DIY Homemade Dog Food
Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe – it’s cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies!
I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.
But when Butters recently fell sick with an upset stomach, our vet advised us to feed him a bland diet – chicken and rice without any kind of seasoning. So that’s what we did – we poached a chicken, shredded it in a food processor, and mixed in some white rice and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.
That’s when I started to do some research on homemade dog food, and I have been so amazed as to how many different kinds of vegetables dogs can have. And with the help of Balance IT, you can create so many different recipes for your pup!
Now the best part about making homemade dog food – just like making anything at home – is that you know exactly what is going into the dog bowl, and not any of that questionable gelatinous gunk from the canned food.
But it’s important to note that dogs have different nutrient requirements than humans for their proportional body size, such as:
- High-quality protein (meat, seafood, dairy or eggs)
- Fat (meat or oil)
- Carbohydrates (grains or vegetables)
- Calcium (dairy)
- Essential fatty acids (egg yolks or oatmeal)
Now this recipe here has a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, but the ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your pup’s breed and/or needs.
Once you’ve made your batch, you can divide them up into single servings, note the date, and freeze it. When ready to serve, you can defrost it in the fridge overnight and nuke it for 15-30 seconds. That’s it! Now who knew that making dog food would be this easy?
DIY Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- ½ cup peas, canned or frozen
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of 3 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the turkey as it cooks.
- Stir in spinach, carrots, zucchini, peas and brown rice until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
Did you make this recipe?
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Looks so appetising. My dog has a bad allergy against grains, cereal, pasta and brewers yeast, what can I substitute these with?
Hello, my dog has protein allergies can this be substituted for tofu?
How many cups a day would I give my 55 lb golden retriever and 80 lb laborador retriever? Do you have a guide to go by?
Looks great!
2-3 cups a day is what I feed my 55lb dog.
3 cups on super active days.
I made this for my 10 pound, 9 month old Shih Tzus. Do you have a recommended serving size for them?
Have not tried this yet but I have a golden retriever that has cancer and another with itchy paws so I am going to try this. Has anyone tried adding mushrooms? I understand there are a lot of benefits to their immune system. I think turkey tail mushrooms were recommended
You mention “Balance It”. Do you have to add a powdered vitamin mineral supplement? Especially when using many veg etc.?
I use either turkey, chicken, beef, fish (sometimes egg) with spinach, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots (usually a bag of frozen veg + fresh veg, & rice. Boiling veg until soft (just had teeth removal) in a fry pan with virgin olive oil I add the meat, then the veg and mix with rice.
I can’t figure out what vitamins I actually need to add.
Thank you!
My dog loves this!!!
Good recipe. I’ve been forced to cook for my very picky eater. I know some commenters have mentioned caution about balancing the trace minerals and vitamins and such. And I genuinely get their point….but….do we even pay that detailed attention to what we eat? Or what our kids eat? Do we even know??? Just saying. Good food made from real ingredients is good food. Do a bit of research but don’t get too freaked out about all of that too much.
I am looking forward in making this for my boy, how much of one serving do I give him. I don’t want to give him to much or to little.
Any thoughts on cooking a chicken breast in the air fryer and then dicing it? Does the air fryer pose a problem?
Will this receipe work for a dog with high cholesterol? He is not a pickey eater . If not, can you share a recipe please ?
Turkey has the lowest cholesterol next to flounder, olive oil is an excellent healthy fat and the rest of this recipe is whole grain and vegetable. Could not be better for high lipids/cholesterol.
Very similar to what I cook for our boys (I chop peeled sweet potatoes, swede, carrots and add brown rice, then maybe some extra veg – frozen , always spinach, then whatever we have that needs eating up) it then gets mixed with their raw chicken mince (which sometimes I cook in with the veg) and some fish oil
I think what you’re doing is wonderful! The high heat processed commercial dog food is causing cancer, etc… Just like the American processed diet. I have one constructive comment. Please do not “nuke”/microwave this food. You are changing the nuclear structure of the ingredients, and nullifying all your work and the dogs nutrition. Radiation. I’m going to do this with my granddaughter…. she’s interested in feeding her dog better. Thank you for providing this recipe!
I made this for my dog and he loves it, except he did not like the zucchini. He would pick it out or eat around it. Can you suggest a substitution?
Sweet potatoes are always my dogs favorite
Be careful as sweet potatoes can cause diarrhea.
Some people have posted about needing to add vitamins and fish oil to their diets to make the recipe a good one. But, if they are already just getting dry kibble, wouldn’t anything be an improvement?
(I’m genuinely asking.)
Even low quality dog food is usually fortified with vitamins and minerals; kinda like breakfast cereal. So while homemade food is definitely an improvement, it can sometimes lack important micronutrients.
They do sell all kinds of doggie supplements including a multivitamin. I just found one for my dog that was relatively inexpensive. Most people suggest going over the food recipe with your vet to see if there’s any breed specific gaps.
Hope this helps!
This is a good start for a recipe but please be aware that your dog needs a careful balance of vitamins and minerals as well – the balance.it website can help you figure out what else they will need. In particular, it can be challenging to meet the calcium/phosphorus balance. And never cook for a puppy, their needs are even greater and the repercussions to their growth and development are serious.
My dog is allergic to Turkey , peas and olive oil also sunflower oil .. what can I substitute the oil with. I was going to sub the Turkey with beef and peas with green beans. Also can I sub the rice with sweet potatoes, thank you
I have a 11 month old cockapoo he is a very picky eater. I have try some many dry & wet food but nothing makes him happy. I decided to cook for him now and I tried this first recipe and he loves ❤️ it.
A homemade dog food should also have an organ meat. I always put beef liver in mine. They also need to have a good fish oil and a daily vitamin supplement so they get all the minerals and vitamins needed. I use salmon oil and canine complete for a supplement. They can both be purchased from Chewy. If you are serious about feeding this to your dog, PLEASE check with your vet!!!!! If dogs don’t get the proper balance of nutrition they need, it will affect the heart and other organs!
My dog is the PICKIEST eater! I’ve never been able to keep her on the same food because she’d rather starve (literally to the point of vomiting) than eat something she doesn’t like.
I had her blood checked to make sure she was ok, everything came back normal. My dog is part poodle and the vet said poodles are known to be really picky eaters.
Made this recipe, also got the idea from Instagram to pretend I was adding salt and pepper like I would to my food. Ha ha. She was hesitant at first but then wanted seconds than thirds! I made a new batch today with chicken. Even caught the cat taking a nibble when my dog was done.
Thank you for sharing!! This one’s a keeper!
My dogs love this… It seems to be well balanced nutritionally… time will tell… so I’ll be getting back to you in a few more weeks. Thank you for doing the hard stuff… then sharing this recipe with us all!
I want to just incorporate this with kibble. Any idea the amount of kibble to take out and this to add in? I have a 110lb golden that eats 2cups dry kibble twice a day.
I would start with equal amounts.
It looks so delicious and healthy .. I am thinking to cook for me and my dog .. salt and sugar is not good for humans .. or may be sprinkle salt for taste
I use the same except raw meat ( both vegetables raw meat in to different container!)
Do you have a ground chicken recipe for crock pot??
Hello I have 2 dogs that are 18lbs how much should I give them? Thanks for your help
How many cups for a 55lb dog a day
MY DOG WILL NOT STOP ETCHING HAVE TRY THE PILLS AND SHOTS NOTHING WORKS GOING TO TRY HOME MADE FOOD AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS
your dog may have allergies to protein you are feeding. My dog is allergic to chicken and beef I feed him salmon
My German shepherd had itching and the vet said to put 2 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil in his food and mix it up. Over about a week his itching wasn’t as bad.
Hello- I am one one of those people that would never make my own dog food well guess what!! Here I am and my 2 pups love it thank you!!
My chihuahua is 12 years old has Pancreatitis she has to eat 3 times a day small amounts how much should I give her she’s used to kindle , can I add crumble egg ?
Plan on making this for my almost 2 year old
43.2 lbs Saluki Lab Mix.
She eats twice a day (Breakfast & Dinner); but I am not sure how much of your homemade dog food recipe I would need to feed her per meal?
Please advise?
Thank you
On a raw diet an adult dog is supposed to eat 2-3% of their body weight. This would be .86-1.3 pounds daily. Devide that between the two meals.
What amount would a 60 lb senior dog need per day of this recipe?
My dogs LOVED this! I was making them chicken and rice. But I did not like the way their breath was smelling. Think I was missing some important veges. They devoted it!! Thank you!
So instead of using olive oil I used coconut oil. Because it’s good for the skin and fur. And sometime I add a scrambled egg for an extra boost of protein for my 14 year old boys.
It’s very good, it’s the definition of perfection. It’s soooooo good that I tried it.
I made this for my little dog. It gave me more servings for the amount I pay for his wet food and he devoured it. I wasn’t sure if he’d eat the spinach or the carots but he abosolutely loved this. Thank you!
Thank you for this. Have followed you for years & love all your info. Is this recipe for 8 cups which I assume is 8 servings for a 20lb dog (or under)
My pup is a 95lb 11 year old lab so want to adjust accordingly. Thank you for the Balance.It what a great thing!
There’s just so much junk in our pets food…. depressing.
Haven’t made it yet but giving five stars for posting this and nice presentation. I’m going to prepare the recipe tonight.
Big question: How do portion it? Lbs or cups per pound of dog? Start with same scoop size as their kibble, then watch if dog seems still hungry? I normally add « toppers » to his food but at the current cost of kibble, I’m going to start making the whole meal!
I agree, I was thinking the same thing. The cost for a 40 pound bag of dog food is 62 dollars. I have 3 dogs, this is not sustainable. It is time to go back to the old ways, making your own bread, tortillas, and now dog food.
Do u recommend a portion size?
Need home made food for my dog . He has itchy paws and dry skin.
I’m wondering if he was eating the Purina pro plan?
My dog was eating that and also had itchy paws and dry skin. I have also been hearing about dogs getting sick/becoming deathly ill from eating it.
We’re transitioning to the homemade food diet because we can’t trust the quality of the packaged dog food anymore 🙁
Please take a look at this group.
Saving Pets One Pet @ A Time.
Purina pet foods are making our pets sick.
My dogs, 4 of them itch constantly. I’m going to try homemade dog food. Anyone know how much I should make. I have a 50lb, 3 10lb dogs. I’m so new at this. How much to feed each of them.
Thank you for your help
My picky eater cleaned her plate. She won’t eat out of a bowl.
But this was easy and very inexpensive!
Could you can this?
Thank you this helps me and my little nugget so so much!!!!!
The pups love it! Licked their bowls clean! Pup hugs! Thanks for a great recipe.
Dog loves it. Can you freeze it?
I make enough for 3 weeks at a time and freeze it in batches (to feed them for 3 days each bag). I thaw 1 bag at a time, and keep it in the fridge. Our dogs don’t seem to notice the difference.
I can’t believe how easy this recipe is to make. More so, my picky puppy literally goes crazy for your brilliant recipe. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Can I substitute diced chicken breast instead of turkey
I have used whole chicken breasts, whole turkey breast, and ground chicken or turkey. When either is on sale, I buy enough to make a big batch.
Hi Amanda, can you please put your recipe on this page.
Thanks!!
I do this and different versions, but I always add chicken or beef liver, 1 tsp calcium powder per pound, and 1 tsp turmeric. I also flash freeze 1/4 cup portions, then pop them in a freezer bag for storage for when I make large batches and use when I am ready. Just 30 seconds in the microwave.
I have seven Chihuahuas one of them is about 17 years old he’s blind and has no teeth. He’s had a stroke and he skinny as a rail but he has the willpower to keep leaving him as long as he does he will. I’ve been feeding him raw hamburger meat but I don’t know how long and now I’ve got to where I mix Chicken or turkey ,beef hearts, canned tuna, and then I buy a high price, dog food and a can that’s got all good stuff in it Rachel Ray and stuff like that i’m all that up together and then they eat it as they like and if there’s any leftover I give to the big dog outside sometimes I had carrots and I’ve got a couple dogs that love broccoli and I’ve been giving them plain yogurt, eggs I blended egg shells up in my blender and then I just sprinkle some of that over it brewers yeast and I don’t know what else to put in there but they love it if they eat all that they’ve also got dried dog food that they can eat on the side. I just wanna make sure I’m giving them all of the vitamins that they need if there’s vitamins out there let me know what you need and I’ll get it , thank you
Jesse is allergic to rice. I substitute lentils.
Our cavalier is such a picky puppy.
She loved this recipe!
You. Can also use the rice base with split peas and crumble the eggshells and ioften buy a turkey leg to boil with it and all of my veg scraps go in a can beside the sink other than corn n cucumbers i add in he loves it
This Recipe is fabulous. I have 3 dogs 2 are female (one is 3lbs/4lbs is the other) they are small breed Norfolk terrier and are filled with energy. I also have a male mix breed Great Pyrenees/Akbash Livestock Guardian dog (120lb) who is easy going and only requires about 30 minutes of exercise a day. The small dogs are fed 2x a day while the large dog eats once a day. I feed the girls 1/2 cup each of this mixture a feeding, while my large male gets 4 cups a day. They are all at their optimum weight. I do have an electric roaster pan so I cook 2 whole chickens at a time (lasts about 2 weeks for all 3 dogs.
Love it got more meat ideas
Hi there- Do you know how many calories are in each cup of this recipe?
I just read spinach is bad for dogs. Impacts calcium absorption and could cause kidney issues to mention a few
I don’t know where you read that at but spinach can be bad for dogs that have kidney issues, besides that it is extremely high in a lot of vitamins that are necessary for a dog to have. The only con with spinach is that it has a certain chemical in it that can start to block any calcium absorption if it is said to a dog all the time.
I have made it with frozen fish fillets (my husband fishes a LOT) using this recipe for my ratios. I substitute frozen mixed veggies, white rice, and dumped it all in the crockpot to cook until the rice was done. I freeze single portions flat in sandwich bags. My picky dog loves it.
I used ground pork, my dog loved it!
Interesting post, has anyone tried this homemade dog food recipe with different protein sources, like fish or beef, instead of turkey?
I made it today with ground beefalo. He loved it!
How much to feed a 100 lb lab and a 50 lb lab? I’m anxious to try this recipe but don’t want to underfeed my kids
It doesn’t say. If using 3lbs of ground turkey is 1 1/2 cups rice cooked with that measurement or uncooked. As you know, rice will double and not one single recipe including this one tells us. By the way, my doggie a 9lb. 3 year old apricot toy poodle loves this recipe. When traveling, I have had to exchange chicken breast for turkey breast when I could not get turkey. Sometimes I can get whole frozen turkey breasts here at Stater Brothers in Southern California which is really tasty to my girl. Thanks for the great recipe. My Maggie Rose absolutely craves it!
Well considering it says you have to COOK the rice, I am going to use my common sense and say it more than likely means it is measured as DRY rice.
geez, don’t have to be rude.
Your homemade dog food recipe is undeniably healthy for our furry friends! It’s definitely worth sharing with our fellow dog lovers! Definitely will try this!
How much and how often should I feed my 8-month-old Cairn Terrier (8 lbs) and 8-year-old bulldog mix (85 lbs) this recipe? Is it ok to add cooked beef liver and chicken livers every other time I make the recipe instead of cooked turkey?
I’ve made this before when my cairn was 4 months old and am transitioning both dogs from dry kibble to home made food. Please let me know. Thanks!
I read on another site that if you were feeding kibble and transition to this, you should feed twice as much. I have a 9 lb shih tzu who was eating 1/2 cup of kibble a day (reluctantly). Now she gets 1/2 cup of fresh and 1/4 cup of kibble in case there are vitamins in the kibble that she needs. She sometimes leaves about 1/2 the kibble, but she gobbles down the fresh. I usually use chicken instead of turkeyJo Marie and always leave out peas since she will eat around them.
How much to feed an overweight Samoyed. She gets two feedings a day
Huge Question – When we say 50% 25% and 25%, what is that a percentage of? Weight Measurement? Volume measurement? Caloric value? I’m totally confused and need help
Thanks for the recipe! I read on the AKC that spinach isn’t really recommended for dogs. Perhaps replace with Brocolli?
I’ve been making homemade food for my border collie since she was a puppy. About once a month I make a crockpot full of pinto beans, brown rice, broccoli, pumpkin puree, carrots, flax seed, eggs inc the shells, and sardines. If I’ve got dog-safe veggies that are about to go bad, such as green pepper, beets, spinach, etc I add them as well. Separate into containers or Ziplock bags and freeze. She gets this stew plus cooked chicken every day. When I have it on hand, I add a small amount of chicken or beef liver, liquid whey protein from homemade cheese, or bone broth to her daily nutrition.
My only concern is BROWN RICE. My dogs can’t seem to be able to digest it. It always causes some sort of trouble, starting with vomiting and ending with constipation. I have two sporting dogs: English pointer and Gordon Setter.
Try replacing with Quinoa, it increases the protein and is a seed, not a grain. This has worked well for my Boxer and Olde English Bulldogge, both with “delicte tummies” 🙂
Just thought I’d mention Bull Breeds shouldn’t have more than 18/20% protein or they could suffer bone deformities. X I’m juggling the recipe to accommodate this (trying) hate math. Llol
Try sweet potato instead of brown rice they may be able to digest it better
This recipe is fantastic. I’ve been cooking for my dog now for the past couple of months. I would love to know how frequent I should be feeding him as he appears to have lost quite a bit of weight I currently feed him twice a day. I have made alternative recipes through research with ox liver, tuna etc I feed him good portions am I worrying unnecessarily?
I have 2 German/Matiffs. They loved it. Still not sure what portion to feed them?
How many cups do u feed your dogs daily? Thanks
How mny cups of homemade dog food do you feed per day. tks
I made this recipe today for my dog and she absolutely loved it.
My dog loved this, but I boiled the meat and veggies and added fish oil instead. Thank you for this recipe
My dog is very picky and would starve herself I made this recipe with chicken and turkey my dog loves it she would always turn her head to any dry kibble we got expensive cheap it didn’t matter this stuff does the trick.
I’ve been making this for my zoey because she had a fatty liver and now her vet says she is completely healthy, I alternate different veggies and add sweet potatoes ot pumpkin, but this is a great recipe
Don’t nuke your food. Use cast iron for everything unless you want non stick chemicals (PFAS) into your system. We and our dogs are already exposed to pesticides and herbicides. Wash everything, not once but twice. Microwave cooking is NOT good for you. It kills all the good food bacteria we need to survive. So, my dog gets his protein grilled, chopped up- bone and all, mixed with peas, spinach and carrots (2x). I stir in brown rice in cooked in a rice cooker. Not microwaved. I seal up a FULL zippy bag that lasts my 10 lb dog about 3 days. I mixed this with the best freeze dried dog food (12 pellets). I spoil my dog with 2x a day feed. He’s 1.5 years old and is only a pound greater than when I rescued this Chihuahua-Pootle mutt.
Congratulations.
The only thing I would add is perhaps store in plastic alternates such as glass if possible – I make smaller batches for 3-4 days and keep in mason jars …hate to avoid the toxins only to have nags leach…
*poodle
Hi,
I’ve been making your recipe for a year or so and my Boston terrier seems to really love it. I thought I would double check something – is the 1.5 cups of rice the amount of cooked rice or 1.5 cups of rice before it’s cooked? Ive been doing 1.5 cups of cooked rice – 1.5 cups of raw rice that you them cook would seem like it would be a really large amount? Wanted to double check. Thanks.
Adam, the rice is dry measured. In the instructions it says to boil 3 cups of water and cook the rice. So you should be using dry rice 1.5cups. 1.5cups of cooked rice wouldn’t be enough.
Hi I wanted to try this recipe she loves chicken carrots and pumpkin as she has been eating Stella and Chewy’s since she is 3 yrs old as this stuff is expensive .and times are hard.can you freeze this recipe is it good to make it in crockpot or on black skillet iron fryer pan as it is iron please reply she is a fussy eater she is a Morkie of going on 4 yrs in this Dec 08 /23…. her weigh is 11lbs with beautiful fur how much can I give her in portions.
Her name Is Foxy Ruby Babygirl & Johanne louise 9 Oct 2023
How many calories? One pound of turkey 93% = 680 Cals. Brown rice = 1040, veggies, minimal but lets say 100 cals.
Total = 227 per cup. My puppy requires 320-380/day. Are my calculations correct?
So i made it for my dog, it looked delicious and then I had some! it is now a family favourite in our house I just add a bit more spice and salt everyone loves it.
Pawsome
Bloody awesome recipe!!!
My dog loves it so unfortunately I’m locked in to cook this at least once a month. I made it once for my Westie Alfie’s 10th bday and . . . . . I signed can’t feed him without this involved . . . The looks of disappointment ain’t worth it your dog will love you for it!
How long can this be frozen for?
Most all food (dog or human) is safe to eat after years in the freezer but the quality and taste starts to deteriorate after 3-4 months. Food in a tightly sealed container should be just fine for 3 months or more. I usually make enough to last about a month and divide it intoportions — just enough to last 3-4 days in the fridge — and the night I’m done with one portion, I take out the next portion
to thaw overnight in the fridge
My dogs are doing so much better with homemade food than that Garbage They were getting from the store Homemade food is the best for your dogs ever
You must chop the veggies for them to be as small as they are in the picture??? I’ve been doing this for 3 weeks now and just came across your recipe. My food seems too starchy with rice and too soft.
add the rice , already cooked , at the end. It will hjold up better.
My dog loves this recipe! He has pancreatitis and this meets all the requirements. He is so much happier.
Hello and thank you for your recipe, how much does it yield? Maybe I missed this in your article
This sounds easy and I’m sure my 84 pound Golden would love it, however, I have no idea of a serving size.
How Much do I feed my Mini Schnauzer who weighs 7,5 Kg or about 17 – 18 lbs
Hi, I thought dogs were not supposed to have rice ? Also should I add vitamins in it? About to try for my dog who is a very very picky eater.
According to my vet, feed a dog about 2X the amount you were giving of the dry food…. Hope this is helpful a bit. Think about the way that dry dog food expands in there tummy when it gets mixed with the stomach fluids and enzymes…
There is a conversion chart on Google. Dog food to home-made food conversions that will help
A healthy dog needs 2.5 percent of his ideal weight daily. Less if overweight, 2%, more if skinny and active, 3% of the weight they should be. Adjust for activity level too. Check out natural dog magazine site, pet food advisor etc.
This was exactly what I was looking for thank you very much
I have 2 dogs and they will not eat hardly anything unless they are starving, So, I made this today using ground been, White rice, Kale, Green beans drained, zucchini, carrots , put veggies into food process and cut up but not into mush. I drained the cooked ground beef really good.
It turned out delicious. To my husband and I I added Teriyaki sauce.
For the dogs, served plain. Before I could get ours served the dogs had everything ate and was licking the bowls all over the kitchen. I fed them some more. They instantly ate that also. I also added Dinovite to the dogs helping. I think it’s a keeper. I definitely will keep making it for hubby and I.
Thank you for the recipe.
After thawing the food in the fridge… can we serve directly or do we need to nuke it?
I warm the food in the microwave so it’s no longer cold. This helps bring the flavors to life. Just make sure it’s not too hot to eat.
Thank-you for the DIY recipe. Love making new dog treats 🙂
Sounds easy enough, pretty sure my guys would love this.
Question.. how much do you feed them ?
I have an overweight 11 year old Chihuahua that I currently have on a diet. Per the vet she gets only 230 cals per day. Does anyone know the calories in one batch of this?
I’ve made it for my girl in the past and she loved it! If I can add it back in to her rotation while being on the diet she would be so happy!
Responding to Chrissie: One of my pups put on some pounds. He is a rescue and a bulk eater due to previous food deprivation. We added cooked green beans to his food (frozen packs are cheap) which he likes and that really helped him with the weight loss without feeling deprived.
Can I freeze this recipe in portions
Of course you can. I do with no problem. That way you can make a batch every now and then.
I am making it right now, because my 12yo shih tzu/chi has allergies. My other dog is a shih tzu/yorkie and just 1yo. I want them to be healthy. Thanks for the base recipe. I will measure out and put in freezer bag. How many days worth would you freez at a time. I hate ro just keepa bag in the fridge for a week of it ahould stay frozen. How is everyone saving it?
I have two EXTREMELY picky eaters and tried just about every form and style of food on the market. This recipe was a miracle. They’ve been on it for over 4 months now and gobble it up like a dream. I sub in canned green beans for the peas periodically and they love it. Thank you!
This dog good recipe calls for .75 rice. Is that amount before or after being cooked? I don’t want to give my dog to much rice.
I have been making food for my dogs since 1980. I usually use chicken. The only veggie I have never used was zucchini. I liked the addition of zucchini and plan to add it to the dogs food from now on. I gave this recipe 5 stars because it is very much what I make. My dogs are healthy and happy. Glad you posted this delicious meal.
Patricia, would you share your original recipe. We have two Goldens who each weigh approximately 70 pounds each. Thank you!
I’d love to see your recipe also
Great recipe no doubt but in order to get adequate nutrition, some vitamins and minerals should be added. Fish oil for omega-3’s, flax seeds and or chia seeds are some staples to add to homemade dog food. Some may rotate a similar recipe with a bit of probiotic too. I always add organic bone broth for all-around wellness and a side bounds — it promotes a nice, shiny coat! This is a very great base and encourage anyone starting out to try this recipe!
Please could you tell me how much I should use of the vitamins in a whole batch of this dog food I have a Shiba Inu that is 12 lb.
How does an organic bone differ to a non-organic?
Make sure the bone broth has no onion in it!
Hi! This recipe is so simple and healthy. I love making human grade food for them.
We have four fur babies. For our senior dog under 5 lbs we are feeding her 1 oz twice a day. For our other dogs between 10-15 lbs (two are overweight and need to lose weight) we are feeding them 2 oz twice a day. This is the same measurements when they ate kibble.
I plan to keep this recipe in rotation so our dogs have a variety of foods.
Haha…my sis said the dogs eat healthier than her kids.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Love the idea of making your own homemade dog food – so much healthier than store-bought! Thanks for sharing…
When I originally found this site there were 3 recipes. I made the one with ground turkey (Harley LOVES it) and I have the salmon recipe. I can’t find the ground chicken recipe?
Hi, help! how much should i feed my 4 pounds tiny yorkie with this recipe? She is a very picky eater, And by the way would it be ok if i substitute ground turkey to lean ground chicken ?
Hi I have a quick question. Can your dog food recipes be home canned in a pressure cooker? They would be canned by the safe canning rules. Thank you
How much should I feed my overweight chihuahua? He’s 8lbs but should be close to half that! He needs to lose weight!
To everyone asking, a cup of this food has approximately 279 calories (see post further down). Google how many calories your dog needs daily and you can figure out how much to feed. For example: My fat, elderly dog who should weigh 50 pounds gets 3 cups of this daily plus a few treats. I figured that out by googling it.
Our dog, Jack loves this. His coat was dull and flaky, now is shiny. Friends have noticed how good he looks! Thanks
I have been using this recipe for about 6 weeks now because something either in the store bought food or treats I was buying my 1.5 yr old Havanese caused a food allergy reaction, and she was already a very picky eater.
Ever since I started with this recipe she is eager to eat (eats everything), her energy is higher, the allergy symptom went away and it is so easy and affordable to make. SO happy!
One thing I would like to confirm is the quantity. She is just over 10lbs. So far I give her 1 cup/ day and while she gained bit of needed weight I want to make sure that is right? Is there a way to find out how many calories per weight of food for this recipe?
I have been making this for our Furbaby for over a year now and I can’t tell you how much Clara loves it! She is 7 years old but when I get her food bowl out she starts doing spins and jumps. That was a first! I use ground turkey instead of chicken and add a little bit of salt. Dogs need salt and since I also make her treats, I know she isn’t getting any unless I add it. Clara is very picky about food and also has a very sensitive tummy, and this food has been fabulous for her. I do have a question tho….do you have any idea how many calories per cup? She is starting to get pudgy (could be the cookies I make for her….LOL). Thanks for great recipes!
This has been so helpful. My ChiWeiner; Duece is 9 and over the past 2-3 years he’s become very overweight. The vet contributes it to some type of disease. We’d had some blood tests done and now they want to do more extensive tests. But before I started hundreds of thousands of dollars for testing. I stumbled across your page. So happy to report Deuce LOVES the food as does our other teacup Chi; Nala. Deuce is down a total 5 pounds in 3 months and is able to get up and down the stairs to get in and out of the house again and appears so much happier again. Thank you so much and God Bless you for sharing all your knowledge
Made this for our King Charles Cavaler. He absolutely loves it! We used lean ground beef. I love it to when I add spicy seasoning to it for me. I can now say I eat dog food!
This sounds perfect – I haven’t tried it yet (just found this page this morning) but I’m wondering about how much to feed my puppy. I have a 5 month old german shepherd and he’s between 35-40 pounds.
My maltipoo is 11 lbs. she is 2 years old. She loves this recipe but i did use green beans instead of peas. I’ve been feeding her a cup per day but not sure if that’s enough. Anyone that can share a suggested amount?
Love this recipe! I also add golden paste to the mixture and my yorkies love it. Hey @Rosanna Salas, you should check with your vet, but I think one cup maybe a little too much for an 11lb. dog, we feed our 10.5 lbs. Yorkie 5oz. daily and it works for him, he has been maintaining that weight with no issues
Hi Amanda, do you add any vitamins in their food? Mine is a morkie and he is 8lb picky eater
Can’t wait to try this. I think my fur babies will love this.
My dog has a very sensitive stomach. I tried this recipe and it works great for her. I tried buying her fresh food on line and it is so expensive: over $200 per month, but it still didn’t do the job…. Hardly any meat, and lots of vegetables in it.
I am so happy with this recipe, Easy to make, affordable and works for my dog. I ad multi vitamins and an egg every morning to it.
Thank you.
My 15 year old Maltese mix has recently become very difficult to feed. We’ve tried all the ‘expensive’ brands to no avail. I tried this recipe-left out peas as she doesn’t like them-but subbed in green beans instead. I put some in her dish and she immediately ate every bite. Tears of joy! Thanks so much!!!
Does your Maltese have tear stains? I was wondering if this dog food helped with it. Also hoe much do you give her a day?
Hi Sherri, I have a Bichon Frise. We found that distilled water only did the trick. That and a pet probiotic, PetLab Co. This recipe is fantastic too, it definitely can’t hurt!
I have been making this recipe for about a year. I am curious if I could try my instant pot or crockpot as well.
Hi! I’ve been cooking my chicken for dog food in my instant pot. As it’s cooking i have the brown rice going and prep all of my other ingredients(shredded sweet potato, frozen green beans and frozen kale). When the chicken is finished in my IP I add everything to my standing mixer and add 1 T of coconut oil and 2 T spinach powder. I’ve been adding beef liver recently and they really seem to enjoy it.
Hi Melinda,
I’ve been making my dogs food for a few years now. I throw a chicken in the crock pot and cook it all night the next day while I’m deboning it I cook brown rice in the chicken broth then mix it all together and add the veggies. My dog loves it and I can make bigger batches.
I’ve used my instapot to make this for years, keeps the nutrients in it. Cook your rice first and set aside so it’s not mushy, (it just looks better to me) and sometimes I add lentils or beans, liver, etc. Great for dogs with preservatives allergies ( and who wants all those preservatives anyway???)
So I’m giving it five stars anyways but I have not tried the recipe yet but it sounds wonderful. I had found another recipe that i’ve been using for the past month as I am just recently started making homemade dog food. That recipe called for shredded chicken breast and I found it to be way too expensive And to be honest way too much work. They say work smarter not harder that sounds like ground turkey or chicken is the way to go. I also found it to be way too much rice in one recipe for dogs. I believe rice is OK sometimes but not every time. That being said I am going to use ground turkey in replacement of the chicken and I’m going to use sweet potatoes Along with the other vegetables. Can’t wait to try this
Thank you very much for this awesome recipe!! Thank you.
Easy to make and I know my dog is eating healthy.
This looks so healthy and easy to make. I need a recipe for dog treats.
I made these for my my son’s 70lb Shepski and he loved them!
Thank you very much for this awesome recipe! My Shih Tzu loves it!
My dogs love this!! I am just using it as a topper for their kibble, but I hope to transition to using homemade food exclusively. My elderly dog (14-year-old hound mix of unknown breed) has borderline kidney problems and is on a prescription diet. I read somewhere that peas are not good for dogs with kidney problems, so I substituted green beans for the peas. I used 99% lean ground chicken, so I definitely need to add the oil. The elder dog loves all kinds of veggies; not picky at all. My 3-year-old Great Dane is a bit picky, even with her kibble, and when we add this homemade food, she gobbles it up without hesitation. Thank you for this recipe!
I cook this for our dog because he wound up with pancreatitis from Farmer’s Dog (I called them to ask and their recipes are very high in fat!). We use very low fat ground turkey or 85 percent ground turkey and rinse the fat off before adding the vegetables. For each meal portion we use a 1/2 of DIY turkey and 1/2 Anamaet Lean dry kibble. His weight is steady for two years on this diet, beautiful coat, lots of energy, great teeth. We also add Naturel Promise Fresh Dental additive to his water and brush teeth nightly to avoid the $300 vet teeth cleaning under sedation! The vet said zero plaque and was amazed. Most important, no pancreatitis from this DIY turkey food fit for human consumption and our dog loves it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I make double the recipe and freeze.
NO WAY!!!!! My dog just got over with pancreatitis from eating FARMERS. So mad….. He was throwing up blood and $$$$$$$$ later hes doing OK now. I am trying to make my own food now for him and trying to find a good meal for him with EXACT measuring. Hes 62 pound Bull Terrier. Any sugestions? gdp740@aol.com
I’ve been seriously considering ordering Farmer’s Dog. So glad I saw these comments! Sorry your pooches had to go through that! I’ll be going the home cooked route now, thanks for the heads up.
I added all the ingredients into MyFitnessPal and siad it was for 8 servings, since it makes 8 cups, just for easy math.
One cup serving has the following nutrient breakdown:
310 calories
10.9 grams carbs
15.1 grams fat
35.1 grams protein
Great recipe, I texted my vet she texted back to add iodized salt for the iodine . Then She sent me a product called Dinovit.com. Every essential vitamin and probiotic are in for digestion, heart, bone, joints and hair. are in.. The only reason I did it, I have rescue, and she would not eat any of the dog food I brought her. even the prescription ones, In the 3 days I got her, spent over $100 on food, which I am now donating to charity Today i made a huge pot following everything above and bag everything up in small ziplock in the freezer. The only thing different that i will do, for her breakfast I will add some scrabbled eggs to it and for dinner extra veggies and cheese. turns out this is cheaper then the fresh food they sell in stores, and cheaper then the IAMS and other high grade food
This page and the link to BIT are both awesome and so helpful. Thank you SO much for doing this and making my part of the job a snap! 🙂 I never thought I’d be making dog food for my 3 pups either, especially considering I have the “hook up” for free dry (and occasionally canned) dog food. But I almost always have to dress it up with fresh or human grade ingredients to elicit any interest from the dogs. And brands such as the Farmer’s Dog (nothing against them, just the only one I that popped into my head) are cost-prohibitively expensive for me, especially x3.
Thank you Thank you!
Great recipe…
… BUT!!!!
PEAS ARE NO BUENO!!! They have been linked to heart disease in dogs! use green beans as a nutritious and healthy alternative. Also… brown rice is OK, but quinoa is a MUCH MUCH better choice. A complex carbohydrate, whose sugar molecules take longer to break down than traditional carbohydrates, it is absorbed more slowly into your dog’s system sustaining energy levels for a longer period of time!
This sounds pawfect! Will be giving this recioe a try very soon
I make this recipe to and you quinoa as well!
NO LEGUMES IS BEST GREEN BEANS ARE NO BETTER.
Yikes! I already made this recipe with the peas and brown rice. Do you think it’s OK to finish out this cycle, and then in the next cycle I can leave out the peas and brown rice and substitute for quinoa and green beans?
Ken is wrong.
What a great recipe my dogs love it why didn’t l think of this sooner
Hi, thank you so much for all the information! Just had a quick question. When you used BalanceIT did you then buy the supplements that were recommended as well? Thanks!
Is there a feeding chart by size or weight?
Go to balanceit.com to see your dogs caloric needs based on weight. You can use that to determine how many cups to feed!
This was a fantastic recipe! I have tried so many different dog foods that cost me a lot of money and my dog wouldn’t eat any of them. He loved both the turkey and beef dishes he made. Can’t thank you enough for creating this wonderful dog food recipe.
Made this for my pit mix after a bland diet, following an episode of gastritis! It is so easy, and an added bonus was how good his coat looks! He is so shiny, and a lot of the itching has stopped! I look at it like this, it may be slightly more expensive than high end dog food, and yes it takes a little of youe time but, think of the money and time you will save with not taking youe loved one to the vet!!
So easy to make and the dogs love it! Thank you.
Just made this for my American Bulldog puppy. Scarfed it down and licked the bowl. Not sure exactly how much to give her but she’s loving it!
I also have an american bulldog, granted she is full grown I was curious how much are you feeding your bully?
Make 2 bowls. One for pup and one for self. Just add seasonings to humans bowl and call it a night.
I have 2 Danes. I used this recipe because my dainty Dane has skin allergies. Both dogs love the recipe. I am adding ginger to avoid bloat and sardines for taurine. Thanks for posting this. You helped me get started with cooking for my dogs.
You made me laugh because I was thinking, as I read the recipe, ‘that’ll do for me too!’
Unfortunately, we can’t get turkey here except at Xmas and then, like many of the other ingredients, they are so high priced they are beyond my budget – but I’m determined my Vision Assistance Dog won’t be fed commercial stuff, so I’ll find ways round it.
We made this and our dogs love it! We just want to know how much we should be feeding them based on their size. Is there a feeding chart by size or weight?
Sandra D
My aussiedoodle was diagnosed with pancreatitis 2 months ago and rather than buy the low fat can food, I make this using Turkey or chicken breast. I supplement with low fat dry food, I give her 1/2 cup 3 times a day total. She is 20 lbs and scarfes this recipe down! Her appetite has improved and her coat is beautiful. Great recipe, thanks
I been thinking of making homemade dog food for my Hank he is getting older and picky eater but beg me to share my food with him .
Thank you so much for sharing ideas and I will start doing it.
I’m about to make our dane a LOT of salmon based food and I am so stoked that I found this… off to buy veggies in the morning!
My doodles are scarfing this up right now! I made it to supplement (not replace) their usual food. I didn’t have peas so I added a can of black beans, and also a large (diced and roasted) sweet potato. It was so quick and easy with shredding the veg in my food processor Will definitely make again!
Thank you for.the recipe. How.much should I feed my 20 lb Cockapoo.
Thank you
My JRT and Toy Fox slicked this up! Good recipe!
My picky Schnoodle LOVES this food! i put string beans i/o zucchini but i’ll add zucchini next batch. i put in 15 freezer bags 1-1/4 c each! i add probiotic and flaxseed/omega-3 treats in AM Hope to see her relief from summer allergies!
How many feedings does this make?
I usually cook 3 times a week and store in the fridge…
Awesome! Taco loves this recipe!
Good post guys!
I made this for the dog who will be joining us on Friday, slightly awkward that the usually rather picky cats have gone mad for it :/
I haven’t tried this yet. But my question is.. How do you determine the quantity to feed the pet? I have a 70lb female belgion Malinois German Shepard rescue mix.
Once you are sure she’ll eat it, you can start by testing to see how much she’ll eat in 2 minutes. Use that as a starting point. Feed that amount twice per day.
I love this recipe – I’m going to try it tonight for my 15-pound Terrier/mix with Maltese- thanks for sharing
I have 4 dogs, 10yr old Torky, 4 yr old Golden Shepherd, and 2- 7 yr old Cavashells, 1 is obese.. so I don’t know about making different recipes for the different breeds, but after reading the ingredients, I don’t see why they wouldn’t all benefit from them. These dogs get boiled chicken breast and rice. Bowels have improved since taking off the processed food but they still attack grass..considering greens brought me to this site…Thank you for the info,,besides the greens, I will be changing the white rice to brown.
I just made this yesterday, it is very easy. I added veal liver to it I got package of frozen riced cauliflower and broccoli and used itBella loved it. She is a picky eater so I was so happy. She sat in the kitchen with me talking to me, telling me to hurry I guess! We are
Country is important for adjusting this recipe as well. They tell me the Philippines has spinach. It is just too expensive. I have only seen it in cans here. Thanks for sharing. Our dogs mostly get leftovers, which is sometimes not the best thing.
How do you know how much to give your dog
What do you think of using canned salmon in the mix?
Short answer is dogs can eat just about any fish. The question is how it is canned and what it is packed in. Look up all ingredients on the can… I would love to feed my dogs tuna sometimes. But, I read that everything I can find has something not recommended.
Hello, Thanks for sharing a great recipe. I have a doubt. It will be great if you can clarify that. I have 2 beagles, 7 yr old male and a 1 year old female. both fixed. Suggested daily calorie is 350 and 450 cals /day for them. Does this recipe provide 412 calories per cup? Does that means, I should give a bit less than one cup to the older & a bit over one cup to the younger one? Pls help me out. I am new to home made food. Thanks.
I can’t answer your question but did your beagles like this? I’m looking for homemade food for our pocket 6 month old beagle puppy. Thanks!
Ok,, if you follow this recipe that is 412 calories, if you add more veggies, or more meat that will change the number also you don’t have to be exact. i do a half a cup in the morning and half a cup in the evening. I do add some things to it, like some egg in the morning. I have an 8 lb terrier, high energy. and we can adjust as she gets older,
Reference -MyFitnessPal
I got 310 calories for every 1 cup
This is a great help. I love this blog. Keep it up to help dog parents so much help.
Very healthy for my chihuahuas & very delicious going to try today for 2nd opinion my boyz
Wow my dogs really enjoyed this meal, thank you so much.
Thanks for your post. I too have been cooking for some time for my 16 year old mini-foxy & I attribute his health partially to this.
I need help however with his condition:
HYPER-PARA-THYROIDISM
CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP WITH DIET?
It means too much calcium and I’ve found out recently that spinach helps reduce calcium!
Medication has proved unsuccessful so I’m wondering if I can treat it with diet as he is very healthy apart from this. Specialist doesn’t seem to know in regards to this. Currently I cook with lean mince, celery, beetroot, spinach, turmeric, pumpkin, sweet potato/pasta/brown rice, (either), beans/peas, carrots, broccoli, small amount of capsicum, zucchini, cauliflower, and sometimes I will add egg into it when cooking with pasta. Off course I don’t always use all these but I keep to general staples and always use spinach (for his condition), celery, carrots, beetroot and pumpkin and try to with broccoli or beans or peas.
My dog seems to be best with beef and salmon as chicken now gives him problems.
I must say, my dog only likes eating my food and if I’ve none in freezer I end up cooking that night! My batches are getting bigger.
If you need to thicken yours, I’ve noticed the best thing is arrowroot. I’ve been searching for this. Eggs will also work!
Anyway enjoy your dog longer and start cooking if you are not yet, I have found my most enjoyment cooking for my 4 legged baby with a waggily tail and the cutest nose. It gives me the most pleasure watching him enjoying his meal as much as he does!
Talk to your vet they will point you in the right direction. My dog is 15 years old in her younger days her and her brother had bag food. For the last four years she has been get home cooked meals. I would take away the peas new study no peas. Listen to your dog I would add dry blended egg shells, cook rice in bone broth and Brussels my dog loves them. once you find the o/o of the food your dog needs run with it. It was the best.
Very, very expensive allergy dog. This 60 dollar coonhound rescue has cost us thousands. Cytopoint, Apoquel , allergy testing, quarterly allergy shots (200 bucks), allegra, bleach baths, dandruff baths. I begged my husband 11 yrs for this dog and obviously love him to pieces. Endless rounds of antibiotics, visits to the vet etc. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but committed to this dog. Every penny I spend I hear about. I feel terrible for the ol boy. I went so far as to put him on vegetarian dogfood, which helped a little. He seems better after a week, still scratching but not as much. It’s expensive and time consuming, it takes commitment, but worth it. I was shocked and horrified to learn what really goes into commercial petfood. No wonder our animals are sicker than ever. Cytopoint, scary, do your research, would never give a pet this again, loss of function in back legs and spaciness scared me. Apoquel never really did a thing. The vets just keep pushing the expensive drugs that never work. Coconut oil, salmon oil, name it. Sorry for the long post, just want newbs to know what they are taking on. Good luck yall
We have a chocolate lab – went through all of the same things as you. Finally found a holistic vet that put him on The Honest Kitchen dehydrated fruit and veggie food and mix it with canned mackeral. Found out he was allergic to all poultry and grass fed animals. She also has him taking a probiotic once a day along with some canine powders from Standard Process to help keep his gut in check. It took 6 months, but all of his skin and allergy issues went away. No more meds! Good luck to you!
Hi Jaime
Had the same with my little chap,itchy skin on Apoquel for 7 years, didnt work.i discovered hemp oil for his arthritis and its solved his itchy skin.
Happier dog now
Add fish oil to your dog’s diet. It’s very beneficial!
Same here.. finally told my vet I would not mind the expense so much if it was working, but it was not… she wanted me to put my diva on vet prescribed can food ( again sooo expensive) I told her I would make my own and see what happened, it couldn’t make things worse, and after YEARS my poor little girl was itch and rash free!! Preservatives!!! YUCK! Check them out. Also Dinovite really helps! Good luck!!
Hi Jaime. Ive had a the same allergy/ear infections/massive vet bills. Cytopoint-Apaquel/ Benadryl….non of these actually helped. Neither did the “best”/expensive dry commercial foods. Switched to home cooke with freeze dried raw treats and my dog is vibrantly healthy, active and much less anxious. no longer so itchy she clawed her self raw.
My “pup” is almost 14. She’s a lab mix and starting to have some spinal/back hip and leg problems requiring medication which in turn is causing some intestinal issues. We have had to feed her a bland diet for a bit, and now she won’t eat her dry food. My vet suggested canned but that is way out of our price range. I stumbled upon this recipe so thought I’d try it out. She loves it! Of course what’s not to love?! I added pumpkin, scrambled egg, and powdered egg shell, and add in some probiotic powder before serving. I made 4 batches and with my additions got about 40 cups worth!
Hello,
Thanks for sharing. Could you pls share your recipe? Thanks.
Hi! I would love to see your actual recipe with the egg/egg shell included. I’ve been making homemade food for my 13yr old chihuahua for about 1 year now and have seen a huge improvement in his energy and also now give him cbd for his arthritis. Lately though, he won’t eat his chicken, picks out everything around it lol, so I’m going to switch it up to ground turkey. I know he loves scrambled eggs and I’ve heard that egg shells help them absorb calcium into their system, so I’ll be adding that as well.
If you wouldn’t mind sharing your recipe I’d be pretty grateful!!!
Thanks! 😉
If it helps I use this one with egg shell, but I’m gonna work to combine parts of it with this one https://stellanspice.com/wprm_print/5733 as my pups absolutely love rice and I’d rather use ground chicken then beef.
Found this info online and thought I would share……………………………………………Knowing how much of a home-cooked meal to feed your dog can be difficult for those just starting on the pet food journey. The rule of thumb is about 2 to 3 percent of body weight for adult dogs and cats. That translates to about 16 ounces of food for a 50-pound dog, or 4 ounces of food for a 10-pound cat. These are just starting points; you will need to adjust up or down based on whether your pet is gaining or losing weight.
Hi Alicia, is this amount a total per day or per meal?
Thank you!
Melinda
https://www.thedogbakery.com/pages/dog-food-calculator this dog food calculator is amazing for figuring out exactly how many cups of a food you’ll need for your dog. Hope it helps!
Hi there, I currently cook for my baby however, I struggle with how many cups of protein, carbs, veggies to feed my Mateo.
Is there a formula online that you may know of?
I can’t wait to make this for my boy. I normally feed him Science Hill and will keep feeding him the dry food, but mix this in to give him a little yummy treat!
I think it is amazing and I think my dog would rather have this then bag dog food
Oh my, I love this! I had no idea you cooked for your dog, I’ve been cooking your human recipes for years now! I was searching “cooking biologically appropriate meals for your dog” and this post came up!
What is Balance IT?
Hi. Terrific recipe. Did I miss how to know how much to give our dogs? I went onto Balance It and found it a little confusing. If you have any information please let me know.
This sounds just like our situation!! I have a 8 month old Rottweiler pup, he fell ill with an upset tummy. The vet said bland diet for 10 days duration of his antibiotics. After he finishes this course I do not want to put him back on kibble, I also however know that just chicken and rice (while he loves it) is not checking all the boxes for nutrients. I want to copy your recipe to a T, and prepare this for Pumba, however, he is a giant breed. 80 lbs right now and adult weight around 130 lbs, therefore how do I find out how much of your recipe to feed him? Per day? Per meal? Etc. any help would be appreciated!!! ALSO, I would no longer provide kibble at all, solely this recipe therefore does this provide everything they need? I saw someone added eggs, where do you get the calcium in your recipe? Can I also switch out ground Turkey for chicken or salmon to switch meals up? Thanks a ton
These recipes look good. You can also buy vitamins that pair with recipes.
I also have a chicken allergic pup and use Just Food for Dogs DIY vitamins with recipes and azestfor.com vitamins with recipes.
How much sweet potato would I use to replace the rice
My dog loves this! He’s a 6-month old German Shepherd Lab mix. We gave him the Acana dog food, which is pricy, and he would “begrudgingly” eat it. This was the case with all foods. He wasn’t an excited eater. He would pick up anything and everything. He’d be hungry because he’d practically starve himself, not wanting to eat the other dog foods. I made this recipe, and he was excited to eat it!! I can’t wait to see the effects of feeding him fresh food. I give him one and a half cups in the morning and afternoon. He always tries to beg for more!!! This is a first. I added six hard-boiled eggs for extra protein, but I followed the recipe to a T.
However, don’t be like me and make this whole recipe together. Divide it in half. I made the mistake and was spilling all over my stove. All in all, great recipe!!!
Dog loved it. Easy. Love the calorie info. Easy to know what to feed my 80 LB dog. I want more! Do you have more recipes and calorie info?
Does anyone who has tried making this food know if it’s good for skin allergies, my dog is itchy and scratches all day long. The vet puts him on apoquel or cytopoint (sp) both are expensive and neither worked 100%. Would love to know if anyone had success with this food.
Thanks
I’m no expert and I’m not super educated in this area so take this advice with a grain of salt. A lot of dogs are allergic to poultry products. If you can afford it (I don’t know what size dog you have) substitute ground beef for the turkey. Don’t worry about the fat. Ground beef and dark and white meat turkey ground together, which is what ground turkey is, have about the same amount of fat. I also add some beef stock to my rice when I’m cooking it. You might wanna get some beef stock and do that as well. By the way this food tastes great for humans to so if you’re in a pinch ….. Also, I give my dog a dollop of probiotic organic plain yogurt with every meal. There is an argument that an unhealthy gut causes the itching. It does appear my dog scratches less when I give him that. Make sure it’s plan and not flavored. The other has too much sugar. Plus, get a bag of frozen blueberries, and give them as a threat throughout the day. They are antioxidant rich, very good for your dog, and most dogs love them. You can give them in their food, too if your dog likes them a lot. I hope your baby gets some relief.
If you find Brewer’s Yeast in any of the food or treats you give your dog, try cutting that out of the diet and see if the itching improves after a few days. It’s included in a majority of commercial dog food, but is a known allergen. Made a HUGE difference for my terrier.
I’m not an expert or veterinarian, but I’ve learned that most allergies dogs get are from the processed dog food. The meat in dog food is processed and dried and there are many additives used that dogs are allergic to. My dog was allergic to kibble and I tried many expensive well known brands. Once I started making homemade meals, his allergies went away and he is much happier and full of energy. Homemade meals are healthier than the processed food, which is full of other chemicals that cause problems for dogs. Homemade recipes are a solution to allergies. The whole food is a fresh and contains better quality ingredients with no unnecessary additives that cause problems for dogs.
Thank You Sue for the link. I will opt for other greens for my babies.
I have been making dog food for some time now and I know that there’s more nutrition in it as opposed to the canned food.
I drive for a living and need to be able to freeze portions.
My dog now will be having her teeth worked on which will result in extracting the rest of them. Looking for a recipe to blend down to soup. I believe that I can do that with any of these recipes. Thank you for your research and sharing.
Can you can this to make it more shevle stable. Thanks
How do I know how much to feed at each meal? I have a small senior puggle.
This is a great recipe! Just need to add some calcium. A couple ground up washed egg shells works perfect. To really boost nutrition, I also add a can or two of sardines.
Sure my dogs love it but I swapped out the spinach as it has a warning for regular feeding https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/fruits-vegetables-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/
Would you mind sharing what you used as a substitute for the spinach?
This was so easy to make and it makes so much. My Yorkie is super picky but he chowed this down so fast! I’m so excited as this is my first attempt at making an actual dogfood recipe.. Thank you!!
We recently started cooking for our dog. She was slightly overweight with skin conditions and very rarely would eat during the day until we started cooking for her. Now she eats a full meal twice a day. I will definitel make these recipes.! But what size recipes appropriate for?
This stuff is AMAZING. I just cooked up a batch and my pups were like WOWZA! I had just finished the last of their Farmer’s Dog food (which I had been trying out and one of my pups was not impressed by it), so I thought I would try this recipe. An absolute keeper for sure. So grateful! Thank you!
My dog has some health issues….I found this recipe and it has helped her get better, she’s like a new dog and she loves it. Thank you so much for sharing….I will never buy store bought dog food again.
How do you know how much to feed to your dog ? Also, do you mix with dry kibble or just this fresh food?
My only concern is calcium. I add some bone meal calcium powder and coconut oil after I heat my dog a portion I stir it in before I give it to her, rather than heat it.
Thank you – my pup, 16yrs young, stopped eating her dry kibble which was originally recommended by her vet some years ago even with canned, organic wet food. I now give her a small amount of kibble mixed with a larger amount of this homemade recipe and she doesn’t hesitate to gobble it up. One note, transition slowly as she did throw up after 2 days – I could see bits of veggies.
for about 6 months now, I have been making food like this for my dog. He is a 9 year old 150 pound dog, was over weight and not very active. He has lost weight and bounces around like a puppy. I would rather feed him this type of food than dry dog food. it really is not that expensive or hard to make.
How much do you feed your pup?! Mine is a little smaller than yours (weight-wise) nut same age and she generally only eats once a day, two cups of dry kibble. I know she hates it and I’m curious how much of this fresh food you feed your dog. Thanks in advance!
The Best Dog Food for German Shepherds
How much do you feed your GSD? Once or twice daily? I have 2 GSDs; on 12 yr old male about 95 lbs. and a 4 yr. old female about 75 lbs. Do you make in advance and freeze?
Thank you.
Curious as to how much you feed your GSD. I have 2 GS and one of mine has had an overgrowth of bacteria in his gut for over two months despite antibiotics. I’m going to go the human food route and hopefully cure him if his chronic diarrhea. I just don’t know how much to feed him because I know he’d eat more than he needs. Thank you in advance.
Perfect recipe Thank You
I just made this amazing recipe, my dog is a 14yr senior and a very picky eater, once she tried it she finished it in one feeding. Thank you, she is my heart and I was starting to worry. I am now looking for more recipes to give her a variety.
Once again, thank you for developing these incredible recipes ❤️
honestly, I’m totally broke and out of food for my 4 large dogs…pulled out some ground pork yesterday and made them a mash like this added a couple apples and black eye peas…more protein right….no seasoning and then added the frzn spinach which really gave it a blan smell…..but my lab x’s x3 and gsd was the picky one but he ate it lol
I’m gonna use ground chicken today….
added a few potatoes too
Awesome! I’m trying to figure out how to feed my dogs on a tight budget, too, so here’s hoping this will be cheaper!
My dogs devoured this, and they are very picky. Thank you!
Can you add bone broth? I’m going to try this out today.
Cook the rice in bone broth instead of water. I saw that on another site.
Yes – I cooked the leanest ground Chuck and turkey then added cooked rice using bone broth – be sure to get sodium free
Alright so my canine LOVES this formula. Just issue is I’m discovering he can’t process rice like by any means… So I’m attempting to sort out what to substitute it with. Online it says yams. In any case, idk the amount I would use to substitute it.
You could maybe try oatmeal?
No oatmeal,no heavy grain ,get like more raw meat, like turkey liver,beef liver raw more meat is always better for dogs ,raw meat ,yes raw meat the spinach,yes,ginger,carrots,no rice.it needs to be 80% of the raw meat they can have ,look at Dr.Martins video
My pooch had a difficult week, vomiting for a few days. We switched to making her our own mixture of pumpkin, ground chicken and rice. She loved it so much (and it cured whatever was ailing her) that we decided to continue making her own food.
I’ll be trying this recipe next! I have everything in this recipe so it will be made this week! Thank you!
My Collie loves this recipe! She has been trying to lick the paint off her bowl to get every last bite! We have been making this recipe for 4 weeks now! Rosie’s fur looks so shiny and silky! Will try to make it with ground beef one week and see how see like that change! She is about 52lbs so I feed her 1 cup of her dry food and 2 cups of this recipe!
Makes it nice a simple. Thank you. I have been doing a trial of the farmer’s Dog. The trial was 50% off, it was lovely, but it would cost me $140 every two weeks, and I know I can easily make it.
What other kinds of seasonal veggies are recommended? Squashes, sweet potato, potato etc instead of rice? Do you vary according to season? How about blueberry or other fruit like apple?
Most importantly, we likely should add some doggie vitamins , so wondering what is the most economical multi vitamin for dogs.
My dog has hypothyroidism, allergies and A-Topic skin bacteria. He gets allergy shots, a cytopoint injection, takes apoquil and levothyroxine daily to keep his skin from breaking out and becoming infected. We’ve tried so many different dog foods but none made any difference. He has been eating this homemade dog food for several weeks and absolutely loves it. It makes me feel good knowing he’s eating healthy food that is soooo much better for him. Thank you for your recipe.
Cytopoint killed my 11 year old shih tzu . It lowers there immune system and makes them vulnerable to outside bacterias.
Hello – how do you figure out how much to feed your dog with this recipe please?
There are several calculators on the internet that allow you to input your puppies current weight and ideal weight to figure out daily calorie intake recommendations. For my 18lb French Bulldog, she would only need 1/2 cup of this recipe twice daily. Hope this helps!
Hi which calculator did you use online to work out how much to feed your furbaby? Thanks
My Mini Aussiedoodle is a picky eater and she loved this recipe. My problem is since I made it her allergy results have been told to me by vet. She is allergic to peas which I could replace with green beans but she is also allergic to rice. What can I use to replace rice?
I think Quinoa should be safe.
Buckwheat, steals sit oats, Farro etc.
What about cauliflower rice
Made this for my Lady (Lab) she loves it.
how did you know how to give her? I am trying to figure out proportions for my 73 pound 1 year old lab!
I use BalanceIt as well to prepare food for my dog. The recipes you can build using this site allow fruit choices. I noticed you didn’t use any fruit. Is there a reason? My dog likes the addition of apple or pumpkin.
The problem with BalanceIt is that you are missing out on key vitamins from kidney, liver and heart meat. These are very important to a dogs diet.
I just made this and have not fed pups any yet. I’m assuming based on comments that it will get 5 stars.
I ended up getting 15 cups from this recipe! I used bone-in chicken thighs and ground the meet in my food processor. I weighed out 1 lb. (16 oz) portions and used 3 lbs as recipe stated. Why did I get 15 cups when recipe indicates 8 cups?
I will try this I think it will be better, right now I’m feeding her Pedigree dog food we just adopted her last month from a animal shelter.
What percentage fat is the meat used in this recipe?
What can I substitute for the peas?
Green beans are really good for them! I use that instead of peas.
Straightforward recipe noted that the ratios are 50% protein 25% carbs and 25% veggies
Yes that is a good ratio to use. However your picture of your ingredients does not indicate that ratio. Glad you have some nutrition info, because most recipes leave you hanging on how much to feed your dog. Research how many calories a day is needed for your dog’s size. What you have matches what I normally feed in fresh food. When he gets fresh it’s about 3/4 a cup, but dry commercial food he gets
1 cup. Thank you for the clearer guideline…. I constantly scan the mark down meat bin in stores to find quality protein to make food with. I find chicken on the bone frequently. Steam and debone the chicken. Save the broth to cook your rice. Also when you debone, save the bones and cook them some more with your grain. Then remove them. I have also taken small soft bones and cartilage blended them up with a little broth and added them back to the meat mixture. It’s disgusting like beige pudding. Doggie smoothie. But the puppy sure does like it. Just some extra steps if anyone wants to add as much nutrition as possible. Remember the dog’s palate is not as refined as ours is by any means.
My dog loves this however I’m not sure exactly how much I’m supposed to feed him he’s a Manchester terrier and he weighs 30 lb and I don’t know how much of this he should be eating he’ll eat it all if I put it all down at once.
I have a puggle that weighs 28 pounds and give him 1 cup in the am and 1 cup in the pm. He eats it so fast that i didnt think it was enough but he doesnt seem to be hungry during the day.
Haven’t made this yet. But comments below look good.
We’ve got an overweight 8yo Jack Russel with skin allergies. As a last resort going to try preparing some thing like this for him. Can the fresh Zucchini (Courgettes) and Spinach be swapped out for frozen alternatives? I see frozen peas are also used. How safe is it to refreeze the mixture after cooking?
I have a JR mix, 9.5 lbs. Peas and legumes of any kind make him sick, and they’re in all commercial dog food. I started making his food two years ago, and it changed his life. 3 lbs ground turkey/chicken, 1 1/2 tsp eggshell powder, 2 cups brown rice, 3 cups finely chopped mixed yellow and green veggies (carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash for the yellow and broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or dark leafy greens). I cook and break up the meat using a little olive oil, then stir in everything else. Add chicken broth to just cover and simmer 1.5 hours. I feed my dog 1/2 cup portions twice daily. Can store in freezer. Makes 2-3 weeks of food.
Can you add pumpkin?
I haven’t made this yet but am looking for a gluten free option for my 60 lb dog. She has gluten allergies and I’m not sure if everything in this recipe is gluten free. Would love to start making her food so I know exactly what she’s eating! Is there anything I need to omit in order for it to be GF?
Hi Beth,
Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye (amongst other things). Brown rice doesn’t contain gluten. So you should be safe with this recipe (so long as ingredients are not processed in an environment where wheat, barley, rye.. etc, are also handled).
Further down in comments people have suggested 2-3 cups of this mixture a day for a 60lb dog. Looking at the nutrition figures above, 1 cup (I calculate to be approx. 310grams) of mixture will have 412.3 calories. An averagely active 60lb dog needs [ 30 x (60/2.2) ] + 70 calories a day or 888 calories. This will be about 2.1 cups of mixture a day. Obvs, if your dog is very active, they will need more. Maybe try them about 2.5 cups and see if they are gaining or losing weight.
And it goes without saying, if in doubt check with your Vet first.
Thanks for the info!!! I’ll try 2 cups a day for my aging lab.
Hi Simon-how did you figure out the calculations of how much to feed? I don’t think Damn Delicious is responding because I asked about this already. I have a 50lb active Doberman. If I make this recipe I guess I can just take 2.5 cups a day like you mentioned and see how it goes. Thanks.
Michelle, sorry for late reply. I posted here a while back and had not checked for replies.
Balance IT website gave recipe for dog food based on ingredients we choose. You then have to modify it to say what weight the dog is and how often you want to feed them. once twice or three portions a day. usually it’ll say you’re missing vital minerals, nutrients or vitamins. i use a multivitamin supplement which I crush and add to his food. or you can pay for balance it supplement (bit pricey).
we chose turkey mince 7% fat, sweet potato, courgettes (zucchini), carrots, garden peas, baby spinach, brown rice. our jack russell was over weight at near 16kg so we calculated his food for 14kg. he’s now 14.3kg after being on this food for over a year. his skin gets occasional flare-ups esp during allergy season (now basically). he’s on 1/2 apoquel and 1/2 steroidal tablet a day. we wash him every five days with antibacterial/anti fungal shampoo from the vet. his skin is much better but occasionally flares up. I’m not sure but I think my mum (his owner) feeds him “treats” and “tidbits” which he then has reactions to. she still doesnt make the connection between bad skin three weeks after she gave him some of her ham sandwich. I saw her sneak him some the other day. . that’s the problem other people thinking its ok to give him anything.
you have to be vigilant. and constantly remind them not to feed him anything other than the prepared food. good luck!
I have celiac disease so I’ve been living the gluten free life for the past 2 years. Everything in this recipe is gluten free. The only thing you would have to watch out for is the rice in case they were processed on equipment that also processes wheat/gluten (But even that is fairly rare). Other than that you’re safe with this.
My dog loved it he’s a fuss pot dog. Thank you x
I a puggle that has become very fussy in his old age. He is 11 years old. The last time I went shopping the store shelves only had a few can of the food he will eat. I have not been able to get back to the store. I can not drive because of an accident. My hubby has to drive me. The both of us were hit hard wit COVID. He got it 4 days before Christmas and I got it the day after Christmas. Our poor pup got it to. Anyway, I ended up making him homemade dog food. As I am heating it up he is crying and dancing. I put his down and before I turn around it is going. The best hing that could ever don for my fur baby.
How much are you feeding your puggle? I have a 12 year old puggle that is 28 pounds and we feed him 1 cup in the am and 1 cup in the pm.
He has more energy, bad breath is gone, coat is soft and he is very happy.
Our senior dog, Tiki, was having diarrhea, so I decided to try this. I’ve been feeding her this for a couple of months now and it has made a big difference, no more diarrhea, and she loves it so much! I changed it up a little but for the most part, it’s pretty much same ingredients (I add sweet potatoes and other veggies). I’m still experiencing, she is 50 lbs, so I feed her 2 cups daily, so I think it’s the right amount.
I was trying to edit my post but it would not allow me, so I’m replying to my post. Here is my custom recipe for Tiki:
1 lb cooked ground beef or turkey
2 hard-boiled eggs – chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 T safflower oil
1/4 cups chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cups cooked peas
1-1/2 cups cooked carrots and other misc. veggies (spinach, broccoli, green beans, etc.)
I make 2 to 3 batches and freeze the portions. She is a much healthier dog now.
Egg shells are a good calcium source. I use my ninja blender to blend them smooth in the egg. Adding the hot food while cooking will cook them. I have cooked my puppy an egg before doing this and he knows no difference with the pulverized shell in it.
BEST DOG FOOD!!! My goldador puppy (1 1/2 year old) was a very picky eater, with both dry and wet food. We started feeding him this recipe with 1 cup of his dry food and 1 cup of this food and he ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT!!! Thank you so much 🙂
I have a border collie 11 years old. She has cancer and the vet says once she stops eating she will not have much time left. She stopped eating her dog food so I tried this recipe and she is eating again. So far there have been no problems and now she is able to go for a walk.
how would you know how much to feed an 8 pound chihuahua? he loved it but i am afraid to over feed or not give too much so he could start losing weight. Also should any type of vitamins or supplements be added? I know these questions are more of the kind my vet should answer but they are kind of against home cooked diets and would only recommend the science diet one or kibble which i really want to stop on my dog. (i even tried other vets but there’s no vet in my area who promotes the home cooked diet sadly). If anyone could help would be really appreciated!
I have a slightly larger chihuahua, and we feed her 1/2 cup 3x a day and she does just great with that. You might be able to do a bit less, but we fed the same at 8 lbs
My Chiweenie loves this!
Can it be frozen?
Hi Rita. Happy New Year. I recently adopted a Chiweenie Sept 2021. He’s 16 lbs not heavy at all, very strong.
I’m not quite sure how much to give him at about 16 lbs, but doing an internet research should provide the information. I DO have experience preparing homemade dog food for my recently passed 14 year old Maltese. He was 10 lbs. He loved my preparations. I varied from the Turkey to Chicken Breast and Chicken Thighs, chopped small for his mouth, along with various doggie approved veggies and/or a bit of fruit, like firm apples (due to cooking).
What is important and I’m not too certain is how/where to get the proper amount of TAURINE for our doggies, depending on breed/weight.
I think asking our Veterinarian may help, or checking legitimate Online Veterinarian sites.
Wow just wow, my husky is so fussy and we tried all types of food I mean everything but he refused to eat it, yes we tried the whole let me starve he will eat when he is ready well by day 6 I was not ready to let him starve.
He has been to the vets and is healthy and young but is just fussy. But I noticed he would eat cooked food so I made this up and he absolutely loved it.
Personally I play around with flavor like he will get Kale and broccoli, blue berries a long with the carrots and peas etc and we mix multiple protein like tuna, salmon,beef, chicken etc so it has everything in it.
I also add boiled egg on top,. coconut oil and a little Greek yogurt and he has the best of all worlds and I never have anything left over what’s so ever.
I have a pomchi who seems to get sick every time I try to give her something different like for Christmas morning I cooked some ground turkey and gave her like half a cup and I put nothing in it no seasoning. Then next day I put some in her dog food now she’s sick so I’ve given up trying to feed her home made food I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong and I don’t want to keep experimenting and having her get sick. I’m currently just giving her Cesar dog food and think I’ll stick with that unless anyone has any ideas and this also goes with beef she can’t have any beef.
Hi there.. You cant switch their food abruptly as it will caused diarrhea. You need to start changing gradually in the span of a week or two. From ratio 70 old food / 30 new food to 50/50 and finally 30 /70 so that your pup able to get used to the new food without upsetting their stomach.
I have a 60lb Staffie, she was on high end foods and was never satisfied. I decided to make it fresh. She loves the food, she is so happy, more active. I make it with ground beef, sometimes liver or beef heart. I add ground egg shells for calcium and I use Camilina oil. Her breath, skin, fur are perfect. She’s happy, so we’re all happy.
I’m used to the ease of dry kibble but that’s not working for my overweight BMD. She is 100 pounds and needs to weigh about 80. Average activity level. Suggestions for amount to feed her?
That is exactly why I am on here. My 8m old BMD is 105. I started making food and he lost like 5lbs which you can see in his face. Now I am looking for fast complete recipes.
How much do you feed your BMD? I have an 85 lb Golden Retriever who lost his front leg to cancer in August 2020. He has become fussy recently but he is eating my homemade food. Just wondering how much is appropriate.
Please let me know how long it can last on the fridge since I know they might expire at some point thank you
Do I add the 3 cups of water on top of the 1 1/2 cups the rice calls for? Thank you!
I think the recipe calls for pre-cooked rice
I would think so. Rice usually calls for a 1 to 2 ratio to cook. So for 1.5 cups rice you would cook it in 3 cups water.
I am with you on the rice. In the recipe it should indicate, RAW Brown RICE Yeild is different. So please clarify. I have been using Minute Brown Rice, just more convenient for me. But it leaves me wondering if I am to have 1.5 cups raw to yeild 3 cups or 3 cups x 2 confused.
There is raw rice yeild and then there is instant rice. What is the amout of cooked rice added to the recipe?
Okay so my dog LOVES this recipe. Only problem is I’m finding out he can’t digest rice like at all… So I’m trying to figure out what to substitute it with. Online it says sweet potatoes. But idk how much I would use to substitute it.
Try sweet potato like maybe 1.5 per meal? or oats?
I’ve been looking for a recipe for my Husky/Border Collie that has stopped eating his regular food. He will eat bland chicken and rice. I wonder if I can use chicken instead of turkey? Any suggestions?
I found your recipe around June 2020 and have made it every week since. My 1 year old dog was itching all the time and very fussy with food.
I read that she could be allergic to something in her food. As soon as I started making this she stopped itching. She loves the food and won’t eat anything else now. Everyone comments on how beautiful her coat is. It’s thick and shiny since changing to this.
The only change I’ve made is that I use chicken thighs for the protein and cook the rice in broth made from it.
Super cheap, and easy to make.
Thank you
I tried your recipe my dog loves it actually my cat loves it as well thank you for the great recipes I really appreciate it you never know what you’re getting in the dog food at the stores these days so this is going to work out well thank you again
Do u add any extra oil to the food ? My dog itches and I have been adding salmon oil to his dry food , it hasn’t stopped the itching but its not as bad as it was
This recipe is fairly easy to make and my dogs love it, the only complaint/suggestion that I have is that you didn’t supply a serving size based on weight of the dog. I could really use this information as I am trying to help our animals become more healthy and lose weight!
I’ve started transitioning my pup to this whole food diet but am struggling to be sure that I’m feeding him the right amount. He’s 60lbs and usually eats 5 cups of kibble a day. I tried to find equivalence charts online but have been unsuccessful as of yet. Does anyone have any suggestions as to serving size? Thanks!!
A 60lb dog should only have about 3 cups of food per day per WebMD for dogs. That’s what I go by and my dog is also 60lbs
My dog is 45/50 lbs and eats 5 cups of 30:20 440 kcal/cup kibble and she’s still not putting on weight. She is just more active than your dog.
This is far easier than how I was assembling my dog’s dinners before. He LOVES it. I do half kibble half homemade for better nutrition and to help his sensitive tummy. Good way to change up proteins for pups with allergies. Thanks!
Straightforward recipe noted that the ratios are 50% protein 25% carbs and 25% veggies
Well, I’ve read the reviews and am convinced I must try these recipes. My lovely cockerpoo is so so fussy – one day she loves Lily’s Kitchen, the next day she leaves it, and so on with every brand, premium or standard. Driving me potty and getting expensive. I’ve been avoiding going the homemade route but am now convinced. Thank you everybody!
My dog who absolutely hates dry kibble loved this food, We were soo exhausted trying to make him eat his kibble and tried almost everything !! We mixed curd/veggies/chicken and whatt nott into his food but he still didnt eat it happily. He absolutellyy loved this food and I think it will be a constant in his foodbowl from now. I had a doubt though. How long will this food stay for if kept in the freezer?
Similar to other reviewers’ pets, my dog is extremely picky; like hunger strike until we give in to his demand for fresh food picky. This recipe saved us from an unnecessary trip to the vet just for them to recommend we try making him a fresh meal. I mix a cup of this with a cup of his dry food and he is now full and far less ornery, and our whole family is happier as a result.
Canned peas are not healthy for dogs. Only frozen
How much Balance IT do you put in this recipe?
I found your page and this recipe! I was pleased to see that I can feed him the same things I feed my kids! There’s always extra produce, fruit, and meat at the end of the week. I made our puppy this sweet dish with pumpkin and he loved every bite! Can I use fruit in this?
It was amazing! My picky dog never ate ANYTHING, Not kibble, wet food or even both mixed. I thought I would try this recipe as a last resort thinking she wouldn’t be a fan of it, the second I put her bowl down it was gone in less than a minute! Definitely using this again, keep up the great work!
Made this so easy and cheaper than store bought products, most importantly my dog loves it!!! He’s had it for a week so far and cleans the bowl, already his coat is shinier, so pleased with this!!
My VERY picky morkie Loves This food! However, he has had diarrhea(on our bed♀️) the 2nd day (3rd meal) of this recipe. Is this normal adjustment to new food?
Yes, this is normal. Dogs don’t do well with an abrupt shift in their diet, when switching your dog to a new food you should always do it gradually. Introduce it slowly by incorporating it with whatever they were previously eating over the course of 4-5 meals or so (20-25% of the old diet replaced with the new) and you won’t have this problem.
How do you know how much to feed? I have an active, 4 year-old male (intact/not neutered) German Shepherd. How many cups a day would he need total? Where are you able to locate this information?
Probably the equivalent of the dried food you are feeding him now. If not, google. Also, not sure why your dog is intact but neutering him will keep him healthier and potentially prolong his life.
First time viewer/commentator here. The advice given for your GS is not factually correct. I have a 12 year old male GS intact and it saved his life. He had a massive (baseball size) tumor that was misdiagnosed for months as a fatty tumor. This tumor is a dog killer in minutes when it ruptures. Fortunately for my GS being intact producing testosterone kept the tumor from growing rapidly which also kept it from rupturing. This tumor was able to disguise itself with several layers of fatty tissue and formed just below his sternum. Please please be very careful removing organs. They are born with for a reason…I also understand the health benefits suggested above of preventing testicular cancer, over breeding, ect. BUT PLEASE LET YOUR GS KEEP WHAT HE HAS IF ALL HIS VET CHECKS ARE HEALTHY. YOUR BOND WILL TELL YOU WHEN THINGS ARENT RIGHT.
Sounds good. Havent tried
It yet
My dog is so picky! She is a labradoodle. We have spent so much money on expensive dog foods which, most of, she turns her nose up at. Can’t wait to try this for her!
Haven’t tried this yet. I think my little man will like it. He can be picky. Can I use fruit in this? If so, how much?
I was spending over $200 per month on delivery dog food for my cavachon. I miscalculated this month’s delivery date and ran out of food. To make a long story short, I tried this recipe and my dog wolfed it down, licked inside and outside his plate.
Haven’t tried this out yet I have a 3 year old Westie terrier mix and a 7week old husky ! Will this recipe works good for both of them ??
Hi Mariah, great question but this would be something best discussed with your dogs’ vet. Please use your best judgement or consult a professional when it comes to your dogs dietary needs.
Hello! We used your recipe and our 2 small dogs really like it, which is awesome. My question is that you mention the Balance IT but that site seems to only want to sell me supplements. Does this recipe require any supplements for normal healthy dogs?
Yes, your dog needs supplements with homemade dog food.
I want to make this for my 2 pups, but what kind of supplements should a Shih Tzu need if eating this meal daily?
did you find out which supplements to add? I am wondering for my pooch, too.
how long can the leftover food be stored in the fridge? Thank you.
I create one or two serving portions in a small ziplock bag labeled with type of protein and the prep date. These can stay in the freezer for weeks. For the next serving, place the food in the cooler and heat and serve within 24 hours.
How do you know how much to feed your pets on the daily?
My schnauzer, Jaycee, has gallbladder disease and refused to eat her Hills I/D chicken and vegetable stew that she has been on for the last three years. I found this recipe when I was trying to find something that she would eat and would also suffice her needs for specific nutrients. I LOVE this recipe and so does Jaycee. No more not eating and she is finally doing much better. I did not use turkey or brown rice; however, I plan to use brown rice in my next batch. Additionally, I added a cap full of sodium free chicken stock over her meal to add a bit more liquid to the food.
Thank you for this Recipe.
I have made the chicken and rice for my little Yorky Bella. when ever she has an upset stomach or won’t eat her dog food mixed with chicken. This allow me to give my Bella something different to eat instead of the same thing. I’m always cautious on feeding my dog Bella dog food from the store because of all the ingredients that goes in it that I don’t like.
I started researching how to make homemade dog food for my Yorky and I come across that you can also look up different fruits that your dog can eat according to the breed that you have that also goes along with the vegetables.
For an upset stomach add some pumpkin puree to her food. Pure pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie mix. Our Maltipoo had some stomach issues last year and it was recommended by her vet. I have just continued to add it daily. Just a few tablespoons.
Made this for my picky eater tonight. I have a little Havenese poodle mix that won’t eat canned dog food and barely eats her expensive dry foods. She barely ate 1/4 cup of food in the last 2 days. In desperation I started hunting the internet for healthy recipes. This recipe was rated one of the top ten recipes, so I gave it a try. It is such an easy recipe and she loved it! She ate every bit I put in her dish and was licking her chops after. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I am a single mom on a budget. I have kiddos and my oldest is blind and autistic, non-verbal. I just got her and my other kiddos a little GoldendoodleChowChow mix to have as an emotional support dog. The cost of dog food and the quality of dog food are closely tied. I realized to get our newest little pup, Mr. Buck, good dog food, I needed to take about $200 from my grocery budget. Which wasn’t going to fly. I researched homemade dog food only to find expensive made-to-order and delivery options. I found your page and this recipe! I was pleased to see that I can feed him the same things I feed my kids! There’s always extra produce, fruit, and meat at the end of the week. I made our puppy this sweet dish with pumpkin and he loved every bite! I am excited to give him the best diet without breaking my bank! Will for sure be sharing with my TikTok followers!
Just made this with ground turkey for my boys, they never left the kitchen while i was cooking it.
I did scale the portion down just incase they didn’t like it.
They absolutely loved it!
Definitely making more, thanks for the inspiration.
I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds easy enough and certainly healthy!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe for my own dog, since he has been having digestive issues. Do you happen to know how much of this a dog should eat per day, according to his ideal weight? Thank you!
I’ve just made this recipe up, sorry I used a chopped up small chicken breast I had in the freezer.
Blade my JR watched me making it and cried for 2 hours before his teatime cause I wouldn’t let him have it, then he woofed the lot down.
I managed to make e lots for him.
Going to use the turkey mince next time.
Will it be OK to use other meats too.❤
My English bull terrier has food allergies so she can only eat white fish. I cook her food similar to this recipe using fish and freeze a week supply at a time.
Loved this niche recipe def worth a try! x
So simple! And it smells so much better than canned dog food! Thanks
Thank you for this recipe,he loves it. We went through several brand and the cost for 4lb bag $32.of what he will eat-eventually. This recipe is an answer to aid my Grizzy and my cost.
I never thought I’d a human making food for a dog. Grizzy is my 1st dog in 30 yrs and with my kids (young adults)leaving home, he is now my fur baby.
My dog absolutely loves this receipt he’s 1yo pit bull and he’s whining for more how much should I give him at a time?!
Hi!
How much you feed your dog depends on their size, weight, activity levels. It’s best to consult your veterinarian in regards to how much you feed your pup. My English Mastiff, I use to feed 3 times a day, 1 cup each feed. My more active hunting dogs got fed about 1.5 cups of food twice a day. My smaller dog got one cup of food a day, half in the morning and a half about mid-afternoon. Each dog is unique depending on its breed, age, weight etc. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/how-many-times-a-day-should-a-dog-eat/
This recipe looks great. Wondering if anybody has made this in their Instant Pot? If so, any tips/suggestions on that?
I make this in an instapot using boneless breasts instead of ground chicken. Start with 1 cup rinsed uncooked rice, top with veggies and chicken breasts then add 2 cups unsalted chicken broth. Pressure cook for 8 minutes and let the pressure release on its own. When the lid releases I pull the breasts and shred them. My pups love it!
Thanks so much for the info. Does the brown rice fully cook in 8 minutes? I’m a complete newbie to instant pot cooking!
did you find an answer or solution to the rice in the recipe for the insta pot by chance? Like just starting on the pot and puppy food 🙂
Love this recipe..My Golden retriever is 9 months old..he is kinda picky eater and lately not eating enough.
How much should be the portion given at a time for 9 months puppy?
It is very easy to make this recipe with regular spinach. I did not have baby spinach, so I used regular spinach instead.
How do you know how much to give your dog?
Made the Home made dog food with the turkey and it is fabulous. She loves it. Our 5 1/2 year old Frenchton was just diagnosed with cancer and I immediately started making her food. When you read the packages on dog food you know that most are not free of chemicals they don’t need. Thanks for the recipe
I have a 10 pound puppy and a 20 pound adult. How many cups should I feed each of them?
This recipe says it makes 8 cups I got 12 cups how big are the cups you are using to only make 8
Can I use potatoes instead of rice?
My Frenchie pup has food allergy, can’t eat rice or peas. I substituted sweet potato for the rice. He loves it. His so picky but he loves this food.
What do you use instead of the peas?
Chungah, I made this for my dog and he absolutely loves it! Thank you so much for posting this online
Great easy dog food recipe! I have a question… zuchinni and carrots really vary in size. How many cups would you say each of those are, especially if I buy some pre-shredded ?
Have been cooking dog food for decades and this recipe ticks all the boxes!! Very good!
The calorie amount seems really high. Is it accurate? If so, it’s more calories than any of the commercial dog food for weight management.
Was searching for a recipe for my dog. Tried it and must say my dog loved it. Thanks!
So I have been making this for 2 months now for my Frenchie & new Lab puppy. Although I do not think eatting this is going to cover 100% of their needs, I can safely say this is a healthy start to their eatting habit!
My Frenchie always has been a picky eater in the mornings but now that is a thing of the past.
What we do is:
Mix 50/50 her kibble (healthiest & some what affordable) and this recipe. We also found this liquid vitamin called “Wooof” and add that to the mix.
Both pups are doing great and I’m glad we decided to make this change. Maybe one day we will go 100% off kibble.
Going to make it and try it tonight for my old girl who only has a few teeth left. I’m sure she will love it! I was also curious in how much to feed her so with the nutrition values included in the post I did a little research and found this:
Not sure if this is helpful but I found this information on dogs and their daily caloric needs.
The standard formula used for calculating the energy requirements of the average adult dog that lives inside your home, receives light daily exercise, and is spayed or neutered is:
30 x weight in kg (or pounds divided by 2.2) + 70 = daily caloric needs
Be aware that few of our dogs are “average,” so this formula is merely a starting point. Most dogs will require fewer calories on a daily basis, while a few will require slightly more. This daily caloric total includes not only your dog’s meals, but also any snacks and treats. If your dog needs to lose weight, your veterinarian will recommend caloric restriction (which is usually 70% to 90% of the calculated amount for weight maintenance).
Aren’t canned foods (peas) high in sodium?
In general, all canned products tested showed higher sodium and lower potassium values than those found in fresh or frozen products. The highest sodium content (317.3 mg/100 g) was found in canned green peas, and the lowest (127.4 mg/100 g), in canned tomatoes.
Very easy to make my dog loves it.. ❤
I used regular spinach i didn’t have baby spinach
Dogs loved it, not a crum left in the bowl!
These guys are really picky eaters.
My dog just loves this! I figured that I got three times the amount of food that is in the refrigerator case dog food. I now have a very happy dog. Thank you!
Peas can be dangerous for some breeds, and rice is not a natural food for dogs. I substituted millet for the rice, and left out the peas.
I found this recipe while making food for my (very) mixed breed dog and went looking for what veggies other than peas and carrots I might add to the meat, eggs, and brown rice because the garden just now is abundant. Zucchini, YES! Thank you!! What I typically do otherwise agrees with your recipe entirely and my pooch loves it.
One tip to save on plastic… I freeze my homemade food in a silicon muffin pan (set on a cookie sheet for stability). Then when the “muffins” are frozen, I pop them out and put them all in one big plastic bag.
Great idea – thank you!!
I was told by my vet that the dogs would need vitamins added to the homemade dogwood..
Look up “Wooof”.
I use this liquid taste enhancer that is loaded with all the vitamins and minerals you’re dog needs. I use it along side this recipe
My dogs love it! Do you drain the fat after you cook the ground turkey ?
Amazing & encouraging article. I just wish you would give me mire details as to the quantities of food to offer
I made this recipe. When I was buying ingredients, I didn’t realize it was 3lbs of ground turkey so I only had 1 at 99% lean. I split the other I gradients down to a third as well (the best I could since there was 2 carrots I pretended 2 cups so I used 2/3 cup of the bagged shredded that I bought.) Anywho, my pup loves it. Pomeranian, born 1/29/2021, I feed about 2/3 cups twice a day, so far. He eats the whole bowl each time. I’m beginning to think home cooked meals may be better than the expensive Ceasar Wholesome bowls he prefers. Dry food doesn’t go very far and while dogs can go 3 days without eating, I don’t want any issues down the road that’s preventable. So happy for this recipe! Will be doing it again. (And not much change in his poop either, which is what I worried about the most whoops hoo!)
My dog loves it but it seems a little expensive to feed a 50 pound dog this alone.
I’m use this with softened kibble for my old dogs (15&18) 1/2&1/2 no supplements (1 cup divided in half for 15lbs) . For my big dogs I feed Kirkland kibble at their weight and 1/8 cup just to make them not feel left out lol.
Dogs love it❤️,how long can they be kept in the freezer.
It’s great I’m go to grocery to get now and do it tomorrow morning.
But still want to know how much to feed my 20 lbs terrier. Or send me text where I can look it up?
How much does the recipe cost? Also what about adding ground powdered egg or egg shell for calcium?
Hi
I am very interested in knowing the calorie count per cup in this food. Anyone know?
I just made it for the first time my dog has been sick and I switched over to making my own food for him so I know what I’m putting in his stomach he seems to like it so far thank God! Thank you for the recipe
Can you use ground beef in place of ground turkey?
I made a meal with ground beef and it was very greasy even though I drained it very well.
Boil it instead.
Hi
Do you need to add salt to this recipe, if yes how much.
Thank you in advance
No seasonings for dogs.
Can I ask a question; Did the receipe require you to add supplementation with the Balance IT formulas?
Silly question: Do I measure 3 cups of baby spinach, then chop it? Or is it 3 cups of chopped baby spinach? I’ve been making this recipe for months and just thought to ask this. Thanks!
Angela,
This is a great question. It all depends on a recipe is written. In this case
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
*means measure then chop
If it was written
3 cups chopped baby spinach
*means chop then measure
Hope this helps. From one home cook to another.
I use this recipe ,if i use beef mince i boil it first to get rid of the fat
I also add apple ,my dog loves it .My dog refuses to eat any tin or roll dog food .i also have science diet dog biscuits ,that i leave out for her .
@suelittle
My Jaxy loves this!
I made this recipe for my 3 small dogs two of them are allergic to chicken so I used 88% 12% fat ground beef and they love it .
I have a 8 week old Dalmatian. My question about feeding her fresh food is, would fresh food make her have soft poop? I’m still potty training her at the Same time as my 2 year old so I wouldn’t want to be having to clean soft poop or diarrea from all over the house. has anyone experienced this with their pups?
Hey. So I made a batch. I didn’t realize it was 3lbs of turkey and only bought 1lb so I broke the recipe down to a third. You asked about poop so I wanted to share my answer. All dogs might be different idk. I have a pomeranian, born 1/29/2021. I gave him a total of three bowls before his first poop. It was not at all watery and not super hard like with dry food. It wasn’t mushy; it was the same size as dry (looks like a bullet.) Before I started this, I described it better in my head lol ultimately, it was not diarrhea. After the fourth bowl, same thing, not watery or diarrhea; was able to pick it up, no problem. Hope this helps! I worried about this too and because his poop is how I like it, I will continue this recipe!
I have a puppy who does not want to eat fry food or can foid I decided to cook for him and he eats very well. The can food especially . Really stinks. So now i make homemade food that he loves. But i needed new recipies.
Can you sub in Salmon for the turkey?
Great recipe! Just a quick suggestion to simplify this even more. If you own a rice cooker, you can add rice, eggs if you choose to use them, olive oil, and veggies and let it cook all at once. Sauté your meat separately and mix it all at the end. I recommend a couple tablespoons of turmeric in rice mixture as it has great anti inflammatory benefits.
I want to add eggs. Are they boiled first?
Or raw ? I’m picking up my puppy in 10 days.
This is the Recipe that changed My mind on wether to Start feeding My boy Homemade Dog food or Not..Sammy is a Pekingese and they are Very stubborn dogs that have a way of making up the Rules in my house. He just stopped eating his Food.But We just Love this recipe. I switch up the Veggies from time to time. I also give him a multi vitamin for seniors.Thanks so Much..
Very nice recipe! My Cecil has pancreatitis, he cannot eat much fat or he could die. If he eats something fatty he will blow up like a blimp 🙁 I am a vegetarian and I would like him to be one too but with his condition I do not want to give him too many eggs. He is a 22lb Rat Terrier mix and I have been feeding him something similar to this recipe for lunch and dinner.
For breakfast Cecil has french toast (2 slices of bread, 1 egg, and some fat free milk). I make my french toast first to soak up all the olive oil in the pan before I cook his breakfast. I then cut it up and mix it with about 1/3 of a cooked banana.
For the rest of the day I give him about 1.5oz of boiled chicken breast which I chop up. I then add 1 egg, plus equal amounts of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, butter beans, sweet potatoes or yams, and string beans. I also add about 2 times as much peas as I do for each of the other veggies. Everything gets mashed or chopped (even the peas are mashed so they are digested easier). When everything is chopped up it probably makes about 1.5 pints of food which I then give half for lunch and the other half for dinner (or one big meal if we are out for the day).
This diet is very low fat and he has been off dog food and eating this for at least 6 months (and the prior 6 months he was eating half low fat kibble and half this recipe) and he seems to be doing well, and he has not had any pancreas events over the past year. You should know that when feeding a dog a fresh food diet they may eat 3 times as much food as dry kibble due to all the water in the food.
He also snacks on popcorn, apples, pears, bananas, etc. And I mostly eat the same as he does, only that I do not eat any meat with mine. Anyway hopefully this is helpful to anyone whose dog has pancreatitis.
John, I also have a dog that has pancreatitis, my boy Stanley is a senior Boston that weighs 32 pounds and he just had an attack so severe that I thought I was going to lose him. My question to you is where do you get recipes specific for dogs with pancreatitis ? Also how much food do you serve your dog per meal.
Any input you have would be appreciated.
Can I serve one meal of kibbles and one meal of your recipe?
Or will that cause digestive problems?
My intent is to increase fiber.
I do something very similar but I mix half homemade with half dog food. This makes me feel more comfortable that I am not missing any essential nutrients.
I do love this idea.
I don’t know how this is cheaper than dry dog food. I have 2 labs, and they would eat a Kirkland Costco dog food in 2.5 weeks for $46 plus tax. The cost of veggies and meat here would be much more (grains are cheap) when get our meat from the local butcher and it’s cheaper then grocery store prices
How do I adjust recipe for 10 month old puppy?
I posted this to another comment, but I want to post to all comments that relates to puppies because I’ve struggled getting definitive answers on the internet. I feed this recipe to my 5 month old French Bulldog. I am only giving her 1/3 a cup at a time as she is only 10lbs. I am looking into a good supplement just in case there are gaps in the nutrition she needs. This makes a large amount so I used sandwich baggies to freeze what I wasn’t going to use in 3-4 days. This has to be so much better than kibble no matter how good the brand and mine do not go poopy as much as on kibble because their bodies absorb more. They say to feed your dog (no matter the age) 2-3% of their body weight, converted in to ounces. Puppies are supposed to get a little more in calories because they are growing and need it. Everything in this recipe is ok for your baby, but all dogs are different and you may find there is something that doesn’t agree with them. You’ll figure out what works best as time goes by. Don’t be intimidated.
This was easy! I enjoyed cooking for him. I love him. I can’t get him to eat wet or dry food. He is so picky. I have wasted hundreds of dollars on high priced dog food!! This is a great alternative. Thank you.
I want to learn more
How would you adjust this recipe for a 10 week-old puppy?
I feed this recipe to my 5 month old French Bulldog. I am only giving her 1/3 a cup at a time as she is only 10lbs. I am looking into a good supplement just in case there are gaps in the nutrition she needs. This makes a large amount so I used sandwich baggies to freeze what I wasn’t going to use in 3-4 days. This has to be so much better than kibble no matter how good the brand.
My min pin is getting older and has started to develop allergies and pickiness about his kibble. He refused to eat more than a few crunches because he was holding out for people food. We started looking at the advertised “fresh” pet food service, but at $4.00 a day for my 22 lb dog, it was completely ridiculous. I found this recipe and tried it, giving my Dino 1/4 cup mixed with a half serving of his kibble in the morning, and the same for the evening with yogurt for dessert.
HE LOVES IT! Eats every kibble, has plenty of new energy, and we know he’s getting plenty of good stuff to help him lose weight and keep him around longer.
We did use what we had on hand to try it. Canned no salt added veg-all, brown rice, hardboiled egg, and ground turkey.
For a full week of meals it cost $5.00!
My husband is in the kitchen right now, making a month worth of food for our little big guy. We will portion it out into daily servings and freeze them.
$20 for a month of fresh healthy food, versus $140 a month for the advertised food… Seems like a no brainer!
Thanks for posting this so others like me can see just how quick, easy and affordable this is for our fur babies!
My dog loved it too!!! I wish there was more information on how much to feed him, I will be playing with the portions for a bit. This will be a regular meal for him now! Never seen him eat all his food!!!
Yesterday I made this as the recipe specified. My picky eater gobbled it up and begged for more. It was relatively easy. my Buddy and I are happy!
Should the 1.5 cups of brown rice be cooked or dry?
add dry to 3 cups water
I make something similar for my dog. However I add 2 tablespoons turmeric to the batch as its anti inflammatory and he’s almost 16. I also mash up hard boiled eggs with the shell on for the calcium.
Sounds great thanks. I want my dog to eat healthy and a wide variety in her diet.
Hi,
I just have a quick question.
Instead of ground turkey can I give chicken the same?
Kind Regards,
G Krishna
Our dog absolutely loves this recipe! Question about storing… do you make a few days worth to keep in the fridge for easy access? I understand freezing for big batches, but I’m currently making enough for 3 or 4 days and would rather not freeze to unfreeze for every meal.
My beloved dog is 12 yrs old and the last two days have been very tough on him. He is having a hard time getting up due to his arthritis and he couldn’t get up to eat. I was very worried he would get dehydrated and with not eating become weak. I never thought that I would be one of those people who would make their own dog food (even though my dogs are very spoiled) and with a husband, kids, grandkids, running errands, babysitting and working who has the time for yet another item on my list but let me tell you. He absolutely LOVED this meal. I will continue to make this for him and switch out the meat to keep it interesting. Hoping to build his strength back up and yes he is taking pain meds when needed from the vet for his pain. Ty so much for the recipe.
I have a small Mexican dog weight 12 lbs. Can I cut this receipt in half, just in case he doesn’t like it. He will not eat any of the store bought and I’m looking for some easy to make for him that doesn’t require a lot of expense or work to prepare.
Yes you can..
Tried this on my very fussy little schnauzer he absolutely loves it and it’s much better and cheaper and healthier than any of the many dog foods that I’ve tried I’m really pleased I found this recipe thank you
I made a huge batch of this for my Mastiff last night using what I had which was brown rice made in a rice cooker, extra virgin olive oil, broccoli, cauliflower, frozen peas, sweet potato fries ( bland… no salt or sugar), one lean hamburger patty from Sam’s Club.
I also added a boiled egg I sliced up and 3 slices of canned plain beets (not pickled).
I divided the hamburger into two parts and fed her half a Sam’s Club rotisserie chicken tray bottom (the black plastic part which is what I use to feed her now since those container bottoms spray clean with hot water and last a long time).
She had already eaten her breakfast which was just canned dog food from Walmart (cheapest brand which is ‘OL ROY Cuts -n- Gravy’). I have lately been separating the Purina kibble from the canned food as she prefers the canned food separately and nibbles at the kibble in the evening..
She is a nearly 4 year old Mastiff and has had chronic diarrhea for nearly two years despite multiple visits. Her appetite has been fine… but she doesn’t seem excited about her food unless it is Sam’s rotisserie chicken with the fat and skin removed.
She woofed this food I made down the same as when I share steak or Atlantic Salmon with here. I was so shocked and very happily surprised. I gave her another half tray which she also gobbled up. (I don’t advise this. I was just so happy to see her so excited.) She was so happy when I was making her food today that she came into the kitchen and laid down next to me in anticipation which she never has done except with the steak.
There was not enough meat for the portions even with the added boiled egg. But I am now in the process of buying a:
Cuisinart Custom DFP-14BCWNY 14 Cup Food Processor, White and Stainless Steel
Average Rating:(4.7)stars out of 5 stars
945 ratings, based on 945 reviews
91 comments Cuisinart Walmart # 555563601
$229.95 shipping included.
I will post more as I stock up on everything as I have MS and will be 70 next year and never thought in a million years I would be making homemade dogfood until I saw a commercial on TV offering a strong discount for my first order. But it was $144.94 per day for a dog my size which is absolutely ridiculous. I am on SSI and don’t eat in one month what 2 days of this dog food would have cost me.
I can afford to make my own and can make big batches of each item and freeze them in smaller quart size zip-lock bags and thaw and mix them as I change up the recipes or find good deals as things go on sale.
I would not use the frozen peas as my dog had those all over the floor because I didn’t put them in the food processor I currently have as it is only for one or two people. Besides, contrary to popular belief, canned are just as nutritious as fresh or frozen ( for dogs.. not me. I like frozen or fresh).
Something else I would like to share: Most chefs now use their microwaves more than we would like to think. You can steam your veggies in the microwave in a covered dish for just a few minutes and two tablespoons of water and you actually have MORE nutrients than if you steam them on the stove. And… you save so much time and money!
I hope these things help you and I hope you all understand that you may need to try different combinations to find what your dog likes, their allergies, etc. But my Mastiff is a dog I inherited without much choice when my son past away last year and she is so spoiled and picky because my son bought her rotisserie chickens from Sam’s Club, fed her steak… the most expensive treats… you name it.
This dog and I have bonded (To my great surprise) and I am so excited about finding ways to make all this food for a 200 lb. dog on my SSI budget (My house is paid for which helps). I hope you find out what I have found out.
Don’t feel you have to spend a lot of money to buy fancy food processors, Dutch ovens, etc. Use what you have. I’m just not good being on my feet long and am looking for ways to make this up a week or two in advance and freeze it. I figure by separating each ingredient in the food processor, I can measure out what I need for a few days and mix up the menus. I can also make one or two ingredients one day and freeze them and when I feel better continue with some other ingredients
Very helpful post. Thanks
I have a 90# Belgian Malinois who has Are there any additional nutrientshated eating since a puppy. He is allergic to most meats so I either use lamb or pork instead with your recipe and he ABSOLUTELY loves it. My question is:
1. How much should I feed him per day?
2. Are there any additional nutrients I should include in his meal as this will be all I will give him to eat.?
Interesting
Looks like a great recipe, but I would add more chicken to the ratio. What is the lb of food for weight of dog. I know on a pure meat diet that the ratio is 1 lb for every 60 lb of adult dog. But adding veg and rice does that go up or stay the same?
I read a site that suggests 2-3gms pure animal protein per kg per day so a 30kg (75lb) dog would need 60-90gms meat per day. I add 1.5 kg (about3lb) white fish because of meat allergies. For 8 days of cooked food.
I have not yet made this recipe but I intend to this weekend. My almost 9 year old Jack Russell mix woke me up this morning to an upset belly which is not like her at all! The only thing I can think of is I had opened up a new can of wet food (I usually mix some wet with her dry food) but other than that I don’t know what else could of made her belly so upset. So, I made her some bland white rice with chicken. She gobbled it up! Which is now even more so making me think that I’m going to switch off dog food to this. I have a couple of questions, I also have a 6 month old pittie pup he’s about 31 pounds now. How much should I feel him and her? (She is 12 pounds). Does anyone mix some dry dog food with the homemade food? Does this recipe contain the proper nutrition for the puppy?
It is best to ask your Vet or Vet nutritionist questions about how much homemade food to feed your puppy. They will have more experience on the needs of particular breeds and their protein to weight ratio.
Just came a cross this recipe and going to try it today for my long haired chihuahuas. I had the worst dog food experience yesterday. 30 minutes after feeding my dog Taste of the Wild smoked salmon for puppies ( 30 pound bag ) my dog started to drool act lethargic, walk drunk as if she was being poisoned. Got her vomit it all out by 11 am she was 60% better, they are afraid of there food now and I wouldn’t blame them. Looked up the dog food brand saw there was a lawsuit for high levels of lead causing death and other metal ingredients not clarified on the ingredients. Looked up lead poisoning symptoms 12 out of 13 symptoms were present. I was at the vet all day. Now I’m scared to feed her dog food, I never thought I would have to look up my dog’s food to make sure it wasn’t killing them with high levels of lead and other dangers ingredients, now I will cook my dog food to keep them alive and have them healthy, I’m going to try this recipe. I never want to go through that experience again.
Y’all should watch the documentary “Pet Fooled” on Amazon Prime (they used to have it in Netflix). It’s a big eye opener.
I made this for my Papillon and she loved it!! No more dry food for my fur baby!! I used Turkey and added homemade beef bone broth to her serving.
Thank you I will!
I have a 14week old blue staffy pup, she absolutely loves it. Turkey mince from aldi.
This recipe looks great and super simple to create. How much food would I need to feed a Doodle and 40lb Poodle? I plan on just using this as a topper or half n half with their purina pro plan. Thank you.
This recipe is nearly identical to what I cook for my shepherd/chow mix. I feel good knowing exactly what my doggo is eating and it’s actually economically sound as well. He looks forward to his meal times and there is no waste. His stool is a tad smaller than when he was eating commercial dog food and less smelly. His energy level is great!
Easy to make, but my dog can’t eat rice. Can I substitute an equal amount of sweet potato?
We substituted barley for the brown rice.
My Shih Tzu has a sensitive stomach, so I will be using Sweet Potatoes rather than Rice.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s been a life saver! My pit bull has cancer is going through chemo, so she’s been low energy. She broke a canine tooth and our vet clinic had to schedule her surgery almost 3 months out. This week the tooth became infected and has been quite painful. Yesterday the vet and animal hospital couldn’t see her and she only managed to eat two bites of solid food in the morning before refusing it for the rest of the day. I whipped this up for her minus the spinach (I am extra concerned for her kidneys with the chemotherapy) and added extra zucchini. She inhaled it! The vet saw her today and we have her on a pain medicine and antibiotic regime until we can do her surgery next week. She lost 5 lbs in a month so she is 71lbs but I estimated her food for 75lbs. I’m giving her 4 cups per day for 2 days just to fatten her up a little and then 3+ cups for the next week. I forgot to cook the shredded carrots so I will be mixing them in raw and every other day I’ll add a sunny side up egg on top. I used organic coconut oil btw, and read that organ meat can be supplemented for up to 10% of cooked dog food protein so I will be picking up a little container of heart or liver to use soon. Also I tripled the recipe to make food for a week and used a mandolin slicer to shred the zucchini and celery that I added.
My little rat terrier quit eating the Blue Buffalo that I had been feeding my weird little wolf pack trio (The other two still thriving on said food btw) So I tried this recipe and he LOVED it! He eats every bite and sits patiently and attentively behind me at the stove as I make the next batch. I NEVER in a million years saw myself as one of “those people” that cooks their own dog food, but here I am…totally worth it❤️
My dogs also stopped eating their Blue Buffalo brand. That is why I am looking up recipes. I wonder if they changed something and made it less quality?
I make my own food as well and use these ingredients plus more alternating dog friendly veggies, fruits, over easy eggs, EVOO, Nutiva coconut oil, BioStar K-9 Camelina oil and cubes. As for my spinach, I’ll leave it out, mince it, and sprinkle it on the meal once she’s getting ready to eat. I love all the questions because I to have had my vet push dry store bought dog food, though believe its not the healthiest. My Lunita just turned 1 and I’m wondering if I should switch her to 2 meals a day and how much per meal as I cannot get these questions answered by my vet. Anyone know??? Help please! Thank you all 🙂
Hey, it will take some work but what you need to do is find out the daily calorie intake Lunita needs, that way you can gauge how much she eats. However you need to also make sure the nutrients she is getting per meal is balanced – depending on her breed she might need a protein heavy diet or not. What you might need to do is figure out the calories in each of the ingredients of the meal so as to add them up to her daily requirement. As per feeding once or twice a day it depends on you and what you notice works best for her. I noticed one meal a day works for my Rohe. Mind you I am no expert whatsoever so everything you just read might not make sense but its what I’ve been able to have success with. I am also a first time pet owner and new to home cooked meals, so I am also learning as I go on.
Hope I was able to help though.
I do this for both my dogs. I got tired of the vet bills. I was told that I couldn’t do this as it wouldn’t be essential for my dog. I also give fish oil. I substitute fish (salmon, tilapia fresh) in place of the meat. I also mix it with beef chicken and fish with the amount of meat I am supposed to use. I was scolded by the vet office as she said he needs dog food. I am spending 400.00 a month in vet bills from allergies. Red itchy eyes and ears. Cost to much a month when I can be putting this towards healthy food. I organized it within one day to prepare the meals. I have a 70 lb bull dog, 100 lb Bullmastiff. I have done this for two days and I see tremendous changes. Also they don’t beg anymore when we are eating, that was instant. They both love it and enjoy their meals. Before I bought expensive dry food that caused diarrhea, then severe allergies. Remember vets should know this is the healthiest way for them to eat. I do add Dog multivitamin daily, just like humans if they don’t need it they kick it out. Vegetables are cheap when you go to a farmer stand and by a bunch and pre make the meals, label them and date them for freshness. Even if your busy you can make time to make this
How much do you feed them of this and how many times a day? I have 2 olde English bulldogge and have same allergy problems. Just trying to have them eat/feel better…
I had one rescue dog and just added a second. I have donated so many bags of expensive kibble to our humane society because my first dog is such a picky eater! He hated everything expensive! Our newest rescue had been abandoned, left with a broken bone and emaciated. I decided to try cooking for them. Mr. picky loves it and so does our new girl who gained 2# in 3 weeks! I also give them Canine Minerals ordered from Chewy, green beans instead of spinach and add sweet potato or pumpkin. Portion & freeze!
My dogs love this. Can you tell me the serving a day for a 12lb dog?
I assume it would be 1/2 cup in morning and 1/2 cup at evening meal. 1 cup per day
This looks wonderful how much would you feed a 85plus Shepard and in the store bought dog food there are vitamins B3 and D3 should I be putting this in or not thiamin???
I have been making this recipe for a few years now for my dogs. I thought it was such a healthy recipe and I just stumbled across an article about things you should not be feeding your dog and it said no spinach, a little bit every now and then is okay but not daily. I am so upset because here I thought I was doing something wonderful for my boys and now I read I am hurting them and can be damaging their kidneys. Can you please tell me what I can substitute for the spinach, I was thinking kale but I read kale can also cause damage to their kidneys.
Let’s keep it real. A dog would have to eat its own weight in spinach -DAILY- for adverse effects to occur. In normal quantities, it is indeed healthful for dogs. As with humans, everything with moderation. Please inform yourself and read beyond salacious headlines.
Unless your dog’s kidneys are compromised in some way, chemo, liver disease, etc etc, the amount of spinach in this recipe is low enough that it shouldn’t cause adverse effects in an otherwise healthy dog.
I use green beans instead of spinach in mine. I also add some sweet potato or pumpkin.
My dogs are so much happier at mealtime now!
Can you tell me about how much you feed your pup and how often? I have a 55 lb lab mix. Just curious! I’ve read you don’t necessarily have to feed dogs twice a day every day
So healthy and simple! My dog has recently had some major GI issues, so I’m going back to making homemade food for him again. He loves this recipe!
Very informative and helpful! I will be doing this for my future furbabies. Thank you!!!
I understand you are not a vet, but I’m curious if you (or someone here) can help me to figure out portion size for protein in giant breed puppy, and then portion size when giant breed puppy turns 18 months, as I have been told that’s when he should be given giant breed adult food. aaand then — how much do I feed him in a sitting!!??
I have a Great Dane and the two giant breed puppy foods we have tried, he continues to have very soft BM. So I have added about 1 1/3c pumpkin puree to his meals, which had helped to give that fiber-bulk. So I’m very interested to see how to give him the fiber-bulk with other foods in these meals. Sweet potatoes, maybe?
Thank you in advance for any recommendations you might have! ❤️
I’ve been making my dog’s food now for the last 6 months she’s 14 years old and I appreciate all your input
Love this. I make it regularly and add omega oil to it. I’ve also added sweet potato to some batches. I do make the rice with organic chicken broth instead of water. But I mix it with low calorie organic dog kibble. My dogs love it. And adding the omega oil has helped their joints, shined up their fur and reduced shedding. I regularly have 7+ dogs in my home and all fosters thrive on this food!
Vironika, giant breed dogs require adult food. Or giant breed puppy food only. There are too many nutrients in regular puppy food that can cause giant breeds joints to grow too quickly causing many health/joint issues. Please research and consult with your vet before continuing with puppy food. After he’s grown, I’m sure this recipe will be a huge hit for him/her
I made it with oatmeal and chicken because i didn’t have rice&turkey, and my belgian malinois loved it! Such a nice meal! Thanks for sharing!
Our Malchi loves it. Being only 10 pounds using your recipe one batch of food lasts about two weeks. We were concerned about our dogs health and feel so much better feeding our dog JoJo something that I would eat myself. I tried it. Good stuff.
My very finicky eater was not happy with all the different brands of store food. I found your recipe and began feeding him exclusively this. He loves it. My Vet did state I would need to add minerals to the food for a complete diet. Do you have suggestions on this? Thanks so much.
Chewy.com has a great canine mineral supplement!
I have 2 pugs. How much do you feed a pug that is 17 pounds and another that is 24?
I feed my pugs 2/3 daily. 1/3cup at breakfast and 1/3 cup at dinner. They are 20 pounds each and healthy
My Stevie had not eaten in a few days. He no longer was eating his dry dog food. I saw your recipe and we jumped right into making it. We were able to get 12 days worth of meals for our 22 pound part Fox Terrier. Well the true test was rather our picky eater would eat it. I’m very happy to report Stevie loved it and wanted more.
I have followed you for years and I love your blog.
Thanks for being AWESOME!!!
Do you feed them this all the time? I would love to try.
This was a life saver! We had no dog food and it was a public holiday. Went online found this recipe and made it hoping our dog who is a bit of a picky eater would like it. Turns out he loved it. On the first time we used chicken instead of turkey because it was all we had but now we use turkey. It was so good that now it is a part of his daily diet and he is still loving it.
I’ve made some modifications due to allergies (peas are a no-no), and the girls just love it. But I have a question- what fat percentage of meat do you use? 93/7, 85/15, 80/20, etc? Thanks!
My yorkie /chihuahua mix loves it
How many pounds is your dog & how much does he/she eat? We have a new chihuahua that is so picky.
You can easily substitute lettuce, broccoli or asparagus, but the veggies above have a bit more nutrients.
I love it! My dog immediantly ate the food, and she is a picky eater. Thanks for helping her eat her food!
Has anyone tried making this with turkey breast?
I only use ground turkey with this recipe! I do, though, add in some other stuff, like chicken livers (ground up on the food processor), and use a mineral supplement to be sure they’re getting enough calcium- as per my vet’s recommendations.
Just made this tonight. My babies LOVE IT!!
My vet told me i have to add regular dog food to homemade but it makes my dog sick when i do that. Is that true? I add a sprinkle of nutrithrive so hope thats good enough because he loves his homemade dog food without caned dog food
Could I make this weekly and refrigerate?
I make this for 15-30 days at a time for my two small dogs. I put an am and pm pouch for each day with the date. I put three days in the fridge and the rest I freeze. Each night I pull out the next(3rd) day out of the freezer. Works great! My dogs love it!
I haven’t tried it for my 9 week american pits but I will. I may even make some for myself.thank you this was very helpful. I think my favorite part of the recipe was that you provided a nutrition fact. Thank you and stay blessed
I decided to start making Sophie her own homemade dog food. I chose this one to start and she loved it. Sophie a Soft Coated Wheaton is such a picky eater I didn’t know if she would eat it or not but she loved it. Will try other recipes next. It doesn’t take much time and I know it has to be better for her. Thanks
ooh interesting. I have a wheaten mix and he’s also a picky eater. like won’t snack on raw carrots picky.
the author doesn’t mention portion sizes though. 1 cup for ~30lb dog seems too small.
My chiweenie was a picky eater until I started making her food using damn delicious recipes now she eats good, very active, good breathe and happy. TYVM
I have an over weight Chiweenie. She doesn’t like walking and is a little couch potato. We worry about her weight. We have tried different kinds of kibble for weight management. Nothing is working. She is almost 9 lbs and I feel we’re not doing enough.
Questions: How much of a portion should she get?
Does anybody find it has helped in weight loss?
My puppy is turning 20 weeks(5 months) on 15 Apr. I would like to know some substitute for the vegetables if the ones posted on the recipe is not available.
What other vegeatbles applicable for puppies to eat or add to the recipe?
Thank you
My 10 lb Klee Kai is the biggest picky eater and is allergic to every protein expect Turkey! Kibble has NEVER worked for her. For the past year, we’ve been giving her Just Food For Dogs Turkey and whole wheat macaroni fresh recipe, but after a year of only being able to eat the same thing everyday, she started being picky again and boycotting her food. Since she can only have Turkey, I went searching for other fresh options. I made her this recipe and WOW! She loves it! It’s a great option and she is more excited for meal time than I’ve ever seen! I did add to it a little based on what I’ve learned from JFFD…I added an omega 3 salmon oil to it and Turkey liver because that’s rich with vitamins. I also started giving her a multivitamin treat. I’m so happy I found this recipe and have my little girl eating again!
FOR THOSE ASKING ABOUT QUANTITY….
Just Food For Dogs has a great calorie tracker on their website. You put in the type of dog, age, spayed or not, energy level, amount of treats, and it tells you how many calories your dog should be eating in a day. When you purchase their food, they then tell you how much of that meal you give them. However, the quiz is free. I use that quiz as a gage. If you make the recipe to be somewhat accurate, than the nutritional chart the author has there tells you the calories per cup and you go from there to know how much to feed per day, divide by 2 for 2 meals.
Thanks again for this awesome recipe!
I can’t get the calculator at Justfoodfordogs to work beyond anything other than recommending a food this site sells. There is no recommendation for how much or how many calories per day my dog should have based on all of the information that I input And at $13 a day for a 70 pound golden retriever… their recommended food is WAY more than I spend on myself! Who can afford the stuff?
I couldn’t find a calorie tracker. Am I going to the right site? https://company.justfoodfordogs.com/
My 10 lb Klee Kai is the biggest picky eater and is allergic to every protein expect Turkey! Kibble has NEVER worked for her. For the past year, we’ve been giving her Just Food For Dogs Turkey and whole wheat macaroni fresh recipe, but after a year of only being able to eat the same thing everyday, she started being picky again and boycotting her food. Since she can only have Turkey, I went searching for other fresh options. I made her this recipe and WOW! She loves it! It’s a great option and she is more excited for meal time than I’ve ever seen! I did add to it a little based on what I’ve learned from JFFD…I added an omega 3 salmon oil to it and Turkey liver because that’s rich with vitamins. I also started giving her a multivitamin treat. I’m so happy I found this recipe and have my little girl eating again!
FOR THOSE ASKING ABOUT QUANTITY….
Just Food For Dogs has a great calorie tracker on their website. You put in the type of dog, age, spayed or not, energy level, amount of treats, and it tells you how many calories your dog should be eating in a day. When you purchase their food, they then tell you how much of that meal you give them. However, the quiz is free. I use that quiz as a gage. If you make the recipe to be somewhat accurate, than the nutritional chart the author has there tells you the calories per cup and you go from there to know how much to feed per day, divide by 2 for 2 meals.
Thanks again for this awesome recipe!
Thanks so much for this recipe! My pointer mix has stomach issues and I made this recipe exactly as written and she loved it! I need to add some supplements to it, can any of you suggest some that I can look into?
Just started making this recipe for my dogs and they absolutely love it!
Question: I have 4 dogs, they’re all around the same size (two of them are around 15 lbs, the two others are closer to 20) how many cups should I be feeding each of them a day?
Thanks!!
My 10 week old German Shepherd puppy had only been eating a high end expensive dog food. Obviously we know all poop stinks BUT HIS WREEKED. I knew something was wrong. I did my research on the food & learned that these dog food companies have loop holes to feed our pets “by-products” that aren’t what we are being sold. For example chicken by-product can simply mean “chicken feathers” & yes this has been done.
Anyway, I decided to make a batch. My puppy hesitated for a few seconds then devoured it. Immediately his poop was healthy and not fowl. I just picked up a surprise I found in my restroom only because I visually saw it but to our surprise didn’t smell it.
This is GOOD STUFF
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPE
p.s. I made it without the rice & spinach only because I didn’t have any at hand.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
OHHH one more thing! Our 6 year old chihuahua hardly eats her food (good brand, & we’vetried many)
Well when we fed it to her she ate more than we had ever seen her eat before. She finished!!!
Thank you for this recipe. I recently found out my pup had lost a lot of weight. Turns out he’s super picky and a slow eater. I’m tweaking the recipe and most days he eats! If not the older dogs finish it up!! Trying to add vitamins but he usually can tell. I’ve been a my wits end
My dog loves it ! Easy and cheap
I made the DIY dog food tonight. I have a 20 lb. dog, so I cut the recipe by 2/3. He is a picky eater as well, so I didn’t want to make too much unless I knew he would eat it. He absolutely loved it (and so did I). Now I wish I had made the full recipe. It’s very easy to make, so it’s no big deal. At the intelligent advice of a friend, I put most of the remaining food in ice cube trays and then the freezer. I will be able to then put them in serving size ziploc bags when they are completely frozen. Overall, I give it a 5 out of 5. It really is very, very tasty, inexpensive and quite easy to make‼️
Hi Kelly, my dog is also 20 lbs I’m confused about the quantity of food to give him (can you share the quantity per meal you are giving to your dog? )
I double the recipe and use my vacuum sealer to freeze each serving… our 5 year old lab loves it!
How much do you feed your lab at a time? Do you feed only this food for both meals or do you also add dry dog food?
I can’t wait to try third recipe, thank you! Just a question, how do I know how much food to give my dogs?
Thanks for publishing this recipe. I just started making my senior pitbull dog food after she seem d depress and lethargic. Worked great to go e her more energy and she looks forward to her meals now.
I started making this food for our Yorkiepoo, she lost a fair amount of teeth.. we figured this would be easier for her to eat.. she loves it and our miniature poodle does as well.. I was watching my son’s Sheppard/Collie mix.. she licked the bowl clean and wanted more.. I asked my vet about this mixture.. she added a supplement to ensure they were getting all the extra vitamins and minerals.. when I questioned rice and grain.. she spoke of how our previous fur baby had an enlarged heart when she got older.. she encouraged us to use brown rice or lentils for our dogs.. yes they need grains for their heart.. I have trusted my dogs health to her and she has never given us a reason to question what she recommends. To anyone who is unsure about this food talk to your vet.. in our home this is what our dogs eat and rarely eat the kibble we put down..
My dog is almost 15 years old and has had stomach issues the last few years; he even started to be a little incontinent. A stomach upset got me putting him on the plain pumpkin diet [then pumpkin and rice, then pumpkin rice and chicken] and while his stomach got better I noticed a week of no accidents! We introduced his own high priced dog food again, and the accidents started. Immediately took him off the dog food, found this recipe, and the accidents stopped. I make all his dog food now according to this recipe, but have tweaked it by adding things like cranberries and pumpkin for bladder support; this has kept his stomach and bladder happy – more consistently. And yes, he loves his food! Thank you Damn Delicious!
To Gardener Girl, our Border Collie rescue had incontinence issues when we adopted her. Our vet put her on 50mg Proin 2x/day. The drug really works. No more accidents.
My dog is very picky and not a fan of vegetables. So I was worried that she may not like it. To my surprise, she not only finished her first bowl, she asked for seconds. Even my human children love it! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I started with this recipe because it’s inexpensive and easy to make. My dogs went crazy for it. I think I’m going to become one of those people who make their own dog food lol.
This is sooo good for our dog! She loves it! So easy to make, I’m glad that I did this and will continue to do!
This recipe would be fine to give occasionally but long term it’s lacking in such things as omega 3s, minerals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, calcium, bones, organ meats.
One of the most common allergies in dogs are carbohydrates and grains. That’s why commercial pet food has caused so many problems in the health of dogs & cats.
CHARLY could you recommend food that has the omega 3s, antioxidants, calcium, bones, minerals, and vitamins…I am not a nutritional expert, just a person who would like to make her yorki-poo homemade food as I can’t afford the good dog food at 4 dollars a pack, I’m on pension you see.
You can reduce your food quality and give your dog better food quality. Dry dog food is bad for them.
You could make this recipe and add Nutrition4all Bio-8 powder (eggshell calcium with trace nutrients designed for home made diet) for the calcium at about 1 tsp per 1-2 pounds of food (depends if you feed other commercial foods or feed bones etc), and add cod liver oil or get it in capsules and feed a capsule daily or every other day as a treat. 🙂 I’ve fed raw diets to several dogs and one cat for almost twenty years and the bio-8 powder and adding CLO were my best discoveries for balancing their nutrients.
Could my post be edited to correct that to essentials4all dot org for where to purchase the bio-8 calcium? 🙂
Love the recipe, but frustrated with the inconsistencies in the recipe. First of all the picture shows chicken and the recipe calls for ground turkey, there’s a typo in the rice (you need a cup and a half of rice if you’re using three cups of water), and the yield and therefore the total calories per cup are off by about 50%. If the end result is 25% carbohydrates that would mean the recipe makes at least 12 cups.
I have modified the recipe so I can double it with the ground turkey I get at Costco. I use just shy of 7 lb of turkey, 8 cups of cooked rice, 2 packages of frozen chopped spinach, 4 carrots, 2 zucchini and 1 cup of peas. This yeilded 34 cups, which equates to a little over 200 calories per cup.
All Of You Please Get a I.Q. Test .
Dog’s Eat Meat !
At Sometimes , Some Vegetables, are Good For Some Dog’s.
But NOT As 75% of The Meal.
Please Get Tested, Before Continuing With Your B.S.
I Have Talked To My Vet As Well !
He has helped Take Exceptionally Good Care of All of Our Animals on our Farm, for Over 40 Years , And Is Constantly Requested By Everyone who lives in our Small Town of 30,000.
He Thinks Your Full of B.S. as Well !
Entrenous !
I’m sorry you didn’t like the article. Not sure why you went through the trouble to comment and be rude. You could have moved on. There is no need to say things like this to people who want the best for their dogs.
Scram, boomer. You don’t need to capitalize every word.
What does Entrenous mean? Unless you’re meaning the French term, entre nous, which means “between ourselves; privately.”
Asking others to take an I.Q. test is a bit ironic, don’t you think?
Hey JCH, talking about IQ tests , you should have written “Get an I.Q. Test”
not “Get a I.Q. Test”
Thank you for sharing. I have a few suggestions especially if ur dog has any kind of allergies.
You may hacve to leave out all starch like peas and even rice. If u can use rice only use brown. I substitute the rice and peas for cabbage and green beans. I also do venison, turkey or lamb instead of chicken. Check with local farmers and butchers for discounts. I also pour beaten eggs over the entire mixture in a heavy cast iron skillet and let it ” bake” the eggs through” but it depends what ur dog is allergic too. U can google foods that are ok for dogs. you can add anything to this mix and left over blueberries are really good for them but never grapes. Also anything theyll eat raw like cabbage is best raw just like for us. I have been doing home made dog food for years after our dog developed severe yeast. I do mostly raw with her meats and bones but some foods she wont eat raw and i was worried about her balance of nutrition so she gets her raw food with the cooked on the side. The cooked meat is just enough to give the veggies flavor. Hope this helps.
I’m a foodie and cook, it was easy to make and tasted really good both our dogs lapped it up, thank you
Dam delish
Will this keep for a week in the fridge if I make it once a week!
1st time I made this I mix it with with their regular dry food for breakfast and they went nuts for it. When I finished up the first batch they were disappointed that they didn’t get any more of the good fud!! Just finished up a second batch so won’t they be surprised tomorrow morning!!
I am trying to do this for my pup, who was previously on those subscription food program, however, it just tends to be costly.
I will try your recipe, and hope that she likes it :)! I do want to ask however, when you did BalancedIT, did you buy any of the supplements that they recommend?
Thank you. Perfect for my dogs and I am confident of good nutrition now. My dogs are active on the road and their paws are dry. I will let you know when the paws are supple again.
I’m very confused – I followed this recipe to a T and my yield is 15 cups. Is there a typo on the recipe??
I would like home made receipes for my dog mostly. I’ve tried making some myself & he is loving it. Thanks.
Made this for my mix breed dog who weights about 20kilo. Tried her on a taster and she loves it. I’ll change the veg and meat around for variety. I’m giving her 1 cup for breakfast and 1 cup for her afternoon meal. Hopefully this will calm her tummy as she is very sensitive.
My two dogs LOVE this. One is dealing with some ear and skin problems and im hoping that this will help. Thanks for a great alternative to store bought dog food.
I’m looking into cooking my GSD home cooked meals , as she has allergies and the vet can’t tell me what she’s allergic to , she also has bad ears … So what could I cook for her
I guess you can switch out the type of meat? The recipe calls for ground turkey… the picture shows ground chicken. That would change the nutritional information. Great recipe, I’ll see if I can play around with ingredients. Maybe change them up week to week, batch to batch. But this a great starter recipe!! Thanks do much!
Just made this, and hoping my dog loves it. She was recently injured and had to have one of her back legs removed. She hasn’t been eating a lot, so I made this to give it a try.
Will you please tell me how much she should have in a day. I am guessing 1 cup twice per day. Is that correct. She is a border collie and weighs 40 lb Thank you for any and all help.
80lbs-3 1/2-4cups per day
60-3 cups
40-2 cups
20-1 cup
10- 1/2 cups
Adjust if gaining or losing weight.
I would also suggest supplements
What about a 97 pound GSD? Currently he eats 6 cups of kibble a day
100-5 1/2 cups
Just made this tonight and want to make sure I’m feeding my fat 18lb Pomeranian, the right amount – he absolutely loves it! But, he needs to lose weight…so with the ground turkey recipe, how much do I feed – and what supplements do I need to make sure he is getting? Thank you for any help!
Our 4 year old English Lab weighs 95 lbs. (about 20 lbs more than she should). She is walked daily. She does have a sensitive stomach, flaky skin, and I really worry about her hips.
I’m trying to get my husband on board to try this type of diet for her. Of course, he must stop the bagged treats.
What would you suggestion for potion size for weight loss, yet keeping her satisfied?
Do you add fruits to the meal or do them as a healthy treat?
Any ideas for treats?
I have looked at the BalanceIt calculator and it seems to be very helpful.
What supplements would you recommend?
Jodie, do yiu think this is a decent recipe, author is v honest re not feeding all the time …. but there r other sites that hv v similar recipes and they say u can, glowing reports even,,!! Thank you. Do u hv a good recipe please. Thank you
Thank you! I wondered how much to give my girls. The Dovie is doing well but my chi needs to loose a lot more. Right now they are both 16 lbs. I give them each 1/2 c and 1/4cup maintenance kibble at each meal. My vet said they need the dry food for the teeth. Keeps the teeth cleaner. They love meal time! I swear the can read the clock because at 5 the doxie barks and the chi dances in circles.
My dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier he weighs 25 kilo how many measuring cups of food would be recommended as he loves this food just unsure of how much to give him
I have a 20 lb.. dog how much do I geed him daily with their recipe?
I just started feeding my poodle homemade food because he absolutely would not eat his kibble anymore. He loves this recipe. But I haven’t added sweet potatoes yet. Should they be peeled before I grate them! Also, I’ve seen different guidelines for how much I should feed him. He is a ten pound poodle, 14 years old and only moderately active. I’d appreciate your suggestions! Also, I have followed recipes from Damn Delicious for a while and was so glad to see this recipe for my Cooper!
Yes,you should always peel your sweet potato,if you leave them on,it may cause intestinal blockage.
How long will this last in the fridge. How much food are you feeding your dog a day? What does he/she
weigh?
OMG, thank you, thank you, thank you. I have 2 chihuahuas. Harley (7yrs) is a mix with a pincher. Duncan (5 yrs)is a full blooded black & tan, long haired chihuahua, he is a lot smaller. Harley had been trained when we got him & was satisfied with his puppy kibbles. When we got Duncan 2 yrs later, wouldn’t eat plain kibbles. I tried every dry & canned dog food & he would turn his nose up, as Harley started doing. Finally they decided they liked Little Ceasers, Chicken only & I would add puppy kibbles. They ate this for a long time. In the past 6 months, they decided they didn’t want to eat that anymore. I tried everything I could find, again. I orderd 80.00 dehydrated dog food & they just looked at me, “Like really?” They liked certain puppy treats. I knew that was healthy. So, we would just give them stuff we ate. All of the above were expensive. I saw an article on FB about dogs & their foods. You even had recipes! I went to the store today to buy the inexpensive few ingredients.
I came home and made a batch of your dog food using ground turkey, etc. We have been so worried that they had not eaten very little in the past months, except treats & crap, I just knew they wouldn’t eat it. But, they loved it & ate 2 small bowls a piece. They had to be hungry. Thank you for sharing your recipes that so far, cross my fingers, loved. It made my heart feel full to watch those 2 little buggers gobble down 2 small bowls of healthy food. It did not take any time to whip it up, that is good, because I don’t cook for my husband. I am so happy. One more thing to ck off my list. Julie
It all looks great. I have to stop raw feeding my dog , cockerpoo, because she has had a very bad ecoli virus. And she has been on Destolit and Marbocyl for a few months now. I have been feeding her a vet prescribed food by royal canine. But as her bloods are returning to normal, I am hoping that v soon I can feed her different food to tHe royal canine. I can’t go back to raw however. So …. my question is, how much do I feed her on this diet? She weight 10kg.
Thank yiu v much. Looks excellent.
I made some dog food with a few things out of the freezer. Chicken, rice, green beans, carrots, peas, corn. Thanks for the ideas.
Wow, my dog just loved it. He was not eating anything properly. But when I cooked this food he started eating . That’s why I am very happy today. Thank u soo much.
My two chihuahuas have been ill with diarrhea, and I took them off their regular kibble and moist food combo. After a couple of days of bland diet, I cooked this recipe, 1/3, but added a small amount of chicken broth to the rice, cooked the frozen peas in the rice pot, at the end of the rice cooking time. Mixed all together in their bowls and they could not have been any happier! They licked their bowls and looked for more! Tails were wagging. Thank you for this great recipe! Princess and SweetPea
Isn’t turkey a bit rich? Also hard to source here in Oz. I’ll substitute chicken.
I have a 2.5 year old Miniature Poodle X Maltese. My Vet favours kibble over wet or mixed feeding due to plaque build up on teeth being an issue in small dogs. However, I cook up low fat beef mince with 2-3 vegs (carrots, zucchini, celery, or green beans) and add a little boiled rice or Risoni. I give him 1 metric cup morning and night, 1 chewy treat during the day, and a cup of Vet-approved kibble sits in his bowl until he’s desperate!
thank you for this! I am now making homemade dog food for my fur babies and appreciate your recipe. I also have used squash, parsley and dill in some of my recipes and my dogs are VERY happy.
I just made this for my dog oh, but I didn’t have any peas , I used a little less rice because that’s what I had and I made it from a leftover roasted chicken with all the juice. My dog is so happy right now oh, she kept looking up at me in awe that she is actually eating that
Our 30 pound dog likes you recipe, however I do not know how much i should feed her each day. Can you help???
This recipe is wonderful for my Shih tzu! I feed her 1/2 to 3/4 cups a day. To find out how much to feed look up how many calories are necessary for your dog and her weight. The nutrition information at the bottom of this recipe shows how many calories per cup.
I’m sorry but the MACRO’s in this recipe are very concerning.
No dog should be eating 72% protein in a day?
I’m trying to calculate everything myself to make my own recipe using this one as a base, but. 30% protein should be the max??
Dogs are naturally programmed to consume meat! 30% protein is much closer to a recommendation for a human, but dogs and their natural counterparts could even thrive without many veggies or carb sources like rice and such. This recipe is great!
Correct I was thinking about that too I normally buy 19-25% of protein only.. I can use only 1 lb of this…
Can you tell me what the Calories are in 1 cup of the DIY brown rice / turkey Recipe is?
This meal would be ok for like one meal a couple times a week, but there is no bone or egg shell included in this, which is essential for dogs to balance out calcium and phosphorus, or dogs can end up with severe health issues. Do your homework everyone.
You could throw in an or two every other day or so depending on ur dog…raw egg
Throughout week save eggs shells as u use ur eggs
Then once dryer out…I keep in a mason jar…put in grinder or coffee grinder …..sprinkle into food…..
This looks great. But it does not say how much to feed the dog. I have one 40 pound dog and one 20 pound dog. I would love some guidance on how many cups to give per day.
I googled how many calories my dog would need per day. I then calculated by what the nutrition facts on the recipe says. I made this today and my dog loves it. Everything makes him sick so I make his food.
This recipe looks great. Once the recipe is done cooking how many cups of food do you get from 1 batch ?
I have a black German shepherd too! His name is Batman I was also wondering batch size. Are you feeding a GSD, too?
The recipe yielded 25 cups of food. (I added 1 1/2 c. steamed butternut squash instead of the green squash. I also left out the olive oil because I will supplement with safflower oil and ground eggshells (read note above about doing research to make sure you have all of the nutrients you dog needs)). I used a program to calculate the calories of the recipe because what is listed didn’t seem right. It is way off . I came up with about 130 calories per cup and 11 grams of protein, which is more in line with the ingredient list. If you tweak the recipe, you can use https://caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/food-calorie-calculator/? to calculate the total calories and then divide it by the yield to get calories per cup.
I used https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/ to figure out the portion size for my dogs since I have previously only used dry dog food.
Thank you!
I have a gsd pup. just got this from my vet.
Here is an example of how to use this chart effectively.
Weight of a pet is 16 lbs16 lbs is equal to 310 RER (Kcal/day)If the pet is over 4 months of age you would take 310 and multiply it by 2 as per the Growth DER on the right side of the cart. so.. 310 x 2 = 620 kcal/day. Now you will take the amount of kcals/day and divide by how many kcal are in 1 cup based on the brand of food. Please note that as she ages or if she gets spayed the DER number on the right of the chart will need to change accordinging.
Search google for
“estimated energy requirement canine chart”
It should bring up a PDF chart from wilmot veterinary clinic it is exactly the same as the chart I have from my vet.
Where do I find the recipe please
My dog loves it, thank you so much. I used frozen veggies. She ate every bit and she is the pickiest dog around. She also has digestion issues/GERD which is why I am feeding her homemade food. My mom added beef broth as well to her serving today which only increased her zeal for the food. I recommend this 100% and ground turkey is healthy for your dog.
Is beef broth ok with the salt in it?
You can try low sodium bone broth. It’s great collagen boost.
This is Great! Is it ok for any French Bulldog? I mean I have a French Bulldog Puppy. (one year old).
I made a batch last night and it’s been a hit with my senior pup. This is my first homemade dog food, and I’ve been hesitant to leave the kibbles and can food behind. But my 13 year old Bordernese has been having digestion issues. She also doesn’t chew her food anymore so we had to stop giving her kibbles. Switched her to can food, but buying good quality can food gets pricey when you have a 55lb dog.
This batch looks to be about a week for her. I used all organic and it’s such a savings. Plus we can use the leftover veggies as well.
Thank you so much for making this process easy and I appreciate the nutritional facts. This has inspired me to never buy dog food again. I love to cook so now I can share my joy of cooking with my best friend.
How many cups a day do you give a 50 pound dog? We are new pet owners 🙂
I add about 3 apples chopped up, med sweet potato, and blue berries to my Blue Heelers food and he loves it. I saw someone was concerned about the calcium. I add a tablespoon of plain no fat yogurt to his morning meal. But he also gets a cow trachea once a week that helps with joint health which is a huge problem in older dogs so you have to start them on the trachea young.
our senior rescue (a Morkie) had to have all her teeth removed. We started giving her this recipe. Gigi LOVES it, is able to eat it without teeth and its very easy to make. We’ve been making and freezing it in individual serving. Thank you so much for this recipe
We also have a Morkie who had to have all her teeth, except the 4 canines, removed (must be the breed). Now she has pancreatitis, so I am going to start feeding her a low fat diet. I’ll be trying this one.
Looked up my dogs needs for how many cups a day he’d need and it’s 2.5. Figured double this recipe for a weeks worth and it made way more than anticipated! Which is great! I bought frozen veggies I know my dog likes and threw them in a food processor to cook them down a bit more. Ended up actually making nearly 2 weeks of food for $40 up front. Then going forward only $20 a month for meat!
I also saved the meat grease and made a thin gravy to add so it’s not dry.
How did you look up what your daily needs would be by cup??
You can just Google “how much dog food should I feed my dog.” A bunch of different calculators will come up (under all the ads). I’d try several different ones just to make sure they are in sync with one another and not off by say, 200 calories a day or something. It’ll give you a better gauge. However I would highly recommend asking your vet. My vet did a thorough exam, including bloodwork, then told us how many calories per day she needs (she’s overweight). You can also ask your vet if this recipe is appropriate for your dog or if you should add/subtract any ingredients. Meanwhile, here’s a calculator to start with https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-food-calculator/
I would like to know how to look it up too..
You should go to the Balance IT website that she sites in the information leading up to the recipe. This recipe likely has vitamin and mineral deficiencies that the supplement Balance IT canine provides for. There is a link to the supplement and the nutritional information in the article.
Very good recipe!
How much do you feed per weight?? I want try English bulldog for her skin see if it helps but have no clue how much feed her??
This is awesome, and my girls love it, BuT how much do i feed per kg per day????
THank you for sharing. My 13 year old morkie gave us a scare recently and has not been eating well since. She’s turned her nose up to dry kibble, wet food with chunks and the pate version. At a loss for what to feed her besides treats (she’ll never turn those down) I went to the internet for a homemade recipe. Found this one, threw in some substitutions based on what I had available and she gobbled the first plate all up. Thank you so much! Hopefully the trend continues.
My dog just turned and was diagnosed with low level heart and thyroid problems. The disease and medicine was alot on his body, so.much weight loss. I decided to make his food and he and my new pup loves this recipe!! I must say btwn the medication and new food change I’m humbled. Thank you!!
My French bulldog was on kibble as soon as she was able to eat kibble, she has constant diarrhea and vomiting. I even thought she had patio. After many expensive vet visits, I decided t change her diet to home made. I followed this recipe and her diarrhea stopped almost immediately. She has not thrown up once since starting home made diet. I use squash instead of zucchini (personal preference) Lola lovesssssss her diet. She devours it in minutes. Thank you thank you thank you!
How much do you feed your Lola? I have a Lola frenchie as well and would like to start her on this new diet. She’s had tummy issues ever since I’ve had her. Do you use turkey only or do you switch up the protein?
I’ve been making my 8 year old Staffy’s food for about a year now. I would caution you to use fresh meats when possible to ensure you are not adding sodium to your pets diet. I use no sodium broth when I make her rice. She loved it!
My dog is enjoying this recipe very much and I love knowing exactly what’s in her food. But I HAVE A QUESTION though please, is it 1 1/2 cups of raw OR cooked brown rice. I used 1 1/2 raw and I think I’m wrong looking at the picture of the ratios.
The recipe calls for the brown rice to be cooked first.
Great question! Based on instructions in recipe, the 1 1/2 cups of rice listed in in gradients would be uncooked (raw) Then you would cook it in 3 cups of water (or broth). The amount you end up with is then mixed with the other ingredients after you cook it. Hope that helps.
I have a 5 year old Westie that LOVES this food. He started having skin and itching (it’s very common for Westies to have skin problems) and after trying a lot of different high end dog kibble we tried this recipe. After 2 weeks he has stopped scratching. The scabs under his front legs have healed and the hair is growing back! I add a couple chopped up hard boiled eggs and a little fish oil also. He gobbled this up where before he would skip a meal here and there and just graze in his kibble.
How much does your Westie weigh and how much do you feed at each meal? I have three Westies I am transitioning to homecooked now.
Excellent information on dog nutrition and love the recipe
Thanks
I dont think dogs should have rotisserie chicken because the salt/ sodium vomtent is very high even for hymans.
Can you tell me substitutions for peas, spinach and zucchini for dog food recipe.? Also, Serving size.
My 13lb rescue dog loves it and want to mix up veggies for variety.
Thanks,
Lynda
My cavalier king Charles loves this! My one question though is around quantity. With kibble, my dog east around 3/4 cups per day, but this recipe says 1 cup is a serving. Should I be serving 1 cup or still 3/4 cup?
Thank you!
I am not sure if this will help exactly, but with my Yorkshire terrier I gave him a cup at first and saw how much he actually ate and wait it out and from there I started giving him that much every time I fed him and it seem to work. You can vary this in many ways but it might be a good starter point. Hope this helps!
I just made this for my pup Minnie she’s a 4 month old
Chihuahua. I decided to make it because she had two shots
Yesterday and blood drawn and wasn’t herself. I made her
A small bowl and sat down to eat my lunch. Not even 3 minutes later she was at my feet with a belly full and full of energy!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe!
How much do you feed Minnie?! We just got our chihuahua and we wondering what the best portion sizes are.
I have been making this for awhile and my dog likes this and will look for more when finished. I will make this batch and trying to figure out if can be stored in container in fridge and for how long?
I have a lab hound mix who has food allergies that effect his skin. I am hoping that this will help! I’ve tried so many different dog foods to calm his allergies, some work better than others, but those dog foods are very expensive.
I normally feed him a cup of kibbles in the am and a cup in the pm. Do I stick to the same amounts with homemade. He is 2 years old and about 50 lbs.
Check the calorie intake for your dog. Should be around 1500 calories a day for the weight and age but check with your vet.
Can I use eggs instead of chicken?
My dog absolutely loves this food. I added rotisserie chicken (no skin or bones) to the recipe (half ground turkey, half chicken) But other than that, followed recipe exactly. Thanks for saving me $ and stress!
My schnauzer is a really picky eater. He only goes for the meat, a little bit of the brown rice and nose the veg to the side. I have shredded carrots, mashed and pureed the boiled broccoli, green peas, tiny cubes of apple etc but nope, i’ll find these on the floor or in the bowl. And these are in the smallest portion. Any advice? I even tried force feeding him bananas but felt bad and stopped immediately. I can only put a quarter of what you give your fur baby, otherwise he’ll waste it. Lastly, I give him probiotic powder in his food every two days, according to a friend’s advice, as well as egg shell powder and human grade fish oil every other day. Is it possible to add the probiotics into the meal while it’s cooking and then freeze portions? It’s hard to find ground turkey here and like most schnauzers cannot eat chicken meat. I use beef and pork, boiled and then cut them into small pieces into the cooking meat. Waiting for my meat grinder to be delivered. Help.
I have the same vegetable issue with my Rhodesian Ridgeback, we have started to blend his veggies with his meats and started to give him a veggie-meat mash on top of/mixed into rice! He eats it like a champ! Maybe it can work for you too 🙂
Try cooking the brown rice&veggies in no sodium chicken/meat broth. They’ll smell and taste more like meat that way.
Have made a very similar recipe with leftover cooked chicken and pork. I purée the vegetables so their gut doesn’t have to work so hard to break the veg down (my dogs are 9 and 10 years old), plus it helps bind the food together a bit. I also scramble half a dozen eggs without any seasoning and add those. They would much rather have it than kibble. Good stuff!
Our dogs started having stomach issues even with expensive “healthy” store bought dog food. We decided to make the change to home made food and they love it. Just made this for them last night and they gobbled it up. In just over a week they are already looking and feeling better.
I like to know if the vet approves of the the home made dog food
I was paying as much as $161 per month for a gourmet dog food service that shall remain unnamed. Thanks to this DIY recipe, I was able to produce 21 cups of human grade dog food for about $25. My dog gobbled up her first meal enthusiastically. Goodbye, grotesquely overpriced premium dog food!!
My cocker spaniel throughly enjoys his newly cooked meals.
I give this recipe a five star.
The cocker spaniel has IBS.
Hi Ellie. Can I ask how much you give your Cocker? I have a Coker Spaniel and I just started making her food. She is 11 and she started shunning her dry store bought food(Iams for seniors) shes healthy except for being put on thyroid meds at her last checkup 3most ago. She LOVES the homemade food but I dont know how much to give her. Any tips that you could me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I have a German Shepherd 91 lbs, and a 20 lbs Maltese, how much would the recipe be?
I’ve seen people make this homemadefood and it can be up to 150 per week and that would be only for your Sheperd. So you may be needing about 200 per week depending where you live! Have a nice day!
Read the comment above by Lauren M. Jones … She stated that she was able to make 21 cups of this recipe for aprox. $25.00 Hope this helps
I am chosing to make my 4 dogs their soft food. It’s getting too expensive to buy for them!!
I just switched from buying commercial dog food to making homemade. I’ve been collecting different recipes and so far, yours seems to be our dog’s favorite! Thanks for this with us.
I can’t wait to try this! My puppy went through the same thing with her diet. We did the chicken and rice and then transitioned her back to her kibble but I ended up continuing a little bit of chicken and rice because she loved it so much. How did you transition your puppy to human food? Was it slowly day by day?
My Dogs eat this better than their food . Thanks
I have a question I have a cockapoo about 20pds and she 11 months now about how much should I feed her?
I have a 40 lb dog and he gets 1.5 cups a day so since she is half the size i’d recommend 3/4 but split that 2 times so do a little more than a third of a cup per meal.
Thank you for sharing this with us … I too was wondering how much of this recipe I should feed my pet, she is a 15 lb. Pug.
I love this recipe and so does my dog Gregory- thanks so much for devising such an easy and nutritious recipe. Question: is it 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice that goes into the meat – or do I make 1.5 cups of dried rice and add all if that cooked rice to the meat? Thanks in advance for your clarification.
It says to cook 1 1/2 cup of rice w 3 cups of water and serif aside. That will make 3cups of rice to be added to the rest of the food.
I love this recipe and so does my dog Gregory- thanks so much for devising such an easy and nutritious recipe. Question: is it 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice that goes into the meat – or do I make 1.5 cups of dried rice and add all if that cooked rice to the meat? Thanks in advance for your clarification.
I was just wondering if I don’t freeze the food, I put it in the fridge instead, how long until it will go bad.
I have a mini, long haired dachshund and she absolutely loves it. She is definitely not a picky eater, but I just wanted her to have a healthier diet that is proven and I know what it’s made of because i make it. I am so glad you shared this amazing recipe with us. (I tried some the other day and it’s ACTUALLY human quality)
Bailey, the doxie, thanks you a ton!!
Great recipe. I saw no feeding instructions, how much per pound of body weight? I have a 95 lb dog and one that’s 12 lbs & no idea how much to give them.
I had the same question! But then talked to my vet and she said a dog needs anywhere from 25 to 30 calories per lb, depending on their activity level. And a cup of this is 412 cal. Hope that helped!
I love that I know what is going into my little Josie’s tummy. It was good enough that I ate some for dinner LOL! I will also be giving my dog Hilary’s Blend Supplement as suggested by my veterinarian.
Both my dogs, ( a longhairs chihuahua 5lbs….. a mini bearnadoodle 51lbs) were super finicky! I spent hundreds of dollars on dog food that I kept giving away!! I tried your recipe 4 weeks ago & they . Love it
Now I make it once a week,for my dogs & my daughters dog too.
Thank you so much
Patti
I made a variation of this last week, but today used this recipe. I used fresh rotisserie chicken (skin removed), chopped rather than ground. Once I had all the ingredients mixed my son thought it was dinner it looked so good.
Does this recipe work for cats as well? The ingredients look fine for me.
First a question: can you be more specific about the amount of grated carrots, either by weight or volume?
My dog loves this recipe. She is a rescue dog that I adopted about a year and a half half ago. I tried a combination of several high quality moist and dry foods. The kibble was always available and she got moist food twice a day. Frequently it would be bedtime before she was hungry and would then eat what should have been her breakfast. Some days she ate her kibble, often it just sat there. With this recipe, she eats it all up, often holding her bowl down with a paw to lick the sides. She would happily eat a second serving if she could.
Cats are true carnivores, unlike dogs which are omnivores, and you should be careful when feeding them this many vegetables. They are incapable of digesting a lot of plant matter, but some of it is still good for them as it goes through their systems. You should look for a cat specific recipe and consult with your vet.
My dogs devoured it! Thank you for sharing!!
Does anyone have/know the guide for how much a dog should get for their weight?
I don’t want to over or under feed them.
I just read that it was 1/2 cup per 10 pounds
I read that it should be 2-3% of their body weight.
2-3% Per day, or 2-3% for each meal (I feed mine twice a day)
I tried 1/2 cp per 10lbs. & in 6 weeks my 90lb. Dog looked & acted(going in the trash cans) like a refugee camp survivor!!! I did more reading & found several people recommended 1cp. Per 10 lbs.. He’s been on that about 3 weeks & is still way too thin.
My vet said 25-30 calories per pound. My dogs weigh 30 pounds, so 900 calories per day. A cup of this is 400+ calories, so I feed them each a cup twice daily. Your dog should be getting 2700 calories per day, or about 4.5 cups of this daily.
My dog gets SO excited to eat this. I’m pretty sure he’d fight me for it if I took to long to serve it. I add a puppy supplement to it just to make sure he’s getting all of his nutrients – Wholeistic brand. He seems to be thriving on it.
My 17 year old Chi abruptly stopped eating her dry dog food. For the last week, I’ve been trying everything-wet dog food, treats, scrambled egg- anything assuming she was entering her last days. She’s eat it one day and walk away from it the next. But last night I made your dish – I use your recipes more than any other recipe site- and she tore into it. It may still be the end for her but at least I’ll know her tummy’s full. Thank you.
So wonderful and my dogs love it, recipe is so easy and I love knowing what is in the food they eat.
My puppy loves it! I make it on Sunday and bag out 21 servings for the week and keep them in the refrigerator. Is it ok to keep it in the refrigerator for 7 days or do I have to freeze it?
When I make homemade dog food, I put 3 days worth of thawed food in the fridge crisper and keep the rest frozen. Every time I use a day’s worth, I replace that with frozen so it thaws and I have an ever-rotating 3 days of fresh food without worrying about it sitting too long. I apply that same approach to what I eat, so I figure it works for them too.
I would keep it no longer than a week in your refrigerator.
It’s so easy and I already have most of the ingredients. Going to go make some dog food right now.
We have a toy poodle puppy who is a very picky eater, he will barely even eat treats unless he is really hungry. When we got him he was struggling to put on weight at the breeders and then had the same issues with us. We tried a few different brands and types of kibble then a few different types of canned food. He would barely touch kibble and the wet food he would eat but he didn’t like it, he had to be starving. Like others have said the first time we made this we gave him a serving, he sat there for 15 minutes after he was done just licking the bowl clean.
He has been on this diet for a month now and is definitely doing much better. He still loves this recipe he follows us to the kitchen and sits down and waits for his food to come out of the microwave. Its nice not worrying he isn’t eating enough and knowing he is getting good quality ingredients. In actuality this is a ton cheaper then canned food and it doesn’t leave our house smelling like rotten fish. I’ve also noticed his poop smells better, not that I would want to smell it but it is less poignant.
our 9 lb toy poodle is also a very picky eater and will not eat dry food as well as canned foods. She will eat this up however. how much are you feeding per day of this recipe? she is also getting a mutivitamin supplement. Thanks
I am trying to integrate more real, unprocessed food into my dogs’ diet. They can’t eat most meats, so I used tempeh instead of turkey in this recipe. They are picky eaters, and the LOVED this recipe! Thank you!
I have tried every store bought dog food. Pebbles, freeze dried, frozen raw, and my baby will never eat the whole thing or enjoy it. After eight years, I decided to try homemade dog food since she loves my cooking so much. Anything that is human food. This was the first recipe I found that looks super easy. And it was just that! I looked at one comment and it said that their dogs were super picky eaters and didn’t eat it. I was scared about that comment. I placed the dog food down and watched her go to town!!! Thank you for sharing you are a god sent!
How many servings is that?
My puppies won’t touch it 🙁 but I will! My puppies have gotten very picky the last week so was hopeful they’d love this.
Have you tried Halo? My pug loves it. I would give her the kibbles and can mixed together, with some warm water to soften the kibbles. Dog do not digest dry food well, and its much better to add some water plus keeps them hydrated.
Don’t know what to do just want to know what’s good for my dogs
I add 1 tsp. of turmeric in my dog’ food for joint pain prevention. I alternate brown rice and quinoa and started adding 1 tsp. of flax seed as I noticed that many anti-itch chews contain it.
What is the serving size for a 50 pound dog? I started feeding this to my dog about a month ago and he’s lost a good amount of weight so i’m just worried that it’s not enough and I don’t want him to become malnutrition.
I give my dog 1 cup in morning and 1 cup at night. She is 45 pounds and has maintained a healthy weight over 9 months on this food. I do use a vitamin supplement from The Missing Link. It is the original superfood supplement for hips and joints, the other type from this company is the same formula but without the joint supplement.
Would this recipe be suitable for a puppy and if so how much would I give? I currently have a 13.5 week old border collie. I would like to do a mix if kibble and wet food.
I chose the homemade dog food route after yet another one of the “trusted” dog food brands got sued for compromising ingredients. I have 2 boston terrier and this is such an easy recipe and my 2 hellhounds act like they are getting a treat every time. I put them in muffin tins for portion sizing and freeze them. 6 portions in each freezer bag to last a full day that I take out the night before I go to bed. And they are thawed out the next morning for breakfast. My female has suffered dry skin especially during the fall and winter months and her skin and coat looks so much better since I have been doing this. An unexpected benefit.
hey! haven’t tried yet but I definitely think my dog will love this! I’m just wondering though if I should add some egg shells and probiotics? also maybe egg yolks for omegas, or does this already have?Thank you so much for this recipe!
Is this recipe good for 1.5 year old beagle?
Very helpful and comforting information. Thank you
This is the only dog food that I cook for my dogs but I don’t I mix it all together in a big bowl and then I put it in individual like cupcake pans or little loaf pans and I bake it all so I just mix everything together add a couple eggs some oatmeal bread crumbs , some organic powdered kale, and sometimes bacon but like I said I just mixed it all together in a huge bowl and make individual servings or little individual loafs or I can just split it between the two dogs but they absolutely love it and then sometimes couple times during the week I’ll add chopped Apple to their meal.
And don’t forget some blue berries every now and then. Our pups love em!!!
This sounds great. But make sure not to over cook the meats as I have learn over cooking takes out all the nutrients that pets need. Over cooking like store bought food is not good for your pets. It only gives your pet the bare minimum of what keep your pets alive. So it’s ok to under cook the meats. Over cooking and chemicals which they putting in the food gives pet upset stomachs, and can cause cancer. That why I can wait to try some recipes and maybe come up a few of my own.
If I am wrong please let me know.
My dogs just devoured their first homemade food, I read that they needed to have organ meat as well so I bought chicken gizzard and livers and mixed it with the turkey, elides Qi I gotta them quick doses of Punkin I’ll started trying to replace the turkey with chicken and ground beef for a variety, hopefully my 9 yr old shih Tzu’s will start to feel better and lose a little weight
I have been making my own dog food for 20 plus years. You have to add vitamins and minerals and I have a wonderful company with all natural ingredients … also probiotics … mine is the highest possible it is amazing and a joint supplement. My babies 6 tiny chi’s only have a pinch of each and the bigger dogs more. having 8 dogs my tiny chihuahuas don’t eat much and I hate kibble! I am vegetarian and my dogs stand in line waiting for me to drop something they love veggies and especially broccoli … I don’t like zucchini they are tiny and it is stringy I alternate with so many other veggies .. one pup does not like peas. I do animal rescue and talk about well being of animals on radio show … this is what I have been feeding for over 20 years but I alternate. Also, oil should be added at the time of serving … never in with meal. Never give dogs ice cold food from fridge always room temp or a quick newk. I used to feed my babies mixed home made pureed veggies in containers never store bought jars. 🙂 Nothing like homemade food!
Can you please send the link to the vitamins you recommend to be added to the food?
So tired of buying dog food that leaves my dogS unhappy and looking for more food. So, learning how to make a balance homemade dog food for two chihuahuas would be a relief. I could add some of their dry food to it or add a vitamin pill/powder.
Hi, could you please email me the links of the vitamins you recommend please? Oceanrose79@gmail.com I have two poms I am trying to home cook for.
I would love to start making my dogs food but I’m not sure what the serving size should be, can anyone help?
Hi- can you please provide the name of the nutrient company or email me? H.gendus@gmail.com thanks so much! I’m nervous my dog isn’t getting enough nutrients he needs.
My little chiwawah was eating hardly anything, even whenid softened his KD dog food.. He’s 13 and has lost several teeth. When I gave him 1/4 C to try it out, he licked the bowl clean. He ate a second helping and again licked the bowl clean. That us so very unlike him, hes always so picky. I’m so thankful.
Hi could you pls give me your recommendation for the vitamins and probiotics and other minerals you add to your dog food?
Thank you
Marjanet7@yahoo.com
I’d love information on the powder supplements. Thank you.
Hi I have a miniature dachshund who is 6 months old I want to make my own food for her. As at the moment she is on fresh food made by a company called butternut box which is great but expensive. And as she gets older I would like to be able to control her diet but am also scared not to poison her !!? Can you advise kindly?!
Hi, can I get the name of the vits, mins and probiotics as well please 🙂
mer1001@hotmail.com
TY
Can you please send the name of your company and vitamins and prebiotic please? Rollingstonelee79@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Can you please let me know what company uh ou are using for your vitamins, sracz52@ptd.net
Thank you
Hello,
What is the name of the vitamin/minerals company? Thank you!
Can you send me the information on the vitamin supplements that you were talking about.
Thanks
I would like the name of the vitamin place you use
barbiee65@gmail.com
I just found this thread and would love to have the link also for the vitamins and probiotics that you mix in with homemade dog food. My email is dkoele22@gmail.com. Please and thanks!
Love this dog food. My Cairn Terriers are feeling great!
How much do you portion for your Cairns. Asking for my friends (3 Cairns)
I’ve been making my dog food for the last 2 months & he really liked it. But now he’s not eating it like he used to. What can I add to it that is different? So he will eat like he did at first. I make him the ground turkey & vegetables.
I’m in the same situation. The first homemade recipe I was using was a hit! Our dog gobbled it up. It’s now about 3 months later and she turns her nose up at it. So, today I’ll try a new recipe, the one in this post. Hopefully it will re-engage her!
I had the same issue, my corgi was sick of ground turkey and rice apparently – I switched to chicken and oatmeal and now he gobbles it down like he’s starving, wakes me up at 4 am to eat
Excellent recipe, similar to “farmer’s dog” subscription but much cheaper to make at home. I use ninja chopper ($20) on Amazon and makes doing the veggies a snap. Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been feeding for about 6 months now and dogs love it!
My small dog went days without eating … even though we fed her top quality fresh dog food … in her mind it wasn’t “people good”. Her sensitive digestive system couldn’t handle people food. So, I decided to make a recipe the vets gave me: boiled chicken or ground beef / white rice … etc.
It worked well and she got better. So, I decided to do it everyday and added a couple ingredients like this recipe. I like this recipe because it took it a step further.
Thank you so much for making this goal achievable!!!
My vet is really discouraging me from making my own. Disappointing. But I’m still going to make it and add it to his kibble. Better than him refusing to eat because he only wants table food!
Fantastic recipe – similar to what the vets suggested
I’ve made this before but there are a couple ingredients I didn’t use .what if you think your dogs are allergic to chicken can you use beef ground meat ?
My Westie is allergic to chicken, turkey, beef and pork.
I use instead duck or lamb at the vets advice. Somedays salmon, too.
My dog definitely loved this! Slowly converting from kibble to homemade food. For the rice, does this call for 1 1/2 cooked or uncooked rice?
Use cooked rice.
Easy to find ingredients, I just made this for the first time and put it into seven pint containers, so although your recipe said eight cups, I actually have 14 cups from a single recipe. It is cooling, but the dog was licking the stove while I was making it so I think that’s a good indicator! I have a 108 lb weimaraner, and a 71 lb black mouth cur (he’s the picky eater). they are eating dry food now, so I will start putting this on top of their kibble and transition them. I checked out the Balance IT website – very informative!!
Hi Michelle, many thanks for the advice ,i am making some tonight ,i was worried of the reheating rice in a microwave although dont have one the brown rice says dont reheat once cooked so bit confusing sometimes , so i will warm it in a pan for sure once thoroughly defrosted , i am more confident now to bag up and freeze,i am trying to simpify meals for my chihuahua and hope its a success, he loves all these ingrediants but not all together so sholud be a big yes hopefully tomorrow, many thanks for the help, kind regards carol
Apologies for the misspelling, my question was meant to ask if anyone can help if i can serve from the fridge at room
temp after overnight defrosting without 15 sec in the microwave as i dont have one as is already cooked ,i cant wait to make for my chihuahua ,if anyone can help on this .
Carol, when you divide the food into individual meals, use a good quality baggie, not a sandwich baggie. To heat, once it is thawed, place the baggie in a pot of hot water and let warm. If you have a food vacuum sealer, even better, as you can boil the bag of food. Just be careful to thoroughly stir the food and test the temperature before feeding it to your dog.
Hi! I have some input on this from my short experience of feeding our rescue Chihuahua we have had for about a month. He had tummy troubles a week in (possibly bc of antibiotics on an empty stomach) so we started making him homemade food and it has been going very well, he loves it and is doing much better. But this is about how I reheat his frozen portions. I fill snack sized ziplocs with his food when it has cooled enough, and once they are zipped and laid flat they are only about 1/2″ thick. I stack in freezer and every feeding time I fill a medium sized bowl with the hottest water my faucet will produce, then put the baggy in for about 10-15 minutes (until it’s room temp or warmer). The trick is to fill the bowl THEN put the bag in, this way the water stays hotter. If you run the hot water over the bag it cools the water going into the soaking bowl so it takes longer to defrost the contents. Sometimes to speed up the process I dump and refill the hot water bowl 1-2 times as I’m puttering around the kitchen. Because his serving sizes are small and in a thin strip, they defrost quickly and can even get warmed up. I would not give my dog microwaved good and this technique of defrosting/reheating works well if you have a few minutes.
Can you tell me how much to feed a 11 lb 4 year old dog thank you
Great recipe!!! Thank you!!
Just made this to try on my dogs going to introduce it to them with the remaking dry dog for I have for them. Hopefully they will like it. I’ll let you know how it goes. Easy to make used chicken.
When you give the protein to carbs ratio, do you mean by weight or by cup measurements? If weight, is that raw or cooked weight?
Thank you so much for sharing this! I can’t wait to try it with my pups. Do you have a reference for where I can find out how much to give them? I have a 18 lb Pug, a 35 lb Shiba mix and a 65 lb Golden Retriever.
I just made this. My first batch of homemade dog food. I used deboned chicken thighs instead of turkeys. My Maltese Love it. I can’t believe not only will I know what they’re eating, I’m saving a ton of money.
My pup is 6 years old. I adopted Sir Goofiness (a nickname) when he was two years old. I have been trying different brands of dry dog food over the years. He always turns his nose up & walks away. Then eats it at night out of hunger. He loves wet food. I tried mixing that with his dry food. He picked the dry food out & dropped it on the floor.
I made this last night for my pup. Gave him a couple of ounces. Wolfed it down. This morning I gave him a couple of ounces on top of his dry food. He put the dry food on the floor again. Silly dog. But, ate every bit of the homemade dog food.
I enjoy cooking so I have no problem doing this for him. My question:
Should I just drop the dry food & give him straight homemade? I am trying to do the appropriate food switch but kind of hard when he doesn’t eat the dry food. lol
Can I store this in the refrigirator? If yes, how many days it would last?
I would treat it like my own food. I won’t eat meat that is more than 4 days old. So when I make this I’ll just keep enough in the fridge for that amount of time and freeze the rest in portions.
Good recipe. I cook lots of varied meats with veg. You should add some form of mineral supplement. Look online, there are lots of options. You can also feed raw chicken necks. My dogs are about 40 pounds each and I feed about 6-7 oz per feeding twice a day. Get a small food scale to weigh the meals. It’s very easy.
Someone mentioned being careful of too many legumes, that’s peas, lentils, beans. You may need to add taurine to keep from causing dialiated cardiomyopathy.
I suggest sweet potato, canned pumpkin, kale, carrots, fresh or frozen greenbeans for variations on veg. For filler ie. Carbs; brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal (all cooked)
Just make sure you are adding all necessary vitamins and minerals.
Also recommended is adding organ meats like heart, gizzard, liver to balance nutrition. I also feed canned fish;sardines mackerel, hard boiled eggs and add fresh raw beef as toppings . Oils are necessary vegetable oil, avocado oil, fish oil, coconut oil.
Look at multiple sites for recpies, there are lots out there.
Hello, am I missing where in the article it says how much to feed a dog per body weight? I like this idea but want to make sure my dog doesn’t get too much or too little. Please let me know. Thank you.
My westie is getting older and was having problems with stomach upsets. I changed him to more organic ( purchased) foods with little success over the longer term.
I made this food more in desperation than anything. No more stomach upsets, he’s more satisfied and it seems to move more slowly through his system. Really easy to make.
I shred the veggies small. Half cup x2 per day.
Lee. It says in the info above that 1 cup has approx 412 calories…so depending on the weight and activity of your dog you can google and see how many calories your dog should have. Most websites I have gone to say 25-30 calories per pound…so if you have a 10 lb dog it would get between 250 to 300 calories per day…which would be about 3/4 cup of food per day. or 100 lb dog would need 2500-3000 calories divided by 400 then divided by 2 for twice a day feeding. I am not a vet so to make sure the info is correct I would suggest asking them…but that is the method I am using along with adding a dog multi vitamin to make sure my pups are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need. Hope that helps…
Much easier to make the second time around. I used a real turkey pan with lid and spread ground turkey on it and baked for about 20 minutes. In meantime in Cuisanart I put all the other ingredients. (I changed it slightly as well…I added sweet potato, frozen blueberries and a small piece of turmeric as one of my dog has some inflammation as is older. I also plan to add a few other things to mix it up once in awhile, ie raw egg, yogurt, cottage cheese and kale..all of which are good for my babies in moderate amounts. I also looked at a few dog vitatmins and have talked to my vet about which one she thinks is right for my furbabies to add knowing Im cooking for them and they need calcium, magnesium and other vitamins/supplements that they may not get in this recipe. I am finding ground turkey is cheapest and best source of protein. I plan on getting most of my goods at Costco because of costs…you at this time can get 6.7 lbs of ground turken for $17.59 (2.59/lb) and I can buy spinach, carrots, etc in bulk and cook and freeze. I have 4 dogs, 2 big and 2 small…I am giving big ones 2 cups x day; small ones 1/2 cup 2xday. They are gobbling it up…I hope I can financially afford doing this. I think this is great for people with one or two dogs…hoping I can make it work for all four. And so far no digestive issues….they just can’t wait for suppertime. Thanks again…
Hi,
What vitamin brand and types did your vet recommend for your dogs. I was concerned myself about nutrients that may be missing from this recipe. My Chesney is a 40 lb golden doodle.
Thank you.
Homemade dog foods are the best. Love the dedication to our beloved companions. Also alternate with freeze dried fresh dog food.
Omgggg! This is one of the most famous dogs recipes. Congratulations, and I have to say, thank you for sharing it with was. I was looking for homemade dog recipes food. This one is amazing, and a lot of people like, I was reading all those comments.
This look like a great idea. I think these dog foods in the store shorten our dogs lives. I’m just wondering how much do I give a 47 pound and 55 pound dog. I’m thinking a full cup twice a day. Any advice?
Based on my research dogs that size should get 2 cups twice a day. I have A 65 lb. dog and that is what I give her.
I’m interested in making some homemade food for our 1 year dog. He has sensitive skin and a sensitive tummy. The post mentions “dairy” is an important part of the diet, but I don’t see any dairy products listed in the ingredients (in the directions). Thanks.
Hello Folks,
We are getting a 7 week’s young Labrador Puppy (Pure Bred) in a weeks time. Just wondering if someone can help me with the recipe for the little champ. I will be transitioning him to the home made food over 1 weeks time slowly just to keep things smooth for his little belly. Thanks in advance folks..please see if some can get back to me….Cheers
I haven’t tried the food yet but I gave it 5 stars cuz I love the fact of making your own dog food and you knowing what’s going in it, I would love to try this but my dog is hypoallergenic and not sure what protein to use. Do you know if shredding it in a food processor does that make it more digestible? Any help is appreciated as Ive thought about doing this for a long time.
I have a 5 month old shitzu and feed him chicken, beef, or lamb as his proteins. I haven’t tried turkey or salmon get but his vet said that’s good too.
I just made your recipe. After doing some research, my baby needs to eat 400 cal per day. How many grams is your 1 cup of serving? Thank you.
I have been looking on the web for this type of dog food. To purchase it would cost me $70. every two weeks. Your recipe looks like it has the same ingredients. I will make some today and see how my Maddie likes her new food. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Thank you! My dog is a terrier chihuahua mix. Do you add vitamins and minerals to this meal? If so, do you recommend any supplements? Also, do you feed your dog once or twice a day? My dog is about 6 pounds. Any suggestions appreciated
My 7kg Plummer terrier absolutely loves this. She’s been on it now for about a week, I make batches and freeze them. Going to swap the meat at every batch from turkey, beef and chicken. My only concern is there seems to be no calcium in the diet ? I read about ground eggshells. Her stools seem a bit looser and orange in colour since changing but I’ve read that can be normal for the first 2-3 weeks. Any advice would be helpful please.
I am excited about trying these recipes however I also see a lot of reference here to using vet recommended potatoes, peas and other legumes. Please consider the following warning by the FDA regarding Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (CDM) – I also received associated literature from my vet.
https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy
Just made this for by beloved Boston Terrier, but I subbed the Turkey for chicken leg meat (as I had some to use up). Well, the whole batch went down really well, and even her poops look edible! LOL. Thank you for sharing this gem.
Chihuahuas love it! Question, can you substitute the peas for pumpkin? If so, how much?
Can you use hamburger meat instead of turkey or chicken??
I make this for my dogs BUT from what I have read dogs shouldn’t have rice everyday (that includes) brown rice. I also add no salt added green beans. I use ground turkey n chicken and give them either or each day. That way they dont get tired of the same thing.
I have had Bella since she was 9 weeks old. She is a German/Boxer mix. I feed her twice a day and her home made food is as follows: brown rice, frozen peas and carrots, boil eggs, kayle, , bonless chicken thighs, and diced sweet potatoe. She loves it and has a beautiful coat, healthy skin and great muscle tone. For treats I give her baby carrots, although she has already figured out how to reteve them from her treat toy LOL
My picky 3 lb Yorkshire loves it!!! Thank you!!!
I have a question. I have a 4 pound, 7 pound and 20 pound dog. I have no idea of the portion size for any of them. I intend to use this recipe but I am clueless. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
it all depends on the breed! look up the caloric intake your dogs need online and base it off of the serving size above! hope this helps
This sounds like a great recipe. Mo showed it to my veterinary. She said only white rice and chicken rather than turkey. My Golden’s have never been able to eat turkey without severe diarrhea.
What oatmeal do you give a dog? Instant mix? Old fashioned oats? Also, if a dog is allergic to grains, what would be good foods to replace grains?
based on my research some good substitutes for grains (assuming the grain allergy is a gluten allergy) are:
-potatoes/sweet potatoes
-legumes (beans)
-quinoa
-lentils
As for the oatmeal question, I would opt for old fashioned or any other style of oats, just be sure that you are buying and making oatmeal that doesn’t have any added sugar, cinnamon, or other flavors. I would be wary about Instant mix too because the ones I have encountered usually have flavors or other added fruits to it. I have read that cinnamon can be harmful to your pup, which is why I advise to be very careful.
Hi Linda,
With approval from my vet, I’ve used both cooked ground garbanzo beans (from dry, not canned) and the flour. For my larger dogs the whole garbanzo is fine. This is one of the very few legumes that dogs can easily digest. I’ve used the garbanzo flour (besan) to thicken up the stew like a really solid gravy but you have to really let it cook (at least an hour) because the raw flour is not digestible and tastes pretty awful. There are youtube videos on using besan flour to make besan tofu (it’s soyless). That is simple, freezable, and very good also. My dogs love it when I’m not too lazy to make it.
It was awesome recipe, but I didn’t understand if the measure of the brown rice is cooked or raw?
It’s 1 1/2 cups of raw rice, cook then add amount to recipe, should be doubled
My dog LOVES this!! I’m so happy as he is the pickiest dog eater I’ve ever had. He’s a rescue so I think he was used to garbage and canned dog food. He only eats kibble if it has a sauce on it. Won’t eat carrots, peanut butter, bananas, apples, etc. He ate this down in 1.5 min. He is only 8 lbs. I’m THRILLED he likes this. Thanks so much.
PS – I added chick peas instead of regular peas as he will eat those.
I’m on my 4th batch of making this. My dogs love it. I highly recommend it. All my family members want me to make it for their dogs. I’m tired of our little family members having inflamed paws, severe red ears, scratching and overall health issues. Most store bought dog food is processed crap. use only fresh organic ingrediants. it’s the best for their little intestines. As a bonus, I drizzle a little organic chicken broth over food before heating
My bichon frise has itchy skin and itchy paws – do you think recipe might help her too?
This is very easy to make and my dogs love it. girl dog has a sensitive stomach and she ate this without complaints!
Easy to make and doggyliscious!
My dogs are aways salivating when I make this!
Saw a question below – spinach is healthy for your dogs – do not give them corn (that is a bad filler). I’ve made this in the past and I’ve made some tweaks – this is a great base! My add on’s for consideration: Try changing up the meats -Your 3lbs of meat can include Chicken/Beef/Turkey livers, Duck or Salmon; Grated sweet potato, tumeric and ginger; eggs, frozen blueberries, kale and flaxseed. I substitute quinoa if I don’t have the brown rice on hand. My golden lab/retriever mix she has 1.5 cups and my maltese he has 1/2 cup and there is never ever anything left in the bowl! Freezes great however, I tend to make enough to last me about 5 days. Thank you for this! It makes me feel better giving them fresher foods!
How often do you feed you Maltese. I have a Morkie I just got he’s 7 lbs. do you think it would be best if I fed him a 1/2 cup twice a day? I think me making his dog food would be best for him.
I feed mine twice a day!
Hi Marita,
Do you mix all these ingredients together (changing meat of course). Are you able to give a recipe pls 🙂 Thank you
Excellent homemade dog food recipe for my elderly dogs they love it. Thank you
Pups weren’t too keen on the spinach. So I substituted corn but they didn’t digest that very well. Just wondering, how much do you recommend at 1 serving. They are fed morning and
early evening.
Thanks, Vickie
Great idea! I am going to give it a try for my pack 🙂
Use only frozen or fresh peas. Canned peas have no food value for dogs. It is cooked away. Love your recipe website, Chungah. I use it a lot.
If my dog eat 400g of dry food proformance how many gram should i feed my dog from that recipe
Just a note that homemade diets can be more dangerous than kibble. There are vitamins and minerals in kibble that are essential. And obviously ingredients that should NOT be included. Please consult your veterinarian if you would like to solely feed your dog homemade food.
Thank you so much! My dogs live it and they’ve slowly been losing weight.
We eat 2 and 1/2 cups of canadae dry foods per feeding 2x daily. My collie 14 mos old. He is 85 pounds.How much should I feed for fresh food?
Robin
Do you need to give them a vitamin supplement?
Supplemental fish oil? If so liquid or pill?
I’ve read in many articles brown rice has arsenic and to use Oats instead ?
Any ideas for toppers?
Thank you
Can you freeze any extra dog food you make for later.
Yes
After reading an article about kibbles , how they are made and all the expired meats and dead animals being incorporated in it , I stopped feeding my chi any type of kibbles . For the past 4 years , she has been eating homemade healthy food . Brown rice , quinoa , oatmeal , cow raw milk , fish , fruits and veggies . She loved carrots and broccoli mixed with quinoa ❤️ If this is the first time you’re making homemade food, just make sure all you google all the ingredients just to double check your feeding not the toxic food ❤️❤️Thanks for this website . Good to know there are other pet owners who is feeding their dogs real food as well ❤️
Is it okay to use white rice in the recipe? I can’t find any brown rice in my pantry and I was hoping to make it today.
I’ve been feeding my Maltese white rice for years with chicken, carrot and peas. She’s very regular and never ever had issues.
Our holistic guide has steered us away from white rice, white sugar, and white flour. They are loved by candida and ultimately affect the immune system negatively.
This is such a nutritious and easy to make food. My dog loves it! I’ve been struggling for years with his dog food, he never even like any of the and would be skipping meat times trying not to eat it. I should have done this years ago. Thank you for the recipe!
I have a question does anyone know how many days this recipe lasts for because I feel like my 1 year old beagle will love this.
I read somewhere you feed them 3% of their body weight twice a day so however much it yields.
Sure wish I knew how much to give them
Serving size is 1 cup and contains 412 calories. Check the bag of food you currently give your dog and compare to that nutritional information. For my dog, he is 60lbs and I had been giving him 4 cups daily of his old food which was 1400 calories. With this food, he only needs 3 1/3 cups for the same calorie intake. Hope this helps and good luck.
Nice recipe! Thanks! It’s great to see what other people do.
I have been making my toy poodle’s food for a long time now and use my slow cooker. I switch up the meats, veggies, and grains. I’ll often throw in a whole egg (shell and all!) into the slow cooker to add calcium.
When it’s cooked, I will purée it in my cuisinart so it’s all soft. Basically baby food. The egg shell gets ground up super fine so that’s no problem. If you’re worried about nutrients, your vet probably sells the supplements to add to DIY dog food. Mine does but I haven’t bought any yet.
I freeze my dog food in blobs on a cookie sheet then put the blobs in a big Tupperware in the freezer.
Easy!
How do you know how much a serving is for each dog. I have 110# dog and a 24# dog. I really want to try this for the little because he won’t eat dry.
My dog is a very fussy eater and does not like dry dog food. I feed him a very high quality dey dog food and I mix in a few tbls of this recipe. He loves, LOVES his meal times now!
Hi Laurie, I also have a toy poodle and he is 7 months old. He doesn’t like any dog food I have bought. He wind eat the dried food either or treats are not his favourite. The person that gave the home cooked recipe said each breed has its own nutritional needs. Can you give me an idea of what veggies to give him? Thank you Brenda
I have recipe close to this, I switch out baked chicken, hamburger and ground turkey. I use mixed frozen veggies, peas, carrots, corn, green beans. I also add 1/8 cup of dry dog food. She loves it. I feed her 1/4c AM and PM. I am concerned is she getting enough vitamins etc? She is a small dog.
NO CORN. Bad for them
Can you explain why you think corn is bad for them? I asked my vet and she said in small amounts like anything else, is fine.
They can not digest the corn. I once saw a dog poop out an entire pile of corn kernels while working at a shelter. I think it is used as a filler food. Thus, I don’t think they gain any nutritional value from the corn.
People are the same way with corn. We don’t digest it. But it still has some nutritional value and we eat it often.
Have been debating and researching and deciding to do this for a long time for our 4, 50lb+ pitbull mixes and 4lb Chihuahua. You can imagine the struggles we have getting the entire pack to eat the same thing for more than 2 months. So for many many many reasons, I decided to finally pull the trigger and try. Holy. Crap. I figured I’d have leftovers to bag up for the freezer. Not. Even. Close. 8cup yield and my dogs had licked everything clean. They LOVED IT. My husband had to monitor them because they kept trying to steal each other’s. I am going to do more research on proper vitamins and calcium, and I also do see this one is fairly high in fat. So those would be my only long term concerns. Wonderful recipe! Thank you!!!
Is this dog food okay for puppies?
I have been using a similar recipe since my puppies were transitioned from gruel at 10 weeks old. My recipe is 50% cooked protein 25% (2 cups ) cooked brown rice and pumpkin one small can 25% mixed cooked vegetables (no corn) and I only use 1 tbsp vegetable oil per 3 lb of meat. I also add the recommended calcium of 1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat. This is both the Canadian and American Kennel Club recommendation. I puree the vegetables simply because younger dogs cannot fully digest the outer skin of peas even though they are cooked. I freeze these in 1 Cup freezer bags. The six puppies and mama are very healthy have beautiful skin and Clear Eyes. It is one of the only foods that my 17 year old Chihuahua will eat. Mama gets 8 ounces her day she is 10 lb and the puppy’s which are 4 and 5 pounds get half a cup per day cable is always left out available for any snacking. The kibble is a very high grade Fraser Valley beef or chicken.
How do I know how much to feed them? I have two pitty pointers who are overweight, so looking for a healthier option for them. One is 100 lbs, other is around 85.
How many cups of food does this recipe yeild?
Recipe lists yield as 8 cups.
My 15 lb Chihuahua loves this recipe. Sometimes I use Ground Beef, sometimes Chicken and sometimes, Rice. Your instructions do not indicate cooking the veggies, but I do since my dog prefers soft food, sometimes I swap a Sweet Potato for the carrots. My pet eats about 4 ozs
Twice daily. Thanks for your recipe. And f you have others, I’d love to see them.
Also, do you add vitamins to the food?
it would be helpful to know how much protein serving to give as per needs of the type of the dog! I think that would prevent the pup from always appearing hungry, as a good serving with appropriate amounts of protein etc should be then filling! Also for calcium, I put in egg shells! I cook them along when I make homemade dog food: brown rice, chicken breasts, sweet potato, mixed veggies. I will also add in blue berries after it is all cooked as well. I was told by an employee at a dog food store that if using brown rice to wash it really well). Also same employee told me that if the dog is pooping it all out, that means they are eating only nondigestable food or kibble! So the less they poop , the better for the pup and means they are getting full in their meals and should not have to worry about over feeding etc. Again, the one question I have is how much is enough!!?? great comments here thank-you! Thanks for this recipe, I will definitely be trying this, though it is very similar to what I already do and again I add in egg shells for calcium!
I will make this recipe this week. During this Covid-19 my dog was diagnosed with severe allergies, the #1 being cockroaches. I do not have cockroaches in my house or around but my vet said they are in processed dog foods/treats. So immediately am cooking for my dog at home. Within 24 hours she was a changed dog. She is still allergic to many foods but I can modify this recipe. I love my vet and she has diagnosed many issues for my dogs over the years but I think this was the most eye opening ever. So thank you for this recipe and I hope my comments help other dog owners.
I made something similar for my dog because after hear health improved with Dr. marty’s probiotics, i still wanted to address allergies. Her nose also has that dry brown crust. i think it is because of the dry food from Costco so i am taking her off completely to see if that clears up. i also feel like there’s so much in the food that we don’t know about…that literally makes them sick.
Have u seen improvement in her crusty nose? My baby girl has same issue.
About the nose crust:
Our pittiful Midge has developed some itchy skin and hot spots. I ordered skin balm from Natural Dog Company. It’s awesome! They also have other balms for crusty noses, wrinkles, pads, and tear stains. They also have supplements.
Nest step is cooking Midge dinner. I sure hope this helps!
I made this for my 4 small dogs ( yorkie mixes) and they loved it! Thanks for sharing!
How do we know how much to give to our dog and how many times a day ? Like on any bag of food, there’s a portion guide. Also, puppy versus adult.
Tanks for your help. My poodle keep vomiting with the food buys him.
My pup started throwing up as well with the store bought kibbles. Try giving your pup rice with cottage cheese for 5 days. It should settle its stomach
Great recipe for a fussy little chihuahua
I also have been making homemade dog food going on 3 yrs because when my son rescued lil Ms Emma Mai (she’s really not that lil) she pooped 5-7 times during the night and at first I thought nerves and being in new place but after few days she’s still pooping everywhere and my friend had said he had a dog that needed to be on a Grainger diet so we tried that and it worked Altho it was terribly expensive so I thought I would try making my own I used ground turkey or chicken 2 cans either black beans pinto and or kidney in a bag and when cooking them add the meat to it and baby carrots (had to mush the beans cuz shed spit am out lol) and brown rice and to this day she loves her homemade food I switch it up and will do turkey and sweet potato and have done oatmeal pumpkin and peanut butter for bfast, I’ve done several varieties like that and so far so good. Its kinda fun esp now were all in quarantine. Happy cooking
This recipe saved me tons of money. My dog loves it and her fur is thick and shiny.
Forget the poor Hungry puppy. My teenage son and band mates thought I had made them up a snack and devoured the whole pan Before the pup ever had a chance to taste it. They all enjoyed it so much they’ve asked me to make it again and for the recipe for their moms. My son has swore me to Keep it a secret because “a teenager could die of embarrassment if his friends ever found out his mom fed them dog food“ Did not have zucchini and substituted coconut oil for the olive oil. Very tasty and someday the dog might end up getting some.
That is so cute. I still find it funny that I feed the dogs and then lock the spoon i used to serve their food! But it really is good.
As a mom of teenage boys who eat us out of house and home, I can so relate and this is absolutely hilarious!!!
My dogs all love this recipe. It is a great beginning for a better diet. The recipe, as is, is highly deficient in calcium and a few other key nutrients. I am adding bone meal to supplement the recipe. I also have found a local turkey farm that provides a pet grade grind with beneficial organ meat and costs about a dollar a pound. Thanks for the great recipe!
Anyone know if white rice or canned beans promotes tear stains ? I was feeding my white Havanese dogs Stella and Chewys raw dehydrated beef patties which they loved but after both developed tumors my vet told me to make homemade food instead with 1/4 part protein and the rest rice and green beans/carrots/other veggies. I did but my dog is now tear straining badly and I’m trying to figure out what in the new diet may be causing this. I noticed this recipe doesn’t have beans or white rice and just made it now without the brown rice. Any thoughts?
Tear stains may be from allergies – can you substitute a different protein?
Is it possible for my Chug(chihuahua and pug mix and I also have a Chihuahua)to act all sick when she wasn’t given real food but instead her dog food? Talk about moping for almost an hour acting like she can’t even walk and boom, I give her some rice and she is a changed dog!lol we are in transition and I ran out of their homemade food but not for long I guess 🙂 No more dog food, yay! Thank you for sharing this recipe, my little babies love it♡
I was feeding Stella and chewy in all kinds until we found out that it has turkey in everything. Now no fowl. And my havi allergies are much better
Not wanting to be negative but I just called the vet after reading this thinking it would be a great alternative and they have said unfortunately it is ok for a dog with an upset stomach but long term it is missing a lot of key nutrients, calcium and additional benefits to dog food.
She strongly advised against it but said if they were ill it was a good idea for no more than 3 days.
I wonder if this food would then be acceptable by a VET; if you decided to provide your dog a multivitamin specific to your dogs age and size that provides those key ingredients missing? After having had two pets who were diagnosed with cancer and one now as a surviving amputee, I feel like the difference has to be in the food. Let’s hope is as simple as changing our dogs diet from bagged kibble aka Dog McDonald’s to a more whole food method is all that it takes! Thoughts?
My vet said to crush up two tums so the dog receives enough calcium. That’s crucial.
Your vet may not be very knowledgeable (it happens) or open-minded about nutrition. I’ve taught a lot of medical professionals, including M.D.’s, & they get about 2 hours on nutrition in med school, so be confident in your own research. It is simple to add supplements to your dog’s diet, & you easily can add natural calcium to home made dog food. I use plain yogurt, which is easily digestible, in mine.
I’ve been feeding my dog homemade dog food for about 10 years now, and she is in great health. I think vets are just trying to sell you expensive crappy dog food.
I have a sheltie mix. I made this recipe for him to help him loose weight (he was over 60 lbs.) but when I discovered that even this was not helping I got him into the vet, turns out he had a thyroid issue. I have continued to make this delicious meal for him, he is on proper medication and has now lost 13 lbs with our goal to be another 7lbs. He is like a new puppy at age 8, the prime of his life! Thank you so much for the recipe, if not for this I would have not realized that my furry buddy had any health issues I just thought I was feeding him the wrong food for his stage of life and activity! By the way, I did do a taste test and don’t blame him for wanting to eat, not bad, not bad at all for human consumption! Thinking this might be a good diet for me! LOL!!
Thank you for this recipe! They charge us $45-50 for food we can make ourselves. After my sweet boy’s second tummy issue, I knew something had to be done on my end. I’m gonna use this recipe and some pinto beans to make my baby’s food from now on.
What is the serving size for weight of dog?
Am satisfied with this I want introduce this to my adult dog
I am so excited to get this recipe can’t wait to try it !
I’ve never cooked anything- zilch, nada. I like building stuff- houses, boats, docks, those kind of things, and my opinion was that everything tastes better when someone else cooks. But my oldest daughter found a little Staffordshire Bull Terrier living on the streets in Nashville TN. He was under 2 years old, but was dehydrated, under weight and even had mange (hair loss). She nursed him back to health (she is a nurse) and SnapChatted me to death about taking him in. So he (Everest) came up for a trial run and we quickly became best buds, especially after he loved boating as much as I.
So this is the rundown on this recipe:
We have been buying Wellness Core Natural Grain Free dog food from Amazon for about $68 per 26 lb bag, and we give Everest 4 oz per meal, so that comes out to $0.65 per meal, two meals per day. I made this recipe today (under my wife’s supervision) for $15, which provides about 22 four oz meals. That comes to about $0.68 per meal. So going forward, we will probably give him the home made meal in the mornings, and the Wellness dry food for dinners. I’m thinking that should provide a great, well balanced diet, that he should surely love (not that he’s a picky eater, as he even ate my reading glasses once).
My intro to cooking!
Cost breakdown for one batch:
0.40 rice
0.40 carrots
12.00 ground turkey
0.25 frozen peas
0.93 spinach
0.96 zucchini
$15 total for 22 meals
This recipe is AWESOME! I made it for our miniature schnauzer, give her a little over a cup of food and she is all set for the day! I heat it up on low in a small non-stick pan and serve once warm. Thanks DamnDelicious.net!
Our dog loves this recipe and it is so easy to make!
Can I double/triple My recipe for 4 dogs, mix it together and feed accordingly? And then what about some fruits? Do they need fruits as well for a balanced diet?
no they don’t, but they NEED calcium. Try egg shells and try consulting your vet for what to add to this for it to be well balanced for your type of dog
It was amazing. But how do you preserve the left over for the next meal?
I measure out enough for 5 days In a plastic container and leave it in the fridge, then freeze the rest measured out in plastic containers. Also, I feed my 21# dog 1/4 cup dry and 2 tablespoons homemade food twice a day.
My dogs absolutely love this homemade food and look forward to dinner every night. However, I know the vet always comments on my Shorkie’s teeth saying how healthy they are and we just adopted our Havanese two weeks ago. What would you suggest to keep their teeth healthy and strong? Thanks!!
let me know your email address and I will share my dog research with you. email me at briannalatour233@gmail.com. It is about what you should and shouldn’t feed dogs, aggression, training, medicine, problems, breeding and such.
Okay this recipe is bomb! First of, I had some myself and it was so delicious lol. My dog loved it even more
Cooked this today for our 4 dogs. I’m sure they will love it.
Used chicken, didn’t have spinach or zucchini used coleslaw instead. Gibbs only eats when desperate and I’ve been feeding him chicken breasts and rice for years. Couldn’t believe it, turned to rinse pan, when turned around his dish was empty. Wow
I would be careful with the coleslaw or cabbage. Could cause gas or gastrointestinal issues.
Thank you so much..
I’m doing this recipe as I txt
How much of this recipe is sufficient for an 7 year old over weight pug mix. I really like the ingredients. I rescued him at 6 years old and he has gained a lot in a year. He’s 30 pounds and sluggish.
Badger has had intermittent problems with commercial dog food. Our vet also said he should be on a bland diet. He loves this recipe, but is not digesting the peas completely. Will either eliminate them from diet (pun intended) or smash them up…we’ll see.
Thank you kindly. Goingvto try. My poor dog always suffering with skin issues.
Question…Is the amount of rice the recipe calls for, for cooked or uncooked?
I have the same question but judging for the video I think it’s cooked rice
Do you measure the meat before or after cooking it?
Dogs loved it but pooped
I love this recipes
For my dogs. To keep them healthy and fit. Thanks to post it here.
Looks so good I might Eat it too!
Is the serving size based on pounds my dog weighs 55 lbs how much should I feed him
My dog weighs 7 pounds and she gets 2 meals a day how much should she get in each meal
I have a 18 lb Westie and she had pancreatitis is doing well now so am going to try this recipe, but to the know how much to feed her ! Can you help me?
I saw on another similar recipe that the recommended amount was 1/2 cup for 25 pounds. Hope this is helpful.
I have been looking for a good wholesome recipe for y dogs who are a bitnoverweight,. On e dog 8s inactive and the other partly active if he finds a tennis ball. These recipes look good, so i will change to a different meat every day. Thank You.
I started using your recipies and was blown away. My chis and slimming and o ly the right stuff goes it. Good proteins and nutrients. It’s incredible how much it worked. No more turned up little noses!! Thanx!
It is great that you are providing a means for people to prepare a homemade diet for their pets. I would like to respectfully point out that this recipe is deficient in providing an essential ingredient: calcium/phosporus. I encourage you and your readers who are interested to visit Donald Strombeck’s website (DVM) has a wealth of recipes that are properly balanced. http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/ is a wonderful resource. By simply adding bone meal (which has the proper mix of calcium/phosphorus) to this recipe, it will become more complete–adding to the current freshness and wholesomeness. Failing to do so means that the dog’s body will get what it needs from the dog’s bones causing structural damage.
Hello, I believe if it’s not added in their food directly, this can be solved with the right vitamins.
Cheers!
So glad to see some exact measure recipes. This makes so much, I know the recipe could be halved. I am wondering what luck anyone has had with freezing this in serving sizes. My little pup is a terrier mix about 13 lbs. Currently eats 3/4 cup of commercial dry dog food. Would he get the same amount of this or more? Thanks for all the information you have posted.
I meal prep for our Miniature Pincher every other week, and i freeze his food. I use snack bags & measure using a digital scale, then seal all in a gallon Zip lock bag. I don’t measure my ingredients, just try to make it healthy for him. He had a serious reaction to Blue Buffalo, and then Prescription Dog food. He is much healthier now!
I was very happy to find this recipe, as I was new to preparing my dogs food. I had no idea of the right ratio of what to what. My vet told me to use white rice though. Not sure what to think of that! But I was also pleased to see just how many veggies could be included. She eats 5 baby carrots and about 1/5 of a fresh pepper every morn but I wasn’t sure what elase was ok. Thank you again.
NIce to see some quality recipes for our fur babies out there. i Have been making my dogs recipe for 12 years. She will be 18 yrs old this March. I use 3 lbs. ground turkey, or shredded poultry with grinder carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes. A little bit of oas and sometimes bulgar wheat. All organic as much sac possible. My girl Jenna weighed 75 lbs most her life and is 65 lbs now which the vet said is ok due to joint arthritis. IF anyone else has some good quality recipes, please put them out there, Our 4 legged families deserve the best. homemade cat food recipes too!, Thanks!!♥️♥️
Hi Lisa, I add turmeric to my puppy’s mix & coconut oil too.
http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/ Dr. Donald J Strombeck has a wealth of recipes at this website for both dogs and cats to include special needs diets. Please consider visiting. I’ve been feeding homemade, raw diet, for 7 years. I have a commercial grinder, so I grind bone in leg quarters with equal parts boneless, skinless thighs. (40 lbs each) I also grind in 20% by weight of frozen vegetables (carrots, zucchini, green beans, cauliflower). (I buy at restaurant supply, so my cost is about $1 per lb combined).
Daily, I make a starch that I add to the raw food. I use beans, potatoes, rice, macaroni, lentils. My pressure cooker makes short work of processing some of these. If not feeding bone in, it is essential to supplement with bone meal powder. I also use a multivitamin as recommended. Now my cats…they get commercial food…could never get them switched over. While a little more work involved, it has contributed to the good health of my dogs.
My dog isn’t a picky eater but for some reason, he doesn’t eat his dry food unless I mix it with wet food. I know his wet food isn’t exactly the best for him so I tried to make him a little something today.
I had to substitute for some ingredients since I didn’t have them all. I used multigrain rice, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and yellow carrots. He really liked it and gobbled it all up. I will definitely add meat next time.
For reference, I have a 11 lb Shih Tzu/Maltese mix. We feed him half a cup of food per meal.
How much do you feed her a day, my dog is 68 lbs
I feed my girl two cups a day one in morning at six and one in the evening around six. Due to some health issues She is not as active as she used to be that’s why only two cups.
How much should I fed my 3 dogs? I have a 65lb GSD, a 60lb Lab/Rottie mix, and a 14lb Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix.
If you go to the BalanceIT website it will help you. I did a quick run of this recipe for a 65 lb dog, caloric intake should be 1417, if feeding twice a dog that almost 2 cups per meal time just for the one dog. The 60 lb dog should have 1335 calories per day and the 14 lb dog should have 448 calories per day per balanceit.com
I weigh my food. I believe a food scale essential. How much you feed depends on the age and activity level of your dog. I might suggest that you try 20-28 oz of food per day for your larger dogs. I have a 65lb pit bull that I feed at that level. I have a 45 lb English SEtter. She’s geriatric (15), she gets 15-16 oz per day–and she maintains her body condition. Another English Setter (13-14) gets 11 oz per day. She’s smaller, and much less active. Your little one will need much less. Watch the body condition and adjust as appropriate. You can vary the protein/starch mix from a 1:2 to 1:1 ratio. I use the scale to measure and keep those ratios. A more active dog needs more protein (and calories). http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/ is the most comprehensive resource on the internet for feeding this way in my opinion.
My Harley loved this … 3lb of mince.. seemed loads .. unless I weighed wrong … I have now bought aniforte complete .. so now I can cook his meat and veg and add the essentials he needs in a meal .. wish you had more recipes for doggy meals .. I feed my Harley 9oz of food a day … he weighs 13.3 kg .. trying to lose weight .
I haven’t made it yet but how much would I need to give my 3 dogs? I have a 65lb GSD, and 60lb Lab/Rottie mix, and a 14lb Long Hair Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix.
I tried and he loved it
I also have been making my dog Tori, a carin terrier, food. I was adding cauliflower to her food and noticed she was having loose bowels and not able to control her going in the house which she never before did. I took the cauliflower out of her diet as I read up that this could happen. She now is over the bout of problem bowels and back to her old self.
It your baby is having bowel problems, check to see if it is cauliflour.
I’m so thankful to have found this homemade recipe. I started making this two weeks after noticing that my puppy doesn’t like much of the three kinds of puppy food recommended for her. My 5 month old Peekapoo is happy and loves this recipe so much. She weighs 8 lbs. and I feed her 1/2 cup three times a day.
Thanks again.
Commercial dog food cant be good fo4 dogs just like processed food is not good for people. Toxins are produced when dog food for kibble is cooked at extremely high remperature to give it longer shel& life. Starting today i will cook his food just like I cook my food.
I was wondering how much should be fed to a dog that is about 34pounds/14 kg?
Hello! Most dogs need about 25 to 30 calories per pound per day to maintain their weight, depending on how active they are. My 24 pound dog requires 670 calories per day and she’s a couch potato other than a daily walk around the block.
Started making his about a month ago. I knew going in my dog had a chicken allergy but decided to try turkey. He seems to bE allergic to that as well. He loves it though and devoures it!
Just wondering if I replaced the turkey with fish, if it would still be a good diet for him. If so, what kind of fish would you recommend- one that won’t entirely break the bank. Lol
My husband deer hunts and I use venison. My dog has really bad allergies and venison and fish are about the only meats he can eat.
Try lean beef. I had to give my border collie lean ground beef last week because he was throwing up something he should not have ate. I boiled it in water, drained it and mixed with rice and beef broth.
I like the basic idea, but I want you to keep in mind that the current high quality food scare comes from the use of legumes as carbohydrate and protein provider. There is a danger that what is healthy to us humans (beans, peas, lentils) is not for dogs as they have a high need for Taurin. To further the issue, Poultry has lower Taurin levels than red meats to begin with. Starches from legumes are suspected to mask Taurin so that lesser can enter the blood stream.
I decided to go raw, because one of my dogs is losing his hair and has bald patches in a number of places. For the most part, I got it under control with Freshpet and Blue kibble. However, its started again, so that led me down the raw food path. After pricing out a few raw brands on Chewy, which were ridiculously high, I decided to make my own. My dogs are picky, so I pulverized the veggies and rice in a food processor before mixing with the ground turkey. I also added a little season, and ground eggshells for calcium as well as fish oil to each helping. Its quick to make with frozen veggies and I make the rice in advance and freeze. It’s easier to run the rice through the food processor this way. I only just started this, so I haven’t noticed any hair growth yet but I’m hopeful. I prep my meals on Sunday, so it really doesn’t take much time to do this as well.
Helena I am just reading reviews because I am making this tomorrow, but saw your review about your dog losing hair. We have one too and my husband kept researching because we thought it was a food allergy but ours has Cushing’s. We bought this online product for him and his hair is almost 100% back.Just a thought. Read up on it. Good luck.
Hello Gayle, what is the product you bought online? My puppy is losing hair too. Also are there any websites you could recommend where I can read up on it? Thank you so much.
Love this recipe just wish it would specific how much i should be feeding my dogs? I have 2 coonhounds around 55-70 lbs.
I have a 40 pound mix beagle, I feed her 2 cups in the morning and two cups for dinner. This maintains her weight which the
Veterinarian says is good. She’s not overweight. I have a 16 pound chiweenie , feed him half a cup in the morning and a half a cup in the evening.
Great information! If we as humans would simplify our recipes like this, we all could live long enough to see Great Grand kids and to out live most of our relatives! I have been cooking for my dogs for years now and it’s the best thing for them. This is what the dog food industry doesn’t want to hear, so information that is like this hasn’t been distributed enough and dogs lives are being lost by greed with corporations putting profit over common sense. As soon as you change their diet to this you’ll never go back!
My roommate said. Bella is not going to eat that. 1 minute later 2 cups of food gone. She absolutely loves this recipe.
I have a dog named Bella also and she lives this. She gobbles it up
My dog is a year old do I need to add calcium and a vitamin for this recipe?
So I eat dog food now. It’s delicious.
I will try, but wondering if I could can this in a pressure cooker. I could make a bunch of quart jars for a month of feedings as I am sometimes pressed for time.
I do this but add pumpkin and sweet potatoes. And a mix of broccoli and cauliflower na celery. I sometimes add frozen veggies like corn, peas and beans.
How much should a 20 lb dog be fed a day?
My dog is eating about 1/2 cup of this twice daily. She also has access to Acana dry dog food during the day- about 1/2 cup as well. Do you think I am over feeding her?
Sounds like an estimate is 25/30 calories per lb so a 20 lb dog should probably be eating just over a cup per day.
Obviously review the diet and serving amount with a professional that knows your dog but directionally it sounds like you’re in the right ballpark.
Disclaimer: I am an accountant who uses google and my advice should not be taken as scripture. 🙂
This is really great. I made it with a few alterations for our 4 dogs. I would like to know what the serving size would be for my dogs per day. The wight of my dogs: 68lbs, 70lbs, 40lbs and 12lbs.
This is what I’d like to know as well. I don’t want to be under or over feeding.
My dog LOVES it! She can’t wait to eat.
I Love this recipe for my Westie Marley. I always give her an egg in the morning and add veg, fish or chicken to her diet of kibble. I hope to eventually get her off the processed dog food. I met a lady one day that had a Westie that’s was 19 years old. Never had any store bought food. She cooked every meal.
Love this. I have made before but I got another rescure dog who needs some special attention sooooo.
Now I want some pill pockets next on my search!!
Thanks
Check Costco for pill pockets
While this recipe may lack in certain nutrients, it’s the only thing my new puppy will eat and he LOVES it! However, I switched the peas with yellow squash since my puppy (8 week 9lb English Crm Golden pup) has a bit of tummy issues. We also used white rice instead of brown because of this issue, but it’s great for picky eaters!
Great recipes!
That sounds great and I’m wondering is there any for a French bull dog as they need to be on a grain free diet.
I would like to know how much of this recipe to feed my 90 lb Golden. thank you
I am extremely excited to start my two rescues on this diet. For their health as well as my pocket QUESTION: I have an overweight terrior/heeler mix she is 30lb and short like a terrior. She needs to lose 7-9 lbs. How much should I be feeding her? She’s used to her dry food twice a day so I’m hoping to stick to her schedule at least. Thank you in advance!! And for the recipes. Really excited!!!
I tried this today for the first time. I have a 38 lb Aussie doodle. She is a very picky eater. if I mix anything in her food she will eat around it. I started to mix some ground turkey and rice with her regular dog food and she will eat the rice and ground turkey but not the dog food. This went on for weeks. My VET finally told me just trying to make my own food and so I did today and she licked the bowl clean. Thank you for the recommendation.
I love this!!! Thank you.
I’m going to try this for my 1 year old golden retriever that suddenly has a loss of appetite when it comes to her kibble. She loves the bland diet so she will be over the moon with this. What are some over meat and vegetable combos? When would you include lentils, beans, or oatmeal? Would either of those replace the rice or an addition?
My French bulldog puppy her weight is 2 98kg I’ve been giving her white rice but I’ll get her some brown rice & spinach to cook with the chicken & carrots and peas I think I’ll keep her on it 3 times aday & ask the vet on the 23rd December what he thinks but I’ll get her some Turkey for a change
My 2-yo French bulldog loves it!!!! Since she was a puppy, she has been a very picky eater. I have been trying so much different dog food. I mixed expensive dried fish patties with nibbles. She only eats the dried fish patties but leaves nibbles until she is very hungry without options (lol). One my friend just started making her own dog food, which inspires me. I found this recipe via google search. The first try was yesterday and my pup buried her head in the bowel until the bowel was sparklingly clean! Good job!!
Sorry.. typo – Bowl*
I’m going to try this recipe! How long does it last? Can I make a bigger batch to save some in ziplocks?
Love recipe and going to start my dog on real food due to allegies. He is 36 kilo lab cross, not sure how much to give him?
Recipe(s) are right on! Our almost 14 year old is having a few health issues. Awhile back he just stopped eating. Out of desperation I concocted similar recipes and WOW-he is eating like a champ and doing much better. I rotate chicken and ground turkey, mixed with veggies (frozen in a pinch) and still a scoop of his dry kibbles. Never going back straight dog food again. It’s also so much fun to make for them. Whip up a weeks worth, freeze and take out as needed. Thanks for sharing!
I followed the recipe but added other things, like pumpkin and dried cranberries. I get vegetables delivered to my door all organic, and I used them on the recipe. I used ossobuco meat, got rid of the tough parts. Boiled in low heat with minimal amount of liquid. Let it get soft. Got rid of the bones but kept the marrow. I know bone broth is good for dogs. So it’s on the recipe. Much cheaper than the “good quality” food I buy for my dog.
My 8# dog is crazy for this- b4 this it took 3 hrs every nite to eat her food ugh. Now it’s gone in 3 minutes!! And I know it’s healthy- it shows in her brighter 11 yr old eyes…more prancing etc.
Thank you for sharing!
Healthy recipes! such a piece of good information about homemade food for dogs,
it will help tons of dog owners, who want to give their loved ones a healthy diet.
Thanks for sharing!
Are the portions the same as if you were feeding your dog kibbles?
How much do you end up feeding her per meal? My dog is 5-6lbs and I’m trying to figure it out myself.
I believe the rule of thumb is abiut 25-30 calories per pound of dog. My dog is 13 lbs, I feel him just shy of a cup per day.
Yea I feed my shih Tzu Bella a cup a day. She loves it. I just started a week ago bcuz she’s a picky eater. But now she sits at her bowl anticipating it every morning.
I just give her a cup of her food, a tablespoon of chobani plain non fat yogurt 2x a week, & her greenie dental treat 1x a day. It’s so much better knowing what goes in & what comes out your dogs body.
It’s suppose to be 1/2-3/4 ounces per 10lb weight.
My Molly loves this recipe! This is totally yummy for people, too. I add a little tamari sauce and toasted sesame seed oil to season my serving. Delicious! 🙂
So I made this recipe and both dogs LOVED! I do have a few questions. Is the spinach chopped and then measured? The picture up top says chicken so I bought chicken quickly as I glanced at it in the store, then saw it said turkey! I hope ground chicken is okay too. And the brown rice is measured dry as well right? Thank you!
Don’t use chicken and turkey interchangeably. One of my dogs has been eating chicken for years, but got sick when I gave him turkey. The vet said NO to turkey.
I have been searching for balanced food recipe for my pupper. He is a very picky eater and real food would make meal time a lot easier. My major concern is getting the nutritions he needs into the bowl. It doesn’t seem like this recipe contains anything that provides significant amount of Calcium. I don’t think that this workS for us unless I give him supplements for Calcium.
My search continues…
I’m thinking of adding yogurt to his diet as a healthy probiotic, maybe that’s the answer for the lack of capacity on this dish!
There’s a Facebook group that helps with these questions. Home Cooked Diet for dogs.
Spinach in this recipe has plenty of calcium for your dog. Spinach has more calcium than most dairy products. And I don’t believe dairy is in any way beneficial to dogs.
Kale and Collard greens also provide a great source of calcium for you pup and they are safe for them as well.
Good luck!
I just started making my own dog food but will also let them have some of the dry food for now with it. We are transitioning them into eating homemade food and do not want to upset the tummies. I made a whole bunch of bone broth from beef neck bones (our store sometimes has stuff like this) so I used that in place of the water when cooking the rice. Our dogs loved it 🙂
They used to each get a whole can of wet food every day (half in the morning and half at night) and dry food. They will eventually eat less dry food as I increase the amount of homemade food I am sure. We are new to this.
Be careful of bone broth cooked with onions or garlic. Dogs don’t do well with these.
Yes, I have met with a pet nutritionist multiple times to ensure my dogs are getting the nutrition they need.
I have been doing home made dog food
For a year. I have 3 that HAD severe skin allergies that nothing would help. Prescription pills would calm it. But it never stopped. No more issues and honestly the dog food is cheaper to make. When I am pressed for time I do buy a non seasoned rotisserie chicken and strip it and use the drippings to flavor the rice. I also incorporate flaxseed, cranberries, apples and bone broth. I make a double batch and freeze. My dogs will bug me until I feed them as they love it.
I haven’t tried this yet but is looks n sounds like it’s just what I need.i have two morkies. Bindi, who is 12 n very sick, n Connor who is 13 n in pretty good health. They now refuse to eat dog food. Connor weighs 16lbs. Bindi has lost weight but because of her food mostly. My question is how much n when should I feed them.
I have been making this for my westies for over 1 year. My old guy wouldn’t eat but would touch this. He died in Feb at age 16. I got Sonny in April and they all have loved it! Katie is allergic to chicken, so I use ground bison, venison or turkey. I even will combine the different meats for variety. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for the recipe…my 13 yo Chug has congestive heart failure. About 2 weeks ago she started to seriously decline and began refusing food. My husband and I started preparing mentally for having to put her down…I was heartbroken. However, I saw that she still begged for people food. So, I stumbled on this recipe in pursuit of trying to find something that I could make her that she would eat. We’ve been feeding a variation of this to her for the last 3 days and her energy is back and she’s like a new dog. It’s been an amazing transformation.
I lost my little Bindi to heart failure in March at 15 years old, they told me as a puppy she would only live 2-4 years. I wish you all the best with this recipe, wish I had it when I needed it. I’m looking because my new little sensitive soul just got out of intensive care after spending 4 days there with HGE, she had 4 blood transfusions. Right now she can only eat boiled chicken. But will need more as the days go on.
Hi!
Thanks for sharing!
My sweetie has tummy problems also, and even though I have been cooking for her since I got her, 4 yrs now, even some meats, veggies bother her, but your recipe i think will do her fine.
Just be careful with the broths and sauces for humans because especially onion and garlic, msg etc: can cause serious issues. I read every single label anymore to make sure. Very few store broths don’t have onion. Don’t know if you know, or make your own. Just fyi.
Best wishes and healthy happy days for many years to come for you and your family!
I have a beagle and I have been making her food with these and similar recipes for almost a year and she doesn’t shed nearly as much and feels so much better! She’s 9 and playful like when she was 3!
Can you share what other recipes you use with your beagles? I have two and beginning this quest.
My little old yorkie has cancer and getting to eat is a challenge but he loves this stuff!
Easy to make! Added chicken in the mix. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Love this. My dog is about 20kg. Just want to know how much per serving I need to feed and how much serving in a day.
Instead of peas and zucchini what can I add? Pinto or kidney beans??
Really wanting to make this, but don’t want peas for sure in it.
Your dog wont know about the peas lol… hope you dont think this is a receipe for yourself
her dog may have a pea allergy, which is why she doesnt want peas
I think many don’t know how some veggies fit a dog’s diet. Each veggie has vital ingredients they need. Spinach has copper, peas are great proteins, and the list goes for miles.
We might dislike some of the ingredients, but they may add healthy years to your dog’s life. Read up on safe and unsafe spices. Cinnamon and tumeric are great, as well as basil and ginger. Just watch out, you might enjoy your dog’s dinner.
I’m looking forward to making this dog food, however I don’t know how much my Lab should have each day. Ace is a big boy and will eat all day if I let him. I have to how much to feed him. Thanks . After reading other reviews I know now to ask the Vet. There are some things I can add to this discussion. DO NOT FEED DOGS ONIONS. Maybe look up what they can’t have it may help. If certain foods are out of season you can use baby food. It comes organic! Just watch it to see the salt content. I have enjoyed reading all the reviews. Thanks to all animal lovers
I made this for my mini wiener! (7lbs) she is 5 yrs old and has dripping runny eyes since I brought her home. Hoping this fixes that. She LOVED it. I used canned carrots and peas….so I had carrots and peas left over, as well as some brown rice, so I thought I would be clever and mix those with some pumpkin as a treat…..NOTHING>. Not going for that at all. Although I was frying the turkey and she was well aware of that, I think she was disappointed. I also did a GREAT dog mommy hack! I stole about 1/2lb of of the turkey burger and in a SEPERATE pan I fried that up with some onion and some of the spinach, added about 3/4 C brown rice a little ketchup, mustard and Wercestershire sauce….not much, not runny like sloppy joes, just enough for some flavor…..and it was delish!
just fyi. “Onions contain compounds called disulfides and thiosulphates which can be toxic cats and dogs if ingested. “
or are you the one eating the onion one lol?
NO ONIONS for dogs! Onions actually cause their blood cells to explode! Look it up, please! DON’T feed onions to your dog!
I just made this for my Beagle’s, added butternut squash to the recipe as they love a taste of sweet. They loved it!!! We have been having trouble trying to find a healthy food for them as they are getting old. 5 stars, let’s hope it continues
Hi! I was thinking of doing this for my beagle too. Do you have any recommendations for serving size? Can a smaller batch be kept in the refrigerator for a week?
I have a beagle and I have been making her food with these and similar recipes for almost a year and she doesn’t shed nearly as much and feels so much better! She’s 9 and playful like when she was 3!
Dogs have a system like ours. Food left a week is not good for us, and not good for them. Freeze meal size portions and keep them safe and healthy.
I am so happy to found this recipe! I am fostering ( hoping to adopt) a pup who did not want to eat the kennel dog food we were given for him. The poor guy is so thin and has a bad knee and will need surgery soon. I made this this morning, super simple, and the little guy ate it up! If he continues to like it, I will invest in additional vitamin supplements to ensure its a balanced diet and add liver and other goodies. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Great recipe use it my dog and my cat. My Rottweiler was 20 lb overweight no longer is. Thank you
How much did you feed him per day? I have an 80 pound lab I want to try this with.
Jerry – I am looking at this for my 1 year old rott. What suggestions can you give and how much do you feed per day?
This is a great recipe and my corgis love it. We hunt deer and have an abundance of venison so they get mostly it for their protein. I add in some tuna and eggs for additional protein and the egg shells for calcium. I put fresh blueberries and apples for some sweetness.
I have a similar recipe but I added blueberries for the antioxidants. She will leave all the blueberries at the bottom of the bowl. Now I squash each blueberry and she eats everything! She loves it!
My yorkipoo loves this and no more doggie breath. Just not sure how much to feed my little 9# baby.
I also need to know how much to feed my dog. He is about 7 and a half pounds. He also has developed a terrible skin allergy in his later years. Nothing is working, keeps losing hair. Hooding this might work. Just started today and he loves it. How much please??
Love this recipe going to use it for my 8wk staffie pup i have also bought some meat and bone meal 4kl how much do I add to his food before I freeze it thank you.
Lynda
How do you know what portion size to give a dog for the day.
I want to feed my labs on this kind of food as both have had tummy trouble recently and have been on chicken and rice which they love .
Both big boys but I would much rather feed them this kind of food.
Are there any guidelines as to how mu h for weight of dog?
Hi Angela! This would be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist.
A good general guideline I go by is to give twice the amount you would give of dry kibble because this food still has the water so is less dense. Adjust from there.
Thank you for posting this, Yeah my Chihuahua has just woofed it down. The first homemade dog food she has eaten. She refused the rest. I feel now my fur baby will be healthier and happier and with me for more years to come. Thank you
I mean she refused all previous version of homemade food. But loved yours Thank you X
How much of this do you feed you dog daily ?
I have a chihuahua too but hes overweight…18 pounds to be exact..
My vet won’t help me!
Just made this for my elderly dog. She’s going in for surgery Wednesday and I wanted to do everything possible to help in the recovery.
I added 1Tblsp of fresh chopped rosemary per # of meat. Also used some shredded broccoli and blueberries.
She gobbled it up!
Excited to try this for our pups! Do you know the length of time this last for?
Hi Crystal! It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
Hi. I just saw this recipe and just wondered how much it makes?? I’ve made homemade dog food before and this sounds delicious.
The recipe yields 8 cups, Jenny. 🙂
I am a certified canine nutritionist and this is a good recipe if supplemented with appropriate balance mix. I have fed my dogs, Charlie and Lisa (12 and 10) a homemade diet all their lives and they are happy and spunky dogs. Variety is key in a homemade diet. You need to make sure they are getting a variety of proteins (fish, poultry, meat), organs (about 5% of their protein intake), veggies, healthy and healthy grains, and supplements like calcium (I make my own from ground eggshells), spirulina, vitamin E, cod liver oil, and others. Charlie is a picky eater so I like to supplement with nutritional yeast when I am worried he is not getting all his vitamins and minerals. Just like humans, our pets need variety so choose lots of different types of foods!
I’ve never tried homemade dog food for pets. This is a first! Thank you for making it simple. Was wondering, is this receipt also for puppies?
Robin, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
Wonderful meal for my finicky chihuahua eaters!! Thanks so much, all 3 of them devoured it.
Add a tablespoon of powdered bone meal, a tsp of dried, powdered kelp, 1 tsp of brewers yeast and 5000 mg organic fish oil to make sure they get all the essential minerals they need! My 14 year old beagles love it! I also give them a little organ meat as a treat every 2-3 days, and extra nutrients. I mix up the brown rice with organic oatmeal. I make my own bone broth from chicken or beef bones to cook the grains. My pups don’t like peas, so i switch the veges around. they love pumpkin or butternut squash and green beans. actually I cook for them, and I share some of their food with them!!! I take some out without the fish oil or brewers yeast for me 🙂
Where do you recommend getting these supplements? Any particular brand?
Very helpful
Although I haven’t tried this recipe yet, I gave it 4 stars because of the brown rice. I just spoke with my veterinarian today about rice and was told that dogs can’t process brown rice like we can and should be given white rice. It may be better for us, but not our fur babies.
This webpage got me started on making homemade dog food for my 8-year old Pomeranian that we rescued from a shelter a year and a half ago. He has some heart damage from heartworms. For a year, I fed him a well-recommended dry dog food. He coughed up mucus, vomited, passed bloody, runny stools, and coughed all throughout the day and in the middle of the night. I switched him to homemade very quickly, not even mixing in much dry to aid in the switch. He go so much better immediately. Coughs in the morning and when he goes to bed. Very little during the day and never wakes us up in the middle of the night anymore. Never coughs up mucus, vomits, or passes blood. Stools are normal. His coat is so shiny now. He could hardly make it up the back stairs and now he tears around the backyard like a puppy. He weighs about 10 pounds and I’ve found I have to feed him a 1/2 cup in the morning and a 1/2 cup in the evening. I give him an omega 3 a couple times a week. Would like to add a vitamin, but haven’t yet. I looked up the list of recommended meats, vegetables, and grains on another website and rotate things, so he gets a variety. Not one problem from anything yet. He’s had brown rice, quinoa, hamburger, chicken, ground turkey, chicken gizzards and livers, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, peas, carrots, green beans, and some other misc. things. I do pulse everything in a food processor to break it up, but I don’t make it mushy. I do give him one “meaty bone” a day to give him a chance to chew on something. I don’t think he would have lived one more year the way he was going. I anticipate quite a few more years for him now. It’s not that hard if you make a large batch at once and freeze in one-week portions. Then I just scoop it out with a measuring cup. Individual servings frozen is too much work. Don’t forget to add enough olive oil or animal fat. He lost weight when I neglected this and was hungry all the time. It’s worth the effort!
I’d be careful with the spinach, especially if your dog has any kidney problems. Here’s AKC on spinach:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-my-dog-eat-spinach/
Hi, with the threat of DCM in dogs and some breeds more so than others, that reports have linked to peas and lentils. Potdatoes they say are a nono. What dog food brand do you trust? What web site do you trust to gather information on home made dog food and how to store it properly to revent salmonella, etc type things. How long once unfrozen can you safely leave it out until your dog decides to eat it? What to do when your dog is picky and you want to change them over to home made dog food? Meat has to be top ingriedient because it has taurine which is good for a dog’s heart health. What of the supplements? How much do they cost? Bad when people can’t afford their dog’s food.
Any help would be wonderful!
Thank you!!!
Dogfoodadvisor.com
This is good as it stands, but is NOT a complete diet. Unless you are able to use a program to analyze the nutrient value, your dog may be missing out on some important stuff. I began making the food for my dogs, but I discussed it with my vet, who gave me some good advice. I also add, at each meal, a powdered supplement (1 tsp per dog … according to their weight) that provides vitamins, minerals and probiotics that are normally added to any commercially prepared dog food. I intend to keep making my pets food for as long as they are around. Better tummies, better elimination, and gorgeous coats. They also shed less!! But my dogs do not do well with brown rice … the hulls upset their stomachs, they do not do well with peas, unless I grind them up … and I make a great deal more than this in one batch. I do use the ground turkey, but there should also be some organ meats, like chicken livers. I use the squash, the spinach, sweet potato, finely grated carrot, chopped up no-salt canned string beans, and a host of other dog-safe veggies. I cook 3 cups of white rice. I add coconut oil. The meat and veg gets cooked in my Instant Pot. when I mix is all topgether and allow it to cool a bit, I portion it on large cookie sheets in serving portions of ⅓ C. Then freeze. When they are solid. I bag them up and have enough for my 2 dogs for about 2 weeks. It IS work … and it is a bit more expensive. But wre have no itching, no excessive shedding, no tummy upsets, and no gas!! Win.
Just my opinion from research, but white rice isnt the best. You should use brown rice or quinoa
Actually, white rice is easier to digest than brown rice, for dogs.
Recipe sounds good. Can I replace turkey with Salmon?
Hi Preeta! This would be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist.
I really don’t mind making fresh dog food. the only problem is he won’t eat it, I haven’t tried this one, so I will check this out and see what happens. I still give it a high rating because I want to find something my dog will eat and get him away from those store-bought foods that aren’t good for any of our animals!
Most dogfood in the market isnt all to bad blue wilderness is really great has no wheat or grain which can lead to an upset stomach. If you do an 80% dry food with 20% wet food. Most dogs will love you for it
The FDA has stated that grain free diets for dogs causes cardiomyopathy and has listed 16 grain free brands NOT to feed your dog. Dogs are domesticated and have to have some grain.
No, That is not what the FDA says; you are misinformed.
There is also absolutely zero nutritional requirement for grains or plants in the canine diet. You should especially read up on Dr. David Mech’s research.
Yes, they do. grain free diets are causing heart problems.
Great recipe my two pugs love homemade food. But I have noticed less bowel movements and it does seem that they have a harder time doing it. Does this mean they are not getting enough fat ?
Hi Sharon! This would be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist.
I Have heard before that the better the food the less bowel movements they will have.
Bowel movements are an effect of fiber, not fat. Add a heaping tablespoon of pureed pumpkin (make sure you don’t buy pumpkin pie mix) to each meal and you’ll really firm up your pup’s stool.
Totally agreed for adding pumpkin. I always include either pumpkin or squash as my vet recommended. Since then my dog has no problem on bowl movement.
Good recipe. I have been feeding something very similar to this to my 10-year-old golden retriever for about one year now. I believe he is allergic to chicken. His main protein now is ground turkey. I also occasionally give him fish and canned salmon. He seems to have difficulty with dairy products, so the soft bones in the canned salmon are a good source of calcium. I use a variety of veggies. Carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, frozen peas, fresh sugar snap peas, parsley, spinach, celery, zucchini,apples, blueberries, frozen green beans, canned green beans, canned pumpkin puree. I will never go back to commercial food. I also now give him one teaspoon per day of Seacure. His digestive woes are gone, his poos have returned to normal and are small and not stinky, he has gained a few much needed pounds and his coat is beautiful.
My boy weighs 80lbs, how much would you feed him? Would you give him the whole serving?
if your dog is allergic to chicken than he won’t be able to eat turkey My dog can not have chicken or beef only fish and she also takes a prescription drug for allergies
I also have a GSD with chicken allergies. Would you share your recipie and directions? Thanks!
I did this with my smaller dog. I do this know becaus my boy dog got kindy stones. So I am making it know for two large dogs now.
But I realized you ho through all that work and you put it in the Microwave, that kills all the good stuff. So now every morning I get my sauce pan out put we call it chicken soup for the dogs warm it up for two big dogs 60lbs and up,each with added dry food ,sometimes a raw egg and that’s it. I just want to put out their about the Microwave.
This is great! I sub out some ditalini for the rice so she won’t get bored, and also throw in green beans occassionly. Eats every bit!
Hi, do you not add supplements to the homemade meals?
Yes, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
My dog has has had some runny diarrhea and upset stomach. Should this help? Vet says it’s nothing to do with an illness.
I have been using this recipe and a few others for over a year for the same reason; bad tummy and runny poop, and it has worked wonders for my dogs!
Looks great! Think I will be sharing from the doggie bowl with my furry baby
I just want to say thank you so much for coming out with this. I have a yorkie and we have tried soo many foods for her, after a few weeks she stops eating. She has never ate all of her food plus licked the bowl clean! I have an appt set up with the vet to consult to make sure she’s still getting all her nutrients but so far so good!
Thank you very much for sharing this.
I’m having problems with my dog constantly chewing and scratching.
No fleas, and no allergies that we know of.
She’s a shorthair breed, but the hair is like a carpet all over the house. We can’t keep up with it.
I was thinking, maybe it was the dogs food that might be causing it.
But I’ve never made human food either. My recipe was similar, just not enough veggies.
So thank you for that insight.
I’m excited to see if this is her issue, because all I have left is a trip to the vets.
I recently read some pretty damning info about a link between grain free food and serious heart issues. We rescue our dogs so often we keep feeding whatever diet they’ve been on because “it’s been working.” Yet we’re still at the vet for skin issues, ear problems, and such. Why not give this a try? I tried this recipe and both dogs devoured it! (I admit I tasted it. Add a little ginger and soy sauce and you could wrap this stuff in a lettuce leaf!) Its early but we hope to update this post in a few weeks with some good news. Thanks for the great recipe!
My 8 month old Cavachon devours this dog food! But, I’m not sure if I’m giving her the correct daily a,punts. Currently, I’m giving her 1/2 cup twice a day, with little pieces of carrots, berries, sweet potato in between. Is that enough? Do it need to add some kind of dairy for calcium? Yogurt? Thanks
Hi Coni! We’re so glad to hear she’s enjoying the food! However, portion size and adequate nutrition for your dog might be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist. Hope that helps!
I am highly againsts any of the so called natural commercial dog foods on the market, so your article hits home for me since I have decided I am going to start taking the ingredients dogs can eat which are fresh and natural and prepare their dog food myself from now on, since my 8 year old rottweiler was born I have fed him the so called natural healthy dog food expecting him to be healthy and live to a ripe old age. Well he has tumors growing all over and through his body, so I am convinced even the so called healthy dog foods are not healthy for our dogs……………I never gave him people food thinking I was doing a good thing but from now on my dogs will be eating people food on the good food list from now on.
Thank You
Jeff
Can I substitute sweet potato for brown rice? If yes, will I need the same amount of sweet potatoes – 1.5 cups?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Great recipe, followed it to the T. Really helping with my dog’s upset stomach as this was our last resort. I only have 2 questions. What can I use in place of the baby spinach to mix it up from time to time? And also my dog has decreased in bowel movements…is that normal? It’s been greatly beneficial as my 10 year old, 38 lb. Staffordshire mix who was having diarrhea for over a week and now is back to almost normal thank goodness, but she’s maybe using the bathroom 1 time a day now rather than 3 times. Thank you for this great recipe!
You can try subbing in brussels sprouts for the spinach (I also recommend speaking to your vet about this) as they are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that are great for humans and dogs, alike. But I recommend not overfeeding them to your dog because they can cause a lot of gas!
Just made this! I added 2 eggs and a pat of butter.
My 2 dogs have allergies and I’ve tried everything under the sun!
This recipe cost me $11.00.
The dog food costs about $30 per week.
I’ll update how long it lasts and if they quit chewing on themselves.
I have a Great Dane, and a black lab
Fingers crossed this does the trick! Thanks for sharing with us!
curious if this helps with allergies as i have a pitbull with allergies that is constantly chewing and scratching herself and nothing seems to help her. let me know if this helps for your dog! thanks
When my Chihuahua started to get a bald spot from scratching himself, I was told to look at all his food and treats and see what a common ingredient was. Well it turns out he has a chicken allergies (that was the common ingredient in all his food and treats). I stopped everything with chicken and his fur grew back and he is doing well. I suggest you take a look at the ingredients on all his food and treats and see if you see something similar. Apparently chicken allergies are very common in dogs! Who knew? Best of luck
Hi! I have a 100 pound Great Pyrenees. I want to try this with him as he has stomach problems. How many cup should do you feed your Great Dane per day?
I don’t know what all the hype is about. I am in my 70’s, and remember when there was no such thing as store bought dog food, and we all fed our dogs the meat and vegetable scraps from our plates. I have NEVER bought the poison that they suggest we feed our beloved pets, and I have never had a dog that didn’t live to be 16 years or more. My last Collie girl was 19 years old when she passed happily in her sleep.
wow that’s awesome!!
Any update on how your large dogs are doing and how much you feed per meal?
My dog has allergies as well. Dairy is not good for allergic dogs. I’m making his food at home now and he’s doing better. Turkey meat, old fashioned oats, turmeric and veggies. He cleans his bowl and the licking has stopped!!
I’ve got two ACD’s (Australian Cattle Dogs), anyone else have this breed and if so what has been your experience with this recipe? I’ve been making my own for a while now, similar to this recipe but I’ve been using beef. Had a few issues with diarrhea in the beginning but has leveled off. Will be trying this recipe on my next cooking day!
My Wheaton was vomiting every day and would not eat. I took him to the vet several times because of stomach issues. Nothing worked. His stomach would make noises and he lost 7lbs. He also had skin issues. He has been on this diet for two weeks now, and he is loving his food and is not getting sick. I have to feed him small meals four times a day. This diet is working out great. Thank you!
My dogs love this. I’m weaning them off of dry food and this will be their diet
Its cheaper than buying bulk no nutrition dry food and it’s good for them. I have a Yorkie with allergy issues and I want to see if this will help him. His skin does seem to be better. I’ve been feeding them this for over a month now and there’s never any leftovers.
I am considering using this recipe. I was wondering if it would be as good for the nutritional aspect of the dog if I substituted chicken breast for the turkey. Any opinions out there.?
That’s a great question! But this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
I think they would be better off with the extra fat from the thighs and legs. I used to get boneless/skinless chick and since Ive been including the skins their coat is better. I bake them in my “easy bake” counter top oven take the chicken out, put the liquid in a bowel and put in the freezer some the heavy fat rises and separates after about 45 minutes.
Been giving him this recipe for a few years now and he still acts as if it’s something new… loves it! However, he’s now 10 years old now, so I was thinking of starting to watch his phosphorus levels. I’d substitute brown rice for white rice. But what would be a lower phosphorus substitute for peas and baby spinach? and how much? Thanks!
That’s a great question, David! But this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
Brown rice is nutritious for dogs. One can give their dog brown rice in addition to his diet, but feeding it sparingly will help them to gain the necessary weight. The green peas are good for dogs and contains vitamins and minerals and are good for dog’s vision, skin, digestion, immune system, nerves, heart, and more. Spanish contains iron that will help for good hair growth.
https://devotedtodog.com/best-dog-foods-for-pitbulls/
this is a regular recipe with me. My Rottweiler is 9 years old and has a bad leg. This recipe keeps him happy and full and helps with his weight. Thank you very much
I have a rottie that has decided she no longer likes kibble of any kind! How much do you feed your rottie daily on this diet?
Can I use Chicken instead of turkey? It’s hard to find Turkey in my country.
Sure! 🙂
My Collie is 55 lbs. How much of this recipe should I be feeding her each meal. I feed her twice a day. She is a good weight right now and 3 year old.
Barbara, this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
Feeding food like this is based on weight, 2-3% depending on activity level etc. then converted to cups. I’ve been feeding my westie homemade since he was a puppy. Not a vet, but that was the advice I was given to calculate, leave some room for treats by feeding a little less than the total amount.
This looks great. I was just looking into buying this pre made and it totaled about 200 bucks per month. This seems more sensible. I have a bulldog. How many servings did you give your dog per day.
Thanks for the help.
We feed our 3-yr old, 18-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your dog.
Planning on making this recipe for my Pomapoo. She’s a finicky eater and barely eats anything unless it’s what we’re eating. Do you add a supplement to this recipe to make sure they are getting the right amounts of nutrients/vitamins?
Yes, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
I have the pickiest 12 pound chi-Yorkie mix ever. Think “refusing to eat the same food 2 days in a row” picky, even when it’s people food. She’s been like this since we adopted her at 4 months old, which was over 6 years ago.
Moxie had developed chronic diarrhea and was losing weight so I had to do something. I thought about ordering from a delivery service that makes food for dogs but the cost was way more than I could afford especially since I have 2 other rescues who need special expensive diets for urinary stones. I wasn’t sure where to start with making food for her but found this recipe and decided to try it.
It’s been 4 days and she’s still happily eating it twice a day. I never thought she would like something with zucchini and spinach but she is eating more on it than she ever has on prescription or commercial dog food. There’s no diarrhea and she seems to feel better now that she’s eating regularly. It was painful every day to offer various foods and have her walk away, knowing she was hungry but not interested in eating anything while I stressed over her nutrition.
I’m glad I tried it. 5 stars from Moxie!
I have not made this recipe yet. My commit/question is how much does this recipe make. It reads serving size is 1 cup, and servings per container 1 cup ??
Hi Tracy! The recipe yields roughly 8 cups. Hope that helps!
I have a 9 year old yorkie Pomeranian and she started have allergies to the food I was giving her and blood in stools so I made chicken breast no fat cooked with olive oil and then brown rice added squash carrot’s spinach string beans blend the veggies with the juices from them and my dog ate it so fast she will not eat anything else now and as a treat I give her small bites of cheese and she is much better and active
I used this but substituted lower histamine poached salmon and added natural histamine reducers like spiralina, CBD oil, glucosamine, chrodrotin and krill oil. Added some oats and pureed into a blender and made portion sized rolls to freeze.
After feeding this for 60 days, the stage one mast cell cancer (believed to be a result of high histamines in the system) diagnosed in my jack russel/lab mix appears to have gone into remission and her subsequent blood labs look great.
That is such great news, J cal!
I have a 12 year old yorkie that refuses to eat dog food. I made this for him today and he gobbled it up. Thanks for the recipe.
I have two Yorkies. I’m considering making this recipe because they have become somewhat finicky with their food. How much does your Yorkie weigh and what is a serving for him?
So making this for my boys!
Been looking for home made recipes to help increase energy level. Thinking to vary the meat, turkey, beef and chicken so they don’t get bore. Someone mentioned that chicken liver is a great meat option with high protein, is that correct?
So I have a question well two.
I have a 2 1/2 year old red nose Pitt Bull.
And I have a 3 month old dalma doodle what serving size should I give them each? How many cups each? And how many times a day would you recommend?
Can I also feed to my symeese cat? Again any recommendations to mall size are how frequently I’d feed her. Thank you for your help..
These are all great questions but please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own pet’s diet.
Hi there, is it 1.5 cups of cooked rice or uncooked ? I followed your recipe exactly (1.5 un cooked) and it yielded 12 cups. Do you pack it tight in 1 cup?
Evgeniya, the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice.
My pugs loved this homemade dog food. Was spending over $400. A month on food for two pugs what a great way to save money and provide better quality food for our babies !
How long will this last in the freezer?
Hi Andi! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
I’m no expert at all here, but imo if frozen right after cooled and packed I’d give it no longer than 2 months. 1 being more ideal.
Either way this recipe is killer and I can’t wait to spend a day doing up a huge batch for my pup, thank you!
Should I drain fat off of grd. Beef. Some say drain others say it’s good for dogs.????
Yes, you can drain the excess fat if you wish.
That’s def your choice but be careful it isn’t too much. I thought it was okay but our boy almost got pancritis disease (spelt wrong). I’m sure in small doses its totally ok n they sure love it. Just be careful not to overdue it. Don’t want to see another pup in pain like ours was.
So I have a question… my vet told me to boil any meat I gave my dogs. I told him that I cooked ground turkey in the skillet as mentioned above and gave it to my dogs. He said I should boil it because it omits the sodium in the food. Sodium can cause issues with their pancreas. This recipe above doesn’t mention boiling the meat…??
Yes it does, read again
No, there is no mention of boiling the meat
I agree, the meat should be boiled not browned in a skillet. Also, me vet suggested I use white rice instead of brown.
Our chihuahua was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis from too much fat. My recipe is similar to this but I use chicken and I boil his meat and vegetables instead of pan fry like i used to and mash it up a bit for easy digestion. Boiled chicken with white rice, pasta, peas, beans, sweet potato, broccoli, carrots and cottage cheese. Loves it and no more issues. So unfortunately no treats or table scraps!!
Would you be able to post the nutritional breakdown for vitamins, minerals?
Julie, this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
Your recipe has been amazing. I am cooking for our 15 month old Great Dane. He has lots of allergies so we thought we would try this. The improvement is amazing!! He looks better than he EVER has and his stomach is better than it ever has been!! Our vet reviewed recipe and gave it a thumbs up. Only down side is that due to his size he eats 6 pounds of food a day over 3 meals…the improvement in his skin and stomach keeps me cooking!!!!
WHAT IN GOD’S NAME!
Now, I have to try this recipe because my dog’s name is Butters (and he too has an upset tummy so I want to switch him over to homemade food)
I will be back in a few days to share my thoughts…
Let us know how it goes, Stephanie! 🙂
I just met a Butters at the beach! I wonder if it was you and your dog. I just looked up this recipe for my Shelby. I hope Butter’s belly is better!
Hi can these recipe help dog loose weight? Or do i need to adjust it?
Alison, this recipe is not specifically tailored for weight-loss.
Alison – we have used this food to help our dogs loose weight. To do this you must know the target calories a day for your pet – I got this from my vet – and then using the nutritional information below I calculated what serving portions would be. I divided by the number of times we feed the dog.
We feed the dogs this recipe at night and a commercial food in the morning – a combination of canned and kibble.
My little one has lost 4 lbs – 25% of his body weight and the other 9 lbs – 22% of her body weight. It has been a challenge, no different than a human losing weight.
How long will this be good in the fridge?
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
I like the recipe but how much do you feed per meal? I have a 70lb Lab & a daushund 19lbs
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
How do you know how much to feed your dog? 1 cup can’t be a daily serving for a 4 pound dog, a 35 pound dog, and a 110 pound dog.
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I’ve never owned a dog and I’m debating buying a Pyrenees. I’ve heard that people have had success with giving dogs a vegetarian diet. Do you have any experience with that? What about feeding him cooked farm fresh eggs in place of meat?
Aaron- I’ve had several dogs in the last 50 years including 2 Great Pyrenees. They were truly magnificent dogs but if you’re inexperienced as a dog owner I would truly recommend that you not start there. You should know more about dogs and you should also know yourself as a pet owner before you take on such a large and consuming task. Consider building up to this.
Please do more research before “purchasing” a dog, especially one such as a Great Pry. Also be speak with your vet before considering a vegetarian diet for your pets. Dogs are NOT vegetarians, they’re omnivores. Meat, bones, marrow, etc are very important for them. It’s unwise to base your opinions without actual research with skilled and licensed people.
Dogs are carnivores and in their natural environment are meat eaters. Making them vegetarians may not be best for the dog. As a human you have a choice; dogs don’t. Why would you force them to be something that goes against their nature?
OMG!!!
This exact thing happened with my dog James. He was sick and I had to put him on a bland diet of chicken and rice. It was super easy so I started making my own dog food!
Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
I also mix in a powdered supplement called Azestfor. My dogs love it!
Do you use any supplements with your pups?
Yes, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
Thanks so much for the reply! 🙂
I always recommend simple and fresh food for my dog. Dry dog food provides breakthrough nutrition formulated to help your dog achieve a healthy weight and improve quality of life. Thanks for sharing awesome blog!
As with a lot of reviewers my first attempt at this recipe came because of an illness for our 15 yo Westie, Gabby. Lethargy, weakness, lack of appetite due to an unknown cause prompted empiric therapy with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory Meds. Labs and vitals returned to normal but she still refused to eat. I started this diet 3 days ago and the difference is astounding. At 1 cup a day for a 15 lb older dog I believe that she will have an improved quality of life for the rest of her days with us. Thanks so much for posting!
Do you drain the fat ??
I use Butterball 93% lean ground turkey so there is minimal fat. I do not drain the small amount that is there- just made a batch tonight and was surprised at how little fat there is.
Many pet parents turn to homemade food because of an illness – in the case where canine diabetes is an issue, swapping out carrots & peas (high sugar) with organic string beans & blueberries or canned organic pumpkin is a good lower-sugar substitute …
Trader Joe’s frozen organic string beans & blueberries, and canned pumpkin are hard to beat values – Lundberg brand rice, whether white or another variety, cooked, also safe & healthy for pups – Just a thot & thank you for sharing !! Youre not alone in the k9 kitchen
Great recipe!!
I will gladly feed this as a treat when I someday have my own dogs. I believe in both raw and BARF diets, but in the wild canines do eat fruit, tubers, a small bit of everything else from inside their prey, and also animal protein found from fires and left out in the sun for days, and so I do consider this sort if thing a very nice treat and a great vehicle for things such as supplements, and its just a nice changeup. This reminds me of some of the great dog treats in the pet refrigerated food (think those have yogurt added thou), but its homemade and so it is so much better. I really like the break-up of this particular version, thank you for sharing it. 🙂
My dogs love it! Cooked it all in a slow cooker and going to try with salmon instead of ground turkey to see if the cats will like it too.
Awesome!
There are many herbs you can also add and ground egg shells are a must dogs need calcium in the right portions to phosph for every pound of meat add 1/2tsp ground egg shell I also add thyme and oregano parsley.very beneficial.
I was reading that calcium and calories in yo high if % or content is bad for your puppy or large breed dogs making them grow to fast and end up with hip dysplasia. I would like to try homemade food buy am concerned about that. If anyone he any information on making your food and keeping the portions balanced. Also how much is a portion for growing puppies Goldendoodle size she is almost 4 months on the 19th of April.
I took a great online class on making dog food by Dr Barbara Fox. I have a golden doodle If the dog is going to be less that 55 lbs (or close to that) they do need the calcium. If they will grow larger they don’t.
http://barbfoxdvm.com/
Omgggg! This is one of the most famous dogs recipes. Congratulations, and I have to say, thank you for sharing it with was. I was looking for homemade dog recipes food. This one is amazing, and a lot of people like, I was reading all those comments.
I haven’t made this yet but I’m just curious don’t you need to amend it with vitamins, fish oil or vitamin E ? I’m no expert but
I thought this was necessary. Also I understand spinach and kale are NOT good for dogs as they are high in oxalic acid. I’d like to start feeding my dogs somehting like this but I’m not sure about it.
Thank you !
I give my dogs pet-cal and pet-tabs for their daily vitamin intake!!
You need to be careful when giving your dog fish oil..from my experience with my 3 adult Labradors, whenever I give them fish oil gel pills (mixed in a small amount of peanut butter), 1 of my labs will end up eating their poop. Doesn’t happen any other time, only with the fish oil. Sometimes I have to give her Benadryl and it’s with peanut butter and she doesn’t eat poop then. I’ve just started feeding my dogs with this recipe without fish oil and it’s AMAZING how much better their coats look and no scratching..and it’s only been 3 days!!
Thanks for sharing, Sandy! We’re happy to hear your dogs are doing so well with this.
My Super LuLu loves home made food so as a schedule I prepare her food every other Friday. It’s fun and gives me peace of mind knowing what she eats. Thank you.
Great!
Can you freeze the dog food?
Yes, absolutely!
How long is it good to keep on fridge?
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
What would your idea be to make this a dried food recipe? I would need to leave dried food when boarding my pup at my local vet while on vacation. Most renters do not allow pets or I would take her with me. I mostly eat healthy and she refuses “dog food” so she eats a lot of thing that I eat
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I made this for my 12 1/2 lb Chihuahua Honey and she loves it. She not a small Chi and is not overweight. I put the whole mixture in my food processor until it was well mixed. Happy with the results. Not certain on the amount to feed her, so I am starting her on 3/4 cup divided twice daily.
Wow this looks great. Im going to try making it for my chihuahua. He’s 12 yrs old and has kidney disease. He recently stopped eating all processed dog food. Even the canned, wet one he used to love. This morning I boiled some chicken and plain white rice. He tore it up. He was so hungry. So i’m hopping as long as I keep feeding him good, h0mecooked food, he’ll keep eating.
Thanks
We hope he’ll like it!
Just a note – kidney disease diet typically need a low protein, low sodium diet.
Hi, I’m curious how you manage the nutrient profile of the recipe? I’m looking into making my own dog food but am getting bogged down in the idea of her not getting enough vitamin, minerals, etc. depending on what I put in it. Is this something that doesn’t need to be focused on too much? It’s easy to determine calories and then the breakdown of protein, fats, carbs, etc. But I’m having trouble with the nutrition makeup of the food. Don’t want to make her sick by being deficient in something. She currently eats a fresh food that contains beef, vegetables, oil, and a “nutrient mix” to make up for any low vitamins/minerals so I’m wondering how to do that on my own?
Alex, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist. But as always, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I’m just starting off but my vet recommended adding vitamins powder, it’s called superfood supplements and you can sprinkle plot over the food, also definitely add fish oil so you get all of the omegas
Super easy to make! My pit bulls are my world! I will start making all of their food from now on. i keep seeing how bad store bought food is for them and now they’re finding poisons that are killing dogs. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DELICIOUS RECIPE.
Thank you for sharing with us, Sindy!
There are many nutritional and delicious vegetables and other raw food you can find in market and also those delicious organic foods are preferred by pet dogs as well. If you have well known recipes for your pet, then you can easily prepare any food for your dog.
Heck, I’m eating this!!
where is the calcium in this diet?
Janice, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
I’ve been making this for my 9 pound toy poodle. I use boneless chicken breast. I also give her a daily vitamin. She is almost 3 years old. No more chronic ear infection, no more smelly breath!! Well, except for the two days a week that she gets baked salmon for lunch. It’s so much better to feed them healthy home cooked food!!
Sorry if I missed it in all the reviews. We have an English Bulldog that weighs about 55 lbs. Looks like he would need about 3.5 cups a day. Does anybody know how many cups this recipe makes? Thank you in advance!
About 8 cups.
I have made this recipe several times now. My dogs love it and it. Now I feel Guilty if I run out!
If I choose to use chicken breast as a replacement for the turkey, how many chicken breasts should I use? Also, how much per day would you recommend for a Great Dane puppy/young adult? I am thinking this may be cheaper and healthier than kibble for him. Thank you. 🙂
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Regarding serving size, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Super picky overweight Chihuahua loved this. What she didn’t finish our 2 cats did. Thank you for posting this.
Thanks for sharing!
I have two chihuahuas , one of them is a very finicky eater . I made a double batch of this recipe and my two dogs absolutely loved loved it. I mixed it with there dry food. I put about a teaspoon on top of each serving of dog food and they ate it every time. My older dog, a Chihuahua mix is 8 years old and extremely finicky. But she loved every drop of that homemade dog food. I’m making a second batch now and I’m sure it will go over just as well as the first. It’s also great on the budget especially now that I have two dogs. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Glad it works for you!
My dog has been diabetic since June. She’s on a prescription diet and the cost of it is hurting me. I’ve been looking at a lot of recipes and I think this would be good for her. Her Doctor gave me different recipes but this one its only chicken and brown rice, 7/8 cup of chicken and 1/8 cup of brown rice, metamucil 4 tsp., corn oil 2 1/4 tsp., also 2 tsp. of Balance IT Canine. 383 calories is enough for a daily meal. Based on her weight she should have 369 calories, pretty close. So that means 4 oz. in the AM and 12 hours later another 4 oz. This recipe has 412 calories and she’s getting a better variety. Again 4 oz. in the AM and 12 hours later another 4 oz.
I will run this by her Doctor and hope he agrees with this.
Do you drain the meat before adding the rice and veggies?
Yes, you can drain the excess fat if you wish.
Although I added salt, ( all animals need salt) this was such a great idea.
My dog has been on grain-free food since she was a baby and now has cancer, so grain-free is NOT the way to go. This is a great, simple recipe. I will also be adding an egg occasionally and swapping out the veggies, but the combination was perfect and it was so good, I ate some. LOL
Thank you for the inspiration. I did cure a dog of cancer with a homemade diet.
Hi,
can you give us the recipe for the cure cancer diet?
I made about 8 or 9 ziplocks bags with this . But was wondering how long is it ok to leave in freezer for? Not sure when it will go bad.
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps, Jessica!
Hi! My dog loves this recipe. The only thing I am not sure about is how much to feed her. She is a great Dane cross Labrador she weighs about 37kg. Can anyone help me out? Appreciated
Michelle, I just joined this site and have figured on about 2-3% of your dog’s weight per day. I have a 200 lb English Mastiff. That is about 5-6 lbs/day. You’ve likely got an answer, but just in case…. Hope it helps.
Very good however is it enough vitamins and minerals for a dog ? And can I ask how muh to feed a small dog about 6kg a day I’ve started to make own homemade dog food because my little one is a very fussy eater and is very expensive for commercial dog food or to buy fresh on line . She was used to raw food and went off it do you have anymore recipe please? Thank you
How much food should I feed a 100lb dog? He’s 12 years old so doesn’t have high energy anymore. He’s a golden so will eat any amount of food if given to him. I want to make his meals.
Barbara, I just joined this site and have figured on about 2-3% of your dog’s weight per day. For your older fellah about 2% of body weight – about 3 lbs/day. I have a 200 lb English Mastiff. That is about 5-6 lbs/day. You’ve likely got an answer, but just in case…. Hope it helps.
I made a batch yesterday and thought my finiky dogs would never touch this…they gobbled it up!
Do you drain the fat/juice from the meat before stirring in the veggies?
Yes, you can drain the excess fat.
I I would like to make this for my Cavs, but don’t know how much to feed them . At present I feed them 1/3 cup of dry food 2x a day. Please let me know.
Peggy
I have made this. I wanted to get away from kibble, even though using for years a ‘healthier’ kind. (It is scary how unhealthy any kibble is for our babies.) This recipe was enjoyed by my dogs & I believe this is a healthier alternative by far to commercial kibble. Easy to make & one batch – or doulbe batch – frozen in daily consumption servings for your baby(ies) is definitely the way to go. That said, it is important to note that whether or not your precious gems have bladder/kidney issues or you just want to do what you can to prevent these issues, read up on how/why stones form. Two of my aging babies have had UTI problems, one having Calcium Oxalate DiHydrate stones removed from her bladder, the other recurring bladder infections which actually lead to stones. Since I have learned this I make my own ‘dog food’ as well (which is really people food that I give to my dogs). (Smiling aren’t you? It just sounds better {bc it is} better.) I printed out a chart from Greenopedia.com that lists alkaline vs. acidic foods. IMPORTANT: You will want to choose mostly from the alkaline chart. My non-professional though lengthy research results in an 80% alkaline 20% acidic balance for bladder health in susceptible dogs, 60/40 in non-susceptible dogs, or dogs w/o bladder issues as yet. IMPORTANT: RESEARCH what to NEVER give your dogs as this list, and many others, have most likely been created for people not dogs, i.e. avocados, grapes, nuts, dairy, etc. are toxic to our pets (aspca.org). Good luck & may God Bless all our furry friends w/ good health & loving cuddles!
Is there a need to add nutritional supplements?
Yes, but this should be consulted with your pet’s veterinarian as supplements can vary by breed and weight.
Can you tell me why you need to heat the food up
Warm foods are essentially more palatable, no? 🙂
Penny and Tucker love this recipe! They are satisfied for the morning and both not chewing on their paws. (They were both licking). Its so easy to fix. When it’s done I fill up cupcake trays and freeze them and when frozen I put the frozen portions in a freezer bag. It then takes a day to defrost so I pull out tomorrows portion at the time I feed them today.
Teri, how much of this food do you give to your dog? My dog is 70 lb german sheppard and border collie. Thanks
Thanks a lot for sharing this. I am definitely going to try this for my doggos.
Sounds great but You can not feed dogs olive oil. It causes pancreatitis
What would the daily serving size be for a 70 lbs dog??
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
The recommended amount for the size of dog so as not to over feed or underfeef.
So how many cups to weight of dog??
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I am very interested in getting all of your DIY
dog food recipes. Thanks!
Donna & Dusty
can lean beef or ground meat be used as a variety?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
what can you do with the portions? How long refrigerate? Can you freeze?
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
This one looks really easy to make. I think my doggos will love this food.
What about organ meat??? I’ve been making turkey with 3 types of green vegetables, kidney beans and other items, but I keep reading about organ meat. Any thoughts?
Carolyn, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
The recipe is great and simple! But I wonder why the cholesterol content is so high? 49%
I’ve made this recipe but not sure how much for each meal any suggestions
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Thanks for the recipe, I was having major challenges with my dogs digestion and we were getting no answers from the Vet. I had her on a bland diet for far too long so I needed to do something fast, and that’s when I found your recipe. I made her first batch on July 15th and she’s had a healthy reaction and solid consistency ever since (knock, knock). I feed her 1 cup twice per day. I sent an email over to our vet with the recipe and asked if the nutritional value was right for our dog and she referred me to a “Veterinary Nutritionist” and/or “Balance IT… is it weird that she wouldn’t be able to tell me? Anyway I’d just like to say Thank You from the bottom of my heart. My Dog Bronx loves the food and its easy to make, especially when considering the alternative. You’ve changed out lives!
That’s really awesome to hear, Erik – thanks so much for sharing! We’re happy your little pup is doing so much better!
my mom “homemakes” food for her dog, which usually consists of pieces of meat from a rotisserie chicken and some canned veggies like green beans. the dog is elderly and super picky, sometimes snubs her nose to the food and eats the cat’s instead. i told my mom this recipe — only because if she’s feeding the dog homemade food, i want her to have a balanced diet. my mom and sister were very skeptical about the recipe. they had seen the dog walk away from her food numerous times. however, she *loves* this food so much that she never walks away, eats it all, and eats twice as much as she was with the rotisserie chicken/canned veggie meal. when mom told me, i had to leave a comment. thank you! we’re very impressed.
Thank you, Evelyn!
How much do you feed your pup? I have a 55 lbs GSD mix that eats 2.5 cups of his dry food now.
We feed our 4.5-yr old, 19-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your pup.
Hello! My dog is allergic to carrots, what ingredient should I use instead?
You can omit the carrots or replace them with any other vegetable your dog can eat/likes.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. We’re just at the beginning of thinking about changing our 7 year old Maltese’s diet to homemade. We recently tried some healthier options from some online sources (real food, prepared so even humans can eat it, frozen and shipped to us), but the cost is really high.
My question on your post is that you provide a link to Balance IT but your recipe here doesn’t include any supplements. Do you have any suggestions on how to make sure we get the right nutrients into our dog food, preferably from whole foods without adding any supplements–we’re trying to keep the cost down as low as possible while giving our dog something better than dried kibble, which she detests.
Hi Brian. We recommend consulting your vet for those kind of questions since we cannot give any professional advice when it comes to pet care. I hope that helps!
Hi Brian, I have a 7yr old maltese as well did you find any good recipes? I just found out about the Taste of the Wild lawsuit so I’ve had it with commercial dog food.
sounds very interesting, i will definitely get busy right away.
Let us know how you like it!
Both dogs and cats require taurine – it is absolutely essential. Where would the dog be getting taurine from in this food? I don’t see it listed in the Nutritional Information. Apologies if someone already asked this question.
Hi Melanie! I add supplements using Balance IT – it’s a great resource as recommended by my veterinarian.
I would like to know what can I feed my dog. She is diabetic I have to give her an insulin shot twice a day every 12 hours. And what should I give her to keep her blood sugar levels low.
Hi Angie! This may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian. Hope that helps!
How much does this make is it a week supply? How long can it freeze for
Kylie, portions can vary depending on the size and breed of your dog. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
My border collie weighs 20 kg. How many grams of the home made dog food do I give her ? Also do u give her biscuits as well ? If so how much per day Thank you
Sarah
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet as feeding ratio can vary by weight and breed.
Hi
I am a dog owner from india.i tried ur menu and my dog just loved it.but the problem is that in india it’s difficult to get fresh spinach and , zucchini is a rare possibility.
So this time around I tired something on the same lines but added my personal touch.
White rice, four to five cubes of cottage cheese ,chicken roasted and shredded.
Roast chicken pieces in microwave and dry it out of its water content.
Add to mixer grinder along with cubes of cottage cheese.qucik grind to fine granules or shred them .
In a pan take rice as per requirement .Add virgin coconut oil .Don’t exceed content of oil. Restrict to an.amount so that the rice is glistening. Heat for five min in low all the
while stirring.
Mix contents of pan and.mixi and make balls . The coconut oil acts as a good binding agent . It is good for skin coat and for digestive system.
I made around 6 balls of table tennis ball size.
My dog just gobbled it up.
Sorry I forgot to take a pic.next time for sure.
My sweetheart is a six month old small breed like apso.
Increase quantity for larger breeds.
Best part is that u can refrigerate it for future servings.
Hope this helps
How long does it keep in the freezer?
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
Could you give me an idea of what the feeding ratio might be, (i.e. 8 oz for every xx number of pounds)? I’m anxious to try this for my pooch!
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet as feeding ratio can vary by weight and breed.
Thanks for sharing this homemade recipe! I’ve been looking for a nutritious dog recipe for a long time, so I am getting the material today and make this recipe for my dog.
I have small dogs and worry about too much protein which can cause liver shunt in little babies, I think I’ll third the meat and add more veggies!
Yes, but please use your best judgement and consult your vet if you are unsure.
This is fantastic… thank you! I just got an 8-week old puppy. I want to do things right from the start. I see my vet next week and will clear this diet with him, but I’m sure it’ll be better than store-bought dog food. Thanks again!
I am trying this recipe out for my 2 mini-dachies, as they have had some tummy issues lately. They weight approx 11 lbs each. Could you advise as to the daily serving amount that I should be feeding them. Thank you.
Hi Alana! This may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian as this can vary by breed and/or weight.
This is horrible. You don’t have anything for vitamins and minerals. This is why making homemade food is hated by vets. If you feed this only you will have sick dogs eventually. You need two types of organ. Liver and brain, heart, kidney. You need zinc. You need bone. You do not feed any grain. And you don’t need to cook this. Don’t give advice to people if you don’t know what you are doing! It would be like someone giving you advice on feeding a baby and telling you to give the baby raw meat. Get educated and take this terrible advice down before someone else uses it.
Karen, this is what was advised by my pet’s veterinarian AND nutritionist. If you do not feel comfortable feeding this to your dogs, then you don’t have to feed it to them. It’s as simple as that. 🙂
I made your recipe and we even made a double batch our dog Apollo just loves it. I had been feeding him Merric kibble and caned combined a cup each meal, with your recipe would I still feed a cup each or adjust it up or down please advise.
Thanks so much
Gary Ewaska
Hi Gary! This may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian as this can vary by breed and/or weight.
I don’t know what all the hype is about. I am in my 70’s, and remember when there was no such thing as store bought dog food, and we all fed our dogs the meat and vegetable scraps from our plates. I have NEVER bought the poison that they suggest we feed our beloved pets, and I have never had a dog that didn’t live to be 16 years or more. My last Collie girl was 19 years old when she passed happily in her sleep.
I have a puppy who is 8 months, mix australian sheperd and husky. When I got him I took him to the vet and doctor found worms. He receive the pill to get rid of rhe worms. He was 3 days with diarrhea ans didn’t want to eat. So I prepare a soup with chicken and rice and blendet it like a pure and he love it and recover from hos diarrhea. I want to change his dietwith nutrients like spinach, vitamins, liver. Please let me know wich recipe is good for him since I want that hi grow up very heathy.
Hi Raquel! The chicken and rice soup sounds amazing! But this question may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian as he is having some diarrhea and worms. Hope that helps!
do you also add supplements to your dog food? While I agree that commercial foods can be scary to give your beloved fur child, there are also added vitamins and minerals that I would assume are important to their health that are in those foods. In my research it seems people only make these homemade foods with the food and no added vitamins so i was just curious if that’s just something extra you do but didnt want to “advertise” so people don’t start asking you questions like you’re a vet about amounts and such or if you personally feel your pooch or pooches are getting a comfortable amount of nutrition with the few ingredients above.
Hi Nay! Yes, we add supplements/vitamins as directed by our vet and nutritionist. Hope that helps!
What the shelflife for this homemade dog food
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps, Juli-an!
Thanks for the recipe. Our adopted pup is such a picky eater. He was fed with table scraps and was malnourished when we got him. We tried to introduce him to dog food but he just eats a handful. Do you have other easy dog food recipes? Thanks again!
I sure do! 🙂
https://damndelicious.net/category/dog-food/
My dog has calcium oxalate stones and was put on a very expensive restrictive prescription c/d diet by his vet, but he refuses to eat it whether it’s canned, stew, or dry. I’m looking into making him homemade meals and possibly supplementing, but assumed it would be costly and difficult to get the nutrition and calories right. This was encouraging and helpful, thank you! Any other tips would be appreciated, too!
Thank you so much for this. My elderly dog is not eating well, I think he can’t chew his dog biscuits any more. I am going to the store today to buy the ingredients. I was going to pick up tinned food but it just looks awful so googled and found this! It sounds lovely. I cook all the family meals from scratch so why not the dogs 🙂
Exactly!
Your homemade recipes are too high in carbohydrates, changes to the dogs PH levels causes allergies, which is not the same as humans PH. Grain free foods are also netter for dogs, as well as organic/grass fed meats.
After thawing the food in the fridge… can we serve directly or do we need to nuke it?
I personally prefer to nuke it for my little guy! 🙂
I would suggest browning the meat first – whether you use turkey, chicken, or ground meat (either beef, lamb or pork). Then add all the vegetables, and let them cook together, adding beef or chicken broth to moisten. Add rice (brown or wild grain), let simmer until rice is cooked through – turn off the heat and add fruit (blueberries are my choice). Let cool and refrigerate. Simplifies a more complex task.
Don’t you have to add certain supplements? Vitamins? Calcium? Fish oil? Probiotics?
Maria, I add supplements/vitamins as directed by our vet and nutritionist but this really should be answered by your veterinarian as this can vary by breed/weight.
My dog has pancreatitis and the vet suggested we feed him a bland low fat homemade diet in addition to his low fat dry food as his appetite is hit or miss. One day he will eat 2 cups of food the next if my husband hand feeds him he will eat half his food. He’s lost 3lbs which doesn’t sound like much until I say he’s a pomeranian, he’s a big pom but you can now feel all his ribs. The vet gave me a list of foods I’m allowed to give him but I’m looking to see if I can find some recipes for him.
I’m really hoping this encourages him to eat as we had to put in a feeding tube and we would really like to get it out.
My dog too was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis from eating too many table scraps. I have always cooked his meals but I only boil them now. I give him boiled chicken with white rice, pasta and I only add the following vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, broccoli and cottage cheese), I was told to over boil everything for easy digestion, he loves his food and never leaves anything in his bowl. He also likes dry food so I give him Royal Canin Gastrointestinal low fat prescription diet which agrees with him and loves it. No more health issues.
We started using this recipe back in February and the dogs love it. We have noticed that they dropped weight and body mass very quickly. They were never overweight to begin with. One of our 16″ tall dogs was 17lbs when we started and is now 14lbs. This is after feeding 1 cup twice a day, we are upping him to three feedings a day. With four (4) dogs this is becoming extremely cost prohibitive. The recipe is costing us $25 for a 2 day supply, at this rate it will cost us over $300 a month. Is anyone else having this issue?
Concerned in Connecticut
I would be curious to know the answer to this as well. This is really the way to go to keep our dogs healthy but we also have 3 dogs (not small ones). We want to the best for them…… We do garden so that will help, however What IS everyone spending a month for their dogs homemade food? I know it depends on size of dog, but i’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.
Chungah! Awesome recipe! I made this for my pup the other night and he loved it
Aw, nothing better than a happy pup! Thank you.
How much does a single batch make (how many cups?) Thank you ☺
About 8 cups.
Where is the unsubscribe button?
It’s at the bottom of each email you receive.
This article is a good one indeed because with so many commercial options available sometimes, we forget to give our dogs the homemade options of food. I personally like to give my pet baby homemade food. Great share and I will definitely try the recipe you have given. Cheers.
It is good you are pointing people towards Balanceit for home made diets. It is essential that pet diets are balanced with all the vitamins and minerals they need. I have a small version of “Balanceit” in Australia with free balanced recipes – see https://www.vetlicious.com/choose-protein. Thanks Steve.
When food is nuked all the nutrients and minerals vanish, please do not nuke for your best pals, they will be getting no nourishment for their health when food is nuked. Also I was reading about a cat eating tuna from a can above, and tuna from a can is too acidic for cats, a friend of mine had to pay tonnes of money for a UTI operation because her cat was eating tuna from a can, that’s what the Vet told her. For UTI problems for cats organic cranberry juice works, for dogs, just use cranberry extract with D-mannose for a few nights.
How many cups does this make
About 8 cups.
I just made my first batch and the dogs are loving it! I have a 30 (+) lb Corgi and a 70lb Wirehaired Griffon and I am trying to figure out how much to feed them. I feel like they are both a little overweight at this point. I have seen people mention amounts of food in lbs but I measure their food in cups. Any thoughts? Thanks!
DO NOT USE Brown Rice or Dairy in dog food EVER! It disrupts their digestion system. Dogs digestion is much quicker then in humans. Using whole grains and dairy can make your dog sick. Use white rice instead.
Hi! I just dropped by to say that I linked from my site to here. I know that it’ll become useful for my future readers. BTW, here’s the link >> Side Hustle Ideas for Dog Lovers
Hope this is you who published this:
http://godstrongwomen.com/life-saving-homemade-dog-food-view-recipe/
It is actually not but thank you so much for letting me know! I have reached out to them to have them remove the post immediately.
Is there a cookbook with dog food recipes?
Not at this time – but hopefully soon! 🙂
How long can it keep in the fridge ….and freezer?
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
This recipe is fantastic! My very sweet, 12-year old chihuahuas HATE ‘dog food’ and I don’t blame them! This recipe makes us both feel good. They feel like they are getting a ‘treat’ and I feel so much better about serving this to them rather than some gross canned food. Thanks so much!
Hi Chungah! I made a big pot of this dog food last week and my dog is STILL licking the bowl CLEAN after each meal 🙂 He loves it and it makes me so happy to cook something special for him. I substituted the brown rice for white rice (after reading about how it was easier for their tummies to digest) and right now I am halting the serving with his dry dog food to ween him off 🙂 But I wanted to pop in to tell you how much Felix LOVES his new food.
Thank you!
Can I replace zucchini with cucumber? If not, what can I replace it with?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, we cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications. And with this specific recipe, consult your vet if you are not sure.
Do you feed this as dog meal every day or you have other recipes to rotate? (another then easy crockpot). If you have other, can I ask how many recipe variety you feed?
Do you use supplements? how much and what supplement you use for your dog?
Of course in the end I still consult my vet, but I want to know about yours if possible or if can’t its ok.
Anyway, we both have corgi <3
Sry I think I lost in translation, already found most of the answer in your comment and after couple re-read your page 😀
I have a question, do you add any supplements to the dog food you make like “ BalanceIt “ suggests dogs need. If so which do you add? I’d hate for my dogs to be difficient in vitamins. BalanceIt sells some, but they seem kinda pricey just wondering your take on this? Thanks
Yes, I add supplements but I recommend consulting with your pet’s veterinarian to see what is best suited for your pup.
Recipe looks interesting. Can u pls suggest any vegetarian recipes for my 12 yr old Shih-Tzu dog? I can add egg. No issue. Except no meat.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications. Sorry, Radha!
I differ with your advice that all starches are bad for diabetics. On a plant-based diet that includes lots of starchy vegetables, including white and sweet potatoes, I have reversed type 2 diabetes and done away with the medications for it and for high cholesterol. It is fat that causes the problem for diabetics. Starch is not the culprit. Our bodies use carbs and store fat. Fat is what keeps insulin from entering cells as it should and forces it into the bloodstream, thus insulin resistance and diabetes. That’s why losing weight ends type 2 diabetes.
That’s an awful lot of vegetables and grain! You need to make sure the meat contains organs and such also 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. My senior shih tzu has been picky ever since we brought him home from the shelter 6 years ago. I have switched between high quality dog foods to encourage him to eat. I added cheese, I started giving him refrigerated dog food…. still kind of picky. I thought maybe I should just let him eat junk dog food so he would enjoy eating his food. BUT!!Today I made this recipe, he ate two bowls even with his Nutro dry mixed in. The vet would tell me that he’ll eat when he is hungry, I believe that is true but I’m so happy he is enjoying his food now…..FINALLY !! Bubba the Shih tzu thanks you too.
Thanks for this recipe, Chungah! I’m going to try this with my dog this week. I see a lot of people asking how much to give. As always just ASK YOUR VET what the calorie requirements for your dog are and multiply that by the nutritional information that has been handily provided!!
My vet told me we should be shooting for 1000-1200 calories for his breed/weight. so divided 1100 by 412.3 calories per cup in this recipe that comes out to about 2&2/3 cups a day. So we’ll start with 1 & 1/3 for breakfast and 1 & 1/3 for dinner. Which is Actually very close to what we have been giving him of his dry food 😀
Where is the dairy in this recipe? At the first of the article you said they had to have a certain percentage of dairy. Just wondering.
There is no dairy in this recipe.
Dairy: you can test the recipe w/ a few ounces of shredded low/no-lactose Cheddar or American cheese.
Aslo, regarding the rice debate..
The Difference Between Brown and White Rice
All rice consists almost entirely of carbs, with small amounts of protein and practically no fat.
Brown rice is a whole grain. That means it contains all parts of the grain — including the fibrous bran, the nutritious germ and the carb-rich endosperm.
White rice, on the other hand, has had the bran and germ removed, which are the most nutritious parts of the grain. This leaves white rice with very few essential nutrients, which is why brown rice is usually considered much healthier than white.
Brown rice has a big advantage over white rice when it comes to nutrient content. Brown rice has more fiber and antioxidants, as well as a lot more important vitamins and minerals. White rice is mostly a source of “empty” calories and carbs with very few essential nutrients.
100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked brown rice provide 1.8 grams of fiber, whereas 100 grams of white provide only 0.4 grams of fiber.Brown rice is high in magnesium and fiber, both of which help control blood sugar levels. Research suggests that regularly eating whole grains, like brown rice, helps lower blood sugar levels and decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Simply replacing white rice with brown has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, high consumption of white rice has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes. This may be due to its high glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly a food increases blood sugar.
Brown rice has a GI of 50 and white rice has a GI of 89, meaning that white increases blood sugar levels much faster than brown. Eating high-GI foods has been associated with several health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
The list below shows a comparison of other vitamins and minerals:
Brown (RDI) White (RDI)
Thiamine 6% 1%
Niacin 8% 2%
Vitamin B6 7% 5%
Manganese 45% 24%
Magnesium 11% 3%
Phosphorus 8% 4%
Iron 2% 1%
Zinc 4% 3%
Can once melted frozen peas be frozen again?
Usually frozen things should not be frozen again.
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty – sorry! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
So we just recently started this but we have two 50 pound dogs. How many cups do you think we should do for them and how many times?
Sophia, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
Thank you so much for this recipe! Even though we buy good quality food our littlest yorkie boy who’s about 7 years old suddenly stopped eating and got the runs. The only thing I could get him to eat for two days was part of a peanut butter sandwich. Then I found a packet of the dog food I had made in the freezer… one last one left. I thawed it out and held out a tablespoon of it to him and he ate it up! I was SO relieved! He ate half a bowl of it this evening no problem so I’m making two more batches. One just like the recipe says and one with egg yolks, peas, turkey, spinach, peas, pumpkin and brown rice.
Much love from our fur kids and family!
Wendy in Lexington TN
I really like this recipe for my beautiful dogs. Homemade dog food is guaranteed fresh and nutrient packed! Thank you so much.
I’m really grateful for your provided information. I will save this article for one of my favorite this month and if it’s okay to you I will share this to my friend.
How much of the balance it canine supplement do you use with this recipe?
Emily, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
This is actually not a balanced diet for a dog and you can have problems if you don’t feed the correct ratios of meat and bone. Please let people know they need to do more research than just following this blog! Misinformation can harm puppies. Please research raw, prey-model, and BARF diets. The absolute best diet for a dog is raw, but you have to feed it correctly to make sure they get proper nutrition. Cooked diets like this can cause a lot of long term issues…
I have a 15 month 124 lb Great Dane and have recently discovered he has severe food allergies that have caused severe bowl issues his whole life I am now cooking for him but I am concerned with getting the nutrients and calories right for him He is allergic to Wheat,Corn,Rice,Sweet Potatoe and Pork any help would be appreciated. I took him in to discuss the food with my vet he is determined that I need to feed him the 1 brand of dog food he can have it is 73.00 for 17 lbs he would need 5 bags a month this just isn’t feasible for us I don’t want him to lose more weight so a good recipe with advice on how much would be greatly appreciated. I am feeding him beef , Chicken Breasts, Chicken Gizzards and Livers, White Potatoes, Cottage Cheese, Greek Yougurt no sugar, Oatmeal, Eggs and ground egg Shells also add different veggies such as carrots, spinach,Parsley, peas, green beans, garbonza beans
I have a 15 year old shih tzu. Ever since he broke his jaw 4 months ago i have to feed him canned food. That stuff isn’t cheap…. Do you know if I save money by making the food for my dog instead of buying can food? Also what’s the receommended portion to my little man? He’s never hungry in the morning. Only eats at dinner time.
Any suggestions or opinions welcomed!
Thanks!!
Marie, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
I’m really confused my all the filler? I had German Shepherds which were used for protection work. They were big strong, very high energy dogs. I initially had them on Iams for ages, and it seemed to change.. both my cats and dogs started to lose condition. Several Vet trips and multiple food changes.. we wound up with the cats on Origen Red, and the dogs on a BARF diet. There was raw chicken with bone in for their calcium, their meats changed, I had multiple sources from rabbit, to venison, to beef, to goat, to pork (store bought only), we even got beaver, squirrel and tripe. Both of my boys got between 4 1/2 to 5 lbs a day total because of their energy level. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that dogs are primarily carnivores, yes they WILL eat vegetation, but their digestive system is not designed for it. That is why is causes so much gas and huge piles of poo. Your dogs body can’t utilize it, so it just gets rid of it. It’s amazing the first week of a true raw diet where you are only feeding raw meat, bones, and organ meat. The poos will bee so tiny even if you have a 200 lb dog.. and the best part, after about three days, they just vanish, they just dry up, crumble and disintegrate. I only have a Chihuahua at the moment, she is very pampered. Filet, Ahi Tuna steak, whatever we have I cut some up for her before I start cooking. I’m looking for my next dog. Hopefully it will not be long. I would NEVER EVER buy any food that the first ingredient listed wasn’t an animal protein
I’m soooo happy I found this recipe! My dog is such a brat and won’t eat hard dog food. We ended up switching him over to wet dog food of the same brand, and they sent me expired food! I didn’t notice for over a week of feeding it to him. I felt sooo bad about it. I ended up making this for him right after that, and he absolutely loves it! He used to never get excited about his food, and now he jumps around when I pull out a baggy. 🙂
This is a great recipe, but cats and dogs also need specific nutrients daily. I make dog food, but my dog also gets regular dog food once a day. Also, be careful to those that give fish to cats. I learned the hard way that too much is not a good thing. It ended up costing me $2500!
Easy to make & the boys loved it!!!
Thank you
It is ideal that you add organ meat (livers and hearts) and perhaps ground cartilage to this recipe. Organ meats supply a great many nutrients that the primary meat will not, and cartilage does this as well as give joint benefits. Depending on the dog’s personal sensitivity you might also want to cook the rice longer than directed and in extra water, and grind up it or it may cause irritation as dogs have a harder time digesting rice than humans do and will also not digest most of the nutrients found in brown rice anyway, oatmeal is also another alternative and may be better for the skin and coat. If you get your meat from a quality (Organic, not factory farmed) source it is probably safe to give it to your pets raw as well, my dog loves raw bloody chicken livers and they are very good for her too. Adding a probiotic to your dogs food is also ideal, you can easily do this by adding a spoonful or two of yogurt or probiotic powder supplement to your dogs food after cooking it. Peas and rice are both filler and do not benefit the dog much other than bulking up their food to make them feel full faster, the protein in peas should not be necessary if you are using enough animal products. You can also cook poultry bones in a slow cooker with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and enough water to cover until they become soft enough to snap and grind in a food processor for an excellent source of protein and minerals, but this can also be tedious.
Thank you for the recipe and all those that have chimed in with alternatives and ideas. I appreciate the sharing! I look forward to making homemade food for my dog for her better health!
Thank you for the recipe. I have six little Yorkies and the cost of going to the vet was starting to be too much. I come from a place where human food was shared with our dogs (our diet has white rice, boiled veggies, boiled meat, no oil other than the fat from the meat cooked and onions are not used though tomatoes, ginger, and garlic are used heavily). The dogs rarely have stomach issues or illnesses. Now with one of our dog having shunts which caused bladder infection and blood in her urine, needing high risk surgery, I decided to go with my gut and follow my peoples way. It is 3 months and the bladder infection is gone, no blood in the urine, their wastes no longer smells, no more upset tummys and diarrhea, more energy, reduced bad breath, the cost of food has been reduced hugely even with buying organic and all natural food and no vet visit as yet. My husband is happy that expenses have been reduced It is definitely worth giving them home cooked meals!
Love your comment on this post. I have a 15 year old shih tzu and I was wondering how big of a portion do you give your little yorkies? I would love your input on that because I’m considering to do the same thing as you.
I love this post! Thanks for sharing. I recently started doing home cooked meals for my dog too. I found he wasn’t digesting the veggies very well. I put the rice and the veggies in my blender to make a soupy mixture and mix that with the meat, the texture of his poop became more solid after doing that and it seems he’s digesting it really well. I also alternate between raw and cooked meat and give raw meaty bones. For those who don’t know, dogs can digest raw meat easily but vegetables need to be cooked and often pulverized to increase digestibility. If you see pieces of undigested carrot in your dogs poop for example, best to put your veggies through a blender.
Just in response to a few posts on here: For those who think that dogs are carnivores, they can be if you make them but that’s not what they are genetically. Dogs domesticated themselves by manipulating humans into giving them more easily digestible food and letting them sleep closer to the fire. The 10 key genes that separate dogs from wolves include genes for the digestion of starch, making them genetically omnivorous. Dogs are not wolves. They are more scavengers than hunters by their genetic code. I feel my dog needs the extra energy from the carbs I feed him. He’s a giant breed, I believe it’s a disservice to deny your dog of that extra feel good energy that’s encoded in his DNA, especially when they’re growing, which for giant breed can be 3 years. Would you feed your growing child an all protein diet?
Anyway, awesome post! Thank you!
I have 2 Yorkies 3Lbs & 5Lbs how much should I give them…I can’t wait for them to make this for them! looks great… Thank you
what breed is your dog and how much does he/she weigh. And do you feed him/her 1 cup per day?
We feed our 3-yr old, 18-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your dog.
Im thinking of getting a rott puppy and I know they require a high protein diet would this recipe be good or do I need to add more meat or take out some grains? It says the recipe is easy to adjust for diets, but how?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Chungah, this is absolutely amazing! My dog loves it and I feel so much better making his own food. Thank you!
This recipe is great. I have been feeding my dog with only homemade food and hee is gonna turn 13 this year so i would love to share some recipes with you guys http://www.dogfoods.gr8.com His name is SNOWY 🙂
Thank you so much for writing an informed post about home-cooked diets for dogs! I am a veterinarian and get so frustrated by the “alternative facts” out there about dog nutrition (SO.MUCH. misinformation!). I love that you reference Balance IT, which is my favorite website for helping owners create balanced home-cooked diets for dogs and cats. I will be trying this one for my own pup<3
I have two coonhounds. How much should I put in each serving?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
dogs eat RAW MEAT, BONES AND ORGANS….and that’s it!!….they do NOT and should NOT eat vegetables or rice, or anything else that is in a human’s varied diet …..they are carnivores, and have made it thru millions of years being hunters and scavengers…..look at their teeth….should they be eating cereal nuggets or vegetables or rice????…..would you feed that human stuff to a lion?…NO!!… dentition dictates what they should eat…a lion has EXACTLY the same teeth as a dog…..dogs are NOT omnivores, and although they can survive on just about anything, that doesn;t mean that fruit veg and rice is the right food….and think about it….what about those dogs who can;t make their own rice, like the ones in |China can?….oh wait, THOSE dogs in China have no thumbs to be able to cook rice on a stove either….
Janice is 100% correct.
****THIS POST SHOULD COME WITH A DISCLAIMER****
It is very dangerous to offer this type of information without doing proper research. It’s vital for dogs to have a certain percentage of RAW bones (never cooked), kidneys, liver etc with every meal in order to make sure they’re receiving all the proper nutrients.
What you offer above IS NOT A COMPLETE DOG FOOD DIET.
The recipe is void of those things (as well as supplements) and will longterm cause health issues and malnutrition (especially because the food is all cooked).
Dog kibble is garbage but at least they are sure to include all the necessary supplements that dogs need in their diet.
Very true
While dogs certainly do not need rice, they are not entirely carnivores, they are omnivores. Dogs do naturally eat a diet of mostly meat, but they will eat the fruits off of shrubbery as well much similar to bears. Dogs also get a source of plant matter from their prey, unless you are feeding your dogs whole prey with bellies full of plant matter you may need to supply it in the form of cooked vegetables.
How long can this stay in the freezer for after it has been made?
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
This recipe is amazing! my puppy loved it! my kids got a whiff of the aroma as I was cooking it, they asked to eat some! It’s hillarious because now they ask me to make dog food for lunch! jajaja
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it for my puppy and she loved it! I used ground beef and white rice and made it in my slow cooker to save myself some work – just dumped everything in except the spinch and frozen peas which I added for a few minutes at the end. I noticed that this recipe had double the percentage of protein compared to other recipes I’ve seen. So I did a little research to better understand how much protein dogs need. From what I’ve read, dogs only require between 15% and 35% protein in their diets (depending on their age, activity level, etc.). I will definitely make this again, but in future I will either cut the meat in half or double all the other ingrediants. Not only will this be in keeping with a dogs nutritional requirements, but it will be less expensive to make and the recipe will stretch a little further in feeding my large breed dog.
Thank you for this recipe! I am getting the ingredients today to make for my dogs.
I’ve been looking for a healthy dog recipe.
I love the versatility of your recipes.
Hi there can you tell me what is the breed of your dog. I would like to know if these proportions are suitable as well for a shih tzu. Thanks!
We feed our 3-yr old, 18-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your labradors.
How much in cups do I give my labradors per feed based on your recipe?.
We feed our 1-yr old, 19-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your labradors.
This seems like a great recipe . Once the recipe is done cooking how many cups Of food do you get from 1 batch ?
About 8 cups.
I have 4 yorkies who are picky eaters. Every couple months they decide to boycott and stop eating their food. The most recent food they have been eating was Merrick canned classic recipie. My dog food bill was getting up in price so I decided to research making my own. I found your recipie and went straight to the grocery store. In no time at all I had enough meals for 5 days for all my 4 dogs. I feed them twice a day and each dog gets 3/4 cup for breakfast and dinner. They love the home cooked meals I make and its all done with love. The food is fresh and its much cheaper then the 6.00 I was spending per day on canned food. The only substitution I made was coconut oil instead of olive oil. Thank you so much everyone for the recipie, all the comments and suggestions. It’s clear we all love our fur babies.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is amazing! I had my dog Josh try it out and he sends his compliments too 🙂
The entire bowl was done in less than five minutes.
I would like to add that depending on your dog liking, you could add mashed tunafish. My dog loves tuna in everything
is everybody using the 80% lean or the 93% lean turkey?
My senior corgi mix is diabetic for 4 yrs. I am cooking his food, chicken & gr beef, but want 2 add vegs. I consult his vet. It is very difficult to find any recipes for diabetic dogs, even for treats. Does anyone have a good recipe ? Thank you for your recipes, it is soo important to feed a proper diet to our pets. I am constantly looking at ingredients in dog treats. There is always some form of sugar, molasses, cane sugar, etc. Please watch , this will effect your dog later on.
I cook chicken thighs in the oven with my dutch oven. Add water and shredded carrots and cook at 250 degrees until done. Once cooked I shred all the chicken and set aside. Then in the left over stock (water from cooking chicken) I add frozen spinach (fresh would work too) and frozen peas. The warm broth will defrost the vegetables. Then I add cooked rice from the rice cooker. Add chicken back in. I make very large batches at once so I freeze some of it in glass topperware. The homemade food is our dogs topper. They still get an organic kibble with homemade stuff. It’s about 60 percent kibble and 40percent homemade wet food.
Can someone please mention how much am I supposed to be feeding my dog? Thank you!
2% of body weight ..
100 lb dog 2 lbs of food.
75% meat 5 to 10 % kidney
10% veggies and fruits
5%sardines or muscles .. fish oil can also be used
10% bone . . I give raw chicken feet.. Or you can use egg shells which have calcium as well.
Dogs need calcium so dont forget fish and calcium are important..
Hi, would like to give you recipe a try. Howeve, I’m from India where it’s difficult to procure Turkey, can chicken be used instead?
Thanks
Yes.
Hello I had to read your comments on homemade dog food.
I have A6 year old long haired dachshund she weighs about 15 pounds she had liver failure about six months ago and the vet wanted her to go on a $4.25 dog food I thought that that was ridiculous not only that she didn’t like it so I started making my own I do use brown rice and I think that animals are forgiving for what you give them 25% 40% I don’t think it makes that big of a difference.
I have thought about something that came to mind after I had found a premium dog food dry dog food that had all the great nutrients in it with no copper which she can’t have. I think I am going to put two cups which is 16 ounces of this dry dog food with chicken butt chicken juice to moisten it and then put it in the boneless skinless chicken that I have cooked.
I have often thought about the vitamin minerals that she wasn’t going to get from the homemade dog food and I am really excited about trying this dog food with the chicken. What say you?
I have a 10 year old dog with major allergies and a 12 year old dog that I think now has kidney failure (from what Dr. Google tells me, hehe). what i have read is that a homemade diet is best for kidney failure for lower salt content, protein content, etc. Going to try it I think. not to mention they loooove people food. I just bought Taste of the Wild 30 pound bag for $46 at PSP for 4 dogs. we go thru about a bag a month.
I was feeding dog chow from Sams 50 pounds for $26, but hubby felt our border collies fur wasn’t shining so decided to buy the expensive stuff. Thanks for the info. can’t wait to start cooking for my fur babies.
I have been experimenting, not a nice word, with my dog food. This is what I do. I would appreciate any advice you could give me. even if I am wrong, I need to know it. I have a Shih Tzu (1 1/2) and a Pomchi (7)
I cook a 10 pound bag of chicken legs and thighs and remove the meat and gristle.
I hand grind the meat and gristle, putting into a BOG bowl
I add 5 eggs, 1/4 cup of pulverized dried egg shells (for calcium) 5 medium tomatoes chopped, 3/4 cup minute rice (brown is better but all I had was white)
1/2 large bag of mixed veggies and enough chicken broth to make it moist enough to swell and cook the rice.
Then I spray an 11″ x 14″ corning pan and spread it out evenly. If it seems too thick, I make an additional 8″X 8″ pan.
I bake on 325 until a knife comes out clean…. (close to 1 hour)
When it is cool, I cut into 3 inch squares and they have one in the early morning and one in the evening.
Are there any spices that I can add that are beneficial to their health.
Also, the Shih Tzu eats 2 small salads a week. (no dressing or onions)
All I do is say “CHICKY-CHICKY” and they run to their bowls.
Just made this for my frenchie! I was mixing wet/dry food with water and heating it up. She just started vomiting it up these past few days and I knew I had to change her diet. She loved this! I didn’t even have to sit with her to get her to eat 😛 Thank you!
Hi ,is it safe to make a couple of days worth of Turkey white rice and vegetables to keep refrigerated and then feed at room temperature.
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
CAN I USE CHICKEN MINCE AS A REPLACEMENT? I AM IN CT SOUTH AFRICA AND AM UNABLE TO FIND TURKEY MINCE
Yes.
One thing to think about is when cooking your dogs food is that your cooking all the nutrients out of the food that your dog needs. Alot of people feed a raw diet.
Great recipe, but I think you forgot to include the amount of balanceIT supplements that you need to add to the mix?
I actually did not include it in the recipe as the amounts can vary depending on the size of your pup.
Hi, do you cook the vegetables before adding them to the mix?
There’s no need to! 🙂
It makes sense for humans of course to eat the brown vs white rice, but remember this is food for dogs, and the white rice is better as far as getting any nutrients due to their short digestive tract. And also since talking about absorbing nutrients, the vegetables in this recipe have not been cooked enough to release the nutrients. If you are determined to feed vegetables they need to be “predigested” so to speak. Cook and pulverize them to simulate them going through the digestive tract of a herbivore. Then add them to the homemade dog food. The comment that cooking them too much will destroy the nutrients, doesn’t make much sense, because if you don’t they simply go through as roughage.
I agree. White rice is more digestible and my dog has pancreatitis so i also over boil the vegetables and mash them up so its easily digestible otherwise he has problems. .
Does anyone have good recipes including venison?
Did I miss something? All that turkey and all that rice plus the veggies and it only makes 1 cup? That’s hard to believe but that’s what it said: 1 serving 1 cup.
The recipe yields about 8 cups.
I am in agreement with Gladys. This reads like a great recipe to try, however I am trying to figure out the economical value in it based on the numbers provided. This recipe/suggestion is for a very small breed dog, yeah?
Three pounds of turkey will cost, roughly, some $15-$20, tack on another $10 for the rest and you have a $25-$30 budget for a little over one week’s worth of food for a medium sized dog (30+ lbs at 1.5-2 cups daily). That’s about $75-$90 a month versus $50-$75 store bought.
Since our Yorkie has such a sensitive stomach, I am going to try making his food for him instead of buying the canned food in stores. I came across this recipe and it looks perfect. Since this will make quite a bit, do you freeze it in ziploc bags, and pull out as needed?
Yes, absolutely. We do that all the time!
Thanks for another new recipe…my fur baby will appreciate it. She is 16 and very picky. She won’t eat the same thing two days in a row and picks out visible veggies so I have to blend them in.
I do worry that she doesn’t get enough calcium although she loves a fruit and milk smoothie and bits of cheese as a treat, I still wonder if that is enough.
Pardon me if this is a dumb question. In the recipe, you say “1.5c of brown rice.” In the instructions it says to cook according to the package. If I calculated correctly, ( 1 cup raw rice will yield 3 cups cooked) Should it be 4.5c of cooked rice or is it 1.5c cooked rice?
I had a insulin diabetic rescue, that I made ( raw) food for and it resolved a lot of issues for him. Our new little guy has a delicate stomach. This is the only thing that hasn’t “bothered” his stomach.
Not a dumb question at all! The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice.
Hello!
I have two 4 year old Pomeranians and I have had them on a cooked diet since they were 8 weeks old. Your recipe
is very similar to mine, but I always use boiled beef liver as opposed to chicken or turkey. Then I add different veggies including carrots, lima beans, green beans, sweet potatoes, sometimes a small amount of corn, squash, blueberries and a little bit of olive oil. Then I add organic brown rice, but in small amounts. Usually the ratio is 50% protein, 30% vegetables and 20% grains. I feed them 1/3 of a cup in the morning and 1/3 cup at night. They love it!! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
apologies, my puppy is a westie
Hi,
please can you tell me if I should add/substitute this mix for a 12 week old puppy?
Michelle, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
Thanks for your recipe. I will try to do it for my dogs. My mother made her own dog food for years. OUr large dogs lived 15-17 years under her care.
Hi Monica, do you know if your mom used supplements to their diet in addition to making the food? I’m not sure if I should add supplements and if so which ones? Thanks
This recipie was great! My little 10 y/o chihuahua with a picky tummy loved it! I substituted kale for spinach as spinach can lead to kidney damage in large quantities and added 2 eggs in while cooking the turkey. In the next batch I’m thinking of adding some fresh blueberries or pineapple. I portioned in small containers as she doesn’t eat much and this seems to freeze well also. Thanks a million!!
I feed my dog white rice, cottage cheese and boiled chicken and other ingredients. I watched Dr. Oz the other day and the show was about arsenic in white and brown rice. More so brown then white. They recommend boiling rice the same way as you would pasta with lots of water. Cook rice till tender then drain through mesh strainer. The rice is still just as good as cooked the other way but much more safe for you and you beloved pets. Please be sure to wash all veg. and fruits before cooking due to the fact of pesticides.
How do you measure fresh spinach?
Loosely in a measuring cup.
I have a service dog, lab also has allergies as well. Is this a good recipe. She needs a no grain diet.
Where’s the dairy in this recipe? I add a blob of cottage cheese to their bowls right at feeding time so it doesn’t get weird in the cooking process. I also sometimes add an egg to the food when I’m warming it up. My dogs can’t tolerate carrots (they come out undigested in their poops) so I omit that from the recipe, and sometimes I replace the brown rice with regular rice, black rice or quinoa. As for veggies I change them to wherever is safe and in season. Same with the meat, they’ve had everything from venison, freshwater fish, duck, pheasant and wild turkey…..depending what we’ve hunted/caught. It’s also way more economical to feed harvested meat and veggies than store bought, not to mention healthier. Thanks for a great base recipe!
Hi! I am just starting to do homemade food for my 12 year old daschund using the balance it supplements. When do you add it? They have two different formulas now, canine and canine plus (which can be heated). I got the regular canine formula and have been adding it right before I feed him. But, I am starting to think it would’ve been nice to add it when I make a big batch using Canine plus then I can heat it in microwave when I am ready for the individual serving. Love being able to create the different recipes on their site! What ratio protein/fat/carbs to do use in your recipes?
I prefer to add the supplements prior to serving, but as always, please use your best judgment.
As recommended by my veterinarian, I use BalanceIt.com to determine protein/fat/carbs.
Hi! I have been researching making my dogs food myself. This is not only because I want to save money but because I worry about what is really be putting in dog food. I am getting a new puppy in 4 weeks. Do you think this recipe is suitable for a puppy?
Misty, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
What is the suggested serving size per weight? I have 2 dogs and am trying to see how much I would need to make for a week.
Thanks,
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hi
We’re moving our Lab onto homemade food to manage allergies and this recipe looks great. One question however, how much should I feed to my dog? He’s a large Lab (38kg)
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
One of my yorkshire terriers is a allergic to a lot of food, so I am always looking for more organic food, and then my sister enlightened me that you could make your own dog food, so here I am! This looks great for my yorkies and is high in protein, so thank you!
I was wondering how long this last in the freezer?
I’ve had them last for a few weeks but as always, please use your best judgment.
This is Great ! Is it ok for any dog? I mean i have Golden Retriever Puppy. (one year Old).
Also, Can i remove carrot form recipe? He don’t like 2 carrots. 🙂
Yes, you can omit certain ingredients that you see fit. That’s the beauty of home cooking! 🙂
I have three female chihuahuas. I usually purchase I/d prescription diet dry food, because they have gastrointestinal problems. Is there a special food that I can prepare for my girls. Because it is so expensive and I am limited in finances. Please if you have a recipe on hand, by all means could you email it to me. Bless you so much!
What is the serving size based on weight? And does it need to be doubled for a puppy?
Gericho, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
My dog loved this recipe! Thank you so much! Please post more.
I tried my dog on raw meat and it did not agree with her.
Had to stop it as after four days when she went to the toilet it had all turned a bright yellow.Vet said it was no good for her pancreas. So now looking for a homemade receipe as she seems to have been put off eating..Please do you have any ideas that will help.
I have never tried raw meat for our dogs. I have bought expensive dog foods many times and my dogs do not like it. After trying different brands, I just want what is best for them. I have 2 chihuahuas and a 60 lb mix that looks like a Rottweiler. We have a cat who lives outside now. The cat was very sick for months and taking medicine. After x rays, etc… it was learned that he had microscopic lung worms, from an infected bird or rodent. He was inside for many, many months taking other medicine and getting well, but when well desperately wanted to go out. He has been outside months now. I don’t want to give raw chicken and read not to cook the meat. I read about dry food, and don’t know why I never read about what could be in it and the utter horror, and now I do not know what to do. I just want what is best for our sweet babies. Our veterinarian said Purina One or Purina Pro when I asked her opinion for dog food. Also to get a food and stick with it. Also, when I fed the expensive dog food, there was no less poop. I tried grain free and others. Thank you for any help.
Thank you for the recipe. How do you add calcium to their diet since it’s not included in this recipe?
There are calcium supplements that are available at specialty stores. But as always, please consult your veterinarian.
I want to keep my dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe!
Can you tell me if any one has used this diet for dogs with pancreatitis? I have a standard poodle, her enzyme levels have been elevated, however not drastically. She suffers from nausea and I have to be extremely careful about her fat content. If the protein was changed to skinless, boneless chicken breast could you see this diet as a possible choice for her. Unfortunately most veterinarians are not at all well versed on diets for these suffering dogs other than their prescription diets that are not at all that good. It was been such a maddening experience trying to find an adequate diet that she can tolerate.
Deborah, when my 13 year old Pom-Tzu had a pancreatitis attack, I fed her boiled hamburger and rice for several days until her levels were down. She then went on a dry kibble diet that was around 8% fat. She didn’t care for it and was starving all the time. I went back to the boiled hamburger and rice. I have made her food for years, which was boiled chicken, small pasta and veggies, and slowly re introduced it. We were very fortunate that she only suffered from one attack. My dog is still doing well and will be 16 in March. You should talk with your vet about what they recommend until the attack is over and then for maintenance. This is simply what worked for us, and not typical as I’m told by my vet. Pancreatitis is scary in pups, good luck!
The perfect easy recipe, I will try it and I think that my dog will love it, she really adores homemade human food.
I make my own dog food, but am concerned I’m missing something, can someone look over my recipe and give me any feed back. I have no solid measurements this is all rounding…
dozen egg yolks
3T. black strap molassas
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 cup soaked chia seeds
2cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 pkgs unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 apples cooked
2 sweet potatoes cooked
1 crown broccoli cooked
2 large cans salmon with bones
4 lbs ground beef
1 cup whole fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup turmeric, cooked with the quinoa
Looks pretty good. But I think I would add the egg whites and ground up egg shells. The egg whites remove toxins, and the egg shells add calcium. If there is no yeast problem, the potatoes may be okay.
Sorry if this has been asked/answered. Should I drain cooked turkey meat before adding other ingredients? TIA!
Yes, I recommend draining the excess fat as needed.
I have been making my dogs food for a bout a year and they love it. (chicken, rice and veggies) I just have to be sure I only give them about 2 tablespoons for breakfast and 2 more for dinner (each). They are both about 10 pounds and this serving size is per their vet. Also per mtheir vet turkey is not good for dogs. It’s the tryptophan that is bad for them. I would definitely check all ingredients with your vet first.
Check the package of ground turkey. The sodium level can be extremely high even though it is fresh.
I fed my last dog a homemade diet and she loved it.My recipe was very similar to this one. However, I used quinoa because she had problems with grains, it is not a grain but a seed. Also, I used cottage cheese, my vet told me it is a highly digestable form of protein, which would contain calcium. I don’t know if it is enough calcium but she was on supplement vitamins too. I would mix all of the cooked ingredients with raw eggs to hold it together. I would then put them in muffin pans with the papers and cook them at 250 just until set, then freeze individually and put in large ziplock bag. I could then get out X amount of “cupcakes” to last for a couple of days. By doing this I could cook enough food for her for about 2 weeks at a time.
If I give my dogs supplements in chewable form do I also need to add to homemade dog food?
This is really best when answered by your veterinarian.
I have been making this recipe for my dog but it was brought to my attention that their is no calcium in it which you stated as something needed in a dogs food. Is there something additional that I should be adding to the recipe to make sure she is getting all she needs?
We use Balance IT® Canine as recommended by our veterinarian.
What is the serving size on this? Per pound?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I have been researching DIY dogfood for some time now! I am going to start with this recipe but am not sure how much should be fed to my dog daily. My dog currently gets 1 cup of dry food a day per the directions of the bag. He weights 12 lbs. Would that same serving size apply once daily with this recipe?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hi! Thank you for your dog food recipes. I’ve found them to be so versatile. I’m able to make all of your recipes in the crockpot which I so appreciate. Bailey loves his new food. He’s a shin-tzu and prone to staining. His staining has disappeared since I started him on real food. He’s put on just a half pins of weight and now maintains. He was thin before because getting him to eat was a chore. Very picky. We were feeding him $3.50 per can food and half of it went to waste. He’s so healthy now!!! I interchange sweet potatoe, butternut squash, carrots, etc in all the recipes. I make sure to add up calorie and nutrition values so I’m not skimping. Thank you again. You’ve opened up a wonderful new way of caring for my pride and joy. Bailey says thank you. Julie. Oh a nice idea I found. I gook the food, let it cool portion out morning and afternoon amounts by putting in muffin tin. Then freeze and just move from freezer to fridge so there is always one ready at mealtime. Makes it so easy compared to blowing through all of my 1/2 cup measuring cups
I’ve made dog food off and on for several years and have researched a lot of recipes. Apparently, a dog’s shorter digestive tract can’t digest brown rice, so white is better. I also add oatmeal and barley, a squirt of tomato paste, blueberries or apples, eggs and cottage cheese. I also change things up using lean ground beef or chicken. Just to be on the safe side, I add some Dino-vite or Show Stopper and a few drops of Lick-O-Chops or Supr-O-Mega when I serve it. My dogs are really excited about breakfast and dinner. They’re toy Rat Terriers (8 and 10 lbs.) I give them a level ice cream scoop twice a day. Freeze it in quart freezer bags. Each one lasts about 4 days in fridge after being defrosted.
I have a 6 year old Maltese Poodle who is a very very finicky eater!! I can never get him to eat dog food unless I literally force feed him. I started making this food for him a week ago and he absolutely loves it! He actual,y begs to be fed now. And he gobbles it up immediately. I substituted boneless chicken breast, boiled instead of ground turkey. He loves chicken! I am going to try the turkey this next time.
Thanks for the recipe! How long will this keep in the fridge? Do you freeze it? I have one dog…Border Terrier Mix…small…So this looks like it makes a lot more than she can eat in a week.
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
Could I use quinoa instead of brown rice? Also, could I put potato in it instead of brown rice?
Yes, quinoa can be used. Potatoes should be kept to a minimum and should be avoided serving raw. You can read more about it here.
I have a very finicky Husky. He LOVES this dog food.
My Husky mix does also. I switch the veggies now and then (squash, kidney beans, sweet potato, kale, strawberries) and always add 1 apple + 1 fish oil pill +1+Apoquel (MIRACLE DRUG)+ 1 Glucosamin (Walmart twin packs) = one happy and healthy fur baby, for much less $$$. No more hot spots, flaky & itchy skin, licking, or $2,000 vet bills (without any solution other than Apoquel) = one happy dog mom! FYI I’m a Chemist and can tell you the chemical structure DOES DOES NOT CHANGE , VITAMINS (or any nutrient) do not DECREASE, and the food is unchanged in any way except for temperature using a microwave. THE FOOD IS, KEY WORD HERE “WARMED”. 10-30 seconds is 100% ok. Fact. If your boiling or nuking it, you will loose 2-4% of the nutrient content and minuscule amounts of radiation, which your dog is exposed to on a daily basis anyway. Moderation people. Would you like to eat cold, soggy, defrosted turkey burger w rice for dinner every night? Didn’t think so.
I make my own dog food twice a week for my two dogs (68 lbs and 48 lbs). I use whatever meat I find on sale….lately chicken legs, drumsticks and thighs have been $1/lb or less, chicken liver has been a bargain, and even pork has been very reasonable. I sometimes use brown rice (remember to rinse it well first), but recently found that my dogs like oatmeal much better….and cooking time is shorter! I but frozen bags of vegetables…green beans, peas, or mixed vegetables. I roast the selected protein in a disposable pan. While it cools so I can chop it, I cook the vegetables, remove them and use the same water to make the rice or oatmeal. I use the juices in the roasting pan to add flavor and additional moisture. I mix everything together and store in plastic containers in the refrigerator. They love it! And, I know they are eating only human quality foods!
I have a 60lb Boxer and a 11lb chihuahua. They eat twice a day. What would you recommend for serving size?
Thank you for your feedback!
I was wondering how much you give your dog at a time. Like how much do you give per pound?
Kasey, we currently feed our corgis 1 cup each, supplemented by treats.
Hello – how much do 65 lb dogs get / how many times a day?
Ana, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
What is the daily quantity/measurement I should be feeding my 13 year old 18lb terrier mix?
Bev, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
you could also add coconut oil and fish oil which are great for dogs health
Can you tell me what kind of ground turkey is best to purchase? Some appear to be pretty high in fat. Your recommendation would be most helpful.
Thank you
I prefer to purchase organic ground turkey from Whole Foods.
Hi! This will be my first attempt at making homemade dog food. My toy schnauzer is 9lbs. How much food should she get for a meal? Also, how long will the food last in the fridge? Thanks. Louise
Louise, these are all great questions but it may be best to consult your veterinarian. We currently feed our corgis 1 cup each, supplemented by treats. It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
I can’t wait to try this. This may be a dumb question, do you also give kibble?
Nope, not a dumb question at all. And no, I do not feed them kibble.
Oh gosh we already spend about $350/month on dog food… I bet this would be even more expensive… lol Thanks for the recipe though! 🙂
You are so welcome! But this really should not cost $350/month. That is the beauty of making dog food at home – it’s cheaper and healthier!
Hi! Made this recipe and my dog (shih tzu) LOVES it. I’m concerned about supplements though. Every site I go to either promotes a specific product, or is so vague it’s hard to figure out what they are saying. My vet doesn’t support homemade food, so asking them is counterproductive. Would you consider sharing the brand you use. I’m looking to add a multi vitamin and will be doing egg shells for calcium. I’m also adding a sweet potato to the recipe. Thanks for your help.
JulieRae, I use Balance IT® canine, recommended by my veterinarian.
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I have a female welsh corgi and she weighs a little over 20 lbs. she currently eats 1/2 cup of dry food twice per day. Would I give her the same portion size using this recipe?
Thank you!!
We give our corgis about 1 cup total, divided into 3 servings.
Thanks for a great recipe. I am getting a new puppy at the end of July and I decided to do some research on commercial dog food and the different brands. What I read shocked me. It is apparently common practise for top dog food manufacturers to use road kill, euthanized animals (obviously full of toxic chemicals and complete with their id tags and collars still attached) and whatever can be scraped from killing room floors, think beaks, feathers, feet. I have used the commercial foods in past but I can’t now. Added plus is that I LOVE to cook and so I have another mouth to lovingly feed!!
I would not feed a dog grains. They are carnivores, and don’t *need* any fruit or veg. Yes, they can eat a lot of them and can get some benefit from them, but only if they are processed right. Their bodies can’t break down the cell wall of plant matter. They definitely don’t need a food made up of so much plant matter. Fruit and veg shouldn’t exceed 10% of their diet. You also can’t compare proteins that humans can eat and digest to that of what dogs can, since meat is made up of different amino acids that plants are. Dogs thrive on me. The best diet you can feed your dog is a raw diet consisting of 80% meat, 10% edible bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ – all raw. It’s so much simpler to make than something such as this recipe, and so much easier for your dog to digest. Cooking meat alters it, and depletes the nutrients, so it makes it much harder on a dog’s system. Also since the nutrients have been depleted it’s not going to be balanced.
How much in cups do I give my labradors per feed based on your recipe?.
Bev, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
dogs are carnivores mostly though….much more meat is needed…and they only get veggies and grains because we give them those….they don’t crave them….I’ve fed my big old Lab (14yrs) raw since he was a pup…no health issues at all. And that’s just meat and bone, very little veggie and zero grains.
Yes, dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, but dogfood has only come to be a thing in the last 100yrs or so….they either hunted for themselves or were fed bones and meat scraps…not veggies and grains!! They will eat the stomach contents of a kill, but for the stomach lining which is full of nutrients.
Dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years. They can handle table scraps and love them.
Cats have been domesticated for under 4,000 years (please correct me if this is a flawed fact).
They need MEAT.
Dogs learned to eat corn and grains and whatever as they protected their Human pack-mates.Cats were tasked with killing rats in barns and other places that they were placed to kill vermin. MEAT. Live animals that they kill themselves. So now we give them meat-based cat-food.
This is just what I’ve gleaned from the web. It might be wrong.
Hi. I just happened to find our website this morning and saw that you make your own dog food! I do, too, but I feed her raw food. Do you have any recipes for raw dog food that can be made and frozen!
Thanks.
Unfortunately, I do not have any recipes for raw dog food at this time.
I’ll keep checking back. I will be trying your dog treats! Thanks.
Helen, do you wanna raw treats or raw meals recipes? Well, I think it should be for treats, since there is no recipe for meals. You can do fridge drieds snacks.
Cut thin pieces of meat or organ, spread a clean plate, and bring to the refrigerator WITHOUT cover it. In about 10 days, the pieces will be dry, as the cold air of the refrigerator will remove any moisture present in pieces of meat. Just do not forget: the more liquid in the meat (liver, for example), more will shrink in the end. And the more lean, the faster the snack will be ready. I usually use chicken breast, kidney or liver and my girls love it!
i also use an organic diet for my dogs as one is allergic to everything with a preservative & chicken (hormones). corn is also on the no-no list & i give a drizzle of grapeseed oil in their food. have found the fish oil capsules makes her itch too much as some of these capsules have linseed oil in them. olive oil is good to use as well. chopped up parsley is good for their breath.supplement sardines or tuna in spring water as well.
My dog is celiac and the dog food is expensive,so I give him his dry food in the morning and at night he gets hamburger,salmon or another kind of fish (he is allergic to pork and chicken),brown rice and I mix the veg,brocolli,cauliflower,sweet potatoe (white are hard for dogs to digest),zucchini,peas,carrots,celery,cabbage,beans,fennel,quinoa,parsley and pumpkin.Never feed them onions,white potatoes,tomatoe,grapes,avacado or turnip,they are toxic and give them enough you can kill your pet.My dog loves frozen beans or frozen mini carots as a snack.
I checked with my vet after my dogs got into my tomato plants. The vet said that as long as they’re only eating the tomato (no leaves or stem) then they’re OK. The toxins are all in the plant and not the fruit.
My beagle who lived to be 17 years old would go out to the garden and pick her own tomatoes. If I closed the gate she would climb the fence.
I make my rottis food. She wasn’t crazy about spinach so I add brussel sprouts. I quarter them and as they cook with the other veggies they breakdown into edible bites. She also enjoys sweet potato. I make about 25-30 10 oz servings at a time. I freeze them where my ice marker is suppossed to be in the freezer! No ice in our house….but you make sacrifices for those you love!!!
How much do you feed your rottie daily?
Thank you for this recipe Chungah! We had to put our 13 yr. old Chocolate lab to rest last week, and our 4 yr. old lab/sheppard has been severely depressed. He wouldn’t eat anything, so I started making this for him, and he gobbles it down! It’s the only thing he looks forward each day while he’s grieving his brother, so thank you for giving our pup some happiness in his days of grief!
This recipe looks great but, do any vitamins need to be added?
Lisa, we do add supplements/vitamins as directed by our vet/nutritionist but this really should be answered by your veterinarian.
What vitamins/supplements do you add? I’ll of course talk to my vet but curious as to what you supplement with, and what types of supplements I should look into. My king Charles spaniel has heart disease so we are starting a homemade diet.
We use Balance IT® Canine as recommended by our veterinarian.
Would you recommend having dry kibble available also for necessary vitamins instead of the vitamins? My dogs won’t chew tablets.
Robin,
I also have a Cavalier KCS, no mitral valve disease yet, but 50% of them have some level by 5 years. Did you find a good (balanced per AAFCO requirement recipe?) I have one I’m happy to share with you but it is not tailored to heart disease. Not a fan of Balance IT since their recipe site won’t allow adding liver or ground egg shells, therefore uses copious amounts of the supplement, going way over recommended levels of many nutrients just to get enough calcium,Choline, Zinc & copper. Most Vets have no training in canine nutrition and it’s hard to find a good canine nutritionist. Please email me directly patcaldwell3@msn.com
So, I often brew my own beer. There is a ton of grains when I am done with a small batch (+20 lb). I have seen some people make dog treats as a byproduct of brewing beer. I have two boxers that I cant keep them out of my grains at the end of a brew. They will not eat their dog food though! If I could find a way to incorporate the grains in to dog food, that would be super efficient!
Chad,
we also have a new Boxer from the shelter 1.5 yrs old. We also brew beer as you do. Your post was from 5/19/2015 and I was wondering if you came up with a way to incorporate the grains from brewing into dog food. Would love to hear back from you.
made it today…cant wait to try it tomorrow!
I have a 10 yr old GSD and I did extensive research on raw food diets and home cooked diets to ensure I was giving her a complete and balanced meal (balance over time) and my method is making her a bone broth (she doesn’t get the cooked bones) with fresh herbs and veg that take my fancy at time of shop and I do add some brown rice as she’s a large dog and I want to ensure she gets enough solid food which is cooked in a slow cooker.
When it cools, I skim off extra excess fat and discard the bones and add the mix to her portion containers along with mixed organs, raw meaty bones, raw mixed meat from the butchers and some portions will be fish based using canned whole sardines or canned salmon. Each time I cook up a big batch, it’s all different mixes of the required elements but measured out to the approx right portions.
Most vets will frown upon home made diets unless it’s also supplemented with a good dry food to make sure they get both the macro and micro nutrients you may miss.
i think this is a great idea and will try it. My chow rescue had horrid mange which is finally in control.
I make my own treats for her (vet had samples at his open house). I just thinly slice 2 sweet potatoes. Spread out on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 for 90 minutes. She loves them and the trick is once they are cool, keep in a closed container. This way, I know what is in it and don’t have to worry about a “recall”
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Chungah, i researched a lot on dog recipes and found yours to be the best one. Thanks for posting these photographs.
I wish we could afford to make something as delicious as this for our two labs! Who knows maybe I’ll just make it for them for theyre birthdays!
inever thought I would make food either but my 3 Shih-Tsu’s love it too!
I have a 15 yr old Shih-Tsu that does not like his dry dog food any more he likes what we eat need to know how to make it for him. He had beef and brown rice he loved it like to make oatmeal with other food. Ginny
hi! love this! i have 3 dogs- 2 large breed (huskies) and 1 medium size (korean jindo). just curious about the portion sizes? i gave huskies 1 1/2 cup ans jindo 1 cup. wondering if this meets caloric needs. thank you!
Brandy, there are 412.3 calories per 1 cup. Please make the appropriate adjustments to fit your pets breed/size. We are feeding 1 cup of food for each of our corgi puppies, supplemented by treats.
This is excellent. I just recently got a puppy and can’t wait to make this for her. Thanks for the great recipe. Pinned!
I, too, never thought I would be one of those people who made home-cooked food for their dog. But, my dog (a rescue dog who has since died of old age) had some terrible skin problems when we got her and I was told diet might be helpful. I was skeptical, but tried anyway. The change was in her skin and coat was dramatic and amazing. Plus, she clearly loved the food, so I kept doing it. It was also much cheaper than the special commercial diet foods that were available.
I used a basic recipe with proportions similar to yours, but I changed the specific ingredients. In the summer, I used whatever was left at the end of the week from our CSA share. I also bought frozen veggies on special, like peas, green beans, carrot slices and squash chunks etc. because sometimes I didn’t feel like grating or chopping. I varied the carbohydrate, too, using potatoes and sweet potatoes sometimes or leftover barley or oatmeal or other grains that were leftover from our meals. On special occasions I used Tater Tots or French Fries ( from the health food store) and buffalo meat – more pricey but nice for a change for birthdays and holidays.
I cooked it in big cake pans – baking it at 350 for an hour or so. I measured it into portions. I sometimes made a month’s worth at a time.
Once I had it figured into my routine, it took very little time – less than driving to the pet store and loading up on canned food and kibble.
You should feed a 10 pound dog 2-3% of what their breeds adult weight would be. So a 10 # dog X 16oz. equals 160 oz. 2-3% would be 4-5 ounces a day. Dogs GI tract is not really designed to digest vegetables or grains, so make sure they are well cooked. I’ve been feeding my Great Dane a raw prey diet for the past 6 years. His diet consists of 80/10/10, meat/organs/bone. Dogs can eat bone as long as it isn’t cooked. He crunches raw chicken drummies and thighs to supplement his bone requirements.
Just a side note about raw diets: they poop less…..raw diet is nearly all digested, not grains to expel.
I was about to say that. Dogs and cats (especially cats) are carnivores. There is no need to cook anything and even less give vegetable, grains and dairy.
I also give raw for my dogs, it is easier and they love. And it’s lovely to see them eating.
ps: Sorry the poor English. I’m still learning.
We adopted a senior dog 2 years ago. Had terrible skin problems and I was cooking for him. Thankful, he is better. He is not much of a drinker so the one thing that I’ve continued to make for him is homemade veggie broth. He gets a warmed bowl when we get home from work. (I make up a big batch in the crockpot over night, portion and then freeze. I have enough for 3 weeks. So easy and nutritious)….Keep up with the doggie recipes!!!
I am fostering a deployment dog who has been very picky with food. She won’t eat dry dog food at all (she’s 15). I have been trying ‘real’ food specialty dog food but it’s not easy to obtain and is very expensive. I’ve been giving her some left over steamed veggies and chicken from a store bought roasted chicken. She loves it. But I really like this recipe and think she will too. I’d like to stop the purchased dog food. Wondering though how much to feed a 10 lb. dog? Does anyone know? Seems like 1 cup a day would be too much.
Thanks so much!
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Check the ingredients. Some store bought roasted chicken may be cooked with spices like garlic or onion.
going to makes this. could use quinoa instead of rice
I use Quinoa everyday…my dog loves it, and it alone is a perfect food source…I mix with the ground turkey, and hard boiled eggs, shell and all…I have a German Shepherd and he is beautiful and healthy! I’m going to start adding the veggies..and he also takes an L-Gultimaine everyday, along with Greek Yogurt and Oatmeal..
Do you use the Balance It web site? I cook my dogs food also, but use only organic meat.The web site looks interesting, but wondering if it’s a ploy to sell supplements. Thanks for all you do.
Yes, I use the Balance IT site – it’s a great resource as recommended by my veterinarian.
Thank you for this recipe! I am getting the ingredients today to make for my dogs.
I’ve been looking for a healthy dog recipe.
I love the versatility of your recipes.
According to my vet, dogs are not able to properly digest brown rice. I know this is true for my dog. I was advised to only feed her white rice.
Brown rice is a little higher in protein and a little lower in fat when compared to white rice, although white rice is an easily digestible carbohydrate which makes it a good source of energy when your dog has an upset tummy or if you are feeding an older dog. But as always, it is best to feed your pup as directed by your veterinarian.
Rice should be double cooked and cooked longer than what we would cook for ourselves as it’s true that it’s not as digestible for them. Brown rice is better than white rice though, as is with us.
Technically rice/pasta is only a filler in dog food, to yield more food cheaply and fill them up, it’s not actually part of their diet at all.
I made all of my own dog food for my dog. She was much healthier because of it. (Traditional dog food gave her belly a rash). One important ingredient my vet had me add: Canned pumpkin. Very important when you are making your own food. Pumpkins are very rich in fiber and even adding two teaspoons of canned pumpkin in you dog’s food helps the digestion process.
Thanks for the recipe. I never thought to add in spinach. Will begin doing that!
This is one recipe I use as a basic recipe. I double the recipe to freeze for the next week…I get the whole pork loin from Sams club.
5.5 pound lean whole pork tenderloin-cool to neutral, Yin tonic,
1 cup dry barley, cooked before adding to meat mix-cool, Yin tonic, Blood tonic, Drains Damp
5 eggs-neutral, Blood tonic
5 carrots-neutral, Blood tonic, Resolve Stagnation…
2 turnips-neutral, Drain Damp
1 cup Shiitake mushrooms-cool, Qi tonic, Drain Damp
12 stalks asparagus-neutral, Yin tonic, Drains Damp
1/2 cup cauliflower-neutral
1/2 cup broccoli-cool, Blood tonic
1 cup cranberries-neutral, for bladder health
1 apple-neutral to cool, Transforms Phlegm, Yin tonic
1 pear-neutral to cool, Transforms Phlegm
1/2 cup parsley-Blood tonic, Resolves Stagnation
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger-warm, Qi tonic, Transforms Phlegm, Resolves Stagnation
1/2 medium zucchini-neutral to warm, Qi tonic
All ingredients were run through the grinder and mixed well. Bake at 350 for close to an hour.
***Add a calcium supplement 500-1000 mg per day for home cooked meals to make it balanced. add fish oil & pumpkin.
I cook for my dogs too. But they don’t get all that great variety in each meal–although I try to vary it from meal to meal. In otherwords, we all (me and the four dogs) all want to eat at your house!
lol. I try to keep it balanced according to the weather. they get warmer veggies when its colder out but I always do the carrots, barley, and broccoli & I do spinach a lot. My dogs are yeasty so no potatoes or rice but the barley keeps the ears dry. All the guys at work are jealous because I feed the dogs so well. I added unsweetened organic coconut flakes this week & I actually had some myself! Its a good basic recipe for measurements of the veggies.
I love your recipe…adapted my dogs diet. Thank you for the additional information (Qi tonic, neutral, Yin…). Are there any educational resources that you are aware of or want to share, that I could utilize into my own human diet I.e., Qi tonic, ….I’d love to learn more. Thank you.
Teresa, I am going to try cooking this for my pet dog but I would just like to clarify what does the cool, Qi tonic,Yin tonic, neutral, blood tonic mean in your recipe?
Thanks!
Dear heavens…asparagus is very toxic to canines. Please don’t feed asparagus to pets. Same thing for mushrooms. Their stomach acids are different than ours and mushrooms often create belly bloating and gas.
Dogs can absolutely eat asparagus. Mine eats it at least once a week. http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/the_best_vegetables_for_dogs_and_cats
Teresa I just happened on to your recipe here and more than interested in the information you have provided. Can I ask you where you found this information or if you can refer me to a site for more info My dog has a dampness/phlegm issue and to find this info of yours is amazing and helpful. Do you think you have to use pork and then when things like cauliflower can cause gas it doesn’t sound like it is a “must be in recipe” item but the items that transform phlegm like the apples, pears and then the fresh grated ginger. This could be huge for use on my dog. Hoping you will see this note and respond. Thanks so much! Laurie
Teresa, can you come up with a people recipe like that? Seriously I would love it. Thanks, Jo M.
I love this so much! I know this is an old post, but can you estimate about how much you spend on this recipe per month? My boyfriend pays for our 2 dogs high quality kibble right now, but I just don’t believe its the best for our boys. It would really just be about managing the budget. Thank you! I love to find my people! haha. Most of my friends and family think I’m crazy with the enthusiasm and money I spend on my boys health. Thanks again.
Also, what are your thoughts about serving something like this raw, instead of cooking it? Are there benefits to cooking the food first? I do a lot of raw food when I can afford it, but their base food is kibble.
Thoughts?
we just got a dog and he is allergic to his food. we were told to go grain free poultry free S.O.S
Going to try this on my dog who has food allergies to most dog food. She loves vegetables so she will love this. Of course would add some soy sauce to this and chow down 🙂
Please watch the soy sauce. Unless it is unsalted, there is just too much sodium especially for animals who don’t need it. Also, contrary to so much published about soy benefits, it can negatively impact thryoid and unless organic soy, GMO’s (meaning, therefore, heavy pesticides.
Pretty sure Josie was adding the soy sauce for herself and not for her dog. 😉
I’d be making that for myself, poochie may not get many leftovers ; )
I feed my hens and dog oats and yogurt in the morning – I add apple / blueberries for hens and me too. We also share scrambled eggs,and sardines in oil. We all have very shiny healthy feathers / hair / coats.
What type of oats for the dog …oatmeal ?
do you blend blueberries …
I, too, maker he food for the dogs. To make things easier, I buy the frozen veggies…carrots/peas combo, chopped broccoli. I have not used zucchini but they will definitely get it next time. Also, for a treat every now and then I make a batch with ground lamb…they love it!
I use frozen veg too! When my son was starting solids, I learned that frozen veggies are healthier than canned, and peas especially have more nutrients than the fresh ones you get at the store as they lose much of their nutrients after being picked. So we did the same for our 150lb (that’s not a spelling error!) pooch. I suppose if you have your own garden it would be different. Our butcher provides us with frozen ground meat that includes are the necessary parts (the organs and ground raw bone)
As a treat our dog gets cooked apples
Can you talk more about the ground meat mixture you get from your butcher? What did you ask the butcher to do? I’ve cooked for my dog in the past when he had a pancreatitis flare up, but had to supplement with ground tums per the vets recommendation to meet his calcium needs. Packaged dog food contains ground bone meal and no amount of safe dairy (plain yogurt/eggs) is going to provide enough calcium to make up for that bone meal. I’m looking at having to switch back to a fully home cooked diet for him again, so I’d love to know what exactly it is you are getting from the butcher.
What did you finally end up doing for your dog? Mine has the same deal and had pancreatitis. The vet said no fat. As we’ve been trying to keep her as low fat as possible. But then she got into Christmas cookies with buttercream frosting (labrador) and had a bad bout a couple days after. Been cooking elk hamburger, with egg whites, spinach, broccoli, leafy greens, sweet potato and mixing a little bit of Greek plain yogurt with it at the end. I may also shred a quarter of an Apple on it. She’s been doing awesome with that. and I’m fortunate to have the elk meat but we only have so much in our freezer. Actually we are giving her last years. Its still good though. But we can’t do that forever so wondering what you found from butcher?? What do you ask for? We have a lot of salmon and cod as we are in the PNW and take advantage of all the outdoor activities Washington/Oregon have to offer. But salmon is high in fat. Thanks for any info!!!
Beth
What are you guys doing? You’re dog has a short digestive track & can’t even digest vegetables the way you are serving them…down the road, your dogs are going to suffer all kinds of medical issues because you blindly made up a “healthy human” diet … like this terrible recipe! Where’s your research? What vet approved this diet?! I can tell you right now, ZERO vets told you this was a balanced diet for a dog OR cat!
And you think think feeding them kibble is healthy? Would you feed your kids kibble day in and day out, year in and year out? Kindly please show me where in nature do kibble plants grow and kibble animals run around? You seriously done’t comprehend the link between the rise in cancer in dogs and the popularity of commercial dog food? SERIOUSLY?!
I agree with you, where does kibble grow?
Thank-you for this. Quite different from all your delicious (human) recipes, but something I am really interested in trying. This sounds good and you have presented it with much thought and factual backup. I am leery of all the junk in packaged dog food too. This is natural, healthy and well-balanced. I know my dog would go for it!
Just imagined when we buy industrialized food for our dogs and cats… When it’s mentioned it will last for a year… I just think about all the junk (chemicals) they put in it to keep the food “fresh” for a year!!!!
What a fantastic initiative! And way better than plain ol’ chicken and rice! I hope your little one is feeling better now 😀 x
This is awesome! I will have to try it. Can you do a homemade recipe for cats as well? My cat is overweight and the vet recommends I put her on a prescription diet that is almost $50. We tried it, and she didn’t like it. I’ve tried cutting her servings down and she still isn’t losing weight.
Yikes – that’s an expensive diet! But unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty. It is best that you consult with your veterinarian.
I’ve been making homemade dog and cat food for years! It’s great to see a recipe on Damn Delicious so that others can enjoy this economical way to feed our pets healthy identifiable food! As for cats – they basically eat the same as dogs except I substitute some canned fish (tuna or salmon) to rotate with the turkey (I also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs which I pressure cook for 8 minutes)! I’ve also roasted the chicken but I think it was too dry. I use the chicken broth created by the cooking and add enough to moisten the food. They love it!!!! You can get small plastic, freezable, microwavable baby food containers on amazon which is what I use because it holds just the right amount for my chihuahua and cat.
Susan, do you mention the microwavable quality of the containers as an aside, or do you actually microwave your pet’s food to warm it up?
Jacob
Yes you need to heat up the food and let it cool before feeding your pet.
Not sure I would heat the food up as high temps will cook a lot of the nutrition out of the food. I would also use white rice instead of brown rice. Dogs digestive tracts are shorter and faster than humans so the brown rice does not have time to break down for the healthy carbs, which feed the good bacteria, they can get with white rice.
White rice is processed and bleached. Digestive tracts are remarkably balanced with “good and bad” bacteria. When you favor one over the other you disrupt the balance and compromise the immune system. If brown rice is healthier for humans, I would also surmise that it’s healthier for pets.
TJ, That is a common misconception. White rice is just hulled and milled to remove the husk. There is no bleach involved. The Japanese have been doing this (without chemicals) for hundreds of years to extend the shelf life of uncooked rice and improve the flavour. White rice is perfectly safe, unless you are diabetic… in which case you should be avoiding all starches anyhow.
Love this recipe – For saving room in the freezer, we use vacuum seal bags – the pint-size are good for individual portion sizes for the little pups (and using vacuum seal bags are great because you can make & save large batches).
If you are looking for suggestions, we get them through http://www.foodvacbags.com but that’s because they are less expensive than the name brand.
Good luck!!
How much do you feed them and how often? I have 2 chihuahua mixes (2&4) that I want to do this for
T.J., I have read that white rice is better for dogs, as the covering on brown rice is harder to digest that white rice.
how can I make homemade dog food if my dog is allergic to his food? vet said go with
GRAIN FREE POULTRY FREE
Christy, what were you feeding your dog before?
Use beef instead of chicken and potatoes or sweet potatoes onstead of rice
Not so sure about potatoes or nightshades in general. You might want to research that. I think sweet potatoes are okay, but they are from the morning glory family, for whatever that’s worth. Don’t judge a diet by weight gain – that would be like calling the later Elvis healthier than the earlier Elvis, “a thank you verra much.” Look for vitality in the dog as well as, obviously, no digestion issues. Also, don’t confuse zeal in consumption with good nutrition – dogs, like people, like junk.
Beef is the #1 allergen for dogs and chicken is second. I’ve read recently to change out their food often and it helps with becoming allergic by feeding them the same thing all the time. I started feeding my Westie people food. Quinoa is a very good substitute for rice – I use both but I use brown rice. I change from turkey and canned salmon. She likes both. I also give her a dog chewable vitamin every day.
Maybe try a salmon and chickpea, grain free formula?
Change turkey to ground beef or lamb. We are going to try this, her allergies are bad and I already paid the vet her 1st born’ s hospital bill
Grain…does that include rice? I thought that was more like wheat. Or what about barley? poultry free, try deer meat, or lamb just substitute.
Grain free normally has sweet potatoes and fruits and veggies in the food and you can use beef or venison or bison as the meat. I’m sure if you google for a grain free dog food recipe you’ll find one.
Cat diets are very different from dogs. It is not as simple as homemade for dogs, but really great for them if done right.
http://www.catnutrition.org/foodmaking.html
How much would I feed my bully dog? And how often. She is 45pds
No one will answer that for you but I will. I have an 80 pound beauceron I feed him 1 cup a day that’s all works good for him thanks damn delicious
An average dog needs to consume 30 calories per lb.
At 45lbs, she will need 1350 calories. Adjust a little lower for a couch potato, a little higher for a high energy dog.
The above recipe is 412 calories per cup. She would eat 3.25 cups total a day.
Tuna should only be given as an occasional treat due to the mercury content. Use canned chunk-light tuna—not albacore, which is from a larger species of tuna with mercury levels almost three times higher.
Both Chunk Light Tuna and Albacore Come from the exact same fish, it is just WHERE on the fish the the cut of meat was taken from.. i.e.: Filet Mignon vs Hamber Steak
Melissa: My information accords with Laurel’s: chunk LIGHT is a smaller fish than chunk WHITE which is Albacore (larger, with more mercury)
The chunk tuna is usually from the jack tuna fish, a smaller species, shorter lifespan, less ingested mercury. They’ve done the testing, this proved true.
to the comment above or below jack tuna no they don’t use that tuna its the lowest tuna in the see and its a redder meat . trust me ive tuna fished all my life. i you probably meant blue fin tuna yellowfin tuna but not jack tuna . not even worth smoking
ES útil, ya que mis dos perros tenían alergias, uno, sangre en la punta de las orejas, otro piel reseca, por lo que se rascaba constantemente, no se como llegue a cambiar las croquetas por la comida arriba citada y todos su malestares desaparecieron, tengo como dos años con esta comida y no he visto que tengan ningún malestar, sus eses son firmes y fáciles de recoger. GRACIAS POR PUBLICARLA.
Please share cat recipe!
Just an FYI to everyone interested in homemade cat food, cats have VERY specific nutritional needs, including amino acids (ex: taurine/arginine). I was just reading an article about how cat’s life expectancies have extended about 5+ years on average over the last 50 years due to the discovery that they need high amounts of taurine. Before these amino acids were not placed in cat foods, cats passed away much earlier. Now that cat food has all the nutrients cats need required, cats generally live 15+ years. I make home made food for my dog, however, I wouldn’t mess with cat food due to just how specific their needs are. Also, be very careful with using canned tuna in homemade cat food recipes (which I see used often online as a recommendation). It’s fine as a treat in moderation, but canned tuna can cause serious health problems in cats if they eat it regularly. I just went through this with my elderly neighbor. He has a very finicky cat and had been giving her tuna for about a year straight. I received a frantic call from him asking if I could give him and kitty a ride to the vet, as she was extremely lethargic and sick. Turns out she was developing serious kidney problems, and he vet said it was due to the tuna diet. Thankfully she was able to be treated, and is doing great now that she’s back on actual cat food.
Do you have different ways you make your dog food I have a 15 yr old shih he like the food we eat will not eat his dried dog food. I think he be better off eating what we eat how do make there food. Ginny
Hi Ginny,
the recipe above is great! Not too far off of what I feed my dogs. I have a shih/yorkie and she is allergic to flour and other grains so dog food is off limits! We have 4 dogs and I gave up trying to only feed her the natural and them dog food so I changed all over to natural. I include peas, carrots, green beans, (going to try the zuccini) I boil chicken or fish and alternate every couple of weeks. I can honestly say with feeding a Scottland Terrier and 3 small shih mixes I still save money making natural vs. quality grain free dog food. I do look for sales for savings which help.
Thank you for your help he loves the food I fix him now and it is so much better for him. What can I make him for breakfast can help have milk ,cheese just need to know what I can give him for breakfast. Ginny
Hi Lori Noe,
How much do you give your shih mix, that’s what we have.
Gerry
How do I determine serving size?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hi Chungah, thank you so much for this. It has changed my dog’s life. Much appreciated.
I started making this recipe for my very picky mixed miniature poodle shitzu. She is 14 lbs. I give her a touch more that 1 cup a day. It seems to be just right. I looked it up on line and this is what I learned. She initially picked out the peas, one by one. Now she eats them. I introduced yogur, 1 tsp. She seemed fine but has loose stools 3 days later so I stopped. She’s fine now. Not picky anymore. I wonder if I should change the meat and vegetables?
How can I portion this?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Go toDr Karen Baker she’s a holistic vet excellant on raw and cooked food for dogs and cats
JUST TO NOTE; DON’T MICROWAVE ANYTHING!! MICROWAVING ALTERS THE GENETIC CODE IN ALL THAT HEALTHY FOOD! PEOPLE SHOULDN’T MICROWAVE ANYTHING AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN’T MICROWAVE MY DOG FOOD. OTHERWISE, THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO FEED YOUR DOG AND I AM GOING TO MAKE MY OWN DOG FOOD NOW TOO. THANK YOU!
So true! I think it’s just as easy using a double boiler.
I agree, the food is great,why microwave? Don’t ruin a good thing.
@Cat your already cooking the food which will alter the genetic code, simply defrosting what you cooked to save time isnt going to do anything more, sure maybe a few vits here and there minused, but think of the comparison dog food is made with giant microwaves already for decades and most of our food we get thats processed is cooked, dehydrated , frozen, reconstituted, then flash frozen again with preservatives added . The microwave isn’t evil
Crackpot!
No need to be rude its simply her opinion i was under the impression that this was venue to share experiences and and gain new insight
How nasty!
Microwaves alter the “genetic makeup” of food. Sure… please, either provide the SOLID scientific research you are basing this on, or remove the tin foil from your head that protects you from the Alien mind control rays.
In patients undergoing or having had a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, use of the microwave oven is strictly prohibited as it alters food components and can be dangerous for them. And this is told to you prior to having the transplant done. There are also no microwave ovens at City of Hope
I totally agree! There was a study with regular water vs regular water that was microwaved. They watered two different violet house plants. The one they water with the microwaved water died!
That perscription food that vets have is only for profit. I recently saw it on a post listed as one of the 10 worst dog foods.. I’ll bet it’s the same for cats…
I am a seventh grader at a Wyoming middle school. I am doing a genius hour project for school. I was wondering if you make a large amount of dog food enough to feed a small animal shelter without it going bad? How expensive would it be? Would it be better than buying regular bagged food? For both the dog and expenses.
Jenna, unfortunately, I cannot provide specific costs. The cost of dog food can vary tremendously based on brand, dietary restrictions, size, etc.
I don’t like to feed my dogs raw ingredients. Would cooked egg yolks be good for them?
I recommend consulting with your pet’s veterinarian.
Dana….We had success with Merrick (I believe it is human grade food) canned and dry. She is older so we do a quarter can per meal (she gets breakfast and dinner) and then a little less than a quarter cup senior dry. She is doing well with that and a little more activity. 🙂 If you can find a good recipe for do it yourself, that is good too!!!! Good luck, but don’t go vet diet.
I’ve been using Merrick dry foid for my 20lb Maltese mix UNTIL I looked at the fat percent!!!! Thrn I began thinking….why cant I make him his food? He LOVES his meals now ♡♡
My dog was on Merrick, and it made her smell like popcorn cheese.
I made her some *home made dog food* and her odor went away INSTANTLY.
I am never going back to store bought dog food again!! I also found out Merrick was bought by Purina, so I feel I can’t trust any dog food brand not to sell out.
How much of this recipe would I feed to my 2 senior 13 & 14 yr
old Chihuahuas pls?
Also how long is it safe to keep in freezer.
Thank you I’m looking fwd to making this for my girls ..they becoming very fussy in their old age lol.
Cheryl, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Dana you may want to check with your vet but my Barn/house cat does great on a mix of (it looks so gross) Raw chicken livers and brown rice I add yogurt occasionally or inexpensive fish ( like cat fish belly meat) I don’t worry about cooking the meats and she seems to enjoy them more just serve at room temperature .This keeps her healthy all winter when she chooses to be an indoor cat and supplements her diet on the days she comes in from the barn. I save raw bones for her to gnaw on. I know many of us tremble at the thought of bones for our animals but I have seen her eat what she hunts and there is nothing left rats, snakes,birds feathers and all etc..
I know this is replying a year after you posted but I just thought I would mention that its vital that cats get some of the nutrients added to cat food such as taurine otherwise they will go blind. That’s just one example nutrient and one side effect. I did lots of googling into it as well as my cat is a super picky eater.
Google taurine foods. There are a number of foods that contain taurine, including chicken livers and fish…
Dana, I was doing the same thing with my dog. Buying vet diet dog food and it was very expensive and my dog didn’t lose weight. She got to the point she turned her nose up at all dog food. 2 weeks ago I found these recipes and tried the crock pot one. My dog loves this food!!! It was so easy to make. I can already tell a difference in her coat. It is more shiny and soft. Now this is all I am going to feed her is home cooked. I am so happy I found your page, Chungah and I do believe you know what you are doing with these ingredients. I have been on other sight that have stuff dogs should not eat in the recipe. I have made the biscuit treats too. They were a hit!
Hi Susan is there any vegetables that r not recommended to cook for dogs apart from onions?? Jennifer
I really like this recipe for my two beautiful dogs very look heathy
And good.
Thank you so much
I found that if you can get your cat to eat a raw food diet that their weight is perfect and they seem much happier.
Don’t go to a chain pet store but do some research. i go to Tailspin in Savannah they have a wonderful assortment. Your cat needs bone is his diet which is ground into the raw food.
I make my cat homemade food. I do similar to dog recipe. Add meat of your choice, carrots, & a grain. But consult vet first, as I am not one. My vet sees no problem with me home cooking for both my dogs & my cats. Cats actually need lots of protein, so I do ground meat or fish, veggie & a small amount of grain, plus sometimes top the dish with some broth so I can sneak in supplements. Everyone seems to love it in my household. Happy fur babies!
I read somewhere that cat can not have carrots in their diet. I don’t recall the reason. Might want to check it out.
Cats are carnivores and should not be eating a diet appropriate to dogs, who are omnivores like us.
If u havent fount a good homemade cat food recipe yet or in need of a back up one. Ive used this one thats very close 2 this ine for several yrs with my male 5yo cat Pickleman & he loves it. He hasnt had 1 UTI since starting this diet or hasnt needed 2 see a vet for anythg other than his annual ck up & shots, plus his fur is deliciously silky 2 touch.
http://www.catnutrition.org/recipes.html
My vet told me to feed my cat canned food if I wanted it to lose weight. It’s like 85% water
Hi, I would ask met vet for a second opinion. I would also look buy a few different flavors of the cat food, try them out and whichever one your kitty likes, that’s the one I’d replicate at home. All the best.
Plain chicken boiled and shredded, and plain fish the same way. No grains at all. You can mix in some veggies and Flax Oil, Olive Oil, Fish Oil and any cat vitimin suplimant eventually. All dry food is bad for cats, and foods with carb fillers like vet prescribed. They are mostly clueless on pet nutrition. My cat lost weight and got out of danger of Diabetes. Watch Dr. Karen Becker on youtube, a holistic vet with recipes and important dietary pet info.
Dana, go to cat info.org
Lisa Pierson, DVM has a wealth of good information on pteoaring a well balance homemade diet for cats.
She is available for consult, but very strict about what she needs from you- complete vet records, to ncluding all test results, etc.
This is NOT a balanced diet for a dog, and this is the reason many veterinarians hate “raw” diets. Many people who actually feed raw or homemade diets follow a prey model diet and add supplements. A dog requires a basic diet of 80% raw protein like chicken, duck, beef,
rabbit (at least three rotated to provide all nutrients), 10% bone (always raw, never cooked or weight bearing) like chicken/turkey necks or feet, 5% raw liver, and 5% other raw secreting organ, like kidney, sweetbreads, or spleen. It is also recommended to add an oily fish like sardine one or twice a week. Sure, your dog might adore this recipe, and they might survive on it. But they’re definitely not getting all the vitamins and minerals they need to thrive. Check out The Raw Feeding Community on Facebook and do some research, what you find might surprise you.
Thank you Amanda. I was going to comment that the recipe left out the important of bone in the dogs diet. I have a guide from our veterinarian (holistic) of foods to feed and it follows what you mentioned in your post. Thank you again!
I add Azestfor homemade dog food vitamins to the food i cook for my dog and he is thriving
The only major diet difference is they are obligate carnivores, so mostly meat, with very limited other ingredients, as their system’s not as equipped to deal with it as dogs are. You can save kitty a lot by going homemade, check over the internet, the information is out there, you can avoid the pricey products they sell. 😀
Dana,
Be careful with some of the prescription market brand pet foods – even diet. They can cause your pet to gain weight – not what you wanted. Try to get your cat moving or if an indoor cat get an outdoor cat play yard.
We use canned rabbit for our cats diet and this helps. Check for natural meat ingredients.
You can purchase Better in The Raw or TC Feline from Amazon. It is a powder with all the vitamins minerals and nutrients they need. You just add raw ground meat, (my cat likes ground turkey) egg yolks and water. Mix it up and divide it up and freeze (no cooking because need raw food). They are both the same
Concept but Better In the Raw is a little
bit cheaper.
This is the great information you shared with us. Some other thoughts…
You never force a sick dog to eat. If your dog is sick and not eating, you have to take him or her to the vet, find out what the problem is and have it immediately treated. Depending on what is wrong with your dog, the longer you wait to get it to a vet, the worse the dog will get and the harder it will be for the vet to be able to treat the problem. Emergency Vets are open 24/7. Look in your Yellow Pages under Veterinarians, find one that is open 24 hours (they are in there) and get your dog to the vet Today.
OH, NO! DON’T USE BROWN RICE FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR PET! DO SOME RESEARCH. BROWN RICE HAS A VERY HIGH CONCENTRATION IN THE OUTTER SHELL THAT WHITE RICE DOES NOT HAVE SINCE IT IS SHED – HENCE IT BEING WHITE RICE. DON’T EAT BROWN RICE EVER!! AND IF SOMETHING ISN’T ‘ANCIENT GRAIN’ BASED, NEVER EAT WHOLE WHEAT PRODUCTS EITHER. YOU GOTTA DO YOUR RESEARCH.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-brown-rice-good-for-you#nutrition
Nothing wrong with brown rice………..what am I missing??
I think what they are referring to is arsinic content in rice. The concentration is greater in the outer shell, hence brown rice in larger quantities is a problem: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/arsenic-in-rice_n_589cc1ffe4b09bd304c0b04c
Cats are carnivores they should not have a diet at all that has veggies it can cause more problems and make it worse
This is a recipe for dog food.
Awesome recipe. Believe it or not dogs do like vegetables. My guy loves cooked carrots and broccoli. Last dog food recall alert for grocery dog food was that a factory worker put the drug phenobarbitol in the dog food!! That drug is used for sedation in humans!!! Sickening!!
Yes totally agree with you mine too! Have you tried turmeric, I use it and my fur baby loves it too. The anti-inflammatory properties are great for winter.
Hi DANA…to achieve sufficient weight loss avoid cat foods that contains corn products (ie. corn, corn meal), preservatives such as BHT and byproducts are not ideal as well. Cats always will still feel hungry as the corn fillers break down into the system quickly converted into simple sugars spiking the blood sugar up quickly later turning into body fat stored in the cat’s body. Essentially these are “simple” carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates is reverse of this found in premium brands of cat foods.
Dogs aren’t meant to eat grains….
The latest research shows that dogs eating exclusively grain free diets are more susceptible to certain diseases. The answer, as with humans, is eat appropriate food in appropriate quantities
How do you transition from dry dog food to homemade recipes attached here?
Thanks
When I switched Cecil over to a fresh food diet I started with about 1/4 fresh and 3/4 kibble and gradually over a few months increased the amount of fresh until he was at 100% fresh and 0% kibble. Fine chopping and mashing is important too, otherwise they do not digest some things as well and they will pick around things (like carrots).