Most humans know that they shouldn't feed their dogs foods they shouldn't eat, such as chocolate, grapes, and onions. But not everyone feeds their beloved dog the way Ember Silva does.
Silva, who grew up in the Philippines, cared for up to a dozen mutts at a time. She made sure their vaccinations were complete, bathed them weekly and fed them homemade meals. “Noon is di pa uso en kibble (dry dog food),” Silva said. She cooked “sawdust” of meat from the supermarket and fed her Jollibee and McDonald's meals for her birthday.
After getting married, she moved to Singapore with her husband and had a child. But her love for her dogs remained the same.
“My dog Kimmy lived for 11 years. She was fed a mixed diet: kibble, homemade lamb mince with vegetables and herbs, and a fresh apple (with seeds removed and bite-sized pieces) as a daily treat. “I also gave him omega-3 supplements and occasional dog treats,” she said.
Kimmy was interested in food, but Silva said it was difficult to feed her, not because she was picky, but because she had chronic skin allergies to foods such as chicken. I had to change her food every few months because she had allergic reactions.
With her new schnauzer, Mickey, Silva has become more careful with her diet. She took a cooking class for dogs and learned about dog nutrition and preparing homemade meals. Silva also learned about all-natural cooking and herbal remedies for dogs, which encouraged the use of non-toxic products for dogs and vegetarianism.
Recently, I started baking birthday cakes and mooncakes for my dog. She offers meat-based cakes (pork or beef pieces with sweet potato pieces; frosting is mashed potatoes with butterfly pea powder and topped with fresh blueberries, mango, and parsley) and mooncakes (purple sweet potatoes with mashed potatoes, blueberries, and I learned how to make pet cheese (with pet cheese). Stuffing: Orange sweet potato and mashed potato, cherry tomatoes, turmeric powder filling). She also attends lectures on canine health issues such as cancer.
Be more creative and experimental
Based on everything she's learned, what should dogs eat? “According to the Pet Cancer Forum, which I attended at Camden Medical Center in Singapore, the preferred diet plan for dogs is: balanced homemade raw diet, balanced cooked homemade diet, commercially available balanced raw diet, dried/freeze-dried raw diet, commercially prepared/refrigerated food, or canned food for humans. Food. Please note that kibble is not included in the list,” Silva said.
She admitted that Mickey still consumes small grains of food, but eats home-cooked meals 90 percent of the time. “I don't feed him the same food every day. I rotate it to have more variety. Fortunately, he has no allergies and can eat almost anything. , I'm just watching to see what foods he tends to react to and vomit, so I avoid those foods.”
Ms. Silva prepares Mickey's meals in more creative and experimental ways, such as baking, sous vide, dehydrating, and making homemade treats such as dried apple and bark bone treats and meatloaf. I learned how.
“Some people feed their dogs a barf (biologically appropriate raw food) diet, others choose to feed their dogs high-quality organic grains, and others, like me, choose to feed them a mixed diet. If you feed your dog a home-cooked meal, make sure it's fresh, without salt or other seasonings. If you feed fish such as salmon, make sure it's well-cooked to remove small bones,” Silva advised.
She also follows a 70:20:10 or 80:10:10 ratio for protein (chicken breast, beef, pork, duck, turkey, salmon, cod), vegetables (carrots, leafy greens, etc.), and offal. I also learned that. Meat (liver, kidney). Pay attention to the ratio of your dog's weight to the amount of food allowed per day. “I feed Mickey (adult 7 kg) twice a day. He is allowed less than 100 grams per day (50 grams per meal). The food calculator is free online It's available. You can look up anything online now. Make sure the information you're following is from a reliable source,” Silva said.
For longevity, Silva's herbal teacher recommends feeding dogs only regular vegetables mixed with lots of herbs. “Personally, I think cooking for dogs should be fun for both humans and dogs.”
Silva shared some dog-friendly recipes.
mickey pawn cake
150g rice or brown rice flour (or gluten-free flour)
1 egg (or 1/4c apple puree)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
50 g mashed ripe banana or mashed cooked pumpkin/squash Optional: Add, select or combine 1 tbsp.
goji berry powder
Peanut butter powder (xylitol free)
carob powder
1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
Mix all of these together and bake like regular pancakes. Yield: 10 2-inch pancakes. Tip: Mr. Silva gives his dog one piece a day for his morning meal.
miku ball
1/4 kg fresh lean ground meat of your choice (I used ground pork)
1 egg
1 tablespoon of fresh organ meat, cut into small pieces (I used pork liver)
A handful of fresh malunggay leaves (without stems)
Just sprinkle with your favorite dried herb spice mix (parsley, turmeric powder, oregano, kelp powder)
brown rice flour (to help bind the mixture if it's still too wet)
Mix everything together and form into a size 1 ball. Steam or bake until light brown. Lightly fry in coconut oil before eating or storing. Yield: 30 meatballs. Tip: Depending on your dog's feeding requirements, feed 4 to 5 pieces per meal.
chicken tinola
2 chicken breasts (skinless, bone-in)
1-2 cups of water
2 pieces of fresh ginger, finely chopped
A handful of malunggay leaves
Cook until the chicken is tender. Add malunggay leaves. Let cool before eating. Cut the chicken into strips and remove the bones. Feed the soup with shredded ginger (anti-inflammatory). Amount: 2-3 servings depending on the size of your dog. —Contributed question
