DIY Homemade Dog Food
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Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe – it’s cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies!
I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.
But when Butters recently fell sick with an upset stomach, our vet advised us to feed him a bland diet – chicken and rice without any kind of seasoning. So that’s what we did – we poached a chicken, shredded it in a food processor, and mixed in some white rice and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.
That’s when I started to do some research on homemade dog food, and I have been so amazed as to how many different kinds of vegetables dogs can have. And with the help of Balance IT, you can create so many different recipes for your pup!
Now the best part about making homemade dog food – just like making anything at home – is that you know exactly what is going into the dog bowl, and not any of that questionable gelatinous gunk from the canned food.
But it’s important to note that dogs have different nutrient requirements than humans for their proportional body size, such as:
- High-quality protein (meat, seafood, dairy or eggs)
- Fat (meat or oil)
- Carbohydrates (grains or vegetables)
- Calcium (dairy)
- Essential fatty acids (egg yolks or oatmeal)
Now this recipe here has a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, but the ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your pup’s breed and/or needs.
Once you’ve made your batch, you can divide them up into single servings, note the date, and freeze it. When ready to serve, you can defrost it in the fridge overnight and nuke it for 15-30 seconds. That’s it! Now who knew that making dog food would be this easy?
DIY Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds ground turkey
- 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 zucchini, shredded
- ½ cup peas, canned or frozen
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of 3 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the turkey as it cooks.
- Stir in spinach, carrots, zucchini, peas and brown rice until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through, about 3-5 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
Did you make this recipe?
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I haven’t made this yet but am looking for a gluten free option for my 60 lb dog. She has gluten allergies and I’m not sure if everything in this recipe is gluten free. Would love to start making her food so I know exactly what she’s eating! Is there anything I need to omit in order for it to be GF?
Hi Beth,
Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye (amongst other things). Brown rice doesn’t contain gluten. So you should be safe with this recipe (so long as ingredients are not processed in an environment where wheat, barley, rye.. etc, are also handled).
Further down in comments people have suggested 2-3 cups of this mixture a day for a 60lb dog. Looking at the nutrition figures above, 1 cup (I calculate to be approx. 310grams) of mixture will have 412.3 calories. An averagely active 60lb dog needs [ 30 x (60/2.2) ] + 70 calories a day or 888 calories. This will be about 2.1 cups of mixture a day. Obvs, if your dog is very active, they will need more. Maybe try them about 2.5 cups and see if they are gaining or losing weight.
And it goes without saying, if in doubt check with your Vet first.
Thanks for the info!!! I’ll try 2 cups a day for my aging lab.
Hi Simon-how did you figure out the calculations of how much to feed? I don’t think Damn Delicious is responding because I asked about this already. I have a 50lb active Doberman. If I make this recipe I guess I can just take 2.5 cups a day like you mentioned and see how it goes. Thanks.
Michelle, sorry for late reply. I posted here a while back and had not checked for replies.
Balance IT website gave recipe for dog food based on ingredients we choose. You then have to modify it to say what weight the dog is and how often you want to feed them. once twice or three portions a day. usually it’ll say you’re missing vital minerals, nutrients or vitamins. i use a multivitamin supplement which I crush and add to his food. or you can pay for balance it supplement (bit pricey).
we chose turkey mince 7% fat, sweet potato, courgettes (zucchini), carrots, garden peas, baby spinach, brown rice. our jack russell was over weight at near 16kg so we calculated his food for 14kg. he’s now 14.3kg after being on this food for over a year. his skin gets occasional flare-ups esp during allergy season (now basically). he’s on 1/2 apoquel and 1/2 steroidal tablet a day. we wash him every five days with antibacterial/anti fungal shampoo from the vet. his skin is much better but occasionally flares up. I’m not sure but I think my mum (his owner) feeds him “treats” and “tidbits” which he then has reactions to. she still doesnt make the connection between bad skin three weeks after she gave him some of her ham sandwich. I saw her sneak him some the other day. . that’s the problem other people thinking its ok to give him anything.
you have to be vigilant. and constantly remind them not to feed him anything other than the prepared food. good luck!
I have celiac disease so I’ve been living the gluten free life for the past 2 years. Everything in this recipe is gluten free. The only thing you would have to watch out for is the rice in case they were processed on equipment that also processes wheat/gluten (But even that is fairly rare). Other than that you’re safe with this.
My dog loved it he’s a fuss pot dog. Thank you x
I a puggle that has become very fussy in his old age. He is 11 years old. The last time I went shopping the store shelves only had a few can of the food he will eat. I have not been able to get back to the store. I can not drive because of an accident. My hubby has to drive me. The both of us were hit hard wit COVID. He got it 4 days before Christmas and I got it the day after Christmas. Our poor pup got it to. Anyway, I ended up making him homemade dog food. As I am heating it up he is crying and dancing. I put his down and before I turn around it is going. The best hing that could ever don for my fur baby.
How much are you feeding your puggle? I have a 12 year old puggle that is 28 pounds and we feed him 1 cup in the am and 1 cup in the pm.
He has more energy, bad breath is gone, coat is soft and he is very happy.
Our senior dog, Tiki, was having diarrhea, so I decided to try this. I’ve been feeding her this for a couple of months now and it has made a big difference, no more diarrhea, and she loves it so much! I changed it up a little but for the most part, it’s pretty much same ingredients (I add sweet potatoes and other veggies). I’m still experiencing, she is 50 lbs, so I feed her 2 cups daily, so I think it’s the right amount.
I was trying to edit my post but it would not allow me, so I’m replying to my post. Here is my custom recipe for Tiki:
1 lb cooked ground beef or turkey
2 hard-boiled eggs – chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 T safflower oil
1/4 cups chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cups cooked peas
1-1/2 cups cooked carrots and other misc. veggies (spinach, broccoli, green beans, etc.)
I make 2 to 3 batches and freeze the portions. She is a much healthier dog now.
Egg shells are a good calcium source. I use my ninja blender to blend them smooth in the egg. Adding the hot food while cooking will cook them. I have cooked my puppy an egg before doing this and he knows no difference with the pulverized shell in it.
BEST DOG FOOD!!! My goldador puppy (1 1/2 year old) was a very picky eater, with both dry and wet food. We started feeding him this recipe with 1 cup of his dry food and 1 cup of this food and he ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT!!! Thank you so much 🙂
I have a border collie 11 years old. She has cancer and the vet says once she stops eating she will not have much time left. She stopped eating her dog food so I tried this recipe and she is eating again. So far there have been no problems and now she is able to go for a walk.
how would you know how much to feed an 8 pound chihuahua? he loved it but i am afraid to over feed or not give too much so he could start losing weight. Also should any type of vitamins or supplements be added? I know these questions are more of the kind my vet should answer but they are kind of against home cooked diets and would only recommend the science diet one or kibble which i really want to stop on my dog. (i even tried other vets but there’s no vet in my area who promotes the home cooked diet sadly). If anyone could help would be really appreciated!
I have a slightly larger chihuahua, and we feed her 1/2 cup 3x a day and she does just great with that. You might be able to do a bit less, but we fed the same at 8 lbs
My Chiweenie loves this!
Can it be frozen?
Hi Rita. Happy New Year. I recently adopted a Chiweenie Sept 2021. He’s 16 lbs not heavy at all, very strong.
I’m not quite sure how much to give him at about 16 lbs, but doing an internet research should provide the information. I DO have experience preparing homemade dog food for my recently passed 14 year old Maltese. He was 10 lbs. He loved my preparations. I varied from the Turkey to Chicken Breast and Chicken Thighs, chopped small for his mouth, along with various doggie approved veggies and/or a bit of fruit, like firm apples (due to cooking).
What is important and I’m not too certain is how/where to get the proper amount of TAURINE for our doggies, depending on breed/weight.
I think asking our Veterinarian may help, or checking legitimate Online Veterinarian sites.
Wow just wow, my husky is so fussy and we tried all types of food I mean everything but he refused to eat it, yes we tried the whole let me starve he will eat when he is ready well by day 6 I was not ready to let him starve.
He has been to the vets and is healthy and young but is just fussy. But I noticed he would eat cooked food so I made this up and he absolutely loved it.
Personally I play around with flavor like he will get Kale and broccoli, blue berries a long with the carrots and peas etc and we mix multiple protein like tuna, salmon,beef, chicken etc so it has everything in it.
I also add boiled egg on top,. coconut oil and a little Greek yogurt and he has the best of all worlds and I never have anything left over what’s so ever.
I have a pomchi who seems to get sick every time I try to give her something different like for Christmas morning I cooked some ground turkey and gave her like half a cup and I put nothing in it no seasoning. Then next day I put some in her dog food now she’s sick so I’ve given up trying to feed her home made food I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong and I don’t want to keep experimenting and having her get sick. I’m currently just giving her Cesar dog food and think I’ll stick with that unless anyone has any ideas and this also goes with beef she can’t have any beef.
Hi there.. You cant switch their food abruptly as it will caused diarrhea. You need to start changing gradually in the span of a week or two. From ratio 70 old food / 30 new food to 50/50 and finally 30 /70 so that your pup able to get used to the new food without upsetting their stomach.
I have a 60lb Staffie, she was on high end foods and was never satisfied. I decided to make it fresh. She loves the food, she is so happy, more active. I make it with ground beef, sometimes liver or beef heart. I add ground egg shells for calcium and I use Camilina oil. Her breath, skin, fur are perfect. She’s happy, so we’re all happy.
I’m used to the ease of dry kibble but that’s not working for my overweight BMD. She is 100 pounds and needs to weigh about 80. Average activity level. Suggestions for amount to feed her?
That is exactly why I am on here. My 8m old BMD is 105. I started making food and he lost like 5lbs which you can see in his face. Now I am looking for fast complete recipes.
How much do you feed your BMD? I have an 85 lb Golden Retriever who lost his front leg to cancer in August 2020. He has become fussy recently but he is eating my homemade food. Just wondering how much is appropriate.
Please let me know how long it can last on the fridge since I know they might expire at some point thank you
Do I add the 3 cups of water on top of the 1 1/2 cups the rice calls for? Thank you!
I think the recipe calls for pre-cooked rice
I would think so. Rice usually calls for a 1 to 2 ratio to cook. So for 1.5 cups rice you would cook it in 3 cups water.
I am with you on the rice. In the recipe it should indicate, RAW Brown RICE Yeild is different. So please clarify. I have been using Minute Brown Rice, just more convenient for me. But it leaves me wondering if I am to have 1.5 cups raw to yeild 3 cups or 3 cups x 2 confused.
There is raw rice yeild and then there is instant rice. What is the amout of cooked rice added to the recipe?
Okay so my dog LOVES this recipe. Only problem is I’m finding out he can’t digest rice like at all… So I’m trying to figure out what to substitute it with. Online it says sweet potatoes. But idk how much I would use to substitute it.
Try sweet potato like maybe 1.5 per meal? or oats?
I’ve been looking for a recipe for my Husky/Border Collie that has stopped eating his regular food. He will eat bland chicken and rice. I wonder if I can use chicken instead of turkey? Any suggestions?
I found your recipe around June 2020 and have made it every week since. My 1 year old dog was itching all the time and very fussy with food.
I read that she could be allergic to something in her food. As soon as I started making this she stopped itching. She loves the food and won’t eat anything else now. Everyone comments on how beautiful her coat is. It’s thick and shiny since changing to this.
The only change I’ve made is that I use chicken thighs for the protein and cook the rice in broth made from it.
Super cheap, and easy to make.
Thank you
I tried your recipe my dog loves it actually my cat loves it as well thank you for the great recipes I really appreciate it you never know what you’re getting in the dog food at the stores these days so this is going to work out well thank you again
Do u add any extra oil to the food ? My dog itches and I have been adding salmon oil to his dry food , it hasn’t stopped the itching but its not as bad as it was
This recipe is fairly easy to make and my dogs love it, the only complaint/suggestion that I have is that you didn’t supply a serving size based on weight of the dog. I could really use this information as I am trying to help our animals become more healthy and lose weight!
I’ve started transitioning my pup to this whole food diet but am struggling to be sure that I’m feeding him the right amount. He’s 60lbs and usually eats 5 cups of kibble a day. I tried to find equivalence charts online but have been unsuccessful as of yet. Does anyone have any suggestions as to serving size? Thanks!!
A 60lb dog should only have about 3 cups of food per day per WebMD for dogs. That’s what I go by and my dog is also 60lbs
My dog is 45/50 lbs and eats 5 cups of 30:20 440 kcal/cup kibble and she’s still not putting on weight. She is just more active than your dog.
This is far easier than how I was assembling my dog’s dinners before. He LOVES it. I do half kibble half homemade for better nutrition and to help his sensitive tummy. Good way to change up proteins for pups with allergies. Thanks!
Straightforward recipe noted that the ratios are 50% protein 25% carbs and 25% veggies
Well, I’ve read the reviews and am convinced I must try these recipes. My lovely cockerpoo is so so fussy – one day she loves Lily’s Kitchen, the next day she leaves it, and so on with every brand, premium or standard. Driving me potty and getting expensive. I’ve been avoiding going the homemade route but am now convinced. Thank you everybody!
My dog who absolutely hates dry kibble loved this food, We were soo exhausted trying to make him eat his kibble and tried almost everything !! We mixed curd/veggies/chicken and whatt nott into his food but he still didnt eat it happily. He absolutellyy loved this food and I think it will be a constant in his foodbowl from now. I had a doubt though. How long will this food stay for if kept in the freezer?
Similar to other reviewers’ pets, my dog is extremely picky; like hunger strike until we give in to his demand for fresh food picky. This recipe saved us from an unnecessary trip to the vet just for them to recommend we try making him a fresh meal. I mix a cup of this with a cup of his dry food and he is now full and far less ornery, and our whole family is happier as a result.