Satin Balls
5 pounds ground meat
5 cups Total whole grain cereal
5 cups oats (slow cooking type)
2½ cups raw wheat germ
¾ cup oil
¾ cup molasses
6 egg yolks
5 packets gelatin
2 ½ tablespoons Solid Gold Seameal supplementMix up, form balls, freeze, feed as treats or food supplement.
Mix all ingredients together thoroughly like you would a meatloaf.
Roll into balls no larger than 1 inch diameter.
Divide into at least 6 separate containers or bags. Freeze. Thaw as needed for feeding.
I take a frozen pack to dogs shows with me, kept on ice, and never have had any trouble with it spoiling, even in the heat of Texas summers...
All my dogs go crazy over this stuff...but you have to be careful, it will put wt on the dogs pretty fast if you feed enough....I feed a pack a day...half in am , half in pm.
When I want to increase the weight on a dog, I feed more; so far I haven't got to the point where they won't eat anymore, and believe me, Satin has eaten a lot at one setting. It will put on the weight, make the coats soft and blue black (on black dogs at least, that's all I have).
The dogs stop all the itching and chewing at their coats/skin, their eyes get this bright look and the energy level goes out the roof(not that Belgians need any more energy).
The bitch that I got this recipe for is a picky eater, but when this in on the food (I long ago stopped trying to "bury" it in the other food; they just hunt it down to eat first, and making a mess trying) she eats much better. It seems to whet her appetite.
Comments:
Per the information received after having the Satin Balls recipe checked by several vets/labs:
Satin Balls is a total canine diet. It can be fed by itself or as a supplement, for however long you wish. My dogs have been on Satin Balls for over a year; the only time that I have fed it alone is when I had a sick dog needing to be built up or an underweight dog that I plan on showing.
The only problem with feeding it by itself is figuring out the amount. It will put weight on a dog in a few days...that's why it is so great to feed just before a show. If you have a dog that is in good weight, but you just want to build coat/endurance, you would have to figure out how much to feed (cal per kg), or you would end up with a fat dog in a very short time. At one point, I let Satin eat as much as she wanted, just to see how much she would consume. I never got to that point! After a pound pack, she was still looking for more, so I stopped. I have been told a dog will stop eating when full on it, and that you can then gauge the amount needed to maintain weight!
I just find that per the pocketbook and ease, my dogs do very well on it as a supplement. I give about a 1/4 pound each night to maintain beautiful coats, energy level, and a full appetite...no picky eaters here.
Just don't try to hide it in the kibble...they will make a mess throwing out the kibble, digging for the Satin Balls! My dogs have never gotten sick on Satin balls...not even when I am at a show and feed only that. I feed less kibble, so I saves money there. There is also less stool to pick up as the dogs are able to digest all of the Satin Balls.
I have been playing with the recipe. I now use the Knox Joint Gelatin instead of the plain Knox unflavored gelatin. Since this is high in vit C and protein, and is good for the joints, it would be good for the dogs. They don't seem to mind the added flavor.
I am also adding Flaxseed oil. They probably don't need the added oil, but so far I have not seen it hurt anything.
Fix some up and let your dogs enjoy. They will love you forever and forever!
In response to a question about feeding young dogs satin balls:
Satin Balls are a supplement to a regular diet designed to add weight to under weight dogs. Satin Balls are NOT a full spectrum diet in and of themselves.
Commercial foods are nutritionally formulated to ensure that certain ratios (such as the calcium/phosphorus/mangenese) are at their optimal levels and adequately biologically available. When you start adding things, such as Satin Balls, you disturb that ratio because they (Satin Balls) contain no additional calcium to offset the increased phosporus from the increased protein in the raw meat. In an adult dog, where Satin Balls are used for a period of time as a supplement, this is inconsequential. However, in a pup
it can be devastating the the proper gropwth of the bones and joint development.
Various commercial providers of BARF (biologically appropriate raw foods) sell whole ground products. Check the Internet. Or, grind your own. Or, check out the other BARF groups on YahooGroups and find a local source or join one of the co-ops operated through those lists.
Personally, while I believe in the BARF approach, I don't think a pup is the right place for a beginner to start. Too little room for a safe margin of error. I'd advise you to stick to a good, premium adult food for large breed dogs. At the very least, I'd advise you to consult the breeder from whom you'll be buying the puppy as to what they have found works best with their lines.
Michael J. Seattle, WA.
KobeKai Akitas