Here’s a list of some of the best, home-made dog food recipes around! We have access to a ton of industrially produced dog foods these days, but, many pet owners are choosing to make their own dog treats and meals using healthy, nutritionally-sound and creative recipes with super high-quality, human-grade ingredients. Forget mass-production sources – let’s make our own!
Here’s a GREAT thing about crafting your own pet food – not only can you devise and modify your own recipes, but you can adapt your recipes to suit your canine’s specific size, breed, and activity levels! Also, if your dog has any medical concerns or dietary limitations, you can make sure to match his specific needs.
These days, depending upon what you decide to buy at the store, you’re subject to their all-inclusive diet programs that may depend upon supply and demand of basic ingredients rather than what might be best for your pet. It’s nice to be able to depend upon pet food manufacturers to supply the very best – but, unfortunately, our expectations may not be met all the time.
1 Massachusetts’ MSCPA-Angell Animal Medical Center Recipe
Here’s a great recipe that feeds like a treat! This formula is flexible and adaptable. You can utilize a wide assortment of fixings as long as they are suitable for your dog. The recipe below is designed for a fifteen pound dog, but you can adjust the amount of ingredients depending upon the weight, bone structure and breed of your pet.
Ingredients
- Protein: 4-5 ounces (approx. 1/2 cup) chicken, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, eggs, all fully cooked
- Carbohydrate: 2 cups cooked white rice, sweet potato, pasta, oatmeal, barley
- Veggies: 1 1/2 tablespoons corn, peas, greens, green beans, squash, pumpkin
- Fat: 1-2 teaspoons high quality vegetable oil.
- Balance IT Canine Vitamins, Minerals, Nutrients (See website HERE)
https://shop.balance.it/collections/all
Instructions
Make sure all the ingredients are cooked, and mixed together THOROUGHLY. The mixing will assure your pet gets the proper proportions of nutrients. Cooking the food is easier for digesting and protects your pet from pathogens. Your pet’s food should be cool, slightly warm or room temperature. Always feed just what they will finish, do not leave any food out for later consumption.
If you wish to make large quantities, you can pack into meal size servings and freeze. When you wish to use, place in the fridge to defrost overnight, then allow to reach room temperature 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Feel free to add delicious, nutritious extras! But, maintain similar proportions of the basic types of ingredients. This will help preserve your dog’s health.
2 Founder’s Veterinary Clinic Recipe
Like the previous recipe, you can substitute various ingredients with what you have available. For instance, you can trade out the principle meat protein for deboned fish, and the carbohydrates for potatoes. If you decide to use this recipe, it’s recommended that you add a calcium or bone meal supplement. We also suggest adding a pet nutritional supplement as recommended above. Balance IT Canine Vitamins, Minerals, Nutrients (See website HERE) https://shop.balance.it/collections/all
Ingredients
- 1/4 of a pound of cooked skinless chicken
- 1 Cup of cooked brown rice (fresh, not rancid) or organic white rice
- 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 1/4 Teaspoon of potassium chloride
Note:
Serve slightly warm or room temperature. This recipe will provide nutrition fora 20 pound dog. You can adjust the amounts proportionally depending upon the weight and build of your pet.
3 VE&CC Vets Healthy Dog Food Recipe
This formula from VE&CC Vets is straightforward yet properly balanced. Its fundamental protein source is ground turkey. Your pet will receive the benefits of the carrots, zucchini, and spinach. Not only are they packed with fundamental nutrients and minerals, but also a fair amount of fiber.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups of fresh (not rancid) brown rice, or white rice
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 3 pounds of ground turkey
- 3 cups of cooked chopped spinach
- 2 finely chopped carrots
- 1 finely chopped zucchini
- 1/2 cup of peas
Notes
Cook the brown or white rice, put aside to cool.
Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Lightly sauté the ground turkey and cook until no pink remains, approximately 3-5 minutes. Make sure the turkey bits are well separated.
Mix in the vegetable and rice into the ground turkey. Cook this combination for another 3 to 5 minutes. After the spinach has wilted, remove from heat and let cool before serving to your pet.
4 Zoey’s Favorite Fully Balanced Gourmet Dinner
Want to provide something very special for your pooch and give them a special supper they’ll adore? Check out this delicious and nutritious gourmet formula. It highlights various ingredients that are sure to delight your pet. The various fixings mix well together to make a delectable treat that your pup will love.
Ingredients
- 3/4 of a cup of brown ice
- 1 and 1/4 cup of ground or chopped, fresh chicken
- 1/4 Cup of chopped zucchini
- 1/4 Cup of steamed and chopped broccoli
- 1/4 Cup of steamed yam
- 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons of virgin olive oil
- Nutrient and mineral enhancement
- A protein supplement
Notes
First, cook the rice in a rice cooker, stove or oven as per package guidelines. Whenever done, put it aside to cool.
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.. Add the ground chicken and cook until all pink is eliminated and it’s heated thoroughly through and through, between 3 to 5 minutes. As it cooks, make sure the chicken is separated into bits.
Mix the vegetable and rice into the ground turkey. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. When the spinach has become tender and wilted, remove the pot from the heat and let sit until fully cooled before serving to your pet.
5 Whole Vet Pet Cooked Dog Food Recipe
This is a home-prepared feast your canine will appreciate. The accompanying formula is for a 20-pound canine. You can adjust the amount of ingredients to accommodate your puppy’s weight and breed. You can also add other ingredients such as cod liver oil, parsley, a mineral nut blend, etc.
Ingredients
- 8 Ounces of natural ground turkey
- 1/4 Cup of finely chopped or ground vegetables
- 1/2 Teaspoon of natural coconut oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon of salmon oil
- 1 Teaspoon of ground crude sunflower seeds
- 500 Milligrams of calcium citrate
- 2 Tablespoons of ground turkey organs. This could be hearts, livers, or gizzards
Notes
Simmer the vegetables until they are tender. Remove, strain and give them a cold water bath. This step will help maximize the vegetables’ health benefits. When fully cooled, chop them in a blender of food process until they are an even mince.
Cook the turkey and organ meat lightly over medium-low heat. After the meat has lost all pink and is fully cooked through, set aside. When fully cooled, mix all ingredients together and serve.
6 VetCo Dog Christmas Meal
Treat your little guy to a festive feast around those special times of the year with this formula from VetCo. This recipe uses a lot of extra fixings that may be sourced from your holiday spread that are suitable for you pet. You can get this meal ready in a flash that will surely please your pet! The formula will provide enough to save additional portions in the fridge, depending on your dog’s size and weight.
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds of skinless and boneless turkey meat (cooked)
- 1 Cup of cooked cereal such as oats
- 1 Pound of cubed yams
- 2 Tablespoons of handcrafted cranberry sauce (with no alcohol)
- 4 Tablespoons of turkey gravy without onion (Olive oil can be substituted)
Notes
The yams will need to be pre-cooked, as would be for any potatoes. The turkey should be chopped or minced into very small pieces. When yams are fully cooled, you can blend in the oats and turkey meat. Then, mix in sauce and cranberry sauce. Serve! 🙂
7 DIY Slow Cooker Dog Food
First of all, do not use any processed meats. 🙂 Making a great, home-cooked meal for your dog can be as simple as mixing a few, healthy ingredients together and cooking in your slow cooker for portioning into meals when cooked and cooled.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 to 3 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken (breasts and thighs)
- 1 Cubed yam
- 2 cut carrots
- 2 Cups of frozen peas
- 1 large, cubed apple (remove core and seeds)
- 1 container of rinsed kidney beans
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
Note
Put your chicken meat in your crockpot or slow-cooker and add sufficient water to cover. Heat until simmering. Add the potato, carrots, apple, and kidney beans. Set your cooker to the lowest setting and let it all cook for 6-8 hours.
Towards the end of the cooking cycle, add the frozen peas and let everything cook for an additional 30 minutes. If there is too much liquid, you can remove and save for the next cooking.
When completely done, add the olive oil and mix thoroughly. Then, blend in a food processor. Please be sure you serve to your pet when fully cooled. Delicious!
Vet-Approved Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Specific Health Problems
While the previous recipes can provide healthy dogs with a high quality meal, this may not be the case when you pet has certain ailments and health conditions.
In the case a pet has dietary limitations due to health considerations, it’s best to be cautious when preparing custom, homemade meals for them. Dr. Fiona Caldwell has provided 101 vet-endorsed recipes specifically designed for such pets in her book, ‘Homemade Dog Food Recipes: 101+ Healthy And Safely Homemade Dog Food Recipes Vet Approved, Nutritionally Complete Homemade Dog Food Cookbook.’
Dr. Caldwell has studied veterinary medicine for well over a decade. Her book provides meals for pets that have health considerations that require exceptional dietary formulas. Each recipe has been tried and tested, and has been fully endorsed by veterinarians.