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 have a small Mexican dog weight 12 lbs. Can I cut this receipt in half, just in case he doesn’t like it. He will not eat any of the store bought and I’m looking for some easy to make for him that doesn’t require a lot of expense or work to prepare.
Yes you can..
Tried this on my very fussy little schnauzer he absolutely loves it and it’s much better and cheaper and healthier than any of the many dog foods that I’ve tried I’m really pleased I found this recipe thank you
I made a huge batch of this for my Mastiff last night using what I had which was brown rice made in a rice cooker, extra virgin olive oil, broccoli, cauliflower, frozen peas, sweet potato fries ( bland… no salt or sugar), one lean hamburger patty from Sam’s Club.
I also added a boiled egg I sliced up and 3 slices of canned plain beets (not pickled).
I divided the hamburger into two parts and fed her half a Sam’s Club rotisserie chicken tray bottom (the black plastic part which is what I use to feed her now since those container bottoms spray clean with hot water and last a long time).
She had already eaten her breakfast which was just canned dog food from Walmart (cheapest brand which is ‘OL ROY Cuts -n- Gravy’). I have lately been separating the Purina kibble from the canned food as she prefers the canned food separately and nibbles at the kibble in the evening..
She is a nearly 4 year old Mastiff and has had chronic diarrhea for nearly two years despite multiple visits. Her appetite has been fine… but she doesn’t seem excited about her food unless it is Sam’s rotisserie chicken with the fat and skin removed.
She woofed this food I made down the same as when I share steak or Atlantic Salmon with here. I was so shocked and very happily surprised. I gave her another half tray which she also gobbled up. (I don’t advise this. I was just so happy to see her so excited.) She was so happy when I was making her food today that she came into the kitchen and laid down next to me in anticipation which she never has done except with the steak.
There was not enough meat for the portions even with the added boiled egg. But I am now in the process of buying a:
Cuisinart Custom DFP-14BCWNY 14 Cup Food Processor, White and Stainless Steel
Average Rating:(4.7)stars out of 5 stars
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91 comments Cuisinart Walmart # 555563601
$229.95 shipping included.
I will post more as I stock up on everything as I have MS and will be 70 next year and never thought in a million years I would be making homemade dogfood until I saw a commercial on TV offering a strong discount for my first order. But it was $144.94 per day for a dog my size which is absolutely ridiculous. I am on SSI and don’t eat in one month what 2 days of this dog food would have cost me.
I can afford to make my own and can make big batches of each item and freeze them in smaller quart size zip-lock bags and thaw and mix them as I change up the recipes or find good deals as things go on sale.
I would not use the frozen peas as my dog had those all over the floor because I didn’t put them in the food processor I currently have as it is only for one or two people. Besides, contrary to popular belief, canned are just as nutritious as fresh or frozen ( for dogs.. not me. I like frozen or fresh).
Something else I would like to share: Most chefs now use their microwaves more than we would like to think. You can steam your veggies in the microwave in a covered dish for just a few minutes and two tablespoons of water and you actually have MORE nutrients than if you steam them on the stove. And… you save so much time and money!
I hope these things help you and I hope you all understand that you may need to try different combinations to find what your dog likes, their allergies, etc. But my Mastiff is a dog I inherited without much choice when my son past away last year and she is so spoiled and picky because my son bought her rotisserie chickens from Sam’s Club, fed her steak… the most expensive treats… you name it.
This dog and I have bonded (To my great surprise) and I am so excited about finding ways to make all this food for a 200 lb. dog on my SSI budget (My house is paid for which helps). I hope you find out what I have found out.
Don’t feel you have to spend a lot of money to buy fancy food processors, Dutch ovens, etc. Use what you have. I’m just not good being on my feet long and am looking for ways to make this up a week or two in advance and freeze it. I figure by separating each ingredient in the food processor, I can measure out what I need for a few days and mix up the menus. I can also make one or two ingredients one day and freeze them and when I feel better continue with some other ingredients
Very helpful post. Thanks
I have a 90# Belgian Malinois who has Are there any additional nutrientshated eating since a puppy. He is allergic to most meats so I either use lamb or pork instead with your recipe and he ABSOLUTELY loves it. My question is:
1. How much should I feed him per day?
2. Are there any additional nutrients I should include in his meal as this will be all I will give him to eat.?
Interesting
Looks like a great recipe, but I would add more chicken to the ratio. What is the lb of food for weight of dog. I know on a pure meat diet that the ratio is 1 lb for every 60 lb of adult dog. But adding veg and rice does that go up or stay the same?
I read a site that suggests 2-3gms pure animal protein per kg per day so a 30kg (75lb) dog would need 60-90gms meat per day. I add 1.5 kg (about3lb) white fish because of meat allergies. For 8 days of cooked food.
I have not yet made this recipe but I intend to this weekend. My almost 9 year old Jack Russell mix woke me up this morning to an upset belly which is not like her at all! The only thing I can think of is I had opened up a new can of wet food (I usually mix some wet with her dry food) but other than that I don’t know what else could of made her belly so upset. So, I made her some bland white rice with chicken. She gobbled it up! Which is now even more so making me think that I’m going to switch off dog food to this. I have a couple of questions, I also have a 6 month old pittie pup he’s about 31 pounds now. How much should I feel him and her? (She is 12 pounds). Does anyone mix some dry dog food with the homemade food? Does this recipe contain the proper nutrition for the puppy?
It is best to ask your Vet or Vet nutritionist questions about how much homemade food to feed your puppy. They will have more experience on the needs of particular breeds and their protein to weight ratio.
Just came a cross this recipe and going to try it today for my long haired chihuahuas. I had the worst dog food experience yesterday. 30 minutes after feeding my dog Taste of the Wild smoked salmon for puppies ( 30 pound bag ) my dog started to drool act lethargic, walk drunk as if she was being poisoned. Got her vomit it all out by 11 am she was 60% better, they are afraid of there food now and I wouldn’t blame them. Looked up the dog food brand saw there was a lawsuit for high levels of lead causing death and other metal ingredients not clarified on the ingredients. Looked up lead poisoning symptoms 12 out of 13 symptoms were present. I was at the vet all day. Now I’m scared to feed her dog food, I never thought I would have to look up my dog’s food to make sure it wasn’t killing them with high levels of lead and other dangers ingredients, now I will cook my dog food to keep them alive and have them healthy, I’m going to try this recipe. I never want to go through that experience again.
Y’all should watch the documentary “Pet Fooled” on Amazon Prime (they used to have it in Netflix). It’s a big eye opener.
I made this for my Papillon and she loved it!! No more dry food for my fur baby!! I used Turkey and added homemade beef bone broth to her serving.
Thank you I will!
I have a 14week old blue staffy pup, she absolutely loves it. Turkey mince from aldi.
This recipe looks great and super simple to create. How much food would I need to feed a Doodle and 40lb Poodle? I plan on just using this as a topper or half n half with their purina pro plan. Thank you.
This recipe is nearly identical to what I cook for my shepherd/chow mix. I feel good knowing exactly what my doggo is eating and it’s actually economically sound as well. He looks forward to his meal times and there is no waste. His stool is a tad smaller than when he was eating commercial dog food and less smelly. His energy level is great!
Easy to make, but my dog can’t eat rice. Can I substitute an equal amount of sweet potato?
We substituted barley for the brown rice.
My Shih Tzu has a sensitive stomach, so I will be using Sweet Potatoes rather than Rice.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s been a life saver! My pit bull has cancer is going through chemo, so she’s been low energy. She broke a canine tooth and our vet clinic had to schedule her surgery almost 3 months out. This week the tooth became infected and has been quite painful. Yesterday the vet and animal hospital couldn’t see her and she only managed to eat two bites of solid food in the morning before refusing it for the rest of the day. I whipped this up for her minus the spinach (I am extra concerned for her kidneys with the chemotherapy) and added extra zucchini. She inhaled it! The vet saw her today and we have her on a pain medicine and antibiotic regime until we can do her surgery next week. She lost 5 lbs in a month so she is 71lbs but I estimated her food for 75lbs. I’m giving her 4 cups per day for 2 days just to fatten her up a little and then 3+ cups for the next week. I forgot to cook the shredded carrots so I will be mixing them in raw and every other day I’ll add a sunny side up egg on top. I used organic coconut oil btw, and read that organ meat can be supplemented for up to 10% of cooked dog food protein so I will be picking up a little container of heart or liver to use soon. Also I tripled the recipe to make food for a week and used a mandolin slicer to shred the zucchini and celery that I added.
My little rat terrier quit eating the Blue Buffalo that I had been feeding my weird little wolf pack trio (The other two still thriving on said food btw) So I tried this recipe and he LOVED it! He eats every bite and sits patiently and attentively behind me at the stove as I make the next batch. I NEVER in a million years saw myself as one of “those people” that cooks their own dog food, but here I am…totally worth it❤️
My dogs also stopped eating their Blue Buffalo brand. That is why I am looking up recipes. I wonder if they changed something and made it less quality?
I make my own food as well and use these ingredients plus more alternating dog friendly veggies, fruits, over easy eggs, EVOO, Nutiva coconut oil, BioStar K-9 Camelina oil and cubes. As for my spinach, I’ll leave it out, mince it, and sprinkle it on the meal once she’s getting ready to eat. I love all the questions because I to have had my vet push dry store bought dog food, though believe its not the healthiest. My Lunita just turned 1 and I’m wondering if I should switch her to 2 meals a day and how much per meal as I cannot get these questions answered by my vet. Anyone know??? Help please! Thank you all 🙂
Hey, it will take some work but what you need to do is find out the daily calorie intake Lunita needs, that way you can gauge how much she eats. However you need to also make sure the nutrients she is getting per meal is balanced – depending on her breed she might need a protein heavy diet or not. What you might need to do is figure out the calories in each of the ingredients of the meal so as to add them up to her daily requirement. As per feeding once or twice a day it depends on you and what you notice works best for her. I noticed one meal a day works for my Rohe. Mind you I am no expert whatsoever so everything you just read might not make sense but its what I’ve been able to have success with. I am also a first time pet owner and new to home cooked meals, so I am also learning as I go on.
Hope I was able to help though.
I do this for both my dogs. I got tired of the vet bills. I was told that I couldn’t do this as it wouldn’t be essential for my dog. I also give fish oil. I substitute fish (salmon, tilapia fresh) in place of the meat. I also mix it with beef chicken and fish with the amount of meat I am supposed to use. I was scolded by the vet office as she said he needs dog food. I am spending 400.00 a month in vet bills from allergies. Red itchy eyes and ears. Cost to much a month when I can be putting this towards healthy food. I organized it within one day to prepare the meals. I have a 70 lb bull dog, 100 lb Bullmastiff. I have done this for two days and I see tremendous changes. Also they don’t beg anymore when we are eating, that was instant. They both love it and enjoy their meals. Before I bought expensive dry food that caused diarrhea, then severe allergies. Remember vets should know this is the healthiest way for them to eat. I do add Dog multivitamin daily, just like humans if they don’t need it they kick it out. Vegetables are cheap when you go to a farmer stand and by a bunch and pre make the meals, label them and date them for freshness. Even if your busy you can make time to make this
How much do you feed them of this and how many times a day? I have 2 olde English bulldogge and have same allergy problems. Just trying to have them eat/feel better…
I had one rescue dog and just added a second. I have donated so many bags of expensive kibble to our humane society because my first dog is such a picky eater! He hated everything expensive! Our newest rescue had been abandoned, left with a broken bone and emaciated. I decided to try cooking for them. Mr. picky loves it and so does our new girl who gained 2# in 3 weeks! I also give them Canine Minerals ordered from Chewy, green beans instead of spinach and add sweet potato or pumpkin. Portion & freeze!
My dogs love this. Can you tell me the serving a day for a 12lb dog?
I assume it would be 1/2 cup in morning and 1/2 cup at evening meal. 1 cup per day
This looks wonderful how much would you feed a 85plus Shepard and in the store bought dog food there are vitamins B3 and D3 should I be putting this in or not thiamin???
I have been making this recipe for a few years now for my dogs. I thought it was such a healthy recipe and I just stumbled across an article about things you should not be feeding your dog and it said no spinach, a little bit every now and then is okay but not daily. I am so upset because here I thought I was doing something wonderful for my boys and now I read I am hurting them and can be damaging their kidneys. Can you please tell me what I can substitute for the spinach, I was thinking kale but I read kale can also cause damage to their kidneys.
Let’s keep it real. A dog would have to eat its own weight in spinach -DAILY- for adverse effects to occur. In normal quantities, it is indeed healthful for dogs. As with humans, everything with moderation. Please inform yourself and read beyond salacious headlines.
Unless your dog’s kidneys are compromised in some way, chemo, liver disease, etc etc, the amount of spinach in this recipe is low enough that it shouldn’t cause adverse effects in an otherwise healthy dog.
I use green beans instead of spinach in mine. I also add some sweet potato or pumpkin.
My dogs are so much happier at mealtime now!
Can you tell me about how much you feed your pup and how often? I have a 55 lb lab mix. Just curious! I’ve read you don’t necessarily have to feed dogs twice a day every day
So healthy and simple! My dog has recently had some major GI issues, so I’m going back to making homemade food for him again. He loves this recipe!