Do you make your own dog food? and

[newtohogs]

would there be any harm in feeding my dogs the game that i catch in traps? possum, coon skunk birds swamp rats . i plan on cooking the food just like if i were going to eat it but suplement maybe 1/2 of there food with fresh meat and 1/2 Imes hard food. I am getting tired of paying for caned food and meat is free what are your thoughts on this? thanks rick in va

[newtohogs]

why no comments? am I crazy

[MTdrahthaar]

I don't think anyone thinks your crazy. Its just that there is no need to go through the pains of cooking for your dog. There are very good foods out there to feed.
The problems with doing that are that, you need to make sure the dog gets the vitamins and minerals in the right proportions they need, and I don't think you would be doing that by just cooking up meat and adding it to cans of dog food. Plus, those aren't the best animals to be feeding to your dog, too many diseases, and worms, etc, I would not want my dogs ingesting on a regular basis.
I don't think you need to buy canned food, it is expensive. Dry dog foods out there are very good, everything a dog needs. Dogs need a balance, just like we do. Not just meat.

Ever notice coyotes or wolves. They get an animal down, and many go right after the stomach contents. They need their "greens" too.

[Phil from Maine]

I can't speek for anybody but myself, but when I see a skunk
I will not go near it dead or alive. If it was beaten around all day or anything else a skunk is a skunk. Also you never said what you use your dogs on. I never feed my dogs anything that goes in the woodsthat I do not want it to hunt for. No offense but my dogs hunt birds and I do not want them looking for nothing else. I also preffer dry dog food over can.
There has been a few occasions that I have added chicken fat, bacon,
beef fat, ect. only as a supplement to add the fat and protein when I
cannot get what I need. ( 20% fat & 30% protein ) as the dogs I have
are very active. No Offense to you but the bottom line if I can't feed
them I don't need them.

[WoodsBowhunter15]

In addition to Phil's comments, you don't want to feed a dog something at the house that you wouldn't want it eating in the field. For instance, if you want a birddog to start munching on your quail when it retrieves it then let him eat a bird or two. This will show him that quail are his food, not ours. My 2 cents.

[wildlands]

I do not know about the skunk but he other meat why not if it is handeled properly. My sisiter-in-law has been making here feed for her animals for going on 2 years now. Finds marked down meats chicken,ground beef, deerthings like that. Grinds it up along with vegies and some suplaments. She follows a very strick regament. She feeds this to 3 cats and her German Shepard. She did a lot of research on it before she decided to go with it. She says that the cost is not much more than a good dry food. All of the animals a slick , shiny coats and lots of enegry. All the cats are over 13 years old and the German Shepard is a little over 2.
I started to do this with my dog but it is time consuming making up the food and storing it.

One problem with cooking the meat as far as the bones go it makes them brittle and can cause you some serious problems if they get stuck in your dogs throat.