Easy Crockpot Dog Food
DIY dog food can easily be made right in the slow cooker. It’s healthier and cheaper than store-bought, and it’s freezer-friendly!
If you didn’t know what your slow cooker is capable of, you’ll be very happy to know that you can now add dog food to the crockpot list.
Remember that DIY homemade dog food recipe I made recently? Well, this is pretty much the crockpot version, using a blend of different veggies that will hold up a little better in the slow cooker.
Now the best part about this, just like all slow cooker recipes, is that you can simply dump everything right in. That’s it! Simply set it before you go to work and then you can come home to 2 weeks worth of dog food by the time you get home.
It’s easy, it’s healthy, it’s nutritious, and you know exactly what’s going into your pup’s bowl. This recipe is also completely customizable to veggies that you have on hand – just be sure to double check what your pup can and can’t eat. You can simply do a “can my dog eat xyz” search on Google.
But as always, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian for possible allergies and when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Easy Crockpot Dog Food
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 ½ cups brown rice
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups chopped butternut squash
- 1 ½ cups chopped carrots
- ½ cup peas, frozen or canned
Instructions
- Stir in ground beef, brown rice, kidney beans, butternut squash, carrots, peas and 4 cups water into a 6-qt slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or high heat for 2-3 hours, stirring as needed.
- Let cool completely.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
style=”text-align: center;”>Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I don’t want to use rice ( not liked by my dog) any suggestions on a substitute?
quinoa?
I have made this in the past and my dogs loved it! My husband liked it too. I checked with the vet, and they said to just make sure the dog(s) also get the nutrients they need. I believe thos has the same ingredients as the Farmers Dog. I’m going to start making again for my senior dog and get senior Vitamins on Amazon.
My dog licks the bowl clean
Can you use a Dutch over if you don’t have a slow cooker?
How much should I give my 40 pound beagle that I’m trying to help lose weight? Beagles should weight 20-25 pounds.
Do you know what the calories per cup is?
Is this recipe good for sensitive stomach?
Can I sub chicken for beef?
My Buster loves this. I was feeding him Farmer’s dog but $187 monthly was getting a little costly. I spent about $10 on the ingredients and this will last him for a month and he loves it. I add his vitamins and probiotics to it as well store in the reusable freezer bags (a week’s worth) and serve it to him room temp. I alternate the meat and vegetables. Thanks for the great recipe.
My dogs love this. My question, how much do you serve each time?
I made this for my dog. He loves it! I’m not sure if I’m giving him enough, how can I calculate the amount of food to give him? Shorty is a 5 lb Yorkie. I give him 1.63 ozs twice a day.
Wow, this easy crockpot dog food recipe sounds like a game-changer for pet owners! The convenience of tossing everything into the slow cooker and coming home to two weeks’ worth of nutritious dog food is amazing. The emphasis on using a variety of veggies that withstand the slow cooking process adds a thoughtful touch. It’s fantastic that it’s customizable based on what’s available in your kitchen. Plus, the reminder to check your pup’s dietary needs with a vet is responsible advice. This recipe not only makes dog care simpler but also ensures your furry friend gets a healthy, homemade meal.
Recipe says it serves 12. However, what size dog. Large, medium, small. I have a 15 lb dog and I’m guessing serving size would be different than the store-bought food he gets now.
Also, would this food be okay for a dog with GI/pancreatitis issues?
Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
I enjoyd making this fablous crockpot meal for my 2 beautiful dogs. I’m sure they will enjoy it later, when its ready 🙂
My dogs love this recipe.. I mix it in with some dry food.
Good basic recipe, except my vet told me never use peas. I use ground turkey instead of beef. I cook the rice in bouillon to make it more flavorful. Sometimes I sub sweet potato for squash or green beans instead of kidney beans. My dog likes crunch, so I cut up carrots instead of shredding them. I also add greens (per my vet)- broccoli and / or spinach.
I freeze in zip lock bags and only thaw in the fridge what she will eat in a week or less.
If doing DIY food, add a good vitamin supplement (my dog thinks her multi is a treat). I also give cottage cheese or yoghurt a few times a week to ensure she is getting enough calcium. I’ve heard egg shells are good, but haven’t tried them. They must be pulverized or you risk cutting their mouth or throat. With DIY food, fruits make excellent treats and provide vitamins (blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe and apple pieces are excellent).
KJ – Your vet said no peas? Did they mean pea meal? Peas are full of healthy nutrients and perfectly safe in smaller portions (Google to find the portion size for your dog). Just stay away from canned peas because of the sodium
Peas are okay but not canned one due to sodium. Bouillon is way too much sodium for dogs and I read that spinach must be in small amounts or it can cause kidney damage and digestive issues.
my furbabies r allergic to rice is all rice the same????? also they cannot have beef, chicken, fish, eggs, or carrots
My pitbull loves this. He gets so excited now for his meals. Hes super hyper in general. I mix his kibble with it. Hes been more relaxed since i added this homemade food. Thank you for this recipe.
Question: what is the best way to store this and roughly how long will it last?
I would use a sealer and freeze in serving sizes. Would last a long time this way versus zip lock bags (even the ones for freezer).
Do you cook the ground meat before adding it to the slow cooker?
Do I cook the hamburger or rice before putting in the crockpot? How long is it good for in the fridge? Do you warm up a little before giving it to them?
I made this recipe recently. I did not cook the ground beef ahead of time. As it cooked in the crock pot I stirred it a couple of times to ensure it was broken up. It mixed in with the other ingredients pretty well to begin with though.
I have given this to my picky dog cold from the fridge and surprisingly he ate it. When he ate dry kibble with a little canned food mixed in it wasn’t unusual for him to skip a day’s meal. He had not skipped at all with the homemade food!
I loved making dog food.I used chicken and egg shells .
But now that I have 3 dogs..I’ve decided to use it to add to half of their dry blue buffalo( to accent it.) I add coconut oil and acv also. They go wild for it.
Do you grind the egg shells before you put them in? We are adopting a senior toothless dog so looking to make our own food for her and our own dog as well now. Do you additional supplements to the food, before or after cooking, or do you provide in pill form?
Thank you!!!
Coffee grinder on the finest grind possible. They need to be like a dust.
No peas please. Peas in any form has been linked to dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs. See recent article in the Journal of Animal Science. This condition is preventable and is usually fatal in dogs.
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been in the literature and news because of the recent opinion-based journal articles and public releases by regulatory agencies. DCM is commonly associated with a genetic predisposition in certain dog breeds and can also occur secondary to other diseases and nutritional deficiencies.
Author: Sydney R McCauley, Stephanie D Clark, Bradley W Quest, Renee M Streeter, Eva M Oxford
Publish Year: 2020
My kids live this recipe
I plan on making a batch of this over the weekend. I have a Boston Terrier that weighs 23 lbs. She has a bit of a belly, but hopefully, giving her 1/2 cup twice a day should help. I have been making dog food for a couple of months but just making it off the top of my head. Nothing measured. Some of the things I will add is yogurt with probiotics. Ground up eggshells that I purchased from Amazon. An excellent source of calcium. I also purchased from Amazon flat microwavable 16 oz containers with lids. They work great. They stack well in the freezer. Now I have a good recipe, and I am good to go.
I put all the ingredients in a instapot, pressure cook for 5-8 minutes and it’s perfect! How do I know how much home cooked food to feed my dogs? I use just a little kibble b/c I’m afraid they don’t get nutrients they need that might be in kibble… I have a cocker spaniel shar pei mix and he is 30 lbs, my Aussie Shepard, collie mix is 65 lbs and needs to lose a few pounds 🙁
Thanks for help and recipes! Hope to hear from you soon.
Feed a cup per 10lbs of dog per day. So if you have a 40lb dog, feed him 2 cups in the morning and 2 at night.
Karen this seems like a lot of food to feed per day. Is that because it’s mostly vegetables?
My 5 month old Westie loves this recipe ….but I do not add the kidney beans. Also….as I dislike crockpots, I pre-cook the ground beef in a Cast iron Dutch Oven, add the rest of the ingredients as directed and bake in the oven at 300 deg for 2 1/2 – 3 hrs….or until the rice is cooked. Perfect every time!!
My Westie pup loves this!! Once it is cooked, I use my 4oz ice cream scoop, place the balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and flash freeze them………perfect serving size every time!
My dogs LOVE this recipe! However I might suggest you put water in the ingredients list. My aunt and I both made this recipe and missed the directions to put water in because it’s only in the directions and not on the ingredient list. So I had to put water in like 4 hours in. You need the water to cook the rice so it should be in the ingredients list!
Making it today. Doubled and substituting broth for the water. Would like to add some supplements–just trying to decide what and when to add.
Remember to check ingredient list of store-bought broth as most contain onion, which is a big no-no.
Easy and delish. My furs babies said so. I use acorn squash. I use 1/2 carton (approximately 1pint ) of liquid egg whites. Egg yolks are unhealthy. Baby carrots ( 2 bags )Fresh snap green beans, shredded zucchini and fresh parsley, no stems.
This saves me much time. My prep was 2 hours. Now it’s a breeze. Oh yeah, lean ground Turkey or lean ground beef. I only use white rice. One of my babies has kidney issues.
Thanks for the time saving info.
Most of the nutrients in eggs are in the yolk. They are not unhealthy.
Is brown rice hard on a dog with kidney issues ? I like to learn as much as I can before making food for my dogs . Kathleen R
Hi Ree, hope you don’t mind, just saw your comment and I am feeling a little desperate here due to the ingredients I have on hand, I’m out of brown rice and saw that you used white, so did that work just fine? Also, I only have some ground beef left, so I guess that will be ok. I have the veggies at least lol. I was unable to find any info for using white rice in your dogs crockpot food, so I was glad to see your comment and was just hoping you might see this and have a little input for me, thanks in advance!
Hi i have a 14 week old cockapoo. Can you recommend whens the best time to start them on your own recipe of human food?
So good
I did add a can of chick peas and most of the time I use 3 lbs of meat. Also I cook this in and INSTAPOT for 40 minutes. I weight and bag everything and this gives me about a months worth of food for my Carin Terrier who is 2 years 3 months. She seems to like it. This a great and easy recipe to follow and use.
Mike, can i ask you how you cooked it in Instant Pot, how long for etc, thank you
I cook mine in an instant pot too. I pressure cook mine for 45 minutes with a 20 min build up pressure time. Make sure you don’t forget the water. I quick release the pressure and it comes out great every time.
We have a 15-year-old Springer Spaniel that’s stayed in perfect health in a raw diet… until he decided he wouldn’t eat it anymore. This recipe has him excited for food again and he’s maintaining his weight and activity level. Like some others, I found the rice wasn’t cooking and because of that I wasn’t getting the volume needed for the number of servings indicated in the recipe. I now cook the rice with spinach, frozen peas and carrots in a rice cooker, and cook the ground beef, beans and pumpkin on the stove top. I mix it together in a bread pan and let it cook before freezing. He loves it.
This recipe is awesome but I have a question. It seems underdone at 6 hours and meat appears pink… am I missing something?
The first time I cooked it, I had the same problem, it is a lot of food and pretty dense and it didn’t cook properly. Needed a lot more time before it was right. I use an instapot now and it only take about 1 hr to cook all together.
I love this recipe but I did take out the Kidney beans and peas. I added Broccoli, green beans and Cauliflower. It was easy to make for the dogs.
My dog really loved this recipe I just have a question can I freeze this dog food ?
It’s kinda powdery after thawing it but she really Loves the food
Thanks
Hi, thank you for sharing. I was just curious about adding any veggies (I.e the peas in particular) from can given the sodium content? Does that not cause issues?
consider low-sodium version when using cans
Thank you for this easy recipe! I used venison and my dogs LOVE it! It is so much healthier for my boy with cancer!
I am currently cooking this recipe right now in the crockpot. I added deer burger vs 90% lean ground beef. I have two English Bulldogs. My male, Bruce is 10.9 years bullieful-sadly, his fur is falling out in sections, so I wanted to change his diet. The vet stated it was bacteria-so trying to figure it out. Thank you for this recipe. I’m sure Bru and Bella will enjoy. Thanks again.
Hi Carmen. I have to English bulldogs as well. Our male has lost his hair also. Looks like a saddle around his midsection. Our vet said it was bulldog alopecia. Google that and see if it’s what yours have. Also how many cups are you giving them. Mine would be so fat if I gave them 4 cups a day. They are both around 55lbs
Thank you but how much should I give dog? She gets (1) cup in a.m and (1) in p.m.
Should I do same?
I’m curious as to how much is recommended to feed. I have a 3 year old, 23lb French Bulldog. I also have a 11 year old, 30lb frenchie. What do you suggest?
I would do 1/2 cup twice per day and see how things go. I have a 9-pound mini pin. She eats 2 ounces, twice per day of recipes that consist of a substantially similar calorie profile. She is almost 12 years old, and she maintains an ideal body weight (with a small allowance for a bit of cheese as treats).
I have a 30 lb, 2 year old Boston Terrier. I I give him 3/4 cup twice a day mixed with his kibble, Taste of the Wild. He loves this stuff. His fur is beautiful and his energy level is amazing. I use 32oz of low sodium beef broth instead of water. I also cook it on the stove because it’s faster. Bring everything to a boil then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes then let cool.
Our Nellie is THE fussiest eater and I’m so happy I’ve found your recipes – she EAT’s this! Yay!
Thanks for the crock-pot version – making life easier for sure!
Hi I have a 18 pound Shorkie (1.5 yrs) & a 6.5 year Pekinese Maltese 14 pounds how much do I feed daily. I’ll be substituting turkey.
I made my first batch of DIY Crockpot dog food using this recipe. I added 5 hand beaten eggs, 2tblsp parsley, and 1/2 tsp rosemary to it. My border-collie terrier mix loves it! Thanks for putting this recipe up!
My fur baby loves this food I switch the meat from ground beef to ground turkey every other time. she has a sensitive stomach and homemade is working out wonderful
I’ve already been following you and making your recipes for a while. I only just now discovered you have recipes for dog food and it’s a game changer. I seriously love everything you make. Your recipes are delicious and not intimidating for amateur cooks. Thank you!
Good and health my dogs love it simple to make
I’ve made this several times and have always had trouble getting the rice done. After 7 hours on high, rice is still crunchy. I’m using an Instant Pot in slow cook mode.
Did you try soaking the rice for an hour in lukewarm water with some salt?
My instant pot won’t ever fully cook potatoes or rice in sow cooler mode. Works great on meat only. I would say try a traditional crock pot or cook rice separately and add it to the other ingredients in the crock pot and reduce the water.
Awesome recipe. I have made it with chicken also. I do brown the meat in a fry pan and drain off excess oil, pat dry then add it in the crock close to the end of the cook time. Excess meat fat can cause pancreatitis esp in older dogs so I do this as a precaution.
Was great! Just wanted to know the protein, veggies and grain precentages
I am getting mixed messages online about the canned kidney beans. Are these okay to use in the recipe and does everybody use the canned? Other than that the dogs love it!!!
Can anybody explain serving sizes please?
1 Cup per 10 lbs from what I’ve read elsewhere
I have a 60 lb golden retriever and an overweight golden retriever. The 60 lb one gets 1 1/2 cup am/pm and the overweight one gets 1 cup am/pm. I add water since both of them inhale their food so this help them eat it a bit slower.
Fantastic we both get fed
Yeah, brother, make up a bunch for all and all eat hearty.
Curious what the calcuim phosphorous ratio is on this? Do you suggest supplements?
I add ground flaxseed meal tablespoon to my dogs food every day. Super cheap at Trader Joe’s at three dollar bag last well over a month for my 40 pound dog.
Great fiber omega-3‘s amongst other things and it’s a very neutral flavor . I also make a coconut oil flaxseed peanut butter oats and honey snacks for her that she loves!
Give your dog a real delicious food and keep them out of the vet!
Would you share the recipe for these coconut oil ball treats? Sounds great. I’m excited about the crock pot recipe!
I’ve been making this recipe for over s year. My dogs lobe it.
our 2 ratties and chihuahua mix love it. noticed far better energy, sleeping patterns and consistent stools . I make 2 batches then place in 1 qt sealer jars hot and let cool off until the lis pop closed. Then store in the fridge. lasts about 2 weeks for our trio!!!
I have two dogs and make multiple batches for the week and freeze. I us my electric turkey roaster for my dog food. It works great.
Electric turkey roaster. Awesomeness . Love my turkey roaster, what a machine.
Hi, I have a question,
Why in all recipe homemade dogs the time of the cooking is like 6 9 12 hours, I do not understand?
At the end, we are cooking vegetables, groung chicken… super digestive, if just cook for one one, i think, it would be enough, isnt it?
I appreciate if you can explain me, I am startin in this wold.
thanks
Do you cook the ground beef first? Dumb question I know.
No. It steam cooks and boils
Dogs don’t digest carbs well unless they are predigested. By over cooking them they become easy to digest.
Just wondering if this is a ‘balanced’ recipe?
If so, balanced to which standards?
I mix my homemade wet with a balanced fortified hard dog food. It works great for mine.
I’m dying to make this, but what is the shelf life? If I am making this much dog food, how do I keep it safe.
Freeze and thaw accordingly
freeze quart bags
I made the Easy Crockpot dog food. It was so easy. My only problem is that they hace sft poop/diahharea. I subbedcwhite rice for bron and canned pumpkin for the squash. All else was the same. Any ideas? Thanks.
Adding pumpkin could cause loose stools. Limit how much you use if you want to use it.
This concept goes for us humans too: if you haven’t eaten red meat for 3 months, and then woof down a t-bone… you WILL be spending some no-so-quality time in the bathroom. It doesn’t matter how mouth-watering the steak was or even if Bobby Flay himself cooked it for you… if your gut isn’t used to it, there WILL be consequences.
The same concept applies to your pups. Any time you change their diet, they will have loose stools/diarrhea until their tummies get used to it. You have a few choices: 1. suffer thru a few days of messes until they’re used to it, or 2. make the change slowly. Most websites will tell you to substitute no more than 25% of their food at a time for a few days. So, using the 2nd choice: Day 1&2 = 75% of their old food / 25% of the new vittles. Days 3/4 = 50% old / 50% new, and so on until the old food is out of the picture and your pups are 100% onto the new yummyness.
Nice to be able to print helps a lot. I have made this before and lost direction. My girl loved it
I own Pitbull dog. I served this to my doggo. seems he enjoyed it.
Do I peel the squash first? Neighbor made it and now it is my turn.
Yes you peel it first, don’t give them anything you wouldn’t as a human eat.
This os a great dog loves it
We have been making this recipe ever since we found it several years ago. My two older dogs and my son’s dog all enjoyed it for the last few years of their long and happy lives.
It is a great supplement to stir into my younger dog’s food as well.
Super easy to make, and I just cook it in our crockpot once a week, then divide into refrigerator/freezer containers.
Sometimes I substitute sweet potato for the squash.
How much quantity is sufficient for a golden retriever, 40lbs.
I like this recipe and our dogs seem to like a lot as well. I make this quite often for them, so I thought I better find some more recipes.
My 70 pound boxer/mix is a very picky eater. Meal time involved sitting with him, coaxing him to eat then seeing him walk away. I made this for him and he is a different dog! He waits anxiously for his food and dives in right away eating every morsel, even licking the bowl clean! Thank you for this recipe!
My wife made this recipe for the dogs today and it was an even bigger hit than the DIY recipe. They are in heaven! We were curious if there are any other dog food recipes besides these two on the web page in any of the books?
My feisty chihuahua mix spent his first 2 years living on the streets of Los Angles. And yet, he’s a little (very) picky when it comes to food. He likes this recipe better than his canned old canned food but he picks out the beans. Any suggestions for a substitute that would keep the nutritional value consistent (or maybe even more nutritious). He’s strange. He can be picky but he likes a lot of things most dogs don’t. Oranges, peaches, leafy greens……
He’s a weirdo
If he likes the food otherwise, pulse the cooked food in a food processor when done. If you do not have one, use an old-fashioned mashed potato masher. If the beans are mixed in the pup can’t pick them out. 😉
if i made this recipe for my lab what is the portion i have to give her and can i freeze in portions[lease?
I am looking for it for long time. Thanks a lot.
I have been making my dogs food for years. I use a whole chicken and some brown rice and carrots or butternut squash Ot green beans . My vet said I’m on the right path for my babies. She suggested I add a probiotic and mix with a high quality kibble once a day. I add 1/2 cup of meat and 1/2 cup rice/veggie blend and top with kibble.
What kibble do you use? I would like to try your method for my male German Shepherd.
You can change up the legumes, veggies, starches and meats. Just stay away from nightshades. Also, dont feed same amount of wet food as you would dry. I saw a comment where someone said it was so expensive because of their dogs size. I feed a Great Pyrenees and a Finnish Lapphund (140 and 55lbs working dogs). Buy dry beans vs canned beans and soak. Cheaper. Also, if you have a butcher nearby, buy his scraps and organ meat. Great for dogs.
what amount of food do I have to feed a 4kg dog?
Im new to homemade dog food and this is the biggest concern.
thanks for the receipes
I am so happy I found this website my dog has food allergies. I am very thankful.
My dog is the pickiest dog on the planet and he waits for this! He absolutely loves it! I am so happy I came across this recipe!
Thank you!!!
Going to make, but can I substitute kidney beans? My dog has early stage kidney failure and I cannot use kidney beans due to phosphorus in beans
haven’t made this yet, but planning to. what amount do you feed for 50 pound dachshund per meal. we feed him twice a day.
we have a 60 lb pitmix and feed him 4 cups of food a day. works great for him!
IF YOU HAVE A 50 POUND DACHSHUND, DON’T FEED HIM ANYMORE THAN ONCE PER WEEK 😀
How in the world did your
doxie get to be 5o pounds???? Cut back on his food, exercise him more and cut out the treats.
I feed my 2 &1/2 year old doxie( weighs 18 pounds) 2 x’s daily 1/2 cup at each serving and kibbles(homemade) on demand and he is walked daily
as well as playing fetch in the back yard.
They used to be a lot larger than they are now. I’m sure this is one of the larger doxies.
I haven’t made it yet but planning to this week. How do you know what portion size to give your dog. My pups are 30 lbs beagles.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. I tried this and it was super easy. My Yorkies gobble it up!
Thank you for sharing
How much do you feed your Yorkies per serving? Do you mix kibble with it?
I have a yorkie who is currently going through some digestive issues and I am looking for different recipes to make for him and cut out the store bought food which is what I think is causing the issues. However, as I read these comments, I see folks are adding the home cook meal to there kibbles. Why?
I made this recipe for my Sheltie & Beagle and they absolutely love it! I supplemented the beef with organic turkey and it turned out super tasty…wonderful recipe!
I tried it. My pit finished it very fastly.
But I have doubt is it white rice is better pit than brown rice?
Because fiber content in brown rice is 3 times more.
Our pit has such a sensitive stomach, we switched to home made food and found that his stomach did not tolerate the brown rice but did very well with white rice. He is sensitive to some brands of rice but we found one that works! 🙂 hope this helps!
anything BROWN – (rice or bread) goes through the system faster as its fibrous. White rice or bread stays in the system longer and therefore the moisture is absorbed into the gut making the stools harder. as like with humans if you have a stomach upset always use white.
Where does the 7% sodium come from in the ground beef and veg crock pot recipe??
Sarah, it comes from the Kidney Beans but your mileage may very depending on which brand you buy.
My dogs loved it!
Should I put it through a blender to mix up ingredients?
Would love the book version of tese fabulous recipes!!
My dog loves this. I dumped it all in an instant pot with quart of beef broth. 25 minutes with quick release. So easy
Store-bought broth contains onion and garlic, both of which are toxic to dogs. My beloved 4-year-old fur baby died of sudden-onset autoimmune hemalytic anemia. If you get your own soup bones and make your own broth, please never use onions or garlic. Also, there is currently (in 2020) some suspicion that feeding dogs peas and other legumes may be harmful. Home-cooked food is safer and healthier for them, but please be careful.
Small amounts of garlic is actually good for dogs but you have to know how much. Of course you should never feed dogs store bought broth as it has sodium even the low sodium does.
I have a question! I have an 80 pound lab, how much of this should I give my dog for his one meal a day? Would love to make this, just want to make sure he’s eating enough of it. Thanks!
My lab’s vet actually gave me this recipe to try calm his skin allergies. The dr stated to feed 1/2 C for every 20 – 25 pounds. So for your furry baby, it’ll be 4 C total – 2 in the AM and 2 in the PM.
Hi! My dog’s becoming really picky with his food (which sometimes makes him cranky), and I’ve seen this recipe a number of times, but was always uncertain how much to give. My guy is also about 80lbs, and I think he’d really like this! My only question – do you just feed this, or do you also supplement with any sort of vitamins or anything else? Thanks!
Thanks for this info, Joro. My first batch is cooking currently. We’re getting our 10-week old pup tomorrow. I can’t wait to slowly introduce this food to him.
This was super helpful
My bulldog is Allergic to everything
So we changed his diet to ground beef and I been trying to figure out different Ingredients to cook with it so thank you ..!
Did this help your bulldog? Our pug is the same way~
Oh my gosh I thought my bulldog was the only one who is literally allergic to everything . I’ve been going out of my mind trying to find something that doesn’t make him itch all over and something he won’t regurgitate back up .
I’m going to try this . My Bulldog is 74 lbs how much do you suggest that I feed him ?
I made this with lean ground turkey instead of beef. I mix it with her kibble. My 6 month old Rottie LOVES this. She walks back to her food area at least 2 to 3 times after I pick up her bowl to see if it magically appears with more food. Lol
I use the easy crockpot dog food recipe as a guideline & have for a long time. I change up the ingredients each time with the ground meat & veggies I have. I also supplement with Dr Peter Dobias natural healing supplements. He has an excellent website as well. My dog that had liver problems from dry dog food is extremely healthy & she’s 11 now. I actually tried switching her to a raw diet which she wouldn’t eat & gave her kangaroo dry food when I thought I wanted to see if this home cooking was really necessary. All health problems returned within months. Back to home cooking & back to a healthy girl within less then 2months. This home made dog food is a must now for my girl.
I made this last night and I was laughing because my dog was standing guard by the crockpot it’s like she knew this was for her! She loved it and it seems really balanced to me from what I’ve researched so far. Of course I’m giving her a multi vitamin and homemade snacks that complete a well rounded day of food certainly far better than the sawdust, wood chips and chicken meal found in today’s dog food!
Mine stood guard, too, and begged periodically! 3 sets of little eyes watching while the crockpot simmered, lol!
Thank you for getting me started on cooking for my dogs. I will venture forward and get cookbooks for much needed nutritional supplements information my Shitsue Toy Poodle cross dogs need
You must have a very small dog. I followed your recipe and it lasted just a few days. My dog is a medium sized dog with a healthy appetite. That makes it very expensive which I cannot afford. Unfortunately she will not eat store bought food so I have to cook her food in very large batches.
Sorry, but this diet is NOT nutritionally complete whatsoever! PLEASE consult your vet before feeding a home diet and educate yourself or your dog/cat will suffer from your ignorance and this authors! I worked at a vet for over 10 yrs, owned a natural health food store for 15 yrs, have been involved in animal rescue for over 20 and fed raw and homecooked diets for over 25 yrs. You need to supplement ANY home diet with oils, vitamins and minerals, as well as rotation of ingredients. SImply cooking for your pets will not supply all the vitamins, mineral and nutrients their bodies need and over time, their health will suffer.
I would like to start cooking for my dog And suggestions please
I would like to make sure he gets Albert the nutrients
Thank you
Francine
Because my dog will have elective surgery she had to have pre op Checkup which included blood work. She has been eating this recipe for four months and the results of her tests were excellent. My vet had no recommendations to add.
I respect your experience as you indicated in your e mail. So what home cooked recipe did you prepare in your 25 years and what would you add to this recipe.
Thank you, Barbara
Instead of calling people ignorant and then go on to blah, blah, blah about how great you are how about being constructive? Point people to where they can learn! Even though I’m not as accomplished as you say you are I’ve found it very easy to make my dogs food. She will not eat the garbage sold, from dried to canned. Fromm, Merrick, Tate of the Wild, Holistic… it didn’t matter. I did my research. I’m actually making a batch of ground turkey, veg and rice as I type. In the rotation is Turkey, Beef and Chicken. She also gets an egg dish and a sardine meal each week. I do use meal recipes from this site. I’ve made a supplemental powder of vitamins and minerals that get sprinkled on each meal in addition to bone meal for calcium. A lot of information on nutrition came from Dr Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats – Simple Homemade Food. Written by Beth Taylor and Karen Shaw Becker, DVM. I buy meat at the Thrift Supermarkets and on sale. 3 pounds of ground Turkey cost me $6.70, 6lbs of boneless Chicken Breast cost 11.60. The average cost of a batch of food is $10-15 and it makes as much as a $30 case of 12 cans of DF. I purchased about 60 freezer containers to freeze food in for rotation (I have a chest freezer). I do have to say Gidget is a Toy Fox Terrier so she does eat less than the average sized dog but a case of food is a case of food! I hope I’ve helped more than Tammy
please leave info about supplements , vitamins, etc. I have a boxer who is just about like your dog. does not like dry or wet food. Anything helpful.
thanks
Thank you for your response. I called my vet after reading for additional advice. She recommended a cookbook written by a vet and what an eyeopener that was. Why should dogs be any different than humans? We take all kinds of nutritianal supplements so why shouldn’t they? So now I am stocking up on vitamins etc for my dog as well researching food grinders that can grind bones. I want food that tastes good and is also healthy and good for her. Again, thank you, thank you, thank you.
They sell raw turkey and beef that includes bone in the local pet food stores. The first time I made this I used one of those. They were very cheap ($4.99) for a large tube. I’ve continued to feed my dog dried food (Merrick) so that she gets all the vitamins she needs. As I learn more I’m hoping I can reduce that.
Hi Clara,
Can you provide the title and author of the book you used? Very interested!
I highly doubt this Tammy. Dogs eating this over store brand dog foods is MUCH BETTER FOR THEM yet the stores still sell this junk food and nobody is protesting that!
You are correct. I sprinkle Wysongs Dog/Cat Food supplement On every meal, season it lightly and mix it in. So far so good. 6 months in their blood work was perfect. Now it’s been a year and they’re due for their annual vet appt and I’ll get their bloodwork done again. We’ll see.
Can you supply something to use instead of this or specific items to add to round it our instead of just shitting all over this person’s contribution and leaving the rest of us with nothing to actually implement?
If you know so much tell us what to add, running on and blah blah does not help my poms that i home cook for. Bag dog food is priced too high, i have been doing this for a year now so if im doing something wrong they would be gone
I’m guessing you missed the part where the recipe stated “PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR PET’S VETERINARIAN AND USE PERSONAL JUDGMENT WHEN APPLYING THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR OWN DOG’S DIET.” and an apology will be forthcoming.
Can you help me with homemade and ALL Nutrients please
So I took the ingredients and split them up in not 2 crockpots. Meats, which included beef liver, with half of the butternut squash and the other had the veggies. Added water to both. Cooked over night on high. Started cooking the at 1 am. Around 8 am turned off. Made rice in rice cooker. Used the water from both crackpots for cooking the rice. Mixed it into the meat and veggies. Had to chop the liver after it was cooked. You could puree the liver. Dogs loved it!!!!!
Cooked it on high for 3 hours, rice was still crunchy. Dogs still liked it, but I was disappointed.
My girl Sally loves this recipe. I too had problem with the rice so I cook it separately and add it to the crock pot mixture prior to dividing it up in freezer containers. The only vitamin I add at suggestion of my vet is calcium.
Thank you for the recipe.
I should have mentioned that I reduced water to two cups since rice is cooked separately.
Also I substituted zucchini and summer squash in the last batch I made and my Sally
Loved it.
I made this recipe for several years for my Border Collie, 60 lbs. She loved every morsel of it!
Unfortunately she developed bladder cancer at 10.5 years, and passed after 8 months, at age 11.5.
I now have a puppy and plan on starting her on this at 6 months.
Just made a batch this weekend for my 11 lb pup, 9 month old Lola and she loved it! I have been giving her FreshPet since I adopted her, so I knew she would enjoy this. I spent around $18 for all ingredients. I used ground turkey, butternut squash, peas, carrots, brown rice, and spinach. I might leave out a cup of water, bc it was very loose, but overall happy!
Just curious about the comments on this recipe about not having vitamins or nutrients needed for dogs. Do the vitamins and nutrients in the ingredients not count or is it because its cooked? Just personally, I believe recipes like this using real, healthy food is so much more nutritious than the junk available in a bag.
Hello My name is Leo ,
we have a dog named : Pocko who Loves to eat food but Really Loves Table Food . Should I just mix / add dog friendly supplements to his dish for general health…..?
I am excited about trying this for my dogs. My oldest one, 5 yrs old, has been throwing up the dog food we use now, but the treats, he is fine with, I dont think he likes the dog food at all. so I need to try something new and healthy with out breaking my pockets.
The only question is…..
How much do i feed them at a time. My 5 yr old is a German Shepherd, he is about 80lbs. And I have one that is turning one, she is a pit mix. about 40 lbs. I dont want to over feed or under feed.
thank you,
Sandra Hernandez
Please consult with your vet and/or use your best judgment for the appropriate vitamins/supplements for your pup as this can vary by breed/weight.
Easy to make and my dog loves it!!!
I really appreciate the recipe but even moe so the nutritionl valued for weight control
Great recipes. My 19 year old boy licked the bowl clean. You can’t get a better rating than that. Thanks so much.
My two Yorkies love it. Using the crockpot makes it so easy, and I know they are eating all healthy ingredients. Thank you for this yumo recipe.
How much do you feed them at a time/per day? I have a girlie mix and don’t want to over or under feed. Thanks!
That was supposed to read “Yorkie mix”! 🙂
Was it no or low sodium?
I have made this several times for my dogs. I have 3 and they all LOVE this recipe. There have been no ill effects whatsoever. I’ve used ground beef and also bought roasts when it goes on sale and ground it myself.
My dogs love this! No chemicals makes it nice..I gradually weaned them into it!
I just don’t know what happened…I made the recipe almost exactly (except for adding some extra peas) and my dogs both threw up massively after they ate the food. Did I maybe pick a ground beef with too much fat? Was I wrong to add extra peas?
Oh no. I am so sorry to hear that, Taylor!
Changes to your dog’s diet should be made gradually, taking 5-7 days to mix increasing amounts of the new dog food in with decreasing amounts of the old dog food. This reduces the chances that your dog will develop an upset stomach. Did you change their food completely overnight or was it done gradually when they threw up?
Hi there. Thanks for the recipe. I’d recommend adding a calcium supplement (soft bone from whole fish or raw/blanched chicken necks/thighs/wings are good, or dried/powdered egg shell). Dogs require a lot of calcium. Adding organ meat will provide needed Vit A, D, E and micro minerals.
I added a raw chicken neck to each serving, incorporated 1/4 lb chicken livers into the recipe, and omitted the beans.
I’d recommend using “Canine and Feline Nutrition” by Linda Case if you’re planning on making your own dog food. It’s not a practical how-to, but it will give you the info you need to formulate recipes that will fulfill all the nutritional requirements.
Do you think the meat on pork neckbones would work instead of the chicken neck? That’s all I could find at our grocery store. Also, when you say raw, you literally just put the raw meat into the bowl with the pre-made dog food, correct?
Pork bones – cooked or raw – are unsafe for domestic dogs.
If you grind the bones, your dog should be able to handle them. They need bones/bone meal. It is an essential part of their diet. Think about what dogs probably ate before being domesticated. Think about what wolves eat.
anybody have any idea how long this would last a 9yro 21kg male staffie ?
Hi. Thank you for this recipe. It’s so easy and so healthy. Do you cook the rice before adding it to the crockpot or put it in uncooked.
Thanks!
The rice is cooked in the slow cooker. 🙂
I’m so excited to find healthy dog treats.
Thank you
Carol
Hello. Someone shared your recipe with me and I am delighted with it. Our silky Yorkie seems to have a sensitive system and I am currently buying RX food from the vet which is expensive but has definitely helped him. Still it is processed so I cannot wait to try this. My question is this: should vitamins be added to the food? Thanks again.
Please consult with your vet and/or use your best judgment for the appropriate vitamins/supplements for your pup as this can vary by breed/weight.
Yes! Dogs need more vitamins (taurine, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, D, C, etc) than this recipe has in it. For every 1lb of meat; you should add 3 eggs with shells ground to a powder and thrown in too (You could use raw lamb or beef bones from the pet food store instead. Chicken and turkey bones are totally unsafe when cooked and risky when raw because of splintering. Pork bones are a not safe cooked or raw), 3 oz of organ meats (liver, kidney, heart – mainly liver), 1c spinach or kale. This recipe also needs 1/2 c fruit (apples, blueberries, pears, or other safe fruit) for every 1lb meat for vitamin C. Skip the rice an beans dogs don’t gain any nutritional value from them. Keep the yellows (carrots, butternut squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato) for vitamin A. I hope this helps.
Thank you, Kathy. This was very helpful instead of being told to consult my vet. I definitely will skip the rice and beans when I try this. I have a picky eater so maybe she will like this.
just to confirm- do you throw the eggs in uncooked and let them cooked in the slow cooker and then take the egg shells seperately, grind them, then add them to slow cooker once a powder? Also, if using another meat bone don’t you have to grind those first? wouldn’t they be too hard for the blender most likely? Also, I heard rotation of ingredients was really important- I found a study that a certain kind of heart diesease in dogs was found when they didn’t change food for several months or years so the recommendation was to rotate often, can you suggest how we would do that with this recipe? would we just vary the protein or all the fruits and all the veggies too so that they’re getting different nutrients from each? Thanks!
I’m so extremely confused…I tried this recipe two times. One with white rice a couple weeks ago, and today with brown rice. 1st time I made it, I put it on low for 8 1/2 hours and the rice was still not cooked, (but everything else was) so I ended up putting it in a pot with more water and boiled it. My dogs didn’t even like it and I had to throw it out.
Fast forward to today and I tried the brown rice this time, and cooked on high. Now it’s 3 1/2 hours later and rice is still hard as a rock!! But everything else is cooked. What exactly am I doing wrong? I followed the recipe to a T, including the 4 cups of water and stirring occasionally. This isn’t something that can be failed
twice, on two different cooking settings with two different color rices.
You and others must be feeding the dogs uncooked rice, which is extremely dangerous for dogs. Please let me know what I’m doing wrong because ground beef is like $11 and that’s not including all the other stuff that I had to buy in the recipe. So twice this recipe went bad and lost all my money over this. I would take this recipe off the internet, or at least change the recipe ingredient to “cooked” rice instead of uncooked. Ugh, so disappointing!
Mindy, I’m sorry this recipe did not turn out for you. Please note that user error can be a culprit here, especially when there are over 100 comments from readers with successful results with cooked rice in the allotted time listed in the recipe. What kind of rice are you using? Is your slow cooker malfunctioning?
Uncooked rice is NOT extremely dangerous to dogs. It’s not a good idea, but besides possibly getting a stomach ache and a little diarrhea they would be fine. Only in very rare case that the rice would “ball” up which can happen with other types of food and like I said is rare. If you put uncooked rice in a crock pot with water for 3 1/2 hours and it still wasn’t cooked, then there is something wrong with your rice or your crock pot. Also, who the hell pays $11 for 2 lbs of ground beef!!!
I always use long grain brown organic rice and I put mine in first so it’s on the bottom then pour in the water then put in everything else. Cook mine on high. If I use burger I fry that before adding it.
I hope this has helped. I also use frozen veggies.
I made this as listed and my dachshund crapped all over the house ? I’m thinking the ground beef was to much for her . I wont be using ground beef any more .
Alan, I’m so sorry to hear that! Changes to your dog’s diet should be made gradually, taking 5-7 days to mix increasing amounts of the new dog food in with decreasing amounts of the old dog food. This reduces the chances that your dog will develop an upset stomach.
Just wondering if there are any photos of the finished product?
Not at this time.
Made this today and got just over 8 cups of food. Did I do something wrong? Also, what size dog are you feeding? I definitely don’t have 2 weeks worth of food for a 40lbs dog.
She does love it thought!!
Rache, portion size may vary depending on the weight of the dog. Butters is roughly 18-20 pounds.
We recently adopted a 9-year-old longhaired chihuahua mix from our local animal shelter. He weighs 6 pounds. He has only two teeth–almost all his teeth were rotten & fell out at the shelter–so we feed him only wet food. He is VERY finicky. He won’t eat beef. He’ll eat Trader Joe’s lamb & rice wet food one day & refuse to do so the next. We have to chop up Dasuquin with a rolling pin and mix it into his food once per day; one leg was badly broken and deformed years ago, but he uses it as a crutch, to push things aside, & to do high 5s, so the Dasuquin is to help him with pain. I’m wondering if I should make his food. Perhaps he’d find that more palatable. He just ate tiny pieces of turkey with gusto and enjoyment, while he will NOT eat wet dog food with turkey. Our vet does NOT want him to lose weight, & at the shelter it was difficult to keep weight on him. We don’t want him to starve, but we don’t know what to do.
This post is unclear as to portion sizes for different size/weight dogs. My dog is 75lbs and normally gets 4.5-5.5cups of dry dog food per day but it depends on the brand.
We cannot give advice to the dietary needs of your specific dog, so while we provide the recipe, we ask that you use your best judgement when it comes to feeding your pet. Please consult with your pet’s vet if you are unsure.
You can check the calorie count in 5 cups of your dogs usual dog food and then compare to the calories in this. The information is usually on the dog food website, but you can email them if you can’t find it. I found out my 25 lb beagle eats 400 calories per day of kibble.
How much of this food, per day, is the appropriate amount to feed my dogs? I have a 55lb dog and two 35lb dogs.
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
How much does it make? And how long does it last in fridge? And of course I’m
Assuming you can freeze it?
This recipe yields about 12 cups. It can certainly be frozen to extend shelf life 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, Sky!
I don’t have a crockpot, is there anyway to make this in a regular pot/stock pot on the stove?
You can try this recipe instead! 🙂
https://damndelicious.net/2015/04/27/diy-homemade-dog-food/
Do you happen to know if I could feed this recipe to a cat instead? Obviously cut up into smaller pieces. Thank you!
Unfortunately, this is not something I can answer. It may be best to consult your veterinarian.
Do you have this recipe for a instant pot? please email me. I am a fan of your website and I make my own dog food thank you for your time.
Not at this time. Sorry!
We have 3 dogs, 2 mini dachshunds & a lab shepherd mix that weighs 85 pounds. My question is how much to feed the dogs using this recipe? We feed the dogs twice a day, dry food lower calorie blend.
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Ive been making my own dog food for a little over a year but I never use a recipe. Im loving this one and am getting ready to try it. I was reading comments because I have a silly question and was too embarrassed to ask. After seeing some of the brutal/rude comments Im not so embarrassed!! LOL. Gosh people are so rude!!! My silly question is….. Do I put the brown rice in raw? 😛
Yes, that is correct. 🙂
Hi! I’m researching homemade dog foods to switch my dog to. He used to be on a raw diet but I don’t have enough freezer space to keep up with it. This recipe looks very promising but my dog doesn’t do very well with rice and other grains. Would quinoa be a suitable substitute to the rice? It’s found in a lot of high quality commercial dog foods so it’s safe to eat but I wanted to ask before jumping into it. I’ll be consulting my vet once I have my final recipe together, of course 🙂
Hi Jay! I have personally never fed my dog quinoa but upon further research, it looks like dogs can consume cooked quinoa in small amounts. But as always, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian. 🙂
thank you so much for there reciept . i am staring to make treats for my groomer to give to her dog she does. thanl you again for the help.bcmylly
Thank you for this recipe! And all your others too! I will try it this weekend. I make something similar, baked, with hamburger. oats, carrots, broccoli and eggs. But it will be great to have an alternative and crockpot too! I also cook boneless chicken breasts and thighs in the crockpot with a little water for recipes and for dog treats.
I do usually have some kidney beans, but can chickpeas be used or other types of beans? I notice that in a lot of the grain free dog foods they use chickpeas. Now you have my imagination going and I’m thinking about something with canned butternut squash or pumpkin too! Thanks!
Hi Tina! Yes, you can add or omit ingredients as you like, but please use your best judgement when making modifications and consult your vet if you have any dietary-specific questions.
Are the ground beef and rice pre-cooked?
No, they are not. They are cooked through in the slow cooker.
Love this recipe! super healthy ingredients and my dog loves it! We have recently been short on time around the house and we’ve been on this subscription from RawWild! Our dogs love it and they’ve never been happier! check out https://www.rawwild.com/ for some great food your dog will love!
Thanks, George!
Hi. I have been feeding my 3 yr old caboodle this recipe for about 4 months now. He loves it and his poops are normal whereas before he had a lot of issues. However, I have noticed that his coat around the mouth is going a lot more red/ruby in color. He is white/apricot in color. Could the food be changing his coat or is there something else that could be causing it?
Hi Erica! I’m so happy to hear that his poops are normal! As for the changing of his coat, unfortunately, I am not entirely sure. It may be best to ask your pet’s veterinarian. Hope that helps!
would this be ok for a 8 week old newfoundland puppy?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Are you supposed to brown the meat first?
No need to brown the meat first, unless you prefer to do so.
First batch is almost ready – my pup has been ‘hounding’ me for hours to get some. Question: have you ever tried this in the instant pot? Would love to see an adaptation, because I’m a bit obsessed with mine. Thanks!!
That’s a great idea, but we haven’t tried it. If you’re feeling adventurous – give it a try and let us know if it worked!
Are you able to substitute the Ground Beef with Chicken and Ground Turkey? Thanks!
Yes, absolutely.
Sorry if I missed this but how long is this good for in the fridge? Just trying to gauge how often I will have to make this 🙂
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, Tovia!
Is there a way I can make this in a regular pot on the stove as opposed to a Crock Pot? Would I just cook the ground beef first and then add/cook veggies until they’re tender? Thank you so much for your help – and sorry if this is a silly question!
You can try this stovetop recipe instead!
https://damndelicious.net/2015/04/27/diy-homemade-dog-food/
Thank you very much, Chungah! It’s my summer project to add more homecooked meals for my dog and you were the inspiration!
How much should I give my dog?
She weighs around 10lbs.
I really want to start making her yummy “special” meals on occasion, what to make sure I don’t over or under feed her!
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
What daily quantity do you recommend for a 15 pound adult dog?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Please do a Google search on Apoquel. I stopped giving it to my Baby because it has really negative effects on the immune system.
I plan to start her on the homemade food. I had rather try this as risk her immune system.
Thank you all for the information.
I have a silver lab that has allergies. He has lost a lot of hair and was scratching so much that he was keeping us awake a lot at night. He was put on Apoquel which helped, plus an expensive dog food for allergies at the vets office. Eventually he was put on allergy shots which I gave him at home starting out daily with a low dose. He was then referred to a dermotologist. He is allergic to Beef, Turkey and Corn among a bunch of eviromental grasses and house mites. The dermotologist gives him a shot every 7 weeks which is expensive and the prescription food he is on is $93 for a 30 pound bag which lasts a month. I have just started making his food to see how it goes. I have to use chicken. Hopefully this will help with his allergies and our expense. WE have 3 dogs, just starting with the one dog for now.
I would be willing to bet that once you move to a human grade homemade dog food, his allergies would start to be relieved. Commercial dog food talks about using the 4 D’s= dead, diseased, dying, down animals and they use ingredients that fail human pesticide levels ( no wonder cancer rates are so high). Agree with others on using a variety diet and supplementing is a must! Also my dog rarely has gas since switching off a commercial food. He loves it and all are happy!
Chicken is the prime suspect in food allergies for most dogs. I would eliminate it all together. But grd beef at Costco 17.00 for 5 lb of 91 % . You need a quality beef for the dogs. low fat.
can dogs handle the beans okay? My dog has some gas problems at times and I’m concerned about whether the kidney beans in the recipe could aggravate things.
It’s hard to say – my dog never really had gas problems with this!
Hi, I’ve been feeding this to my pugs for a couple of years and they are in great heLth. Winding if you have any suggestions on tweaks to make this work for a pressure cooker? Instant Pot specifically. It doesn’t want to come to pressure. Not sure if maybe it needs more or less liquid?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This is not following guidlines of the original diet made by Dr Ruth. If you are not feeding raw bones meaty bones regularly, you must add calcium in the form of a calcium supplement or bone meal. Add sea salt for minerals.
This popped up on my Pinterest feed as my dog was snubbing her nose at her food she has eaten for 7 years. How appropriate! I made this yesterday with a few substitutions based on what I had on hand and it turned out great and the dog loved it. Oddly, I had no white rice so I used steel cut oats and barley. Of note, my crockpot was already being used so I cooked this in my Instapot which also worked out very well and was done in a snap. My dog is on two quarter cup feedings per day so I measured quarter cups and put them in muffin tins and froze them that way. Then remove the pucs and put them in a Ziploc bag. I plan on taking two out every evening and putting in frig to thaw out for the next day. Thanks for the idea!
We have a little JackChi (Jack Russell Terrier-Chihuahua mix) rescue with a very sensitive tummy. I’ve tried everything, but what she likes one day, she hates the next. I decided, after spending SO much money on I/D digestive foods at her vet, to try making her foods and treats. Living on the streets while a puppy, I think she pretty much ate anything she could (I don’t even want to think what that may have been…), and we’ve battled runny poo since the rescue delivered her to us. Normally, I do a mix of I/D digestive food (loaf in can), brown rice and fresh (boiled) chicken, turkey or beef. She’ll normally eat it (only because of the fresh chicken I believe), but I really want to give her something better. Long story short, I decided to give this slow cooker food a shot. She won’t eat it. She took a few bites the first time I tried to give it to her and that was it. Now I have a freezer/fridge full of the stuff and wonder what I might do to make it more appealing to her. I hate to just throw it out! Suggestions?
Give it to a friend with a pooch. Honestly, it’s all people food. Doctor it up with spices and make a casserole. :).
This is a 6-qt crock pot recipe. I used a 4-qt and also got lots of pink meat. I was weary of continually stirring during cooking because I read that everytime you open the lid, you have altered the cooking time. However, this morning I went to serve (cooked last night) and discovered lots of pink meat on the bottom. I think it needed more room to cook in a larger crock pot.
This may not be a completely balanced diet without additional vitamins/minerals. Could result in some deficiencies if fed long term which can result in numerous health issues. Probably need to consult a nutritionist to be sure its balanced for healthy growth and maintenance! Just a thought. New to the blog, but I love your recipes!
Are we supposed to put water in this? I dont think adding brown rice to a recipe with no water makes sense!?
Philip, please refer to step #1.
1. Stir in ground beef, brown rice, kidney beans, butternut squash, carrots, peas and 4 cups water into a 6-qt slow cooker.
I have been cooking my dogs food for several years now. Something I haven’t tried is using low sodium broths to cook her chicken or beef in instead of water. Have you tried this? Also, my dog got deathly ill eating tainted dog food so I don’t feed her dried food which is suppose to help clean her teeth. Any suggestions on what to feed her that will help clean her teeth? Maybe something baked that has the crunch of dried food?
Thanks for the recipes!
I wouldn’t use rice because of the high arsenic levels found in most rice around the world, canines also do not eat rice in the wild. Google it for more info. Furthermore, Canines in the wild would never eat beans, i would remove all beans from their diet and replace the rice with oats, which canines can and do eat in the wild. You also need to add organic and natural supplements to make it a complete meal. I use Dr. Dobias supplements https://peterdobias.com/ as they are by far the best on the market.
I’ve just learned about the scam the pet food industry has been pulling off and am disgusted! So we’ve been making our own pup food and my girls are loving it! This is for those concerned about their dog’s itching. My oldest is 12 and she has seasonal grass allergies where she chews het feet. Benadryl clears that up in the summer. She takes a baby aspirin and glucosamine daily and without it she chews at her legs something terrible! I’ve read this is in response to pain, probably arthritis. My own vet argued this is not the case. But i know my dog. My point is, perhaps itching is not always in response to an allergy.
My question is with regards to the ‘Damn delicious recipe’ that contains beef, brown rice, kidney beans, butternut squash, carrots and peas.
What is the recommended serving size for a large breed (my dog weighs 100lbs+).
Thank you
I recommend asking your vet for an appropriate serving size, just because we can’t make any guaranteed statements and every dog is different. Thanks Shirley!
My sister always made her fur baby home made food, I never did for my sweet dog who lived to be almost 17. and I’m sure it is better than a lot of store bought dog food because of the fillers and preservatives and so forth. Wonder what about cats? hehehe I know mine is super picky but does anyone know what could be in home made cat food? I mean do cats eat ground turkey and ground beef?
Have a Blessed Day 🙂
Tami, this may be best answered by your veterinarian.
Thank You! have a great Day!
YASSS so pumped about this! I tried your other recipe for my Pup, and he loves it! This one will be easier on me though. 🙂
How many cups do you get from this recipe? Thanks
12 cups.
I’m all set to make a batch of the ground turkey version of the ‘standard’ DIY recipe, but wondered if you’d mind clarifying some of the ingredient amounts?
I assume that the ‘1-1/2 cups brown rice’ is the raw amount? Sorry if that seems dumb, but to me, it would be better to tell us how much cooked rice to add, since it’s cooked before assembling the recipe. Also, could you show the carrot and squash in Cup amounts as you do the other veggies? I’ll be trying it out on my two terrier mixes who are, or should be, 30-35 lbs. One of them got up to 49 and the vet said DIET NOW ! She’s losing, but by just reducing her dry food to nearly nothing, I feel like she may be missing out on nutrients. And she loves people food, so I’m sure she’d love this recipe. Thanks !
The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice. The carrot and squash are already listed as cup amounts.
We do something similar except the dogs get raw meats in conjunction with a rice “slurry” we make that consists of:
~3lbs store purchased frozen “mixed vegetables”. We usually add a little frozen broccoli. These are sauteed with lots of olive and coconut oil, along with spices like garlic, basil, oregano, etc., (google safe spices in advance, we do different blends each time.)
~4 cups decent rice, cooked according to recipe (ends up with about 8 cups finished.)
1/2 dozen eggs, shells and everything right into the dish while everything is hot, blended vigorously. The eggs end up cooking. We have backyard chickens so there are always lots of surplus eggs around.
Any other safe “leftovers” we may have kicking around. We made a slurry today and had leftover butternut squash so it went in with everything else.
Everything gets blended together with some soy lecithin. The soy lecithin provides choline, which is necessary for our (and the dog’s) brains.
______________________
For raw meats, the dogs get either chicken thighs (with the bones), pork chops (with or without bones,) and when they’re lucky raw beef scraps we have laying around. For the two german shepherds, they get approximately 1lb for both breakfast and dinner, about 2/3rd meat to 1/3 rice slurry mix. Sometimes we go heavy on the slurry depending on how much meat we have on hand. The golden retriever gets 10-12 ounces twice per day.
THEY LOVE IT.
Your recipe is pretty cool too, I just noticed you don’t use raw meats. Kudos to those who feed their dogs a good diet! Our vet okay’d the diet, he referred us to an online tool to determine if the diet fulfilled everything the dog needed. The only thing we were missing was the choline. I wish I could find the link… Of course, I can’t at the moment.
Dog nutrition calculator–you can create custom recipes on this site or have your current diet analyzed for deficiencies: https://secure.balanceit.com/
Forgot to add, we also put some chia seeds into the mix.
Thanks for all the information! Since soy is an allergen for pets and not good for people either, I try to avoid it in what I feed them and myself. Egg yolks and split peas have lecithin and that seems safer than soy. There is also sunflower lecithin.
Garlic is not good for dogs. Lease research it.
How many times a week do you make dog food for your dog?
Once a week!
Do you have a recipe for home made cat food…. our furball is having problems…..
Unfortunately, I do not. Sorry!
I have a 19 lb. adult female corgi, so I assume about the same size as Butters? What amount do you feed daily?
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 pup.
What would be the best thing to replace the butternut squash with?
Sweet potato would be a great substitute.
I love this recipe, I did tweek it a bit but coating the pot with coconut oil and using chicken broth in place of water and adding Turmeric and pepper.
How do I dose it right for each dog size and breed? I have a beagle (senior), a lab (senior), and a small English bulldog (3 y/o).
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
This sounds so delicious
My Scottie is sick and my vet suggested doing anything I can to make her eat, so I found your recipe! However, I’m a crock pot newbie. My dog lkes sweet potatoes, do you think changing the squash to sweet potato would work well in the crock pot?
Yes, absolutely.
How much do you feed your dog & How many times a day? I have a miniature pinscher & a German short-haired pointer mixed with a Rottweiler. I’d like to switch them over to homemade food, but was curious about portion sizes.
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.
Hello! I’ve been making the DIY Dog Food Recipe for my dogs for several months now. I got the idea of cooking their food when our beagle got really sick, almost paralyzed and none of the vets could tell us what was wrong. I found your recipe and tried it out – he’s been back to his old happy self since then and the his brother and sister have lost a couple pounds themselves so thank you! Anyway, I got a slow cooker for Christmas and found this recipe once again so yay! My experience with slow cookers is very limited to none, lol. Can I still use the same ingredients ’cause they’re what I have on hand right now? Maybe, cutting the time in half or something? Please let me know, thank you!
Awwww, I’m so happy to hear that. 🙂
You can try this crockpot version instead!
https://damndelicious.net/2015/05/13/easy-crockpot-dog-food/
Do you think a recipe like this would be good for cats? I worry about the nutrition in store bought cat food! I think this is a wonderful idea!
This recipe is suited for dogs, not cats. But as always, please consult your vet and/or use your best judgment.
Have recently made this for my boxer. I’m feeding him 2 cups a day as it’s the same calories as what his dry food was. I found a supplement that I’m putting in the food once a day to ensure he’s getting the necessary nutrition. He loves it, except for the kidney beans. He leaves those behind, so I’m thinking that in the next batch, I’m going to try a different bean like black beans or garbanzo beans. Only problem is that the food lasts approximately one week. Going to double it up next time so that I can get 2 weeks out of it. Thanks for posting this recipe!!!
Can this be fed to cats also?
This recipe is suited for dogs, not cats. But as always, please consult your vet and/or use your best judgment.
What supplements do you use with this recipe?
We use Balance IT® Canine as recommended by our veterinarian.
Dogs cannot have KIDNEY BEANS! along with garlic, raisins, grapes, onion, chocolate and avacado
Cindy, yes dogs can have cooked kidney beans. I just did a search and read up on it . They can’t have RAW red kidney beans.
can they have red kidney beans if they are cooked?
Yes! Kidney beans contain antioxidants that help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and ward off disease. Raw kidney beans, however, contain a toxin that is dangerous to pets, so please make sure to cook the beans first. But as always, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian for possible allergies and when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hello! Is there a specific order that each of the ingredients should be placed in the crockpot? For example, does the meat go in first, etc? Thanks in advance!
You can add the ingredients in the order as listed in the recipe. 🙂
I am 73 and have a Chi. She loves to eat my food so I plan to make this crockpot recipe for both of us. It will be nice to have “someone” to eat with and I need the nutrition as well! Sugar will eat just about anything I give her so I do have to be careful there isn’t foods she shouldn’t have, like mushrooms and onions.
Need a recipe or advise, my dog has cancer and i start cooking for her, she received radiation treatment at Perdue University and will star chemotherapy soon . I try to feed her the best so i used high protein meats and a variety of veggies and fruits, plus probiotics. She refuses to eat her meals when I add a tablespoon of liver cod oil. And she doesn’t like to eat any fish so is a challlenge. Can you recommend me any recipe or ingredients?
Oh, and i steam her veggies…i dint boiled them so i can keep as much nutritional value possible. Thanks.
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I feed my boxer apricot seeds to prevent her from getting cancer. I microplane one seed on her morning food and one in her afternoon food. Boxers are known for getting cancer and I feel this will prevent her from getting it. It’s almost an hour long but well worth the watch, it will explain how it works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGsSEqsGLWM
Buy a multi vitamin to make sure they get everything when home cooking for your pets.
Sweet potatoes,broccoli,carrots, string beans ,and a pot roast, all in a crock pot with water to cover cook 5 to 6 hr.s or more, let stand in the refrigerator over night skim off any fat ( it will come to the top after it’s been in the frig over night) mix all together and serve in a cup sizes per pound dog…them buy a multi vitamin ….much better than dog food on the market…and much cheaper…my sweet little Millie loves it …
A good recipe except for the cow flesh. There is no reason to feed dogs meat. Cholesterol and animal fat is bad for them just like it’s bad for us. The beans are protein enough. You can always add broccoli, spinach, or lentils if protein is really an issue. For fat use coconut oil or peanut butter.
Holy smokes that looks delicious. I am going to have to try this for my babies.
Recipe looks good but does it contain the important food ingredients which a dog need for its daily life?
This is a great idea, I amended mine slightly to suit my 2 chihuahuas, using 5% fat turkey mince and switching out the kidney beans for green beans and they love it. I portioned everything out and froze it, one batch lasted well over 2 weeks for 2 dogs (although my teeny dogs probably amount to 1/4 of a normal sized dog!) I just mix their dry biscuits in with it and they demolish the bowls in minutes.
Thank you!
I made this delicious looking recipe last night, used ground sirloin 90% lean 10% fat. There was a lot of fat. I made a mistake and put too much water in also. It was too much food for my 6 quart crock pot, so I had to take another crock pot out and divide the food between the 2 pots. I cooked it for 6 hours on low. I tried to drain off the recess water as best I could.
This morning I gave my 26 pound mixed terrier a bite and then took his food bowl away. He jumped down off his chair and followed me asking for more. I gave him about 3/4 cup, some chicken and some dry food. He loved it and ate every bite of the homemade dog food except a large kidney bean which he spit out and left behind.
My concern is that the large amount of fat may upset his tummy. I normally cook chicken tenders in the crockpot for him. I feed him the chicken and some rice with his dry food. He gets tired of the food sometimes.
I recently watched a video explaining how bad the commercial food and treats can be for our fur children. I am concerned but don’t have enough info to switch him off his Nutro Natural choice dry kibble. I had been giving him milk bone treats and bones as well as greenies for treats. Now I read that Milkbone treats contain a preservative that can be poisonous to my baby. Now I have to try and make a change there as well.
I am 76 years young and this is a lot of work for me, but my little rescued terrier mix is worth every effort I can make to keep him with me as long as possible. I have had him for 4 years July 15. He is 8 years old now, very actively chases squirrels in the back yard every time he sees one through the window where he sits on his big chair. I want only the Best for him!
I am thinking of trying the ground turkey next time or using either stew beef or 93/7 ground beef . It is too much food to waste if he doesn’t care for it or if I make a mistake like I did on the water and made it mushy. Meantime zi will give this in small amounts until I see how his tummy processes the fat. I drained off an awfully lot of fat and threw it in the garbage, so maybe that will help, although the cup I used to measure the food for freezing individual portions seemed to be greasy as well. He loves his diy recipe of beef, rice, butternut squash, peas, carrots shredded in the magic bullet, I did taste it and although it looked so delicious, it was so bland you would need some seasonings for human consumption.
I have been crock pot crock pot cooking for my fur babies for a few yrs also.
I’ve tried several types of meat along with all the veggies mentioned. I do add fresh yams or carrots, organic coconut oil and canned chicken made by keystone. The dog prefer the chicken over the beef. Since this is cooked I add after the veggies are cooked. I also have to puree the veggies because one had to have 5 teeth pulled after he was given to us AND he does not eat yellow, ie yams etc. or green like peas lol. I like to kind of like to chop the meat so it mixes better. If I’m making a smaller batch of dog food I can make something like chicken noodle soup or chicken and rice for our dinner too.
My fur babies are healthy and happy. The last time they had canned dog food they had runny stools.
Lastly if human food can be kept under refrigeration for up to 7 days, why can’t our crock pot dog food?
My dog is allergic to rice. Any suggestions for a substitute to absorb the water/grease?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
I have been feeding my 14lb Silkey Terrier a recipe I got from a vet which includes barley not rice.
He has done
excellent on this recipe but I like the comments and the recipe on this website, only using barley instead of rice.
Like one of the other commenters suggested I just made with this turkey rather than beef. It didn’t come out very greasy at all, made the whole house smell delicious and the best part about it is that my American cocker spaniel absolutely loved it!
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll definitely be making this one again for my little guy.
Thank you for this recipe!!! We have a senior dog who has recently become a very picky eater. He has a few things going on with his liver, kidneys and GI tract so we really have to watch what we are feeding him. I made this today and he LOVES IT! Thank you so much!!!!!
The nutrients list doesn’t say anything about the calcium levels. From what I have read dogs need higher calcium requirements.
So I´ve got 5 dog´s two RR, a Border, a staff and an American Pittbull. The Big guys are doing great but I am having trouble with one of the RR´s she´s 3 months and is just not gaining enough weight Our vet has prescribed Vitamins for her but i´m going to try mixing this with her dry food to see it it helps. Thanks
My 7 month old RR is having a tough time gaining weight as well, she’s burns it off as soon as I give it to her. Looking back my 3 year old RR had the same issue. ,y vet said to up her protein and she’ll even out. Guess they’re too bus for their own good.
Can cats eat this too?
This recipe is suited for dogs, not cats. But as always, please consult your vet and/or use your best judgment.
Cats need taurine, so research their needs before doing anything
Just got this prepped tonight to cook in the morning for my girls – two corgis. They are going to love it! Thanks for the recipe!
I just made this for Coco my 11 year old pom, she loves it and I no what’s in it, will last over 7 days for sure as she is small, love it 🙂 healthy she gobbled it all up
What type of supplements do you give dogs when feeding them this type of diet?
We use Balance IT® Canine as recommended by our veterinarian.
Is this effiencient to feed all the time or should switch it up from time to time with other DIY recipes. I have a skinny picky eater and he had gobbled this stuff down!
Misty, you can certainly choose to switch it up as needed. I personally love using BalanceIT.com for variety. Hope that helps!
The meat is still a little pink, I cooked it for 6hrs…is this ok or should I finish it off on the stove???
Misty, if the meat is still pink, you can cook as needed to ensure that the beef is completely cooked through before serving.
Hi, I made this last night….it didn’t say anything about browning the meat first….so I didn’t….some of the meat is still a bit pink…..is this bad?? I was thinking about throwing it on the stove to ensure all the meat is browned or can dogs handle a bit of pink?? I cooked it for 6hrs …… please advise
How should I cook this if I don’t have a crockpot ?
You can try this stovetop version instead.
So glad I found this and tried it. Thank you for sharing. I was out of my mind buying about 10 different brands of food for my picky eater. He gobbles this up and I know what’s in it.
I see many people use vitamin supplements. Any suggestions as to which ones? I just started cooking for my dog a couple of months ago.
My Charlie couldn’t wait to eat this he loved it , it was still a little hot from crock pot but I put in freezer a a few minute to cool off lol he stayed by the ice box till I took it out
Can I add eggs and apple cider vinegar to the mix in the crock pot? What about yogurt plain?
Thoroughly enjoy these recipes.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
Love your comment about the use of crock pot. I started making my 5 year old GSD home made food only recently. As she has a sensitive stomach I have used white rice and started off with too much.
I am about to try in the crock pot.
Your comment on my recipe would be appreciated if this is appropriate.
White rice and extra lean beef with yams and parsnips and carrots and celery and parsley. I then cook skinned and deboned chicken breasts and chicken thighs by boiling with celery leaves and add to the above. I add this separately and mix into the meal.
Due to overloading wih rice which I cooked to death, she started having sporadic episodes of leakage at night. I researched and now give her HOME 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with yogurt before her evening meal. Two to three hardboiled eggs a week and eggs shells baked and ground sprinkled into her meals. I wonder about adding the eggs to the crock pot and am concerned that something might be
missing. What about a crunch for her teeth, which are brushed. Any comments would be appreciated. My vet is excellent, but not into home cooked advice. Also give fish oil daily. She will be going to a kennel for two weeks and so I must minimize the work.
My dog can only have “exotic” meats. So no beef, chicken, turkey or pig. Any suggestions on how to use duck, lamb or venison in this recipe?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
I have been cooking for my fussy pugs. I use boneless and no skin chicken breasts and thighs, 95% lean ground turkey, all kinds of veggies, broccoli, green beans etc. (no corn or potato) no rice but steel oats. I keep my egg shells and cook in crockpot with all of this stuff. My dogs will not eat chunks so I put this in a food processor and put in containers. I add (if I don’t have egg shells) 1 tsp of calcium to 5 cups of the food after it cools and fish oil when serving.
Louise how do you incorporate egg shells? Does it need to be ground finely and if so, how do you do that? I have been cooking a recipe similar to this for three years for my bichon (due to allergies and all the preservatives in dry food). Our vet is aware and supportive, but I am curious about the egg shell thing… 😉
Wow! Looking more delightful and healthy! I must do double check what my pup can and can’t eat.
Do you have a recipe book for dog food that is available to purchase?
Not at this time. Sorry!
check out the book: Feed Your Best Friend Better by Rick Woodford. It is an excellent resource on dog nutrition, homemade dog food and dog treat recipes, and also provides information on how to determine calories for your dog 🙂
Tracey, if you want dog food for purchase that is fantastic, check out http://www.Darwinspet.com they are fantastic. Their dog and cat foods are made with the best products for your dog or cats (cat formula is different then what I just listed). When we lived in the states, I would order every three months, it would come freeze dried in dry ice in 2 lbs packages that were divided into 4 portions (1/4lb each). We would take it out of the freezer the night before, and in the morning, open two of the portions, put in the dog bowls and our two dogs ate it up. Since I have moved to Costa Rica, I can not get their food 🙁 and our border collie is now in big trouble from allergies from the grains in dog food here. I just ordered 4 bags of Taste of the Wild, grain free ($75 for a 30 lb bag) and 2 Senior bags ($55 for 30#’s) for our three dogs. I am going crazy trying to figure out how to help our little guy that is obviously allergic to the grains.
The best thing about Darwins, you can call them, talk to them about your dogs needs, allergies, weight etc and they will recommend the best way to go. By the way, they will send you a sample pack for you to try on your dogs or cats. I hope this helps you and check them out.
I took the following off their website for you:
Our formula for both lines of raw dog meals:
75% Meat
25% Vegetables
Gluten-Free & Grain-Free
No Steroids, No Hormones, No Antibiotics
Nutritionally Balanced Complete Meals
High Protein, Moderate Fat, Low Carbohydrate Formula
Made with:
Grass Fed Beef, and Cage-Free Poultry
Organic Vegetables
We have 100 lb. Dog, 45 lb. 1 yr Dog, 40 lb. 6 month puppy. How much would u feedback one of this food?
Debi, it is best to consult your veterinarian/nutritionist to see how much food is best suited for your pups. The serving size is listed as 1 cup for caloric purposes only.
I just discovered this recipe and am making it for the second tome for our boys! I have found that if there is any fat on top that I drain this off. The leaner the beef of course, the better. My question is; how much for Newfoundland dogs? They are huge, 175 and 145. I give them two cups of dry per meal and try to give them some wet to mix in. Does anybody else have a large breed using this recipe? I don’t want to over-do it because of the bit of fat. Thanks.
How much water?
Please refer to the instructions:
Stir in ground beef, brown rice, kidney beans, butternut squash, carrots, peas and 4 cups water into a 6-qt slow cooker.
My dog is 13 pounds. Does not like the kidney beans. Any suggestions for a substitute. Also what vitamins should be added
Janice, these questions are best answered by your pet’s veterinarian.
I have a 7 year old Yorkie. She refuses to eat wet or dry pellets (I use Royal Canin – a good quality dog food in South Africa), but when I add poached chopped chicken to it, she eats most of the pellets. When I saw your recipe I thought i’d try it, but she fishes out the meat and leaves everything else! How can I get her to eat the vegetables? Any suggestions?
My dog has a habit of doing the same thing. I took an emulsion blender and blended the whole thing up so it’s a very mushy consistency. My dog scarfed it down no problem!
I have bee making food for an 80lbs adult lab and a 60lbs 8 mo old husky/border collie pup. I make a full 16q every 8 days. The dogs are supposed to get daiky: weight in lbs X 10 = grams of muscle meat/bones PLUS 25% of this at in veggies (80lbs X 10 = 800 gr of meat + 200 gr veggies So, 500 gr twice a day) They also need vitamin/mineral supplements and probiotics, according to vet’s.
I hope I get the chance to try this. Our little furbaby is fighting for her life right now due to some horrible treats made in China that have shut her kidneys down. Btw, I just found you via Flipboard and love your blog and can’t wait to explore it.
Please tell me what treats they were we give our yorkie treats
Do you brown the meat before putting it in the crock pot? Or does it brown while cooking? Or is this more of a “raw” type meal?
The meat will brown and cook through in the slow cooker.
After the crockpot ordeal, will you be able to “can” this?
Unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot say with certainty. Please use your best judgment.
I would avoid canning this, for a few reasons – it has squash, which is not recommended for canning (hard to heat it through to kill the bacteria), and the rice would probably turn to mush. If you were inclined to try it, it would need to be high-pressure canned because it contains meat.
This looks great. I actually make something like this in the oven as a meatloaf (with cooked rice). I will try it with ground turkey and chicken to lower the fat content. Great!
Hi I was just wondering about the serving sizes. its listed as 1 cup. I feed my dogs by their weight and feed them the dry kibble 2 cups 2 times a day as per instructions. So I was planning on feeding once a day the normal 2 cups of dry food then for the second meal of the day I was going to feed them 2 cups of this crockpot recipe. Does that sound about right? or is 2 cups too much for one meal serving?
Chelsea, it is best to consult your veterinarian/nutritionist to see how much food is best suited for your pup. The serving size is listed as 1 cup for caloric purposes only.
We’re still establishing Ronnies diet at present, but after seeing the vet will definitely be giving this one a try. We’ve another pup on the way you see, and I was thinking more of the expense. With crockpot dog food like this I’ll be saving the pennies!
Good stuff.
Mark and Ronnie x
I would need to replace the rice, kidney beans, and peas with something else. Do you have any suggestions? Thank You!
Debra, we use this resource here to change up the veggies and rice. Hope that helps!
With 4 Corgis I have had to double this recipe and do it in 2 crockpots. The dogs just love this. Its simple to make and I feel good giving them healthy food. I shared the recipe on Facebook and several of my doggie friends are now making it for their Corgis.
Ho10w big is your pooch and how much do you give him/her? I have a 10 year old Rotti. How much do you recommend I give her?? Your input would be greatly appreciated.
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 Rotti.
Dogs actually NEED more fat than humans…it’s what keeps their skin from drying out and keeps their fur soft! Please don’t feed grains/beans to cats, they are obligatory carnivores (which means they get all the nutrition they need from MEAT only!) however, unless you feed your cat a whole chicken (yes, feathers, uncooked bones and all) you will not meet their nutritional requirements. Same for dogs. This is a GREAT suggestion as a treat or on top of “regular” food, but unless you are a veterinary nutritionist, you must be VERY VERY careful about switching to “human food”. Our pets, as much as we love them, ARE NOT human and have some very different nutrition needs.
Are you suggesting oils or actual fat from chicken, beef, pork when you stated the animals need the fat to keep their skin from drying?
I totally disagree, I have a very healthy 5 year old mini poodle who I have only feed homemade food since 9 weeks old. I make a batch and freeze it. I take out portions as needed. I checked with a vet with he was little. He just recommended I give him a dog multivitamin and put 2 omega capsules(got from Costco) in his food. As for portions. I give him a full bowl divided in half, twice a dog. As for portions, if your dog gives going back to bowl and lick it after they have finished they are still hungry. Good luck people, btw, my dog is allergic to chicken.
How did I find out?( he threw up and had had diarrhea after I gave him some) JUST MAKE SURE THE WHATEVER VEGGIES YOU PUT, THAT THEY ARE
NOT TOXIC TO DOGS!
I made this yesterday..and portioned it out ..and put some in the freezer ..however this morning whin I took ot out of fridge..there was so much grease that got hard ..around the beef .and I used 90% lean beef…..way to much fat for a dog….sounded good. But not for the pups. This can cause tummy upsets and diarrhea..
Better to brown the meat first and get rid of that fat then mix in the other cooked ingredients…chicken or turkey has less fat ( WITHOUT THE SKIN )
that would be a good replacement for the crockpot meal…
Diane, yes, you can absolutely replace the ground beef with ground turkey and/or ground chicken to suit your preferences.
I don’t have a dog, but I read through this recipe hoping to catch a glimpse of Butters. 🙁 So cute!!!
Do you think a recipe like this would be good for cats? I worry about the nutrition in store bought cat food! I think this is a wonderful idea!
Unfortunately, this is not something I can answer. It may be best to consult your veterinarian.
This recipe would NOT be appropriate for cats. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they require only MEAT and meat protein. Not vegetables or fruits or grains of any kind. Of course, that also means that most store-bought food is inappropriate as well.
Cats absolutely need organ meats. They should be eating a 95-100% meat diet. Organ meats provide taurine, which is essential for a cat’s eyesight.
Cats and dogs are able to convert proteins into glucose for energy. They really don’t need rice and vegetables. Think about what they would eat in the wild. Many dogs like carrots, but they wouldn’t be digging for roots…they would be hunting for meat. Cats need starches even less than dogs do.
Your recipes are rarely discarded…I love every one and this is no exception…I do however already make a food similar to this…My dog Spice, french bulldog with sensitive tummy, LOVES this food…It’s the only thing she will eat. I make big batches and use my 1/3 c cookie scoop/ice cream scooper, make mounds on a pan and freeze, then place mounds into a zip lock bag and store in freezer. Take one out daily, pop in microwave for 30 seconds and BAM…lol I use a whole chicken, 1# of burger and 1# pork, beef or chicken liver for meat…1 large can crushed tomatoes, one can water, 1 c brown rice, 1 c oatmeal, 1 large sweet potato, 5 carrots and 1/2 bag (3 handfuls) of fresh spinach…I put the liver, potato, carrots and spinach into the food processor and process until fine, dogs can not digest some veggies the way we can, like carrots. So in order to be absorbed it needs to be finely shredded at least. And the liver once cooked don’t break up nicely, so I just process it. cook all day in slow cooker, take a potato masher and smash it up (oh remove bone from chicken too if you put bone in there…(I use whats on sale which might be boneless chicken thighs so sometimes I have no bone to remove)
My vet says absolutely no tomatoes or tomato based foods. As for the carrots, that’s my little guy’s favorite treat – raw baby carrots! Much better for him then store bought treats.
Great idea with the 1/3 C portions! I would warn against nuking the food though. The microwaves absolutely annihilate many of the nutrients in food. We don’t even use it for our own food, just for heating up a quick cup of water for tea, coffee, etc.
The assertion that microwaves kill nutrients is a myth that is not based on any science whatsoever.
https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/microwaves-and-nutrition/
What is the percentage of fat you used for your beef??…..70, 80, 85 or 90%. whatever….. That will play a factor in how “greasy” the final product will be. Will brush up on the nutrients needed for my dog and make this as a meal/supplement for him. Thanks Chungah. PS….I have veggie broth cooking for him in the crock-pot as “we speak”……Please keep the doggie recipes coming.
I used lean ground beef (93/7).
I was going to print it ….I thought it looked soooo good….but have no dogs… it’s probably a human meal also……isn’t it?????
Yes, this is absolutely “human food” but it will be a bit bland as there is no seasoning in this recipe!
I’ve been making homemade dog food for several months now, but never in the crockpot. I will be making a batch today. I actually make it to serve as a treat. I freeze the food in 1/2 cup containers . When it’s time for the treat I run the container under warm water for a couple of seconds and the frozen food pops out….The dogs love it! I make sure they eat it on a large towel to make sure they don’t dirty the carpet.
Kathy, I bet you could put the food in ice cube trays, then once they’re frozen pop them out and transfer to a freezer bag !
The only thing I would add is perhaps some eggshell powder (from eggs youve used) and some organ meat such as kidneys or liver) calcium and rich organ meats are very important to a dogs diet
Yes, I was thinking this too. Both the calcium and the organ meats. And I think the beans are unnecessary and probably not good for the gut. Beans can actually be hard on the human gut, too.
We’ve been making something similar for our 11 lb. cockapoo, except we use chicken instead of beef. We also have mixed the vitamins into the food before freezing in the correct quantities. However, we haven’t been making it in the crockpot, so for sure I want to try it that way!
What is a serving size? I have an 80 pound GR mix. I doubt 12 cups of food will last 2 weeks. LOL!
Laura, we feed 1 cup to our 20-pound corgi (supplemented by vitamins and various treats) as directed by different research outlets and our veterinarian. Please consult your vet and/or use your best judgment for the appropriate serving size for your pup.
Hi! do you feed your dog one cup per daY? OR one cup in the morn and one cup in the p.m.?? thank you for this amazing recipe! My 70lb chocolate lab will LOVE it!!
We feed our 20-pound corgis 1 cup total per day, supplemented by vitamins and treats.
I’ve been cooking my own dog food for the past few years but just recently started doing so in the slow cooker. The crockpot is definitely the way to go! I usually cook it up on Saturdays with a very similar recipe to this one, although I’ve never tried kidney beans. Turns out like a thick soup, and when refrigerated, like a thick porridge. Keeps just fine in the fridge for days but I wouldn’t go past a week (I always use mine up before that). I throw some in a bowl, microwave for 40 seconds to about room temp, and serve it up individually to my pups on a small bed of dry dog food, since I like to offer that crunch as well. Easy, convenient, less expensive, and healthy– how can you beat that? Thanks for posting this, Chungah!
My 13 year old yorkie is having surgery tomorrow to remove some yucky teeth. She’s been on dry/crunchy food her whole life but now needs to stick to soft. I’ve already made your DIY food and have it portioned in the freezer. DEFINITELY going to use this crockpot version as well! Thanks so much, Chungah!
I love this! I used to make my dog’s food in the crockpot. I got lazy & stopped. I’m definately starting again! Thank you so much!!
Two weeks worth of dog food and can only be refrigerated for 1-2 days?
Joyce, as mentioned throughout the post, this is a freezer-friendly recipe. You should freeze most of this in serving portions and thaw as needed since 12-14 days worth of food cannot be adequately stored in the fridge without spoilage.
Joyce, I have been cooking recipes like this for my two GSD’s for a couple of years now. I leave enough of the cooked food out to feed my dogs for a couple of days, the rest I freeze in individual square freezer containers that I bought at WalMart specifically for this purpose. Each evening I take the next days feedings out of the freezer and it is ready to give to the dogs the next day. Very easy, very economical, and very healthy.
Hi Babs,
How much do you feed your GSDs. I am trying to work out how much of this te feed a 4 months old GSD cross puppy I am fostering. I will be using it in conjuntion with wet and dry dog food to make sure she doesn’t miss anything she should be having. Any advice about amounts to feed a 4 month old large breed dog?
I am really interested in making this for my girls, how much do you feed them?
I have a 100 lb , 30 lb and 10 lb dog…..
Hi everyone. I’m wondering what others are using as a guide on how much people are feeding their dogs?? I have a 90lb mastiff cross and a 60 lb husky cross. Also looking for opinions if people are strictly feeding this home cooked dog food or still using some kibble to make sure dogs are getting a well balanced diet. Thanks so much!!
I LIKE FOR MY DOGS TO HAVE DRY, CRUNCHY FOOD. ANY WAY TO TURN THIS RECIPE INTO CRUNCHY?
Linda, this really has more of a “wet food” type texture.
You could probably mix it half and half with dry biscuits? That would make the biscuits last longer too!
Leave some of the carrots raw….that’ll give it crunch
I’ve read carrots are best cooked al dente as they cannot digest them completely raw..
Probably depends on who’s post you read. I cook mine a little just to be sure.
Dry food for dogs or cats causes kidney failure that doesn’t start showing signs until after middle age. Bought dry food has less protein because it’s been rendered so many times. Every step that’s taken from raw meat to dry food takes more protein out. There’s a lot of steps to get to dry. Plus most dog food manufacturer’s use what humans don’t. Some use parts is a diseased animal.
▪️The least healthy food is dry
▪️2nd is dry food moistened but NEVDR leave in bowl of it will mold & grow other bacteria.
Third is canned food because it has lots of moisture ~ be sure MEAT is the #1 ingredient. A dog has absolutely no need for carbs, grains. How many carbs do dogs’ ancestor’s get? Wolves!
▪️Second to best is homemade with 95% bring meat. White chicken is best with a little skin or acbonrldss skinless thigh added in. Dark meat has twice the calories & fat as white meat. Any meat, cold water fish I’d acceptable. I don’t use ground beef because we have small dogs on a limited # of calories per day.
▪️ The healthiest food for your dog is raw. Raw meat, raw low calorie/high fiber vegetables. No grain or higher calorie carbs. Most people can’t handle raw & I’m one of them. You have to be extremely careful with raw meat, never leaving it down & washing bowls after every meal. We don’t leave even dry food down because dogs become grazers. They need 1 or 2 set meal times daily that are the right amount of nutrients for your dog’s weight & specific needs.
One thing I noticed with the crock pot dog food is no supplements were added after cooking. Every homemade dog food needs bone meal powder. No bones are ground up & added to the recipe. Who wants to do that or has the means to grind bones into
Pieces so soft, it’s not noticeable in food.
1 t. of human grade bone meal powder per day for a
30 lb dog is all it takes.
We add a good grade of liquid multivitamins.
We also add powdered probiotics & a squirt of Cold water fish oil (Omega 3 fatty acids) in liquid form. It’s amazing what this does for your dog’s coat & skin not to mention the health benefits.,
Raw bones from large animals ~ no cooked bones (can splinter & puncture intestines). Absolutely no poultry bonds unless ground to a pulp & added food. Your butcher has a variety of raw bones for you they would normally throw away.
W
Not all dogs can tolerate raw food. People worry about salmonella in dog treats yet they throw raw food at their dogs which is nothing more than a fad. At very least meat should be seared to remove bacteria. I nearly killed one of my dogs jumping on the raw food fad. As far as what is best, whole food of course. But I know people that have fed their dogs grocery store kibble and the dogs lived 15 and 16 years long past normal. Growing up our dogs ate whatever was left from our food. They all lived long healthy lives. The illness in dogs today is a lot more lifestyle and most importantly over vaccination. Dogs do not need to be vaccinated over and over again. Once they achieve immunity it is for life. Do your own research on this.
MY DOSG LIKE FRESH APPLE, WE PEELD AND CUBE SOME AND ADD IT INTO FOOD
This is so clever! I love the idea of having freshly made food for our dogs. Going to try this for sure!
Would have like to have seen a picture of the finished product. Is it water, or is all the water sucked up in the rice? Is it a little greasy from the meat not being cooked and drained prior?
Would like to try this recipe for my dog
The water is reduced completely by the rice, and it is not very greasy at all.
I made it with ground turkey instead of beef. Not as greasey.
How do I portion this?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hi I am using your recipes for my French bulldog but I see the comments that u just put all the ingredients in with water you don’t have to cook the meat and drain the juice from the meat , I think that what I am reading . I hope my Frenchie like it .. Let you know later.. I did try the turkey carrots peas spinach squash she love it and I put coconut oil organic to give it favor everything is organic for my little lady and her fur look a lot better .. Going to the vet soon to get her tested for allgeries
I but very lean ground beef
I made this with trout (found in my freezer! I wouldn’t normally buy my beloved babies, Augie & Abrams, Scottish trout!) and used sweet potato instead of squash. They love this version. I feed out less fresh food than dry as a rule. Abe has chicken allergy so making his food works for us. Abe is 9 yo and 35 lbs, he gets about 2/3 c twice a day, still working on portion amount. May cut back a little bit more, kind of a couch potato for a dauchsund cross! Augie is 3 yo & 20 lb. He gets 1/3 c twice a day. Picky eater with dry or canned dog food but not with homemade. The boys are bright and alert, when Abrams decides he done napping you’d never guess he was 9! As active as Augie chasing each other around the garden! It takes so little cost & time to give your dogs this extra boost. TRY IT!!!
How long can this be kept in the fridge?
This can be kept for at least 1-2 days in the fridge, but please use your best judgment as I am not an expert on food safety.
My vet gave me a list of foods my dog can eat and everything in your recipe was on it! And she told me to make in the crock pot! It lasts roughly 5-6 days in the refrigerator is what she said before bacteria starts growing on it. She told me to make a large batch and then portion it and freeze it! Our Bischon has allergies and was bit by three ticks so were trying to bring her platlet count to a healthy level. She said NEVER feed a dog dry food because it causes their body to work harder (just like ours) and ends up shortening the dogs life. Always add water if your feeding your dog dry food. Our dog is a therapy dog for my 7 year old with ADHD so we will do whatever it takes! Thanks for your blog! We love your recipes and im sure our dog will too 🙂
Your post doesn’t make sense, my dog eats all of that and it’s in their dog food. My girls can’t have that cheap food or any corn products. All the better dog foods you buy are made from those exact veggies and maybe some fish. So you should probably question your vets knowledge.
It made perfect sense.
Google commercial dog food…even the expensive ones are junk…ie: Blue Buffalo.
Because you know more than someone with 8 years of college and years of experience, right? You must’ve done absolutely no reading on commercial dog food.
mine has become allergic to any dog food I have introduced to her…just give her 4-5 weeks and she is scratching and biting her feet…so even though it is good dry dog food they add extra ingredients that some of the dogs are reacting to…I have gone down to gluten free oats and pork..she even reacted to fish and beef now…so I am going to try it with the ingredients except peas…I know she reacts to those
My vet has studied this topic at length and even written a book on animal nutrition. Commercial dog food, even the “good” brands, contain large amounts of filler and by-product. We always make our own food. Perhaps you should question your own knowledge.
Even the best food is processed. Take your time and check out all the ingredients one by one. You will change your mind. Don’t forget the additives. Your dry kibble isn’t what you think.
read her post again, no where does it say “can’t”
Blue Buffalo SUCKS! they’ve had so many recalls and somehow are still on the shelves! we have a golden retriever and a healer/pitbull who absolutely love your recipes! we were on BB until our golden started having extreme asthma symptoms and we couldn’t figure it out, we went all natural and he cleared up immediately! comparing whole natural food to dried food is like comparing a home cooked meal with boxed freezer meals….there are no nutrients no matter what they say on the label!
don’t you get it ???it’s chemical free and disease free , it’s not made in some dirty factory it’s made in your own kitchen you know what’s going in there food you don’t when is manufactured !!
CFINK, it’s been a while since you’ve posted, but I also have a very itchy dog. I think it’s caused both by food and environmental allergies. She kept scratching and giving herself skin infections. A new amazing drug was released a few years ago. Please go ask your vet about APOQUEL. It’s the first drug that has helped. Peanut used to scratch so hard she’s fall over. After a week in Apoquel, she hardly ever scratches, her feet actually have hair growing on them, she doesn’t have a single skin rash, and she doesn’t luck all evening. They aren’t completelysure about the long term effects, but I think quality of life is at least as important as quantity. Now I cook the dog food because I have two senior dogs with missing teeth. They need the softer food and I just can’t find it, that they will eat, in a pet store.
You should watch “PET FOOleD” on Netflix. Maybe it’ll shed some light for you. 🙂
Dry dog food, no matter what is in it, is never as good as fresh or freeze dried food. There are also many preservatives and way too much sodium in commercial dog food, no matter how good they say it is. Also, making it yourself is a lot cheaper then purchasing dog food that is categorized as healthy or all natural.
A potato chip is made out of potatoes but you cannot logically argue that both are the same value nutritionally. Same for kibble.
All these ingredients may be in store bought dog food but there is also a lot of added crap to make the shelf life longer. I don’t add fillers or chemicals to my homemade food. So maybe you should do your research before making a unnecessary rude comment.
I think you misread what she said. She was saying that, based on the ingredients and the conversation she had with her vet, this recipe is exactly what she is looking for.
Unless you are suggesting that her vet is wrong about the dry dog food? In which case, nearly every vet I’ve ever talked to has always told me that dry food is hard on a dogs system. They’ve ALL suggested that I make my own or find a very good quality food and supplement as much as possible to ensure max health benefits/needs. There is one exception I guess but they were huge on selling one of those diet brand dog foods that cost an absolute fortune and they swore by only ever using that one brand (conflict of interest?).
The dry dog food is made from questionable meat. Rendering truck, diseased meats, weird animals, cartilage, and overall gross stuff counts as “meat”. Dr Pitcairn has been writing books on natural food and homeopathic remedies for pet health. I can’t believe you would assume overbaked and extruded food would be equal to something you could yourself eat from the crockpot.
Yes but Dog Food companies use rotted and meat parts and organs.
my dog has allergy to all dairy products and meat with the exception of fish. natural balance has a vegan dog food he does well on but pricey. Purina has a salmon dry food I started him on so well see. i think Ill try this too but add salmon instead of beef
Someone suggested your vet is not good and argued dog food is better . They may be right about label ingredients , but would they sit down and eat that canned dog food or this recipe? I’ve read many articles about the meat ingredients being the parts humans don’t eat even in high quality /cost gluten or grain free brands. At $2plus for 1 can. Which I’ve bought plenty of and my dogs still scratched. I have recently switched to homemade its cheaper for my 2 adolesent gsd and they seem to have stopped scratching. Not only that but the hugs yes hugs I get after they eat and the many times they have both carried their bowls to me for seconds… at least that what I think they are trying to tell me, says I’ve made the right choice for my babies. But each owner can make there own decisions on what’s best for there own dogs instead of insulting the writers vet look for canned dog food ads , since this recipe blog isn’t right for you!
In 2007 their was a major pet food recall. One ingredient from one supplier tainted over 100 brands of dog food. Melamine was found in the gluten, it mimics protein. Dogs died or got very sick costing thousands of dollars in vet bills. It was found in the cheapest dog food up to the most expensive veterinarian sold dog food. There is another recall right now over excessive vitamin D.
I’ve also seen diy dry dog food on pinterest. I haven’t personally tried it, but it might be a good idea if your dogs have allergies and sensitivities.
You are right, dry dog food should not be given consistently without water. Our vet and breeder both told us that dry dog food alone is okay SOMETIMES because it helps to clean the teeth (through chewing), but about 1x daily or couple of times a week add some water to it about 30 mins before feeding to make it mushy because soggy food digests easier and promotes good digestion. Before I started making my own dog food, we would mix water with it one day, dry food the next day, then add a can of food the day after that and then repeat. Now, we make our own recipe (similar to one above, which we are going to try) and my dog loves it. We started making our own because my German Shepherd would refuse to eat dry food and he stopped gaining weight (BAD, since he was less than 1 year old).
Hi,
I started feeding my dog this but it seemed to go bad. Also I was wondering what you feed your german shepherd because that is what I have as well. BTW my dog will not leave the kitchen since cooking his food from home.
I agree, i do add some wet occasionally, only wet rots dogs teeth if that is all you give them. I give my dog frozen fruit and frozen veggies. My vet agrees with this. He loves the crunch and since its frozen it contains water…
My Dog Labrador, was 10 lbs over weight, when I switched to vegan/fish he lost 10 lbs maintaining the same amount of food. No More dry flaky skin, no more scratch en, beautiful coat.
I didn’t read your whole thread. I had to stop and comment when she said all good are processed…… is a pea processed? Packed with fillers? I’m pretty sure a pea is a fucking vegetable. Straight from the earth. Pretty sure a carrot wasn’t harmed by manufactures either. Nor the squashes
I have really appreciated your dog food recipe. I never thought of making it myself, but my new dog would not eat much for days, even with high quality Blue Diamond food.Now he eats normally, is not getting overweight and his coat and energy level is amazing! I change things up a little with each batch to explore what he likes and doesn’t like. So far, the only thing he doesn’t like is grounded turkey. Thank you!
However much do I feed a 60lb dog?l
We, unfortunately, can’t give you advice on that. It is best to consult with your veterinarian.
Hi Jodie,
My challenge in making my own dog food is how much do you feed them?
I have to dad hounds, one is 6kg and is quite slight and an 11kg bigger dog who needs to loose weight. I want to make sure they get enough
I am wondering about that also. As I have a 150# Saint (5.5 years old) and a 100# Golden (almost 2) I feed them Nutro Lamb and rice (they are allergic to chicken) and they are no longer itchy. My Saint eats 8 cups a day and the Golden eats between 3-6 cups a day.
I pay roughly $50 a bag (30#) and it might last 2 weeks
I understand many dogs are allergic to chicken, I hear its mostly because of flea dander in the food 🙁 .
From other raw food recommendations: Adult dogs can be fed between 2-3% of the their body weight. We recommend starting with 1/2 pound of food per 25 lbs of body weight daily and make adjustments according to your dog’s age and activity. We also suggest that the daily ration be split to feed morning and night.
Can I sub ground turkey instead of beef and keep cooking time the same?
Yes.
Not sure if dogs will care, but I have found that when I add raw turkey I to a crockpot it gets grainy by the time it’s done cooking. I found that if I cook the turkey first it keeps its flavor and texture much better.
Our vet recommends white rice vs brown due to its easier for them to digest… even tho brown better for humans
Everything I’ve research agrees with this comment on white versus brown rice for dogs. Dogs cannot digest the outer husk on the brown rice like humans can.
How long is it good for in the refrigerator? Also do you freeze it and take it out as needed?
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. Hope that helps, Tina!
You can freeze. It in portion sizes and use it as needed. My dog is going to be 19 in April and I have been making her food for years with no problem. I also dehydrate liver for her as treats and I make her dog biscuits bacon and peanut butter. She proves them. I got the recipe from Pinterest. Happy cooking everyone.
How do I know how much to feed a 60 lb dog?