Did you say FOOD?! Homemade Dog Food Recipe

Missy

It's amusing how your pets learn words and truly know the meaning.  The word FOOD is certainly known to our K9's.   Further into this post we will share one of our homemade recipes for dog food.

Recently we had both our dogs at the vet the same day to have their teeth cleaned.  That all went well until the next day when they both came down with bloody loose stool.  We questioned the vet, had the dogs put on antibiotics at the vet’s recommendation, and started exploring other causes of the gastric disturbance.

Since our dogs have not been exposed to other dogs in a very long time we deducted they either contacted something through the vet visit, or it was something in their food.  The vet was adamant they (the vet facility & procedure) were not the cause.  We really suspect that being the source though.  They told us they had processed over 200 dogs that week and had no other complaints.  That led us to their FOOD (whispering).  I hear barking if I say that word too loud!

Since the issues with commercially sold pet food have been in the news so much lately, we next turned our attention to the 50lbs of food, treats, and rawhide bones we had in storage containers.  Not having a solution of determining which might be the culprit, if any of it might be, we decided to dispose of all of it.

That all went in the garbage.  We set off to get the two dog's digestive bowels back in working order.  I had a friend that had and elderly pooch that had stopped eating.  Cancer that would take its toll eventually, but putting down their buddy when it still seemed happy was out of the question.  They put the dog on a diet of rice and sweet potatoes.  The dog starting eating again, perked up, and it appeared the diet extended their little friends life for a considerable length of time. 

There are many sources, from books to the internet that provide recipes and more nutritional information than we will provide here.  Also beware some human foods are hazardous to your dog’s life and health such as the garlic/onion family, chocolate, grapes, and more.

Even when our German Sheppard was normal she was a picky eater.  We had resorted to mixing broth with dog food, chicken and meat scraps with dog food, and scrambled eggs with dog food.  It was amazing that dog could pick around the dog food and just get all the "good" stuff.   We switched dog food brands many times in an attempt to get this dog to eat.  She just never did.  She was always healthy, but lean.  She would constantly run in the large dog run (20ft x35ft) for 30-40 minutes at a time.  This Shepard is a very active dog.

Our Chihuahua on the other hand has been with us many more years and is getting up in age.  She doesn't run for hours.  She would prefer to go out the doggy door and sit in the warm sun to warm her body.  But when it comes to FOOD, the puppy in her awakens and she is dancing around waiting to be fed.

We read a couple books on cooking and baking your own dog food and dog treats.  We set off to make our own.  Our basic recipe can be modified to your own preferences.  Both dogs started to recover in 3 days on this diet (antibiotics may have done the trick)?  We have not gone back to processed dog food and have no intentions of doing so.  This stuff is so good I even eat a cup full now and then.   The Sheppard no longer is a picky eater.  She eats like a real dog now…and licks her bowl clean.

We also make a dog treat.  That recipe we will share at another time.  If we fail to hand those treats out after they are done eating we get a woof to remind us. 

We make this Basic Dog food recipe in a rice cooker.  We use canned items we buy at Costco by the case.  We also use the Costco Rotisserie Chickens just because the cost is there and they make this preparation less time consuming.  Individual portions of the cooked food can be measured out and frozen in zip lock bags.  Then to use, add a little water and warm in a microwave.

Basic Food Recipe (Chicken)
2     14.5 oz Cans Chicken Broth
4     Cups Cooked Cubed Chicken (One whole Rotisserie Chicken De-boned, skin removed, diced)  Variations:  4 cups of canned chicken, beef, canned Tuna, or canned Salmon
2     14.5 oz Can full of uncooked brown rice     
4     14.5 oz Cans of Water
2     14.5 oz Cans of Canned Green Beans (Drained)
2     14.5 oz Cans full of uncooked/raw baby carrots (Broth can to measure quantity)
½    Cup Olive Oil
½    Cup Ground Flax Meal
½    tsp Salt (Optional-we feel animals in nature seek out salt so we do no omit it completely)
1     29 oz Cans of Canned Sweat Potatoes (can increase this to two cans).  Cut in 1 inch chunks

Depending on your rice cooker size you may have to half this recipe?  Everything but the potatoes and meat go into the cooker.  Remember the rice will expand.  You may need to half this recipe?Once cooked, dump the drained canned sweet potatoes in on the rice mixture.  Do not add the meat yet.  Use a potato masher and break everything down so the carrots and green beans are pulverized.  Some dogs will not eat the carrots if in large chunks.  At least our "kids" won't.

Add the cubed meat last.  Mix it into the mixture until everything is uniform.

We now buy our rice in 50lb bags and seal it in 5gal food grade buckets.  If you are a frugal shopper or have access to Sam’s Club, Costco, or another food warehouse equivalent, you will find this total concoction is very comparable in price to even the cheaper brand of dog food.

We freeze anything we don’t use within 3 to 4 days days.

Heck in a pinch when time is running short; it becomes a quick warm-up dinner for us humans!  Does that mean we've gone to the dogs!  LOL!

Check back for our post on making dog treats!