I picked up this book because I would prefer to cook for my pet, but want to make sure that the foods I make are nutritionally balanced. This book stuck out to me because of the largely positive reviews it received.

When I actually read this book the first thing that struck me was the lack of citations. Since Andi Brown is not a vet I feel it's important that she link all the nutritional claims she is making back to cited medical studies. When this isn't done it makes me wonder if the nutritional knowledge that is being presented is sound or just a matter of opinion. I also would have preferred if the book were co-written by a vet to bring more credibility to the equation.

The other thing I disliked is that the results her diet provides are only ever validated on a small scale with antedotal stories from those who used it. While these stories are compelling, they are not substantial enough. Of course she is only going to include the success stories. A bigger medical trial makes it MUCH clearer what the rate of success is.

It also seemed like a lot of the success stories were based around pets who were sick or afflicted with ailments. As an owner of a currently healthy puppy this stories were not particularly relevant to me and didn't give me a strong idea of what benefits a dog who was already healthy, with a shiny coat, etc. would see from the diet.

I also took issue with the fact that she painted all pet foods with a broad stroke as evil, except for hers of course. At the time I read the book I was feeding my dog with a product that had fewer ingredients than her own line and no bi-products or undesirable ingredients. I would have found it more balanced if she mentioned that commercial food could be okay if thoroughly researched. She could have given better guidelines for what to look for.

Despite these criticisms there were some things I liked about the book. I really liked that she advocated not just for a change in diet but also for including things like regular play, massage, etc. I also liked that she included journal pages to help monitor your pet's progress. I can see myself using some of her other tips, but only after I validate them with other sources.

Overall, I think this book has the potential to give some smart advice. However, with her across the board dismissal of packaged dog foods and lack of citations it is hard for me to trust her recommendations without further research.

I've read many books about natural dog food, dog nutrition. And I can surely say that this is the best book I've read.
I highly recommend this book, it is reader friendly, it includes food recipes, treat recipes, and much more! It is very well-structured, and I'm sure that you will finish reading it in less than eight weeks.
With no regret I would recommend this book!!!
If you are really interested in your pet's health, please read this book!!!

My poor little guy has developed a heart condition. He decided soon after diagnosis that he didn't want to eat any canned food (what he'd been eating for years). I tried everything...I bought him the expensive "organic" canned food, the generic stuff from petsmart, etc...and he'd eat it for a day and then sniff it and walk away. He was telling me something so I finally got a clue and listened. I researched cooking for him and tried different recipes online. It wasn't until I got this book and tried Spot's Chicken Stew that my prayers were answered. I've been doing it for months now and he still likes it! I've gotten into a good routine now: I cook once a week, following the directions in the recipe (except I use regular water, I use the kelp powder from 3 gel tablet supplements (just the powder not the capsule) b/c I couldn't find regular kelp anywhere, and use 2 cloves of garlic). After simmering for 2-2.5 hours, I let it cool an place it in the fridge overnight (do not drain the liquid!). The fat rises the next morning and I spoon this out. I then take the chicken out and de-bone it and reserve some chicken in tupperware to serve and some into the broth and veggies. I then place the broth into ziploc bags and freeze for a week, taking out a bag at a time as needed. When I need to prep his dish, I empty it and microwave for 20 seconds and then smash the veggies and chicken with a soup ladle to dissolve as much as I can in the stew. My dog loves the liquid and slurps it right up.
Also I buy a pack of beef bones each week, boil them and keep them in tupperware in the fridge as treats during the week. He loves them.

I was afraid his bowel movements would be a problem, but they're fine. He's doing well. His heart is stable and the doctor is happy. Other benefits include his allergies seeming to clear up (no more gunk around the eyes that I couldn't resolve for months before). His eyes are bright and he seems really happy. He also has stopped waking up in the middle of the night crying for no reason; I think he probably had stomach aches when he was on Beneful and Hills. Thank goodness I listened to him! Cook for your dog...it's not that hard to do...just takes a little more time...they're worth it!

I' prepared the chicken stew recipe which contains garlic. I'm frightened by conflicting information, some info states garlic is healthy, and some states it is toxic to cats. I would like to know of any scientific studies that address this issue.
Also the author does not list any educational credentials so I'm guessing she is self taught. whatever that means. She gives a bibliography of other books in the index, but no listings from scientific jorunals.
I found an excellent book at the Waukesha County library in Wi. The book would have to be read because it contains too much info to convey it all here. The book is "Herbs for Pets" by Wulff-Tilford, who has a diploma in Veterinary Homopathy from the British Institute of Homeopathy and her husband who is listed as an expert in animal herbalism.
They list the many benefits of garlic. Near the end of the treatese they state, "Although toxic side effects are rare...the possibility of harming your dog, cat, or herbivore does exist...MODERATION in the use of garlic particularly when used in cats is a cardinal rule. There are other side effects listed as well and "When misused {used excessively or over an extended period} garlic may cause Heinz-body anemia, a potentially life-threatening disease...garlic compounds...are bllieved to deplete a naturally glucose enzyme that protects the walls of red blood cells...causes damage,...forming Heinz bodies, triggering the body to reject them {symptom dark-colored urine}....If left unchecked the animal becomes anemic and eventually dies....1/2 teaspoon of garlic poower to a pound of food, 3 to 4 times a week are probably going to...benfit the health of your pet. Just don't overdo it..."Cats more sensitive to garlic. Watch for digestive upset and behavioral changes."















Herbs for Pets a book by Wolf-Tillford and Tillford who call themselve

After trying more than 10 varities of expensive puppy/dog food I was at my wits end of what to do for my 7 month old lab. She had diarrhea from the day we got her at 3 months old. We had her tested for everything our vet could think that might cause it, but couldn't find anything. She had horrible gas and with the last lamb and rice formula food we tried she became lethargic and had to be let out all night long. I finally just decided to try making her food, I searched the internet and found this book. It is a good start and has some really good advice, although I wish it would have had a more detailed list of foods that are ok to feed. The stories in it are inspiring though and it is a good reference material. I'm glad I have it in my library.