Nutritious meatballs - any suggestions?

[Tommysmom]

I've been making homemade meatballs and Tommy adores them as a little treat (and toy). Since he's been ill again this year, the one thing I can guarantee he'll eat is the meatballs (last year when he was sick, he wouldn't eat ANYTHING... so this is a huge improvement!). I don't think it's very healthy to just eat meatballs though, they're not a very balanced diet... I just make them with lean ground beef, egg and breadcrumbs, no spices or anything for his. Is there a way that I can make meatballs that are more nutritious, more of a balanced meal? I don't have a problem cooking them for him, if he'll eat them I'll make them for the next 15 years if I have to! I just want to make sure he's getting all the nutrients he needs, and if this year is anything like last year this not-eating period could go on for a few months so I know he'll need more than just ground beef.

Any suggestions for a well-balanced meal that fits into a meatball for my furry goofball? It HAS to be meatball-shaped, he won't eat raw or anything too big or anything he can't play with... meatballs seem to be the only thing he enjoys.

[wdawson]

Originally Posted by Tommysmom

I've been making homemade meatballs and Tommy adores them as a little treat (and toy). Since he's been ill again this year, the one thing I can guarantee he'll eat is the meatballs (last year when he was sick, he wouldn't eat ANYTHING... so this is a huge improvement!). I don't think it's very healthy to just eat meatballs though, they're not a very balanced diet... I just make them with lean ground beef, egg and breadcrumbs, no spices or anything for his. Is there a way that I can make meatballs that are more nutritious, more of a balanced meal? I don't have a problem cooking them for him, if he'll eat them I'll make them for the next 15 years if I have to! I just want to make sure he's getting all the nutrients he needs, and if this year is anything like last year this not-eating period could go on for a few months so I know he'll need more than just ground beef.

Any suggestions for a well-balanced meal that fits into a meatball for my furry goofball? It HAS to be meatball-shaped, he won't eat raw or anything too big or anything he can't play with... meatballs seem to be the only thing he enjoys.

pm luckypenny....about satin balls

[happycats]

I got these recipes for satin balls off of another site, hope it helps!

10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs AND shells
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt

and another

Satan Balls
cooked ground beef
raw eggs (without the shells)
cottage cheese
canned pumpkin (not the pie filler)
cooked rice
bread crumbs

[rainbow]

What if you ground his kibble in a food processor or blender and used it in place of the breadcrumbs?

[luckypenny]

Tommysmom, the recipe for raw satin balls that happycats posted is the one I've used with much success. Not only does the molasses provide the b-complex vitamins, but it make the balls very palatable for dogs. I've yet to meet a pup who doesn't love them. You may want to cut the recipe down to give it a try though, so as not to waste. I'd also recommend that you put the eggs with shells through a blender first as well. It hurt to squish the broken shells with your hands ouch!

And for variety plus bone content, you can use ground chicken. See if you can find a butcher who would grind chicken necks in with the chicken meat ( not more than 10% necks though).

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by happycats

I got these recipes for satin balls off of another site, hope it helps!

Yes , and they got it from here

I used the second recipe (less ingredients , easier for cooking challenged person as me ) but I'm pretty sure Tommy will love any one of those recipe

[happycats]

Originally Posted by Frenchy

Yes , and they got it from here

I used the second recipe (less ingredients , easier for cooking challenged person as me ) but I'm pretty sure Tommy will love any one of those recipe

LOL as long as it's helping pets, it's all good!!

[Tommysmom]

Thank you everybody! I have read about satin balls on here, but I thought mostly they were used along with food to fatten up underweight doggies... you guys think they'd be ok as a main meal for a little while?

I know Tommy would love either recipe, he just adores meatballs, and quite frankly if that's all he wants to eat for the rest of his life I'd be fine with making them as long as I can make them healthy enough for him! This year he hasn't gotten as sick as last year and I think each year it will probably be less and less... I figure if he'll only eat meatballs, well, then fine - I'll keep him supplied with meatballs! He likes to have one a night as a treat normally, I was just surprised that he still ate them even when he started getting sick again but I'm certainly not going to complain, LOL.

[Tommysmom]

Originally Posted by rainbow

What if you ground his kibble in a food processor or blender and used it in place of the breadcrumbs?

I really like that idea... that way I know he's getting all the same good stuff he normally gets! Do you think the food would lose all it's nutrients if it was cooked in a meatball? That's a great way to fool him into eating his food.

[Frenchy]

Satin balls are very rich , if Tommy doesn't need to gain any weight , you could make smaller balls or make him salmon treats ? My dogs love them too ( ok , ok , my dogs love anything edible )

[rainbow]

Originally Posted by Tommysmom

I really like that idea... that way I know he's getting all the same good stuff he normally gets! Do you think the food would lose all it's nutrients if it was cooked in a meatball? That's a great way to fool him into eating his food.

It would be best to feed them raw. I think most of the nutrients would be lost if the meatballs were cooked. If you don't like doing raw maybe you could just half cook them. If it's only short term it shouldn't matter much.

[happycats]

I still want to see a video of Tommy rolling his meatballs around the house!

[Tommysmom]

Originally Posted by rainbow

It would be best to feed them raw. I think most of the nutrients would be lost if the meatballs were cooked. If you don't like doing raw maybe you could just half cook them. If it's only short term it shouldn't matter much.

I don't mind trying raw, but he won't eat it... I've tried just giving him small bits of raw hamburger mixed with a bit of the cooked to trick him into trying it, and he just won't try the raw. Maybe I'll just try cooking the outside a bit, and leaving them fairly uncooked inside? For some reason he just won't eat any raw meats at all, he'll take them from you and just leave them lying on the floor somewhere.