In the real world, most of us work long hours, many people work second jobs in order to make ends meet. The idea of having to cook for one more member of the family can be overwhelming, enough that pet owners can just throw up their hands and say “forget it I’ll take my chances.” In the new addition of Dinner PAWsible, we specifically address that issue. Personally, I use the crockpot pretty much 24 seven in order to feed my hungry crew without having to take a lot of extra time to get the food made.
Another option we discuss is to feed one meal a week. Simply one home cooked meal a week is going to do so much more for your pet then if they got none at all. There’s no reason why you can’t mix together ingredients of a weekend brunch meal into a balanced meal for dogs and cats. And this is with very little extra effort in using ingredients that you pretty much already have on hand.
Some weeks it may be so hectic that all you can do is throw a few pieces of leftover chicken or hamburger on top of the pet food.
Other great real world solutions discussed in the new addition of Dinner PAWsible include cooking in bulk, freezing ahead and making larger portions of your own meals and setting aside a small amount for your dogs and cats.
If the real world does not equal the ideal world in your house, that is just fine (it doesn’t in mine either). With many tips of how to make ends meet, the new edition of Dinner PAWsible, due in stores on May 5, 2015 will make your life easier.
Dr. Cathy Alinovi DVM
As a practicing veterinarian, Dr. Cathy treated 80% of what walked in the door — not with expensive prescriptions — but with adequate nutrition. Now retired from private practice, her commitment to pets hasn’t waned and she looks forward to impacting many more pet parents through her books, research, speaking and consulting work. Learn more at drcathyvet.com
Jean Mccarthy
April 11, 2015 at 9:49 am
I do not cook. But, there are some healthy mixes, such as SoJos, The Honest, Kitchen Preference, that I add water to, plus meat (raw or cooked, or Merrick 96% canned food) to create healthy meals for my dogs.
Ellie
April 11, 2015 at 3:06 pm
I feed raw to both the cats and dogs. I do prepare meals in bulk. I get all the ingredients together, mix them up and put them in individual portions for the dogs and I do daily portions for the cats. It really isn’t that much work once you have established your food sources and have all the equipment you need. The little extra investment means we have only yearly vet checks with no illness nor need of any medical interventions.
MaryTX
April 14, 2015 at 4:09 pm
Does the book cover diets to support dogs with kidney and liver failure? Can you recommend trusted sources for both purchased and home cooked food? Thanks in advance.
Dr Cathy
April 15, 2015 at 11:07 am
There is an entire chapter devoted to talking about health conditions and which recipes are appropriate for which condition in the new edition of Dinner PAWsible. As for a great place to list where to buy better quality foods – you are on the right website.