Benefits/ problems related to home made dog foods?

After doing my research, I've learned that its fairly healthy to feed dogs homemade dog foods. The stuff that goes into dog food is sick!However... I need to try and convince my mother to let me make the food, and prove to her why it will be healthier for our Cockapoo.But, now I'm wondering. Is it really healthier for them? What are problems with feeding home made dog foods? Are there any benefits?I could buy a quality dog food; but my mom refuses to spend the money. Our dog has been living on Purina and Beneful for 9 years, and she claims shes not dead/ sick. While she does have some minor issues I've been concerned about (will give them in More Details) I'm not sure if they're food related.Please help me out and give me as much information AND sources as to why I should (or shouldn't) make my own dog food.Thank you!My dog has some breathing problems occassionally; especially when shes on a leash. She makes sounds like she is choking and breathes very strangely.She also has small bumps on her skin that about less than a centimeter in width and about the same/ a little bit more in their height. The bumps are the same color as her skin if not a bit pinker.Her energy level is also very poor. She never plays and sleeps all day, even though I take her for a walk almost every morning.Is it alright to feed them canned peas and canned tuna?

Home cooking is great but has to be balance right for Canines. They don't really need grain. But here is an example you can run by your Vet:Feed twice a day: One meat source (mostly skinless boneless meats or minimal skin added, you can also add a bit of the gristle, no bone of any kind!)More white or light meat than red meat: Examples: Chicken;Turkey;- buy organicOccasional beef; beef heart in one meal three times a week- it's an excellent source of taurine and raw is best; lamb; duck;Veggies: Squash, Zucchini (yellow and green); broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, alfalfa sprouts, green beans, peas- to name some.Fruit: Apple slices, frozen banana slices, cranberry, from fresh or frozen stock, slighly steamed then mashed whole berryStarches: Yams, White Potatoes, Brown RiceProportions: Meat= 2/3 mealOther one third of meal is combo of cranberry (a few tablespoons for a medium sized dog), 2 veggies and one starch.Apple slices and frozen banana slices in small amounts for treatsSprinkle a bit of acidophilus over the food. You can also add a bit of Brewer's Yeast and either a fish oil supplement for dogs like 3V Caps skin formulation or NutriVed.One friend is successfully for over a year feeding her three dogs this formula in contact with vet and all are doing great, two had been on prescription diets that weren't helping them.Once a week the dogs get a cup of yogurt with Cheerios as a treat. Run this suggested diet by your Vet and see if there is anything missing.For teeth condition, you can feed raw meaty bone like Chicken Back which has thin bone that in raw form is not splintery and exercises their teeth and gums and it is healthy for them.I give my dogs Nylabones for their teeth and hard healthy dog biscuits.Avoid spicing the dogs food or adding butter or sauces.These are too rich and can lead to pancreatitis, something you really don't want your dog to get!I beleive cooking food is the next best thing to raw feeding (here's a raw feeding site I used:)http://www.rawdogranch.comThe reason is because YOU know the quality of the product you choose and the freshness and you are controlling everything that goes in the food, so there is no question about the quality of meat (u know it's not from dead, diseased or dying animals that were sent to slaughter or human grade food rejects from factories that grind meat, styrofoam plastic wrap and all into the food.You know there is no "digest" matter that is a powder added to dog food made from dead animal tissues, carcasses.Dog food companies routinely say their meat in their food is human grade but IT IS NOT TRUE. There is a lot of false advertising. There is SO much more I could write on this! But here are a few sites:http://www.itchmo.comhttp://www.howl911.com

Most of the people on this site DON'T want to know about facts like you do because I guess to them ignorance is bliss, your concern for your pet is refreashing to see for a change. Tell your Mom I said she has reason to be very proud of you, most kids just don't care about anything but themselves these days.I can help you quite abit and get you going in the right direction. We have been home cooking our pet food now for about 3-4 months and within just the first 2 weeks the results were dramatic, and that's putting it mildly, far more than I ever expected. We fed "premium" pet foods which are also garbage, they all are. My GF just showed me plastic parts in one brand and hair in a brand called Innova. (dog or cat hair?, we have the pics)We have my Mom doing the home cooking now for 2 abused small dogs she is caring for along with us. They only have been on the home cooked diets for 3 weeks and are doing fantastic now, no more fear now that the one is going to loose his eye site anymore because his eyes are crystal clear again and the injured eye is so much better. (we also medicated his injured eye w/ anti biotic). His bloated body is also quickly returning to normal shape. The first thing you need to do is check out this site, he's a vet, PHD, writer, and studied nutrition as well, this mans book is saving our dogs lives no doubt about that and the other 2s.http://www.drpitcairn.com , read the nutrition page definiatly.As far as is it hard to do, no, my girlfriend enjoys making up the food, freezes about a weeks worth and we feed twice a day (once daily feeding causes bloat). The neglected dogs are getting fed 3 times a day as one is very under weight, we worked him up to it gradually. It's sad, he refused all commercial foods prior and was starving to death, the first night I brought him the real food he goobled it like he'd never eaten before. Now he cries before feeding like to say "don't forget me".Tell your Mom uncooked oatmeal is not expensive.(ingredient in one recipe) Ground turkey or chicken, nutritional yeast, kelp, a few select vitamins , organic eggs, whole organic milk, wheat bread, small amount of garlic, calcium/ phosphous (balanced amounts), a few other minor ingredients, they make a doggy meatloaf,lol and they really love it. The best part, it's nutritionally balanced, your pet will start getting healthier and less vet bills in the future. There are other meals to make in the book also.Tell your Mom you can't SEE liver or kidney damage that is happening in a pet till it's to late, your dog is way to young to be that lethargic (tired). This book also has natural flea remedies and I'll give you 2 links about the dangers of Frontline etc...(listed on sources below).I told my GF, your gonna give them diarreah when you make them their own food before we got the book, what a FOOL I was and addmit that now. I told her get it if you want (she would have anyways,lol), it was the best $$ we ever spent. No diarreah in 4 months, actually they go less, totally normal, and drink less water. Our 11 year old Yorkie is like a puppy again now playing a lot more and much more energetic, he no longer looks old anymore either.I saw you have an email listed, (if you didn't I was going to give you mine), tell your Mom if she won't get you this book, I will, I'm not rich by any means but if she won't help you save your dog we will. This book will tell you all you need to know about your pet, how to cook for it, dangers to it, conditions and how to treat, etc...I've had to euthanize 2 of my little guys in the past two years over kidney/ liver problems, I have no doubt if we had this book 12 years ago we'd still have them now, it's something you never want to go thru. Our 3rd died in surgery 3 years ago. Eventuually when you do loose your pet, at least you'll have peace of mind knowing you tried your absolute best to give it a happy and HEALTHY life. You can tell your Mom we have spent $6,500.00 in the last 3 years on our vet costs, that should make her feel better about buting you this book so you'll know from reading it how to truly take care of him/her the best you can.My name on the email that will show up is "Jim D", like I said, tell your Mom I'll get you the book if she won't. If I can help just one more pet not suffer from commercial pet food that will be well worth what it may cost me. Good Luck. You can write me back and I'll have my GF answer any questions you have, she's researched 4 months steady now and is up on a lot of what's really going on.One more benefit to the book, you'll be able to educate other people as well about helping their pets, it's a great feeling to help when someone wants to know the truth about whats really going into pet foods etc... . and no more worries when the recalls of the pet food garbage crop up again, it's allready starting again w/ one brand.Edit: I missed the part earlier about the tuna, NO, it's heavily laden w/ mercury.Edit: The first post has very good points but the book tells you how much of each etc... Also, as for running that by your vet, most vets do not take nutritional classes and if they do it is usually an IAMS or some other pet food rep. giving them the info, WRONG info I might add.