Food For Dogs Recipe

Welcome to our blog, where we will be sharing our experiences with food for dogs recipes. It is important to us that our dogs are healthy and happy, so we are committed to finding the best possible foods for them.

Food For Dogs Recipe

I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.Food For Dogs Recipe

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, mixed in some white rice, and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.Food For Dogs Recipe

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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:

1. High-quality protein (meat, seafood, dairy or eggs)
2. Fat (meat or oil)
3. Carbohydrates (grains or vegetables)
4. Calcium (dairy)
5. 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?

Homemade Dog Food Recipe

• Filtered or distilled water only || The kidney’s main function is to filter out the toxins in our bodies and since tap water can be loaded with chemicals and contaminants it is best to only give your dog clean, filtered water to drink. If you have a dog living with kidney disease like we do, you may also want to eventually invest in a slow water feeder as dogs with kidney disease can get quite thirsty and will actually start drinking water too fast which causes its own unique set of problems.   
• Increase exercise || Luckily for us, right before Hooch’s diagnosis we adopted a puppy. She has played a big part in making sure he is more active and on his feet playing a good portion of the day. We still have had to make a conscious effort to get out and walk with him more than we were before though. Dogs are just like us, the more they move, the better their bodies function and the easier it is for their kidney’s to do their job. 
• Vitamins & Nutrients || Humans don’t get all of the vitamins and nutrients they need from a one-stop-shop kind of a diet and neither do our dogs! Whether your dog is eating a diet that consist of kibble or you are dishing up a homemade dog food recipe like this one, your pup needs vitamins! We really like and use the brand Dog Greens! It is a plant based vitamin and mineral powder that we just shake over the dog’s food at each serving. They love the flavor and I love knowing that all of their nutritional needs have been met at every meal! 

When people find out we make our own dog food at home they always ask us, “What about a raw diet?”, so let’s 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 pup’s gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you – if you get my drift.

Now, let’s break down the recipe for my Easy Homemade Dog Food shall we? 

The recipe box below contains a printable version of my go-to recipe for homemade dog food, which consist of lean ground sirloin, brown rice, carrots, hard boiled eggs, parsley, and a few tablespoons of oil that is high in Omega’s. But sometimes, especially since social distancing, I’ve found that it is helpful to have a list of easy substitutes for when ingredients run low. Plug in or swap out any of the items below based on what foods your pup likes/needs and what you have on hand to create your pup’s ideal dog food flavor profile. 

10 delicious and healthy dog food recipes you can make at home.

As the global outbreak of the COVID-19 outbreak exceeds 660,000 infected people at the time of writing, more governments are implementing stricter movement control orders in a bid to curb the spread and to flatten the curve. This impacts how often we can go out to get daily supplies and a 10kg bag of dog food may not be the best use of the limited space available for stocking up.

However, you can make delicious and healthy dog food right at home from ingredients you already have, and your pet would thank you for it. With your spare time from the lockdown, here are 10 popular recipes that you can try out from home for your pets.

1. Vege-rich Turkey Quick and Easy Home 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! With a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, its the perfect meal for your pet.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups brown rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 cup peas, canned or frozen

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan of 3 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
2. 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.
3. Stir in spinach, carrots, zucchini, peas and brown rice until the spinach has wilted and the mixture is heated through, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Let cool completely.

2. Delicious Brown rice and Turkey with Rosemary home food for your dog

This delicious concotion has the added fragrance of rosemary to bring your pet running from the opposite end of your house. It can easily be made with frozen ingredients and left over turkey from dinner. With a total cooking time of just 30 minutes its quick too!

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination

Directions

1. Place the water, ground turkey, rice, and rosemary into a large Dutch oven.
2. Stir until the ground turkey is broken up and evenly distributed throughout the mixture
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the frozen vegetables, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Refrigerate until using.

3. Easy Crockpot Recipe DIY dog food

If your dog is picky about the food it eats or suffers from food allergies, here’s a homemade dog food crockpot recipe that would help your dog. This is an easy homemade dog food crockpot recipe. Just throw all the ingredients in the crockpot and cook for a couple of hours. Out comes healthy homemade dog food that your furry family member will love! You can add in ground egg shells for extra calcium or chicken livers for extra iron too.

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Ingredients

• 3 lbs lean ground chicken
• 1 cup butternut squash I use frozen, precut
• 15 oz can kidney beans drained
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup carrots sliced or diced
• 1 1/2 cup uncooked (Food For Dogs Recipe) rice
• 4 cups of water

Directions

1. Throw everything in crockpot.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. 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. (Food For Dogs Recipe) 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

• 2 pounds Ground beef
• 2 pounds Ground turkey
• 14 ounces Tuna (2 cans, in water)
• 1/2 pound Chicken gizzards
• 1/2 cup Cottage cheese
• 3 Eggs
• 1 cup White rice (cooked)
• 6 ounces Sweet potato
• 6 ounces Green peas (cooked)
• 6 ounces Cauliflower
• 6 ounces Broccoli
• 1/2 Apple (medium size)
• 3 tablespoons Coconut oil

Directions

1. Cook rice per label instructions. In a second pot boil the chicken gizzards until cooked thoroughly – about 10 minutes. Add eggs to this pot for the last 5 minutes to hard boil.
2. In a third very large pot cook the ground beef and(Food For Dogs Recipe) ground turkey until browned. Drain off most of the fat and remove from the heat.
3. Use a food processor to grind the raw peas, raw broccoli, raw cauliflower, 1/2 apple (cored and seeded), cooled gizzards, and peeled eggs. This may take two batches.
4. Microwave sweet potato for 3-4 minutes until soft.
5. Add all ingredients, including the canned salmon or tuina, to the large pot with the beef and turkey. Add cottage cheese and coconut oil at the end. Mix well with a wooden spoon to incorporate.
6. This will make two weeks food for two nine pounds dogs. Place in freezer bags, label, and date.

5. 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 it’s time to feed your pet, the author recommends to use a double boiler to heat the food(Food For Dogs Recipe) up.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground Turkey
• 1 lb. Shredded Chicken
• 3 cups Water
• 1 medium Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cups Brown Rice
• 1/2 cup Lentils
• 2 tbsp. Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 cup Chopped Spinach
• 2 tsp. Olive Oil

Directions

1. Boil turkey and chicken in 3 cups of water over medium heat for 20 minutes.
2. Remove the meat from the water and set aside.
3. Add rice, lentils, and sweet potato to the water and (Food For Dogs Recipe) return to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Mix in the cooked meat and serve warm.
6. Freeze unused portions and feed as directed by your vet.

6. Homemade Raw Dog Food

If you have a very active pet, feeding your pet raw dog food from the freezer section of the pet store will give their energy levels a boost, and their coats would be shinier than ever and their teeth in great shape. However, foods such as these can get very expensive very fast. Here is a low-cost alternative you can make right at home!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds of ground beef
• 4 ounces of chicken livers
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 small apple, cored
• 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 2 whole eggs (including shell)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Add the carrot, apple and spinach to a food processor and process until finely chopped.
2. Add the remaining ingredients except the ground beef and process again until well combined.
3. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Add the ground beef and mix together with a spatula or your hands.
4. Form into patties about the size of your palm and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Freeze patties until solid, transfer to a storage container or plastic bag and keep frozen.
6. Remove one day’s worth of patties from the freezer the night before and place in the refrigerator to thaw before serving.

7. Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs

Homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs and those with medical issues aren’t as difficult to make as it may seem. If you use the author’s tips it doesn’t even take that much time! This recipe was given to the author by her vet to feed her dog that has kidney failure. It is meant to be low protein. Talk to your vet before feeding to your pet.

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound ground beef, (do not use lean)
• 2 cups cooked white rice, (no salt)
• 1 hard cooked egg, , peeled and chopped
• 3 slices white bread, , crumbled
• 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate, (blend a bottle of calcium carbonate in the blender until it’s a powder then keep in a resealable plastic bag)

Directions

1. Cook the beef until it is cooked through.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix it well.
3. Feed twice a day.
4. Be sure to give your dog a vitamin supplement.

8. Healthy and Homemade Woof Loaf

Treat your dog or cat to a healthy and homemade dinner that’s filled with tasty goodness. Mix together lean ground turkey with carrots and peas for a veggie-filled dish. And the addition of eggs and oats make this woof loaf even tastier. Your little fluffer will gobble it up.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/2 cup oats
• 2 eggs
• 3 hard-boiled eggs

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In a bowl, mix together the lean ground turkey, chopped carrots, and peas. Both are healthy for cats and dogs, giving them the nutrition they need for strong eyes and good digestion.
2. Add the oats and eggs. Mix until the loaf mixture comes together. Oats help your pet’s coat shine, and eggs offer extra protein. Lightly grease a loaf pan with olive oil and then add half the mixture to the pan.
3. Place the three hard-boiled eggs along the center of the loaf and then cover with the other half of the ground turkey mixture. Pop in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
4. Cut a half-inch slice from the cooled loaf and offer it to your pet. He’ll be woofing for seconds! If feeding a slice to your feline, it’s a good idea to chop it up before adding it to her feeding dish.

9. 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

• 28 cups water
• 1 bag (4 pounds) chana dal rinsed
• 2 bags (1 pound each) brown lentils rinsed
• 2 bags (1 pound each) black-eyed peas rinsed
• 2 bags (1 pound each) green split peas rinsed
• 1 pound pearl barley rinsed
• 5 pounds boneless chicken breasts cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 can (29 ounces) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 2 bags (16 ounces each) frozen broccoli cuts
• 2 bags (16 ounces each) frozen crinkle cut carrots
• 2 bags (16 ounces each) frozen green beans
• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach

Directions

1. Pour water into a 20-quart pot. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add chana dal, brown lentils, black-eyed peas, green split peas and barley. Reduce heat to medium, stir occasionally.
3. Cut and add chicken breast.
4. Add ground turkey.
5. Stir in pumpkin.
6. Add in the frozen vegetables. (My pot will not accommodate all of the vegetables so I add in as much as I can and thaw the rest to be added in before storage).
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally until most of the water is absorbed. Let stand and cool before storing.

10. Scrambled Eggy Spinach and Salmon Gourmet Dog Food

For a more gourmet selection and if your pet is a big fan of salmon and eggs, this recipe is going to be the highlight of its day. Eggs are actually good for your dog as they have good digestible protein and a range of vitamins while salmon has a great dose of healthy oils!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 can of skinless salmon
• 1/2 cup of thawed spinach

Directions

1. Heat skillet over high heat
2. Add spinach and salmon to skillet and cook through
3. Add eggs and stir for 2 minutes scrambling it
4. Serve when cool

For the full recipe and instructions check out Lifehack

If you have tried out any of these recipes, do comment which was your favorite or how you would improve some of these recipes further. Feel free to add more recipes in the comments if its one that you would like to share with the community! 

Homemade dog food with turkey

1. DIY homemade dog food

While dogs and humans enjoy some of the same foods (peanut butter straight out of the jar, comes to mind), what we need to stay healthy and fit is different.

This recipe has a balance of 50 percent protein with ground turkey and peas, 25 percent veggies with spinach, carrots, and zucchini, and 25 percent grains with brown rice, but it can be easily adjusted for any dog’s nutritional needs.

Here’s the best part: Making this batch of food is cheaper than buying many popular all-natural store-bought varieties.

2. Healthy homemade dog food

We talk a lot about food allergies… but dog food allergies? Yep, it’s a thing.

It could be super obvious, like smelly omg-what-did-you-eat farts or little piles of vomit on the floor. It could also be less obvious, like your doggo licking the area around their joints, a sign of inflammation.

If you suspect your dog has a sensitive stomach, call your vet to make an appointment and then try this recipe. This meal uses pumpkin purée, coconut oil, ground protein, grains, and a slew of colorful produce to create a feast that even finicky dogs can stomach.

It smells so darn good when it’s cooking, we’ve been tempted to eat it ourselves. (OK… we might’ve tried it.)

Homemade dog food recipes with pork and beef

3. Homemade dog food

Making homemade dog food may not be realistic to incorporate into your everyday routine, but that doesn’t mean your furry friend can’t benefit from a little DIY here and there.

In fact, this blogger only incorporates homemade meals (Food For Dogs Recipe) about twice per week — better than never, right? The recipe includes many DIY dog food staples, like protein, grains, apples, and carrots.

This dish also throws in some blueberries, a known heart-healthy treat for humans, thanks to their rich polyphenol content.Trusted Source

Turns out, the protective effects of berries against free radical damage may have a similar impact on dogs with heart failure, though more research is needed.Trusted Source

4. Easy Crock Pot dog food

When using a slow cooker, it’s important to use sturdy veggies(Food For Dogs Recipe) that stand up to the heat and extra-long cook time.

This recipe sticks to the classics like brown rice, beans, ground beef, squash, carrots, and frozen peas. The dense ingredients ensure that the food freezes well, so you don’t always have to cook it from scratch (glory hallelujah).

Dog food recipes with chicken

5. DIY homemade dog food with chicken

If you think about a dog’s closest modern relative, the grey(Food For Dogs Recipe) wolf,Trusted Source it makes sense that a canine’s diet should incorporate at least some produce — perhaps a few greens in the belly of whatever omnivorous animal the wolf hunted down (sorry, little guy).

To that end, this recipe includes some of the other ingredients you’ve seen already, plus a few cups of spinach. Dogs don’t need much in each serving — a little greenery goes a long way.

Pro tip: You can also sub in ground turkey for this recipe.

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6. Easy homemade dog food Crock Pot recipe with ground chicken

Chicken, kidney beans, butternut squash, and green beans served over a bed of white rice? Not only is this recipe super simple to make, this is basically a regular stay-at-home dinner for humans. Why not?

Chicken livers also work great in this recipe, though we understand if you are now less keen to take a bite. Make extra servings so you can store plenty of leftovers in the freezer.

Bottom line

If your dog seems less-than-enthusiastic about the nightly ritual of dried kibble — we all know that look — then why not put your cooking skills to good use? It’s just one of the many ways we can show appreciation for our best bud.

With a generous helping of protein, fresh produce, and hearty(Food For Dogs Recipe) grains, these recipes will get that tail wagging again. Don’t be surprised when that bowl is licked clean.