The basic problem with long term storage of dog or cat food (as with human foods) is the short shelf life of vital fats. Really though, dog food is a fairly new phenomenon and, for tens of thousands of years, dogs ate pretty much what their master (or associates) ate. It was not a scientifically balanced or nutritionally optimal diet but then neither was human diets. Under long term SHTF circumstances, you may not have food to spare for your dog and, in any case, your dog will eat what you eat and what you can spare to feed him. The recommended food amount of dog food is 2 to 3% of the dog's body weight per day. So for a 100 lb dog, feeding 2 to 3 pounds of food a day is desirable and no mean consideration in your storage plans.
Homemade Dog Food (3/26/2016)
The basic recommended ratio of dog food ingredients is approximately 40% meat, 30% fruit and vegetables, and 30% starch.
• The starch and complex carbohydrates component can be oatmeal, ground wheat, barley, corn, rice, or potatoes as well as, peas, beans, and other legumes.
• The fiber component can be leafy vegetables, fruits, and whole-grains. (See notes below).
• The meats component can be muscle meets, organ meats (liver, kidney, brain, and spleen), offal (intestines, stomach, lungs), eggs, and cultured dairy products (yogurt, buttermilk, cheese) and de-feathered, de-haired hide.
Foods to Avoid In Dog Food
Avocado- seeds and fruit contain persin which can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Chocolate, coffee, & tea- contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea and be toxic to the heart and nervous systems
Citrus oil extracts- can cause vomiting.
Grapes, raisins and currants- contain an unknown toxin which can damage the kidneys.
Macadamia nuts- contain an unknown toxin which can affect the digestive, nervous systems and muscle.
Mushrooms- Can contain toxins which affect multiple systems causing shock and death.
Onions and Garlic (raw or cooked)- contain sulfoxides and disulfides which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia (cats are more susceptible than dogs).
Persimmon - seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis.
Peaches, Plums, Cherry- pits can cause intestinal obstruction but fruits themselves are ok.
Yeast dough- can expand and produce gas in the digestive system causing pain and possible rupture.
Xylitol sweetener- can cause very low blood sugar, vomiting, weakness, collapse and, in high doses, liver failure.
Cooking Dog Food
Most homemade dog food must be cooked to make the starches (rice, potatoes, and grain) more digestible and detoxify the legumes (beans and peas).
Modern people have been programmed to fear of bacteria with raw meat even though many humans have been eating raw meat with little problem for hundreds of thousand of years. The actual incidence of a healthy dog getting sick with salmonella or ecoli from raw meat is really small. Still feeding raw meat has some potential for bacterial salmonella, viruses infection and, more likely, parasites where as cooking will make the meat safe for consumption. Although wild game can be frozen for at several days prior to feeding to kill any parasites it may not kill all bacteria. This is especially a consideration if you're feeding meat from wild game such as wild rodents (squirrels, rats, mice) and rabbits can contain numerous parasites and diseases, including tapeworms.
Feeding Bones
In general, never feed most types bones of as cooked bones as this makes them harder, brittle and more likely to splinter and pierce the stomach or intestines. Raw small bones, however, are soft enough to bend and digest easily. Dogs are designed to digest raw meat and bones with a highly acidic stomach PH 2 or less.
Even hollow chicken bones can be fed to dogs after being pressure cooked until they are soft instead of splintery. Fish bones, as long as the fish is fed raw and, preferably in its entire form, the bones should not be an issue as long as the difference between raw and cooked bones is kept in mine. Meats carcasses are high in phosphorus with the bones being high in calcium. When meat is fed with 10% bone it supplies the exact ratios of calcium to phosphorus required by a dog. The bone ratio should be kept at less than 25% of the feed.
Supplying the Meat
While it might be possible to dehydrating cheap cuts of store bought meat or wild game which could then be re-hydrated for dog food when needed but only if cheap enough meat could be found. That is not a likely option for most people and does not solve the problem of rancid fat anyway.
The most practical alternative may be to store all of the dry ingredients except the meat and fat and provide these when needed from freshly caught small game and fish. So for a 100 lb dog, eating 2 to 3 pounds of food per day, will require 13 oz to 19 oz of whole small game or fish per day. Dogs have safely consumed raw fish for thousands of years with no ill effects; even parasites will not be a major concern if their immune system is functioning well. Also, dogs can eat whole fish especially if it is frozen and fed raw though you can also cook it guts and all. Fish in a dog’s diet with will supply healthy omega-3 fats. The risk of parasites should be easily minimized by freezing or cooking.
Besides cooking, freezing fresh, raw salmonids for at several days before feeding to your dog will thoroughly kill parasites. Fish is one meat that can also be fed cooked, as the bones remain soft and the meat keeps much of its integrity. If the fish has any sharp spines like found on catfish, they should cut off before feeding the fish to the dog. Avoid feeding too much raw fish and or shellfish like carp, smelt, herring, and catfish, since these fish contain an enzyme thermolabile thiaminases that binds with Thiamin (Vitamin B1) and degrades it. This enzyme is destroyed by cooking.
Three Main Parasites in Fish
Flukes (trematodes)- can be commonly found on the fish’s skin or in the organs and are, for the most part, are harmless to dogs.
Roundworms (nematodes)- are 1 to 3 inches long and 0.08 inches in diameter, have a white translucent sheen and found in the fishes’ muscle.
Tapeworms (cestodes)- are the largest threat with raw fish and are found in the internal organs, especially the intestines, and body cavities of the fish.
To prevent your dog from getting parasites from raw fish, freeze it for a week to kill all parasites or cook it.
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