The Gourmet Dog Bakery Blog

We have finally completed our relocation from San Antonio, TX to Montrose, MN (just north of Minneapolis, MN).  My husband has joined me in the bakery full-time and he will focus on our packaging and taking our treat products to the next level.  In addition to improving our product line and improving packaging, he is advancing our wholesale program.  With all that I was trying to complete, it was almost impossible to take the bakery to the next level - now I have a partner in life that can also partner with me in the bakery.

Look for some major changes in the coming months to our product line and wholesale marketing efforts.

Thank you to our established clientele for their patience while moving our family and our bakery across the southwestern states to the upper midwest.

Diabetic dogs need oatmeal as the base for all their meals.  Oatmeal does not affect their blood sugar levels as does potatoes, rice, pasta and sweet potatoes.  The problem is that our diabetic basset, Daisy, won’t eat the same thing day after day.  As you know, if a diabetic dog doesn’t eat then they can’t receive their insulin.  In order to keep her eating, I will mix pureed vegetables, carob chips or a combination of pureed vegetable and fruit.

An example for breakfast is that I will cook her oatmeal as usual and puree in my Magic Bullet or mini food processor, one apple and about 1/4 cup of green beans.  She loves this and eats it all.

Another combination could be oatmeal and pureed or sliced bananas.  I have actually started making the same breakfast as she has, for our other two bassets (who do not have diabetes). They are all 3 eating healthier.

For a dinner example, I will cook the oatmeal and before it is done cooking, I will add some green peas or green beans with some kind of chopped lean meat.

We have seen our bassets coat become shiner and fuller plus their energy level has increased.  Our diabetic basset is more alert, energetic and calmer since we starting feeding her homemade food and treats.

Daisy is the reason we founded TheGourmetDogBakery.com because there are NO diabetic dog treats on the commercial market and we wanted to spoil her with treats like healthy dogs receive.

Have a ‘howling’ good week!

If you follow this blog or any of my forum postings, you understand that I cook homemade food for our 3 bassets and love doing it.  I love deciding which base to use, such as potato, pasta, rice or oatmeal and then add vegetables and a lean meat.   If you are cooking for a diabetic or pancretitis dog, then you will need to use oatmeal as the base.  Below is one of my latest creations and our bassets loved it.  Have Fun!

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1/2  c. chopped green beans

1 small can of tomato sauce (check ingredients to make sure it is only tomato puree)

4 to 5 c. of water

1/2  c. chopped carrots

1/2  c. chopped zucchini

1/4  c. red bell pepper

2 Tbsp. canola oil

1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves  OR  4 fresh chopped basil leaves

1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves  OR  2 sprigs of fresh oregano leaves

3 c. macaroni noodles

In a dutch oven pan, cook the ground turkey until no pink remains.  Add the water, oil and tomato sauce then bring to a boil.  Add macaroni and remaining ingredients to the pot, stirring occassionally.  Simmer until the macaroni and vegetables are cooked thoroughly.

Makes 4  - 2 cups of homemade dog food.

Did you know many pets have allergies to wheat, corn and soy? Read your pet’s food and treat labels, this may be the cause for their scratching, sneezing, tear staining, and potty issues in the house.

Quinoa is considered the supergrain of the future but you shouldn’t wait for the future to use it.  Quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous.  This “grain” may be especially valuable for dogs with diabetes.

It is already available in the bulk grain sections of most natural food stores, such as Whole Foods.  It has a mild flavor and can be added to most every food dish but it does take some prep work before adding to your food.

This is a very important step:  Using a fine sieve, rinse the grain several times with cool water.  Rinsing the quinoa grain will remove the bitter taste. 

Bring 2 cups of water or homemade broth to a boil and then add 1 cup of quinoa grain.  Bring to another boil and then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  The quinoa should absorb the broth.  Fluff with a fork and let cool.  Store in the refrigerator for about 4 days and add to your dishes during the week.

We use quinoa grain or quinoa flour in all of our healthy dog treats at The Gourmet Dog Bakery.

If you are seeking more information on homemade dog or cat food, then I highly recommend the book entitled, “Home Prepared Dog and Cat Diets” by Donald Strombeck, DVM, PhD.

“Diet is one of the most important considerations in a pet’s care and that it is a major determinate of health and life expectancy”. This is a quote from Dr. Donald Strombeck, DVM, PhD and Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine at U.C. (Gastroenterology).  I found the book at Barnes & Noble stores and Amazon.     Have a HOWLING good summer read!

There is no right or wrong answer here, if you use moderation in feeding your dog some liver.  Liver is high in cholesterol so once per week is fine.  Of course you will want to add it to their regular kibble or into their homemade meal with added vitamins.

We either puree chicken hearts or chicken livers once per week and add it to their oatmeal and peas (or green beans).  Our Daisy is diabetic so we add it to oatmeal but you could add it to rice, sweet potatoes or wheat pasta.  The combinations are almost limitless….so you can use your creativity to the fullest extent.

There is an internet radio show and podcast just for dog lovers and it is called DogCast Radio.  The owner and has covered some very interest topics such as: 

•  
  • Coping with the loss of a dog
  • Information on Breed Specific Legislation
  • Crufts 2008 coverage – largest dog show in the UK, similar to our USA Westminister Dog Show
  • Improving your dog’s diet
  • Dogs with aggressive behavior
  • And many more…

New episodes are posted twice per month (2^nd and 4^th Saturday of each month) and it is totally free by listening on the website, download to a MP3 device or link a podcast feed to your computer (you may need special software but you don’t need a device such as an iPod). 

DogCast Radio has articles from experts on topics of interest to dog owners.  I enjoyed learning from Dr. Paula Terifaj, DVM.  For years, I have been looking for a vet who doesn’t believe that we must feed our pets commercial dog food in order for them to be healthy and she is it. 

DogCast Radio covers on their website, dog breed profiles including temperment, dog owner interviews regarding agility & water training, professional dog trainers, listeners share their own experiences, puppy activities and they review dog related websites. 

If you haven’t listened lately, check them out at http://www.DogCastRadio.com

Some pet owners think all pet food manufacturers have their pet’s best interests in mind but this is far from the truth. Current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give your pet.  You might even be shocked to learn what top brands of pet foods really contain.  I was, when doing some research and found that all major pet food manufacturers use chicken feet and cow intestine, which is called by-products in the ingredients list.  Along with by-products, these same pet food manufacturers add chemicals to presere the food so that it will last for over a year.   

These top pet food manufacturers play on the busy lives of pet owners and use marketing that highlights the ease of feeding your pets with what they call “natural or healthy”.  There is no regulation when using these terms on pet food packaging and there is nothing healthy about using by-products or chemicals. 

Just as our society has found, humans gain weight and suffer from many high-risk health issues when our diets do not contain healthy choices.  With last year’s pet food recall and the rise in pet obesity and diabeties, it is now being proven than our pets suffer from similar shortening of life.   

So what is the solution to giving our pets a high quality of life without suffering from numerous health issues.  We can make the decision to switch them from commercial pet food and either make their food from human grade ingredients or choose a raw diet.  Don’t get me wrong, there are several high quality small pet food brands that you could choose but you must learn how to read the ingredients labels and what you want to avoid.  I have found several that I would have considered but they contained garlic and our one basset becomes violently sick with any amount of garlic.  So my choice was to make their food from scratch, so that I better understood what their diet contained.  I am in the process of taping an instruction series (making dog food from scratch) for posting on ‘You Tube’ within the next month or so.  I am looking forward to feedback from pet owners. 

When I purchased The Gourmet Dog Bakery earlier this year, I wanted to offer dog owners with a low-fat choice in treats for dogs suffering from diabeties or pancretitis, at a reasonable price.  When you have a dog diagnosed with diabeties, they always say “no treats allowed”.  That suggestion is usually made due to the quality of commercial treats on the market.  Find a small dog bakery that offers low-fat, chemical and by-product free treats, that does not negatively affect their blood sugar levels.   

Keep in mind - dog treats should not exceed more than 10% of your dog’s calorie intake each day.  With diabetic diagnosed dogs, treats should be used in moderation with a low-fat and low-glycemic diet.

Dog obesity is on the rise with 41%  of dogs either overweight or obese. 

There is definitely a rising obesity problem among dogs and with that comes pancretitis, diabetes, joint and hip problems, liver or kidney issues and even heart problems.

I think that some dog owners feel guilty by leaving their dogs at home alone during the day but with this guilt, comes an overindulgence with commercial treats and the convenience of commercial dog food.  Owners are actually killing their dogs with this kind of behavior. Commercial treats and food has wheat gluten (even after several pet food recalls), high fat content, sugar additives, chemicals for preserving the product on the store shelves for around a year, large amounts of salt and artificial dyes and flavors. 

Some owners think that by giving table scrap, they are not feeding them chemicals or preservatives but on the contrary, they are feeding them high fat, low fiber and probably garlic and onions in some form.  Onions and  garlic contain thiosulphate, which is toxic to dogs and especailly to cats. Onions are more of a danger because of the amount of thiosulphate but some dogs become violently ill after ingesting garlic. 

Commercial treats are full of preservatives, chemicals, wheat gluten, and additives amongst other high fat ingredients.  For example, milkbones are one of the best sellers within the commercial dog treat industry, yet dogs that develop allergies, are usually allergic to the Brewer’s yeast that is a main ingredient in milkbones. I have had quite a few dog owners explain to me that their vet says their dog is experiencing allergies.  I usually followup by asking if their dog is eating milkbones and you would be surprised at how many say ‘yes’.  After I explain about Brewer’s yeast and allergic reactions in dogs, they decide to remove that treat from their diet. Small, independent dog bakeries are trying their best to create dog treats that do not contact yeast, preservatives or chemicals. 

We, at The Gourmet Dog Bakery, have the responsibilty to develop recipes that are low-fat, low-glycemic ingredients and we never use garlic.  We adapt human diabetic recipes suitable for canine tastes.  We limit the use of honey and oil but some is beneficial to the health of your dog, as shown in recent studies.  We have shopping categories by the type of issues you are facing, such as ‘Diabetes’ or ‘Skin Allergies’  at http://www.TheGourmetDogBakery.com. 

We are currently developing a new treat named Pug Buns, that are carob and cinnamon buns. Soon our newsletter mailing list will receive notification of all new treats that are developed and announced by The Gourmet Dog Bakery staff.