Finding a great dog food can be a pain. Many dog parents might think about making their dog’s food for them! But you might say, “Isn’t that expensive?” or “Isn’t that time consuming?” Today, we’re breaking both of those myths!
BestBullySticks.com is sharing a healthy and tasty DIY Dog Food recipe that won’t break the bank! Vanessa Cordero from the Whoreders Blog (a blog about savings!) shared her DIY Homemade Dog Food recipe that her little Boston Terrier pup, Oliver loves! But Oliver is a finicky pup! Read more about Vanessa and Oliver’s journey to find the perfect dog food!
I only want the very best for my little dumpling Oliver, so I've always tried to feed him high quality dog food. The food his breeder had been feeding him caused some vicious gas, it was a nightmare. I switched him to a higher quality food and noticed an improvement right away. After some research, I started feeding Oliver raw food (raw meat, bones and veggies). His gas cleared up almost completely, his coat was soft and shiny and his eyes brightened up significantly. There were two problems: one, Oliver wasn't always 100% down with the food. Sometimes he'd scarf it down, and other times he'd turn his nose up at it. There was no rhyme or reason, I'd just have to cross my fingers at every meal and hope it was a good day. Problem number two, it was really expensive... about $80 a month. Every time Oliver refused to eat a meal and it had to be thrown out, it was like a dagger in my heart and wallet.
My vet had been suggesting homemade dog food forever, and I always thought it would be too much trouble and too expensive. So when I took Oliver in for a follow up on a mystery insect bite (which left my poor little monkey with a swollen face and me with a nervous breakdown at the pet ER), I asked for more info about his recommendation for the home cooked food. I decided to try it out by making a small batch to try, I figured there was nothing to lose.
First step: talk to your vet! Make sure you check with your regular vet before changing your pet's diet, they can help you with picking the right kind of foods to use since there are some that can be dangerous or toxic to animals. Some of those include: chocolate, onions, nuts, garlic, grapes and raisins.
Once your vet has signed off on the diet change, you can get cookin'! I went with a simple chicken and rice dish for Oliver's first batch of homemade food. My vet recommended going to Balance It for recipes and supplement information. You enter in your pet's info and can select the kind of carb and protein you want to use, and boom, out come recipe options. There's no need to register with the site or buy their supplements, you can view recipes for free without entering any info except your dog's name, age and weight.
The basic recipe should be about 50% protein, 25% veggies (chopped or pureed to make it easy for your pet to digest), and 25% grain. You can add in your own supplements (again, check with your vet for advice), I always add a nice omega-3 oil.
Ingredients
Shredded Chicken, white meat like breast and thigh
Olive Oil
Chopped, Peeled Sweet Potato
Kale
Brown Rice
Directions
1. Simmer all ingredients in 50/25/25 ratio for about an hour.
2. Strain and cool in a baking dish. (From Vanessa: “Just cover it up with a dishcloth or something to avoid driving hungry dogs from going berserk!”)
3. Using a digital scale, dole out single portions for each meal into sandwich bags. Each bag is one meal.
“Leave 2 days worth of meals in the fridge, and the rest go into a freezer safe bag in the freezer. Every time I use a bag from the fridge, I put a frozen bag in its place to thaw out.
I also do a recipe with ground beef or turkey - same idea, just in a pan rather than a big pot. This method is slightly less time consuming, and is easier for smaller batches. I like to make about 3 weeks of food at a time, so I'll switch off between recipes each time to prevent Oliver from burning out on the same food week after week.
Proteins I've used: Chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, salmon (if it's on sale), and cottage cheese (for real, Oliver loooooves it).
Veggies: Sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, green beans, kale, spinach, and broccoli.
Grains: Brown rice, quinoa, couscous (Oliver really likes Israeli couscous), and whole grain pasta.”
Thanks to Vanessa and Oliver for sharing their amazing recipe and adorable photos! Visit Vanessa at the Whoreders blog or at Verbal Switchblade, Vanessa’s personal blog.
Want more doggy-friendly recipes! We’ve got ‘em! Browse all our Weekly Drool Recipes to find the perfect snack or treat for your pup!
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Dogs have no nutritional requirement for any carbohydrates, 25% veggies, and 25% grain is going to tax the animals pancreas and cause problems later on. If veggies are to be given for some odd reason, they need to be steamed/boiled till soft then pureed so that the cellulose walls are more broken down for easier processing by the Dog. (Carnivore)
Per my vet, I've been making meals for my two Labbies for about 8 months and have noticed a lot of improvements. I recently cooked everything in a crockpot and would put it in a blender one meal at a time…until it consisted of almost a soup/gazpacho consistency. My one Lab's poops are finally miraculously solid, and that tells me that he is digesting the food better since he tends to gulp his food down without chewing no matter what "eat slow" food bowl I use. I make their meals with 3 pounds ground beef, kale or chard or broccolli, 4 sweet potatoes, 1 cup celery (for drying out those ears!), and 1 pound beef liver.
I always like to give nutritious food to my pet. I think this food is best for my pets. I have very tight budgets so it’s hard to try new things. If I can try them for free, and know they work, or that I like them, then I don’t mind paying extra for it especially if it’s for my canine baby.
I will try to make this food for my Doggy. It seems to be good and healthy.