Home-Made Dog Soup

Home-Made Dog Soup FARM HOME Food 4-2-28 "It's quite a savings and dogs love it," says Ruthann Cordon, Box 67, Dawson, Pa., who has developed her own recipe for home-made vegetable soup for dogs. Ruthann says if dogs are older or have kidney or bladder problems, there is no need to add stock other than perhaps bacon rind or beef fat. However, if your dog is on a prescription diet for any of these ailments, it's best to check with your vet before you use the recipe. Ruthann makes a huge amount at one time and freezes in serving portions. One more caution: This receipe is not intended for dogs under 1 year of age due to the almost zero protein content. 16 oz. dry beef (or beef bones or bouilon) Bacon rinds (or chicken skin or beef fat) Dash of garlic powder or oregano 12 large potatoes (small pieces) 12 large onions, finely chopped 4 cups cabbage, fine 8 cups carrots, fine 4 qts. tomatoes (fresh or canned) 4 cups water, at least 1 or 2 qts. yellow beans or 1 or 2 qts. green beans with juice After vegetables are cooked, add more water if necessary. Bring to a boil and add 11/z lbs. of dry rice and 4 cups of macaroni. Turn off heat and cover. Allow rice and macaroni to cook as mixture cools. Suggested serving amount is 1 qt. for a 40 lb. dog. Freeze portions for size of need. Yields between 20 and 30 qts., depending on ingredients used. No harm in using extra tomatoes. Dogs love tomatoes. Beans are very important to the recipe. Try never to omit them. This is a nice, good-smelling food to feed doggies. It travels well, too, with small chance of spoilage for 3 or 4 days with short periods for cooling. Start from home with it frozen. Depending on the dog, more or less rice and/or macaroni may be used to increase yield. Most dogs love this recipe. You can even innovate with the above recipe as most cooks do with any recipe. Even if dogs are on kibble or canned food of an acceptable protein content, there is no reason why homemakers can't use half or more of usual commercial products and half this recipe. It's such a` saving. "I am assuming when I speak of saving," explains Ruthann, "that most readers have the ingredients on their pantry shelves. Even so, it is still a less expensive way if ingredients must be purchased." For variety, Ruthann occasionally brews up treat for her doggies: 1 lb. or 2 of chicken giblets chopped in very small pieces and cooked with some onion or celery scraps in a large pot. Add a 3 lb. box of cornmeal, following box or bag directions. Cool and package for servings to suit your dog's need. "We have found that dogs love anything that resembles people food. Anytime you serve poultry to the family, remove the skin. It's the very worst part for people, yet has such yummy value for making dog food. My dogs know when I come from the market with raw poultry. It's their favorite flavor. When I had more dogs and lots of energy, I used to go to a local poultry processor and buy 200 lbs. of chicken necks at one time. Of course, bones of any kind must be ground for dogs. Necks still go for 5ó a lb. Compare that to your dry food price of 35 to 40ó per lb."

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