How To Make Healthy Dog Food

Homemade Food Will Probably Be Pricier

The cost of homemade chow depends on many factors, including how much your dog eats, the ingredients you use, and whether you opt to use organic or free-range meat.

Regardless, since youre buying fresh ingredients, youre almost guaranteed to spend more than you would on bagged food. A 15-pound bag of Charlies old kibble cost $35, and lasted for about six weeks. But eight days worth of Charlies chicken, oatmeal, and veggie food costs around $23.

So once you have an idea of what you plan to feed your dog, run the numbers and see how it fits into your budget. If the homemade recipe you had in mind ends up costing more than you want to spend, you might be able to make adjustments to bring the cost down. For instance, choosing less expensive protein , or tweaking the ratio of protein to carbs.

Low Carb High Protein Home Made Dog Food

Your pet is family, and thus deserves only the best ingredients with no fillers or added sugars or spices. Your dog needs protein from animal meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs. They need fat from meat or oil and carbohydrates from grains or vegetables. In addition, essential fatty acids from plant oils, egg yolks, oatmeal, and other foods. The question is in what amounts? After much research, the author has created a recipe that their dogs love. A must try!

Ingredients

Directions

For the full recipe and instructions check out Tasty Low Carb

When People Find Out We Make Our Own Dog Food At Home They Always Ask Us What About A Raw Diet So Lets Get That Out Of The Way First

There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pups gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you if you get my drift.

Don’t Miss: Darwin’s Dog Food Review

Fiber Filled Homemade Dog Food Recipe

If your pet has constipation problems, give this recipe a try. You can also separate it and freeze it for future use. Put 2 meals worth of homemade dog food into Ziploc bags and thaw them overnight. You can get around 2 weeks of food from this recipe, but be sure to check with your vet to find out how much homemade dog food you should be feeding your pet. When its time to feed your pet, the author recommends to use a double boiler to heat the food up.

Ingredients

For the full recipe and instructions check out Running to the kitchen

Wondering How Much Homemade Dog Food Your Dog Needs Each Day

This will obviously vary from dog to dog, but a general rule of thumb is for every 10 pounds your dog weighs they should be fed roughly 1 cup of prepared food. If needed you can always call and consult with you vet about transitioning your dog’s diet and the amount of food your dog should eat each day. Just remember, if your pup is living with kidney disease like ours you will want to break up the amount of food they receive into smaller meals throughout the day. Instead of one big meal each day you will need to divide meals up into 2-3 smaller feedings. This will make it much easier for your dogs’ kidneys to do their job.

Recommended Reading: Is Rachael Ray’s Dog Food Any Good

What Kind Of Snacks Can I Feed A Dog With Kidney Disease

Our dogs seriously LOVE snack time, but snack time has had to seriously change! Dogs with kidney disease should avoid meat based chews/treats that are high in phosphorus, so you may find that you need to explore new types of treats for your dog instead. My probiotic rich Pumpkin & Yogurt Bowlsare our dog’s favorite treat these days! They also really enjoy thin apple slices, blueberries, and fresh banana chunks. When it comes to crunchy chews they both are SUPER into dehydrated banana chips, pumpkin, and sweet potato. I swear, our dog’s drool for them like they are the jerky chews we used to treat them with!

Best Dog Food For Small And Large Breeds

Small breed dogs and large breed dogs have different nutritional needs. Large breed dogs are more prone to musculoskeletal problems than smaller breeds, and so they often require large-breed dog food with different balances of certain nutrients to promote musculoskeletal health, especially as puppies. Small breed dogs, on the other hand, can choke on large-sized kibble and have their own nutritional requirements that can be accommodated with a small-breed dog food. Research your dogs breed to find out if there are any additional nutritional requirements you should be aware of.

Recommended Reading: Where To Buy Darwin’s Dog Food

What To Watch For When Feeding Homemade Dog Food

It’s important to monitor your dog closely when changing to homemade dog food. Stay in contact with your veterinarian regarding any changes you notice, whether good or bad. For best results, keep a record of your dog’s weight and body condition over time. Weigh your dog at least once per week and contact your vet if you notice unintended weight loss or gain. Watch for vomiting or diarrhea that may occur if your dog is sensitive to one or more ingredients. Note and report these or any other signs of illness to your veterinarian.

Benefits Of Making Your Dogs Food

• You can personally select the ingredients in your dogs food this is helpful if your dog has allergies or if you want to make sure you use or avoid certain ingredients

• You can choose the quality of the food you want to use whether its food from a local farmer, market, grocery store, or from a bulk source you can use organic, free-range, or other kinds of food that you want

• If you buy ingredients in bulk you can often save money and making your dogs food doesnt have to cost any more than buying dog food sometimes it can cost less while being more nutritious

• You know how your dogs food is prepared and can be assured there wont be any dog food recalls

• You can prepare foods in larger batches so you can freeze smaller portions for later use, thus saving time and effort

• Making food for your dog is no more difficult than making food for yourself or your family but it is usually more nutritious than commercial dog food

• Even the pickiest dog usually loves to eat food that you have prepared for him in your own kitchen

• Other benefits include good skin, good breath, clean teeth, and less doggy odor. In addition, dogs usually have smaller, more compact stools. Dogs are more likely to be well-muscled and lean on a home-prepared diet, according to people who feed this kind of diet.

With all of these benefits you might be wondering why everyone doesnt make their dogs meals. Well, there are some downsides to consider.

Don’t Miss: Is Iams Dog Food Any Good

Is Your Pet Eating Right

Talk to a vet about your pet’s unique needs â for free.

If you use canned, choose the low sodium option. That said, just make sure that any substitutions are safe for dogs, and remember to keep the recipe nutritionally balanced.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds ground chicken

• 1 cup squash

• 1 can kidney beans

• 1 cup peas

• 1 ½ cups rice

• 4 cups water

Preparation:

Combine all the ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for six hours or on high for four hours, stirring occasionally.

Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes

Another fun recipe for dogs is a doggie spin on shepherdâs pie. Making a meatloaf with frozen veggies and topped with mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes – be sure of course to leave out garlic and onions that they canât eat – they can eat mashed up sliced for dinner. The mashed potato âicingâ also works as a great birthday cake!

Tuna & Eggs

One of my dogsâ favorite treats is a can of tuna or sardines mixed with a hard boiled egg. It’s got lots of protein and takes no time at all .

Remember, dog food does not need spice or seasoning, either.And, remember, dogs love dessert too – in fact there are some fun homemade ice cream recipes you can try here just in case everyone is still hungry.

How To Make Healthy Dog Food At Home With Simple Tasty Recipes

Aly WalanskyApr 14, 2020â8 min read

With much of the world currently under stay-at-home orders amid social distancing concerns, stores are finding their stocks in scarce supply, which has made people get better at stretching resources at home. While much of the country is learning to eat out of their pantry more and use more canned goods and shelf stable ingredients, some are also discovering that this is a good time to avoid shopping for ready-made dog food and try their hand at making their own dog food at home.

Disclaimer: Always check with your vet or holistic pet care provider before making any changes to your dog’s diet. In the same way you might do with your childâs diet, show your vet the recipe or ingredient list you intend to use and ask if they approve or have any suggestions. This could be as simple as an email or a telemedicine appointment.

You May Like: Where To Buy Darwin’s Dog Food

What The Nutritional Breakdown Should Be

Much like with our meal plans, a balanced diet is very important. A good ratio to follow is 40% meat, 50% veggies, and 10% starch,” says Dr. Woodley. For meat, Dr. Woodley recommends mixing it up between beef, chicken, venison, fish, turkey, lamb, and eggs. In regards to veggies, Dr. Woodley suggests using a mix of spinach, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and other veggies. And for carbohydrates/starch, Dr. Woodley recommends organic brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal.

How To Make Dog Food At Home

Throwing together some homemade dog food sounds easy, but there are actually a lot of factors you need to consider to ensure your dog is getting proper nutrition.

Here are a few quick tips:

• Feed your dog with a wide variety of foods.
• Change up the diet at least once a week to make sure your dog gets a good overall balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
• Supplement your dogs diet with calcium unless you feed raw meaty bones.
• Use lean meat and remove skin from poultry unless you have an extremely active dog who needs more fat in his diet.
• The less variety you include in your dogs diet, the more supplements he will require, and vice versa.
• Do your research. We dont have enough room here to explain all the nuances of feeding your dog, so make sure you understand what proportions you should be aiming for and what supplements your dog may need.
• Always review your homemade dog food plan with your veterinarian to ensure your dog is getting the right proportions of the right ingredients along with any necessary supplements to keep him in prime health.
• Make sure youre aware of what ingredients to avoid because they could harm your dog, such as garlic, onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, and more.

Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat Dog Food

Our Favorite Homemade Dog Food Recipes For Senior Dogs By Ann

11 September, 2018

A healthy, nutrient-rich diet is important for any dog, regardless of age. However, for senior dogs, its even more essential. Being mindful of what and how much your older pooch eats can go a long way in helping to manage common issues associated with dog aging, includingobesity. There are lots of high-quality, specialty dog foods available and Ive had great success with some of them but they can be expensive. Making your own dog food is a more affordable alternative to commercial versions and youll be able to control what goes into it. If youre concerned about your pooch missing out on nutrients, adding supplements can be helpful too.

Be sure to keep any food allergies or dietary restrictions in mind and talk with your vet before starting your dog on a diet of homemade food, particularly if they suffer from any health conditions. You might also need to adjust the ratio of protein to grains and veggies to accommodate your dogs needs. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite homemade dog food recipes for older dogs that contain tasty,safe ingredients.

How Much Homemade Dog Food Seasoning Blend Should I Be Adding To My Dog’s Meals Each Day

Start small by adding a little sprinkle of these herbs to your dogs food each dayand work up from there. Adding dried herbs like these is a safe way to give your pups a little boost in nutrition, freshen their breath, and heck it probably will make their food a little more flavor-able too!

If youve made our Easy Homemade Dog Food Seasoning Blend for your pup I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours. Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? Its easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on , , , , or to see cooking demos, and peeks into our day to day life.

• Prep Time:1 minute

• Black & Blueberry Cobbler, AKA The Best Cobbler Recipe!

Don’t Miss: Is Iams Dog Food Any Good

How Do You Make Homemade Dog Food

• Food Processor: Before I start cooking a batch of homemade dog food, I blend up all the vegetables in my food processor. This Cuisinart food processor is my go-to. Its a bit smaller than traditional food processors but works just as well as a larger model. Blending up the veggies nice and fine will speed up the cooking process.
• Dutch Oven: I make the entire batch in my large Le Creuset round Dutch oven. I love using a Dutch oven because I can ground the meat first, and then finish off the batch right in the same pot. The process is very similar to making chili except for dogs. Ya knowDog Chili. .
• Measuring Cups: Rascal has his own set of measuring cups now because it makes measuring out food ingredients and the finished batch WAY easier.
• Meal Prep Containers: This is basically meal prepping for your dog, so you will need some great Tupperware.

What To Season Homemade Dog Food With:

While dogs cant have all of the same aromatics as humans can they can have a small variety of dried or fresh herbs and spices that contain great nutrients and help flavor their meals. Use a few teaspoons sprinkled on top or mixed into the food. These are some easily digestable herbs and spices to try:

• Basil
• Ginger

Read Also: Can You Buy Dog Food With Food Stamps

What To Feed When You Make Your Dogs Food

If you are interested in making your dogs food and wondering what to feed him, I can recommend my own book on home cooking for dogs Canine Cuisine: 101 Natural Dog Food & Treat Recipes to Make Your Dog Healthy and Happy. The book has lots of recipes you can make for your dog in your own kitchen and it includes both meals and treats. My dogs helped taste-test them. Theyre made with ingredients you can find at your local grocery store or health food store and Ive tasted a lot of them myself . Theyre pretty tasty. They dont contain anything that would be bad for people or dogs to eat.

In general, when you make a recipe to cook for your dog, you can put in ingredients in the following proportions:

• Organ meats 5-10%
• Eggs Few times per week, any way your dog likes them
• Dairy 10-15%
• Muscle meat or fish 50%
• Vegetables , starchy vegetables) 25%
• Fruits Small amount

As you can see, there is some wiggle room, depending on the ingredients you use and the meals you make. Not every meal will be the same.

Good starchy vegetables include potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash, among others. You need to puree or steam vegetables so your dog can get the nutrients from them.

As far as fruits go, you can add apples, papayas, mangoes, berries, or melon to your dogs meals. Some dogs have fruits that they particularly like. Just avoid grapes and raisins since they are toxic to dogs.