Diabetic Home Made Dog Food
If your dog has a diabetes problem, this recipe may be a lifesaver. The author has made this diabetic dog food recipe for seven years now and has run through her vet for approval. With the main ingredient consisting of a beautiful yellow bean from India called chana dal that ranks incredibly low on the GI chart, its a good complement to your pet’s diet.
Ingredients
- 1 can Libbys 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 2 bags frozen broccoli cuts
- 2 bags frozen crinkle cut carrots
- 2 bags frozen green beans
- 2 packages frozen chopped spinach
Directions
For the full recipe and instructions check out Myuntangledlife
Beef And Liver Homemade Dog Food
Ingredients:
- ¼ Tsp. turmeric
Directions:
This is one of the healthy homemade dog food recipes that takes a little work to prepare, but it will pay off when you see Fido enjoying it. First, boil the chicken in a large soup pot until cooked through. Set the liquid aside and let the chicken cool slightly. Remove chicken meat from the skin and bones. Shred the chicken meat, throw out the skin and bones.
Combine all ingredients together in the soup pot including left over chicken stock and stir. Cook on low until everything has cooked through. Cool before serving.
Should You Cook Your Dogs Food
Is cooking dog food at home really better for your pup? While there may be claims made to that effect, theres no hard scientific evidence to support it.
Owners are told by many sources that homemade food is superior to commercial products. However, there is no proof to support this claim, says Dr. Larsen.
Larsen cautions dog owners to be aware of fearmongering within the pet food industry. This is often driven by myths about ingredient quality. While there are no scientifically-supported benefits to homemade diets, whole ingredient-based diets are better in the long term. Commercial foods are made to be complete and balanced, adds Dr. Bartges, albeit not the most exciting of meals.
Think of it as eating the same highly processed food for every meal, day after day, for years, he affirms.
Put that way, feeding your dogs a variety of whole foods makes a lot of sense. In fact, there are a multitude of reasons why you might want to prepare homemade foods for your dog, according to Dr. Larsen and Dr. Bartges.
These include gaining control over your dogs diet, appeasing picky eaters, combatting food intolerance issues, concern over food recalls, or simply for the bond-building joy of preparing a home-cooked meal for your dog.
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Why You Need To Know The Exact Serving Size Of Food
You may be wondering why you even need to figure out the right serving size of homemade dog food for your pet. Some pet owners assume that they can watch a dog’s weight and make sure they’re not gaining or losing.
This doesn’t seem right.
The consequences of feeding a dog too much or too little food are obvious. When overfeeding on calories, your dog will;become obese, which then could lead to a slew of other health conditions: diabetes, joint problems, certain types of cancer, heart and respiratory issues.
Feeding a dog too much food can also lead to vitamin toxicity. In such cases, too much of a good thing could be very bad.
For example, some of the most common vitamin toxicity cases are related to Vitamin A, which can cause bone spurs, lethargy, constipation, stiffness, and limping in dogs, and Vitamin D, which can lead to vomiting blood, seizures, muscle tremors, and abdominal pain in dogs.
At the same time, if you’re not feeding your dogs enough essential nutrients, they’ll be at risk of nutrient deficiency and becoming malnourished.
When you haven’t figured out the exact serving size of homemade dog food and do not realize a dog isn’t getting all of the essential nutrients, it will become weak, and a dog’s organs will start failing.
In the end, nutrient deficiency will lead to death if it’s not corrected in time.
Basic Recipe For A Homemade Diet For Dogs
This recipe makes 1 pound of homemade dog food. For more details, see frequently asked questions below the recipe:
Frequently Asked Questions
Variety is best! Most common are boneless, chopped chicken or turkey breast or thighs; ground beef or ground chicken/turkey; or chunks of stew beef.
You should also try to include bison, venison, lamb, rabbit, and/or duck, from time to time. You can often get these at farmer’s markets.
Yes, although most supermarket meat comes from livestock that were raised inhumanely and fed crappy processed corn-based diets, instead of being allowed to free-feed on natural grass. That can affect the quality of the meat.
So if you can find it and afford it, I highly recommend “organic” meat from local, free-range, grass-fed livestock. This is even more important if you’re going to feed it raw.
I prefer lean for most dogs. It’s easier to keep a meal’s overall fat content down if you don’t feed fattier cuts of meat.
Yes, although I don’t recommend too much fish, because so many species contain toxins such as mercury. We’ve polluted our oceans, sad to say. The lowest-mercury fish seems to be Wild Alaskan Salmon.
But feeding fish once a week is great. I prefer to cook fish, as cooking kills a particular type of worm in fish that could make a dog sick.
But dogs need the rich nutrients in organ meat. In fact, organ meat is so rich that dogs should only eat a little bit at a time, else they might get diarrhea.
To add calcium, you can either:
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Preparation Of Our Homemade Diet
All of the information above might seem intimidating, but I assure you that making the actual meals for our dogs takes no more than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.
First, we cook our complex carbs, whether theyre grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables.
While that pot is simmering on the stove, we cook the meat in a separate pan in coconut oil and ground turmeric. After its cooled a bit, we add chunks of meat to our food processor and pulse until theyre broken down into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.
Then, we gather whatever vegetables or fruits we have in the kitchen , chop them up as needed, and toss them into the food processor.
We also add a few clean, crushed eggshells to the mix. A few pulses turns all this food into smaller pieces, making them more digestible for our dogs.
Finally, we add the cooled, cooked carbs to the food processor and do a couple more pulses to combine. Everything should have a finely crumbled texture by this point.
Since dogs have short digestive tracts, its crucial that you break down the food to increase its bioavailability that is, making all the nutrients in those wholesome ingredients more digestible in a dogs system.
I prepare enough food to last my two pugs an entire week. Its unbelievably easy, and I like knowing exactly what goes into their food. Friends will watch us feed our pugs and remark that it looks good enough for them to eat!
How To Ensure Proper Nutrition In Homemade Dog Food
Youll want to keep an eye on health, make adjustments when needed, and dont overfeed them. You can also check with your veterinarian to make sure you are getting them what they need or if you need to add a supplement.
There are three basic ingredients that you need to have for your dog to have a well rounded diet: some form of meat, a vegetable or two, and something for bulk such as rice or lentils.
There are also some ingredients that you should never use when make dog food at home. Stay away from bacon and ham, onion, sugar, tomatoes, grapes, chocolate or most dairy products. Since the only dairy product dogs should consume is plain yogurt, youll need to give your dog a calcium supplement as it is an important part of their diet.
You can also find other additives to toss in to ensure your dog gets all the nutrients they need, like Nupro Dog Supplement or Pet Naturals of Vermont Daily Multi for Dogs. These supplements will ensure your dogs homemade diet is well balanced and good for them.
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Why We Switched To Homemade Dog Food
Recently, I shared a blog post about our dog’s health issues and why we decided to make the switch to a diet that is made up of 100% ;human grade food.
In our experience, the switch was easy, cost effective, and so much healthier for our dogs than a traditional doggie diet of processed kibble! The homemade dog food recipe that I make for our dogs combines lean ground sirloin, wholesome brown rice, fresh vegetables, hard boiled eggs, and tender herbs. This healthy, vibrant alternative to traditional dog food has given our 11 year old dog, Hooch, a new lease on life! ;
Since making the switch 8 months ago I have been so inspired by the improvements we have seen in Hooch! It’s pushed me to continue to research different ingredients that might help even more. I’m excited to share my first Homemade Dog Food Seasoning blend with you and your pup! I really hope you will benefit as much as we have.
Balanced Homemade Dog Food Recipes
Cooking for your dogs, when done right, can be very advantageous for the pet’s health. With the number of recipes we have here, there’s always something new for you and your pooch to try.
But not all homemade dog food recipes will fit every dog , and more importantly, a pet owner must pay attention to the nutritional value of each dish.
Balanced homemade dog food recipes are usually the closest to a healthy doggy meal but still require a vet’s assessment.
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How To Make Easy Homemade Dog Food In An Instant Pot
Published: July 23, 2019· Updated: March 29, 2020 by Kari · · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
Homemade Dog Food is a great way to spoil your dog and feel good about doing it. Made in your Instant Pot, it is a quick, cheap, and easy way to give your dog a nutritious meal that they will think is a treat.
If you are anything like we are, spoiling your dog is a natural part of everyday life. Our border collie, Melly, is 11 years young and is full of energy and love. She is treated like a queen, and although she will eat almost anything, her nutrition is important to me.
I made Melly a batch of homemade food for the first time about a year ago and have been making it for her ever since. It is cheap, easy, and she loves it. I love knowing everything going into it so I know she isn’t eating mystery meat. Our vet compliments her constantly for her weight, teeth, and energy level – she’s 11ish but acts like she’s still a puppy.
This recipe is for making homemade dog food with an Instant Pot – if you are looking for my stovetop directions, .
Chicken Broccoli And Rice Dinner For Dogs
Broccoli is a great treat for dogs, whether you feed it as a snack or in their meals. It can promote fresh breath and its rich in calcium. This particular meal is great to help ensure your dog has a well-balanced mealtime.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of mixed vegetables
Directions:
There are a couple ways that you can do this recipe to make it more fun and interesting for you and your dog. You can either cook the meat and rice/lentils/quinoa up in a pot with water and add the vegetables near the end of cooking.
The other option is to cook the rice/lentils/quinoa and vegetables until soft, mix everything together with the raw beef and form them into meatballs. Cook meatballs at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until fully cooked.
You can use these for meals or as an easy to catch snack, once they are cooled. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to five days.
One of my three dogs has a very sensitive stomach, so Ive taken over making meals for him. My typical recipe follows most closely to this recipe. I combine three pounds of 90 percent lean ground beef, frozen peas, and chicken broth in an Instant Pot and put it on the Meat/Stew setting for one hour. Separately, I prepare two dry cups of Jasmine rice.
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Blood Tests Dont Lieand Hoochs Numbers Shifted Drastically In Just The First 6 Weeks We Made These Diet And Lifestyle Changes
He noticeably had more energy, was suffering less from inflammation, was shedding less with a more luxurious coat, and for the first time EVER he had zero bloating! NO GAS for the first time in his entire life! The best news though, was that those stage 4 kidney disease blood levels he had at his yearly checkup had climbed back up to to midrange stage 1 kidney disease blood levels! The extra time and energy invested in making his food and the other small changes we made to his lifestyle have given us more quality time with our beloved Hooch which is more than we could have ever hoped for!
If youve made our Easy Homemade Dog Food 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:30
790 grams cooked organic brown rice
700 grams ground lean beef, cooked through, fat drained
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced small
207 grams carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
14 grams minced curly parsley
22 grams of olive or safflower oil
Is Homemade Food Healthy For Puppies
Like humans, dogs have specific caloric requirements and need certain vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Puppies have even more specific needs in order to grow at an appropriate rate and thrive. The food you feed your puppy must be complete and balanced. It must also be designed to support growth.
One of the biggest mistakes pet owners make when they decide to feed home-prepared diets is not following the right recipes . Preparing the right puppy diet is about more than just feeding enough calories. It must also have the proper balance of;protein, fat, and calories for a growing puppy. The diet must also contain the right amounts of vitamins and minerals.
When you begin to develop a home-prepared diet, make sure your puppy gets everything it needs in its diet to keep it as;healthy;as possible and help it grow. The best way to do this is to consult with your;veterinarian. You might even want to;ask for a referral to a veterinary nutritionist.
Working with a vet, you can design a diet that meets all of your puppy’s nutritional needs. Your vet may have;recipes for you to;use;or may guide you to a website like BalanceIT.com;or PetDiets.com. These websites have recipes developed by veterinary nutritionists. They can help you choose a diet that is complete and balanced but also meets other needs. In many cases, you can choose your preferred ingredients or find formulas designed for puppies with specific needs or health issues .;
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Homemade Dog Food Recipes
- About 9 ounces of raw chopped beef or lamb
- 1 cup of chopped raw carrots
- 1 cup of chopped raw apples
- 1/4 cup of defrosted frozen peas
- 1 and 1/2 cup of chopped pumpkin or squash
- 2/3 cup of uncooked brown or basmati rice
- 4 Teaspoons of sunflower oil
- 4 Grams of fish oil
- Nutritional supplements
Directions
First, cook the rice and pumpkin together. You should end up with approximately 3 cups of cooked rice mixed with softened pumpkin. Let these ingredients cool. Then, simply mix the rest of the ingredients with this mixture.
You can portion this food up and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
What Are The Best Ingredients For Homemade Dog Food
Your ideal crockpot dog food meals will depend on your dog’s diet and preferences. Some dogs prefer ground beef, while others like chicken. No matter what food you include, do your best to ensure that it is fresh.
Look at other dog food recipe ideas for inspiration on creative carbs and proteins.
You can find a range of unique and delicious ingredients that are good for your dog’s diet, including butternut squash, chicken breasts or chicken thighs, lean beef, and other items even a picky eater will love.
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How To Make It
To make homemade dog food, I use my Instant Pot, but you can use any pressure cooker. To make homemade dog food on the stove, you can check out my recipe for homemade dog food on the stove.
First, set your Instant Pot to “Saute” and cook your ground meat. Pour off any fat and once cooled, discard it.
Add your drained meat back to your Instant Pot. Dump in your leftover rice and mix well. If you are using oats instead of rice, skip to the next step.
Next, add your bone broth and coconut oil. Stir to combine and let the coconut oil melt.
Then, add a bag or two of frozen vegetables. If using a 12-ounce bag, use two. If using a 16-ounce bag, use one and a half. Mix well.
If using oats instead of rice, add them now.
Finally, put your lid on and close the vent. Set your Instant Pot to “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” mode at high pressure for 7 minutes.
Allow the pressure to release naturally, which should take about 5 minutes, and open your Instant Pot. Let your dog food cool before serving or storing. You can divide the food into portions depending on your needs -; I usually split it in half and freeze one batch. I use a measuring cup when I serve the food, so I don’t take the time to split it into individual portions.