Still haven't done the ironing but I can't be bothered. I?d rather talk about dogs
The main principle you need to remember when preparing your dog's complete food is that it needs to be divided in
1/3 meat or other foods containing animal protein
1/3 cereals (rice, corn derived products, some sort of cooked grains really)
1/3 vegetables and fruit either cooked or raw.
As the dog gets older and less active the quantity of animal protein needs to be reduced.
Meat: anything really, if beef it is absolutely fine to give it raw,otherwise boiled chicken etc , fish with no bones at all (tinned is perfect). Cooked offal is fine too, but do not give it raw as it can infect the dog as they often carry parasites.
Eggs: egg whites must always be cooked (boiled), but egg yolk can be mixed in raw with the food.
Diary products: best to use things like plain yogurt, cottage cheese, bland stuff. I'd recommend avoiding plain milk as it often causes sickness (don't know why but I've seen it happening several times).
Cereals: weetabix soaked in water is fine, any kind of boiled rice is perfect for dogs, corn meal also a good option.
Vegetables: carrots are especially good for dogs as they help to prevent constipation, plus they have vitamins. Grated raw is best mixed with the rest of the food. A whole carrot is good for teeth but it often does not digest properly. Do not give potatoes, peas and beans as prolonged use can lead to skin disorders.
Bones: as mentioned earlier, get your local butcher to cut a big beef bone for your dog, removing the ends (the softer part of the bone it can irritate the stomach causing vomiting), boil it for at least 30 min and your dog will be really grateful (not advised of course if the dog suffers with bad teeth). No chicken or lamb bones are ever to be given as they splinter easily and can perforate the stomach. For chewing you can also offer a small very dry white french baguette. It helps to clean teeth.
Do not add anything to the food (sauces, salt, sugar etc). It is perfectly normal to give the dog scraps from your own meal. Just make sure it is plain food , keep it in the fridge and mix it with his food at meal times.
You should add a small quantity of fat to the food ,in moderation. For a glossy coat add a spoonful of vegetable/olive oil for a large dog mixed with the food. Or give 1 capsule of evening primrose oil/day.
No chocolate, sweets, cakes, nuts, sauces, mayonnaise etc. Keep it simple.
One other word of advice although I know lots of people disagree for some strange reason: your dog does not need to take more than 2-3 baths a year. Use a shampoo recommended by the vet and whatever you do, do not buy one from the supermarket or any other kind of shop. Because it spoils its fur a great deal and ends up with dry skin. Brush DAILY (if short haired, you can finish of with a small shammy leather to make it look better, otherwise a damp cloth at the end takes off all the remaining dust or loose hairs). But of course plain water is fine all the time. You might get away with just washing its feet. It depends how smelly it gets! Nothing worse than a smelly dog unfortunately.
I hope I haven?t forgotten anything. Sorry it?s such a long post?in essence it is really easy , you?ll see.
Did you enjoy your walk?!