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Recipes For Homemade Dog Food

If you're like most people, then your dog is a true member of your family. Just as you'd want to be sure your family members are getting good healthy, nutritious food, you want to be sure your dog is getting the same.

Many commercial tinned dog foods contain preservatives and additives that are not always considered safe for human use. If you wouldn't feed them to your children, why would you feed them to your dog?

While making recipes for homemade dog food is often healthier and cheaper than buying commercial dog food, there are several foods that you shouldn't include in any dog recipes if you plan to make homemade dogfood. Dogs have very simplified digestive systems compared to ours. This means that some combinations of human foods can cause stomach upsets, illness, nerve damage or even death.

The primary types of foods you should never include in recipes for homemade dog food include onion, garlic, chocolate, coffee, grapes or raisins, macadamia nuts, mushrooms, raw eggs, raw fish, potato, and rhubarb.

Some dogs may also have negative digestive reactions to too many vegetables in their diets, resulting in chronic diarrhea. It's important to find the right balance that suits your dog, as all dogs are a little different.

Keep in mind that when you're creating your recipes for homemade dog food, your dog doesn't need nearly as much protein as you might believe. A good balance of carbohydrates is important to keep up energy levels, but avoid adding potato as it may cause digestive problems in some breeds.

You should also remember that some larger breeds of dog are susceptible to bloat. It's important not to include any ingredients that could potentially expand inside the stomach after eating, so be sure to overcook any rice or pasta until it's completely expanded before feeding to avoid this condition. You should also try to feed larger breeds twice daily rather than one large meal to help avoid bloat.

Many butchers will offer dog mince, which usually contains left over off-cuts of lamb, chicken or beef. This is often far cheaper than human-grade mince, but shouldn't contain any crushed bone. Ask your butcher if you're unsure. You should be able to find relatively good quality dog mince from most butchers.

Simple Recipes For Homemade Dog Food

This homemade dogfood recipe is the one I've been using for my dogs for years. They've always displayed a fine shiny coat and healthy teeth and bone growth. This recipe was approved by their vet, although keep in mind that this recipe is for their evening meal. On alternative weeks, this recipe is switched for the High Energy Dog Food recipe.

Ingredients

2 pounds (approx 1 kg) minced chicken or dog mince
1/2 cup rice
1 cup macaroni
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
1 tablespoon gravy mix
5 cups water

Method

In a soup pot or large saucepan, brown the chicken lightly. In a separate saucepan, boil the macaroni and rice in 2 cups of water. Allow these to boil until they're very soft and overcooked. You'll notice that the pasta and rice will expand significantly.

Add another 3 cups of water to the cooked chicken and break up the mince so it doesn't form clumps. Chop the carrot and celery in a food processor so they're in very small, easily digestible pieces and add them to the chicken and allow them to cook until they soften.

When the rice and pasta have absorbed the majority of the water in the saucepan, pour them into the chicken mixture. Stir occasionally to stop the chicken from sticking to the bottom.

In a small cup or jug, mix the gravy mix and a little boiling water to form a smooth paste. Pour the gravy mix into the chicken and stir well.

Remove the mixture from the heat and pour into a sealable container. This recipe will store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

High Energy Homemade Dogfood

Ingredients

2 pounds (around 1kg) minced chicken or dog mince
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup rice
1 zucchini
1/2 cup green beans
5 cups water
1 cup chicken stock

Method

Place the meat and 2 cups water and 1 cup of chicken stock in a soup pot and cook over a medium heat until meat is cooked through. While the meat is cooking, place the oats and rice in a separate saucepan and boil in 3 cups of water until the oats have expanded and absorbed the majority of the liquid. This should take around 10 minutes.

When the oats and rice are cooked, pour them into the soup pot with the meat and continue cooking.

Process the vegetables in a food processor and add them to the chicken mince. Cook the vegetables until everything is softened and the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the homemade dogfood mixture from the heat and pour into a sealable container. This recipe will store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

We hope your dogs enjoy these recipes for homemade dog food, why not take a look at our Homemade Dog Biscuit Recipes. If you've tried these at home or if you have alternative dog food recipes you want to share, then please feel free to leave your photos or recipes below.