Commercial dog food alternative?

I am just about to give up on store bought dog foods. But the alternative is very overwhelming to me. My husband is a soldier and we move around a lot and I cant find the same good bought food everywhere we go. And I now live in very small towns without many dog food choices. After the research I have done, I want to get my 6lb yorkie off of the store bought food. I dont know what to feed him though. Even now, we give him cooked ground beef, turkey, and even a few fruits and veggies (only the ones safe for my pup of course) in addition to his dog food - which is Nutro Ultra by the way. I really want to hear from pet owners that are feeding their dog a "raw diet" (I have no idea if that's even the right term for fresh food). Even if I was to start out feeding my pup fresh foods in addition to his dog food, how would I know he is getting the right nutrition?



Please answer if you are feeding your dog fresh food and have some recipes that you are already feeding your dog.



Thanks!!Commercial dog food alternative?
I know you said not to cite any websites, but have you looked at any bookstores? Even looked online for books? I have been feeding my GSDs a raw diet for about three years now. It seemed like I couldnt find much online either. But I have about a dozen books and recipe books that I used. It was a little bit overwhelming when I started the new diet, but once you get the hang of it, it's really not that bad or complicated. I was also concerned about the nutrition content and how my dogs would get everything they needed, but one of the books (I will go write all of the names down and email you them in a minute) had basically step by step instructions and what suppliments to give them and even at what times of the day.



The thing I really like about the raw diet is that you KNOW 100% that everything you are feeding your babies is for human consumption and you dont have to worry about recalls and the crap that dog food companies use as fillers. I always laugh now when I read that a dog food is made from food that is for human consumption... bc there is NO way I would be eating it!!



I think you will enjoy the new diet for your dog.... just about as much as you baby will!!Commercial dog food alternative?
Check out rawfed.com . A raw diet of of meaty bones and organs is the best thing you can give your dog and it's available anywhere where there's a supermarket or butcher.



Add:

Sorry, just saw your added details. I still recommend that site. It's the site that I used to learn all about raw feeding and I can't recommend it highly enough.
At time we just feed our dogs a whole carcass, depending on their size.



A whole cornish game hen, for instance, inclusive of all innards like liver, heart, kidney, etc and bones is a complete meal in itself. It's small enough so our miniature pinscher can work on it the whole day through. Sometimes we remove the liver because it's not necessary or even good for a dog to receive so much iron, but other than that, it's pretty simple.



A dog cannot thrive only on "meat" - it really does need the raw bones for calcium, the innards for vitamins and minerals, the offal for extra little bits of digested vegetable matter, and of course, meat, for protein.



From my experience, I would never feed my dogs kibble alongside raw food. The rates of digestion are different. If we feed kibble (if ever), we make sure that the kibble in itself is 1 meal, and the raw food is another. When we do feed kibble (very rarely - nowadays if we don't have time we feed them commercial raw frozen from Nature's Variety), we make sure to leave a 5 hour gap between processed kibble and the raw food. Otherwise, they might get digestion issues.Commercial dog food alternative?
If you want to stick with dog food, I'll give you the same advice I give everyone, try Orijen!! It's a little more expensive but it is worth it. It has 70% meat products, 30% veggies, and no grain. It's the way they are SUPPOSE to eat, without fillers. I HIGHLY reccommend this brand. It received 6 stars out of the possible 6 stars when rated on this website. You can order it online from this website (http://www.k9cuisine.com/showproduct.asp鈥?/a> let me know if that link doesn't work.
I've been feeding my dogs fresh, home-made food (including raw meat) for something like 7 - 8 months now and they're thriving on it. I got started by reading a book in my vet's office called "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats".



It's got a lot of recipes as well as all the additives your dog needs and what each one does.



Feeding fresh is great for the dogs but I learned from this book and my vets that you can't just throw things together. They need a balanced diet and if you're cooking for them, your responsible for making sure they get it. If you want to feed your yorkie fresh, this book is a great investment. (And you really need it as a continuing reference.)Commercial dog food alternative?
You are on the right track in wanting to feed your dog raw. This is by far the healthiest way to feed. Dogs are carnivores and need raw meat and bones. And the great news for you is that it doesn't matter where you live. Raw meat, such as chicken, turkey, beef, fish, rabbit, etc is available anywhere at any grocery store or butcher shop.



At Bella Rosa Cane Corsos, we teach people how to feed raw and cook for their dogs. You will find a variety of articles on our website, beginning with a very interesting article entitled: "What's In That Bag?" which talks about kibble vs. raw feeding. I think you'll find it very illuminating.



http://bellarosacanecorsos.com/articles/articleslist.html



Traveling with a raw fed dog is easy too - just throw some mackerel, chicken legs or beef ribs into a zip lock bag, and toss it into your cooler. Then feed your dog at the rest area when you take your own break. It really couldn't be easier, and the health benefits are wonderful!



Hope this helps!