DIY Homemade Dog Food
Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe – it’s cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies!
I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.
But when Butters recently fell sick with an upset stomach, our vet advised us to feed him a bland diet – chicken and rice without any kind of seasoning. So that’s what we did – we poached a chicken, shredded it in a food processor, and mixed in some white rice and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.
That’s when I started to do some research on homemade dog food, and I have been so amazed as to how many different kinds of vegetables dogs can have. And with the help of Balance IT, you can create so many different recipes for your pup!
Now the best part about making homemade dog food – just like making anything at home – is that you know exactly what is going into the dog bowl, and not any of that questionable gelatinous gunk from the canned food.
But it’s important to note that dogs have different nutrient requirements than humans for their proportional body size, such as:
- High-quality protein (meat, seafood, dairy or eggs)
- Fat (meat or oil)
- Carbohydrates (grains or vegetables)
- Calcium (dairy)
- Essential fatty acids (egg yolks or oatmeal)
Now this recipe here has a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, but the ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your pup’s breed and/or needs.
Once you’ve made your batch, you can divide them up into single servings, note the date, and freeze it. When ready to serve, you can defrost it in the fridge overnight and nuke it for 15-30 seconds. That’s it! Now who knew that making dog food would be this easy?
Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe – it’s cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies! Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.
DIY Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients:
Directions:
Did you Make This Recipe?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
My picky 3 lb Yorkshire loves it!!! Thank you!!!
I have a question. I have a 4 pound, 7 pound and 20 pound dog. I have no idea of the portion size for any of them. I intend to use this recipe but I am clueless. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
it all depends on the breed! look up the caloric intake your dogs need online and base it off of the serving size above! hope this helps
This sounds like a great recipe. Mo showed it to my veterinary. She said only white rice and chicken rather than turkey. My Golden’s have never been able to eat turkey without severe diarrhea.
What oatmeal do you give a dog? Instant mix? Old fashioned oats? Also, if a dog is allergic to grains, what would be good foods to replace grains?
based on my research some good substitutes for grains (assuming the grain allergy is a gluten allergy) are:
-potatoes/sweet potatoes
-legumes (beans)
-quinoa
-lentils
As for the oatmeal question, I would opt for old fashioned or any other style of oats, just be sure that you are buying and making oatmeal that doesn’t have any added sugar, cinnamon, or other flavors. I would be wary about Instant mix too because the ones I have encountered usually have flavors or other added fruits to it. I have read that cinnamon can be harmful to your pup, which is why I advise to be very careful.
It was awesome recipe, but I didn’t understand if the measure of the brown rice is cooked or raw?
It’s 1 1/2 cups of raw rice, cook then add amount to recipe, should be doubled
My dog LOVES this!! I’m so happy as he is the pickiest dog eater I’ve ever had. He’s a rescue so I think he was used to garbage and canned dog food. He only eats kibble if it has a sauce on it. Won’t eat carrots, peanut butter, bananas, apples, etc. He ate this down in 1.5 min. He is only 8 lbs. I’m THRILLED he likes this. Thanks so much.
PS – I added chick peas instead of regular peas as he will eat those.
I’m on my 4th batch of making this. My dogs love it. I highly recommend it. All my family members want me to make it for their dogs. I’m tired of our little family members having inflamed paws, severe red ears, scratching and overall health issues. Most store bought dog food is processed crap. use only fresh organic ingrediants. it’s the best for their little intestines. As a bonus, I drizzle a little organic chicken broth over food before heating
This is very easy to make and my dogs love it. girl dog has a sensitive stomach and she ate this without complaints!
Easy to make and doggyliscious!
My dogs are aways salivating when I make this!
Saw a question below – spinach is healthy for your dogs – do not give them corn (that is a bad filler). I’ve made this in the past and I’ve made some tweaks – this is a great base! My add on’s for consideration: Try changing up the meats -Your 3lbs of meat can include Chicken/Beef/Turkey livers, Duck or Salmon; Grated sweet potato, tumeric and ginger; eggs, frozen blueberries, kale and flaxseed. I substitute quinoa if I don’t have the brown rice on hand. My golden lab/retriever mix she has 1.5 cups and my maltese he has 1/2 cup and there is never ever anything left in the bowl! Freezes great however, I tend to make enough to last me about 5 days. Thank you for this! It makes me feel better giving them fresher foods!
How often do you feed you Maltese. I have a Morkie I just got he’s 7 lbs. do you think it would be best if I fed him a 1/2 cup twice a day? I think me making his dog food would be best for him.
I feed mine twice a day!
Excellent homemade dog food recipe for my elderly dogs they love it. Thank you
Pups weren’t too keen on the spinach. So I substituted corn but they didn’t digest that very well. Just wondering, how much do you recommend at 1 serving. They are fed morning and
early evening.
Thanks, Vickie
Great idea! I am going to give it a try for my pack 🙂
Use only frozen or fresh peas. Canned peas have no food value for dogs. It is cooked away. Love your recipe website, Chungah. I use it a lot.
If my dog eat 400g of dry food proformance how many gram should i feed my dog from that recipe
Just a note that homemade diets can be more dangerous than kibble. There are vitamins and minerals in kibble that are essential. And obviously ingredients that should NOT be included. Please consult your veterinarian if you would like to solely feed your dog homemade food.
Thank you so much! My dogs live it and they’ve slowly been losing weight.
We eat 2 and 1/2 cups of canadae dry foods per feeding 2x daily. My collie 14 mos old. He is 85 pounds.How much should I feed for fresh food?
Robin
Do you need to give them a vitamin supplement?
Supplemental fish oil? If so liquid or pill?
I’ve read in many articles brown rice has arsenic and to use Oats instead ?
Any ideas for toppers?
Thank you
Can you freeze any extra dog food you make for later.
Yes
After reading an article about kibbles , how they are made and all the expired meats and dead animals being incorporated in it , I stopped feeding my chi any type of kibbles . For the past 4 years , she has been eating homemade healthy food . Brown rice , quinoa , oatmeal , cow raw milk , fish , fruits and veggies . She loved carrots and broccoli mixed with quinoa ❤️ If this is the first time you’re making homemade food, just make sure all you google all the ingredients just to double check your feeding not the toxic food ❤️❤️Thanks for this website . Good to know there are other pet owners who is feeding their dogs real food as well ❤️
Is it okay to use white rice in the recipe? I can’t find any brown rice in my pantry and I was hoping to make it today.
I’ve been feeding my Maltese white rice for years with chicken, carrot and peas. She’s very regular and never ever had issues.
Our holistic guide has steered us away from white rice, white sugar, and white flour. They are loved by candida and ultimately affect the immune system negatively.
This is such a nutritious and easy to make food. My dog loves it! I’ve been struggling for years with his dog food, he never even like any of the and would be skipping meat times trying not to eat it. I should have done this years ago. Thank you for the recipe!
I have a question does anyone know how many days this recipe lasts for because I feel like my 1 year old beagle will love this.
I read somewhere you feed them 3% of their body weight twice a day so however much it yields.
Sure wish I knew how much to give them
Serving size is 1 cup and contains 412 calories. Check the bag of food you currently give your dog and compare to that nutritional information. For my dog, he is 60lbs and I had been giving him 4 cups daily of his old food which was 1400 calories. With this food, he only needs 3 1/3 cups for the same calorie intake. Hope this helps and good luck.
Nice recipe! Thanks! It’s great to see what other people do.
I have been making my toy poodle’s food for a long time now and use my slow cooker. I switch up the meats, veggies, and grains. I’ll often throw in a whole egg (shell and all!) into the slow cooker to add calcium.
When it’s cooked, I will purée it in my cuisinart so it’s all soft. Basically baby food. The egg shell gets ground up super fine so that’s no problem. If you’re worried about nutrients, your vet probably sells the supplements to add to DIY dog food. Mine does but I haven’t bought any yet.
I freeze my dog food in blobs on a cookie sheet then put the blobs in a big Tupperware in the freezer.
Easy!
How do you know how much a serving is for each dog. I have 110# dog and a 24# dog. I really want to try this for the little because he won’t eat dry.
My dog is a very fussy eater and does not like dry dog food. I feed him a very high quality dey dog food and I mix in a few tbls of this recipe. He loves, LOVES his meal times now!
Hi Laurie, I also have a toy poodle and he is 7 months old. He doesn’t like any dog food I have bought. He wind eat the dried food either or treats are not his favourite. The person that gave the home cooked recipe said each breed has its own nutritional needs. Can you give me an idea of what veggies to give him? Thank you Brenda
I have recipe close to this, I switch out baked chicken, hamburger and ground turkey. I use mixed frozen veggies, peas, carrots, corn, green beans. I also add 1/8 cup of dry dog food. She loves it. I feed her 1/4c AM and PM. I am concerned is she getting enough vitamins etc? She is a small dog.
NO CORN. Bad for them
Can you explain why you think corn is bad for them? I asked my vet and she said in small amounts like anything else, is fine.
They can not digest the corn. I once saw a dog poop out an entire pile of corn kernels while working at a shelter. I think it is used as a filler food. Thus, I don’t think they gain any nutritional value from the corn.
Have been debating and researching and deciding to do this for a long time for our 4, 50lb+ pitbull mixes and 4lb Chihuahua. You can imagine the struggles we have getting the entire pack to eat the same thing for more than 2 months. So for many many many reasons, I decided to finally pull the trigger and try. Holy. Crap. I figured I’d have leftovers to bag up for the freezer. Not. Even. Close. 8cup yield and my dogs had licked everything clean. They LOVED IT. My husband had to monitor them because they kept trying to steal each other’s. I am going to do more research on proper vitamins and calcium, and I also do see this one is fairly high in fat. So those would be my only long term concerns. Wonderful recipe! Thank you!!!
Is this dog food okay for puppies?
I have been using a similar recipe since my puppies were transitioned from gruel at 10 weeks old. My recipe is 50% cooked protein 25% (2 cups ) cooked brown rice and pumpkin one small can 25% mixed cooked vegetables (no corn) and I only use 1 tbsp vegetable oil per 3 lb of meat. I also add the recommended calcium of 1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat. This is both the Canadian and American Kennel Club recommendation. I puree the vegetables simply because younger dogs cannot fully digest the outer skin of peas even though they are cooked. I freeze these in 1 Cup freezer bags. The six puppies and mama are very healthy have beautiful skin and Clear Eyes. It is one of the only foods that my 17 year old Chihuahua will eat. Mama gets 8 ounces her day she is 10 lb and the puppy’s which are 4 and 5 pounds get half a cup per day cable is always left out available for any snacking. The kibble is a very high grade Fraser Valley beef or chicken.
How do I know how much to feed them? I have two pitty pointers who are overweight, so looking for a healthier option for them. One is 100 lbs, other is around 85.
How many cups of food does this recipe yeild?
Recipe lists yield as 8 cups.
My 15 lb Chihuahua loves this recipe. Sometimes I use Ground Beef, sometimes Chicken and sometimes, Rice. Your instructions do not indicate cooking the veggies, but I do since my dog prefers soft food, sometimes I swap a Sweet Potato for the carrots. My pet eats about 4 ozs
Twice daily. Thanks for your recipe. And f you have others, I’d love to see them.
Also, do you add vitamins to the food?
it would be helpful to know how much protein serving to give as per needs of the type of the dog! I think that would prevent the pup from always appearing hungry, as a good serving with appropriate amounts of protein etc should be then filling! Also for calcium, I put in egg shells! I cook them along when I make homemade dog food: brown rice, chicken breasts, sweet potato, mixed veggies. I will also add in blue berries after it is all cooked as well. I was told by an employee at a dog food store that if using brown rice to wash it really well). Also same employee told me that if the dog is pooping it all out, that means they are eating only nondigestable food or kibble! So the less they poop , the better for the pup and means they are getting full in their meals and should not have to worry about over feeding etc. Again, the one question I have is how much is enough!!?? great comments here thank-you! Thanks for this recipe, I will definitely be trying this, though it is very similar to what I already do and again I add in egg shells for calcium!
I will make this recipe this week. During this Covid-19 my dog was diagnosed with severe allergies, the #1 being cockroaches. I do not have cockroaches in my house or around but my vet said they are in processed dog foods/treats. So immediately am cooking for my dog at home. Within 24 hours she was a changed dog. She is still allergic to many foods but I can modify this recipe. I love my vet and she has diagnosed many issues for my dogs over the years but I think this was the most eye opening ever. So thank you for this recipe and I hope my comments help other dog owners.
I made something similar for my dog because after hear health improved with Dr. marty’s probiotics, i still wanted to address allergies. Her nose also has that dry brown crust. i think it is because of the dry food from Costco so i am taking her off completely to see if that clears up. i also feel like there’s so much in the food that we don’t know about…that literally makes them sick.
Have u seen improvement in her crusty nose? My baby girl has same issue.
How do we know how much to give to our dog and how many times a day ? Like on any bag of food, there’s a portion guide. Also, puppy versus adult.
Tanks for your help. My poodle keep vomiting with the food buys him.
My pup started throwing up as well with the store bought kibbles. Try giving your pup rice with cottage cheese for 5 days. It should settle its stomach
Great recipe for a fussy little chihuahua
I also have been making homemade dog food going on 3 yrs because when my son rescued lil Ms Emma Mai (she’s really not that lil) she pooped 5-7 times during the night and at first I thought nerves and being in new place but after few days she’s still pooping everywhere and my friend had said he had a dog that needed to be on a Grainger diet so we tried that and it worked Altho it was terribly expensive so I thought I would try making my own I used ground turkey or chicken 2 cans either black beans pinto and or kidney in a bag and when cooking them add the meat to it and baby carrots (had to mush the beans cuz shed spit am out lol) and brown rice and to this day she loves her homemade food I switch it up and will do turkey and sweet potato and have done oatmeal pumpkin and peanut butter for bfast, I’ve done several varieties like that and so far so good. Its kinda fun esp now were all in quarantine. Happy cooking
This recipe saved me tons of money. My dog loves it and her fur is thick and shiny.
Forget the poor Hungry puppy. My teenage son and band mates thought I had made them up a snack and devoured the whole pan Before the pup ever had a chance to taste it. They all enjoyed it so much they’ve asked me to make it again and for the recipe for their moms. My son has swore me to Keep it a secret because “a teenager could die of embarrassment if his friends ever found out his mom fed them dog food“ Did not have zucchini and substituted coconut oil for the olive oil. Very tasty and someday the dog might end up getting some.
That is so cute. I still find it funny that I feed the dogs and then lock the spoon i used to serve their food! But it really is good.
As a mom of teenage boys who eat us out of house and home, I can so relate and this is absolutely hilarious!!!
My dogs all love this recipe. It is a great beginning for a better diet. The recipe, as is, is highly deficient in calcium and a few other key nutrients. I am adding bone meal to supplement the recipe. I also have found a local turkey farm that provides a pet grade grind with beneficial organ meat and costs about a dollar a pound. Thanks for the great recipe!
Anyone know if white rice or canned beans promotes tear stains ? I was feeding my white Havanese dogs Stella and Chewys raw dehydrated beef patties which they loved but after both developed tumors my vet told me to make homemade food instead with 1/4 part protein and the rest rice and green beans/carrots/other veggies. I did but my dog is now tear straining badly and I’m trying to figure out what in the new diet may be causing this. I noticed this recipe doesn’t have beans or white rice and just made it now without the brown rice. Any thoughts?
Tear stains may be from allergies – can you substitute a different protein?
Is it possible for my Chug(chihuahua and pug mix and I also have a Chihuahua)to act all sick when she wasn’t given real food but instead her dog food? Talk about moping for almost an hour acting like she can’t even walk and boom, I give her some rice and she is a changed dog!lol we are in transition and I ran out of their homemade food but not for long I guess 🙂 No more dog food, yay! Thank you for sharing this recipe, my little babies love it♡
I was feeding Stella and chewy in all kinds until we found out that it has turkey in everything. Now no fowl. And my havi allergies are much better
Not wanting to be negative but I just called the vet after reading this thinking it would be a great alternative and they have said unfortunately it is ok for a dog with an upset stomach but long term it is missing a lot of key nutrients, calcium and additional benefits to dog food.
She strongly advised against it but said if they were ill it was a good idea for no more than 3 days.
I wonder if this food would then be acceptable by a VET; if you decided to provide your dog a multivitamin specific to your dogs age and size that provides those key ingredients missing? After having had two pets who were diagnosed with cancer and one now as a surviving amputee, I feel like the difference has to be in the food. Let’s hope is as simple as changing our dogs diet from bagged kibble aka Dog McDonald’s to a more whole food method is all that it takes! Thoughts?
My vet said to crush up two tums so the dog receives enough calcium. That’s crucial.
Your vet may not be very knowledgeable (it happens) or open-minded about nutrition. I’ve taught a lot of medical professionals, including M.D.’s, & they get about 2 hours on nutrition in med school, so be confident in your own research. It is simple to add supplements to your dog’s diet, & you easily can add natural calcium to home made dog food. I use plain yogurt, which is easily digestible, in mine.
I’ve been feeding my dog homemade dog food for about 10 years now, and she is in great health. I think vets are just trying to sell you expensive crappy dog food.
I have a sheltie mix. I made this recipe for him to help him loose weight (he was over 60 lbs.) but when I discovered that even this was not helping I got him into the vet, turns out he had a thyroid issue. I have continued to make this delicious meal for him, he is on proper medication and has now lost 13 lbs with our goal to be another 7lbs. He is like a new puppy at age 8, the prime of his life! Thank you so much for the recipe, if not for this I would have not realized that my furry buddy had any health issues I just thought I was feeding him the wrong food for his stage of life and activity! By the way, I did do a taste test and don’t blame him for wanting to eat, not bad, not bad at all for human consumption! Thinking this might be a good diet for me! LOL!!
Thank you for this recipe! They charge us $45-50 for food we can make ourselves. After my sweet boy’s second tummy issue, I knew something had to be done on my end. I’m gonna use this recipe and some pinto beans to make my baby’s food from now on.
What is the serving size for weight of dog?
Am satisfied with this I want introduce this to my adult dog
I am so excited to get this recipe can’t wait to try it !
I’ve never cooked anything- zilch, nada. I like building stuff- houses, boats, docks, those kind of things, and my opinion was that everything tastes better when someone else cooks. But my oldest daughter found a little Staffordshire Bull Terrier living on the streets in Nashville TN. He was under 2 years old, but was dehydrated, under weight and even had mange (hair loss). She nursed him back to health (she is a nurse) and SnapChatted me to death about taking him in. So he (Everest) came up for a trial run and we quickly became best buds, especially after he loved boating as much as I.
So this is the rundown on this recipe:
We have been buying Wellness Core Natural Grain Free dog food from Amazon for about $68 per 26 lb bag, and we give Everest 4 oz per meal, so that comes out to $0.65 per meal, two meals per day. I made this recipe today (under my wife’s supervision) for $15, which provides about 22 four oz meals. That comes to about $0.68 per meal. So going forward, we will probably give him the home made meal in the mornings, and the Wellness dry food for dinners. I’m thinking that should provide a great, well balanced diet, that he should surely love (not that he’s a picky eater, as he even ate my reading glasses once).
My intro to cooking!
Cost breakdown for one batch:
0.40 rice
0.40 carrots
12.00 ground turkey
0.25 frozen peas
0.93 spinach
0.96 zucchini
$15 total for 22 meals
This recipe is AWESOME! I made it for our miniature schnauzer, give her a little over a cup of food and she is all set for the day! I heat it up on low in a small non-stick pan and serve once warm. Thanks DamnDelicious.net!
Our dog loves this recipe and it is so easy to make!
Can I double/triple My recipe for 4 dogs, mix it together and feed accordingly? And then what about some fruits? Do they need fruits as well for a balanced diet?
no they don’t, but they NEED calcium. Try egg shells and try consulting your vet for what to add to this for it to be well balanced for your type of dog
It was amazing. But how do you preserve the left over for the next meal?
I measure out enough for 5 days In a plastic container and leave it in the fridge, then freeze the rest measured out in plastic containers. Also, I feed my 21# dog 1/4 cup dry and 2 tablespoons homemade food twice a day.
My dogs absolutely love this homemade food and look forward to dinner every night. However, I know the vet always comments on my Shorkie’s teeth saying how healthy they are and we just adopted our Havanese two weeks ago. What would you suggest to keep their teeth healthy and strong? Thanks!!
let me know your email address and I will share my dog research with you. email me at [email protected]. It is about what you should and shouldn’t feed dogs, aggression, training, medicine, problems, breeding and such.
Okay this recipe is bomb! First of, I had some myself and it was so delicious lol. My dog loved it even more
Cooked this today for our 4 dogs. I’m sure they will love it.
Used chicken, didn’t have spinach or zucchini used coleslaw instead. Gibbs only eats when desperate and I’ve been feeding him chicken breasts and rice for years. Couldn’t believe it, turned to rinse pan, when turned around his dish was empty. Wow
I would be careful with the coleslaw or cabbage. Could cause gas or gastrointestinal issues.
Thank you so much..
I’m doing this recipe as I txt
How much of this recipe is sufficient for an 7 year old over weight pug mix. I really like the ingredients. I rescued him at 6 years old and he has gained a lot in a year. He’s 30 pounds and sluggish.
Badger has had intermittent problems with commercial dog food. Our vet also said he should be on a bland diet. He loves this recipe, but is not digesting the peas completely. Will either eliminate them from diet (pun intended) or smash them up…we’ll see.
Thank you kindly. Goingvto try. My poor dog always suffering with skin issues.
Question…Is the amount of rice the recipe calls for, for cooked or uncooked?
I have the same question but judging for the video I think it’s cooked rice
Do you measure the meat before or after cooking it?
Dogs loved it but pooped
I love this recipes
For my dogs. To keep them healthy and fit. Thanks to post it here.
Looks so good I might Eat it too!
Is the serving size based on pounds my dog weighs 55 lbs how much should I feed him
My dog weighs 7 pounds and she gets 2 meals a day how much should she get in each meal
I have a 18 lb Westie and she had pancreatitis is doing well now so am going to try this recipe, but to the know how much to feed her ! Can you help me?
I saw on another similar recipe that the recommended amount was 1/2 cup for 25 pounds. Hope this is helpful.
I have been looking for a good wholesome recipe for y dogs who are a bitnoverweight,. On e dog 8s inactive and the other partly active if he finds a tennis ball. These recipes look good, so i will change to a different meat every day. Thank You.
I started using your recipies and was blown away. My chis and slimming and o ly the right stuff goes it. Good proteins and nutrients. It’s incredible how much it worked. No more turned up little noses!! Thanx!
It is great that you are providing a means for people to prepare a homemade diet for their pets. I would like to respectfully point out that this recipe is deficient in providing an essential ingredient: calcium/phosporus. I encourage you and your readers who are interested to visit Donald Strombeck’s website (DVM) has a wealth of recipes that are properly balanced. http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/ is a wonderful resource. By simply adding bone meal (which has the proper mix of calcium/phosphorus) to this recipe, it will become more complete–adding to the current freshness and wholesomeness. Failing to do so means that the dog’s body will get what it needs from the dog’s bones causing structural damage.
Hello, I believe if it’s not added in their food directly, this can be solved with the right vitamins.
Cheers!
So glad to see some exact measure recipes. This makes so much, I know the recipe could be halved. I am wondering what luck anyone has had with freezing this in serving sizes. My little pup is a terrier mix about 13 lbs. Currently eats 3/4 cup of commercial dry dog food. Would he get the same amount of this or more? Thanks for all the information you have posted.
I meal prep for our Miniature Pincher every other week, and i freeze his food. I use snack bags & measure using a digital scale, then seal all in a gallon Zip lock bag. I don’t measure my ingredients, just try to make it healthy for him. He had a serious reaction to Blue Buffalo, and then Prescription Dog food. He is much healthier now!
I was very happy to find this recipe, as I was new to preparing my dogs food. I had no idea of the right ratio of what to what. My vet told me to use white rice though. Not sure what to think of that! But I was also pleased to see just how many veggies could be included. She eats 5 baby carrots and about 1/5 of a fresh pepper every morn but I wasn’t sure what elase was ok. Thank you again.
NIce to see some quality recipes for our fur babies out there. i Have been making my dogs recipe for 12 years. She will be 18 yrs old this March. I use 3 lbs. ground turkey, or shredded poultry with grinder carrots, apples, and sweet potatoes. A little bit of oas and sometimes bulgar wheat. All organic as much sac possible. My girl Jenna weighed 75 lbs most her life and is 65 lbs now which the vet said is ok due to joint arthritis. IF anyone else has some good quality recipes, please put them out there, Our 4 legged families deserve the best. homemade cat food recipes too!, Thanks!!♥️♥️
Hi Lisa, I add turmeric to my puppy’s mix & coconut oil too.
http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/ Dr. Donald J Strombeck has a wealth of recipes at this website for both dogs and cats to include special needs diets. Please consider visiting. I’ve been feeding homemade, raw diet, for 7 years. I have a commercial grinder, so I grind bone in leg quarters with equal parts boneless, skinless thighs. (40 lbs each) I also grind in 20% by weight of frozen vegetables (carrots, zucchini, green beans, cauliflower). (I buy at restaurant supply, so my cost is about $1 per lb combined).
Daily, I make a starch that I add to the raw food. I use beans, potatoes, rice, macaroni, lentils. My pressure cooker makes short work of processing some of these. If not feeding bone in, it is essential to supplement with bone meal powder. I also use a multivitamin as recommended. Now my cats…they get commercial food…could never get them switched over. While a little more work involved, it has contributed to the good health of my dogs.
My dog isn’t a picky eater but for some reason, he doesn’t eat his dry food unless I mix it with wet food. I know his wet food isn’t exactly the best for him so I tried to make him a little something today.
I had to substitute for some ingredients since I didn’t have them all. I used multigrain rice, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and yellow carrots. He really liked it and gobbled it all up. I will definitely add meat next time.
For reference, I have a 11 lb Shih Tzu/Maltese mix. We feed him half a cup of food per meal.
How much do you feed her a day, my dog is 68 lbs
I feed my girl two cups a day one in morning at six and one in the evening around six. Due to some health issues She is not as active as she used to be that’s why only two cups.
How much should I fed my 3 dogs? I have a 65lb GSD, a 60lb Lab/Rottie mix, and a 14lb Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix.
If you go to the BalanceIT website it will help you. I did a quick run of this recipe for a 65 lb dog, caloric intake should be 1417, if feeding twice a dog that almost 2 cups per meal time just for the one dog. The 60 lb dog should have 1335 calories per day and the 14 lb dog should have 448 calories per day per balanceit.com
I weigh my food. I believe a food scale essential. How much you feed depends on the age and activity level of your dog. I might suggest that you try 20-28 oz of food per day for your larger dogs. I have a 65lb pit bull that I feed at that level. I have a 45 lb English SEtter. She’s geriatric (15), she gets 15-16 oz per day–and she maintains her body condition. Another English Setter (13-14) gets 11 oz per day. She’s smaller, and much less active. Your little one will need much less. Watch the body condition and adjust as appropriate. You can vary the protein/starch mix from a 1:2 to 1:1 ratio. I use the scale to measure and keep those ratios. A more active dog needs more protein (and calories). http://dogcathomeprepareddiet.com/ is the most comprehensive resource on the internet for feeding this way in my opinion.
My Harley loved this … 3lb of mince.. seemed loads .. unless I weighed wrong … I have now bought aniforte complete .. so now I can cook his meat and veg and add the essentials he needs in a meal .. wish you had more recipes for doggy meals .. I feed my Harley 9oz of food a day … he weighs 13.3 kg .. trying to lose weight .
I haven’t made it yet but how much would I need to give my 3 dogs? I have a 65lb GSD, and 60lb Lab/Rottie mix, and a 14lb Long Hair Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix.
I tried and he loved it
I also have been making my dog Tori, a carin terrier, food. I was adding cauliflower to her food and noticed she was having loose bowels and not able to control her going in the house which she never before did. I took the cauliflower out of her diet as I read up that this could happen. She now is over the bout of problem bowels and back to her old self.
It your baby is having bowel problems, check to see if it is cauliflour.
I’m so thankful to have found this homemade recipe. I started making this two weeks after noticing that my puppy doesn’t like much of the three kinds of puppy food recommended for her. My 5 month old Peekapoo is happy and loves this recipe so much. She weighs 8 lbs. and I feed her 1/2 cup three times a day.
Thanks again.
Commercial dog food cant be good fo4 dogs just like processed food is not good for people. Toxins are produced when dog food for kibble is cooked at extremely high remperature to give it longer shel& life. Starting today i will cook his food just like I cook my food.
I was wondering how much should be fed to a dog that is about 34pounds/14 kg?
Hello! Most dogs need about 25 to 30 calories per pound per day to maintain their weight, depending on how active they are. My 24 pound dog requires 670 calories per day and she’s a couch potato other than a daily walk around the block.
Started making his about a month ago. I knew going in my dog had a chicken allergy but decided to try turkey. He seems to bE allergic to that as well. He loves it though and devoures it!
Just wondering if I replaced the turkey with fish, if it would still be a good diet for him. If so, what kind of fish would you recommend- one that won’t entirely break the bank. Lol
My husband deer hunts and I use venison. My dog has really bad allergies and venison and fish are about the only meats he can eat.
Try lean beef. I had to give my border collie lean ground beef last week because he was throwing up something he should not have ate. I boiled it in water, drained it and mixed with rice and beef broth.
I like the basic idea, but I want you to keep in mind that the current high quality food scare comes from the use of legumes as carbohydrate and protein provider. There is a danger that what is healthy to us humans (beans, peas, lentils) is not for dogs as they have a high need for Taurin. To further the issue, Poultry has lower Taurin levels than red meats to begin with. Starches from legumes are suspected to mask Taurin so that lesser can enter the blood stream.
I decided to go raw, because one of my dogs is losing his hair and has bald patches in a number of places. For the most part, I got it under control with Freshpet and Blue kibble. However, its started again, so that led me down the raw food path. After pricing out a few raw brands on Chewy, which were ridiculously high, I decided to make my own. My dogs are picky, so I pulverized the veggies and rice in a food processor before mixing with the ground turkey. I also added a little season, and ground eggshells for calcium as well as fish oil to each helping. Its quick to make with frozen veggies and I make the rice in advance and freeze. It’s easier to run the rice through the food processor this way. I only just started this, so I haven’t noticed any hair growth yet but I’m hopeful. I prep my meals on Sunday, so it really doesn’t take much time to do this as well.
Helena I am just reading reviews because I am making this tomorrow, but saw your review about your dog losing hair. We have one too and my husband kept researching because we thought it was a food allergy but ours has Cushing’s. We bought this online product for him and his hair is almost 100% back.Just a thought. Read up on it. Good luck.
Hello Gayle, what is the product you bought online? My puppy is losing hair too. Also are there any websites you could recommend where I can read up on it? Thank you so much.
Love this recipe just wish it would specific how much i should be feeding my dogs? I have 2 coonhounds around 55-70 lbs.
I have a 40 pound mix beagle, I feed her 2 cups in the morning and two cups for dinner. This maintains her weight which the
Veterinarian says is good. She’s not overweight. I have a 16 pound chiweenie , feed him half a cup in the morning and a half a cup in the evening.
Great information! If we as humans would simplify our recipes like this, we all could live long enough to see Great Grand kids and to out live most of our relatives! I have been cooking for my dogs for years now and it’s the best thing for them. This is what the dog food industry doesn’t want to hear, so information that is like this hasn’t been distributed enough and dogs lives are being lost by greed with corporations putting profit over common sense. As soon as you change their diet to this you’ll never go back!
My roommate said. Bella is not going to eat that. 1 minute later 2 cups of food gone. She absolutely loves this recipe.
I have a dog named Bella also and she lives this. She gobbles it up
My dog is a year old do I need to add calcium and a vitamin for this recipe?
So I eat dog food now. It’s delicious.
I will try, but wondering if I could can this in a pressure cooker. I could make a bunch of quart jars for a month of feedings as I am sometimes pressed for time.
I do this but add pumpkin and sweet potatoes. And a mix of broccoli and cauliflower na celery. I sometimes add frozen veggies like corn, peas and beans.
How much should a 20 lb dog be fed a day?
My dog is eating about 1/2 cup of this twice daily. She also has access to Acana dry dog food during the day- about 1/2 cup as well. Do you think I am over feeding her?
Sounds like an estimate is 25/30 calories per lb so a 20 lb dog should probably be eating just over a cup per day.
Obviously review the diet and serving amount with a professional that knows your dog but directionally it sounds like you’re in the right ballpark.
Disclaimer: I am an accountant who uses google and my advice should not be taken as scripture. 🙂
This is really great. I made it with a few alterations for our 4 dogs. I would like to know what the serving size would be for my dogs per day. The wight of my dogs: 68lbs, 70lbs, 40lbs and 12lbs.
This is what I’d like to know as well. I don’t want to be under or over feeding.
My dog LOVES it! She can’t wait to eat.
I Love this recipe for my Westie Marley. I always give her an egg in the morning and add veg, fish or chicken to her diet of kibble. I hope to eventually get her off the processed dog food. I met a lady one day that had a Westie that’s was 19 years old. Never had any store bought food. She cooked every meal.
Love this. I have made before but I got another rescure dog who needs some special attention sooooo.
Now I want some pill pockets next on my search!!
Thanks
Check Costco for pill pockets
While this recipe may lack in certain nutrients, it’s the only thing my new puppy will eat and he LOVES it! However, I switched the peas with yellow squash since my puppy (8 week 9lb English Crm Golden pup) has a bit of tummy issues. We also used white rice instead of brown because of this issue, but it’s great for picky eaters!
Great recipes!
That sounds great and I’m wondering is there any for a French bull dog as they need to be on a grain free diet.
I would like to know how much of this recipe to feed my 90 lb Golden. thank you
I am extremely excited to start my two rescues on this diet. For their health as well as my pocket QUESTION: I have an overweight terrior/heeler mix she is 30lb and short like a terrior. She needs to lose 7-9 lbs. How much should I be feeding her? She’s used to her dry food twice a day so I’m hoping to stick to her schedule at least. Thank you in advance!! And for the recipes. Really excited!!!
I tried this today for the first time. I have a 38 lb Aussie doodle. She is a very picky eater. if I mix anything in her food she will eat around it. I started to mix some ground turkey and rice with her regular dog food and she will eat the rice and ground turkey but not the dog food. This went on for weeks. My VET finally told me just trying to make my own food and so I did today and she licked the bowl clean. Thank you for the recommendation.
I love this!!! Thank you.
I’m going to try this for my 1 year old golden retriever that suddenly has a loss of appetite when it comes to her kibble. She loves the bland diet so she will be over the moon with this. What are some over meat and vegetable combos? When would you include lentils, beans, or oatmeal? Would either of those replace the rice or an addition?
My French bulldog puppy her weight is 2 98kg I’ve been giving her white rice but I’ll get her some brown rice & spinach to cook with the chicken & carrots and peas I think I’ll keep her on it 3 times aday & ask the vet on the 23rd December what he thinks but I’ll get her some Turkey for a change
My 2-yo French bulldog loves it!!!! Since she was a puppy, she has been a very picky eater. I have been trying so much different dog food. I mixed expensive dried fish patties with nibbles. She only eats the dried fish patties but leaves nibbles until she is very hungry without options (lol). One my friend just started making her own dog food, which inspires me. I found this recipe via google search. The first try was yesterday and my pup buried her head in the bowel until the bowel was sparklingly clean! Good job!!
Sorry.. typo – Bowl*
I’m going to try this recipe! How long does it last? Can I make a bigger batch to save some in ziplocks?
Love recipe and going to start my dog on real food due to allegies. He is 36 kilo lab cross, not sure how much to give him?
Recipe(s) are right on! Our almost 14 year old is having a few health issues. Awhile back he just stopped eating. Out of desperation I concocted similar recipes and WOW-he is eating like a champ and doing much better. I rotate chicken and ground turkey, mixed with veggies (frozen in a pinch) and still a scoop of his dry kibbles. Never going back straight dog food again. It’s also so much fun to make for them. Whip up a weeks worth, freeze and take out as needed. Thanks for sharing!
I followed the recipe but added other things, like pumpkin and dried cranberries. I get vegetables delivered to my door all organic, and I used them on the recipe. I used ossobuco meat, got rid of the tough parts. Boiled in low heat with minimal amount of liquid. Let it get soft. Got rid of the bones but kept the marrow. I know bone broth is good for dogs. So it’s on the recipe. Much cheaper than the “good quality” food I buy for my dog.
My 8# dog is crazy for this- b4 this it took 3 hrs every nite to eat her food ugh. Now it’s gone in 3 minutes!! And I know it’s healthy- it shows in her brighter 11 yr old eyes…more prancing etc.
Thank you for sharing!
Healthy recipes! such a piece of good information about homemade food for dogs,
it will help tons of dog owners, who want to give their loved ones a healthy diet.
Thanks for sharing!
Are the portions the same as if you were feeding your dog kibbles?
How much do you end up feeding her per meal? My dog is 5-6lbs and I’m trying to figure it out myself.
I believe the rule of thumb is abiut 25-30 calories per pound of dog. My dog is 13 lbs, I feel him just shy of a cup per day.
Yea I feed my shih Tzu Bella a cup a day. She loves it. I just started a week ago bcuz she’s a picky eater. But now she sits at her bowl anticipating it every morning.
I just give her a cup of her food, a tablespoon of chobani plain non fat yogurt 2x a week, & her greenie dental treat 1x a day. It’s so much better knowing what goes in & what comes out your dogs body.
It’s suppose to be 1/2-3/4 ounces per 10lb weight.
My Molly loves this recipe! This is totally yummy for people, too. I add a little tamari sauce and toasted sesame seed oil to season my serving. Delicious! 🙂
So I made this recipe and both dogs LOVED! I do have a few questions. Is the spinach chopped and then measured? The picture up top says chicken so I bought chicken quickly as I glanced at it in the store, then saw it said turkey! I hope ground chicken is okay too. And the brown rice is measured dry as well right? Thank you!
Don’t use chicken and turkey interchangeably. One of my dogs has been eating chicken for years, but got sick when I gave him turkey. The vet said NO to turkey.
I have been searching for balanced food recipe for my pupper. He is a very picky eater and real food would make meal time a lot easier. My major concern is getting the nutritions he needs into the bowl. It doesn’t seem like this recipe contains anything that provides significant amount of Calcium. I don’t think that this workS for us unless I give him supplements for Calcium.
My search continues…
I’m thinking of adding yogurt to his diet as a healthy probiotic, maybe that’s the answer for the lack of capacity on this dish!
There’s a Facebook group that helps with these questions. Home Cooked Diet for dogs.
Spinach in this recipe has plenty of calcium for your dog. Spinach has more calcium than most dairy products. And I don’t believe dairy is in any way beneficial to dogs.
Kale and Collard greens also provide a great source of calcium for you pup and they are safe for them as well.
Good luck!
I just started making my own dog food but will also let them have some of the dry food for now with it. We are transitioning them into eating homemade food and do not want to upset the tummies. I made a whole bunch of bone broth from beef neck bones (our store sometimes has stuff like this) so I used that in place of the water when cooking the rice. Our dogs loved it 🙂
They used to each get a whole can of wet food every day (half in the morning and half at night) and dry food. They will eventually eat less dry food as I increase the amount of homemade food I am sure. We are new to this.
Be careful of bone broth cooked with onions or garlic. Dogs don’t do well with these.
Yes, I have met with a pet nutritionist multiple times to ensure my dogs are getting the nutrition they need.
I have been doing home made dog food
For a year. I have 3 that HAD severe skin allergies that nothing would help. Prescription pills would calm it. But it never stopped. No more issues and honestly the dog food is cheaper to make. When I am pressed for time I do buy a non seasoned rotisserie chicken and strip it and use the drippings to flavor the rice. I also incorporate flaxseed, cranberries, apples and bone broth. I make a double batch and freeze. My dogs will bug me until I feed them as they love it.
I haven’t tried this yet but is looks n sounds like it’s just what I need.i have two morkies. Bindi, who is 12 n very sick, n Connor who is 13 n in pretty good health. They now refuse to eat dog food. Connor weighs 16lbs. Bindi has lost weight but because of her food mostly. My question is how much n when should I feed them.
I have been making this for my westies for over 1 year. My old guy wouldn’t eat but would touch this. He died in Feb at age 16. I got Sonny in April and they all have loved it! Katie is allergic to chicken, so I use ground bison, venison or turkey. I even will combine the different meats for variety. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for the recipe…my 13 yo Chug has congestive heart failure. About 2 weeks ago she started to seriously decline and began refusing food. My husband and I started preparing mentally for having to put her down…I was heartbroken. However, I saw that she still begged for people food. So, I stumbled on this recipe in pursuit of trying to find something that I could make her that she would eat. We’ve been feeding a variation of this to her for the last 3 days and her energy is back and she’s like a new dog. It’s been an amazing transformation.
I lost my little Bindi to heart failure in March at 15 years old, they told me as a puppy she would only live 2-4 years. I wish you all the best with this recipe, wish I had it when I needed it. I’m looking because my new little sensitive soul just got out of intensive care after spending 4 days there with HGE, she had 4 blood transfusions. Right now she can only eat boiled chicken. But will need more as the days go on.
Hi!
Thanks for sharing!
My sweetie has tummy problems also, and even though I have been cooking for her since I got her, 4 yrs now, even some meats, veggies bother her, but your recipe i think will do her fine.
Just be careful with the broths and sauces for humans because especially onion and garlic, msg etc: can cause serious issues. I read every single label anymore to make sure. Very few store broths don’t have onion. Don’t know if you know, or make your own. Just fyi.
Best wishes and healthy happy days for many years to come for you and your family!
I have a beagle and I have been making her food with these and similar recipes for almost a year and she doesn’t shed nearly as much and feels so much better! She’s 9 and playful like when she was 3!
Can you share what other recipes you use with your beagles? I have two and beginning this quest.
My little old yorkie has cancer and getting to eat is a challenge but he loves this stuff!
Easy to make! Added chicken in the mix. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Love this. My dog is about 20kg. Just want to know how much per serving I need to feed and how much serving in a day.
Instead of peas and zucchini what can I add? Pinto or kidney beans??
Really wanting to make this, but don’t want peas for sure in it.
Your dog wont know about the peas lol… hope you dont think this is a receipe for yourself
her dog may have a pea allergy, which is why she doesnt want peas
I think many don’t know how some veggies fit a dog’s diet. Each veggie has vital ingredients they need. Spinach has copper, peas are great proteins, and the list goes for miles.
We might dislike some of the ingredients, but they may add healthy years to your dog’s life. Read up on safe and unsafe spices. Cinnamon and tumeric are great, as well as basil and ginger. Just watch out, you might enjoy your dog’s dinner.
I’m looking forward to making this dog food, however I don’t know how much my Lab should have each day. Ace is a big boy and will eat all day if I let him. I have to how much to feed him. Thanks . After reading other reviews I know now to ask the Vet. There are some things I can add to this discussion. DO NOT FEED DOGS ONIONS. Maybe look up what they can’t have it may help. If certain foods are out of season you can use baby food. It comes organic! Just watch it to see the salt content. I have enjoyed reading all the reviews. Thanks to all animal lovers
I made this for my mini wiener! (7lbs) she is 5 yrs old and has dripping runny eyes since I brought her home. Hoping this fixes that. She LOVED it. I used canned carrots and peas….so I had carrots and peas left over, as well as some brown rice, so I thought I would be clever and mix those with some pumpkin as a treat…..NOTHING>. Not going for that at all. Although I was frying the turkey and she was well aware of that, I think she was disappointed. I also did a GREAT dog mommy hack! I stole about 1/2lb of of the turkey burger and in a SEPERATE pan I fried that up with some onion and some of the spinach, added about 3/4 C brown rice a little ketchup, mustard and Wercestershire sauce….not much, not runny like sloppy joes, just enough for some flavor…..and it was delish!
just fyi. “Onions contain compounds called disulfides and thiosulphates which can be toxic cats and dogs if ingested. “
or are you the one eating the onion one lol?
NO ONIONS for dogs! Onions actually cause their blood cells to explode! Look it up, please! DON’T feed onions to your dog!
I just made this for my Beagle’s, added butternut squash to the recipe as they love a taste of sweet. They loved it!!! We have been having trouble trying to find a healthy food for them as they are getting old. 5 stars, let’s hope it continues
Hi! I was thinking of doing this for my beagle too. Do you have any recommendations for serving size? Can a smaller batch be kept in the refrigerator for a week?
I have a beagle and I have been making her food with these and similar recipes for almost a year and she doesn’t shed nearly as much and feels so much better! She’s 9 and playful like when she was 3!
Dogs have a system like ours. Food left a week is not good for us, and not good for them. Freeze meal size portions and keep them safe and healthy.
I am so happy to found this recipe! I am fostering ( hoping to adopt) a pup who did not want to eat the kennel dog food we were given for him. The poor guy is so thin and has a bad knee and will need surgery soon. I made this this morning, super simple, and the little guy ate it up! If he continues to like it, I will invest in additional vitamin supplements to ensure its a balanced diet and add liver and other goodies. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Great recipe use it my dog and my cat. My Rottweiler was 20 lb overweight no longer is. Thank you
How much did you feed him per day? I have an 80 pound lab I want to try this with.
Jerry – I am looking at this for my 1 year old rott. What suggestions can you give and how much do you feed per day?
This is a great recipe and my corgis love it. We hunt deer and have an abundance of venison so they get mostly it for their protein. I add in some tuna and eggs for additional protein and the egg shells for calcium. I put fresh blueberries and apples for some sweetness.
I have a similar recipe but I added blueberries for the antioxidants. She will leave all the blueberries at the bottom of the bowl. Now I squash each blueberry and she eats everything! She loves it!
My yorkipoo loves this and no more doggie breath. Just not sure how much to feed my little 9# baby.
I also need to know how much to feed my dog. He is about 7 and a half pounds. He also has developed a terrible skin allergy in his later years. Nothing is working, keeps losing hair. Hooding this might work. Just started today and he loves it. How much please??
Love this recipe going to use it for my 8wk staffie pup i have also bought some meat and bone meal 4kl how much do I add to his food before I freeze it thank you.
Lynda
How do you know what portion size to give a dog for the day.
I want to feed my labs on this kind of food as both have had tummy trouble recently and have been on chicken and rice which they love .
Both big boys but I would much rather feed them this kind of food.
Are there any guidelines as to how mu h for weight of dog?
Hi Angela! This would be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist.
A good general guideline I go by is to give twice the amount you would give of dry kibble because this food still has the water so is less dense. Adjust from there.
Thank you for posting this, Yeah my Chihuahua has just woofed it down. The first homemade dog food she has eaten. She refused the rest. I feel now my fur baby will be healthier and happier and with me for more years to come. Thank you
I mean she refused all previous version of homemade food. But loved yours Thank you X
How much of this do you feed you dog daily ?
I have a chihuahua too but hes overweight…18 pounds to be exact..
My vet won’t help me!
Just made this for my elderly dog. She’s going in for surgery Wednesday and I wanted to do everything possible to help in the recovery.
I added 1Tblsp of fresh chopped rosemary per # of meat. Also used some shredded broccoli and blueberries.
She gobbled it up!
Excited to try this for our pups! Do you know the length of time this last for?
Hi Crystal! It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
Hi. I just saw this recipe and just wondered how much it makes?? I’ve made homemade dog food before and this sounds delicious.
The recipe yields 8 cups, Jenny. 🙂
I am a certified canine nutritionist and this is a good recipe if supplemented with appropriate balance mix. I have fed my dogs, Charlie and Lisa (12 and 10) a homemade diet all their lives and they are happy and spunky dogs. Variety is key in a homemade diet. You need to make sure they are getting a variety of proteins (fish, poultry, meat), organs (about 5% of their protein intake), veggies, healthy and healthy grains, and supplements like calcium (I make my own from ground eggshells), spirulina, vitamin E, cod liver oil, and others. Charlie is a picky eater so I like to supplement with nutritional yeast when I am worried he is not getting all his vitamins and minerals. Just like humans, our pets need variety so choose lots of different types of foods!
I’ve never tried homemade dog food for pets. This is a first! Thank you for making it simple. Was wondering, is this receipt also for puppies?
Robin, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
Wonderful meal for my finicky chihuahua eaters!! Thanks so much, all 3 of them devoured it.
Add a tablespoon of powdered bone meal, a tsp of dried, powdered kelp, 1 tsp of brewers yeast and 5000 mg organic fish oil to make sure they get all the essential minerals they need! My 14 year old beagles love it! I also give them a little organ meat as a treat every 2-3 days, and extra nutrients. I mix up the brown rice with organic oatmeal. I make my own bone broth from chicken or beef bones to cook the grains. My pups don’t like peas, so i switch the veges around. they love pumpkin or butternut squash and green beans. actually I cook for them, and I share some of their food with them!!! I take some out without the fish oil or brewers yeast for me 🙂
Where do you recommend getting these supplements? Any particular brand?
Very helpful
Although I haven’t tried this recipe yet, I gave it 4 stars because of the brown rice. I just spoke with my veterinarian today about rice and was told that dogs can’t process brown rice like we can and should be given white rice. It may be better for us, but not our fur babies.
This webpage got me started on making homemade dog food for my 8-year old Pomeranian that we rescued from a shelter a year and a half ago. He has some heart damage from heartworms. For a year, I fed him a well-recommended dry dog food. He coughed up mucus, vomited, passed bloody, runny stools, and coughed all throughout the day and in the middle of the night. I switched him to homemade very quickly, not even mixing in much dry to aid in the switch. He go so much better immediately. Coughs in the morning and when he goes to bed. Very little during the day and never wakes us up in the middle of the night anymore. Never coughs up mucus, vomits, or passes blood. Stools are normal. His coat is so shiny now. He could hardly make it up the back stairs and now he tears around the backyard like a puppy. He weighs about 10 pounds and I’ve found I have to feed him a 1/2 cup in the morning and a 1/2 cup in the evening. I give him an omega 3 a couple times a week. Would like to add a vitamin, but haven’t yet. I looked up the list of recommended meats, vegetables, and grains on another website and rotate things, so he gets a variety. Not one problem from anything yet. He’s had brown rice, quinoa, hamburger, chicken, ground turkey, chicken gizzards and livers, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, peas, carrots, green beans, and some other misc. things. I do pulse everything in a food processor to break it up, but I don’t make it mushy. I do give him one “meaty bone” a day to give him a chance to chew on something. I don’t think he would have lived one more year the way he was going. I anticipate quite a few more years for him now. It’s not that hard if you make a large batch at once and freeze in one-week portions. Then I just scoop it out with a measuring cup. Individual servings frozen is too much work. Don’t forget to add enough olive oil or animal fat. He lost weight when I neglected this and was hungry all the time. It’s worth the effort!
I’d be careful with the spinach, especially if your dog has any kidney problems. Here’s AKC on spinach:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-my-dog-eat-spinach/
Hi, with the threat of DCM in dogs and some breeds more so than others, that reports have linked to peas and lentils. Potdatoes they say are a nono. What dog food brand do you trust? What web site do you trust to gather information on home made dog food and how to store it properly to revent salmonella, etc type things. How long once unfrozen can you safely leave it out until your dog decides to eat it? What to do when your dog is picky and you want to change them over to home made dog food? Meat has to be top ingriedient because it has taurine which is good for a dog’s heart health. What of the supplements? How much do they cost? Bad when people can’t afford their dog’s food.
Any help would be wonderful!
Thank you!!!
Dogfoodadvisor.com
This is good as it stands, but is NOT a complete diet. Unless you are able to use a program to analyze the nutrient value, your dog may be missing out on some important stuff. I began making the food for my dogs, but I discussed it with my vet, who gave me some good advice. I also add, at each meal, a powdered supplement (1 tsp per dog … according to their weight) that provides vitamins, minerals and probiotics that are normally added to any commercially prepared dog food. I intend to keep making my pets food for as long as they are around. Better tummies, better elimination, and gorgeous coats. They also shed less!! But my dogs do not do well with brown rice … the hulls upset their stomachs, they do not do well with peas, unless I grind them up … and I make a great deal more than this in one batch. I do use the ground turkey, but there should also be some organ meats, like chicken livers. I use the squash, the spinach, sweet potato, finely grated carrot, chopped up no-salt canned string beans, and a host of other dog-safe veggies. I cook 3 cups of white rice. I add coconut oil. The meat and veg gets cooked in my Instant Pot. when I mix is all topgether and allow it to cool a bit, I portion it on large cookie sheets in serving portions of ⅓ C. Then freeze. When they are solid. I bag them up and have enough for my 2 dogs for about 2 weeks. It IS work … and it is a bit more expensive. But wre have no itching, no excessive shedding, no tummy upsets, and no gas!! Win.
Just my opinion from research, but white rice isnt the best. You should use brown rice or quinoa
Actually, white rice is easier to digest than brown rice, for dogs.
Recipe sounds good. Can I replace turkey with Salmon?
Hi Preeta! This would be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist.
I really don’t mind making fresh dog food. the only problem is he won’t eat it, I haven’t tried this one, so I will check this out and see what happens. I still give it a high rating because I want to find something my dog will eat and get him away from those store-bought foods that aren’t good for any of our animals!
Most dogfood in the market isnt all to bad blue wilderness is really great has no wheat or grain which can lead to an upset stomach. If you do an 80% dry food with 20% wet food. Most dogs will love you for it
The FDA has stated that grain free diets for dogs causes cardiomyopathy and has listed 16 grain free brands NOT to feed your dog. Dogs are domesticated and have to have some grain.
No, That is not what the FDA says; you are misinformed.
There is also absolutely zero nutritional requirement for grains or plants in the canine diet. You should especially read up on Dr. David Mech’s research.
Yes, they do. grain free diets are causing heart problems.
Great recipe my two pugs love homemade food. But I have noticed less bowel movements and it does seem that they have a harder time doing it. Does this mean they are not getting enough fat ?
Hi Sharon! This would be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist.
I Have heard before that the better the food the less bowel movements they will have.
Bowel movements are an effect of fiber, not fat. Add a heaping tablespoon of pureed pumpkin (make sure you don’t buy pumpkin pie mix) to each meal and you’ll really firm up your pup’s stool.
Totally agreed for adding pumpkin. I always include either pumpkin or squash as my vet recommended. Since then my dog has no problem on bowl movement.
Good recipe. I have been feeding something very similar to this to my 10-year-old golden retriever for about one year now. I believe he is allergic to chicken. His main protein now is ground turkey. I also occasionally give him fish and canned salmon. He seems to have difficulty with dairy products, so the soft bones in the canned salmon are a good source of calcium. I use a variety of veggies. Carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, frozen peas, fresh sugar snap peas, parsley, spinach, celery, zucchini,apples, blueberries, frozen green beans, canned green beans, canned pumpkin puree. I will never go back to commercial food. I also now give him one teaspoon per day of Seacure. His digestive woes are gone, his poos have returned to normal and are small and not stinky, he has gained a few much needed pounds and his coat is beautiful.
My boy weighs 80lbs, how much would you feed him? Would you give him the whole serving?
if your dog is allergic to chicken than he won’t be able to eat turkey My dog can not have chicken or beef only fish and she also takes a prescription drug for allergies
I also have a GSD with chicken allergies. Would you share your recipie and directions? Thanks!
I did this with my smaller dog. I do this know becaus my boy dog got kindy stones. So I am making it know for two large dogs now.
But I realized you ho through all that work and you put it in the Microwave, that kills all the good stuff. So now every morning I get my sauce pan out put we call it chicken soup for the dogs warm it up for two big dogs 60lbs and up,each with added dry food ,sometimes a raw egg and that’s it. I just want to put out their about the Microwave.
This is great! I sub out some ditalini for the rice so she won’t get bored, and also throw in green beans occassionly. Eats every bit!
Hi, do you not add supplements to the homemade meals?
Yes, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
My dog has has had some runny diarrhea and upset stomach. Should this help? Vet says it’s nothing to do with an illness.
I have been using this recipe and a few others for over a year for the same reason; bad tummy and runny poop, and it has worked wonders for my dogs!
Looks great! Think I will be sharing from the doggie bowl with my furry baby
I just want to say thank you so much for coming out with this. I have a yorkie and we have tried soo many foods for her, after a few weeks she stops eating. She has never ate all of her food plus licked the bowl clean! I have an appt set up with the vet to consult to make sure she’s still getting all her nutrients but so far so good!
Thank you very much for sharing this.
I’m having problems with my dog constantly chewing and scratching.
No fleas, and no allergies that we know of.
She’s a shorthair breed, but the hair is like a carpet all over the house. We can’t keep up with it.
I was thinking, maybe it was the dogs food that might be causing it.
But I’ve never made human food either. My recipe was similar, just not enough veggies.
So thank you for that insight.
I’m excited to see if this is her issue, because all I have left is a trip to the vets.
I recently read some pretty damning info about a link between grain free food and serious heart issues. We rescue our dogs so often we keep feeding whatever diet they’ve been on because “it’s been working.” Yet we’re still at the vet for skin issues, ear problems, and such. Why not give this a try? I tried this recipe and both dogs devoured it! (I admit I tasted it. Add a little ginger and soy sauce and you could wrap this stuff in a lettuce leaf!) Its early but we hope to update this post in a few weeks with some good news. Thanks for the great recipe!
My 8 month old Cavachon devours this dog food! But, I’m not sure if I’m giving her the correct daily a,punts. Currently, I’m giving her 1/2 cup twice a day, with little pieces of carrots, berries, sweet potato in between. Is that enough? Do it need to add some kind of dairy for calcium? Yogurt? Thanks
Hi Coni! We’re so glad to hear she’s enjoying the food! However, portion size and adequate nutrition for your dog might be best discussed with your vet and/or nutritionist. Hope that helps!
I am highly againsts any of the so called natural commercial dog foods on the market, so your article hits home for me since I have decided I am going to start taking the ingredients dogs can eat which are fresh and natural and prepare their dog food myself from now on, since my 8 year old rottweiler was born I have fed him the so called natural healthy dog food expecting him to be healthy and live to a ripe old age. Well he has tumors growing all over and through his body, so I am convinced even the so called healthy dog foods are not healthy for our dogs……………I never gave him people food thinking I was doing a good thing but from now on my dogs will be eating people food on the good food list from now on.
Thank You
Jeff
Can I substitute sweet potato for brown rice? If yes, will I need the same amount of sweet potatoes – 1.5 cups?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Great recipe, followed it to the T. Really helping with my dog’s upset stomach as this was our last resort. I only have 2 questions. What can I use in place of the baby spinach to mix it up from time to time? And also my dog has decreased in bowel movements…is that normal? It’s been greatly beneficial as my 10 year old, 38 lb. Staffordshire mix who was having diarrhea for over a week and now is back to almost normal thank goodness, but she’s maybe using the bathroom 1 time a day now rather than 3 times. Thank you for this great recipe!
You can try subbing in brussels sprouts for the spinach (I also recommend speaking to your vet about this) as they are loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that are great for humans and dogs, alike. But I recommend not overfeeding them to your dog because they can cause a lot of gas!
Just made this! I added 2 eggs and a pat of butter.
My 2 dogs have allergies and I’ve tried everything under the sun!
This recipe cost me $11.00.
The dog food costs about $30 per week.
I’ll update how long it lasts and if they quit chewing on themselves.
I have a Great Dane, and a black lab
Fingers crossed this does the trick! Thanks for sharing with us!
curious if this helps with allergies as i have a pitbull with allergies that is constantly chewing and scratching herself and nothing seems to help her. let me know if this helps for your dog! thanks
When my Chihuahua started to get a bald spot from scratching himself, I was told to look at all his food and treats and see what a common ingredient was. Well it turns out he has a chicken allergies (that was the common ingredient in all his food and treats). I stopped everything with chicken and his fur grew back and he is doing well. I suggest you take a look at the ingredients on all his food and treats and see if you see something similar. Apparently chicken allergies are very common in dogs! Who knew? Best of luck
Hi! I have a 100 pound Great Pyrenees. I want to try this with him as he has stomach problems. How many cup should do you feed your Great Dane per day?
I don’t know what all the hype is about. I am in my 70’s, and remember when there was no such thing as store bought dog food, and we all fed our dogs the meat and vegetable scraps from our plates. I have NEVER bought the poison that they suggest we feed our beloved pets, and I have never had a dog that didn’t live to be 16 years or more. My last Collie girl was 19 years old when she passed happily in her sleep.
wow that’s awesome!!
Any update on how your large dogs are doing and how much you feed per meal?
My dog has allergies as well. Dairy is not good for allergic dogs. I’m making his food at home now and he’s doing better. Turkey meat, old fashioned oats, turmeric and veggies. He cleans his bowl and the licking has stopped!!
I’ve got two ACD’s (Australian Cattle Dogs), anyone else have this breed and if so what has been your experience with this recipe? I’ve been making my own for a while now, similar to this recipe but I’ve been using beef. Had a few issues with diarrhea in the beginning but has leveled off. Will be trying this recipe on my next cooking day!
My Wheaton was vomiting every day and would not eat. I took him to the vet several times because of stomach issues. Nothing worked. His stomach would make noises and he lost 7lbs. He also had skin issues. He has been on this diet for two weeks now, and he is loving his food and is not getting sick. I have to feed him small meals four times a day. This diet is working out great. Thank you!
My dogs love this. I’m weaning them off of dry food and this will be their diet
Its cheaper than buying bulk no nutrition dry food and it’s good for them. I have a Yorkie with allergy issues and I want to see if this will help him. His skin does seem to be better. I’ve been feeding them this for over a month now and there’s never any leftovers.
I am considering using this recipe. I was wondering if it would be as good for the nutritional aspect of the dog if I substituted chicken breast for the turkey. Any opinions out there.?
That’s a great question! But this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
I think they would be better off with the extra fat from the thighs and legs. I used to get boneless/skinless chick and since Ive been including the skins their coat is better. I bake them in my “easy bake” counter top oven take the chicken out, put the liquid in a bowel and put in the freezer some the heavy fat rises and separates after about 45 minutes.
Been giving him this recipe for a few years now and he still acts as if it’s something new… loves it! However, he’s now 10 years old now, so I was thinking of starting to watch his phosphorus levels. I’d substitute brown rice for white rice. But what would be a lower phosphorus substitute for peas and baby spinach? and how much? Thanks!
That’s a great question, David! But this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
Brown rice is nutritious for dogs. One can give their dog brown rice in addition to his diet, but feeding it sparingly will help them to gain the necessary weight. The green peas are good for dogs and contains vitamins and minerals and are good for dog’s vision, skin, digestion, immune system, nerves, heart, and more. Spanish contains iron that will help for good hair growth.
https://devotedtodog.com/best-dog-foods-for-pitbulls/
this is a regular recipe with me. My Rottweiler is 9 years old and has a bad leg. This recipe keeps him happy and full and helps with his weight. Thank you very much
I have a rottie that has decided she no longer likes kibble of any kind! How much do you feed your rottie daily on this diet?
Can I use Chicken instead of turkey? It’s hard to find Turkey in my country.
Sure! 🙂
My Collie is 55 lbs. How much of this recipe should I be feeding her each meal. I feed her twice a day. She is a good weight right now and 3 year old.
Barbara, this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
Feeding food like this is based on weight, 2-3% depending on activity level etc. then converted to cups. I’ve been feeding my westie homemade since he was a puppy. Not a vet, but that was the advice I was given to calculate, leave some room for treats by feeding a little less than the total amount.
This looks great. I was just looking into buying this pre made and it totaled about 200 bucks per month. This seems more sensible. I have a bulldog. How many servings did you give your dog per day.
Thanks for the help.
We feed our 3-yr old, 18-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your dog.
Planning on making this recipe for my Pomapoo. She’s a finicky eater and barely eats anything unless it’s what we’re eating. Do you add a supplement to this recipe to make sure they are getting the right amounts of nutrients/vitamins?
Yes, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
I have the pickiest 12 pound chi-Yorkie mix ever. Think “refusing to eat the same food 2 days in a row” picky, even when it’s people food. She’s been like this since we adopted her at 4 months old, which was over 6 years ago.
Moxie had developed chronic diarrhea and was losing weight so I had to do something. I thought about ordering from a delivery service that makes food for dogs but the cost was way more than I could afford especially since I have 2 other rescues who need special expensive diets for urinary stones. I wasn’t sure where to start with making food for her but found this recipe and decided to try it.
It’s been 4 days and she’s still happily eating it twice a day. I never thought she would like something with zucchini and spinach but she is eating more on it than she ever has on prescription or commercial dog food. There’s no diarrhea and she seems to feel better now that she’s eating regularly. It was painful every day to offer various foods and have her walk away, knowing she was hungry but not interested in eating anything while I stressed over her nutrition.
I’m glad I tried it. 5 stars from Moxie!
I have not made this recipe yet. My commit/question is how much does this recipe make. It reads serving size is 1 cup, and servings per container 1 cup ??
Hi Tracy! The recipe yields roughly 8 cups. Hope that helps!
I have a 9 year old yorkie Pomeranian and she started have allergies to the food I was giving her and blood in stools so I made chicken breast no fat cooked with olive oil and then brown rice added squash carrot’s spinach string beans blend the veggies with the juices from them and my dog ate it so fast she will not eat anything else now and as a treat I give her small bites of cheese and she is much better and active
I used this but substituted lower histamine poached salmon and added natural histamine reducers like spiralina, CBD oil, glucosamine, chrodrotin and krill oil. Added some oats and pureed into a blender and made portion sized rolls to freeze.
After feeding this for 60 days, the stage one mast cell cancer (believed to be a result of high histamines in the system) diagnosed in my jack russel/lab mix appears to have gone into remission and her subsequent blood labs look great.
That is such great news, J cal!
I have a 12 year old yorkie that refuses to eat dog food. I made this for him today and he gobbled it up. Thanks for the recipe.
I have two Yorkies. I’m considering making this recipe because they have become somewhat finicky with their food. How much does your Yorkie weigh and what is a serving for him?
So making this for my boys!
Been looking for home made recipes to help increase energy level. Thinking to vary the meat, turkey, beef and chicken so they don’t get bore. Someone mentioned that chicken liver is a great meat option with high protein, is that correct?
So I have a question well two.
I have a 2 1/2 year old red nose Pitt Bull.
And I have a 3 month old dalma doodle what serving size should I give them each? How many cups each? And how many times a day would you recommend?
Can I also feed to my symeese cat? Again any recommendations to mall size are how frequently I’d feed her. Thank you for your help..
These are all great questions but please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own pet’s diet.
Hi there, is it 1.5 cups of cooked rice or uncooked ? I followed your recipe exactly (1.5 un cooked) and it yielded 12 cups. Do you pack it tight in 1 cup?
Evgeniya, the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice.
My pugs loved this homemade dog food. Was spending over $400. A month on food for two pugs what a great way to save money and provide better quality food for our babies !
How long will this last in the freezer?
Hi Andi! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
I’m no expert at all here, but imo if frozen right after cooled and packed I’d give it no longer than 2 months. 1 being more ideal.
Either way this recipe is killer and I can’t wait to spend a day doing up a huge batch for my pup, thank you!
Should I drain fat off of grd. Beef. Some say drain others say it’s good for dogs.????
Yes, you can drain the excess fat if you wish.
That’s def your choice but be careful it isn’t too much. I thought it was okay but our boy almost got pancritis disease (spelt wrong). I’m sure in small doses its totally ok n they sure love it. Just be careful not to overdue it. Don’t want to see another pup in pain like ours was.
So I have a question… my vet told me to boil any meat I gave my dogs. I told him that I cooked ground turkey in the skillet as mentioned above and gave it to my dogs. He said I should boil it because it omits the sodium in the food. Sodium can cause issues with their pancreas. This recipe above doesn’t mention boiling the meat…??
Yes it does, read again
No, there is no mention of boiling the meat
I agree, the meat should be boiled not browned in a skillet. Also, me vet suggested I use white rice instead of brown.
Our chihuahua was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis from too much fat. My recipe is similar to this but I use chicken and I boil his meat and vegetables instead of pan fry like i used to and mash it up a bit for easy digestion. Boiled chicken with white rice, pasta, peas, beans, sweet potato, broccoli, carrots and cottage cheese. Loves it and no more issues. So unfortunately no treats or table scraps!!
Would you be able to post the nutritional breakdown for vitamins, minerals?
Julie, this may be best discussed with your pet’s veterinarian and/or nutritionist.
Your recipe has been amazing. I am cooking for our 15 month old Great Dane. He has lots of allergies so we thought we would try this. The improvement is amazing!! He looks better than he EVER has and his stomach is better than it ever has been!! Our vet reviewed recipe and gave it a thumbs up. Only down side is that due to his size he eats 6 pounds of food a day over 3 meals…the improvement in his skin and stomach keeps me cooking!!!!
WHAT IN GOD’S NAME!
Now, I have to try this recipe because my dog’s name is Butters (and he too has an upset tummy so I want to switch him over to homemade food)
I will be back in a few days to share my thoughts…
Let us know how it goes, Stephanie! 🙂
I just met a Butters at the beach! I wonder if it was you and your dog. I just looked up this recipe for my Shelby. I hope Butter’s belly is better!
Hi can these recipe help dog loose weight? Or do i need to adjust it?
Alison, this recipe is not specifically tailored for weight-loss.
Alison – we have used this food to help our dogs loose weight. To do this you must know the target calories a day for your pet – I got this from my vet – and then using the nutritional information below I calculated what serving portions would be. I divided by the number of times we feed the dog.
We feed the dogs this recipe at night and a commercial food in the morning – a combination of canned and kibble.
My little one has lost 4 lbs – 25% of his body weight and the other 9 lbs – 22% of her body weight. It has been a challenge, no different than a human losing weight.
How long will this be good in the fridge?
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
I like the recipe but how much do you feed per meal? I have a 70lb Lab & a daushund 19lbs
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
How do you know how much to feed your dog? 1 cup can’t be a daily serving for a 4 pound dog, a 35 pound dog, and a 110 pound dog.
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I’ve never owned a dog and I’m debating buying a Pyrenees. I’ve heard that people have had success with giving dogs a vegetarian diet. Do you have any experience with that? What about feeding him cooked farm fresh eggs in place of meat?
Aaron- I’ve had several dogs in the last 50 years including 2 Great Pyrenees. They were truly magnificent dogs but if you’re inexperienced as a dog owner I would truly recommend that you not start there. You should know more about dogs and you should also know yourself as a pet owner before you take on such a large and consuming task. Consider building up to this.
Please do more research before “purchasing” a dog, especially one such as a Great Pry. Also be speak with your vet before considering a vegetarian diet for your pets. Dogs are NOT vegetarians, they’re omnivores. Meat, bones, marrow, etc are very important for them. It’s unwise to base your opinions without actual research with skilled and licensed people.
Dogs are carnivores and in their natural environment are meat eaters. Making them vegetarians may not be best for the dog. As a human you have a choice; dogs don’t. Why would you force them to be something that goes against their nature?
OMG!!!
This exact thing happened with my dog James. He was sick and I had to put him on a bland diet of chicken and rice. It was super easy so I started making my own dog food!
Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
I also mix in a powdered supplement called Azestfor. My dogs love it!
Do you use any supplements with your pups?
Yes, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
Thanks so much for the reply! 🙂
I always recommend simple and fresh food for my dog. Dry dog food provides breakthrough nutrition formulated to help your dog achieve a healthy weight and improve quality of life. Thanks for sharing awesome blog!
As with a lot of reviewers my first attempt at this recipe came because of an illness for our 15 yo Westie, Gabby. Lethargy, weakness, lack of appetite due to an unknown cause prompted empiric therapy with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory Meds. Labs and vitals returned to normal but she still refused to eat. I started this diet 3 days ago and the difference is astounding. At 1 cup a day for a 15 lb older dog I believe that she will have an improved quality of life for the rest of her days with us. Thanks so much for posting!
Do you drain the fat ??
I use Butterball 93% lean ground turkey so there is minimal fat. I do not drain the small amount that is there- just made a batch tonight and was surprised at how little fat there is.
Many pet parents turn to homemade food because of an illness – in the case where canine diabetes is an issue, swapping out carrots & peas (high sugar) with organic string beans & blueberries or canned organic pumpkin is a good lower-sugar substitute …
Trader Joe’s frozen organic string beans & blueberries, and canned pumpkin are hard to beat values – Lundberg brand rice, whether white or another variety, cooked, also safe & healthy for pups – Just a thot & thank you for sharing !! Youre not alone in the k9 kitchen
Great recipe!!
I will gladly feed this as a treat when I someday have my own dogs. I believe in both raw and BARF diets, but in the wild canines do eat fruit, tubers, a small bit of everything else from inside their prey, and also animal protein found from fires and left out in the sun for days, and so I do consider this sort if thing a very nice treat and a great vehicle for things such as supplements, and its just a nice changeup. This reminds me of some of the great dog treats in the pet refrigerated food (think those have yogurt added thou), but its homemade and so it is so much better. I really like the break-up of this particular version, thank you for sharing it. 🙂
My dogs love it! Cooked it all in a slow cooker and going to try with salmon instead of ground turkey to see if the cats will like it too.
Awesome!
There are many herbs you can also add and ground egg shells are a must dogs need calcium in the right portions to phosph for every pound of meat add 1/2tsp ground egg shell I also add thyme and oregano parsley.very beneficial.
I was reading that calcium and calories in yo high if % or content is bad for your puppy or large breed dogs making them grow to fast and end up with hip dysplasia. I would like to try homemade food buy am concerned about that. If anyone he any information on making your food and keeping the portions balanced. Also how much is a portion for growing puppies Goldendoodle size she is almost 4 months on the 19th of April.
I took a great online class on making dog food by Dr Barbara Fox. I have a golden doodle If the dog is going to be less that 55 lbs (or close to that) they do need the calcium. If they will grow larger they don’t.
http://barbfoxdvm.com/
Omgggg! This is one of the most famous dogs recipes. Congratulations, and I have to say, thank you for sharing it with was. I was looking for homemade dog recipes food. This one is amazing, and a lot of people like, I was reading all those comments.
I haven’t made this yet but I’m just curious don’t you need to amend it with vitamins, fish oil or vitamin E ? I’m no expert but
I thought this was necessary. Also I understand spinach and kale are NOT good for dogs as they are high in oxalic acid. I’d like to start feeding my dogs somehting like this but I’m not sure about it.
Thank you !
I give my dogs pet-cal and pet-tabs for their daily vitamin intake!!
You need to be careful when giving your dog fish oil..from my experience with my 3 adult Labradors, whenever I give them fish oil gel pills (mixed in a small amount of peanut butter), 1 of my labs will end up eating their poop. Doesn’t happen any other time, only with the fish oil. Sometimes I have to give her Benadryl and it’s with peanut butter and she doesn’t eat poop then. I’ve just started feeding my dogs with this recipe without fish oil and it’s AMAZING how much better their coats look and no scratching..and it’s only been 3 days!!
Thanks for sharing, Sandy! We’re happy to hear your dogs are doing so well with this.
My Super LuLu loves home made food so as a schedule I prepare her food every other Friday. It’s fun and gives me peace of mind knowing what she eats. Thank you.
Great!
Can you freeze the dog food?
Yes, absolutely!
How long is it good to keep on fridge?
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
What would your idea be to make this a dried food recipe? I would need to leave dried food when boarding my pup at my local vet while on vacation. Most renters do not allow pets or I would take her with me. I mostly eat healthy and she refuses “dog food” so she eats a lot of thing that I eat
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I made this for my 12 1/2 lb Chihuahua Honey and she loves it. She not a small Chi and is not overweight. I put the whole mixture in my food processor until it was well mixed. Happy with the results. Not certain on the amount to feed her, so I am starting her on 3/4 cup divided twice daily.
Wow this looks great. Im going to try making it for my chihuahua. He’s 12 yrs old and has kidney disease. He recently stopped eating all processed dog food. Even the canned, wet one he used to love. This morning I boiled some chicken and plain white rice. He tore it up. He was so hungry. So i’m hopping as long as I keep feeding him good, h0mecooked food, he’ll keep eating.
Thanks
We hope he’ll like it!
Just a note – kidney disease diet typically need a low protein, low sodium diet.
Hi, I’m curious how you manage the nutrient profile of the recipe? I’m looking into making my own dog food but am getting bogged down in the idea of her not getting enough vitamin, minerals, etc. depending on what I put in it. Is this something that doesn’t need to be focused on too much? It’s easy to determine calories and then the breakdown of protein, fats, carbs, etc. But I’m having trouble with the nutrition makeup of the food. Don’t want to make her sick by being deficient in something. She currently eats a fresh food that contains beef, vegetables, oil, and a “nutrient mix” to make up for any low vitamins/minerals so I’m wondering how to do that on my own?
Alex, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist. But as always, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I’m just starting off but my vet recommended adding vitamins powder, it’s called superfood supplements and you can sprinkle plot over the food, also definitely add fish oil so you get all of the omegas
Super easy to make! My pit bulls are my world! I will start making all of their food from now on. i keep seeing how bad store bought food is for them and now they’re finding poisons that are killing dogs. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DELICIOUS RECIPE.
Thank you for sharing with us, Sindy!
There are many nutritional and delicious vegetables and other raw food you can find in market and also those delicious organic foods are preferred by pet dogs as well. If you have well known recipes for your pet, then you can easily prepare any food for your dog.
Heck, I’m eating this!!
where is the calcium in this diet?
Janice, I add supplements/vitamins (ex. Balance IT® Canine) as directed by our vet/nutritionist.
I’ve been making this for my 9 pound toy poodle. I use boneless chicken breast. I also give her a daily vitamin. She is almost 3 years old. No more chronic ear infection, no more smelly breath!! Well, except for the two days a week that she gets baked salmon for lunch. It’s so much better to feed them healthy home cooked food!!
Sorry if I missed it in all the reviews. We have an English Bulldog that weighs about 55 lbs. Looks like he would need about 3.5 cups a day. Does anybody know how many cups this recipe makes? Thank you in advance!
About 8 cups.
I have made this recipe several times now. My dogs love it and it. Now I feel Guilty if I run out!
If I choose to use chicken breast as a replacement for the turkey, how many chicken breasts should I use? Also, how much per day would you recommend for a Great Dane puppy/young adult? I am thinking this may be cheaper and healthier than kibble for him. Thank you. 🙂
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Regarding serving size, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Super picky overweight Chihuahua loved this. What she didn’t finish our 2 cats did. Thank you for posting this.
Thanks for sharing!
I have two chihuahuas , one of them is a very finicky eater . I made a double batch of this recipe and my two dogs absolutely loved loved it. I mixed it with there dry food. I put about a teaspoon on top of each serving of dog food and they ate it every time. My older dog, a Chihuahua mix is 8 years old and extremely finicky. But she loved every drop of that homemade dog food. I’m making a second batch now and I’m sure it will go over just as well as the first. It’s also great on the budget especially now that I have two dogs. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Glad it works for you!
My dog has been diabetic since June. She’s on a prescription diet and the cost of it is hurting me. I’ve been looking at a lot of recipes and I think this would be good for her. Her Doctor gave me different recipes but this one its only chicken and brown rice, 7/8 cup of chicken and 1/8 cup of brown rice, metamucil 4 tsp., corn oil 2 1/4 tsp., also 2 tsp. of Balance IT Canine. 383 calories is enough for a daily meal. Based on her weight she should have 369 calories, pretty close. So that means 4 oz. in the AM and 12 hours later another 4 oz. This recipe has 412 calories and she’s getting a better variety. Again 4 oz. in the AM and 12 hours later another 4 oz.
I will run this by her Doctor and hope he agrees with this.
Do you drain the meat before adding the rice and veggies?
Yes, you can drain the excess fat if you wish.
Although I added salt, ( all animals need salt) this was such a great idea.
My dog has been on grain-free food since she was a baby and now has cancer, so grain-free is NOT the way to go. This is a great, simple recipe. I will also be adding an egg occasionally and swapping out the veggies, but the combination was perfect and it was so good, I ate some. LOL
Thank you for the inspiration. I did cure a dog of cancer with a homemade diet.
Hi,
can you give us the recipe for the cure cancer diet?
I made about 8 or 9 ziplocks bags with this . But was wondering how long is it ok to leave in freezer for? Not sure when it will go bad.
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps, Jessica!
Hi! My dog loves this recipe. The only thing I am not sure about is how much to feed her. She is a great Dane cross Labrador she weighs about 37kg. Can anyone help me out? Appreciated
Michelle, I just joined this site and have figured on about 2-3% of your dog’s weight per day. I have a 200 lb English Mastiff. That is about 5-6 lbs/day. You’ve likely got an answer, but just in case…. Hope it helps.
Very good however is it enough vitamins and minerals for a dog ? And can I ask how muh to feed a small dog about 6kg a day I’ve started to make own homemade dog food because my little one is a very fussy eater and is very expensive for commercial dog food or to buy fresh on line . She was used to raw food and went off it do you have anymore recipe please? Thank you
How much food should I feed a 100lb dog? He’s 12 years old so doesn’t have high energy anymore. He’s a golden so will eat any amount of food if given to him. I want to make his meals.
Barbara, I just joined this site and have figured on about 2-3% of your dog’s weight per day. For your older fellah about 2% of body weight – about 3 lbs/day. I have a 200 lb English Mastiff. That is about 5-6 lbs/day. You’ve likely got an answer, but just in case…. Hope it helps.
I made a batch yesterday and thought my finiky dogs would never touch this…they gobbled it up!
Do you drain the fat/juice from the meat before stirring in the veggies?
Yes, you can drain the excess fat.
I I would like to make this for my Cavs, but don’t know how much to feed them . At present I feed them 1/3 cup of dry food 2x a day. Please let me know.
Peggy
I have made this. I wanted to get away from kibble, even though using for years a ‘healthier’ kind. (It is scary how unhealthy any kibble is for our babies.) This recipe was enjoyed by my dogs & I believe this is a healthier alternative by far to commercial kibble. Easy to make & one batch – or doulbe batch – frozen in daily consumption servings for your baby(ies) is definitely the way to go. That said, it is important to note that whether or not your precious gems have bladder/kidney issues or you just want to do what you can to prevent these issues, read up on how/why stones form. Two of my aging babies have had UTI problems, one having Calcium Oxalate DiHydrate stones removed from her bladder, the other recurring bladder infections which actually lead to stones. Since I have learned this I make my own ‘dog food’ as well (which is really people food that I give to my dogs). (Smiling aren’t you? It just sounds better {bc it is} better.) I printed out a chart from Greenopedia.com that lists alkaline vs. acidic foods. IMPORTANT: You will want to choose mostly from the alkaline chart. My non-professional though lengthy research results in an 80% alkaline 20% acidic balance for bladder health in susceptible dogs, 60/40 in non-susceptible dogs, or dogs w/o bladder issues as yet. IMPORTANT: RESEARCH what to NEVER give your dogs as this list, and many others, have most likely been created for people not dogs, i.e. avocados, grapes, nuts, dairy, etc. are toxic to our pets (aspca.org). Good luck & may God Bless all our furry friends w/ good health & loving cuddles!
Is there a need to add nutritional supplements?
Yes, but this should be consulted with your pet’s veterinarian as supplements can vary by breed and weight.
Can you tell me why you need to heat the food up
Warm foods are essentially more palatable, no? 🙂
Penny and Tucker love this recipe! They are satisfied for the morning and both not chewing on their paws. (They were both licking). Its so easy to fix. When it’s done I fill up cupcake trays and freeze them and when frozen I put the frozen portions in a freezer bag. It then takes a day to defrost so I pull out tomorrows portion at the time I feed them today.
Teri, how much of this food do you give to your dog? My dog is 70 lb german sheppard and border collie. Thanks
Thanks a lot for sharing this. I am definitely going to try this for my doggos.
Sounds great but You can not feed dogs olive oil. It causes pancreatitis
What would the daily serving size be for a 70 lbs dog??
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
The recommended amount for the size of dog so as not to over feed or underfeef.
So how many cups to weight of dog??
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I am very interested in getting all of your DIY
dog food recipes. Thanks!
Donna & Dusty
can lean beef or ground meat be used as a variety?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
what can you do with the portions? How long refrigerate? Can you freeze?
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
This one looks really easy to make. I think my doggos will love this food.
What about organ meat??? I’ve been making turkey with 3 types of green vegetables, kidney beans and other items, but I keep reading about organ meat. Any thoughts?
Carolyn, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
The recipe is great and simple! But I wonder why the cholesterol content is so high? 49%
I’ve made this recipe but not sure how much for each meal any suggestions
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Thanks for the recipe, I was having major challenges with my dogs digestion and we were getting no answers from the Vet. I had her on a bland diet for far too long so I needed to do something fast, and that’s when I found your recipe. I made her first batch on July 15th and she’s had a healthy reaction and solid consistency ever since (knock, knock). I feed her 1 cup twice per day. I sent an email over to our vet with the recipe and asked if the nutritional value was right for our dog and she referred me to a “Veterinary Nutritionist” and/or “Balance IT… is it weird that she wouldn’t be able to tell me? Anyway I’d just like to say Thank You from the bottom of my heart. My Dog Bronx loves the food and its easy to make, especially when considering the alternative. You’ve changed out lives!
That’s really awesome to hear, Erik – thanks so much for sharing! We’re happy your little pup is doing so much better!
my mom “homemakes” food for her dog, which usually consists of pieces of meat from a rotisserie chicken and some canned veggies like green beans. the dog is elderly and super picky, sometimes snubs her nose to the food and eats the cat’s instead. i told my mom this recipe — only because if she’s feeding the dog homemade food, i want her to have a balanced diet. my mom and sister were very skeptical about the recipe. they had seen the dog walk away from her food numerous times. however, she *loves* this food so much that she never walks away, eats it all, and eats twice as much as she was with the rotisserie chicken/canned veggie meal. when mom told me, i had to leave a comment. thank you! we’re very impressed.
Thank you, Evelyn!
How much do you feed your pup? I have a 55 lbs GSD mix that eats 2.5 cups of his dry food now.
We feed our 4.5-yr old, 19-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your pup.
Hello! My dog is allergic to carrots, what ingredient should I use instead?
You can omit the carrots or replace them with any other vegetable your dog can eat/likes.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. We’re just at the beginning of thinking about changing our 7 year old Maltese’s diet to homemade. We recently tried some healthier options from some online sources (real food, prepared so even humans can eat it, frozen and shipped to us), but the cost is really high.
My question on your post is that you provide a link to Balance IT but your recipe here doesn’t include any supplements. Do you have any suggestions on how to make sure we get the right nutrients into our dog food, preferably from whole foods without adding any supplements–we’re trying to keep the cost down as low as possible while giving our dog something better than dried kibble, which she detests.
Hi Brian. We recommend consulting your vet for those kind of questions since we cannot give any professional advice when it comes to pet care. I hope that helps!
Hi Brian, I have a 7yr old maltese as well did you find any good recipes? I just found out about the Taste of the Wild lawsuit so I’ve had it with commercial dog food.
sounds very interesting, i will definitely get busy right away.
Let us know how you like it!
Both dogs and cats require taurine – it is absolutely essential. Where would the dog be getting taurine from in this food? I don’t see it listed in the Nutritional Information. Apologies if someone already asked this question.
Hi Melanie! I add supplements using Balance IT – it’s a great resource as recommended by my veterinarian.
I would like to know what can I feed my dog. She is diabetic I have to give her an insulin shot twice a day every 12 hours. And what should I give her to keep her blood sugar levels low.
Hi Angie! This may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian. Hope that helps!
How much does this make is it a week supply? How long can it freeze for
Kylie, portions can vary depending on the size and breed of your dog. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
My border collie weighs 20 kg. How many grams of the home made dog food do I give her ? Also do u give her biscuits as well ? If so how much per day Thank you
Sarah
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet as feeding ratio can vary by weight and breed.
Hi
I am a dog owner from india.i tried ur menu and my dog just loved it.but the problem is that in india it’s difficult to get fresh spinach and , zucchini is a rare possibility.
So this time around I tired something on the same lines but added my personal touch.
White rice, four to five cubes of cottage cheese ,chicken roasted and shredded.
Roast chicken pieces in microwave and dry it out of its water content.
Add to mixer grinder along with cubes of cottage cheese.qucik grind to fine granules or shred them .
In a pan take rice as per requirement .Add virgin coconut oil .Don’t exceed content of oil. Restrict to an.amount so that the rice is glistening. Heat for five min in low all the
while stirring.
Mix contents of pan and.mixi and make balls . The coconut oil acts as a good binding agent . It is good for skin coat and for digestive system.
I made around 6 balls of table tennis ball size.
My dog just gobbled it up.
Sorry I forgot to take a pic.next time for sure.
My sweetheart is a six month old small breed like apso.
Increase quantity for larger breeds.
Best part is that u can refrigerate it for future servings.
Hope this helps
How long does it keep in the freezer?
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps!
Could you give me an idea of what the feeding ratio might be, (i.e. 8 oz for every xx number of pounds)? I’m anxious to try this for my pooch!
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet as feeding ratio can vary by weight and breed.
Thanks for sharing this homemade recipe! I’ve been looking for a nutritious dog recipe for a long time, so I am getting the material today and make this recipe for my dog.
I have small dogs and worry about too much protein which can cause liver shunt in little babies, I think I’ll third the meat and add more veggies!
Yes, but please use your best judgement and consult your vet if you are unsure.
This is fantastic… thank you! I just got an 8-week old puppy. I want to do things right from the start. I see my vet next week and will clear this diet with him, but I’m sure it’ll be better than store-bought dog food. Thanks again!
I am trying this recipe out for my 2 mini-dachies, as they have had some tummy issues lately. They weight approx 11 lbs each. Could you advise as to the daily serving amount that I should be feeding them. Thank you.
Hi Alana! This may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian as this can vary by breed and/or weight.
This is horrible. You don’t have anything for vitamins and minerals. This is why making homemade food is hated by vets. If you feed this only you will have sick dogs eventually. You need two types of organ. Liver and brain, heart, kidney. You need zinc. You need bone. You do not feed any grain. And you don’t need to cook this. Don’t give advice to people if you don’t know what you are doing! It would be like someone giving you advice on feeding a baby and telling you to give the baby raw meat. Get educated and take this terrible advice down before someone else uses it.
Karen, this is what was advised by my pet’s veterinarian AND nutritionist. If you do not feel comfortable feeding this to your dogs, then you don’t have to feed it to them. It’s as simple as that. 🙂
I made your recipe and we even made a double batch our dog Apollo just loves it. I had been feeding him Merric kibble and caned combined a cup each meal, with your recipe would I still feed a cup each or adjust it up or down please advise.
Thanks so much
Gary Ewaska
Hi Gary! This may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian as this can vary by breed and/or weight.
I don’t know what all the hype is about. I am in my 70’s, and remember when there was no such thing as store bought dog food, and we all fed our dogs the meat and vegetable scraps from our plates. I have NEVER bought the poison that they suggest we feed our beloved pets, and I have never had a dog that didn’t live to be 16 years or more. My last Collie girl was 19 years old when she passed happily in her sleep.
I have a puppy who is 8 months, mix australian sheperd and husky. When I got him I took him to the vet and doctor found worms. He receive the pill to get rid of rhe worms. He was 3 days with diarrhea ans didn’t want to eat. So I prepare a soup with chicken and rice and blendet it like a pure and he love it and recover from hos diarrhea. I want to change his dietwith nutrients like spinach, vitamins, liver. Please let me know wich recipe is good for him since I want that hi grow up very heathy.
Hi Raquel! The chicken and rice soup sounds amazing! But this question may be best answered by your pet’s veterinarian as he is having some diarrhea and worms. Hope that helps!
do you also add supplements to your dog food? While I agree that commercial foods can be scary to give your beloved fur child, there are also added vitamins and minerals that I would assume are important to their health that are in those foods. In my research it seems people only make these homemade foods with the food and no added vitamins so i was just curious if that’s just something extra you do but didnt want to “advertise” so people don’t start asking you questions like you’re a vet about amounts and such or if you personally feel your pooch or pooches are getting a comfortable amount of nutrition with the few ingredients above.
Hi Nay! Yes, we add supplements/vitamins as directed by our vet and nutritionist. Hope that helps!
What the shelflife for this homemade dog food
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps, Juli-an!
Thanks for the recipe. Our adopted pup is such a picky eater. He was fed with table scraps and was malnourished when we got him. We tried to introduce him to dog food but he just eats a handful. Do you have other easy dog food recipes? Thanks again!
I sure do! 🙂
https://damndelicious.net/category/dog-food/
My dog has calcium oxalate stones and was put on a very expensive restrictive prescription c/d diet by his vet, but he refuses to eat it whether it’s canned, stew, or dry. I’m looking into making him homemade meals and possibly supplementing, but assumed it would be costly and difficult to get the nutrition and calories right. This was encouraging and helpful, thank you! Any other tips would be appreciated, too!
Thank you so much for this. My elderly dog is not eating well, I think he can’t chew his dog biscuits any more. I am going to the store today to buy the ingredients. I was going to pick up tinned food but it just looks awful so googled and found this! It sounds lovely. I cook all the family meals from scratch so why not the dogs 🙂
Exactly!
Your homemade recipes are too high in carbohydrates, changes to the dogs PH levels causes allergies, which is not the same as humans PH. Grain free foods are also netter for dogs, as well as organic/grass fed meats.
After thawing the food in the fridge… can we serve directly or do we need to nuke it?
I personally prefer to nuke it for my little guy! 🙂
I would suggest browning the meat first – whether you use turkey, chicken, or ground meat (either beef, lamb or pork). Then add all the vegetables, and let them cook together, adding beef or chicken broth to moisten. Add rice (brown or wild grain), let simmer until rice is cooked through – turn off the heat and add fruit (blueberries are my choice). Let cool and refrigerate. Simplifies a more complex task.
Don’t you have to add certain supplements? Vitamins? Calcium? Fish oil? Probiotics?
Maria, I add supplements/vitamins as directed by our vet and nutritionist but this really should be answered by your veterinarian as this can vary by breed/weight.
My dog has pancreatitis and the vet suggested we feed him a bland low fat homemade diet in addition to his low fat dry food as his appetite is hit or miss. One day he will eat 2 cups of food the next if my husband hand feeds him he will eat half his food. He’s lost 3lbs which doesn’t sound like much until I say he’s a pomeranian, he’s a big pom but you can now feel all his ribs. The vet gave me a list of foods I’m allowed to give him but I’m looking to see if I can find some recipes for him.
I’m really hoping this encourages him to eat as we had to put in a feeding tube and we would really like to get it out.
My dog too was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis from eating too many table scraps. I have always cooked his meals but I only boil them now. I give him boiled chicken with white rice, pasta and I only add the following vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, beans, peas, broccoli and cottage cheese), I was told to over boil everything for easy digestion, he loves his food and never leaves anything in his bowl. He also likes dry food so I give him Royal Canin Gastrointestinal low fat prescription diet which agrees with him and loves it. No more health issues.
We started using this recipe back in February and the dogs love it. We have noticed that they dropped weight and body mass very quickly. They were never overweight to begin with. One of our 16″ tall dogs was 17lbs when we started and is now 14lbs. This is after feeding 1 cup twice a day, we are upping him to three feedings a day. With four (4) dogs this is becoming extremely cost prohibitive. The recipe is costing us $25 for a 2 day supply, at this rate it will cost us over $300 a month. Is anyone else having this issue?
Concerned in Connecticut
I would be curious to know the answer to this as well. This is really the way to go to keep our dogs healthy but we also have 3 dogs (not small ones). We want to the best for them…… We do garden so that will help, however What IS everyone spending a month for their dogs homemade food? I know it depends on size of dog, but i’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.
Chungah! Awesome recipe! I made this for my pup the other night and he loved it
Aw, nothing better than a happy pup! Thank you.
How much does a single batch make (how many cups?) Thank you ☺
About 8 cups.
Where is the unsubscribe button?
It’s at the bottom of each email you receive.
This article is a good one indeed because with so many commercial options available sometimes, we forget to give our dogs the homemade options of food. I personally like to give my pet baby homemade food. Great share and I will definitely try the recipe you have given. Cheers.
It is good you are pointing people towards Balanceit for home made diets. It is essential that pet diets are balanced with all the vitamins and minerals they need. I have a small version of “Balanceit” in Australia with free balanced recipes – see https://www.vetlicious.com/choose-protein. Thanks Steve.
When food is nuked all the nutrients and minerals vanish, please do not nuke for your best pals, they will be getting no nourishment for their health when food is nuked. Also I was reading about a cat eating tuna from a can above, and tuna from a can is too acidic for cats, a friend of mine had to pay tonnes of money for a UTI operation because her cat was eating tuna from a can, that’s what the Vet told her. For UTI problems for cats organic cranberry juice works, for dogs, just use cranberry extract with D-mannose for a few nights.
How many cups does this make
About 8 cups.
I just made my first batch and the dogs are loving it! I have a 30 (+) lb Corgi and a 70lb Wirehaired Griffon and I am trying to figure out how much to feed them. I feel like they are both a little overweight at this point. I have seen people mention amounts of food in lbs but I measure their food in cups. Any thoughts? Thanks!
DO NOT USE Brown Rice or Dairy in dog food EVER! It disrupts their digestion system. Dogs digestion is much quicker then in humans. Using whole grains and dairy can make your dog sick. Use white rice instead.
Hi! I just dropped by to say that I linked from my site to here. I know that it’ll become useful for my future readers. BTW, here’s the link >> Side Hustle Ideas for Dog Lovers
Hope this is you who published this:
http://godstrongwomen.com/life-saving-homemade-dog-food-view-recipe/
It is actually not but thank you so much for letting me know! I have reached out to them to have them remove the post immediately.
Is there a cookbook with dog food recipes?
Not at this time – but hopefully soon! 🙂
How long can it keep in the fridge ….and freezer?
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
This recipe is fantastic! My very sweet, 12-year old chihuahuas HATE ‘dog food’ and I don’t blame them! This recipe makes us both feel good. They feel like they are getting a ‘treat’ and I feel so much better about serving this to them rather than some gross canned food. Thanks so much!
Hi Chungah! I made a big pot of this dog food last week and my dog is STILL licking the bowl CLEAN after each meal 🙂 He loves it and it makes me so happy to cook something special for him. I substituted the brown rice for white rice (after reading about how it was easier for their tummies to digest) and right now I am halting the serving with his dry dog food to ween him off 🙂 But I wanted to pop in to tell you how much Felix LOVES his new food.
Thank you!
Can I replace zucchini with cucumber? If not, what can I replace it with?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, we cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications. And with this specific recipe, consult your vet if you are not sure.
Do you feed this as dog meal every day or you have other recipes to rotate? (another then easy crockpot). If you have other, can I ask how many recipe variety you feed?
Do you use supplements? how much and what supplement you use for your dog?
Of course in the end I still consult my vet, but I want to know about yours if possible or if can’t its ok.
Anyway, we both have corgi <3
Sry I think I lost in translation, already found most of the answer in your comment and after couple re-read your page 😀
I have a question, do you add any supplements to the dog food you make like “ BalanceIt “ suggests dogs need. If so which do you add? I’d hate for my dogs to be difficient in vitamins. BalanceIt sells some, but they seem kinda pricey just wondering your take on this? Thanks
Yes, I add supplements but I recommend consulting with your pet’s veterinarian to see what is best suited for your pup.
Recipe looks interesting. Can u pls suggest any vegetarian recipes for my 12 yr old Shih-Tzu dog? I can add egg. No issue. Except no meat.
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications. Sorry, Radha!
I differ with your advice that all starches are bad for diabetics. On a plant-based diet that includes lots of starchy vegetables, including white and sweet potatoes, I have reversed type 2 diabetes and done away with the medications for it and for high cholesterol. It is fat that causes the problem for diabetics. Starch is not the culprit. Our bodies use carbs and store fat. Fat is what keeps insulin from entering cells as it should and forces it into the bloodstream, thus insulin resistance and diabetes. That’s why losing weight ends type 2 diabetes.
That’s an awful lot of vegetables and grain! You need to make sure the meat contains organs and such also 🙂
Thank you for this recipe. My senior shih tzu has been picky ever since we brought him home from the shelter 6 years ago. I have switched between high quality dog foods to encourage him to eat. I added cheese, I started giving him refrigerated dog food…. still kind of picky. I thought maybe I should just let him eat junk dog food so he would enjoy eating his food. BUT!!Today I made this recipe, he ate two bowls even with his Nutro dry mixed in. The vet would tell me that he’ll eat when he is hungry, I believe that is true but I’m so happy he is enjoying his food now…..FINALLY !! Bubba the Shih tzu thanks you too.
Thanks for this recipe, Chungah! I’m going to try this with my dog this week. I see a lot of people asking how much to give. As always just ASK YOUR VET what the calorie requirements for your dog are and multiply that by the nutritional information that has been handily provided!!
My vet told me we should be shooting for 1000-1200 calories for his breed/weight. so divided 1100 by 412.3 calories per cup in this recipe that comes out to about 2&2/3 cups a day. So we’ll start with 1 & 1/3 for breakfast and 1 & 1/3 for dinner. Which is Actually very close to what we have been giving him of his dry food 😀
Where is the dairy in this recipe? At the first of the article you said they had to have a certain percentage of dairy. Just wondering.
There is no dairy in this recipe.
Dairy: you can test the recipe w/ a few ounces of shredded low/no-lactose Cheddar or American cheese.
Aslo, regarding the rice debate..
The Difference Between Brown and White Rice
All rice consists almost entirely of carbs, with small amounts of protein and practically no fat.
Brown rice is a whole grain. That means it contains all parts of the grain — including the fibrous bran, the nutritious germ and the carb-rich endosperm.
White rice, on the other hand, has had the bran and germ removed, which are the most nutritious parts of the grain. This leaves white rice with very few essential nutrients, which is why brown rice is usually considered much healthier than white.
Brown rice has a big advantage over white rice when it comes to nutrient content. Brown rice has more fiber and antioxidants, as well as a lot more important vitamins and minerals. White rice is mostly a source of “empty” calories and carbs with very few essential nutrients.
100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked brown rice provide 1.8 grams of fiber, whereas 100 grams of white provide only 0.4 grams of fiber.Brown rice is high in magnesium and fiber, both of which help control blood sugar levels. Research suggests that regularly eating whole grains, like brown rice, helps lower blood sugar levels and decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Simply replacing white rice with brown has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, high consumption of white rice has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes. This may be due to its high glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly a food increases blood sugar.
Brown rice has a GI of 50 and white rice has a GI of 89, meaning that white increases blood sugar levels much faster than brown. Eating high-GI foods has been associated with several health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
The list below shows a comparison of other vitamins and minerals:
Brown (RDI) White (RDI)
Thiamine 6% 1%
Niacin 8% 2%
Vitamin B6 7% 5%
Manganese 45% 24%
Magnesium 11% 3%
Phosphorus 8% 4%
Iron 2% 1%
Zinc 4% 3%
Can once melted frozen peas be frozen again?
Usually frozen things should not be frozen again.
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty – sorry! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
So we just recently started this but we have two 50 pound dogs. How many cups do you think we should do for them and how many times?
Sophia, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
Thank you so much for this recipe! Even though we buy good quality food our littlest yorkie boy who’s about 7 years old suddenly stopped eating and got the runs. The only thing I could get him to eat for two days was part of a peanut butter sandwich. Then I found a packet of the dog food I had made in the freezer… one last one left. I thawed it out and held out a tablespoon of it to him and he ate it up! I was SO relieved! He ate half a bowl of it this evening no problem so I’m making two more batches. One just like the recipe says and one with egg yolks, peas, turkey, spinach, peas, pumpkin and brown rice.
Much love from our fur kids and family!
Wendy in Lexington TN
I really like this recipe for my beautiful dogs. Homemade dog food is guaranteed fresh and nutrient packed! Thank you so much.
I’m really grateful for your provided information. I will save this article for one of my favorite this month and if it’s okay to you I will share this to my friend.
How much of the balance it canine supplement do you use with this recipe?
Emily, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
This is actually not a balanced diet for a dog and you can have problems if you don’t feed the correct ratios of meat and bone. Please let people know they need to do more research than just following this blog! Misinformation can harm puppies. Please research raw, prey-model, and BARF diets. The absolute best diet for a dog is raw, but you have to feed it correctly to make sure they get proper nutrition. Cooked diets like this can cause a lot of long term issues…
I have a 15 month 124 lb Great Dane and have recently discovered he has severe food allergies that have caused severe bowl issues his whole life I am now cooking for him but I am concerned with getting the nutrients and calories right for him He is allergic to Wheat,Corn,Rice,Sweet Potatoe and Pork any help would be appreciated. I took him in to discuss the food with my vet he is determined that I need to feed him the 1 brand of dog food he can have it is 73.00 for 17 lbs he would need 5 bags a month this just isn’t feasible for us I don’t want him to lose more weight so a good recipe with advice on how much would be greatly appreciated. I am feeding him beef , Chicken Breasts, Chicken Gizzards and Livers, White Potatoes, Cottage Cheese, Greek Yougurt no sugar, Oatmeal, Eggs and ground egg Shells also add different veggies such as carrots, spinach,Parsley, peas, green beans, garbonza beans
I have a 15 year old shih tzu. Ever since he broke his jaw 4 months ago i have to feed him canned food. That stuff isn’t cheap…. Do you know if I save money by making the food for my dog instead of buying can food? Also what’s the receommended portion to my little man? He’s never hungry in the morning. Only eats at dinner time.
Any suggestions or opinions welcomed!
Thanks!!
Marie, this may be best consulted with your veterinarian.
I’m really confused my all the filler? I had German Shepherds which were used for protection work. They were big strong, very high energy dogs. I initially had them on Iams for ages, and it seemed to change.. both my cats and dogs started to lose condition. Several Vet trips and multiple food changes.. we wound up with the cats on Origen Red, and the dogs on a BARF diet. There was raw chicken with bone in for their calcium, their meats changed, I had multiple sources from rabbit, to venison, to beef, to goat, to pork (store bought only), we even got beaver, squirrel and tripe. Both of my boys got between 4 1/2 to 5 lbs a day total because of their energy level. I suppose what I’m trying to say is that dogs are primarily carnivores, yes they WILL eat vegetation, but their digestive system is not designed for it. That is why is causes so much gas and huge piles of poo. Your dogs body can’t utilize it, so it just gets rid of it. It’s amazing the first week of a true raw diet where you are only feeding raw meat, bones, and organ meat. The poos will bee so tiny even if you have a 200 lb dog.. and the best part, after about three days, they just vanish, they just dry up, crumble and disintegrate. I only have a Chihuahua at the moment, she is very pampered. Filet, Ahi Tuna steak, whatever we have I cut some up for her before I start cooking. I’m looking for my next dog. Hopefully it will not be long. I would NEVER EVER buy any food that the first ingredient listed wasn’t an animal protein
I’m soooo happy I found this recipe! My dog is such a brat and won’t eat hard dog food. We ended up switching him over to wet dog food of the same brand, and they sent me expired food! I didn’t notice for over a week of feeding it to him. I felt sooo bad about it. I ended up making this for him right after that, and he absolutely loves it! He used to never get excited about his food, and now he jumps around when I pull out a baggy. 🙂
This is a great recipe, but cats and dogs also need specific nutrients daily. I make dog food, but my dog also gets regular dog food once a day. Also, be careful to those that give fish to cats. I learned the hard way that too much is not a good thing. It ended up costing me $2500!
Easy to make & the boys loved it!!!
Thank you
It is ideal that you add organ meat (livers and hearts) and perhaps ground cartilage to this recipe. Organ meats supply a great many nutrients that the primary meat will not, and cartilage does this as well as give joint benefits. Depending on the dog’s personal sensitivity you might also want to cook the rice longer than directed and in extra water, and grind up it or it may cause irritation as dogs have a harder time digesting rice than humans do and will also not digest most of the nutrients found in brown rice anyway, oatmeal is also another alternative and may be better for the skin and coat. If you get your meat from a quality (Organic, not factory farmed) source it is probably safe to give it to your pets raw as well, my dog loves raw bloody chicken livers and they are very good for her too. Adding a probiotic to your dogs food is also ideal, you can easily do this by adding a spoonful or two of yogurt or probiotic powder supplement to your dogs food after cooking it. Peas and rice are both filler and do not benefit the dog much other than bulking up their food to make them feel full faster, the protein in peas should not be necessary if you are using enough animal products. You can also cook poultry bones in a slow cooker with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and enough water to cover until they become soft enough to snap and grind in a food processor for an excellent source of protein and minerals, but this can also be tedious.
Thank you for the recipe and all those that have chimed in with alternatives and ideas. I appreciate the sharing! I look forward to making homemade food for my dog for her better health!
Thank you for the recipe. I have six little Yorkies and the cost of going to the vet was starting to be too much. I come from a place where human food was shared with our dogs (our diet has white rice, boiled veggies, boiled meat, no oil other than the fat from the meat cooked and onions are not used though tomatoes, ginger, and garlic are used heavily). The dogs rarely have stomach issues or illnesses. Now with one of our dog having shunts which caused bladder infection and blood in her urine, needing high risk surgery, I decided to go with my gut and follow my peoples way. It is 3 months and the bladder infection is gone, no blood in the urine, their wastes no longer smells, no more upset tummys and diarrhea, more energy, reduced bad breath, the cost of food has been reduced hugely even with buying organic and all natural food and no vet visit as yet. My husband is happy that expenses have been reduced It is definitely worth giving them home cooked meals!
Love your comment on this post. I have a 15 year old shih tzu and I was wondering how big of a portion do you give your little yorkies? I would love your input on that because I’m considering to do the same thing as you.
I love this post! Thanks for sharing. I recently started doing home cooked meals for my dog too. I found he wasn’t digesting the veggies very well. I put the rice and the veggies in my blender to make a soupy mixture and mix that with the meat, the texture of his poop became more solid after doing that and it seems he’s digesting it really well. I also alternate between raw and cooked meat and give raw meaty bones. For those who don’t know, dogs can digest raw meat easily but vegetables need to be cooked and often pulverized to increase digestibility. If you see pieces of undigested carrot in your dogs poop for example, best to put your veggies through a blender.
Just in response to a few posts on here: For those who think that dogs are carnivores, they can be if you make them but that’s not what they are genetically. Dogs domesticated themselves by manipulating humans into giving them more easily digestible food and letting them sleep closer to the fire. The 10 key genes that separate dogs from wolves include genes for the digestion of starch, making them genetically omnivorous. Dogs are not wolves. They are more scavengers than hunters by their genetic code. I feel my dog needs the extra energy from the carbs I feed him. He’s a giant breed, I believe it’s a disservice to deny your dog of that extra feel good energy that’s encoded in his DNA, especially when they’re growing, which for giant breed can be 3 years. Would you feed your growing child an all protein diet?
Anyway, awesome post! Thank you!
I have 2 Yorkies 3Lbs & 5Lbs how much should I give them…I can’t wait for them to make this for them! looks great… Thank you
what breed is your dog and how much does he/she weigh. And do you feed him/her 1 cup per day?
We feed our 3-yr old, 18-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your dog.
Im thinking of getting a rott puppy and I know they require a high protein diet would this recipe be good or do I need to add more meat or take out some grains? It says the recipe is easy to adjust for diets, but how?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Chungah, this is absolutely amazing! My dog loves it and I feel so much better making his own food. Thank you!
This recipe is great. I have been feeding my dog with only homemade food and hee is gonna turn 13 this year so i would love to share some recipes with you guys http://www.dogfoods.gr8.com His name is SNOWY 🙂
Thank you so much for writing an informed post about home-cooked diets for dogs! I am a veterinarian and get so frustrated by the “alternative facts” out there about dog nutrition (SO.MUCH. misinformation!). I love that you reference Balance IT, which is my favorite website for helping owners create balanced home-cooked diets for dogs and cats. I will be trying this one for my own pup<3
I have two coonhounds. How much should I put in each serving?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
dogs eat RAW MEAT, BONES AND ORGANS….and that’s it!!….they do NOT and should NOT eat vegetables or rice, or anything else that is in a human’s varied diet …..they are carnivores, and have made it thru millions of years being hunters and scavengers…..look at their teeth….should they be eating cereal nuggets or vegetables or rice????…..would you feed that human stuff to a lion?…NO!!… dentition dictates what they should eat…a lion has EXACTLY the same teeth as a dog…..dogs are NOT omnivores, and although they can survive on just about anything, that doesn;t mean that fruit veg and rice is the right food….and think about it….what about those dogs who can;t make their own rice, like the ones in |China can?….oh wait, THOSE dogs in China have no thumbs to be able to cook rice on a stove either….
Janice is 100% correct.
****THIS POST SHOULD COME WITH A DISCLAIMER****
It is very dangerous to offer this type of information without doing proper research. It’s vital for dogs to have a certain percentage of RAW bones (never cooked), kidneys, liver etc with every meal in order to make sure they’re receiving all the proper nutrients.
What you offer above IS NOT A COMPLETE DOG FOOD DIET.
The recipe is void of those things (as well as supplements) and will longterm cause health issues and malnutrition (especially because the food is all cooked).
Dog kibble is garbage but at least they are sure to include all the necessary supplements that dogs need in their diet.
Very true
While dogs certainly do not need rice, they are not entirely carnivores, they are omnivores. Dogs do naturally eat a diet of mostly meat, but they will eat the fruits off of shrubbery as well much similar to bears. Dogs also get a source of plant matter from their prey, unless you are feeding your dogs whole prey with bellies full of plant matter you may need to supply it in the form of cooked vegetables.
How long can this stay in the freezer for after it has been made?
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
This recipe is amazing! my puppy loved it! my kids got a whiff of the aroma as I was cooking it, they asked to eat some! It’s hillarious because now they ask me to make dog food for lunch! jajaja
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it for my puppy and she loved it! I used ground beef and white rice and made it in my slow cooker to save myself some work – just dumped everything in except the spinch and frozen peas which I added for a few minutes at the end. I noticed that this recipe had double the percentage of protein compared to other recipes I’ve seen. So I did a little research to better understand how much protein dogs need. From what I’ve read, dogs only require between 15% and 35% protein in their diets (depending on their age, activity level, etc.). I will definitely make this again, but in future I will either cut the meat in half or double all the other ingrediants. Not only will this be in keeping with a dogs nutritional requirements, but it will be less expensive to make and the recipe will stretch a little further in feeding my large breed dog.
Thank you for this recipe! I am getting the ingredients today to make for my dogs.
I’ve been looking for a healthy dog recipe.
I love the versatility of your recipes.
Hi there can you tell me what is the breed of your dog. I would like to know if these proportions are suitable as well for a shih tzu. Thanks!
We feed our 3-yr old, 18-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your labradors.
How much in cups do I give my labradors per feed based on your recipe?.
We feed our 1-yr old, 19-pound corgi one cup of food each day, supplemented by treats. This was decided after consulting our vet and a nutritionist. I recommend consulting with your own veterinarian to see what is best for your labradors.
This seems like a great recipe . Once the recipe is done cooking how many cups Of food do you get from 1 batch ?
About 8 cups.
I have 4 yorkies who are picky eaters. Every couple months they decide to boycott and stop eating their food. The most recent food they have been eating was Merrick canned classic recipie. My dog food bill was getting up in price so I decided to research making my own. I found your recipie and went straight to the grocery store. In no time at all I had enough meals for 5 days for all my 4 dogs. I feed them twice a day and each dog gets 3/4 cup for breakfast and dinner. They love the home cooked meals I make and its all done with love. The food is fresh and its much cheaper then the 6.00 I was spending per day on canned food. The only substitution I made was coconut oil instead of olive oil. Thank you so much everyone for the recipie, all the comments and suggestions. It’s clear we all love our fur babies.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is amazing! I had my dog Josh try it out and he sends his compliments too 🙂
The entire bowl was done in less than five minutes.
I would like to add that depending on your dog liking, you could add mashed tunafish. My dog loves tuna in everything
is everybody using the 80% lean or the 93% lean turkey?
My senior corgi mix is diabetic for 4 yrs. I am cooking his food, chicken & gr beef, but want 2 add vegs. I consult his vet. It is very difficult to find any recipes for diabetic dogs, even for treats. Does anyone have a good recipe ? Thank you for your recipes, it is soo important to feed a proper diet to our pets. I am constantly looking at ingredients in dog treats. There is always some form of sugar, molasses, cane sugar, etc. Please watch , this will effect your dog later on.
I cook chicken thighs in the oven with my dutch oven. Add water and shredded carrots and cook at 250 degrees until done. Once cooked I shred all the chicken and set aside. Then in the left over stock (water from cooking chicken) I add frozen spinach (fresh would work too) and frozen peas. The warm broth will defrost the vegetables. Then I add cooked rice from the rice cooker. Add chicken back in. I make very large batches at once so I freeze some of it in glass topperware. The homemade food is our dogs topper. They still get an organic kibble with homemade stuff. It’s about 60 percent kibble and 40percent homemade wet food.
Can someone please mention how much am I supposed to be feeding my dog? Thank you!
2% of body weight ..
100 lb dog 2 lbs of food.
75% meat 5 to 10 % kidney
10% veggies and fruits
5%sardines or muscles .. fish oil can also be used
10% bone . . I give raw chicken feet.. Or you can use egg shells which have calcium as well.
Dogs need calcium so dont forget fish and calcium are important..
Hi, would like to give you recipe a try. Howeve, I’m from India where it’s difficult to procure Turkey, can chicken be used instead?
Thanks
Yes.
Hello I had to read your comments on homemade dog food.
I have A6 year old long haired dachshund she weighs about 15 pounds she had liver failure about six months ago and the vet wanted her to go on a $4.25 dog food I thought that that was ridiculous not only that she didn’t like it so I started making my own I do use brown rice and I think that animals are forgiving for what you give them 25% 40% I don’t think it makes that big of a difference.
I have thought about something that came to mind after I had found a premium dog food dry dog food that had all the great nutrients in it with no copper which she can’t have. I think I am going to put two cups which is 16 ounces of this dry dog food with chicken butt chicken juice to moisten it and then put it in the boneless skinless chicken that I have cooked.
I have often thought about the vitamin minerals that she wasn’t going to get from the homemade dog food and I am really excited about trying this dog food with the chicken. What say you?
I have a 10 year old dog with major allergies and a 12 year old dog that I think now has kidney failure (from what Dr. Google tells me, hehe). what i have read is that a homemade diet is best for kidney failure for lower salt content, protein content, etc. Going to try it I think. not to mention they loooove people food. I just bought Taste of the Wild 30 pound bag for $46 at PSP for 4 dogs. we go thru about a bag a month.
I was feeding dog chow from Sams 50 pounds for $26, but hubby felt our border collies fur wasn’t shining so decided to buy the expensive stuff. Thanks for the info. can’t wait to start cooking for my fur babies.
I have been experimenting, not a nice word, with my dog food. This is what I do. I would appreciate any advice you could give me. even if I am wrong, I need to know it. I have a Shih Tzu (1 1/2) and a Pomchi (7)
I cook a 10 pound bag of chicken legs and thighs and remove the meat and gristle.
I hand grind the meat and gristle, putting into a BOG bowl
I add 5 eggs, 1/4 cup of pulverized dried egg shells (for calcium) 5 medium tomatoes chopped, 3/4 cup minute rice (brown is better but all I had was white)
1/2 large bag of mixed veggies and enough chicken broth to make it moist enough to swell and cook the rice.
Then I spray an 11″ x 14″ corning pan and spread it out evenly. If it seems too thick, I make an additional 8″X 8″ pan.
I bake on 325 until a knife comes out clean…. (close to 1 hour)
When it is cool, I cut into 3 inch squares and they have one in the early morning and one in the evening.
Are there any spices that I can add that are beneficial to their health.
Also, the Shih Tzu eats 2 small salads a week. (no dressing or onions)
All I do is say “CHICKY-CHICKY” and they run to their bowls.
Just made this for my frenchie! I was mixing wet/dry food with water and heating it up. She just started vomiting it up these past few days and I knew I had to change her diet. She loved this! I didn’t even have to sit with her to get her to eat 😛 Thank you!
Hi ,is it safe to make a couple of days worth of Turkey white rice and vegetables to keep refrigerated and then feed at room temperature.
Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
CAN I USE CHICKEN MINCE AS A REPLACEMENT? I AM IN CT SOUTH AFRICA AND AM UNABLE TO FIND TURKEY MINCE
Yes.
One thing to think about is when cooking your dogs food is that your cooking all the nutrients out of the food that your dog needs. Alot of people feed a raw diet.
Great recipe, but I think you forgot to include the amount of balanceIT supplements that you need to add to the mix?
I actually did not include it in the recipe as the amounts can vary depending on the size of your pup.
Hi, do you cook the vegetables before adding them to the mix?
There’s no need to! 🙂
It makes sense for humans of course to eat the brown vs white rice, but remember this is food for dogs, and the white rice is better as far as getting any nutrients due to their short digestive tract. And also since talking about absorbing nutrients, the vegetables in this recipe have not been cooked enough to release the nutrients. If you are determined to feed vegetables they need to be “predigested” so to speak. Cook and pulverize them to simulate them going through the digestive tract of a herbivore. Then add them to the homemade dog food. The comment that cooking them too much will destroy the nutrients, doesn’t make much sense, because if you don’t they simply go through as roughage.
I agree. White rice is more digestible and my dog has pancreatitis so i also over boil the vegetables and mash them up so its easily digestible otherwise he has problems. .
Does anyone have good recipes including venison?
Did I miss something? All that turkey and all that rice plus the veggies and it only makes 1 cup? That’s hard to believe but that’s what it said: 1 serving 1 cup.
The recipe yields about 8 cups.
I am in agreement with Gladys. This reads like a great recipe to try, however I am trying to figure out the economical value in it based on the numbers provided. This recipe/suggestion is for a very small breed dog, yeah?
Three pounds of turkey will cost, roughly, some $15-$20, tack on another $10 for the rest and you have a $25-$30 budget for a little over one week’s worth of food for a medium sized dog (30+ lbs at 1.5-2 cups daily). That’s about $75-$90 a month versus $50-$75 store bought.
Since our Yorkie has such a sensitive stomach, I am going to try making his food for him instead of buying the canned food in stores. I came across this recipe and it looks perfect. Since this will make quite a bit, do you freeze it in ziploc bags, and pull out as needed?
Yes, absolutely. We do that all the time!
Thanks for another new recipe…my fur baby will appreciate it. She is 16 and very picky. She won’t eat the same thing two days in a row and picks out visible veggies so I have to blend them in.
I do worry that she doesn’t get enough calcium although she loves a fruit and milk smoothie and bits of cheese as a treat, I still wonder if that is enough.
Pardon me if this is a dumb question. In the recipe, you say “1.5c of brown rice.” In the instructions it says to cook according to the package. If I calculated correctly, ( 1 cup raw rice will yield 3 cups cooked) Should it be 4.5c of cooked rice or is it 1.5c cooked rice?
I had a insulin diabetic rescue, that I made ( raw) food for and it resolved a lot of issues for him. Our new little guy has a delicate stomach. This is the only thing that hasn’t “bothered” his stomach.
Not a dumb question at all! The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice.
Hello!
I have two 4 year old Pomeranians and I have had them on a cooked diet since they were 8 weeks old. Your recipe
is very similar to mine, but I always use boiled beef liver as opposed to chicken or turkey. Then I add different veggies including carrots, lima beans, green beans, sweet potatoes, sometimes a small amount of corn, squash, blueberries and a little bit of olive oil. Then I add organic brown rice, but in small amounts. Usually the ratio is 50% protein, 30% vegetables and 20% grains. I feed them 1/3 of a cup in the morning and 1/3 cup at night. They love it!! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
apologies, my puppy is a westie
Hi,
please can you tell me if I should add/substitute this mix for a 12 week old puppy?
Michelle, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
Thanks for your recipe. I will try to do it for my dogs. My mother made her own dog food for years. OUr large dogs lived 15-17 years under her care.
Hi Monica, do you know if your mom used supplements to their diet in addition to making the food? I’m not sure if I should add supplements and if so which ones? Thanks
This recipie was great! My little 10 y/o chihuahua with a picky tummy loved it! I substituted kale for spinach as spinach can lead to kidney damage in large quantities and added 2 eggs in while cooking the turkey. In the next batch I’m thinking of adding some fresh blueberries or pineapple. I portioned in small containers as she doesn’t eat much and this seems to freeze well also. Thanks a million!!
I feed my dog white rice, cottage cheese and boiled chicken and other ingredients. I watched Dr. Oz the other day and the show was about arsenic in white and brown rice. More so brown then white. They recommend boiling rice the same way as you would pasta with lots of water. Cook rice till tender then drain through mesh strainer. The rice is still just as good as cooked the other way but much more safe for you and you beloved pets. Please be sure to wash all veg. and fruits before cooking due to the fact of pesticides.
How do you measure fresh spinach?
Loosely in a measuring cup.
I have a service dog, lab also has allergies as well. Is this a good recipe. She needs a no grain diet.
Where’s the dairy in this recipe? I add a blob of cottage cheese to their bowls right at feeding time so it doesn’t get weird in the cooking process. I also sometimes add an egg to the food when I’m warming it up. My dogs can’t tolerate carrots (they come out undigested in their poops) so I omit that from the recipe, and sometimes I replace the brown rice with regular rice, black rice or quinoa. As for veggies I change them to wherever is safe and in season. Same with the meat, they’ve had everything from venison, freshwater fish, duck, pheasant and wild turkey…..depending what we’ve hunted/caught. It’s also way more economical to feed harvested meat and veggies than store bought, not to mention healthier. Thanks for a great base recipe!
Hi! I am just starting to do homemade food for my 12 year old daschund using the balance it supplements. When do you add it? They have two different formulas now, canine and canine plus (which can be heated). I got the regular canine formula and have been adding it right before I feed him. But, I am starting to think it would’ve been nice to add it when I make a big batch using Canine plus then I can heat it in microwave when I am ready for the individual serving. Love being able to create the different recipes on their site! What ratio protein/fat/carbs to do use in your recipes?
I prefer to add the supplements prior to serving, but as always, please use your best judgment.
As recommended by my veterinarian, I use BalanceIt.com to determine protein/fat/carbs.
Hi! I have been researching making my dogs food myself. This is not only because I want to save money but because I worry about what is really be putting in dog food. I am getting a new puppy in 4 weeks. Do you think this recipe is suitable for a puppy?
Misty, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
What is the suggested serving size per weight? I have 2 dogs and am trying to see how much I would need to make for a week.
Thanks,
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hi
We’re moving our Lab onto homemade food to manage allergies and this recipe looks great. One question however, how much should I feed to my dog? He’s a large Lab (38kg)
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
One of my yorkshire terriers is a allergic to a lot of food, so I am always looking for more organic food, and then my sister enlightened me that you could make your own dog food, so here I am! This looks great for my yorkies and is high in protein, so thank you!
I was wondering how long this last in the freezer?
I’ve had them last for a few weeks but as always, please use your best judgment.
This is Great ! Is it ok for any dog? I mean i have Golden Retriever Puppy. (one year Old).
Also, Can i remove carrot form recipe? He don’t like 2 carrots. 🙂
Yes, you can omit certain ingredients that you see fit. That’s the beauty of home cooking! 🙂
I have three female chihuahuas. I usually purchase I/d prescription diet dry food, because they have gastrointestinal problems. Is there a special food that I can prepare for my girls. Because it is so expensive and I am limited in finances. Please if you have a recipe on hand, by all means could you email it to me. Bless you so much!
What is the serving size based on weight? And does it need to be doubled for a puppy?
Gericho, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
My dog loved this recipe! Thank you so much! Please post more.
I tried my dog on raw meat and it did not agree with her.
Had to stop it as after four days when she went to the toilet it had all turned a bright yellow.Vet said it was no good for her pancreas. So now looking for a homemade receipe as she seems to have been put off eating..Please do you have any ideas that will help.
I have never tried raw meat for our dogs. I have bought expensive dog foods many times and my dogs do not like it. After trying different brands, I just want what is best for them. I have 2 chihuahuas and a 60 lb mix that looks like a Rottweiler. We have a cat who lives outside now. The cat was very sick for months and taking medicine. After x rays, etc… it was learned that he had microscopic lung worms, from an infected bird or rodent. He was inside for many, many months taking other medicine and getting well, but when well desperately wanted to go out. He has been outside months now. I don’t want to give raw chicken and read not to cook the meat. I read about dry food, and don’t know why I never read about what could be in it and the utter horror, and now I do not know what to do. I just want what is best for our sweet babies. Our veterinarian said Purina One or Purina Pro when I asked her opinion for dog food. Also to get a food and stick with it. Also, when I fed the expensive dog food, there was no less poop. I tried grain free and others. Thank you for any help.
Thank you for the recipe. How do you add calcium to their diet since it’s not included in this recipe?
There are calcium supplements that are available at specialty stores. But as always, please consult your veterinarian.
I want to keep my dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe!
Can you tell me if any one has used this diet for dogs with pancreatitis? I have a standard poodle, her enzyme levels have been elevated, however not drastically. She suffers from nausea and I have to be extremely careful about her fat content. If the protein was changed to skinless, boneless chicken breast could you see this diet as a possible choice for her. Unfortunately most veterinarians are not at all well versed on diets for these suffering dogs other than their prescription diets that are not at all that good. It was been such a maddening experience trying to find an adequate diet that she can tolerate.
Deborah, when my 13 year old Pom-Tzu had a pancreatitis attack, I fed her boiled hamburger and rice for several days until her levels were down. She then went on a dry kibble diet that was around 8% fat. She didn’t care for it and was starving all the time. I went back to the boiled hamburger and rice. I have made her food for years, which was boiled chicken, small pasta and veggies, and slowly re introduced it. We were very fortunate that she only suffered from one attack. My dog is still doing well and will be 16 in March. You should talk with your vet about what they recommend until the attack is over and then for maintenance. This is simply what worked for us, and not typical as I’m told by my vet. Pancreatitis is scary in pups, good luck!
The perfect easy recipe, I will try it and I think that my dog will love it, she really adores homemade human food.
I make my own dog food, but am concerned I’m missing something, can someone look over my recipe and give me any feed back. I have no solid measurements this is all rounding…
dozen egg yolks
3T. black strap molassas
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 cup soaked chia seeds
2cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 pkgs unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 apples cooked
2 sweet potatoes cooked
1 crown broccoli cooked
2 large cans salmon with bones
4 lbs ground beef
1 cup whole fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup turmeric, cooked with the quinoa
Looks pretty good. But I think I would add the egg whites and ground up egg shells. The egg whites remove toxins, and the egg shells add calcium. If there is no yeast problem, the potatoes may be okay.
Sorry if this has been asked/answered. Should I drain cooked turkey meat before adding other ingredients? TIA!
Yes, I recommend draining the excess fat as needed.
I have been making my dogs food for a bout a year and they love it. (chicken, rice and veggies) I just have to be sure I only give them about 2 tablespoons for breakfast and 2 more for dinner (each). They are both about 10 pounds and this serving size is per their vet. Also per mtheir vet turkey is not good for dogs. It’s the tryptophan that is bad for them. I would definitely check all ingredients with your vet first.
Check the package of ground turkey. The sodium level can be extremely high even though it is fresh.
I fed my last dog a homemade diet and she loved it.My recipe was very similar to this one. However, I used quinoa because she had problems with grains, it is not a grain but a seed. Also, I used cottage cheese, my vet told me it is a highly digestable form of protein, which would contain calcium. I don’t know if it is enough calcium but she was on supplement vitamins too. I would mix all of the cooked ingredients with raw eggs to hold it together. I would then put them in muffin pans with the papers and cook them at 250 just until set, then freeze individually and put in large ziplock bag. I could then get out X amount of “cupcakes” to last for a couple of days. By doing this I could cook enough food for her for about 2 weeks at a time.
If I give my dogs supplements in chewable form do I also need to add to homemade dog food?
This is really best when answered by your veterinarian.
I have been making this recipe for my dog but it was brought to my attention that their is no calcium in it which you stated as something needed in a dogs food. Is there something additional that I should be adding to the recipe to make sure she is getting all she needs?
We use Balance IT® Canine as recommended by our veterinarian.
What is the serving size on this? Per pound?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
I have been researching DIY dogfood for some time now! I am going to start with this recipe but am not sure how much should be fed to my dog daily. My dog currently gets 1 cup of dry food a day per the directions of the bag. He weights 12 lbs. Would that same serving size apply once daily with this recipe?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hi! Thank you for your dog food recipes. I’ve found them to be so versatile. I’m able to make all of your recipes in the crockpot which I so appreciate. Bailey loves his new food. He’s a shin-tzu and prone to staining. His staining has disappeared since I started him on real food. He’s put on just a half pins of weight and now maintains. He was thin before because getting him to eat was a chore. Very picky. We were feeding him $3.50 per can food and half of it went to waste. He’s so healthy now!!! I interchange sweet potatoe, butternut squash, carrots, etc in all the recipes. I make sure to add up calorie and nutrition values so I’m not skimping. Thank you again. You’ve opened up a wonderful new way of caring for my pride and joy. Bailey says thank you. Julie. Oh a nice idea I found. I gook the food, let it cool portion out morning and afternoon amounts by putting in muffin tin. Then freeze and just move from freezer to fridge so there is always one ready at mealtime. Makes it so easy compared to blowing through all of my 1/2 cup measuring cups
I’ve made dog food off and on for several years and have researched a lot of recipes. Apparently, a dog’s shorter digestive tract can’t digest brown rice, so white is better. I also add oatmeal and barley, a squirt of tomato paste, blueberries or apples, eggs and cottage cheese. I also change things up using lean ground beef or chicken. Just to be on the safe side, I add some Dino-vite or Show Stopper and a few drops of Lick-O-Chops or Supr-O-Mega when I serve it. My dogs are really excited about breakfast and dinner. They’re toy Rat Terriers (8 and 10 lbs.) I give them a level ice cream scoop twice a day. Freeze it in quart freezer bags. Each one lasts about 4 days in fridge after being defrosted.
I have a 6 year old Maltese Poodle who is a very very finicky eater!! I can never get him to eat dog food unless I literally force feed him. I started making this food for him a week ago and he absolutely loves it! He actual,y begs to be fed now. And he gobbles it up immediately. I substituted boneless chicken breast, boiled instead of ground turkey. He loves chicken! I am going to try the turkey this next time.
Thanks for the recipe! How long will this keep in the fridge? Do you freeze it? I have one dog…Border Terrier Mix…small…So this looks like it makes a lot more than she can eat in a week.
It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
Could I use quinoa instead of brown rice? Also, could I put potato in it instead of brown rice?
Yes, quinoa can be used. Potatoes should be kept to a minimum and should be avoided serving raw. You can read more about it here.
I have a very finicky Husky. He LOVES this dog food.
My Husky mix does also. I switch the veggies now and then (squash, kidney beans, sweet potato, kale, strawberries) and always add 1 apple + 1 fish oil pill +1+Apoquel (MIRACLE DRUG)+ 1 Glucosamin (Walmart twin packs) = one happy and healthy fur baby, for much less $$$. No more hot spots, flaky & itchy skin, licking, or $2,000 vet bills (without any solution other than Apoquel) = one happy dog mom! FYI I’m a Chemist and can tell you the chemical structure DOES DOES NOT CHANGE , VITAMINS (or any nutrient) do not DECREASE, and the food is unchanged in any way except for temperature using a microwave. THE FOOD IS, KEY WORD HERE “WARMED”. 10-30 seconds is 100% ok. Fact. If your boiling or nuking it, you will loose 2-4% of the nutrient content and minuscule amounts of radiation, which your dog is exposed to on a daily basis anyway. Moderation people. Would you like to eat cold, soggy, defrosted turkey burger w rice for dinner every night? Didn’t think so.
I make my own dog food twice a week for my two dogs (68 lbs and 48 lbs). I use whatever meat I find on sale….lately chicken legs, drumsticks and thighs have been $1/lb or less, chicken liver has been a bargain, and even pork has been very reasonable. I sometimes use brown rice (remember to rinse it well first), but recently found that my dogs like oatmeal much better….and cooking time is shorter! I but frozen bags of vegetables…green beans, peas, or mixed vegetables. I roast the selected protein in a disposable pan. While it cools so I can chop it, I cook the vegetables, remove them and use the same water to make the rice or oatmeal. I use the juices in the roasting pan to add flavor and additional moisture. I mix everything together and store in plastic containers in the refrigerator. They love it! And, I know they are eating only human quality foods!
I have a 60lb Boxer and a 11lb chihuahua. They eat twice a day. What would you recommend for serving size?
Thank you for your feedback!
I was wondering how much you give your dog at a time. Like how much do you give per pound?
Kasey, we currently feed our corgis 1 cup each, supplemented by treats.
Hello – how much do 65 lb dogs get / how many times a day?
Ana, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
What is the daily quantity/measurement I should be feeding my 13 year old 18lb terrier mix?
Bev, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
you could also add coconut oil and fish oil which are great for dogs health
Can you tell me what kind of ground turkey is best to purchase? Some appear to be pretty high in fat. Your recommendation would be most helpful.
Thank you
I prefer to purchase organic ground turkey from Whole Foods.
Hi! This will be my first attempt at making homemade dog food. My toy schnauzer is 9lbs. How much food should she get for a meal? Also, how long will the food last in the fridge? Thanks. Louise
Louise, these are all great questions but it may be best to consult your veterinarian. We currently feed our corgis 1 cup each, supplemented by treats. It should keep for at least 2-3 days in the fridge (they are also freezer-friendly in individual servings) but as always, please use your best judgment.
I can’t wait to try this. This may be a dumb question, do you also give kibble?
Nope, not a dumb question at all. And no, I do not feed them kibble.
Oh gosh we already spend about $350/month on dog food… I bet this would be even more expensive… lol Thanks for the recipe though! 🙂
You are so welcome! But this really should not cost $350/month. That is the beauty of making dog food at home – it’s cheaper and healthier!
Hi! Made this recipe and my dog (shih tzu) LOVES it. I’m concerned about supplements though. Every site I go to either promotes a specific product, or is so vague it’s hard to figure out what they are saying. My vet doesn’t support homemade food, so asking them is counterproductive. Would you consider sharing the brand you use. I’m looking to add a multi vitamin and will be doing egg shells for calcium. I’m also adding a sweet potato to the recipe. Thanks for your help.
JulieRae, I use Balance IT® canine, recommended by my veterinarian.
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I have a female welsh corgi and she weighs a little over 20 lbs. she currently eats 1/2 cup of dry food twice per day. Would I give her the same portion size using this recipe?
Thank you!!
We give our corgis about 1 cup total, divided into 3 servings.
Thanks for a great recipe. I am getting a new puppy at the end of July and I decided to do some research on commercial dog food and the different brands. What I read shocked me. It is apparently common practise for top dog food manufacturers to use road kill, euthanized animals (obviously full of toxic chemicals and complete with their id tags and collars still attached) and whatever can be scraped from killing room floors, think beaks, feathers, feet. I have used the commercial foods in past but I can’t now. Added plus is that I LOVE to cook and so I have another mouth to lovingly feed!!
I would not feed a dog grains. They are carnivores, and don’t *need* any fruit or veg. Yes, they can eat a lot of them and can get some benefit from them, but only if they are processed right. Their bodies can’t break down the cell wall of plant matter. They definitely don’t need a food made up of so much plant matter. Fruit and veg shouldn’t exceed 10% of their diet. You also can’t compare proteins that humans can eat and digest to that of what dogs can, since meat is made up of different amino acids that plants are. Dogs thrive on me. The best diet you can feed your dog is a raw diet consisting of 80% meat, 10% edible bone, 5% liver and 5% other secreting organ – all raw. It’s so much simpler to make than something such as this recipe, and so much easier for your dog to digest. Cooking meat alters it, and depletes the nutrients, so it makes it much harder on a dog’s system. Also since the nutrients have been depleted it’s not going to be balanced.
How much in cups do I give my labradors per feed based on your recipe?.
Bev, this is something that should be consulted with your veterinarian.
dogs are carnivores mostly though….much more meat is needed…and they only get veggies and grains because we give them those….they don’t crave them….I’ve fed my big old Lab (14yrs) raw since he was a pup…no health issues at all. And that’s just meat and bone, very little veggie and zero grains.
Yes, dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, but dogfood has only come to be a thing in the last 100yrs or so….they either hunted for themselves or were fed bones and meat scraps…not veggies and grains!! They will eat the stomach contents of a kill, but for the stomach lining which is full of nutrients.
Dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years. They can handle table scraps and love them.
Cats have been domesticated for under 4,000 years (please correct me if this is a flawed fact).
They need MEAT.
Dogs learned to eat corn and grains and whatever as they protected their Human pack-mates.Cats were tasked with killing rats in barns and other places that they were placed to kill vermin. MEAT. Live animals that they kill themselves. So now we give them meat-based cat-food.
This is just what I’ve gleaned from the web. It might be wrong.
Hi. I just happened to find our website this morning and saw that you make your own dog food! I do, too, but I feed her raw food. Do you have any recipes for raw dog food that can be made and frozen!
Thanks.
Unfortunately, I do not have any recipes for raw dog food at this time.
I’ll keep checking back. I will be trying your dog treats! Thanks.
Helen, do you wanna raw treats or raw meals recipes? Well, I think it should be for treats, since there is no recipe for meals. You can do fridge drieds snacks.
Cut thin pieces of meat or organ, spread a clean plate, and bring to the refrigerator WITHOUT cover it. In about 10 days, the pieces will be dry, as the cold air of the refrigerator will remove any moisture present in pieces of meat. Just do not forget: the more liquid in the meat (liver, for example), more will shrink in the end. And the more lean, the faster the snack will be ready. I usually use chicken breast, kidney or liver and my girls love it!
i also use an organic diet for my dogs as one is allergic to everything with a preservative & chicken (hormones). corn is also on the no-no list & i give a drizzle of grapeseed oil in their food. have found the fish oil capsules makes her itch too much as some of these capsules have linseed oil in them. olive oil is good to use as well. chopped up parsley is good for their breath.supplement sardines or tuna in spring water as well.
My dog is celiac and the dog food is expensive,so I give him his dry food in the morning and at night he gets hamburger,salmon or another kind of fish (he is allergic to pork and chicken),brown rice and I mix the veg,brocolli,cauliflower,sweet potatoe (white are hard for dogs to digest),zucchini,peas,carrots,celery,cabbage,beans,fennel,quinoa,parsley and pumpkin.Never feed them onions,white potatoes,tomatoe,grapes,avacado or turnip,they are toxic and give them enough you can kill your pet.My dog loves frozen beans or frozen mini carots as a snack.
I checked with my vet after my dogs got into my tomato plants. The vet said that as long as they’re only eating the tomato (no leaves or stem) then they’re OK. The toxins are all in the plant and not the fruit.
My beagle who lived to be 17 years old would go out to the garden and pick her own tomatoes. If I closed the gate she would climb the fence.
I make my rottis food. She wasn’t crazy about spinach so I add brussel sprouts. I quarter them and as they cook with the other veggies they breakdown into edible bites. She also enjoys sweet potato. I make about 25-30 10 oz servings at a time. I freeze them where my ice marker is suppossed to be in the freezer! No ice in our house….but you make sacrifices for those you love!!!
How much do you feed your rottie daily?
Thank you for this recipe Chungah! We had to put our 13 yr. old Chocolate lab to rest last week, and our 4 yr. old lab/sheppard has been severely depressed. He wouldn’t eat anything, so I started making this for him, and he gobbles it down! It’s the only thing he looks forward each day while he’s grieving his brother, so thank you for giving our pup some happiness in his days of grief!
This recipe looks great but, do any vitamins need to be added?
Lisa, we do add supplements/vitamins as directed by our vet/nutritionist but this really should be answered by your veterinarian.
What vitamins/supplements do you add? I’ll of course talk to my vet but curious as to what you supplement with, and what types of supplements I should look into. My king Charles spaniel has heart disease so we are starting a homemade diet.
We use Balance IT® Canine as recommended by our veterinarian.
Would you recommend having dry kibble available also for necessary vitamins instead of the vitamins? My dogs won’t chew tablets.
Robin,
I also have a Cavalier KCS, no mitral valve disease yet, but 50% of them have some level by 5 years. Did you find a good (balanced per AAFCO requirement recipe?) I have one I’m happy to share with you but it is not tailored to heart disease. Not a fan of Balance IT since their recipe site won’t allow adding liver or ground egg shells, therefore uses copious amounts of the supplement, going way over recommended levels of many nutrients just to get enough calcium,Choline, Zinc & copper. Most Vets have no training in canine nutrition and it’s hard to find a good canine nutritionist. Please email me directly [email protected]
So, I often brew my own beer. There is a ton of grains when I am done with a small batch (+20 lb). I have seen some people make dog treats as a byproduct of brewing beer. I have two boxers that I cant keep them out of my grains at the end of a brew. They will not eat their dog food though! If I could find a way to incorporate the grains in to dog food, that would be super efficient!
Chad,
we also have a new Boxer from the shelter 1.5 yrs old. We also brew beer as you do. Your post was from 5/19/2015 and I was wondering if you came up with a way to incorporate the grains from brewing into dog food. Would love to hear back from you.
made it today…cant wait to try it tomorrow!
I have a 10 yr old GSD and I did extensive research on raw food diets and home cooked diets to ensure I was giving her a complete and balanced meal (balance over time) and my method is making her a bone broth (she doesn’t get the cooked bones) with fresh herbs and veg that take my fancy at time of shop and I do add some brown rice as she’s a large dog and I want to ensure she gets enough solid food which is cooked in a slow cooker.
When it cools, I skim off extra excess fat and discard the bones and add the mix to her portion containers along with mixed organs, raw meaty bones, raw mixed meat from the butchers and some portions will be fish based using canned whole sardines or canned salmon. Each time I cook up a big batch, it’s all different mixes of the required elements but measured out to the approx right portions.
Most vets will frown upon home made diets unless it’s also supplemented with a good dry food to make sure they get both the macro and micro nutrients you may miss.
i think this is a great idea and will try it. My chow rescue had horrid mange which is finally in control.
I make my own treats for her (vet had samples at his open house). I just thinly slice 2 sweet potatoes. Spread out on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 for 90 minutes. She loves them and the trick is once they are cool, keep in a closed container. This way, I know what is in it and don’t have to worry about a “recall”
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Chungah, i researched a lot on dog recipes and found yours to be the best one. Thanks for posting these photographs.
I wish we could afford to make something as delicious as this for our two labs! Who knows maybe I’ll just make it for them for theyre birthdays!
inever thought I would make food either but my 3 Shih-Tsu’s love it too!
I have a 15 yr old Shih-Tsu that does not like his dry dog food any more he likes what we eat need to know how to make it for him. He had beef and brown rice he loved it like to make oatmeal with other food. Ginny
hi! love this! i have 3 dogs- 2 large breed (huskies) and 1 medium size (korean jindo). just curious about the portion sizes? i gave huskies 1 1/2 cup ans jindo 1 cup. wondering if this meets caloric needs. thank you!
Brandy, there are 412.3 calories per 1 cup. Please make the appropriate adjustments to fit your pets breed/size. We are feeding 1 cup of food for each of our corgi puppies, supplemented by treats.
This is excellent. I just recently got a puppy and can’t wait to make this for her. Thanks for the great recipe. Pinned!
I, too, never thought I would be one of those people who made home-cooked food for their dog. But, my dog (a rescue dog who has since died of old age) had some terrible skin problems when we got her and I was told diet might be helpful. I was skeptical, but tried anyway. The change was in her skin and coat was dramatic and amazing. Plus, she clearly loved the food, so I kept doing it. It was also much cheaper than the special commercial diet foods that were available.
I used a basic recipe with proportions similar to yours, but I changed the specific ingredients. In the summer, I used whatever was left at the end of the week from our CSA share. I also bought frozen veggies on special, like peas, green beans, carrot slices and squash chunks etc. because sometimes I didn’t feel like grating or chopping. I varied the carbohydrate, too, using potatoes and sweet potatoes sometimes or leftover barley or oatmeal or other grains that were leftover from our meals. On special occasions I used Tater Tots or French Fries ( from the health food store) and buffalo meat – more pricey but nice for a change for birthdays and holidays.
I cooked it in big cake pans – baking it at 350 for an hour or so. I measured it into portions. I sometimes made a month’s worth at a time.
Once I had it figured into my routine, it took very little time – less than driving to the pet store and loading up on canned food and kibble.
You should feed a 10 pound dog 2-3% of what their breeds adult weight would be. So a 10 # dog X 16oz. equals 160 oz. 2-3% would be 4-5 ounces a day. Dogs GI tract is not really designed to digest vegetables or grains, so make sure they are well cooked. I’ve been feeding my Great Dane a raw prey diet for the past 6 years. His diet consists of 80/10/10, meat/organs/bone. Dogs can eat bone as long as it isn’t cooked. He crunches raw chicken drummies and thighs to supplement his bone requirements.
Just a side note about raw diets: they poop less…..raw diet is nearly all digested, not grains to expel.
I was about to say that. Dogs and cats (especially cats) are carnivores. There is no need to cook anything and even less give vegetable, grains and dairy.
I also give raw for my dogs, it is easier and they love. And it’s lovely to see them eating.
ps: Sorry the poor English. I’m still learning.
We adopted a senior dog 2 years ago. Had terrible skin problems and I was cooking for him. Thankful, he is better. He is not much of a drinker so the one thing that I’ve continued to make for him is homemade veggie broth. He gets a warmed bowl when we get home from work. (I make up a big batch in the crockpot over night, portion and then freeze. I have enough for 3 weeks. So easy and nutritious)….Keep up with the doggie recipes!!!
I am fostering a deployment dog who has been very picky with food. She won’t eat dry dog food at all (she’s 15). I have been trying ‘real’ food specialty dog food but it’s not easy to obtain and is very expensive. I’ve been giving her some left over steamed veggies and chicken from a store bought roasted chicken. She loves it. But I really like this recipe and think she will too. I’d like to stop the purchased dog food. Wondering though how much to feed a 10 lb. dog? Does anyone know? Seems like 1 cup a day would be too much.
Thanks so much!
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Check the ingredients. Some store bought roasted chicken may be cooked with spices like garlic or onion.
going to makes this. could use quinoa instead of rice
I use Quinoa everyday…my dog loves it, and it alone is a perfect food source…I mix with the ground turkey, and hard boiled eggs, shell and all…I have a German Shepherd and he is beautiful and healthy! I’m going to start adding the veggies..and he also takes an L-Gultimaine everyday, along with Greek Yogurt and Oatmeal..
Do you use the Balance It web site? I cook my dogs food also, but use only organic meat.The web site looks interesting, but wondering if it’s a ploy to sell supplements. Thanks for all you do.
Yes, I use the Balance IT site – it’s a great resource as recommended by my veterinarian.
Thank you for this recipe! I am getting the ingredients today to make for my dogs.
I’ve been looking for a healthy dog recipe.
I love the versatility of your recipes.
According to my vet, dogs are not able to properly digest brown rice. I know this is true for my dog. I was advised to only feed her white rice.
Brown rice is a little higher in protein and a little lower in fat when compared to white rice, although white rice is an easily digestible carbohydrate which makes it a good source of energy when your dog has an upset tummy or if you are feeding an older dog. But as always, it is best to feed your pup as directed by your veterinarian.
Rice should be double cooked and cooked longer than what we would cook for ourselves as it’s true that it’s not as digestible for them. Brown rice is better than white rice though, as is with us.
Technically rice/pasta is only a filler in dog food, to yield more food cheaply and fill them up, it’s not actually part of their diet at all.
I made all of my own dog food for my dog. She was much healthier because of it. (Traditional dog food gave her belly a rash). One important ingredient my vet had me add: Canned pumpkin. Very important when you are making your own food. Pumpkins are very rich in fiber and even adding two teaspoons of canned pumpkin in you dog’s food helps the digestion process.
Thanks for the recipe. I never thought to add in spinach. Will begin doing that!
This is one recipe I use as a basic recipe. I double the recipe to freeze for the next week…I get the whole pork loin from Sams club.
5.5 pound lean whole pork tenderloin-cool to neutral, Yin tonic,
1 cup dry barley, cooked before adding to meat mix-cool, Yin tonic, Blood tonic, Drains Damp
5 eggs-neutral, Blood tonic
5 carrots-neutral, Blood tonic, Resolve Stagnation…
2 turnips-neutral, Drain Damp
1 cup Shiitake mushrooms-cool, Qi tonic, Drain Damp
12 stalks asparagus-neutral, Yin tonic, Drains Damp
1/2 cup cauliflower-neutral
1/2 cup broccoli-cool, Blood tonic
1 cup cranberries-neutral, for bladder health
1 apple-neutral to cool, Transforms Phlegm, Yin tonic
1 pear-neutral to cool, Transforms Phlegm
1/2 cup parsley-Blood tonic, Resolves Stagnation
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger-warm, Qi tonic, Transforms Phlegm, Resolves Stagnation
1/2 medium zucchini-neutral to warm, Qi tonic
All ingredients were run through the grinder and mixed well. Bake at 350 for close to an hour.
***Add a calcium supplement 500-1000 mg per day for home cooked meals to make it balanced. add fish oil & pumpkin.
I cook for my dogs too. But they don’t get all that great variety in each meal–although I try to vary it from meal to meal. In otherwords, we all (me and the four dogs) all want to eat at your house!
lol. I try to keep it balanced according to the weather. they get warmer veggies when its colder out but I always do the carrots, barley, and broccoli & I do spinach a lot. My dogs are yeasty so no potatoes or rice but the barley keeps the ears dry. All the guys at work are jealous because I feed the dogs so well. I added unsweetened organic coconut flakes this week & I actually had some myself! Its a good basic recipe for measurements of the veggies.
I love your recipe…adapted my dogs diet. Thank you for the additional information (Qi tonic, neutral, Yin…). Are there any educational resources that you are aware of or want to share, that I could utilize into my own human diet I.e., Qi tonic, ….I’d love to learn more. Thank you.
Teresa, I am going to try cooking this for my pet dog but I would just like to clarify what does the cool, Qi tonic,Yin tonic, neutral, blood tonic mean in your recipe?
Thanks!
Dear heavens…asparagus is very toxic to canines. Please don’t feed asparagus to pets. Same thing for mushrooms. Their stomach acids are different than ours and mushrooms often create belly bloating and gas.
Dogs can absolutely eat asparagus. Mine eats it at least once a week. http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/the_best_vegetables_for_dogs_and_cats
Teresa I just happened on to your recipe here and more than interested in the information you have provided. Can I ask you where you found this information or if you can refer me to a site for more info My dog has a dampness/phlegm issue and to find this info of yours is amazing and helpful. Do you think you have to use pork and then when things like cauliflower can cause gas it doesn’t sound like it is a “must be in recipe” item but the items that transform phlegm like the apples, pears and then the fresh grated ginger. This could be huge for use on my dog. Hoping you will see this note and respond. Thanks so much! Laurie
Teresa, can you come up with a people recipe like that? Seriously I would love it. Thanks, Jo M.
I love this so much! I know this is an old post, but can you estimate about how much you spend on this recipe per month? My boyfriend pays for our 2 dogs high quality kibble right now, but I just don’t believe its the best for our boys. It would really just be about managing the budget. Thank you! I love to find my people! haha. Most of my friends and family think I’m crazy with the enthusiasm and money I spend on my boys health. Thanks again.
Also, what are your thoughts about serving something like this raw, instead of cooking it? Are there benefits to cooking the food first? I do a lot of raw food when I can afford it, but their base food is kibble.
Thoughts?
we just got a dog and he is allergic to his food. we were told to go grain free poultry free S.O.S
Going to try this on my dog who has food allergies to most dog food. She loves vegetables so she will love this. Of course would add some soy sauce to this and chow down 🙂
Please watch the soy sauce. Unless it is unsalted, there is just too much sodium especially for animals who don’t need it. Also, contrary to so much published about soy benefits, it can negatively impact thryoid and unless organic soy, GMO’s (meaning, therefore, heavy pesticides.
Pretty sure Josie was adding the soy sauce for herself and not for her dog. 😉
I’d be making that for myself, poochie may not get many leftovers ; )
I feed my hens and dog oats and yogurt in the morning – I add apple / blueberries for hens and me too. We also share scrambled eggs,and sardines in oil. We all have very shiny healthy feathers / hair / coats.
What type of oats for the dog …oatmeal ?
do you blend blueberries …
I, too, maker he food for the dogs. To make things easier, I buy the frozen veggies…carrots/peas combo, chopped broccoli. I have not used zucchini but they will definitely get it next time. Also, for a treat every now and then I make a batch with ground lamb…they love it!
I use frozen veg too! When my son was starting solids, I learned that frozen veggies are healthier than canned, and peas especially have more nutrients than the fresh ones you get at the store as they lose much of their nutrients after being picked. So we did the same for our 150lb (that’s not a spelling error!) pooch. I suppose if you have your own garden it would be different. Our butcher provides us with frozen ground meat that includes are the necessary parts (the organs and ground raw bone)
As a treat our dog gets cooked apples
Can you talk more about the ground meat mixture you get from your butcher? What did you ask the butcher to do? I’ve cooked for my dog in the past when he had a pancreatitis flare up, but had to supplement with ground tums per the vets recommendation to meet his calcium needs. Packaged dog food contains ground bone meal and no amount of safe dairy (plain yogurt/eggs) is going to provide enough calcium to make up for that bone meal. I’m looking at having to switch back to a fully home cooked diet for him again, so I’d love to know what exactly it is you are getting from the butcher.
What did you finally end up doing for your dog? Mine has the same deal and had pancreatitis. The vet said no fat. As we’ve been trying to keep her as low fat as possible. But then she got into Christmas cookies with buttercream frosting (labrador) and had a bad bout a couple days after. Been cooking elk hamburger, with egg whites, spinach, broccoli, leafy greens, sweet potato and mixing a little bit of Greek plain yogurt with it at the end. I may also shred a quarter of an Apple on it. She’s been doing awesome with that. and I’m fortunate to have the elk meat but we only have so much in our freezer. Actually we are giving her last years. Its still good though. But we can’t do that forever so wondering what you found from butcher?? What do you ask for? We have a lot of salmon and cod as we are in the PNW and take advantage of all the outdoor activities Washington/Oregon have to offer. But salmon is high in fat. Thanks for any info!!!
Beth
What are you guys doing? You’re dog has a short digestive track & can’t even digest vegetables the way you are serving them…down the road, your dogs are going to suffer all kinds of medical issues because you blindly made up a “healthy human” diet … like this terrible recipe! Where’s your research? What vet approved this diet?! I can tell you right now, ZERO vets told you this was a balanced diet for a dog OR cat!
And you think think feeding them kibble is healthy? Would you feed your kids kibble day in and day out, year in and year out? Kindly please show me where in nature do kibble plants grow and kibble animals run around? You seriously done’t comprehend the link between the rise in cancer in dogs and the popularity of commercial dog food? SERIOUSLY?!
I agree with you, where does kibble grow?
Thank-you for this. Quite different from all your delicious (human) recipes, but something I am really interested in trying. This sounds good and you have presented it with much thought and factual backup. I am leery of all the junk in packaged dog food too. This is natural, healthy and well-balanced. I know my dog would go for it!
Just imagined when we buy industrialized food for our dogs and cats… When it’s mentioned it will last for a year… I just think about all the junk (chemicals) they put in it to keep the food “fresh” for a year!!!!
What a fantastic initiative! And way better than plain ol’ chicken and rice! I hope your little one is feeling better now 😀 x
This is awesome! I will have to try it. Can you do a homemade recipe for cats as well? My cat is overweight and the vet recommends I put her on a prescription diet that is almost $50. We tried it, and she didn’t like it. I’ve tried cutting her servings down and she still isn’t losing weight.
Yikes – that’s an expensive diet! But unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty. It is best that you consult with your veterinarian.
I’ve been making homemade dog and cat food for years! It’s great to see a recipe on Damn Delicious so that others can enjoy this economical way to feed our pets healthy identifiable food! As for cats – they basically eat the same as dogs except I substitute some canned fish (tuna or salmon) to rotate with the turkey (I also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs which I pressure cook for 8 minutes)! I’ve also roasted the chicken but I think it was too dry. I use the chicken broth created by the cooking and add enough to moisten the food. They love it!!!! You can get small plastic, freezable, microwavable baby food containers on amazon which is what I use because it holds just the right amount for my chihuahua and cat.
Susan, do you mention the microwavable quality of the containers as an aside, or do you actually microwave your pet’s food to warm it up?
Jacob
Yes you need to heat up the food and let it cool before feeding your pet.
Not sure I would heat the food up as high temps will cook a lot of the nutrition out of the food. I would also use white rice instead of brown rice. Dogs digestive tracts are shorter and faster than humans so the brown rice does not have time to break down for the healthy carbs, which feed the good bacteria, they can get with white rice.
White rice is processed and bleached. Digestive tracts are remarkably balanced with “good and bad” bacteria. When you favor one over the other you disrupt the balance and compromise the immune system. If brown rice is healthier for humans, I would also surmise that it’s healthier for pets.
TJ, That is a common misconception. White rice is just hulled and milled to remove the husk. There is no bleach involved. The Japanese have been doing this (without chemicals) for hundreds of years to extend the shelf life of uncooked rice and improve the flavour. White rice is perfectly safe, unless you are diabetic… in which case you should be avoiding all starches anyhow.
Love this recipe – For saving room in the freezer, we use vacuum seal bags – the pint-size are good for individual portion sizes for the little pups (and using vacuum seal bags are great because you can make & save large batches).
If you are looking for suggestions, we get them through http://www.foodvacbags.com but that’s because they are less expensive than the name brand.
Good luck!!
How much do you feed them and how often? I have 2 chihuahua mixes (2&4) that I want to do this for
T.J., I have read that white rice is better for dogs, as the covering on brown rice is harder to digest that white rice.
how can I make homemade dog food if my dog is allergic to his food? vet said go with
GRAIN FREE POULTRY FREE
Christy, what were you feeding your dog before?
Use beef instead of chicken and potatoes or sweet potatoes onstead of rice
Not so sure about potatoes or nightshades in general. You might want to research that. I think sweet potatoes are okay, but they are from the morning glory family, for whatever that’s worth. Don’t judge a diet by weight gain – that would be like calling the later Elvis healthier than the earlier Elvis, “a thank you verra much.” Look for vitality in the dog as well as, obviously, no digestion issues. Also, don’t confuse zeal in consumption with good nutrition – dogs, like people, like junk.
Beef is the #1 allergen for dogs and chicken is second. I’ve read recently to change out their food often and it helps with becoming allergic by feeding them the same thing all the time. I started feeding my Westie people food. Quinoa is a very good substitute for rice – I use both but I use brown rice. I change from turkey and canned salmon. She likes both. I also give her a dog chewable vitamin every day.
Maybe try a salmon and chickpea, grain free formula?
Change turkey to ground beef or lamb. We are going to try this, her allergies are bad and I already paid the vet her 1st born’ s hospital bill
Grain…does that include rice? I thought that was more like wheat. Or what about barley? poultry free, try deer meat, or lamb just substitute.
Grain free normally has sweet potatoes and fruits and veggies in the food and you can use beef or venison or bison as the meat. I’m sure if you google for a grain free dog food recipe you’ll find one.
Cat diets are very different from dogs. It is not as simple as homemade for dogs, but really great for them if done right.
http://www.catnutrition.org/foodmaking.html
How much would I feed my bully dog? And how often. She is 45pds
No one will answer that for you but I will. I have an 80 pound beauceron I feed him 1 cup a day that’s all works good for him thanks damn delicious
An average dog needs to consume 30 calories per lb.
At 45lbs, she will need 1350 calories. Adjust a little lower for a couch potato, a little higher for a high energy dog.
The above recipe is 412 calories per cup. She would eat 3.25 cups total a day.
Tuna should only be given as an occasional treat due to the mercury content. Use canned chunk-light tuna—not albacore, which is from a larger species of tuna with mercury levels almost three times higher.
Both Chunk Light Tuna and Albacore Come from the exact same fish, it is just WHERE on the fish the the cut of meat was taken from.. i.e.: Filet Mignon vs Hamber Steak
Melissa: My information accords with Laurel’s: chunk LIGHT is a smaller fish than chunk WHITE which is Albacore (larger, with more mercury)
The chunk tuna is usually from the jack tuna fish, a smaller species, shorter lifespan, less ingested mercury. They’ve done the testing, this proved true.
to the comment above or below jack tuna no they don’t use that tuna its the lowest tuna in the see and its a redder meat . trust me ive tuna fished all my life. i you probably meant blue fin tuna yellowfin tuna but not jack tuna . not even worth smoking
ES útil, ya que mis dos perros tenían alergias, uno, sangre en la punta de las orejas, otro piel reseca, por lo que se rascaba constantemente, no se como llegue a cambiar las croquetas por la comida arriba citada y todos su malestares desaparecieron, tengo como dos años con esta comida y no he visto que tengan ningún malestar, sus eses son firmes y fáciles de recoger. GRACIAS POR PUBLICARLA.
Please share cat recipe!
Just an FYI to everyone interested in homemade cat food, cats have VERY specific nutritional needs, including amino acids (ex: taurine/arginine). I was just reading an article about how cat’s life expectancies have extended about 5+ years on average over the last 50 years due to the discovery that they need high amounts of taurine. Before these amino acids were not placed in cat foods, cats passed away much earlier. Now that cat food has all the nutrients cats need required, cats generally live 15+ years. I make home made food for my dog, however, I wouldn’t mess with cat food due to just how specific their needs are. Also, be very careful with using canned tuna in homemade cat food recipes (which I see used often online as a recommendation). It’s fine as a treat in moderation, but canned tuna can cause serious health problems in cats if they eat it regularly. I just went through this with my elderly neighbor. He has a very finicky cat and had been giving her tuna for about a year straight. I received a frantic call from him asking if I could give him and kitty a ride to the vet, as she was extremely lethargic and sick. Turns out she was developing serious kidney problems, and he vet said it was due to the tuna diet. Thankfully she was able to be treated, and is doing great now that she’s back on actual cat food.
Do you have different ways you make your dog food I have a 15 yr old shih he like the food we eat will not eat his dried dog food. I think he be better off eating what we eat how do make there food. Ginny
Hi Ginny,
the recipe above is great! Not too far off of what I feed my dogs. I have a shih/yorkie and she is allergic to flour and other grains so dog food is off limits! We have 4 dogs and I gave up trying to only feed her the natural and them dog food so I changed all over to natural. I include peas, carrots, green beans, (going to try the zuccini) I boil chicken or fish and alternate every couple of weeks. I can honestly say with feeding a Scottland Terrier and 3 small shih mixes I still save money making natural vs. quality grain free dog food. I do look for sales for savings which help.
Thank you for your help he loves the food I fix him now and it is so much better for him. What can I make him for breakfast can help have milk ,cheese just need to know what I can give him for breakfast. Ginny
Hi Lori Noe,
How much do you give your shih mix, that’s what we have.
Gerry
How do I determine serving size?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Hi Chungah, thank you so much for this. It has changed my dog’s life. Much appreciated.
I started making this recipe for my very picky mixed miniature poodle shitzu. She is 14 lbs. I give her a touch more that 1 cup a day. It seems to be just right. I looked it up on line and this is what I learned. She initially picked out the peas, one by one. Now she eats them. I introduced yogur, 1 tsp. She seemed fine but has loose stools 3 days later so I stopped. She’s fine now. Not picky anymore. I wonder if I should change the meat and vegetables?
How can I portion this?
Please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Go toDr Karen Baker she’s a holistic vet excellant on raw and cooked food for dogs and cats
JUST TO NOTE; DON’T MICROWAVE ANYTHING!! MICROWAVING ALTERS THE GENETIC CODE IN ALL THAT HEALTHY FOOD! PEOPLE SHOULDN’T MICROWAVE ANYTHING AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN’T MICROWAVE MY DOG FOOD. OTHERWISE, THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO FEED YOUR DOG AND I AM GOING TO MAKE MY OWN DOG FOOD NOW TOO. THANK YOU!
So true! I think it’s just as easy using a double boiler.
I agree, the food is great,why microwave? Don’t ruin a good thing.
@Cat your already cooking the food which will alter the genetic code, simply defrosting what you cooked to save time isnt going to do anything more, sure maybe a few vits here and there minused, but think of the comparison dog food is made with giant microwaves already for decades and most of our food we get thats processed is cooked, dehydrated , frozen, reconstituted, then flash frozen again with preservatives added . The microwave isn’t evil
Crackpot!
No need to be rude its simply her opinion i was under the impression that this was venue to share experiences and and gain new insight
How nasty!
Microwaves alter the “genetic makeup” of food. Sure… please, either provide the SOLID scientific research you are basing this on, or remove the tin foil from your head that protects you from the Alien mind control rays.
In patients undergoing or having had a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, use of the microwave oven is strictly prohibited as it alters food components and can be dangerous for them. And this is told to you prior to having the transplant done. There are also no microwave ovens at City of Hope
I totally agree! There was a study with regular water vs regular water that was microwaved. They watered two different violet house plants. The one they water with the microwaved water died!
That perscription food that vets have is only for profit. I recently saw it on a post listed as one of the 10 worst dog foods.. I’ll bet it’s the same for cats…
I am a seventh grader at a Wyoming middle school. I am doing a genius hour project for school. I was wondering if you make a large amount of dog food enough to feed a small animal shelter without it going bad? How expensive would it be? Would it be better than buying regular bagged food? For both the dog and expenses.
Jenna, unfortunately, I cannot provide specific costs. The cost of dog food can vary tremendously based on brand, dietary restrictions, size, etc.
I don’t like to feed my dogs raw ingredients. Would cooked egg yolks be good for them?
I recommend consulting with your pet’s veterinarian.
Dana….We had success with Merrick (I believe it is human grade food) canned and dry. She is older so we do a quarter can per meal (she gets breakfast and dinner) and then a little less than a quarter cup senior dry. She is doing well with that and a little more activity. 🙂 If you can find a good recipe for do it yourself, that is good too!!!! Good luck, but don’t go vet diet.
I’ve been using Merrick dry foid for my 20lb Maltese mix UNTIL I looked at the fat percent!!!! Thrn I began thinking….why cant I make him his food? He LOVES his meals now ♡♡
My dog was on Merrick, and it made her smell like popcorn cheese.
I made her some *home made dog food* and her odor went away INSTANTLY.
I am never going back to store bought dog food again!! I also found out Merrick was bought by Purina, so I feel I can’t trust any dog food brand not to sell out.
How much of this recipe would I feed to my 2 senior 13 & 14 yr
old Chihuahuas pls?
Also how long is it safe to keep in freezer.
Thank you I’m looking fwd to making this for my girls ..they becoming very fussy in their old age lol.
Cheryl, please consult with your pet’s veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Dana you may want to check with your vet but my Barn/house cat does great on a mix of (it looks so gross) Raw chicken livers and brown rice I add yogurt occasionally or inexpensive fish ( like cat fish belly meat) I don’t worry about cooking the meats and she seems to enjoy them more just serve at room temperature .This keeps her healthy all winter when she chooses to be an indoor cat and supplements her diet on the days she comes in from the barn. I save raw bones for her to gnaw on. I know many of us tremble at the thought of bones for our animals but I have seen her eat what she hunts and there is nothing left rats, snakes,birds feathers and all etc..
I know this is replying a year after you posted but I just thought I would mention that its vital that cats get some of the nutrients added to cat food such as taurine otherwise they will go blind. That’s just one example nutrient and one side effect. I did lots of googling into it as well as my cat is a super picky eater.
Google taurine foods. There are a number of foods that contain taurine, including chicken livers and fish…
Dana, I was doing the same thing with my dog. Buying vet diet dog food and it was very expensive and my dog didn’t lose weight. She got to the point she turned her nose up at all dog food. 2 weeks ago I found these recipes and tried the crock pot one. My dog loves this food!!! It was so easy to make. I can already tell a difference in her coat. It is more shiny and soft. Now this is all I am going to feed her is home cooked. I am so happy I found your page, Chungah and I do believe you know what you are doing with these ingredients. I have been on other sight that have stuff dogs should not eat in the recipe. I have made the biscuit treats too. They were a hit!
Hi Susan is there any vegetables that r not recommended to cook for dogs apart from onions?? Jennifer
I really like this recipe for my two beautiful dogs very look heathy
And good.
Thank you so much
I found that if you can get your cat to eat a raw food diet that their weight is perfect and they seem much happier.
Don’t go to a chain pet store but do some research. i go to Tailspin in Savannah they have a wonderful assortment. Your cat needs bone is his diet which is ground into the raw food.
I make my cat homemade food. I do similar to dog recipe. Add meat of your choice, carrots, & a grain. But consult vet first, as I am not one. My vet sees no problem with me home cooking for both my dogs & my cats. Cats actually need lots of protein, so I do ground meat or fish, veggie & a small amount of grain, plus sometimes top the dish with some broth so I can sneak in supplements. Everyone seems to love it in my household. Happy fur babies!
I read somewhere that cat can not have carrots in their diet. I don’t recall the reason. Might want to check it out.
Cats are carnivores and should not be eating a diet appropriate to dogs, who are omnivores like us.
If u havent fount a good homemade cat food recipe yet or in need of a back up one. Ive used this one thats very close 2 this ine for several yrs with my male 5yo cat Pickleman & he loves it. He hasnt had 1 UTI since starting this diet or hasnt needed 2 see a vet for anythg other than his annual ck up & shots, plus his fur is deliciously silky 2 touch.
http://www.catnutrition.org/recipes.html
My vet told me to feed my cat canned food if I wanted it to lose weight. It’s like 85% water
Hi, I would ask met vet for a second opinion. I would also look buy a few different flavors of the cat food, try them out and whichever one your kitty likes, that’s the one I’d replicate at home. All the best.
Plain chicken boiled and shredded, and plain fish the same way. No grains at all. You can mix in some veggies and Flax Oil, Olive Oil, Fish Oil and any cat vitimin suplimant eventually. All dry food is bad for cats, and foods with carb fillers like vet prescribed. They are mostly clueless on pet nutrition. My cat lost weight and got out of danger of Diabetes. Watch Dr. Karen Becker on youtube, a holistic vet with recipes and important dietary pet info.
Dana, go to cat info.org
Lisa Pierson, DVM has a wealth of good information on pteoaring a well balance homemade diet for cats.
She is available for consult, but very strict about what she needs from you- complete vet records, to ncluding all test results, etc.
This is NOT a balanced diet for a dog, and this is the reason many veterinarians hate “raw” diets. Many people who actually feed raw or homemade diets follow a prey model diet and add supplements. A dog requires a basic diet of 80% raw protein like chicken, duck, beef,
rabbit (at least three rotated to provide all nutrients), 10% bone (always raw, never cooked or weight bearing) like chicken/turkey necks or feet, 5% raw liver, and 5% other raw secreting organ, like kidney, sweetbreads, or spleen. It is also recommended to add an oily fish like sardine one or twice a week. Sure, your dog might adore this recipe, and they might survive on it. But they’re definitely not getting all the vitamins and minerals they need to thrive. Check out The Raw Feeding Community on Facebook and do some research, what you find might surprise you.
Thank you Amanda. I was going to comment that the recipe left out the important of bone in the dogs diet. I have a guide from our veterinarian (holistic) of foods to feed and it follows what you mentioned in your post. Thank you again!
I add Azestfor homemade dog food vitamins to the food i cook for my dog and he is thriving
The only major diet difference is they are obligate carnivores, so mostly meat, with very limited other ingredients, as their system’s not as equipped to deal with it as dogs are. You can save kitty a lot by going homemade, check over the internet, the information is out there, you can avoid the pricey products they sell. 😀
Dana,
Be careful with some of the prescription market brand pet foods – even diet. They can cause your pet to gain weight – not what you wanted. Try to get your cat moving or if an indoor cat get an outdoor cat play yard.
We use canned rabbit for our cats diet and this helps. Check for natural meat ingredients.
You can purchase Better in The Raw or TC Feline from Amazon. It is a powder with all the vitamins minerals and nutrients they need. You just add raw ground meat, (my cat likes ground turkey) egg yolks and water. Mix it up and divide it up and freeze (no cooking because need raw food). They are both the same
Concept but Better In the Raw is a little
bit cheaper.
This is the great information you shared with us. Some other thoughts…
You never force a sick dog to eat. If your dog is sick and not eating, you have to take him or her to the vet, find out what the problem is and have it immediately treated. Depending on what is wrong with your dog, the longer you wait to get it to a vet, the worse the dog will get and the harder it will be for the vet to be able to treat the problem. Emergency Vets are open 24/7. Look in your Yellow Pages under Veterinarians, find one that is open 24 hours (they are in there) and get your dog to the vet Today.
OH, NO! DON’T USE BROWN RICE FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR PET! DO SOME RESEARCH. BROWN RICE HAS A VERY HIGH CONCENTRATION IN THE OUTTER SHELL THAT WHITE RICE DOES NOT HAVE SINCE IT IS SHED – HENCE IT BEING WHITE RICE. DON’T EAT BROWN RICE EVER!! AND IF SOMETHING ISN’T ‘ANCIENT GRAIN’ BASED, NEVER EAT WHOLE WHEAT PRODUCTS EITHER. YOU GOTTA DO YOUR RESEARCH.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-brown-rice-good-for-you#nutrition
Nothing wrong with brown rice………..what am I missing??
I think what they are referring to is arsinic content in rice. The concentration is greater in the outer shell, hence brown rice in larger quantities is a problem: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/arsenic-in-rice_n_589cc1ffe4b09bd304c0b04c
Cats are carnivores they should not have a diet at all that has veggies it can cause more problems and make it worse
Awesome recipe. Believe it or not dogs do like vegetables. My guy loves cooked carrots and broccoli. Last dog food recall alert for grocery dog food was that a factory worker put the drug phenobarbitol in the dog food!! That drug is used for sedation in humans!!! Sickening!!
Hi DANA…to achieve sufficient weight loss avoid cat foods that contains corn products (ie. corn, corn meal), preservatives such as BHT and byproducts are not ideal as well. Cats always will still feel hungry as the corn fillers break down into the system quickly converted into simple sugars spiking the blood sugar up quickly later turning into body fat stored in the cat’s body. Essentially these are “simple” carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates is reverse of this found in premium brands of cat foods.
Dogs aren’t meant to eat grains….
The latest research shows that dogs eating exclusively grain free diets are more susceptible to certain diseases. The answer, as with humans, is eat appropriate food in appropriate quantities