Homemade Dog Food Recipes

How many servings does each recipe make? How much of the recipe do you feed the dog or puppy?

Debbie

It's hard to say how many servings are in each recipe because of the variation in size and appetite of dogs. For example one serving for a Chihuahua might be only a bite for a Great Dane. But you can feed these recipes similar to the way you would feed canned food. To prevent digestive upsets when switching dog foods, it's a good idea to take a week or two to gradually mix in the new food with the regular food.

I am brand new to making food for my dog, and I have a few questions before I make the switch! He has been plagued by a variety of skin irritations and my vet said the food is the cause.

1. Is it better to wean him off the dry kibble gradually? Or just a complete change?

2. What constitutes a well-balanced doggy diet? How much meat, veggies, grains etc. should I include if I am developing a staple meal for daily use?

3. Do you know where I can find a decent list of foods that are good for him?

Thanks so much!
Karma

I too would like some idea of how much you feed based on age, weight and activity level as well as the proportion of veg, grain and protein. Just providing a recipe is just providing half of the information.

I make my own dog food after my dog suffered many ear infections over the years. My vet is not up on nutrition so he did not recommend a switch in food due to allergies, but I did some research online and decided to give it a try. I did the switch one day and he has been free of ear infections since we changed his diet. I have a base of rice, with cooked chicken or ground beef (or any protein) and carrots, green beans or other similar veggies. I try to mix it up too with beef stew or a concoction of scrambled eggs and other things in the house.

So after the switch, he no longer had ear infections also stopped biting his paws a bit too, and I think it was a food allergy to corn or grain. If I need to buy food for him I get the organic food that is grain free. I think you will be pleased to see your dog feeling better once you start making his food. I recommend Dr. Pitcard's book on dog nutrition. good luck

Can you make a large batch of food and freeze it in smaller portions? I currently cook hamburger and add green beans to my dogs dry food but would like to eliminate all commercial food from my dog's diet. My dog is a 13 year old Maltese who has just recently started having seizures and I have read that her dog food might be the culprit.

I would like to know if the food can be frozen. I also have a maltese with bad alergies but it looks taking him off of commercial foods was the answer. Also should I give him a multi vitamen..any suggestions?
Thanks

Readers seem to be interested in whether they can freeze homemade dog food. I have written a blog concerning this and I believe an answer to that question can be found at this link http://www.suite101.com/blog/jbutler/making_and_freezing_your_own_dog_food< br />Joy Butler

Re Dr. Pitcard -- It is Dr. Pitcairn -- Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats

Of course you can freeze the food. Why would you be able to freeze your own food which has most of the same ingredients to this recipe and not be able to freeze a dog dinner just because it is called "dog dinner"?

Can you Freeze any of the dog food recipes after you make a large amount

Jesus people read before commenting. oh by the way can i freeze food?

Oh yea, by the way, can you freeze the homemade dog food?

Can ground turkey be used in place of beef? Can the meat be served raw?

I recently started cooking organic foods for my 2 dogs. They both weight 45lbs each. I have noticed such a difference. Their coats are soft and have a shine. They no longer have dry skin and no longer suffer from ear infections. I feed each of my dogs a 1\3 cup of organic short grain brown rice, 1 cup of organic cooked rolled oats, 1/2 cup of organic skinless chicken thighs (cooked), a few pieces of cooked organic, sweet potato, broccoli, carrots peas. I also cook organic eggs and give it to them a couple of days a week. In their food, I then put once a day, a teaspoon of oat bran, a teaspoon of Psyllium Husks powder, 1/4 teaspoon of Buffered Vitamin C, 1 capsule of Vitamin E, 200 IU, 1 capsule of Omega-3 Fish Oil, 1000mg 2 capsules of Calcium Magnesium with Vitamin D ( twice a day). I put in a little warm water and stir everything. I feed my 2 dogs, twice a day. And yes, you can freeze the cooked foods. Hope this helped.
RoseMarie

Can ground turkey be used in place of beef? Can the meat be served raw?

Yes you can give your dog raw meat, and you should! Dogs have special enzyme acids in their stomachs that prevent them from getting sick. Dogs were not made to eat cooked meat! It is ok to give your dog bones, just not cooked bones. There is actually a dog diet out there called BARF that mainly consists of bones. My boxer suffered from re-occuring demodex mange. I kept bringing her to the vet, and every time the vet gave her Ivermectin and sent us on our way. The mange always came back. My vet never told me that all dogs have the mites that cause demodex mange, the mites only produce the mange when the dog's immune system is poor. My vet never asked me what I fed my dog or anything like that. I was completely shocked when a breeder told me this. She told me to get my dog off of commercial dry food and start making my dog's food myself. Dog food companies never disclose what they put in their food. It has been reported that some dog food companies buy dead animal carcasses from vet clinics and zoos to grind up and put in their dog food. Imagine all the chemicals and drugs in their food! Other companies use fillers like saw dust! Dog food is not regulated, America is the only country wher dog food is not put on a standard. In Europe, all dog food must contain ingredients that are fit for human consumption. Imagine what you're dog is eating! It's not hard to make your own dog food. I buy the cheapest cuts of meat at the grocery store. I feed everything raw. If you want to try it, here's a list of food I buy for my food:
Beef or hamburger (cheap)
Tukey (raw)
Oatmeal
eggs (yes raw)
carrots
celery
beans
That's just an example. I do not cook anything! I also supplement. I mix everything together in a blender and freeze it into portions. I add the supplements after I have thawed out that days meal(s). My dog has thrived on this diet! Her mange went away and never came back. I notice her skin and coat and extremely healthy. It is a little more expensive than kibble but it is worth it in the long run. Less vet bills!

My 10-yr dog was recently diagnosed with diabetes. No doubt stemming from toxins in commercial foods. I decided to make home made but FIRST went online to note the array of human food ingredients which are toxic, even fatal to dogs. Here's recipe for a week's worth of food
for a 30-lb dog that eats twice a day.
In a blender, liquify
1/4 cup cottage cheese,
8 eggs, shells and all,
2 cans peas or 1 16-oz pkg of peas (peas must be broken down for dogs!)
Hard-scramble the mixture in a skillet sprayed with Pam
To a large pot, ADD
4 tablespoons of corn oil to 4 cans of unsalted chicken broth
4 containers of unrinsed chicken livers
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, and mash the livers.
Then add the following.
1 can carrots
2 fresh chopped sweet potatos (to avoid syrups in canned ones)
8 brewer's yeast tablets for dogs
1 cup natural brown or white rice or oatmeal (omit if dog is allergic)
Scrambled eggs, cheese and peas mixture
You can refrigerate your dog food in the clean chicken liver containers
and freeze the rest for later in the week.
This takes no more than 1/2 hour to prepare and is less costly
than a week's worth of so-called premium dog food. In fact,
It's FREE compared to high vet bills and/or the death of a beloved dog.
YOU TUBE also features dog food recipes, but be sure to check online for what's harmful to dogs.

I have been making my own dog food for years. After my Boston had such bad allergies to store bought kind. I make it now for my Lab and other Boston even though they do not have allergies, it's good for them. It consisted of 1 large can green beans, 2 cans carrots(or fresh)1 lb liver, 1lb ground beef or turkey/chicken,6 ups rice,2 cups oats, 1 cup dry milk, 1T oil. 12 cups water/liquid. Place all into large crock pot,stir,cook until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed. I used the drained liquid from beans, and save liquid from meat, veggies cooked during week. Freeze liquid until ready to make dog food. They love it. Store in containers in freezer until needed. Makes about 4-5 large "cool whip" containers. Or 7qts.

I have not got a dog yet or ever had a dog, but i've always had one
(yes i know 12 yr olds always say that) but i am trying to get ready for (hopefully) when i get a dog, of my own, if my parents let me. but when i heard that thousnds of dogs die because of horrible comicial food, so i've been looking up recipes. and these are perfect for what i'm looking for.
Thank you these are perfect

from

Adele

...hi! im, darrell i have shih tzu how many years will she live?...

Thanks for the great recipies. I done a lot of research of homemade dog food, and reading the comments thought I'd share what I've learned.
Gradually replace the commercial food with the homemade. Volume should remain the same.
Take away and toss raw meat if it's not eaten in 20 minutes. Be aware of e-coli
Food can be made up ahead of time and frozen.
Depending on the dog, supplements may be needed for any diet. Discuss with your vet.
Again, great article.

I've got an 8 week old Jack Russell puppy. The lady we got her from gave us some food that she had apparently been feeding the pup. It seems that she doesn't eat it and wont touch it. I've even bought some puppy bakers with the gravy that she has eaten once and hasn't touched since. Whilst we were there picking the pup up it was apparent that not only had she been giving this puppy food but she was also eating corned beef and crisps. Im at my wits end as I don't know what to feed her. She did however eat some beef that was left over from a casserole and wolfed it down. Thats the first time she has eaten it all in one go. Any advice would be appreciated

@ owner of the Jack Russel, the pup probably doesn't eat heartily because he's upset over the change in his surroundings. Try to make him feel safe, cuddle him. I once even gave my pup food from my cupped hands when she was homesick. And because he's a pup you might want to be carefull with what you feed. Moreover make sure he doesn't have worms.
Regards,
Dilin - to.dilin@gmail.com

@ Jack Russel owner. I spent a year trying to get my Papillon to eat. I tried dozens of food including making her a variety of foods. Finally after a year of this, I figured out she is afraid of the bowl!!! I went to feeding her on saucers and have not had (much of) a problem ever since. I had never known a dog to be afraid to eat from a bowl, but my dog is on the nervous side. She was that way when I got her. She's better now in general after 2 years, but she still spooks at any movement while she is eating and still won't eat from a bowl.

So if all else fails try using a different feeding container or even a different location. I have to stand still while my dog eats or she spooks and runs off, but she does come back and finish. If I just stand still she finishes off her eating quickly. I do have to stay in the room or she won't eat well, she has to keep checking on me.

what kind of chicken broth can you use? I was going to buy some at the store but noticed all the ones there have onion powder in them. What do you suggest? Also, is it alright to feed a high quality kibble with a small amount of the above recipes? My dog will eat her kibble but only if we mix something else in it.

Thanks, Beth

Beth, Dont use chicken Broth with onion powder. Onions can be deadly to dogs. Use one that is just chicken broth. Hope this helps..

What other nutrients should be included with this? Is it safe to completely eliminate commercial food from his diet and feed him nothign but homemade food? With he still be getting all the nutrients that he needs?

I have a 13 year old Wheaton Terrier mix who has a heart condition and who recently starting having seizures. Since he has been on the heart meds he has gotten really picky about what he eats and it seems that he will not eat one type of food for more than a couple of days. Inevitably I go out and buy a different kind of food that he will eat for a week and then completely turn his nose up to. I read online that additives in food can cause seizures, so before I took him to the vet I figured I would try switching his food to something more natural that he will want to eat. I know there are plenty of treat recipes online but I am looking for these type of recipes that are more "meal-ish" If anyone knows of any others please post them!

Here is my easy recipe for homemade dog food. I feed this to my Shih Tzu. She never liked any store-bought food, but she loves her "people food."
1 large or 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup frozen cut green beans
1/2 cup cook white rice
Cut chicken breast into small pieces. Put in a 9" skillet along with the frozen green beans. Add water to almost cover the chicken/beans. Add a very small amount of salt. Bring to boil and cook on medium (slow boil) for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken and beans from the broth (don't throw away the broth). Dice the chicken and beans into very small pieces. Put the chicken, beans, AND BROTH in a storage container. Add the cooked rice and stir well. Place in refrigerator and discard any remaining food after 3 days.
I feed about 1/2 cup of this mixture to my Shih Tzu twice a day. I warm it slightly in the microwave before serving. Accoring to my vet, it is very important to give your dog a daily multivitamin when feeding homemade food.

I have a st bernard puppy how much do i feed her? is it the same as normal measures

I boil boneless, skinless chicken, then I boil green veggies. After they're boiled I blend everything together with the broth that the chicken was boiled in. I let it cool down, pour it into a bunch of small containers (I use GLAD disposables) freeze them and leave one in fridge. I add a spoon of the homemade mix to their dry food/kibble as it is HIGHLY recommended they stick to it for sake of their teeth and well-balanced vitamins, minerals, etc. My Schnauzers & Min Pin lick their bowls. I've been doing this mix for over a year and they love it and have beautiful teeth & coats and their weight is within standards/guidelines.

Hi, we are raising a Great Dane puppy and a Basset Hound. This will be our first time of making their food homemade; anything has to be better than the food you can purchase in the stores. I am going to have to play a bit with the amount of food we are feeding our GD as nothing here really mentions amounts for larger breeds. I will be back to update on how this is working for us. Also maybe someone raising a Dane on homemade food can post the suggested amount. Thanks for reading. Have a great day.

My vet told me that beef is one of the worst things you can feed a dog. As a matter of fact, every time my two dogs eat any beef, there is a large amount of gas - from both ends - and diarrhea. I think you should remove the recipes that call for beef.
thanks

I believe the ratio for feeding your dog is 2-3% of their body weight, is the amount of food you should feed them. For example, if your dog weighs 100 lbs, then you would feed it about 1 1/2 pounds of food per day. Start with the 2% to 3% ratio and keep an eye on your dog's weight to see if you need to make any adjustments. If they're gaining on that amount, then cut back a little. If they're losing weight on that amount, then increase till you see what amount works for your dog.

Obviously, for puppies, they are growing, so you will want to feed them 3-4 times a day. I don't know what amount you would feed a growing puppy, but you should definitely do research on it to ensure you're feeding the puppy enough.

Hello

I have a Australian Shepard Golden Retriver Mix. almost 2 yrs ago he was diagnosed with cancer. He was given 2 moths at mosst. after research and spending lots of money on special dog food, I have decided to make my own. I also have another dog a Yellow Lab. They are both 15 years old. after all the research I know they need completely different diets. Max with cancer needs a low carb, low surgar diet. As where Molson can eat anything. They are both 70 pds. I need a good staple recipie that I can make. One for Max and one for molson. I also need to know how much to feed them. What supplements I can use for both. Please help.

Thanks

I think they should re-recipe the mixes as they have no source of calcium. And they need calcium.

My dog's teeth are falling out and she is really sensitive to eating hard food would these recipes hurt her?

Fed my senior standard poodle baked chicken and green beans for years and he was very healthy. When I fed my new poodle puppy the same diet, he had tight dry stool. I now feed him a ground beef and veggie diet and he's fine.

how much homemade dogfood should I feed my 12 and 15 pound dog every day?

Those of you considering using canned broths and vegetables should remember to check sodium levels in those products! Canned goods are notoriously high in sodium and high sodium levels can really trash your dog's heart and kidneys!!!

is it natural for, my papillon to eat carrots?
everytime i go to feed my guinea pigs and a carrot falls onto the floor my papillon eats it?
lara, x

This is awful. Why would I want to use all these processed foods to make dog food? The idea is to get away from processed foods and feed the dog fresh natural food as well.

i am so glad to see that people are starting to see home made dog food recipes on line and making them for their pet.i have done this for many years. and had a dog who lived 23 yrs. and one to live 21 years. i have new babies now 2years and 4 years of age. and raised the two year yorkie due to the breeder losing the mom . i got him at 2 day's old and fed him goat's milk and fed home made as he got older. 24/7 work but he is so healthy. i have fed my pet's this way and i know it is better for the pet as my older dogs never lost hearing or any joint problems and yes they played even in their twenties.i think it is great that you are putting the word out about homemade dog food.my vet said he he had not cared for my pets as pup's he would not have believed that they were over 10 years let alone 23 and 21 years old . i am a old lady now and have not had many pet's due to their long life.. so i can say home made food is the best.by the four dog's i have had. i enjoyed reading what you had to say.and i have some recipes that i have used since 1967 until now and vit/min that i used will put it in a post if you would like. i wouldn't know how to use something already made since i do not trust dog food companies for any thing that a pet of mine would put into their system.my mom in the 1940's and 1950's raise me on health food before it was ever know of and now i am the health food nut in the family. ha! now it has finally caught on. glad to read all this stuff not too good on the pc but i am a old dog learning new things too. have a great day all.

I have just found this site and BRILLIANT, is all I can say. I have just got all the things I need to make natural food will use oats,noodles brown rice ,beans chick peas carrots chicken silverbeet sweet potatoe cooked eggs, and see how that goes This will be for a Japanese chin/poodle and a bishon/poodle and a foxy think it will be fine is high in carbs but they are all very energitic does it sound ok to you all ?? Heather

I have been making my own dog food for years and my oldest doxi is 16 and 1/2. I use boneless skinless chicken, brown rice, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, beans and lots of other fresh veggies, fresh fruit, cottage cheese. When it is cooked I add apple cider vinegar, kelp, brewers yeast, wheat germ. I freeze enough for my two dogs for each day in freezer bags and defrost in warm water. They get homemade dog treats for their teeth. They are both very healthy with great coats.

Can someone please help? I am a little confused about a dog's diet. I have heard that a dog must stay on the very same diet on a daily basis and that changing foods on them can cause distress. So, are we recommending here that its okay to give your dog oatmeal, veggies and chicken one day --and then rice, veggies and salmon the next? Please help! Thanks.

I have enjoyed reading through these comments. I Have a 3 y/o Golden Retriever. I have had him almost 6 months. He was bounched around some before I received. I had always had Boxers and Bullmastiffs, so a long haired dog is kind of new for me. During the years that my ex and I raised our Boxers and Bullmastiffs I always fed the puppies, to ween them off the mama was, baby cereal, soft scrambled eggs, unfalvored, not sweetebed yogart, and I think we started smashing some puppy vit as they got older. I think I started the baby cereal around 4-5 weeks and didn't place them in homes till at least 8-12 weeks. The puppies always thrived. For the grown dog I bought chicken quarters, boiled and deboned the chicken stock was mixed with a Lamb based good quality kibbles.
Well fast forward to my new long haired Golden. I recently had him neutered and had some complacations, he is doing better today. I finally removed the E collar a couple of days ago. I still boil and debone chicken and put some on a cup of kibbles twice a day for my Golden, but after removing the collar I noticed he was pulling on his hair. I thought it was just stress from the recent sugery. A neighbor droped by last night and said her long haired dog went through a period of pulling his hair and it got really bad. She recommen that I take him off the mid range kibbles and switch to a name brand that had no wheat or corn products, or at least not first on the list of ingredints. I checked the store today and decided to make my own. Thats how I came across this site. I took the deboned chicken stock out of the fridge and added some frozen spinach, cut some carrots into small pieces and added about 2 cups of brown rice to the 4 quarts of chicken mixture. I just fed him some and he seems delited,,,,,he eats good.
I just can't stand to see him pull his hair out. Does anyone know how long it might take before I'll notice and he possibly will stop pulling his hair out?

Be careful about advising people to feed their dogs baby food, which can contain onion power, which is dangerous for dogs. Baby food may also have other additives that are not healthy for dogs.

I have 10 month old Chihuahua, and am not sure how much to feed her, she's 6 pounds right now so I dont want to overfeed her since thats the max.a chihuahua should weight. Any tips?

Hi I have a 9 year old beagle that has had a marcel tumor 3 times, I believe this is because of the commercial food I have bought her. I would like to know if somebody else has had this and if cooking home meals has helped?? I 'm unsure of what types of recipes to try her on? Hope to hear some suggestions and thoughts.

wow lol some of these recipes are more expensive than my average meals. baby food is pretty expensive like 80 cents per jar

hello all.......regarding broth, i think it is much better to make your own....store bought is nasty stuff....i usually make mine in a small slow cooker.........i put in a few skinless chicken thighs or turkey thighs or lamb shanks with about a quart of water and cook it on slow for about 8 hours. the meat is fall-off-the-bone-delicious, and the broth is quite flavorful. F9or extra fatty meats, such as lamb shanks, i pour off the fat after it cools.........

My research had lead me to discover numerous problems with grains, but at that time, I had not uncovered material regarding grains that would lead me to completely condemn them. In particular, there was insufficient evidence to condemn these foods on the basis of their starch content.
However, it would now appear that the apparently innocuous starch, widely regarded as a supremely safe, and cheap source of energy, is not the sweet innocent food ingredient it appears to be! It is the emerging information on the role of starch in producing poor health which has for me, put the last nail in the coffin holding the grain.
Our dogs, like ourselves should only eat those foods on which they evolved if they are to gain and maintain maximum health. Over the last several years I have revisited numerous theories regarding the damaging role of soluble carbohydrates in the mammalian body. This information blended perfectly with further information regarding the parallel evolution of dog and man and the association between grain eating and the development of degenerative diseases in both species. By correlating and considering all this information, I could only conclude that the dog is not a grain eater. On that basis, it has become clear to me that unless a particular breed has spent thousands of years on a mostly grain diet, there is very little justification in recommending grains for dogs, and every theoretical and practical reason to condemn it.
The biochemical/physiological basis for problems directly related to the ingestion of grains relates to blood insulin levels in response to blood sugar levels. The ultimate effects of high carbohydrate diets include swings in blood sugar and insulin, insulin resistance and high blood sugar. This in turn results in pathological alterations in eicosanoid production which in turn leads to obesity, hypertension, fluid retention, musculoskeltal, vascular, renal, hepatic, CNS and cardiac disease, and finally in many instances cancer. That is, the ingestion of grain and other starchy foods (including simple sugars of course) produces or helps in a major way to produce most if not all of the degenerative diseases. There are other factors which are involved, particularly when it comes to feeding commercial pet food, including a lack of protective factors, abysmally poor protein quality, the presence of toxins in abundance, and the almost complete absence of healthy fats.
In an evolutionary sense, a wild dog's diet contain almost no grains. They never eat cooked grain. In eating the intestinal contents of their prey they will eat some grain which is usually immature and green. Most certainly they do not eat a totally grain based diet like the modern dog, subjected to a lifetime of dried dog food. Even if their prey had been eating mature seed heads, by the time the grain is consumed, it has been ground to a paste and soaked in the juices of the herbivores intestines. A totally different product to the masses of cooked and processed grains fed to dogs today.

What a plethora of information here. I have been making homemade food for my dog for sometime now. However, there are so many different ingredients I did not know about. However, those of you who are feeding your dog ground turkey meat from the market....DON'T! A friend of mine whose husband suffered from cardiac disease was told by the cardiologist that there is so much additives to store bought ground turkey that is really bad for you. So, if it's bad for you, think about your pet!

What a plethora of information here. I have been making homemade food for my dog for sometime now. However, there are so many different ingredients I did not know about. However, those of you who are feeding your dog ground turkey meat from the market....DON'T! A friend of mine whose husband suffered from cardiac disease was told by the cardiologist that there is so much additives to store bought ground turkey that is really bad for you. So, if it's bad for you, think about your pet!

i always feed my dog meat from our loical butcger but i always give it a quick boil...can this be harmful??