Sweet Potato Filler

the gloop that kind of looks like cat vomit
is the "sweet potato filler"

All dog food companies make "fillers" to go into their dog foods. They make claims of great nutrients and benefits for your dogs, but really all they're doing is trying to pad their dog food with cheap ingredients and thus, pad their wallets a little more. I can't say ALL dog food companies do it for this reason or that they are ALL terrible sources, but I can feel comfortable saying that most do. Most commonly grains and starches are used as fillers. A homemade diet filler kind of proves the same benefit; you aren't spending as much money on Bones Meats and Organs (BMO's) but at least you know exactly where those whole ingredients are coming from and what form of nutrition they provide. A lot more comforting than knowing that a dog food company can have a food that passes AAFCO standards with just sawdust, leather and canola oil (true story, and if you don't think that's terrifying enough, same goes for our own foods!). If you're feeding raw on a budget, knowing how to make a little nutritious filler to add once in a while can help save some pennies for you!


 Sweet potatoes can actually be a great source of nutrition if you're feeding real whole ingredients, but it's one you don't want to feed too often. More information on how to prepare and feed Sweet Potatoes can be found here.

Below is the most recent filler I made with sweet potato and pork liver. Of course, there are many different fillers you can come up with, so get creative and remember to research the ingredients first!

Filler ingredients:

•  1  sweet potato
•   pork liver
•   about 1 tbsp of coconut oil
•  green lipped mussel
•   flax seed powder
•   calcium powder from egg shells 
•   1-2 tbsp water
•  about 2 tbsp of deer meat (ground)

Preparation

The sweet potato should be washed and peeled. Cook the sweet potato. I think the quickest, easiest way would probably be to boil the sweet potato.

 When I first made this filler I did not cook the sweet potato, and did not learn until later that uncooked sweet potatoes are unsafe for dogs because they contain a substance that inhibits trypsin, a natural enzyme necessary for the pancreas to digest proteins. I didn't feed that much potato though, and my dog didn't seem to have any ill effects. Due to this new information, the next time I make it I'll cook the potatoes first! 

After cooking the potatoes, cut them into chunks and put them in your blender or food processor. I use the NutriBullet and so far it's worked really well and stood up to what I've dished it.

Slice the pork liver into small chunks and throw them into the food processor as well. Add deer meat at this point too.

Add coconut oil and  other supplements (in this case, flax seed and green lipped muscle powders).

Blend into a nice goop. You may have to add a tablespoon or two of water, as the meat often blends into a fatty pulp at the bottom and mucks the whole thing up. I found a bit of water de-mucks it, but too much water will make your goop too runny!

 Storage

 If you're planning on freezing your goop, I mean filler; you can do it in a number of ways. A zip lock baggie, container, or ice cube tray (I kind of like the latter best, if you have the time and patience to pour it all into little cubes). The way I did it I wouldn't recommend, I'm not sure what I was thinking. I thought I could just pop out a little frozen ball of filler and feed it that way, but there was no way it would come off the Saraann wrap and the only way to do so was to thaw it (which made the Saraann wrap moot).

I froze over night, along with the rest of the pork liver which I'd cut into portion sizes easier for serving (I managed to snag several ginormous bags of pork liver for very cheap at Overwaitea).

You don't need to freeze it either, you can always serve it in it's goopy state, I just found it lest revolting to deal with if it was frozen, and only one of my dogs can have sweet potatoes so there was plenty left over from even the small amount I made.

Serving

You can serve on it's own, since it has meat, organs and "bones" (calcium powder), or with other foods. I chose to serve it with a large chunk of liver and small bits of deer left over, as well as few pieces of sweet potato raw.  Again, at this time I did not know this was bad! I figured even if they didn't get any nutritional benefit it would help clean their teeth. Scratch that though, don't feed it raw!

I Love Hunting Season!

I use to hate hunting season, I hated listening to people talk about killing animals. I have no problem with people hunting if they're going to eat as much as what they kill as possible. If they're just hunting for the sake of killing a living creature, that's just sick. I don't support that. Anyway, I'm getting beyond the point... I use to hate hunting season, as an animal advocate, now as a raw feeder I love it!

Everything in the plastic bin is the dogs food, the brown
packaged items are from our beef order we just got!
I'm excited!

Hunting season means people are cleaning out their freezers to make room for the new season. Every now and then I post on my Facebook page, and group Dog Gone Good Training or on my sisters Facebook group Naturally Living in Fort St. James that I am looking for meat. I try to explain bones are okay, any type of meat I will take including organs and freezer burnt or refrozen meat. I will even take it if it's SLIGHTLY past the expiration date (and not frozen), as long as it's not too ripe. Dogs are capable of handling bacterias a lot better than we are and will often eat rotting carcases they come across, the scavengers they are. I've never had a problem feeding them slightly past the expiration date on the packaging.

The last couple weeks I've had a few people contact me, cleaning out their freezers and wondering if I wanted the meat. Most just honestly do not want to see the animal they killed (or the money they spent) to go to waste and knowing it will go to feed my doggies another day makes them feel good too! So not only do I get a few free meals for the dogs but the people giving me the meat are getting something from it too! It's a win/win/win situation if you ask me (the other win being the dogs benefit of course!).

Anyway, I've gotten some interesting types of meats for the dogs, and have had to be careful not to overfeed on the more rich foods like wild game. I left a couple goat heads and a package of goat stew on the counter earlier this afternoon.

Usually I will soak the frozen package in warm water or just let it sit in the sink to thaw. Today I was trying to catch up on dishes I'd gotten behind on so the goat got put on the counter. I'd been puttering around the house all day, doing chores, laundry, up-potted my African Violets (lets hope they don't die!), etc. so the goat on the counter got kind of forgotten. I was finally catching up on the chores and thought awesome, I'll finally get a chance to work on a trick with Unit I'd planned (see my Facebook group posted above for more info), and then I saw it. It looked like something straight out of a horror film. Blood and water had crept across the kitchen counter from the goat as it thawed. Well, the trick would have to be put off again and I would spend the next 20 minutes disinfecting my counter tops and all the items that were on it (including some large jars, my kettle and toaster).

The dogs seemed to really enjoy their goat and coconut oil though!







I've been working on "wait" with Unit for a week now. It may seem kind of cruel, but it's actually an important part of a behavior program for her. Unit is very dog aggressive and has managed to attack 3 dogs since we've had her for just barely a year now. So while it may seem mean to make her wait, it is important for her training and the safety of the dogs in our neighborhood!

This video doesn't work for me! Click HERE to see the original!  

Happy Rawiversary!

Today marks one full year since I first dove elbows deep into feeding raw - literally.
Switching the dogs to raw was a decision I made based out of necessity for their health. Most people who met PU when she was "falling apart" can't believe the difference now. I use to worry about infections, oozing sores, missing fur and the general unhappiness of my irritated dog. Now the worst she seems to get is patches of dry skin if I don't bathe her often enough or if I fed her a bit of chicken. Every now and then I try to give her a bit of chicken and monitor her. There's improvement, but she still can't seem to handle it. She may never be able to, but I will keep trying for now! Not just chicken, but many other foods I've found to trigger her old Seborrhea Oleosa ways.

I switched Coal because; why not switch both at the same time? Coal's coat has never been shinier and blacker (excluding all the grey of course!), and his general mood seems improved as well. He's more bouncy like he use to be as a young dog.

Unit

Coal

Both dogs teeth are amazing now. Unit's especially, since she was started on a raw diet at a younger age. Coal had 9 years of eating kibble to ruin his teeth. That said, even his teeth are quite beautiful now!

People ask how I keep their teeth so clean, the answer is simple; bones! Raw meaty bones (RMBs) are the best way to clean your dogs teeth. Much cheaper and much less risk than sedation and teeth cleaning at the vet, that's for sure!

Raw feeding over this past year has also proven to be quite challenging. I've had to learn to get creative to feed the dogs on a budget, and while I still exclaim "ewwww" and "yuck" and occasionally gag still while preparing dog food (I despise handling liver), it's all worth it!

When I see my dogs beautiful coat shinning in the sunshine. When he creaks and groans less while moving from a down to a standing position, and vise versa. When I see Unit playing and happy, without having to stop and scratch or rub her back on the grass constantly (only occasionally and it's purely for the joy of scratching one's back on the grass!).

When I see my floors are covered in less hair. It's not all gone of course, I still have two medium-large sized double-coated dogs! The fur will never go away! But it use to look like really dirty carpet. Unit would scratch and you could see a cloud of fur and skin flying off her!

When I can enjoy the company of my dogs, without the awful doggy smell, even a month + after bathing and they still don't smell nearly as bad as they did before the diet! I never even realized how bad they smelled!

It's all worth it. Every nasty liver, heart, etc. every time I've had to rush to the store and buy some pigs feet because I ran out of things Unit can eat. All the poop monitoring and occasional vomiting from a bone that wasn't quite swallowed right. Every time I worry they'll choke on said bone. It's all worth it because my dogs are healthy.

I end this post now because I have a furry face staring at me, expectantly, waiting for breakfast! Deer meat and sweet potatoes for breakfast this morning, with of course, some calcium powder, green lipped mussel, and flax seed mixed in. Delicious!

Natural & Safe Cleaners

I forgot to take a "before" photo, her collar
wasn't nearly this orange to begin with!

For Nylon Collars
I tried this method once with Coal's leather collar and I'm pretty sure that was a terrible idea. The vinegar dried it right out, so I recommend only using it on nylon or fabric collars!

 You Will Need:

•  vinegar
•   baking soda
•   warm/hot water
•   a bowl large enough to submerge your collar(s) in

I don't measure the ingredients, but I'd say it's about 1 part vinegar and 5 parts water with about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of baking soda (depending on how soiled your collars are).

Fill bowl with water and vinegar. Submerge collar. Sprinkle with baking soda and watch it sizzle away! Soak for 10 minutes - 1 hr, it all depends on how dirty your collars are. Soaking for longer won't hurt the collar (in my experience).
Rinse and repeat if necessary, otherwise let dry and enjoy!

Refresh The Bed Without Washing
I usually take the slip cover off and wash it in the washing machine. However, I was running a lot in the wash that day and decided I'd see if a similar method I read for human mattresses would work for the dog bed too.

You Will Need:

• dog bed
• vacuum
• baking soda
• vacuum brush head attachment or a stiff bristle brush
• essential oil of your choice (optional)

 Vacuum as much loose dog hair off the bed as you can. Sprinkle baking soda over bed evenly. Add a few drops over the bed of your choice of essential oil - make sure to check that it's safe for your pet! Use the vacuum attachment (as I did) or a stiff bristle brush to gently work the baking soda into an even coat over the entire bed. Let sit for 20 minutes - 1 hr. Use a power-head vacuum to remove the baking soda from deep within the bed. Let the dog enjoy!

I would recommend you still wash the slip cover from your dogs bed, but this is an easy way to remove odors between washing!

The Ups & Downs to Sharing a Meal...

Up until now, I thought one of the more awesome upsides to feeding raw was the fact I could cut off the fatty bits, the ugly bits, whatever and feed those to the dogs. It didn't feel like a waste like it did before I switched the dogs to raw. We often eat the same food as the dog (well, the meat at least!) And so far it's been great! Even a bonding experience with my dogs and our "pack".

Until today... I had the option of buying a whole fish for $7 or a filet already cut up and ready to cook for $22. I decided the choice was obvious, a  bit more work, but at least those -  you know - "fish looking" parts I could feed to the dogs! Not only was I saving money on our food, but the dogs too! What a deal!

So this morning I got to work cutting up this giant salmon. My whole house smelled like fish. I gave Unit the tail, the bits by the head and the fins... Then shortly later she barfed it up on our living room floor and kitchen floor.

My grilled salmon dinner was not very appealing after that...

Sometimes, I think my life would be easier if I fed my dogs kibble. But then I think, my dogs wouldn't be as healthy either.

How to Make: Calcium Powder from Eggs

Rinse the Shells
After cracking open an egg, rinse the shell out and put it back in the carton to store it until you feel you have enough shells. A whole carton yields a few tablespoons generally.

Try not to remove the membrane, it's packed full of nutrients!

Boil the Shells
Boil the shells for about five minutes to clean the shells.

Shells from a previous batch in the
Toast R Oven.

 Lay Them Out
Lay the shells out on a towel to let the water drip off.

Dry The Shells in an Oven. I used my Toast R Oven because it's been so hot out.

Conventional Oven: 200° F for about 10 minutes (varies based on egg size. Keep checking on them to make sure they don't burn!

Toast R Oven: 180° F for 5 minutes, pull the eggs out and flip them over. Let cool for a few minutes and put back in for another few minutes. Keep an eye on them, my first batch in the toaster oven burnt very fast!

 Mill or Blend
I used my NUTRiBULLET and milled the egg shells into a small power. You can also use a blender (sift out any large pieces afterwards if it does not make such a nice fine powder!) or use a coffee grinder. Coffee grinders can be bought fairly cheap (less than $20 at WalMart) so if you do not have something to grind the shells and don't want to invest in an expensive product, a coffee grinder will work just fine!

 Store in an Air-Tight Container
Half of the power is dark, that is from the burnt batch. The colour of your shells will determine the colour of your powder. If yours isn't an eggshell white, it may be due to the eggs being burnt (like in my first batch!) and the colour of the shells themselves will make a difference too!

Add the powder to your pets food according to the appropriate amount (see below). Egg shells are jam packed with calcium, so you don't need much!

Stir in any other supplements and serve with meat!

I've added Green Lipped Mussel from RawPaw for my old guy Coal! Green Lipped Mussels are excellent for old doggy joints!

The amount of calcium powder you add will be determined by the amount of meat you're feeding with it. See the chart below from Pet-Grub.com

Weight of Meat                  Ground Egg Shells


100 grams                       1/4 tsp
200 grams                       1/2 tsp
300 grams                       2/3 tsp
400 grams                       3/4 tsp




1/4 pound                       1/4 tsp
1/2 pound                       1/2 tsp
3/4 pound                       3/4 tsp
1 pound                         1 tsp



1 Jumbo Egg or 1 Large Egg      1/8 tsp
2 Jumbo Eggs or 2 Large Eggs    1/4 tsp
4 Jumbo Eggs of 4 Large Eggs    1/2 tsp
6 Jumbo Eggs of 6 Large Eggs    3/4 tsp
8 Jumbo Eggs of 8 Large Eggs    1 tsp

For more information about the amazing benefits of eggs, 

read my blog entry: Eggs are Excellent! 

Eggs are Excellent!

Eggs are an amazing nutritional source for dogs and humans alike. We buy our eggs from a nearby farm through our neighbors and recently were offered to try some duck eggs for the dogs. They LOVE them, and will even eat the whole shell! Duck eggs are packed full of nutrients, even moreso than chicken eggs, and are something that Patrol Unit can eat no problem (having allergies means there's lots of foods she can't eat! Duck and duck eggs are foods she should be eating, but until now I've had trouble finding at low cost).

What's the difference between duck and chicken eggs?

1.  Duck eggs have twice the nutritional value of a chicken egg and stay fresher longer due to their thicker shell.
   
2.  Duck eggs are richer with more Albumen making cakes and pastries fluffier and richer.
   
3.  Duck Eggs have more Omega 3 fatty acids ..something you can actually see in the salted pickled eggs the Chinese love to eat. Omega 3 is thought to improve everything from brain health to healthy skin and hair.
   
4. Duck Eggs are an Alkaline producing food, one of the few foods that leave your body more alkaline which is a great benefit to cancer patients as cancer cells do not thrive in an alkaline environment. Chicken eggs are an acid food leaving your body more acid.

There is one reason why many people are scared to try a duck egg and that is that the yolk contains about a 1 day supply of Cholesterol ..which is not good for heart diseases..well ... This depends on what you believe about weight control and fat or cholesterol. We are only just beginning to understand the real effects of eating fat in our diet. In practice we know that healthy active people who exercise need fat in their diet, otherwise their bodies would generate the cholesterol itself. So good (HDL) cholesterol is good and will stop your body from producing its own cholesterol. Your body needs to know how to process fat and get the energy benefits. If it forgets how to process fat or has easier sources of fast energy as from hydro carbons then guess what, your body stores the fat as an energy source ...hence your love handles are really stored energy. [1]

Raw vs Cooked

There is a lot of debate out there whether feeding raw eggs to dogs is good or bad. Cooking depletes nutrients, any raw feeder will tell you that. Those opposed to feeding raw eggs would probably tell you that the harm in feeding raw egg is far worse than losing a bit of nutrients. Here's the thing though, the concerns regarding feeding raw eggs are not very large concerns at all and the nutrients lost is far more valuable!


One of the main concerns is that egg whites cause biotin deficiency and contain enzyme inhibitors which can interfere with digestion (especially in the very young and very old). Biotin is a B vitamin that is important for cellular growth, fatty acid metabolism and good skin and coat. Biotin is abundant in the egg yolk. There are other ways of obtaining biotin as well through the diet (liver is a good source of biotin).


If feeding your dog eggs on a regular basis, simply make sure he gets the whole egg, not just the white.[2] Eggs should not be the staple of a dog's diet, and feeding the whole (and organic!) egg will decrease the chances of biotin deficiency (which is pretty rare to begin with!).


Another large concern is often bacteria, salmonella being a big one. Dogs are designed to eat raw foods. They have a short digestive tract that quickly pushes harmful bacterias through the system faster than they can colonize. Not to mention the digestive enzymes in the saliva and strong stomach acid that often kills bacteria before it even gets to the intestines!



Their saliva has antibacterial properties; it contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria. Their short digestive tract is designed to push through food and bacteria quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize. The extremely acidic environment in the gut is also a good bacteria colonization deterrent. People often point to the fact that dogs shed salmonella in their feces (even kibble-fed dogs do this) without showing any ill effects as proof that the dog is infected with salmonella. In reality, all this proves is that the dog has effectively passed the salmonella through its system with no problems. Yes, the dog can act as a salmonella carrier, but the solution is simple—do not eat dog crap and wash your hands after picking up after your dog. [3]


When you compare the bacteria naturally found in or on eggs to the amount of things dogs lick or ingest I think you'll find that eggs are the least of your worries! Unless a dog is already unhealthy and has a compromised immune system to begin with, the bacteria found in and on eggs is not enough to harm your dog.

Don't Throw Away The Shells!

Egg shells are jam packed with calcium. You can make calcium powder from egg shells relatively easily and without the cost you would spend on calcium supplements! This powdered calcium can be used not only for your dogs but also yourself! Pregnant or nursing mothers require a lot of calcium and this is a great way to get it at low cost! If you're already buying eggs all the time and composting or throwing away your egg shells, start saving them!







How to Make Calcium Powder from Egg Shells
CLICK HERE to read my blog about how to make Calcium Powder!

Unit shows how it's done.
Eating an egg for the first time whole,
and she did it like a pro!

Organic is Best!

When buying chicken or duck eggs you want to find a good source from an organic farm.


Most eggs (those not labeled as organic) at your local grocery market will contain all sorts of carcenogens that otherwise shouldn't be there!



A 2010 study published in the journal Veterinary Record found that the eggs from hens confined to cages, as they often are in factory farms, had 7.77-times greater odds of harboring salmonella bacteria than eggs from non-caged hens. [4]





Whether you're feeding those eggs to your dog or your family, you should be looking for healthy eggs that come from healthy chickens. Stay clear from farms feeding soy to their chickens and if you can, visit the farm! Are the chickens healthy looking? Are they kept indoors, outdoors and/or in cages? Are they fed a high quality feed that does not contain soy?What's Wrong With Soy?



Originating in China, soybeans have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. It’s only been in the last century that the way we eat soy has changed dramatically. Fermentation is how soy was first prepared for eating. It was a side dish that complimented the rest of the meal. Raw soy is not fit for consumption and can be considered toxic. Today’s soy is processed in variety of methods (not fermented) which denatures the proteins and increases levels of carcinogens.


Soy is a prevalent ingredient in almost all processed foods. Those with a soy allergen (it’s one of the top eight food allergens for humans) know this best. It’s in fast-foods, baby food, processed meat, breads, etc. Unless you are very conscious of everything you eat, it is easy to consume an unregulated amount of soy products every day.


Perhaps you are not allergic to soy, here are some other findings that may be important to you. Soy is not a complete protein (as commonly believed), lacking some important amino acids. Soy foods can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D. Soy increases levels of estrogen (possibly simulating the growth of related tumors) and decreases levels of testosterone. It has been related to pre-mature sexual development in females, and delayed development in males. Animal studies show soy foods causes infertility in animals. [5]


[1] LocalHarvest Duck vs Chicken Eggs
[2] Dogs Naturally Magazine Feeding your Dog Raw Eggs - Good or Bad?
[3] Myths About Raw Feeding: The Bacteria in Raw Meat Will Hurt Your Dog
[4] ABC News - The Truth About Your Eggs
[5] Soy Free Chickens - Why Soy-Free?