Greece. The consumption of food evolved beyond just eating for pleasure or survival, it became a treatment for imbalances in the body. The basis for health and happiness is the Chinese aphorism: "You become what you eat". I believe this is true for animals as well as humans.

Animals come into our lives as gifts from God, for companionship, to teach us, and to heal us. They deserve our very best efforts in caring for them.

Dr. Ihor Basko, DVM

Commercial Pet Foods
The so-called "balanced" modern day pet foods are saturated with harmful chemical preservatives, food coloring, pesticides, heavy metals, excess amounts of salt, sugar, rancid fat, over-cooked oils, mold, and meat that has been condemned for human use. Commercial diets stress the animals, by interfering with proper assimilation and metabolism of nutrients and thus cause many degenerative diseases and premature aging. I attribute the high incidence of skin diseases, cancer and many forms of arthritis to the over-feeding of commercial diets (both canned and dry). Also, because most if not all commercially prepared diets for dogs and cats have been developed for the "masses," most of these "scientifically" prepared foods are inappropriate for dogs living in the many different climactic regions of the country.

Home-Prepared Pet Meals
When I started cooking for my own pets over 25 years ago, it was truly a learning experience for me to discover what works and what does not. I found that I came to know my dogs more intimately than before I had cooked their food. I noticed that they seemed happier and had more energy. After a few months, they began to smell better, their coats were shinier and they quit scratching. They had sweet breath and their stools did not smell offensive.

When I home-prepare raw or cooked food for my pets, they appreciate it, and I feel good deep down inside me knowing that they're eating fresh, wholesome, healthful, and nurturing food. . . good enough for me to eat!

Dr. Ihor Basko, DVM

Diets to Meet your Pet's Individual Needs
The diets formulated by me (and cooked by you) are designed to meet your pet's specific and individual needs. All animals are different. What I recommend you to cook and feed your pet is based upon: breed & body type, personality, age, sex, current problems, inherent genetic weaknesses (which may affect them in the future), climate of the season, and their level of exercise and activity and stress. After some time passes, you will find yourself adding certain ingredients and leaving out others because you have now discovered for yourself what works and what doesn't through close observation. Working together, we can help your animals live a long, healthy and happy life.

Guidelines for Preparing Dog and Cat Diets:

DOG DIETS
CAT DIETS

Purchase a copy of Dr. Basko's Home Prepared Diets for Dogs Cookbook!

Cookbook Includes:

-15 meal recipes
-2 recipes for homemade treats for training or snacks
-Guidelines for how much to feed your dog

The main ingredients to pet health are:

Your commitment to providing wholesome food,
regular exercise with training and lots of love for your pets. Now that you know, it's up to you!

INGREDIENTS FOR COOKING DOG DIETS

Most if not all listed ingredients in my recipes can be bought in any supermarket. A large (non-aluminum) cooking pot (2 gal.) would be helpful in preparing large quantities at one time. After letting the food cool to room temperature, you can freeze a portion for later use. The rest can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Grains

Grains include brown and white rice, oats, millet, quinoa and barley. They constitute anywhere from 20-30% of the diet in most cases and are cooked with meat and vegetables. These grains provide energy, minerals and some protein. White rice is the most commonly used grain for most dogs because it causes the least reactions in dogs with skin problems and is very economical to purchase. However, rice may not be appropriate for overweight or diabetic pets.

Protein Sources

Meat, fish, eggs, soy products, kelp, spirulina, blue-green algae, and dairy products are commonly used in my recipes and provide dogs with fats, essential oils, and protein. In the tropics, dogs (and cats) require less fat and oil, than if they lived in colder or drier climates. Most dogs require about 10-30% animal protein in their diet. Puppies require more and are encouraged to eat some of the meat raw. Older dogs can get enough of the essentials from just boiling meat bones. In the tropics, pork, fish, eggs, chicken are most commonly used in my diets. Organ meats such as liver, kidney and heart are high in nutrients and very economical to buy. Dogs with allergies, skin problems, kidney ailments, and who are over 8 years of age will live longer and stay healthier with little or no meat at all. Cottage cheese, yogurt and eggs are substituted. Meat is cooked with the grains first then the vegetables are added last. And, when appropriate, meat may be fed to the pet raw.

Vegetables

Feeding your dogs the vegetables that grow locally and are in season is an age-old practice that acknowledges the natural cycles of Nature. Vegetables provide many minerals, vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants and medicinal substances. These should constitute for 20-40% of the diet by volume (5% -10% raw) and the most commonly used ones are:

Roots:
turnips, carrots, taro, beets, daikon, garlic, sweet potatoes

Leaves:
beet greens, spinach, chard, celery, taro, sweet potato leaves, cabbage,
parsley, bok choy, watercress, lettuce, cilantro

Legumes:
azuki beans, lima beans, soybeans, string beans, sweet peas, white beans

Herbs: (served raw or cooked)
basil, Chinese parsley, seaweed, rosemary, pepper, dill, tarragon

Bones and/or meat are cooked with garlic and parsley to make a broth. Then the grains are added and when they seem half-cooked, the vegetables are put into the pot and everything is cooked together until the grains are finished. Vegetables and meat should be chopped into small, bite-sized pieces.

INGREDIENTS FOR CAT DIETS

Raw or cooked protein should constitute about 60% of your cat's diet. The kind of meats given should be varied as much as possible to ensure a proper balance of vitamins and minerals. Good protein sources are organ meats (liver and heart), raw ocean fish, canned human grade sardines, salmon, and tuna, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and muscle meats (beef, ground turkey or chicken, etc.).

Cooked grains and vegetables (cut up into tiny pieces) should constitute about 20- 30% of a cat's diet depending upon age, condition and disease factors. These can include sweet potatoes, yams, squash, carrots, broccoli, peas, green beans, spinach, corn, lima beans, rice, quinoa, barley, and oatmeal.

Raw vegetables and fruit should constitute about 10% of your cat's diet. These can include carrots, broccoli, sprouts, papaya, cantaloupe, wheat grass and tomato.

Please note that Kittens and Puppies have additional dietary needs.

If you would like additional information on feeding your animals, Dr. Basko would be happy to help you formulate a diet specific for your pet's individual needs. Please fill out our online veterinary consultation form.

If you would like to receive more information on the care and feeding of your pets, sign up for Dr. Basko's FREE on-line Newsletter.

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